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Voyage to Antartica and beyond on Voyager Jan 29 - Feb 17, 2023

1982CruzStart

By 1982CruzStart,
in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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1982CruzStart

1982CruzStart

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I am hoping to post about this once in a lifetime trip that takes us cruising around Antartica for 3 days as well as down the east coast of SA and back up the west coast. I wanted to take an expedition cruise but it wasn't in the cards, so for me this is the next best thing.  We originally booked this cruise for 2022 but it was cancelled and we jumped on changing to this one.  As time and internet allows i will post commentary and if i can remember how to do so, i will post food porn and other pictures. 

 

Heavily into packing mode today as we take the first step tomorrow to get to our gateway city and spend the night.  We had challenges with our flights through Regent Air and though i understand how tough these past couple of years have been on them, this was the worst experience with them. On the upside I have flights that get me to Buenos Aires and back from Santiago so to this point we are good. Crappy seats on some of the flights because 1)Regent Air ignored our requests for seat changes and 2) the airline we are dealing with wouldn't allow us to change them directly online until after the last and final change to our itinerary.  Well we are in business and not on the wings so how bad can they be. Best itinerary change (not) was having us spend over 24 hours in a stopover city and arriving in BA on sailing date where we might have missed the ship. Loved that one. Because i couldn't talk to RA directly it was a frustrating time trying to get them straightened out. 

 

I will try not to bore you (and me) to death but no promises. 

 

Will be back in touch as the trip unfolds. 

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forgap "Live from...." Rare

forgap

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We are on this cruise as well.  Do you mind if I chime in now and then?  We are waiting for our LYFT ride now.  We travel ATL to MIA then on to EZE.  We are doing the Iguazu falls pre cruise.  We don’t have much wiggle room in MIA if the flight from ATL is delayed.  Fingers crossed!  
 

Our suitcases are cumbersome as we had to pack for three seasons.  I’m also not good at editing my choices.  
 

We have many Regent cruises under our belts but I am still as excited as a school girl on a field trip! 
 

jennifer

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PSU

PSU

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My husband and I leave Friday for Buenos Aires connecting through Miami. I agree the packing for this trip is difficult. But looking forward to seeing the penguins.

See you on the ship.

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Kwaj girl

Kwaj girl

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We joined the Voyager in Cape Town and will stay onboard til Santiago. Other than internet ups-and-downs we have had a great trip so far.  We are ready for you to join us - I promise we will save some champagne for you.

 

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forgap "Live from...." Rare

forgap

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We have arrived in Buenos Aires and have a lovely room at the Emperador Hotel.   Regent reps met us outside of the baggage claim and our group was rounded up and we headed to the bus.  Claudio was a delightful short term guide as he gave us much needed tips about money, eating, and safety in BA. 
 

Flying all night never results in stellar cognitive skills but we managed to muddle through the hotel registration and instructions on the logistics for the next day’s flight to Iguazu falls.  I must have appeared pretty dull as the rep rattled off departure times, suitcase logistics (what stays, what goes, how it’s labeled….), and what time we need to be in the lobby or be left behind.  That got through the fog!  The rep said there are 46 on the precruise and we will be divided into two groups.  I’m not sure why all the salient points weren’t written down and handed to us.  Seems like that would be easier than retaining the info in a jet lagged brain.  
 

We had lunch at the hotel and our room was ready when we finished.  We both got a short nap and then deconstructed and reconstructed the suitcases so we will have what we need until we board the ship.  
 

Stay tuned!  
 

 

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forgap "Live from...." Rare

forgap

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Leave jewelry and fancy  watches in the hotel safe.  Use credit cards for purchases but the “blue” market gives you the biggest bang for the buck but this is a sketchy endeavor.  Motorcycle thieves will slash purse straps and ride away .    I think the usual drill in any big city.  

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red1head

red1head

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forgap, I agree. It's best not to wear ANY jewelry in BA. Street thieves don't stop to assess if it's real or costume. Friends of ours were there a month ago and were assaulted near their hotel in daylight while out for a short walk. The thief pulled a decorative necklace off her neck, knocking her to the ground. She sustained abrasions and bruises. Her husband suffered a dislocated shoulder and other abrasions trying to apprehend the thief. They spent the afternoon in emergency care and then the police station. They are both six feet tall and in their 30s. Not what you would consider prime targets. They cut their trip short, cancelled their Antarctica cruise and were grateful to have trip insurance. BA is a lovely city but it's best to be careful.

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NCCruzQueen

NCCruzQueen

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2 hours ago, red1head said:

forgap, I agree. It's best not to wear ANY jewelry in BA. Street thieves don't stop to assess if it's real or costume. Friends of ours were there a month ago and were assaulted near their hotel in daylight while out for a short walk. The thief pulled a decorative necklace off her neck, knocking her to the ground. She sustained abrasions and bruises. Her husband suffered a dislocated shoulder and other abrasions trying to apprehend the thief. They spent the afternoon in emergency care and then the police station. They are both six feet tall and in their 30s. Not what you would consider prime targets. They cut their trip short, cancelled their Antarctica cruise and were grateful to have trip insurance. BA is a lovely city but it's best to be careful.

@red1head Thanks for your warning.  It is extremely sad to hear what happened to your friends and that they weren’t able to complete their trip/cruise.

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Aloha 1

Aloha 1

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On 1/26/2023 at 4:08 PM, forgap said:

Leave jewelry and fancy  watches in the hotel safe.  Use credit cards for purchases but the “blue” market gives you the biggest bang for the buck but this is a sketchy endeavor.  Motorcycle thieves will slash purse straps and ride away .    I think the usual drill in any big city.  

On the Oceania forum, there are comments that VISA is using the "blue dollar" rate at 325 AP to the dollar. much better than the 185 ARP "official rate. FYI

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1982CruzStart

1982CruzStart

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Well after many hours flying and visiting 3 airports we made it to BA. The flights weren't too bad just long. Had to change planes in Montreal and then do a little shuffle in Sao Paulo where we got off the plane and walked (probably did us good after all the sitting and lying around) to go through security,  and then after about 2 hours we got back on our same plane with a different flight crew. Not sure the point of doing the security thing as we have been 30,000 or so feet in the air and pretty sure we couldn't have picked up anything since our last security check. 

 

There were 4 couples on the flight from Vancouver heading to the ship with 2 of us couples headed to the Regent hotel. I guess the others made their own arrangements. We have a lovely 1 bedroom suite with a large living area, a spacious king bedroom and a large bathroom with separate shower and a jacuzzi tub, and best not to forget the bidet. 

 

I am already struggling to stay awake and it is only 6 pm as i just can't sleep on a plane no matter how comfortable the lie-flat beds are and these weren't bad.  One meal on the first flight was pretty good - the salmon and the other flight was inedible - the tenderloin. Air Canada use to serve a decent filet in BC but that sure wasn't the case on either flight. For lunch from SP to BA you could have cold chicken or cold chicken. It was okay. DH said his chicken from the first flight was really good. 

 

Bye for now. We are in discussions on where to grab a bite for dinner. We take the 12 pm bus to the ship. Talk to you later.  

 

 

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