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!)