LIVE from Antarctica on Seabourn Pursuit! - Jan 7-19, 2024

[bilbobill]

Happy New Year!

 

After getting so many great travel tips from this site, I hope to share some useful information on this bucket list trip to Antarctica. Since Seabourn’s expedition ships are relatively new with limited reviews posted I found it a little difficult to get all the information I wanted when I planned this trip back in Jan of 2023 so feel free to ask any questions along the way and I will try to address them as we travel.  While we wait to start our travel journey, first some background:

 

Why Antarctica? – Speaking with friends and fellow travelers it is always mentioned as one of their favorite trips.  After reading an article about Seabourn and Viking both launching two new luxury expedition ships we decided to make the trip and began our research.

 

Why Seabourn? – There are a lot of quality ships cruising in this area so I won’t try to debate whether we made the best choice but it came down to Seabourn and Viking having the newest ships built for luxury expeditions and some really competitive pricing back in January.  Choosing between the two was difficult as the Viking ship looked really good but the tiebreaker came down to Seabourn being about 2k per person cheaper at that time and we wanted a real balcony.  Viking has the virtual balcony in their standard cabins where the window comes down – I tried that on a Celebrity cruise earlier this year and didn’t like it. Having said that, I have seen some really tremendous reviews about the Viking expedition ships so maybe next time.

 

Booking – We chose to use an online travel agent for our booking as they give us generous cabin credits.  A little more hassle as things like upgrades and changes have to go through the TA but the $1500 cabin credit was worth it for us.  I also noticed a week after I booked that Seabourn had added a $600 cabin credit to their promotion so TA was able to call and get that as well – not sure what I am going to do with a $2100 cabin credit in Antarctica as my wife won’t do the submarine but perhaps some good wine ahead! About 6 weeks before the cruise we received an offer to upgrade from a V2 Veranda to a Penthouse suite for $1099 per person so we took that – seemed like a great deal given the original price difference between those two options – we will see.

 

Travel – We are flying from Austin to Miami and then to Buenos Aires on AA – economy 😞   I may have waited too late to get any good business class tickets as the fares were really high and flights all look very full.  I just couldn’t stomach the extra 10k to book business for the two of us but in hindsight I should have focused on this a little more in the planning stage as I’m sure I will be regretting it about halfway through the flight.  We are arriving in BA two days early so as to enjoy the city and prevent any panic in case of flight delays and to enjoy the city.  More to come as we begin our trip!

[moabkayaker]

Happy New Year to you, too

 

I am looking forward to hearing about your experience.  We are booked on the Venture starting Feb 11, and like you looked at both Viking and Seabourn.  We recently had an excellent experience with Seabourn's expedition staff on a trip to Iceland and Greenland, and that was probably the tipping point for us.  We are also staying on the ship as it heads to the Falklands, South Georgia and on up the Atlantic to Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha, etc., and that just was also too good to pass up.

 

Like you, we are planning on being in B.A. a couple of days ahead - we didn't want to miss the boat (literally) with potential winter weather.  We were there about a year ago, and it's a fun city to explore. 

 

I will be checking in with your travels regularly.  It's fun to see what other travelers' experiences are, and I have learned a lot reading several other blogs about such things as expedition jackets, excursions, etc.  I will also look forward to seeing if there are any things that you bring you find you didn't need, or vice versa.  I always wind up with stuff I needn't have brought!

 

Deb

[morganowl]

Thanks for this excellent information.  We are joining the Pursuit on Jan 19th.  Many Viking but our first Seabourn.  Appreciated you comparison of the two - agree with you on the "real" balcony.  Look forward to more posts ...

[markandjie]

14 hours ago, bilbobill said:

We are flying from Austin to Miami and then to Buenos Aires on AA – economy 😞   I may have waited too late to get any good business class tickets as the fares were really high and flights all look very full.

 

I feel your pain! We were lucky enough to get upgraded from Miami to BA but didn't get the upgrade coming back. I'll be honest, it really wasn't too bad at least for our group. I think the fact that you're not really changing time zones makes it a little easier because you sleep when it's time to sleep...

 

Looking forward to the updates!

[bilbobill]

Thanks @markandjie, I really appreciated your report from the Venture - it was extremely helpful in getting ready for the trip!

[bilbobill]

TRAVEL DAY

We are ready to begin our journey! It’s been a little hectic trying to narrow down and navigate all the advice on what to bring for our trip but I think we are ready.  Will let you know at the end what we missed and what wasn’t really needed but for now its in the suitcases and we are committed.

 

This is my first trip on Seabourn so really excited to see what it brings.  Pre cruise info is a little inconsistent and lacking but the key things to know are communicated. I did call twice and the rep was super friendly and knowledgeable so I feel like I got most of what I needed.  I like details in advance so I will try to cover the process as it occurs in this thread so others like me will have more info for their future cruises.  What happens at the pre-night hotel, what is included there, what time do we leave in the morning are all a bit of a mystery right now but I’m sure it will all be addressed when we arrive,

 

In terms of packing I have seen a lot of discussion on other posts about the baggage restrictions for the charter flight so will address this too once I go through the process.  I did receive the attached guidance from Seabourn so we will follow this as I am a “rule follower” but I did see others comment that it wasn’t strictly enforced. 

 

 

 

We decided on one full size bag plus one carry on size each for a total of 4 bags and then normal size backpacks as our carry on.  I won’t go through everything we packed inside but based on advice we received on this site, we did include Scopolamine patches for seasickness, binoculars, trekking poles, door stops 😊, computer and lots of layers! I feel like I overpacked but we will see....

 

The general itinerary is leaving Austin January 3 to arrive in Buenos Aires the morning of Jan 4^th.  Two nights in the Park Hyatt which apparently is sometimes a Seabourn pre cruise hotel so I will try and cover our stay there.  Then to the  Alvear Palace Hotel on Jan 6 for our pre-cruise night before our charter flight to Ushuaia on Jan 7^th.  Cruise is from Jan 7-19 at which point we return to BA and then fly home that evening.  Again no communication from Seabourn on the flight details or timing from Ushuaia to BA but the Seabourn phone rep said we would be at EZE no later than 5:30pm for our return flights.

 

So that is it for now, will spare you details of the Austin airport and domestic flight to Miami as I’m sure you know how that works.  Will catch up again in Buenos Aires!

[markandjie]

We're also in Austin. Small world!

[BasandSyb]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. We are joining Pursuit in February for what will be the beginning of 4 months away and your packing comments will be very useful. 😵‍💫

 

Sorry to see Shark B8 is still off line - that must be so disappointing for them both. Hopefully they have managed some activities and are on the improve. 

 

If you haven't been to BA before, be wary when on the street and leave all your valuables in the safe (including personal jewellery - earings etc.). Look forward to hearing more of your travels.

[morganowl]

This site is soooo helpful!  We are joining Pursuit Jan 19.  Most questions have been answered with this site, or, with call to Seabourn.  I am now wondering about getting Argentine Pesos for our time in BA.  I usually get local currency before leaving home; however, not so sure about the peso now.  Any suggestions?  

 

[Fitstylist55]

1 hour ago, morganowl said:

This site is soooo helpful!  We are joining Pursuit Jan 19.  Most questions have been answered with this site, or, with call to Seabourn.  I am now wondering about getting Argentine Pesos for our time in BA.  I usually get local currency before leaving home; however, not so sure about the peso now.  Any suggestions?  

 

Don’t buy Pesos in the US. Bring $100s with the blue line to exhange at a local Cuevas ( black market exchange). It sounds a lot scarier than it is. The Alvear Palace exchanged a small amount of USD initially at a decent rate, though not as favorable as the blue dollar rate.

[morganowl]

Thank you!  Did you find you needed the pesos in BA?  Do they take US $?

 

[markandjie]

I believe they've now floated the official rate (as of mid Dec) so that's not necessary any more. Besides, when we were there in November we got very favorable rates just using credit cards. I got a coffee at Starbucks in EZE when we landed and per official rate paid something like $8. When I checked my CC statement it came through as $2.50 or so. 

 

We never did get any pesos. Just used CC everywhere. But we also never took taxis or bought anything from street vendors.

 

 

Edited January 4 by markandjie
Added image

[sfvoyage]

The dolar blue is roughly 1000 vs. 800, or 25% better than the official rate on 4th January.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pagina12.com.ar/700969-dolar-blue-hoy-dolar-hoy-a-cuanto-cotizan-el-jueves-04-de-en

[markandjie]

Interesting! I went back and looked at my Citi statement and we got between about 750 and 1,000 on our transactions. Not sure why some were higher or lower than others. In general I lean towards not changing cash unless I really need it and in Buenos Aires I did not.

[moabkayaker]

Last year at this time, the blue market rate was about double the "official rate" so it was beneficial, especially when getting tickets at places like Iguazu Falls (where the credit card machines would not take US credit cards on the Argentine side).  Cash is also handy in little food stores, etc., depending on how long you are staying pre or post trip.We'll probably change some dollars on Florida Street (where the "cambios" tend to hang out) when we arrive in about a month.

[sfvoyage]

5 hours ago, Fitstylist55 said:

Don’t buy Pesos in the US. Bring $100s with the blue line to exchange at a local Cuevas ( black market exchange). It sounds a lot scarier than it is.

 

12 minutes ago, moabkayaker said:

We'll probably change some dollars on Florida Street (where the "cambios" tend to hang out) when we arrive in about a month.

 

Does the process still involve letting the street tout take you to an obscure office in a nearby building? 

[sfvoyage]

4 hours ago, markandjie said:

Interesting! I went back and looked at my Citi statement and we got between about 750 and 1,000 on our transactions. Not sure why some were higher or lower than others. In general I lean towards not changing cash unless I really need it and in Buenos Aires I did not.

The exchange rate on the official Visa exchange rate calculator for 4th January is 1 USD = 964.486 ARS, assuming a 0% bank fee.  This is very close to the dolar blue rate.

 

(For 3rd Jan, the rate was 924.365.)

Edited January 4 by sfvoyage

[markandjie]

11 minutes ago, sfvoyage said:

official Visa exchange rate calculator

 

I had no idea such a thing existed! Thanks!

[bilbobill]

On 1/3/2024 at 10:03 PM, BasandSyb said:

 

If you haven't been to BA before, be wary when on the street and leave all your valuables in the safe (including personal jewellery - earings etc.). Look forward to hearing more of your travels.

We are having some internet issues at the Park Hyatt here in BA so will post more info soon. In terms of safety we feel pretty good here so far however we have had many more people coming up to us asking for money than last time I was in BA.  So I agree it is good advice to keep valuables back in the hotel when possible 

[bilbobill]

10 hours ago, morganowl said:  I am now wondering about getting Argentine Pesos for our time in BA.  I usually get local currency before leaving home; however, not so sure about the peso now.  Any suggestions?  

 

The whole currency thing is a moving target and things could change any day but here is my experience today.  There appear to be 3 main rates - the official rate, the foreign credit card rate ie tourist rate and the US$ cash rate.  These 3 rates are much closer together than just a few weeks ago.  I used my Chase Visa twice today and got a rate of approximately 1000 to 1.  The concierge told me I could get a slightly better cash exchange rate with US$ 100 bills.  I brought some so I may try this but not sure it is worth the effort- prices are good here with the new rates and I really only need pesos for tips.  

[bilbobill]

Arrival in Buenos Aires!

 

So happy to be here after a long day of travel.  We arrived in BA around 10:30am in the morning (Thursday).  There was quite a long line at immigration and it took us 1 hour and 20 minutes to clear.  I think we were a bit unlucky on the timing of flights coming in as the lines were much shorter as we cleared.  The process is pretty simple  – no forms to fill out, just show your passport, know the flight number you came in on and know what hotel you are staying in.  The customs officer was quite friendly and spent a lot of time telling us about the city and teasing us as to why we would want to go to Antarctica when BA has so much to offer – maybe that is why the line took so long 😊 

 

 

 

We hired a driver through the hotel and he was waiting for us right outside of customs by McDonalds.  There area was pretty clear and many other drivers were waiting for their customers but it wasn’t too congested and I think it is pretty easy to find your ride.  The driver was expensive though and I had to keep communicating the delay in immigration.  I think next time I will just catch a taxi for about 25% of the cost. 

 

The drive in to the Park Hyatt is about 50km and took around 45 minutes.  The Alvear Palace is just a few blocks down where we will stay pre cruise after our 2 nights at the Park Hyatt.  I will add some comments in a few days after our stays but of course there are lots of reviews on Trip Advisor if you are interested.  Two comments for now – the Park Hyatt was extremely busy and we couldn’t get our room until 3pm so be prepared.  They do offer spa access and you can have lunch while you wait or just walk around the neighborhood but of course we were really tired after the journey so wanted to get in the room asap.  Second tip if you are staying at the Hyatt, use your points!  Hotel was charging cash rates of over $1000 per night during our stay but we were able to use 25k points per night which was a big savings.  We transferred points from Chase to Hyatt and then selected reward nights.   

 

The weather is great this time of year – highs in the mid 80’s and a low of around 70.  It does require different packing from the cold of Antarctica so don’t forget to pack some warm weather “gear”.  We tried to pack all the things we would need for BA in our carry on so we could leave the larger bag for the cruise and not have to open it – this seemed to work pretty well. There are plenty of restaurants around both hotels and the concierge gave us some great recommendations – we went a little early and had no problem getting in without reservations.   Food has been really good here and reasonable priced – wine $4 per glass and food in line or less than US pricing. 

 

More to come when we check in to the pre-cruise hotel and will let you know how that goes.    Thanks also to those who have been adding to these posts and giving their experience and advice – super helpful!

[TootyJane]

Since you are in BA a couple of days before boarding, what converter and adapter are you using? TIA

[bilbobill]

9 hours ago, TootyJane said:

Since you are in BA a couple of days before boarding, what converter and adapter are you using? TIA

Great question because that is the first thing I realized that I forgot - an Argentinean plug adapter!  My wife and I travel with a lot of electronics and although the hotel room has some US and European outlets, the ones by the bed are local.  I would recommend bringing one - here is a pic

 

[FlyingScotSailors]

12 hours ago, TootyJane said:

Since you are in BA a couple of days before boarding, what converter and adapter are you using? TIA

Make sure that your electric devices are dual-voltage.  Plug adapters, like the one posted by bilblbill, allow you to plug your US device into Argentine 220V circuits but do not convert the voltage to 110V.

 

True voltage converters are rather sizable.  Smaller "voltage converters" that look like plug adapters chop off the 220V sine wave rather than converting to 110V, and may damage your device.

[TootyJane]

16 minutes ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

Make sure that your electric devices are dual-voltage.  Plug adapters, like the one posted by bilblbill, allow you to plug your US device into Argentine 220V circuits but do not convert the voltage to 110V.

 

True voltage converters are rather sizable.  Smaller "voltage converters" that look like plug adapters chop off the 220V sine wave rather than converting to 110V, and may damage your device.

I do need to get a converter. My husband has a CPAP which is not dual voltage. Thank you.