Puerto Madryn, Argentina

            Saturday, 29 Feb 2020 – The ship docked at Puerto Madryn at about 9:00 AM, a day earlier than on the original schedule.  Puerto Madryn is a city with a population of about 94,000, with sandy beaches.  The ship would be docked there overnight.
            We joined Julie & Canute at a table for four for breakfast, and afterward, swam for first time in several days.  The outside temperature got up to 86 degrees!  We would be touring Puerto Madryn tomorrow as part of our overland excursion to Iguazu falls, so there was no need to go ashore today.
            Although last year, Jesse went to the Oceania spa/beauty salon for a haircut, he was not at all happy with it.  Therefore, this year, Sally brought her clippers along and cut his hair today after lunch.  Then we colored each other’s hair.
            We then started packing for our overland excursion to Iguazu falls.  If you are curious about the spelling, the original name from the native language was Iguassu, but Argentina later changed the spelling to Iguazu.  (Brazilians spell it Iguacu!)  After dinner in the Terrace Café, we returned to our stateroom to finish our packing; there was no time for dancing tonight!  We watched the results of the South Carolina Presidential primary before retiring for the night.  Since Vice President Biden was declared the winner almost immediately, there was no need to watch it very long.

2 Days at Sea

             Thursday, 27 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to cruise around Cape Horn. Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile.  Although not the most southerly point of South America, Cape Horn marks the northern boundary of the Drake Passage and marks where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet. 

Cape Horn was discovered and first rounded in 1616 by the Dutchman Willem Schouten, who named it Kaap Hoorn after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands.  For decades, Cape Horn was a major milestone on the clipper route, by which sailing ships carried trade around the world.  The waters around Cape Horn are particularly hazardous, owing to strong winds, large waves, strong currents and icebergs.  The need for boats and ships to round Cape Horn was greatly reduced by the opening of the Panama Canal in August 1914.  

            We woke up briefly at 7:15 AM, just as the ship was finally pulling away from the dock at Ushuaia.  Although we didn’t wake up again until 9:40 AM, we made it to breakfast in the Terrace Café in time (barely); they were closing the lines behind us as we were picking up items for our breakfast!  Because it was very cool and rainy outside, we didn’t swim again today.

            At about noon, the captain announced that we would not be sailing around Cape Horn, nor stopping at the Falkland Islands due to high winds and rough seas. Sally had been a little disappointed with this cruise.  We didn’t get to see any glaciers or penguins (in the Falkland Islands), and didn’t get to sail around the Cape as we did on our 2011/2012 cruise around South America.  But at least we still have those memories, plus photos! 

            When we went to the Terrace Café for lunch, it was crowded; however, we were able to join Canute & Julie at a table for four.  Although Julie had recovered from her episode in the Insignia Lounge, now she is having trouble with sea sickness.  In mid-afternoon, Jesse went to a Square Tango dance class with Airi & Oliver; Juanita was his dance partner.  This Tango was a lot different than the one we’ve been doing.  At first, Jesse was doing fine with the dance but the instructors kept adding more steps.  Oliver said he would be going over the steps again sometime in the future.

            The ship was so rocky during dance class that we decided to skip the pre-dinner dancing in the Horizons and go directly to dinner.  Since it was “A Taste of Brazil” night, we tried a few Brazilian dishes.  Sally especially liked the mashed sweet potatoes.  At 9:30 PM in the Insignia Lounge, there was a “Pampas Devils Tango & Gaucho Show.” Jesse watched a few minutes of the show and thought it was very good.  The acrobatics that the dancers were doing were far beyond anything we will ever be able to do on the dance floor!

            Friday, 28 February 2029 – Although we were originally scheduled to anchor off the coast of Port Stanley at 8:00 AM, the captain had announced at noon yesterday that we would not be able to stop there due to high waves there.  (Tenders cannot operate safely in rough water.)

The Falkland Islands comprise an archipelago of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands.  As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, and the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defense and foreign affairs.  The Falkland Islands' capital is Stanley on East Falkland.  At various times, the islands have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements.  Britain reasserted its rule in 1833, but Argentina maintains its claim to the islands.  In April 1982, Argentine military forces invaded the islands.  British administration was restored two months later at the end of the Falklands War.  Almost all Falklanders favor the archipelago remaining a UK overseas territory.  Major economic activities include fishing, tourism, and sheep farming.

At breakfast, the Terrace Café was very crowded again, but we joined Sandy & Cyril at a table for four.  We talked for quite a while afterwards and only left as the staff had started setting up the buffet for lunch.  Although we had originally thought Sandy & Cyril were from Alberta, Canada, they are actually from upstate New York.  Their last name is very similar to “Alberta,” which confused us.  They both graduated from University of Wisconsin in Madison, and were actually married there.  (They lived in Madison when Sally went to summer school at the University there.)  Cyril is retired from IBM and Sandy is a retired school teacher.

            At lunch, we sat at a table for two, next to Julie.  Julie was feeling much better after staying in bed most of yesterday and with the much calmer seas today.  Canute, however, wasn’t feeling well, so Julie was taking lunch back to their stateroom for him.  At 3:00 PM, we both went to the Insignia Lounge to “Learn the Tango with the Pampas Devils.”  There, we learned the basic Argentine Tango, which is much different from the tango we’ve been dancing and the Square Tango that Jesse learned from Oliver & Airi yesterday.  This was the first dance class that Sally attended on this cruise, but she thought if we both attended, it might help.  At the conclusion of the class, we also purchased a Tango Argentino Instruction DVD.
            That evening, we went to the Horizons for a little pre-dinner dancing, and joined Tom & Ruth at a table for four.  Although we were busy talking and did not dance as much as usual, we did ask the band to play a tango so we could practice our new dance steps.  After trying to remember the new steps without success, we reverted to the “American” Tango.  Dave & Abby also joined us for the Tango and had the same problem.  Afterwards, we went to dinner with Tom & Ruth in the Terrace Café, where we sat at a table for four and enjoyed more interesting conversation.

Ushuaia, Argentina

            Wednesday, 26 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to dock at Ushuaia at 8:00 AM.  Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is located mostly in the southern half of South America.  With a mainland area of 1,073,500 square miles, Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, the second largest in South America after Brazil, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation.
            Ushuaia (pronounced you-swhy’-a) is a resort town located in a wide bay on the southern coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego on the Tierra del Fuego (“land of fire”) archipelago.  Ushuaia is located roughly 500 miles from the coast of Antarctica and is nicknamed the “End of the World.”  Ushuaia is the gateway to Antarctica cruises and tours to nearby Isla Yécapasela, known as “Penguin Island” for its penguin colonies.
            It is regarded as the southernmost city in the world.  “The southernmost city in the world” is mainly a slogan used for tourism to attract visitors to a city as well as the tourists headed for Antarctica.  Currently three places use this slogan: Ushuaia in Argentina, and Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams in Chile, with the last being the absolute southernmost city by latitude, followed by Ushuaia. 
            Despite our late night watching the debate aftermath, we made it to breakfast before closing.  Although it was cold and rainy outside, Jesse managed to take a few photos of the shoreline from the open deck without getting wet.

Port Entrance

            After lunch, we disembarked the ship, walked to the end of the pier, and out the port gate, browsing the shops along the way.  Although the rain had stopped, the pavement was still wet and we had to avoid puddles.  After walking around for a few minutes, we took a photo and headed back to the ship.  We thought about swimming since the rain had stopped, but we decided that it was a little too cool for that!
            At about 6:00 PM, the captain announced that our departure was being delayed for about five hours due to the high winds.  At that point, we realized that our stop at the Falkland Islands might not occur.  We went to the Horizons for dancing at about 6:30 PM; then dinner.

Day at Sea

            Tuesday, 25 Feb 2020 – When we went to breakfast, it was pouring rain; therefore, there was no swimming again.  Although the Terrace Café was very crowded at lunch time, we found seats at a table for four with Canute and Julie.  Julie wasn’t feeling well.  They had attended the “Motown” show in the Insignia Lounge the night before, and the loud music had disturbed her; in fact, they had to leave in the middle of the performance.  Anyway, we asked if they were available for dinner, but Julie said that she wasn’t up to it.

            In the mid-afternoon, Jesse attended another line dance class with Airi & Oliver, where he did the Electric Slide, the Cotton Eyed Joe, and the Cut a Rug.  The dance floor was very crowded this time.  Although this was Jesse’s second time trying the Cotton Eyed Joe, he actually did better with the Cut a Rug.

We had received another invitation for an “exclusive” Oceania Club private cocktail party, where we sat at a table with Bruce & Pam, whom we had met previously.  Again, we received complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and danced for 30 minutes before the ceremony began, along with other couples.   We sat and talked for quite a while afterwards.  Since we were all dressed up, we went to dinner in the Grand Dining Room for the third time on this cruise.   Bruce and Pam had were eating in the Toscana Restaurant to celebrate Bruce’s birthday, and weren’t available to eat with us; therefore, we sat at a table for two.  (Toscana, though it does not cost more on the Insignia, is a specialty restaurant and requires a reservation.)  Our dinner for two was faster than our previous visits to the Grant Dining Room, when our dinner party consisted of four people.  Since dinner there can sometimes require two hours of sitting, Sally prefers to eat in the Terrace Café.  Sometimes she is so stiff after two hours that it is difficult to get up!

Sally was disappointed because we hadn’t seen any glaciers like we had on our 2011/2012 Princess cruise.  During that cruise, we had close-up views of them while sailing between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia.  Today, it had been raining and very foggy all day.

Although a comedy show was scheduled in the Insignia Lounge for 9:30 PM and a Mardi Gras Dance Party at 10:30 PM to celebrate “Fat Tuesday,” we opted to watch the results of the Democratic Presidential Debate instead on our stateroom TV instead.  We weren’t able to watch the live debate, but there were plenty of excerpts and discussion afterward.  It appears that Bernie Sanders was the target of the majority of the attacks this time, and not Mayor Bloomberg.

Punta Arenas, Chile

            Monday, 24 Feb 2020 – The ship was scheduled to dock at Punta Arenas at 7:00 AM.  Punta Arenas, or Sandy Point in English, is sometimes regarded as the southernmost city on earth and has a population of 154,000.  Located on the Brunswick Peninsula north of the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas was originally established by the Chilean government in 1848 as a tiny penal colony to assert sovereignty over the Strait.  Punta Arenas enjoyed its first great boom during the California Gold Rush, when it served as a haven for great clipper ships.  Later, waves of European immigrants arrived, mainly from Croatia and Russia, attracted by the Chilean gold rush and sheep farming boom from the 1880s.  The geopolitical importance of Punta Arenas has remained high in the 20th and 21st centuries because of its logistic importance in accessing the Antarctic Peninsula.

After breakfast, Sally went to the library to find more books, while Jesse went out on deck to take photos of the Punta Arenas.  It was cold and windy, but the temperature of the pool was very warm.  From the ship, the city looks both modern and prosperous.  We had visited this port in 2011, when we went on an excursion to view penguins.

When we went for lunch in the Terrace Café at 1:30 AM, many passengers were already returning from ashore.  They were still dressed in their jackets and winter hats after venturing out into the cold weather.  Although the café was a little crowded, we found a table for two by the window, just as two others had finished their lunch.  Julie and Canute arrived right at closing time; we stopped and conversed with them until Canute finished his lunch.  Julie had eaten lunch earlier, while Canute was still on his shore excursion, “Highlights of Punta Arenas.”  He enjoyed the excursion and was glad that Julie had insisted that he dress warmly.  They also reported that they had a great time at Damien’s reception.  Before returning to our stateroom, Julie and Canute gave us a tour of their stateroom suite, which appeared to be twice the size of ours (but, of course, a lot more costly)!

Port Entrance

Once back in our stateroom, Jesse bundled up and left the ship, taking a shuttle to the end of the pier.  After visiting a souvenir shop located just outside the port gate, he had one of the ship’s crew take a photo of him before heading back to the ship.  The total trip took him less than 30 minutes.

Later, we went to the Horizons for dancing.  Afterward, we introduced ourselves to one of the other dance couples, Dave & Abby from Ashville, NC, previously from Atlanta.  They boarded the ship in Santiago and will be cruising to Buenos Aires.  Born and raised in Peoria, IL, Dave was quite familiar with the Quad Cities.

At dinner in the Terrace Café, we talked briefly with Canute and Julie.  Canute was surprised that Jesse hadn’t ventured out past the port gate!  At 9:30 PM, Jesse went to the Insignia Lounge and watched a little of the show, “Horizon Motown & More: Part 2.” The singing trio was very impressive!

2 Days at Sea

          Saturday, 22 Feb 2020 – Since we had made appointments for Swedish massages in the Insignia Spa for 9:45 AM, we went to breakfast earlier than usual.  We usually walk back to our stateroom through the open deck to check the temperature of the pool water, but since it had been raining, we stayed inside.

We had received two complimentary Canyon Ranch spa treatments, worth $150.00 each, as benefits of being Oceania Gold Club members.  The vouchers could be used for any of the services provided by the spa/beauty salon, including haircuts, manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, etc.  Anyway, we decided on two Swedish massages for $139.00 each.  Sally’s therapist was Ni Luh and Jesse’s was Tara.  Sally really enjoyed her massage and is eager to return for a second one; however, Jesse thought the massage was wasted on him, although he did find it very relaxing and had a nice nap.   We still had $11.00 each left on our vouchers.

Sally napped until lunch, intending to swim afterwards.  However, the deck was still wet and the wind was blowing so hard that it was difficult to open the door.  So we decided to skip the swimming.  Sally worked on her Henry genealogy book for the remainder of the afternoon, while Jesse watched a couple of movies on the stateroom TV.  When he noticed the time, it was too late for dancing.  After dinner, we watched the results of the Nevada primary on the stateroom TV.  At 9:30 PM, Jesse went up to the Insignia Lounge and watched a few minutes of a Variety Show.  The ship’s Currents newsletter had announced that the dancers, Airi and Oliver, and the cruise director, Leslie Jon, would be performing.  According to Leslie’s biography, he had a career performing on stage before becoming Oceania Cruise Line’s very first cruise director.  The show started with a couple of singers, but Jesse returned to the stateroom before our friends got on stage.  We stayed up late to watch the results of the Nevada caucuses.

Sunday, 23 Feb 2020 – Since it was raining pretty hard outside, swimming was out of the question.  After breakfast, Sally lay down for a nap and Jesse went to the fitness center for the first time.  The other passengers in the center were busy with their exercise routines and showed little interest in conversation.   Anyway, after 10 minutes or so, Jesse gave up trying to figure out how to work the machines and returned to the stateroom. 

Although the Terrace Café was very crowded at lunch, we were able to find a table for four, where we were joined by Julie who was there alone; Canute was lying down in their stateroom.  She and Canute had attended the Variety Show Saturday night, and Julie told us about it.   Apparently, our cruise director, Leslie, was quite a hit!  She and Canute had also been invited to a reception dinner in the Toscana Restaurant tonight to celebrate the General Manager Damien’s return to the ship.

At 3:00 PM, Jesse went to Social Foxtrot dance class with Airi & Oliver.  Although his usual dance partner, Juanita, wasn’t there, he did find another dance partner, Amelia, whom we remembered from the 2018 cruise.   She is good friends with Cliff & Angela from the UK, and will be cruising to Buenos Aires.  Jesse learned a variation of the Foxtrot.  He had sometimes tried doing the variation after watching others, but had never really been taught the proper technique.  This time, he learned something that he will use!

Another Catholic service was scheduled for 6:00 PM.  Although it was very well attended, most of the Spanish-speaking guests left as soon as we got started.  Most likely, they misunderstood the announcement and were disappointed after learning it would be only a “Catholic service,” with no Mass.

We then walked to the Horizons and danced until 7:00 PM.  Among the dancers were Tom and Ruth, with whom we had eaten lunch during our excursion to the Mayan ruins in Guatemala.  They invited us to go with them to the Grand Dining Room for dinner, where we enjoyed interesting conversations.  We learned that they are both widowed and live together, but are not married.  On this first cruise together, they will be cruising around the world!  Since Ruth is in better health than Tom, she went on the excursion to Machu Picchu, but Tom did not; however, they will both be going on the excursion to Iguazu Falls.  Ruth expressed concern about the continually changing itinerary for the world cruise, as the ship attempts to avoid areas where the coronavirus is prevalent. 

After dinner, we stopped by one of the shops and purchased Sally a new Citizen watch because her old watch stopped working soon after we boarded the ship.  Although we had brought along a spare, she has trouble reading it.  The new watch does not need batteries, has a 5-year warranty, and has a dial that is very easy to read.

Laguna San Rafael, Chile

Friday, 21 Feb 2020 – The ship was scheduled to anchor at Luguna San Rafael at 8:00 AM.  This stunning body of water was discovered in 1575 by Bartolomé Diaz-Gallardo while he was exploring an area known as the Gulf of Sorrow.  The lagoon, measuring approximately 10 miles long by 7 miles wide, was named by Diaz-Gallardo after the saint that had been honored by the Catholic Church on the day of his arrival.  Thus, the lagoon became Laguna San Rafael, which translates to English as “Saint Rafael’s Lagoon.”

We made it to breakfast at about 9:30 AM again.  There was no pier in Laguna San Rafael; instead the ship anchored inside the lagoon, offering the opportunity to view scenery and wildlife from the decks.  Guests participating in the catamaran tours departed directly from the ship on the catamaran for their excursion up close to the glacier.  We thought the $329.00 per person price tag for a 3-hour catamaran ride was a little steep, so we opted to stay onboard.  (After all, we expected to see glaciers up close when the ship neared Cape Horn.)

After lunch, we went to the Insignia Lounge to watch the Academy Award nominated movie being shown there, Harriet.  However, not seeing closed captions on the screen, we left after about 30 minutes.  It appeared to be a very good movie.

In mid-afternoon, we went for a swim, and then sat in the hot tub.  Between Jesse’s cold, the chilly weather, and the rough waters, we hadn’t been in the pool since 11 Feb 2020!  Before dinner, we danced in the Horizons.  Since we arrived early this time, we were able to dance for the total 45 minutes.  Three or four other couples were also on the dance floor.  The Horizons is located on Deck 10 at the front of the ship, and has windows all round in somewhat a U-shape.  Therefore, passengers can sit at a table at one of the windows and enjoy the view (and usually a drink) as the ship sails on to the next port.  This time, as we were cruising through the Chilean fiords, Sally had trouble concentrating on dancing, as she also watched out the windows at the breathtaking scenery!

After dancing in the Horizons, as usual, we walked to the Terrace Café for dinner, which is located at the rear of the ship.  If the weather is good, we usually take the walkway across the outside deck, which is along the sides of the ship, above the open deck 10 with the swimming pool.  Being afraid of both water and heights, Jesse holds on tightly to the inside railings with his left hand, and to Sally’s arm with his right hand, to ensure that neither he nor Sally accidently falls overboard!  (When it has been raining outside, we walk through an interior hallway to the rear of the ship to avoid getting our dancing shoes wet!)

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

Thursday, 20 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to anchor off the coast of Puerto Chacabuco at 11:00 PM.  Puerto Chacabuco is the main port of the region, and had become so after great burnings of the Patagonian forests and the eruption of Mount Hudson volcano in 1991 had caused ashes and earth erosion that had decreased the navigability of Aisén River.  The port had been moved further to the coast where Puerto Chacabuco now stands.

Puerto Chacabuco is named after the small warship Chacabuco with which Enrique Simpson explored the fjords and archipelagoes of that region in the 1870s.  The ship is in turn named after the Battle of Chacabuco in 1817 during the Chilean Independence War.

Outside Port

We started the day with a late breakfast.  After 4:00 PM, we both took a tender ashore.  There was only one other passenger on the outgoing trip.  We had to go through security when we got ashore, where they x-rayed our fanny packs and backpack.  Since no walking was allowed on the pier, we took a complimentary shuttle to the pier entrance where taxis and a few shopping booths were available.  After perusing the merchandise, we returned to the ship. Several passengers disembarked the tender as it returned to the ship.   It was about 5:00 PM by then, which seemed a little late for swimming. 

Preshow Dancing

At the Terrace Café for dinner, we sat next to a window with a view of the snow-capped mountains.  Although preshow dancing was scheduled for 8:45 PM, the ship left port at about 8:15 PM and we were so busy watching out of the window as the ship navigated its way through the fiords that we were 10 minutes late getting to the Insignia lounge.  (Jesse closely watched the availability of dancing time!)  Although we were mostly the only dancers tonight, three or four other couples joined us for the last few dances.

Puerto Montt, Chile

            Wednesday, 19 Feb 2020 – We anchored at Puerto Montt at 8:00 AM.  Puerto Montt is a port city in southern Chile with a population of about 246,000, located 656 miles to the south of the Santiago.  Founded in about 1853 during the German colonization of southern Chile, Puerto Montt soon outgrew older neighboring cities due to its strategic position.  The city has recovered from the terrible 1960 Valdivia earthquake, which destroyed much of Puerto Montt and collapsed the port and the train station along with many building and houses.  Puerto Montt has gained renown and grown significantly due to the rise of Chile as the second largest salmon producer of the world during the 1990s and 2000s.  However, the Chilean salmon aquaculture crisis of the late 2000s resulted at least temporarily in severe unemployment and exposed weaknesses in the local economy.

Port Entrance

As usual, we barely made it to breakfast.  Once there, we talked a little with Sandy & Cyril, who had visited this port previously and were not planning to go ashore this time.  On the other hand, at 10:30 AM, Jesse got in the line to board a tender on the port (left) side of the ship; however, the water was so rough that boarding was changed to the starboard (right) side.  Since the downtown shopping area was a 40-minute walk from the port, Jesse had planned to only take a few pictures on the pier and return to the ship; but on the tender, he sat next to a couple that told him a group of shopping booths was only a 5-minute walk from the port in the opposite direction of the downtown.  Jesse decided to visit the shopping booths, but the walk was more like 10 minutes for him.  Although he saw a lot of interesting merchandise, he didn’t purchase anything and was back in the stateroom by 11:40 AM.

When we went to the café about 1:30 PM, very few passengers were there.  One of the staff told us that the majority of the passengers were still on excursions.  The Terrace Café would be staying open past their usual 2:00 PM closing time to accommodate returning passengers.

At dinner, we sat with Julie & Canute and had interesting conversations.  It turns out that Canute is a huge science fiction fan.  After dinner, we returned to our stateroom to await the start of the Presidential debate.  Since we were two hours ahead of EST, the debate didn’t start broadcasting on the ship until 11:00 PM.  We watched the debate as the candidates attacked one another, mostly Mayor Bloomberg.  Sally fell asleep at about 2:00 AM and Jesse finally turned off the TV at about 2:30 AM.

Days at Sea

            Tuesday, 18 Feb 2020 – While at breakfast, we talked with Chris and Carolyn, from Houston, but originally from California.  They boarded the ship in San Antonio, and will be cruising to Buenos Aries.  This is their first cruise, although Chris had spent time in his younger years cruising on US Naval ships.

As had been true for breakfast, we barely made it to lunch also.  We talked quite a bit with Roy and JoAnn.  Although this is their second marriage also, they have been married for 50 years.  We had talked with them quite a bit since boarding the ship, but never sat near them during a meal.  They live in San Diego, but were originally from Detroit.  He is a retired general manager from General Motors; JoAnne is a retired registered nurse.  Like Jesse, Roy also served in Vietnam in the 101st Airborne Division.  They usually eat with a friend, Joe, who is from Australia, but would like to live in the USA.  Joe refers to Roy as his “brother.”

We had received a voicemail requesting that we stop by the Destination Services desk.  While waiting in line, we formally introduced ourselves to Jim and BJ (Betty Jean) who currently live in Florida; however, they have lived in several places, including California.  Jesse first met Jim in the pool a few days earlier, and they have also been attending dance classes with Oliver & Airi.

At 5:45 PM, we got all dressed up and went to the second Captain’s Cocktail Celebration, where we were served complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.  Sally enjoyed two rum punches, which she regretted later.  While there, we sat at a table with Juanita & Chuck, and their friend, Maira, from Glasgow, Scotland.  Maira had been married for 10 years and had two children, that she cherishes, but she said marriage life is not for her!  Again, the captain introduced the department heads, who all gave brief speeches.  The general manager from our 2018 and 2019 cruises, Damien LaCroix, was introduced this time.  He had embarked in San Antonio.

We danced before and after the ceremony, along with Oliver & Airi, and several other couples this time.  Jesse danced with Juanita twice.  We also talked quite a bit with Chuck, who flew for the US Air Force before starting his career as a commercial pilot.  In retirement, he mostly watches Fox News, and works on his Porsche.  He has rebuilt several cars over the years.

We decided to eat in the Grand Dining Room for the second time on this cruise, sitting at a table with Jack & Laura, from Annapolis, Maryland.  They just boarded the ship in San Antonio and will be cruising to Buenos Aires.  Jack is one of the few passengers that we have met that is still working.  This time, Sally enjoyed the meal a little more; we both had lobster tails for our entrée and bread pudding for dessert.  (In general, Sally prefers the Terrace Café; it is faster, one can see the food in advance, and lobster is always available!)

Santiago (San Antonio), Chile

          Monday, 17 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to dock at San Antonio at 7:00 AM.  San Antonio is located 73 miles west of Santiago and 60 miles south of Valparaiso, Chile.  Gateway to Santiago and the hub of the fishing area, San Antonio, Chile has a population of about 87,000.  Its port is the largest in terms of freight handled and the busiest on the western coast of South America.  The city was 80 percent destroyed by the 1985 Santiago earthquake; then the San Antonio port was shut down by the 27 Feb 2010 earthquake, but had resumed operation at 80 percent capacity by 3 Mar 2010.  There is not much for tourists to see in San Antonio.  All three available Oceania shore excursions for San Antonio began with bus rides to Valparaiso or Santiago.

Santiago is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas.  The metropolitan region of Santiago has a population of about 7 million.  (We have stayed overnight in Santiago, as well as in Valparaiso, before and after cruises.)  Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia, Santiago has been the capital city of Chile since colonial times.

Port Entrance

            Besides Kathy and Larry, two of our other friends, Marvin & Liz (dancers), also disembarked in San Antonio.  We went to breakfast at 9:30 AM, which was a good thing, because the Terrace Café was closing at 9:45 AM, 15 minutes earlier than usual.  We sat near Julie, who was eating alone; Canute was on an excursion.  After breakfast, Jesse walked out on the Lido deck to take photos of the town.  It had been raining and the air was very cool.  A little later, Jesse left the ship and took a shuttle bus to the ship terminal; then there was about a 20 or 30 minute walk to the outside gate.  When Jesse finally got to the port entrance, he learned that shopping, etc., was another 30 minute walk along the road.  Therefore, he soon started his walk back to the ship!

After lunch, we checked the temperature of the pool and considered going swimming later, but never did.  Jesse’s cold started bothering him again and he didn’t feel much like swimming.

At 5:15 PM, we had another mandatory guest lifeboat drill.  Although it was mostly for the new passengers, as usual, all passengers had to participate.  Although we waited until 7:30 to go to dinner, the Terrace Café was still crowded.  We found a window table at be back of the restaurant near Julie and Canute.  Canute seemed very tired and wasn’t very talkative.  He had taken a 7-hour excursion earlier.

We attended the ship’s “Homecoming Dance” in the Insignia Lounge at 9:15 PM.  Raffle tickets were passed out at the door, and more were passed out on the dance floor.  The dance floor was crowded, but very few couples were doing ballroom dancing.  Three or four of the younger ladies were putting on quite an amusing show with their “interpretive” dancing, and two of the ship’s entertainers sang a few songs.  Raffle ticket prizes included champagne, Oceania baseball caps, and spa coupons.  Although we stayed until the end at 10:00 PM, we didn’t win anything.  Our friend, Velma, won a hat, although we hadn’t seen her or Billy on the dance floor.

Coquimbo, Chile

Southern South America Map

            Sunday, 16 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to dock at Coquimbo at 8:00 AM.  Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a South American country occupying a long, narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, and has a population of about 17.5 million.

Pirate Cruise Entrance

            Coquimbo is situated in a valley 6 miles south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants.  Its dock area is among the best sheltered in Chile and a winter haven for the Chilean navy, as well as a loading port for cement, phosphate fertilizer, and various ores and concentrates.

Saying Goodbye to Larry & Kathy

            Although Sally hadn’t slept well and had awakened Jesse at 8:15 AM, we were still among the last passengers for breakfast.  What happened to the time?   After breakfast, we got off the ship and walked a little way to the pier.  We were off the ship for only 30 minutes or so, but long enough to have our photo taken near a “pirate ship.”
            At dinner, we met Tom & Julie from Connecticut, who are cruising around the world.  Previously, they had lived in Rochester, Minnesota.  Since we were seated alongside the aisle as usual, later, Kathy and Larry stopped by to talk and say their goodbyes because they were disembarking the next morning.  We took a photo together and exchanged e-mail addresses.

2 Days at Sea

            Friday, 14 Feb 2020 – Happy Valentine’s Day!  Although we made it to breakfast, barely, we then returned to our stateroom and got back in bed.  Of course, we got up in time for lunch.  Since Jesse still had a bad cold, we didn’t swim or dance today.  
            It was Red Ginger night in the Terrace Café.  Not only did we try a lot of Asian dishes, Jesse took photos of the food because it was so picturesque.  We luckily managed to avoid most of our friends and prevented exposing them to Jesse’s cold.  Before retiring, we set our clocks ahead by another hour, two days in a row!  Now we’re two hours ahead of US EST.  (No wonder it’s hard to get out of bed in the morning!)
            Saturday, 15 Feb 2020 – We barely made it to breakfast again, where we joined Canute & Julie.  After they left the table, we continued conversations with Larry & Kathy on one side, and Velma & Billy on the other side.  We talked for quite a while, learning that both Billy and Velma are retired from Raleigh Tobacco Company.
            Very late, we went to lunch.  Because of the rough water and Jesse’s cold, we didn’t swim or dance again today.  At 6:00 PM, we went to the Catholic services held again in the library.  Since quite a number of passengers were in attendance and several were eager to read, Sally wasn’t one of the readers this time.  After Mr. Rosselot announced that he and his wife would be disembarking on Monday, one of the other passengers agreed to lead the service next Sunday.  Luckily, we went to dinner early and were already seated when the buffet opened.  We were glad to be early because the terrace was closed due to windy, chilly air, and the inside area was very crowded.  As we were finishing dinner and leaving, the staff had started to set up additional tables in the aisles to accommodate more passengers.

Pisco/Nazca Lines, Peru

            Thursday, 13 Feb 2020 – At 7:00 AM, the ship was scheduled to dock at Pisco, a small port city of about 105,000 on Peru's southern coast.  The city experiences a hot arid climate, with warm temperatures and extremely low rainfall prevailing all year-around.  Pisco was founded in 1640 and originally prospered because of its nearby vineyards; it became noted for its grape brandy or pisco which was exported from its port.  Pisco was very near the epicenter of the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake which struck south central Peru on 15 Aug 2007.  Media officials reported that 80 percent of the city was destroyed, including the central San Clemente Cathedral of Pisco, in which Mass was taking place at the time of the earthquake.  The resulting dead account for a reported 30 percent of the total 519 fatalities caused by the earthquake.  The city is still recovering from the damage done during the earthquake.
            The Nazca Lines in southern Peru are a group of pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into desert sands.  Covering an area of nearly 386 square miles, there are about 300 different figures, including animals and plants.  Composed of over 10,000 lines, some of which measure 90 feet wide and stretch more than 5.6 miles, the figures are most visible from the air or nearby hilltops.  They were created between 500 BCE and 500 CE.

On the Pier

We made it to breakfast before closing.  Although Jesse’s cold had become a lot worse, he still insisted on riding the complimentary shuttle to town.  The shuttle was scheduled to leave on the hour.  Since we missed the 11:00 AM shuttle, we had to wait until noon.  This time, there was really nothing to see along the way except miles and miles of brown sand dunes, not much else.  We finally arrived at the very small town, which was apparently, only a portion or suburb of Pisco.  Again, since we didn’t bother to get off the bus, we were back on the ship in time for lunch.  Because neither of us felt like dancing or swimming, we spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing in our stateroom.

Although the Terrace Café was very crowded for dinner, we managed to find seats close to the buffet.  We didn’t see any of our friends, including Dave & Peg who had taken the overland excursion to Machu Picchu and were due back on the ship tonight.  When Jesse tried to make his first post on our blog tonight, he discovered that he was unable to log on to the blog site.  It seemed impossible to do without access to our mobile phone, in order to receive a verification ID code.  Tonight we set our clocks ahead by one hour again, now one hour ahead of US EST.

Lima/Macu Picchu (Callao), Peru

          Wednesday, 12 Feb 2020 – Our ship was scheduled to dock at Lima at 10:00 AM.  Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru, with a population of more than 9 million making it the third-largest city in the Americas, behind São Paulo and Mexico City.  Lima is home to one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the New World.  The National University of San Marcos, founded on 12 May 1551, during the Spanish colonial empire, is the first officially established and the oldest continuously functioning university in the Americas. 

On the Pier

Because Jesse had a miserable cold, which started the previous day, and Sally hadn’t slept well, we were among the last passengers in the Terrace Café for both breakfast and lunch.  Neither of us felt much like swimming.  However, we again took advantage of the complimentary shuttle.  Although Jesse took along Sally’s portable seat this time, just in case we needed to stand and wait for the shuttle, there was no waiting this time.  Also, very few passengers were on this trip.  It was a nice ride, scenery-wise.  During our ride, we talked with Tonya, from San Francisco.  She had originally booked a round-the-world cruise with her father, who had recently passed away, and was now taking the cruise alone.  Since her father had graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, she was familiar with the Quad Cities.  Although the shuttle took us to a very nice, rather affluent section of Lima, we opted not to get off the bus and were back on the ship by 4:30 PM.

When we went to dinner, we found that it was “India Food Night.”  Having eaten quite a number of Indian dishes previously, we were somewhat familiar with many of the dishes and enjoyed them.  For the first time on this cruise, there was pre-show dancing in the Insignia Lounge (which had been a daily occurrence on previous Oceania cruises).  We danced to every song and had plenty of company on the dance floor.  Surprisingly, the orchestra did not jazz-up the music this time, possibly because of the larger number of dancers.

Salaverry, Peru

            Tuesday, 11 Feb 2020 – We were scheduled to dock at Salaverry at 5:00 PM today.  The Republic of Peru is the third largest country in South America, at 0.5 million square miles and a population of 32.8 million. 
            Salaverry is a port town located 8.7 miles southeast of Trujillo city.  The port, rebuilt in the 1960s by an English company, is able to accommodate large cruise ships.  The town has a population of about 13,900.

On the Pier

At about 3:00 AM, we hear very loud noises, like our ship had run into something.  Jesse assumed that they were positioning the off ramp below us; however, we found out later that the off ramp was positioned on the opposite side of the ship.  Since there is nothing of note for tourists at Salaverry, after breakfast, we walked a little way down the pier and joined several other passengers awaiting the complimentary shuttle.  As we stood for about a half hour, we learned the names of a couple that remembered us from last year’s cruise, Sandy & Cyril from upper state New York.  Cyril is named after his grandfather, who was from Jamaica.  When we finally boarded the complimentary shuttle for a 45 minute ride to Trujillo, we climbed to the upper deck of the bus where we could take photos from the window.  Not bothering to get off the bus, we were back on the ship in time for lunch.

In the late afternoon we went swimming again, just as the ship left dock.  The air was very cool and, again, the water was very rough.  After 15 minutes, Sally got out of the pool to sit in the hot tub.  Jesse continued swimming until Sally started to look worried, about another 10 minutes.  (Swimming looked very dangerous.)  Before dinner, we danced in the Horizons and, again, the band jazzed up the music quite a bit again, which resulted in poor dance music. In our stateroom, we later watched the New Hampshire primary on TV.

Day at Sea

            Monday, 10 Feb 2020 – Today was a relaxing day; Sally slept well and late, so that we barely made it to breakfast.  Later, Jesse went to a dance class, where he did the Electric Slide, the Cotton Eyed Joe, and one other line dance.   While waiting for the class to start, Marvin introduced Jesse to Dave & Peg from Colorado, but originally from Indiana.  They are cruising around the world and will be going to Machu Picchu tomorrow, along with about 58 other guests.  (We’ve already been there.)  Dave & Peg are new to dancing; they took dance lessons, especially for the cruise!

In the late afternoon, we went swimming; we were the only ones in the pool this time, and the water was very rough.  Before dinner, we went dancing in the Horizons, though dancing was difficult because of rough seas.  Also, the band was jazzing up the songs quite a bit, which they have been doing more frequently.  Sally doesn’t clap for those songs!  The Terrace Café was very crowded for dinner because fresh-grilled tuna had been advertised; consequently, many of the passengers that usually eat in the Grand Dining Room were in the Café.

Manta, Ecuador

South America Map

            Sunday, 9 Feb 2020 – The ship was scheduled to dock at Manta at 8:00 AM.  Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west, with a population of 17.1 million.  It uses the US Dollar as its currency.  The capital city is Quito, which is also its largest city.

Northwestern South America Map

            Manta is a major commercial and holiday resort center and the second major port of Ecuador, behind Guayaquil.  One famous episode in Manta history occurred when a Boeing 707 carrying cargo crashed into the town’s wooden church in 1996.  Manta’s main industries are fishing, and tuna canning and processing.  Original and official “Panama” hats, known throughout the world, are favorite souvenirs among visitors of Manta.  Prices range from $30 to $25,000!
            Since we had never been in Ecuador, we had booked a 2.5-hour afternoon tour, “Ecuadorian Tea & Local Dance Performance.”  Although we enjoyed breakfast in the Terrace Café, we did not have time for swimming or lunch.  We met our tour group ashore at 12:50 PM.  Our tour guide was Danielle, who narrated our ride to the Montecristi Golf Club.  We passed an area where wooden fishing ships were being built, with prices ranging from $30,000 to $100,000, depending on size. 

Dance Performance

Upon arrival at the golf club, we were escorted to a room with long tables, situated in a u-shape, with lots of space in the center.  We were first served samples of local food and drinks, including a sort of corn pudding wrapped in a corn husk, a corn muffin, watermelon, another melon, and a corn pastry.  For drinks, we had a choice of lemonade, tea, coffee, and strawberry juice.  Jesse tried strawberry juice for the first time, which was good, but not very sweet.  Then an Ecuadorian dance troupe, consisting of  four young couples, probably in their late teens or early 20’s, dressed in brightly colored costumes, performed a variety of modern and traditional dances that reflected the multicultural character of the country.  These dances were about iguanas, shell fishing with nets, making panama hats, villains, Inca rulers, and pretty maidens.  At the conclusion, we were invited to join the dancers, which was a lot of fun!  Danielle continued her narration during our ride back to the pier.  We were back onboard the ship by 4:15 PM.

            In the Horizons we danced from 5:15 to 5:45 PM, and then we went to the library for another Catholic service, where Sally read the responsorial again.  At dinner, we sat at an outside table in the Terrace Café with Kathy & Larry.  We talked for quite a while, and learned that they have only been married for 15 years.  After dinner, we watched the “Oscars” on our stateroom TV.  The only nominated movies that we had seen were “Ad Astra” that we watched on our flight to San Francisco, and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” that we watched at Jesse’s brother Jon’s house before leaving on the cruise.