domingo, 20 de septiembre de 2009

New Cruise

Hi after being some months away from the cruises Im going back, now in the MSC Splendida, although is not such a popular cruise line I will give them a chance to see how is this line.
I will be going from November 27th to December 8th, from Genoa to Olimpia, Athens, Rhodes, Alexandria, Marmaris, Crete, Messina, Naples and then to Geneo. I have never been to a cruise this long without many sea days, there are only two. So its a whole new thing I hope I have a great time.

lunes, 9 de febrero de 2009

First Day in Buenos Aires

After arriving from the ship to the hotel, we have breakfast, and then we talk with the concierge for any recomendation. They recomend us to do a city tour, a really explain tour, and also to see Tango.

Well the city tour was excellent I recomend it for all tourist, it was with Friendly Tours. We start in the Plaza de Mayo where is the Pink House, we have a very interesting explanation of what happen here, Buenos Aires have many problems, then we go La Boca, its wonderdull its a must see of B.A., very colorfull with many dancers and specially the painter without hands.

Then we explore the city in Puerto Madero, so nice and elegant, but we didnt have time to be here so... And for final we finish in the La Recoleta Cementary, although its sounds boring actually is not, we were there like for 30 minutes were we can see the most important people there like Eva Peron or "Evita" This the third cementary more important in the world.

Like I said, this tour was amaizing very well explained.

Well the day went, and then we prepair for the Tango Show. It was in the "Teatro Porteño" very good but not too much for kids, I think it was going to be dinner with the show, well first was dinner and then the show, the food was very good but the meat very heavy for the night. I recomend this Tango Show for more adults because it finish 11:00, they have transportation that takes you to your hotel.

Well this was for this day, toomorrow... Shopping!!!

sábado, 7 de febrero de 2009

Last Day in the Cruise, Buenos Aires, Jan 4

I still cant imagine how fast it happen all that 15 days in the cruise. My vacation were incredible but also tired for the kids and me. Still, Celebrity gave me an excellent service.

This last day, we just have a quick breakfast and then wait for the hour that we can go down. It was really fast the disembarkation, they just say our color in 2 minutes we were in the terminal. For picking our baggage was easy but not so easy to find a man for helping us. After we found one we went to take a taxi, just one thing this is a reason why not finishing in BA, we wait like 40 minutes for a mini taxi that with luck the luggage fit there, 2 in the back part and one besides the driver.

The taxi take us to our hotel, where we are starting a new entry. My day in Buenos Aires

For review of the cruise: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=50904
For reviews of the hotel in Buenos Aires: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g312741-d299817-Reviews-Marriott_Plaza_Hotel_Buenos_Aires-Buenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html

viernes, 6 de febrero de 2009

Day 14- Monetvideo- Jan 3

Its almost the last day, and maybe it was long and heavy the trip but know that I seat here I realized I love the trip.
For this port we didnt have any idea of what to do maybe a city tour, well arriving to the port we pay a city tour. It was not a tour, he didnt explain, but I saw that in Montevideo you need to see many things, it was like that, that my kids just sleep in the car. Somethings I loved it was the Teatro and the plaza where Samantha Brown filmed here. I also could find my charger, yeah!!!, and I could see the beautiful Uruguay. I would love to go to a Gaucho Ranch, but I can´t.
Because my kids were so tired we went directly to the cruise.

Also today there was a great show, something around the world, well the bad thing is that my kids were very sleppy so we went to sleep and just saw some European dances.

And before that we have our last dinner in the Trellis. Sorry for all the bad reviews maybe for me it was excellent because it was my first cruise since 5 years. And the last one was the Disney. Today we left our baggage outside befor going to dinner.
So tomorrow we are leaving at 8:45, good hour, well better than 7:30 a.m.

Day 13- Punta Del Este /Jan 2

We arrive to this nice fashion rich port in Uruguay. This was the only port, above BA, that we need it to do paper formats. For this port we know what to do, go to Casa Pueblo. After arriving to the port there were many city tours, this are tours they explain you very good. We chose one with other people, but they were 65+ so it was kind of slow and many "I dont want to stop here" Like I say it we do a city tour with all the districts including the Beverly Hills. We also stop at the CasaPueblo museum, hotel, restaurant and house of the painter, its wonderful is a most see here, this turistic point is not for all the day, the museum is for 30 minutes plus a little of shopping and we have the luck of meeting the painter, he sign one book and give us one free. He is just a nice person and I love him because he honors the woman, all over the house he have poems for the woman.

Then they leave us at the port and we make the mistake of not going directly to the cruise. Well we eat at a near restaurant but very bad. And after that we walk for 1 hour to search for my charger, we didnt find it :(

When returning oh sorry I need to say we tender, there was a line of 1 hour. We waited less than an hour because they put 3 boats more. Obviously we sail like 1 hour late.
This day Celebrity was giving many prices of the Emporium, well and we didnt won :(
We have the last formal dinner, which was very good with some special things, I think my experience of this restaurant was excellent I dont know why people didnt like it.

jueves, 5 de febrero de 2009

Day 12, First Day of 2009!!!

Wow, its the first day of 2009, after a not so good party we have a fantastic first day.

My son went with our friends of the Trellis around the ship, to the pool with nice weather, then to many activities. It was a nice day, also for me because I have many things to go shopping, yeah!!!

There was the jokes, sing, photos and dance. There were mini events for chosing the Top 3. We never went to one, just vote for the photos. In the jokes, 2 were sooo boring and one his english was very british and I dont speak very well the english so... For sing, it was a classic one: New York, there was another very good that won and a kid that just sing for fun. In the photos won a very good photo of a penguin with the name of "Mom do I need to take a bath" and in the dance, there were some germans dancing the chacha, sorry leave that for others but they try their best, there was another couple that met in the cruise that need to win with their swing dance, and the winners were some colombians that just one because they have their 30 people family for them

I love it

New Years eve

I just saw that I didnt wrote about New Years Eve so here is:

We have diner at the Trellis, just incredible because they bring to my son a Funkey Monkey and my daughter a Cherli Temper oh and me a coke. Well when we were going, here a trick, if you have a nice waiter we accidently just brought the kids card and when the waiter saw it didnt pass he make our order free. We save 10 dollars this night and maybe another 10 other night.

Then we saw in the daily that it was going to be in the Pool deck, well it was going to be in the Constellation Club, for kids 17-13 you need to sign something, well poor my daughter she couldnt go, but there was the Notes Lounge for her. (Wii, and other things to play)
When we were in the line waiting for a format to sign for my son, people just yell Happy New Year, what afwul new year. Well very different. I think Celebrity need a lot of organization and there was 70% latin americans 15% americans 15%european.

So I will never sail with Celebrity in this dates.

domingo, 25 de enero de 2009

Day 11, Dec 31- Puerto Madryn

We arrived to Puerto Madryn kind of late, but we did. For this port we didnt have any tour, we were deciding to which place to go: Punta Tombo or Punta Valdés.
When we get off the ship their were many tour guides, we ask one and we decide that we are go to Punta Valdés. The way was kind of long but she explain us very good all abouth the zone and animals.

Finally we arrive in Punta Valdes, it was great, you can see more penguins that in Ottway Sound in Punta Arenas and it was 15 c. You can also sea all kind of animals, sepcially the sea elephants, oh gosh it was many of them and you could see them like 3 or 4 meters of distance. There is a path were you can see this animals in the beach.
There is also a cafeteria or restaurant, their cakes also excellent not like in Ushuaia but very good. Well this is a short review of what happen. In the way back we saw strange animals in the land.

So after all it was a good tour, saw 3 types of animals instead of just penguins. I love this place.

Oh and we have the luck of meeting some colombians very nice, that we lend them 25 dollars they pay us the 25 plus a 25 decoration of the flower shop. What a good friends.

Day 10, Dec 30

Well another kind of relaxing day, but it was more of boring, they really didnt have many activities, and believe me I dont remember what I did this day.

viernes, 23 de enero de 2009

Day 9- At sea. Dec 29

Well this day we need it for our relaxion, so me and my kids, went to the T-pool, they didnt play, it was very relaxing, also for them, but they were other teens that were playing and the pool butler pass many times and didnt say anything, and poor adults because the other pool was closed because the cold.
One thing I didnt is that the salt water was very salty, so we also went to the jacuzzis were that water was better.

And today we play Bingo, our first time with electronical machines, in two times we almost won, but you know, we always loose.

In the whole day I was everywhere in the stores, I even bought a creme for the face wonderfull very good.

miércoles, 21 de enero de 2009

Day 8- Ushuaia Dec 28

I arrive at Ushuaia early, for my luck we docked, and the ncl sun did not, jaja. We have breakfast in the Trellis to try it, it was good but not excellent, their eggs were just plastic, well it was kind of better than the buffet.

For this port we want it to go to the National Park but we didnt have a tour, but no problem, as you arrive to the port plenty of city tours or other tours will be there, just one thing its just more the transportation because they dont explain you very well. But this port is just wow, you can see many views, this was the best tour for people who love nature. From the port was like 30 minutes or less, when we arrived you can choose where do you want to go, first we arrive in a lake, weres theres the post office, you will think it will take months, but its faster than from Europe, after this we went to more panoramic sites, very good, I just loved it and theres a Cafeteria, you need to eat the cakes. We also went to see beavers, but we only saw the thing they destroy, this animal is not for this place. Then we return to the city, oh and I was short this place its amaizing I recomend it at all.

When we get at the city we have a problem, no money, we only have Chile Pesos, and Mexican Pesos, no dollars or argentine pesos, so I need it to go the ship, my kids stay in the car its very secure, and then I return, and incredible for 3 or 4 persons its 100 dollars in the cruise tours 95 dollars per person, but I recomend the ship tour for solo travelers.

At the final they leave us at the Prision Museum where is next to the Marine Museum, nice to see, it takes you like 30 minutes. Then you can go walking for 10 minutes and we arrived to the port.

Its excellent this port this is one of the main ports I think its the one where it get more ships.

For the next of the afternoon we just rest and then went to have dinner at the Trellis, I loved this place

lunes, 19 de enero de 2009

Day 7- 27 Dec. Punta Arenas

Well for luck we had a tour with Celebrity in this port,and its better when is tender, recomendation: try to buy a tour of the ship when the ship is tender. Well because that we need it to be early in the Theater we have breakfast in the room, not so good, but acceptable. After that we went to Theatre and from there we were rapidly escorted to the boat, this was fast.

Arriving to the port, we went to bus for our tour to Penguins of Ottway, while in the driving of 45 minutes, our guide explain us many things about Chile, well and specially about the place, she also talk us about history about why it is named Tierra del Fuego. Well it was a long drive and many people slept. When we arrive to the Ottway Sound it was very cold, so we bought some hot chocolates, then we have an hour to walk there, well it was so cold that we kind of run, so it will be faster, and to enter in heat. But I was disapointing, like I see this penguins have a lot of cold like we that we didnt saw many, I recomend to do another thing in this port, but well, it doesnt matter. Then the bus left us in the center of the town, were there were many seller.

Oh and here was the problem, we want it to eat in a restaurant, but guess what, all were full, you need it to wait a lot, I imagine, its because there was another ship. Well because we didnt find a restaurant we went to the ship walking. Well for the reuturn the problem here was that it was very cold, we didnt have any problem of waiting, we wait like 15 minutes with a hot chocolate, but I heard that when you need it to wait more Celebrity start to call 65+ age and little kids because of the cold.

Well it was a nice port, I should suggest to do another thing.
We also have a dinner in the Trellis, with the two couples.

Day 6 - 26- At sea. (Strait of Magellan)

Well I really dont lknow what to put. Well this was more like a boring day, not a relaxion day, because, I just remember that we went to the BINGO, we loose, ohh, and well, nothing else. And we also decide it to went to the Trellis to try to eat other than the buffet food, some days were good but many days oh no. It was a nice day in the Strait, and I thought we were going to see many glaciers but I didnt saw anyone, people told me they saw some, but it was cold to be out there looking for.

Well toomorrow we will tender, oh no, in Punta Arenas

viernes, 16 de enero de 2009

Day 5-25- At sea

Well we woke up a little late, because of the night before, this day it had many things, like Santa come in the Theater, but just in the morning, they also have some activities for all the family. Like decorate a cookie, and more things, also all day they were other xmas perks. What something I like were some photos, but they were very expensive, 20 bucks for each one, imagine, well some were good especially the proffesional of designs in the back part.

I dont remember something special, well it was a relaxion day, just there, again my daughter went to the Fun Factory, and my 13 boy went to the Teen Club, but everyone have like 14 or more, so he is shy, so he went, but for the next time he will be bigger. I think that is a problem also that the 12 are not teens.

Well the day finish up, a little boring for my son, but well it finishe and we didnt went to the Trellis.

Day 4- December 24 in Puerto Montt.- Xmas

Well, a good thing no more seasickness. Well we arrive to Puerto Montt, a city situated in the Lake region, well like I tell you we were tendering, why?, it wasnt so bad as in other ports, a bad thing is thatwe had booked a tour, at 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes after it tenders, well we get to the port at 11:30, well at least when we arrived they were there. So our tour began, first they took us to the lake (one lake, I dont remember which one) it was very nice, after this we went to Puerto Varas the nice city, very german, I like it a lot, we also went to Saltos del Petrohue that is very nice, some waterfalls with a color combination in the water of blue and green, just incredible, and to another lake, or it was more: The national insect park, there were a lot, use light colors, not use black. after this they leave us in the city, it was really nice all this port, I think there are more things to see here.

We didnt want to eat in this port so we went to the ship, at least the boats were faster, then we arrive to the ship and we make a big mistake, for the security band, I left a bag were I had bought two skirfs very nice and a jacket of my daughter, obviously it never appear, we went to Guest Relation and also nothing. Well but another day my son lost a dental thing (n.i) in the case and guess what he find it, I guess because no one will like that.

Well this was all for this amaizing port that you need to see a lot.

And today is the first formal night, well it was actually our first night because we had never gone to the Trellis. Well it was very nice, the food excellent and the service, wow, just incredible. After the awsome night we went to the... the word I dont know, the thing they say in church, well we have that and then my two kids went to sleep, and I went until 2:00 a.m. to the Constellation

martes, 13 de enero de 2009

Third day--- At sea. 23 Dec

Well the sea sickness didnt go completky so we didnt have a very good day. Something that we did was Bingo, it was cool for the first time in a cruise, but also frustating, we bought two papers, and it was fun but too fast so, well to many problems, but we never have like 3,2 or 1 number to win. I think its better the machines. I really dont remember what else I do, I just remember that I feel bad, my daughter not too much so she went to the Fun Factory but my teen decide it to stay in the room sleeping. Well toomorrow we are arriving to Puerto Montt. We are tendering nooooo

lunes, 12 de enero de 2009

Second day- La Serena (Coquimbo)

Well after a bad night of seasickness of my kids, we get to La Serena, Coquimbo. First of all we have breakfast, and after that we decide to descend to La Serena, well practictly is Coquimbo but the nice city is La Serena, like viña, and its 10 minutes away. When we arrive at the port we go to the exit were bunch of taxis were and for 20 dollars the hour we made a city tour, to different points of the city. The church, the center, the little market, there was not too much too see, but well we finish up in 3 hours, for 60 dollars, and Celebrity was giving the same excursion for 45 dollars each person, but well they have a tour guide, but personally I will save the money for other parts.
When we came back we went to the pool, gosh it was freezing the pool you need it to go to the jacuzzis, and when we were in the jacuzzis it start moving, no!!!. Also we have some problems of seasickness, I give them pills (for kids) and a hershey chocolate, supposly it helps, and I even bought a thing for the hand and I think all this help something but for the rest of the day my kids slept, and no lying I also felt bad. I hope toomorrow I felt better

domingo, 11 de enero de 2009

The first day in the Ship-Valparaiso

Well my first day in the ship. Well to start I arrive like at 4:00 p.m. so I had the luck to be escorted to my room. WELL When I enter my room I thought it was going to be much smaller, and it was a little more longer, and it was the smallest room category. After that I went to make a tour of the ship with my two kids, o.m.g. The Infinity was big ehh. at first I get lost and it was so tiring to walk all the ship, but we finnaly make it and its a very good ship. Well, we just discover the ship, and then went to the Drill, after that the infinity start to go!!! to La Serena. After it start moving my kids start to fell a little bad so we just went to eat something in the buffet and then sleep. Toomorrow we will woke up in La Serena.

Arriving to Santiago, Chile

After arriving from an 8 hour flight I arrived at Chile.
The bad thing was that they received us with another hour just to pay a tax for Mexicans, U.S., Canada and Australia citizens. After that I met with some friends that they just moved there, and they took us to the hotel (you can check my reviews at http://www.tripadvisor.com/members-reviews/charal95).

I stayed 3 days at Santiago. I went to the Turistik in the mall, and took a tour in the city, we also went to the Cerro San Cristobal. We also want it to go to a Viña (Vineyard ) but we didn't have reservations

Well the 3 days passed fast and Im sad because Santiago is a beautifull clean city.

On the last day we went to Valparaiso, (I notice something in Chiles ports, that they have the port city and next to it a nicer city: Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, Coquimbo and La Serena)
We only went to Viña to the beach and to eat and after that we went to the cruise, when we get in Valparaiso it looks like a insecure city and also a not world heritage. When we get to the port we did the fast check in (oh if you were Captains Club you need it to wait more) and then boarded a bus and finally to the ship.

For all the info about the ship wait for my next days.

lunes, 5 de enero de 2009

My long review

Well now I'm in BA and tomorrow I will be in Mexico to write my reviews and my journal