Rare StartrainDD Posted July 8, 2016 Author #101 Share Posted July 8, 2016 We very much enjoyed your review and finding it very helpful.Thank you. We are booked on the Dec20/16 sailing. You said that in two ports you could have chosen better tour options. Which ones did you do with HAL and whichorganized by your fellow CC members. Which would you consider a pass? What should we not miss? Would appreciate you assistance as we are starting to make our choices. Thank you. D&V Hello D&V! You have a lot to look forward to! None of the shore tours were through HAL. Everyone was private; some of them I arranged, some by others, and a few just "DIY." What I would do different in in Puerto Chacabuco I would do the tour offered by someone named Anne. It is an all-day tour but includes a lunch (something I normally avoid) on a private ranch/farm and the locals put on a native dance show. The 30 or so who did that tour RAVED about it. Our tour at that port was enjoyable but we spent too much time in the van and not enough outside seeing or doing things. So I would go with the other tour. If you find the roll call for our cruise I'm sure a search of the thread with the port name you will find the info on the tour provider. The other port I would do different was Punta Arenas. Again, our tour was entirely 'fine,' but the folks who went on the tour to the Penguin island just RAVED about it. We did have perfect weather for it, so if you plan for that, either through HAL or privately, you need to have a plan B in mind. We are just off our British Isles cruise and enjoyed two days in London. Heading home tomorrow. Arie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maltcan Posted July 9, 2016 #102 Share Posted July 9, 2016 We will take your advice and look into these two tours. Thanks again Arie, for taking the time while in London to answer our questions. We will look for your British Isles reviews. Could be our next cruise. Be Well. D & V. Hello D&V! You have a lot to look forward to! None of the shore tours were through HAL. Everyone was private; some of them I arranged, some by others, and a few just "DIY." What I would do different in in Puerto Chacabuco I would do the tour offered by someone named Anne. It is an all-day tour but includes a lunch (something I normally avoid) on a private ranch/farm and the locals put on a native dance show. The 30 or so who did that tour RAVED about it. Our tour at that port was enjoyable but we spent too much time in the van and not enough outside seeing or doing things. So I would go with the other tour. If you find the roll call for our cruise I'm sure a search of the thread with the port name you will find the info on the tour provider. The other port I would do different was Punta Arenas. Again, our tour was entirely 'fine,' but the folks who went on the tour to the Penguin island just RAVED about it. We did have perfect weather for it, so if you plan for that, either through HAL or privately, you need to have a plan B in mind. We are just off our British Isles cruise and enjoyed two days in London. Heading home tomorrow. Arie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MillieMarley Posted July 10, 2016 #103 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Hello D&V! You have a lot to look forward to! None of the shore tours were through HAL. Everyone was private; some of them I arranged, some by others, and a few just "DIY." What I would do different in in Puerto Chacabuco I would do the tour offered by someone named Anne. It is an all-day tour but includes a lunch (something I normally avoid) on a private ranch/farm and the locals put on a native dance show. The 30 or so who did that tour RAVED about it. Our tour at that port was enjoyable but we spent too much time in the van and not enough outside seeing or doing things. So I would go with the other tour. If you find the roll call for our cruise I'm sure a search of the thread with the port name you will find the info on the tour provider. The other port I would do different was Punta Arenas. Again, our tour was entirely 'fine,' but the folks who went on the tour to the Penguin island just RAVED about it. We did have perfect weather for it, so if you plan for that, either through HAL or privately, you need to have a plan B in mind. We are just off our British Isles cruise and enjoyed two days in London. Heading home tomorrow. Arie Hi we are also on the 20th Dec cruise and I too have loved your review. I have been looking at a couple of options for Puerto Chacabuco and I am wondering if you could private message me who your excursion was with? My email is rtccass at hotmail dot com. At first I wasn't going to do the e-patagonia tour by you are swaying me in this direction with your experience. Teresa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scluvsrain Posted July 10, 2016 #104 Share Posted July 10, 2016 I also did the Chacabuco tour with a small group just like Arie described. The day was wonderful and I loved having lunch at the ranch with the family. The dancing was a lot of fun too. We used empatagonia tours. Good outfit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarheel1952 Posted July 10, 2016 #105 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Did you need to get any visas or were you covered by the ship's visa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted July 10, 2016 #106 Share Posted July 10, 2016 Did you need to get any visas or were you covered by the ship's visa? If you go into Brazil, including a trip to the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls from Argentina, you need to have your own visa. Otherwise, on the cruises between Buenos Aires and Valparaiso, you do not need individual visas for any country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scluvsrain Posted July 11, 2016 #107 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Well. You DO need to pay the reciprocity fee to Argentina before you leave home. You will need the paper receipt when you board in Valparaiso. If you are boarding in Buenos Aires and flying in to Argentina you will need to show it at the airport along with your passport. You get this by going online. It's good for a number of years so hold on to it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubadawg Posted July 11, 2016 #108 Share Posted July 11, 2016 I think Argentina just stopped requiring those visas Sherita. So we now have that $160 piece of paper good for the next 10 years! Hey, I guess if they suddenly go back to visas we are good to go ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scluvsrain Posted July 11, 2016 #109 Share Posted July 11, 2016 Seriously???? Ooh that annoys me! I suppose it's good for future cruisers but having just had to pay it and them no longer requiring it really makes me mad. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DkswartzFamily Posted July 12, 2016 #110 Share Posted July 12, 2016 I had not heard that they weren't required anymore, I would be annoyed if I had bought it and didn't need it as well LOL but I guess you have it for the future just in case :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubadawg Posted July 12, 2016 #111 Share Posted July 12, 2016 The reciprocity fee may still be required for Canadian and Australian passport holders It changed for U.S citizens the end of March, but I always double check info just in case things change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DkswartzFamily Posted July 12, 2016 #112 Share Posted July 12, 2016 https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/argentina.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DkswartzFamily Posted July 12, 2016 #113 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Hopefully that takes you right to the Argentina page : ) I always check it as we get close! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 24, 2016 #114 Share Posted September 24, 2016 I certainly have enjoyed reading your review and I appreciate you doing so. I am considering this itinerary at Christmas/New Year's for 2017-2018. A question: why did you decide to fly LAN from Buenos Aires to Santiago as part of your return home rather than a non-stop to the United States from Buenos Aires? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlsSalt Posted September 24, 2016 #115 Share Posted September 24, 2016 I certainly have enjoyed reading your review and I appreciate you doing so. I am considering this itinerary at Christmas/New Year's for 2017-2018. A question: why did you decide to fly LAN from Buenos Aires to Santiago as part of your return home rather than a non-stop to the United States from Buenos Aires? Not answering your question at all, but it reminded me when we were looking for a flight from BsAs back to Los Angeles, we found going through Houston, Texas worked best for us on the West Coast USA. Plus we went through customs in Houston so no pile up in LAX at the very end of the trip. So anyone struggling with a route from BsAS to the west coast be sure to find a Houston option too. Made total sense but the first flights I searched (I do this online myself) had us all over the place with layovers for the best cost -- then pow, up came the Houston option. It was the winner. We were lucky enough to leave by train from San Diego for our "round the horn" HAL cruise. But not lucky enough to leave BsAS without their dreaded $160 "reciprocity" fee - which I think now has been suspended? At least on their end; not ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare StartrainDD Posted September 25, 2016 Author #116 Share Posted September 25, 2016 I certainly have enjoyed reading your review and I appreciate you doing so. I am considering this itinerary at Christmas/New Year's for 2017-2018. A question: why did you decide to fly LAN from Buenos Aires to Santiago as part of your return home rather than a non-stop to the United States from Buenos Aires? The more I reflect back on this trip, the more I would like to repeat it. So if you can go ahead and do it! When we booked the cruise, the flights we took were the best combination of direct and price. The airlines kept trying to steer us to "Two change" flights. Ideally a non-stop is best, but there are few direct flights. If you commit a year ahead then you may be able to grab non-stop flights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 25, 2016 #117 Share Posted September 25, 2016 StartrainDD, Thank you for your response to my question. From what little research so far that I have done on this itinerary, the flight issues seem to be the main challanges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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