Notourguideneeded

7 Steps to Packing for Travel

February 22, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 3 Comments

How to pack minimally for any travel destination

Once we landed in Spain and fortunately had only used carry-on luggage. When we left the plane there was a significant amount of commotion and we quickly learned that the baggage handlers decided to go on strike. This happens more often than not, especially in Europe, and we have learned to never check our luggage. I have put together these seven steps to packing for travel, which is what I use. My personal best is 20 days with three climates (beach, normal and snowy) with only carry-on luggage.

1. Really determine how many days you are going to pack

This seems so logical, yet people will say they are going to be gone for 10 days and need to pack for 10 days. This is not true though. Do you leave on day 1? Do you need to pack for that day? Are you in the air for day 2? Do you need to pack for the return trip home? Really sit down and determine how many days you are really packing for and stick to that number.

2. Think hard about what kind of things you really will be doing

Yeah yeah, I know you are going to Paris and are going to run by the river every morning. But you really will be nursing a hang-over of all that good wine. Or if you do get up and get going, you need to get to the museums before everyone else does. Once I packed several party dresses (or suits) to go out in NYC, only after walking all day I had zero energy to dance all night. Best realistic with yourself.

3. Remember that other cities and countries have stores too

If you find yourself packing items “just in case” and you cannot decide on #2 above, think about if this is something you can purchase while away. Obviously if you have a stomach medication that you get from your doctor, you may want to bring that if you are worried, but all that cold medicine can be left at home. As a fellow allergy sufferer, I promise that all major cities in the world have medicine (and some have better than what you may be used to getting at home).

4. Tide is sold in travel packs. Or you can just pack a few pods in a ziplock baggie.

Why do people need to pack more than 3 days of underwear I will never understand. Unless your aunt has decided to visit that month, there is no need for over packing. You are on vacation, no one gives a damn about your underwear (and if they do, that should be a red flag). Wash in the night, hang it up to dry and go to bed. I do recommend three pairs, because some places will need a full day of drying.

5. Flats. Unless there is a reason.

Women – Heels are impossible to travel with and are only used for one reason. So, if you know you are going dancing (see #2 again), and are positive that you need to wear heels for the place you are going, by all means pack those babies! But if you aren’t sure about any of those questions, flats! Get your self a pretty sparkly pair that you can also wear with pants for dinner in another night and you are good to go. I have something like these and they are great!

Men – Can you consolidate your walking and evening shoes?

6. Consolidate as much as you can

Make a high level itinerary for yourself. You know you are going to three museums, five monuments, 4 parks, 2 shows, 2 days of shopping, etc. I promise you that no one will know that you are wearing the same outfit twice unless you are wearing a prom dress down 5th avenue (and even then, maybe not). You can totally wear one outfit on both museum days. If you know you are going to two shows, bring one neutral dress and two scarves. If you stick to solids or a lot of the same type of colors, your photos will be fine too!

7. Scarves

Women – When I tell you that this will change your packing life, I promise you it will. Invest in a comfortable black or neutral dress. Something that won’t wrinkle in our suitcase. Then pack scarves to mix and match. I have a collection that I have purchased on our trips, some very cheap off the street and some nice in a specialty store. They are worth the money. Expect to pay $10 -$80 but they will make one dress look like several. You can also match them with tank tops and other outfits. Also, you will need less shirts because you can mix it up with a scarf.

Men – Dark shirts with dark pants is all you need. No one is looking at you. They are checking out your girl’s beautiful scarves!

Please leave your comments below on any tips you have for us!!

7 Reasons to Visit South America

February 9, 2017 by Notourguideneeded 15 Comments

I have caught myself talking about South America a lot this week. It is my favorite continent for a variety of reasons and I wish more people, especially more Americans would visit it. Below I have compiled a list of “7 reasons you should visit South America”.

The Reasons:

1. The Food

Eating in most countries in South America is pretty similar. The best thing for me is they eat late dinner. Depending where you are that is between 8pm and 11pm. And when you eat dinner with the family or friends, you linger. This is not an eat and run culture.

The food is also not Mexican food. You will not find tortillas in South America. Dinner is served with arepas in Venezuela and bread everywhere else (and sometimes in Venezuela too).

Street food is big for lunch, which is generally an afternoon affair. While a lot of major stores are open, many smaller ones break for lunch from 1-3 or 2-4 (or some variation of that). So, you must plan ahead and make sure what you want to eat is open.

Montevideo Sandich — Montevideo Sandwich

2. If they do it, they do it right. For example:

The Amazon River has the largest water volume of any river in the world.
The Atacama Desert in Chile is considered the driest place in the world.
Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest uninterrupted waterfall in the world.
The Amazon Forest is the largest natural rainforest forest in the world.
The Andes Mountains is the longest mountain range in the world.
The Anaconda of the Amazon is the largest snake in the world.
The Brazilian Amazon is home to the largest native populations in the world.

3. The Festivals

There seems to always be some sort of parade or festival anytime we are in a city in South America. Sometimes we understand them, like the night before a football match in Cuzco there was a massive parade. Sometimes it isn’t as clear. Like one time we were in Buenos Aires and a huge parade was happening. People lined up many many blocks and there were several marching bands. We asked various people what the parade was for but never got a clear answer. The best we got was one woman flat out said “who knows!”.

4. The Colors!

When putting this post together I did a little research on what others thought were their top reasons to visit South America. VenturCo in this post reminded me that colors are a big deal. If there isn’t graffitti, it is the colors of the landscape and sky.

5. Street Art

When I think of South America, I think of street art almost as much as Berlin. Yep, I said it. The world’s longest mural painted by Alfredo Segatori is in Buenos Aires measuring at more than 2000 meters.

There are also some famous street murals you may be familiar with such as Evita. Check out this collection as well. Again, the colors will amaze you.

6. The inability to answer a question

I am fascinated by this. I wish I could have the ability to just talk without really a reason and totally avoid what was asked. If you ask “where is the market?” the answer will be something like “you know, if you are looking for some good fish, you could go down to the pier, but when you get there you have to stop at a bakery and ask for Maria and she will give you the best cup of coffee you have ever had. You know she and I are cousins. Well, maybe not real cousins but her mom and my mom were best friends, probably just like sisters and she was from the islands. Have you been to the islands?”

South American Snack Plate - Those olives were delish!! — South American Snack Plate – Those olives were delish!!

7. Catholicism Everywhere

When you go to a church many places in the world, it is sometimes hard to tell if a church is Catholic or not. In South America, it is a good bet it is Catholic. HOWEVER…

Some of the churches have mixed ancient / Indian culture with Catholicism, so there are variations from what you might be used to seeing.

For example, the Cathedral in Cuzco, Peru has a “black Jesus” named Senor de los Temblores (Lord of Earthquake) and is considered the patron saint of Cuzco. I still don’t understand it. I even found the priest there to try and understand it. There is a good photo here.

I hope I have inspired you to check the continent out a bit. Don’t worry about the language as most people speak English. If you need ideas, find me on social media! Good luck!

NCL Sun – Review of Ship

December 23, 2016 by Notourguideneeded Leave a Comment

Norwegian Sun

In November of 2016 we left Santiago Chile, sailed around the Cape Horn and over to Buenos Aires. With a total of 14 nights, it was an amazing trip! There was so much to see and do. In order for us to really get all we can out of a cruise we like to make sure we stay organized and bring the appropriate items with us to help out. We probably were too prepared and took too many precautions that were not necessary. Hopefully you will find here everything that you need to make your trip spectacular!

Storage

In prior ships, we ran out of space for everything. On this trip I was going to be prepared! We brought the recommended “over the door shoe organizers” that are on every pinterest recommendation. I brought little organizers to hang places. Tons of ziplock bags!

We did not use any of it.

The room has so much storage that there was no need for any of that. Really.

There are six pull out doors, so my husband and I each took three. I only needed two. There is an open cabinet that we stored wine, snacks, etc. Inside the closet are shelves.

Everyone seemed to complain on websites about the space in the bathroom. PLENTY. There was storage above the sink and also inside the shower.

We easily were able to slide our bags under the bed.

My advice: Do not worry about storage.

Ship Layout

This ship is much smaller than any I have ever been on before. If you want to go around the cape of South America, the big ships will not be able to get you there. So, we picked itinerary over ship size.

Personally I like smaller ships. It is easy to get around and you get to know people easier.

Things to know:

The gym is quite large. There are two rooms – one with machines and the other open. There are several classes offered (payed and free). I also saw many people who had downloaded workouts and doing them on their ipad.
There are really four sets of elevators. The Atrium has two glass elevator banks. Everyone gravitates to these and it causes them to be slow. However, if you just walk a few feet over there is another set of 6 elevators. Also, note that the atrium elevators only go to 11 and the others go to the 12th floor.
In all the other ships I have been on, the shops are on the floor above the atrium. You basically must go thru the shops to go anywhere. On this ship, the shops are kind of out of the way and you could go the whole trip never seeing them.
They do have a $10 store. The stuff there is all $10 and well, it is all $10. But if you forgot a hat or scarf (or a watch like I did), it is a good place to pick something up.
A little trick I did to remember where things are:
- Observation and bars are on 12
- Food, Pool and Gym are on 11
- Casino and shopping on 7
- Photos and Entertainment are on 6
- Coffee, Restaurants, and Atrium are on 5
Many people did not realize there was an observation deck. I was surprised at how many people who had been on the ship since San Diego had not discovered it. In many other trips, the observation deck is a good place to hang out and watch the seas. Most of the time when we went there, you could not see out of the windows. And even when you could, it is not the very front of the ship (you can walk out in front of the windows). While there is not much observing going on, it is a nice place to relax and they had great music almost every night.
I find it funny that one of the smoking sections is outside of the gym.

Staff

I am not even sure how to begin. The staff of the Sun were the most welcoming, accommodating group that I have ever seen. They went out of their way to make everyone feel at home.

The hotel director runs the ship with style and you can really tell how the team cherishes his leadership. While they are there to make the passengers’ trip an experience, they are also having a good time. There is something magical that happens on the ship when the crew is also enjoying their experience. You don’t want to visit someone’s home when they don’t want to be there… same for a ship!

Concierge

Did you know there is a concierge on the ship? It is a floating hotel, so it makes sense. Did you know they are the most important person you need to get to know?

The concierge made our trip incredible. He gave us inside tips on the excursions, things to see, and places to eat. Anything we needed, we called our concierge from reservations to help with special things.

The concierge service in most ships also has a VIP area for eating. Why is this important? Because you get personalized service and a much better menu. If it was a short cruise, I am not sure if it would be necessary, but a long cruise made this important for us.

The concierge also gets you on and off the ship in the ports. When we went to Stanley people lined up at 8am to get off. It took several hours to anchor (and there was a time when we didn’t think we were going to make it). We went to our room and waited for the captain to say we were ready. Then the concierge took us the back way down and out. That evening we heard everyone complaining about the wait.

I never understood the reason anyone would pay for the upper class accommodations (suites) and now I do. If you can spring for a little more, it is worth the luxury.

Food

I had meals that were out of this world fabulous and some that were just okay. But we never had a meal that was bad. The restaurants will accommodate almost any request you have so do not limit yourself if there is something you truly want.

Main Dining

The main dining rooms now have meals included and meals you can purchase.

A lot of people were complaining that ships are charging for every little thing now and I think some people are annoyed to see any dollar figures at all during the trip. I don’t mind paying for extra, however we did not see the need to pay for food when there was food offered as part of our package. So now you can have lobster every night, but it will cost you.

Specialty Dining

The specialty dining was really nice. We went to the Tepanyaki and Le Bistro. Both were great and I was surprised at how good the French cuisine was! Tepanyaki is always a lot of fun for us, especially when the whole table is having a good time. I also heard that Cagney’s was very good (although we did not eat there I heard from enough sources to feel comfortable saying it’s a good place to eat).

Buffet

The Buffet on this ship is really small but still offers a great variety.

The layout of the ship means that you need to walk through where the food is served to get to certain areas. So while we only ate in the buffet twice, we saw the food daily.

The inside buffet had a section for pasta, deserts, Indian (awesome Chicken curry), stir-fry, a very large salad selection, carving station, hotdogs, burgers, soups, and various other items that changed often.

There was also an outside buffet that seemed to have hotdogs, sandwiches, etc.

Sports Bar

We spent a lot of evenings at the sports bar. Our server there was so nice that we wanted to come back just to visit with him.

Salads, Burgers, Chicken fingers, spinach dip, wings, fish and chips! YUM.

The atmosphere was also nice as the ship was able to get NFL games live and something was always on the several TVs that were in the pub. I also thought that this place had the best view of the sea and we saw several whales while there.

The bar is also nice because it is at the back of the ship so if you want to step outside it is just there. And if you walk up the steps it is the smoking section.

Entertainment

On this particular ship we had tango dancing. The dancers performed a few shows that were quite good. However we were impressed with the dancing lessons (free) that they gave. We learned to tango after three lessons. This was particularly helpful because when we got to Buenos Aires we went to a tango show and could really understand what they were doing.

There is tons to do on the ship: Bingo, lots of dance classes, game shows, variety shows, etc. Always something going on and you should never get bored.

In the evening, my husband and I like to unwind and watch some television before going to bed. Note that you can bring and adapter and your iPad will connect to the TV for movie watching. If you do not want to go this route, you will still have plenty of options as there are many more channels that I have seen on prior ships.

Excursions

I wrote up the ports and our experience in another post. You can find that one HERE.

Overview

All and all I enjoyed the ship, the staff, the food, the entertainment and the itinerary very much. It is not the giant ships with slides and such, but I was not wanting that. My goal was to go down and see the penguins and we needed a small ship to get there. If you want a great crew in a smaller ship, the Norwegian Sun is the way to go.

Towel NCL SUn Cruise — All the towel animals were so cute!

Photo of the Atrium, NCL SUN — Photo of the Atrium – note it was always full

la cuchina, NCL SUn — Hubs and I having breakfast

NCL Cruise Sun — Event in the main dining area

For other cruises read more here: Spain and Alaska.

For the link to what we did in each port, and my recommendations, click HERE.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Things to Know about the South American Cruise Ports

December 12, 2016 by Notourguideneeded 2 Comments

It can be intimidating to book a cruise in another country, much less another continent. We just got back from our South American Cruise and I have written up our experiences in each port to help your trip be a little less hectic and hopefully save you time and money. Where are my South American Cruise Tips and Review, including things you may want to know before going.

Why This Cruise?

As you may know, we spend Thanksgiving/my birthday somewhere in South America. I am almost done with the entire continent and could go back to many of the places over and over. Some places I am good with seeing just once.

This year we decided, after much deliberation, on taking a cruise from Chile around the bottom and up to Buenos Aires. We researched driving or flying and I really wanted to go to the Falkland Islands to see the penguins there. Yes, penguins are all over South America, but I have always wanted to go to Stanley. You cannot easily get there without a ship excursion. Plus, flying around South America on limited vacation time was not appealing.

It just so happened there was a great itinerary from NCL for 14 days (you can’t really do this in a shorter time) around Thanksgiving, so off we went!

Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile

If you are not familiar with cruising, it sometimes is a little confusing as to where you are actually going verse the actual city unless you are familiar with that area. We decided to go on this cruise a month or so before the date so I did not have a lot of time to research it. Here is the thing.. Valparaiso is about a two hour cab ride from Santiago. Everyone told us it was an hour except for the hotel staff, who said two. It took us almost two hours. It is not a bad ride at all and just be prepared.

So remember: if you fly into Santiago, you still need to drive two ours to get on the ship.

We decided to fly in the night before our trip and stay in Santiago. We stayed at the Courtyard thinking we just needed a place to sleep and use the least amount of points. I was blown away at this hotel. The lobby is above a garage so at first we were skeptical, but that is just the set up. You walk in and it is nicer than some Renaissance that I have stayed. Definitely stay here if you are spending the night.

In order to see the city we decided to take the easy hop on hop off bus. Whatever you decide to do in Santiago, DO NOT TAKE THE HOP ON BUS. Traffic is so bad in the city that there were some points where we were not moving at all. The itinerary is strange too as you basically go way out of the way for the mall and then there are a bunch of stops all close to each other. Take a cab from where ever you are into the city.

Things you need to know about getting on the ship in Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile

The embarkation process for getting on the ship was very different than I’ve ever experienced so I want to make sure you are prepared.

You arrive at the port and if needed check your bags. We only had carry on so we proceeded to the building. There we had to fill out papers stating that we were not sick. Then you queue up. Normally this is where they give you the cards, info, etc but this line they just checked identification and gave you a number. That number was your group to get on a bus. Yes, a bus.

We get on the bus and it starts driving through the port. I was confused as to when we were going to be processed. The drive was literally through the port where the cargo containers are. You know on movies where they are chasing people through the cargo containers? It was weird and had I known the process probably a little less concerning.

We arrived at the ship from the bus ride and then get on the ship. Um, what is happening, when are we going to be processed? We walk through inside and are ushered to the dining area where we are processed there.

Because the ship moves in and out of Chilean territory the passports must be reviewed several times along the trip. They ask to keep your passports to streamline this process. My husband and I were not comfortable with this process and worked with the manager there to ensure our needs were met. She did a fabulous job at helping us with the process. If you have any doubts or concerns, talk to the manager as they are so helpful.

The Ports

It might help you to review the regions of Chile as we move through the different ports. This is a good guide to start.

Puerto Montt, Chile

Puerto Montt is the capital of Los Lagos (The Lake) district of Chile. This district is known for .. you guessed it! .. Lakes!

You will need to tender off the ship to the port (take a small boat). It is not a bad ride and they have the process pretty well organized.

Puerto Montt is nothing more than a small city. Where you really want to go is Puerto Varas, which is a short bus ride up. Walk from the pier to the bus station, which is about a 10 minute walk. You will pass a craft store if you want to buy handmade items. The bus station has a few stores for buying water and there is a toilet but you must pay.

The bus is more of a large van, and there will be more locals than tourists. They will drop you off in front of the casino in Puerto Varas.

I recommend taking in the sites and walking around Puerto Varas. We stopped at a restaurant for lunch and had a wonderful meal with a great view.

My Activity Recommendation: Walk Around the Town, Enjoy the View

Reference Sites:

The Chile Specialists

Map of Chile

Chile Lake District Puerto Montt Roses — Puerto Montt is known for its beautiful roses.

Chile Lake District Puerto Montt — Chile Lake District

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

As we docked in Chacabuco I quickly realized that the rumors were true – it is magnificent. The lakes, the snow peaked Andes, it is truly nature’s gem.

Many people we knew just took a car into the town of Aysen which is about 20 minutes from port. Some others went horseback riding and said it was “the most amazing scenery ever”.

We are not much for excursions as we like to do it ourselves, but we were curious of going into the Patagonian area. It was a two hour ride and with our time limit of getting back on the boat we thought we should be safe and take the excursion.

The bus ride was pretty but for two hours a bit long. We rode up to the Rio Simpson National Reserve, and the Rio Simpson, and there were so many other people that we really did not get to experience it well. There was nothing really spectacular or magical on what we saw, so I am not sure why anyone would take this tour.

We stopped at a waterfall that is famous in the area for having an apparition of the Blessed Mary. Being Catholic, I thought this was odd that I hadn’t heard of this waterfall (I drag my husband to all kind of holy sites). I also thought it was odd that if Mary had appeared there would have been more than just a few candles at the site. I have spent significant time trying to find more information on it and have been unsuccessful. However, there is a waterfall near the Sanctuary of St. Sebastian that would have been interesting to see.

If you do know what this waterfall is, please send me a message or put it in the comment section below.

My Recommendation: Walk Around the town of Aysen. There will be cars at the port you can take. (Or do the horseback ride, but I can only recommend that based on what others said).

Cruise Strait of Magellan

I learned so much on this cruise about geography, sailing, history. Here is some information:

The Strait of Magellan is not straight! It is more like a “w” shape. See Map
Five ships started out sailing. One wrecked and another the crew overthrew the captain and headed back to Spain.
In 1520 only three ships went through the strait.
Magellan made it from Spain all the way thru South America to the Philippines.
While in the Philippines, Magellan lead an attack with the locals and was killed in battle.
Magellan had a slave, Enrique of Malacca, who continued the voyage around the world so that the remaining crew would accomplish their destiny.

Other resources:

History Channel on Magellan

Punta Arenas, Chile

Punta Arenas has one of the best historical museums on the region. People said they spent hours in there, and I guess you could but you really only need about 1-2 hours tops.

The main city has enough little shops to keep you busy. There are especially a lot of shops for Antarctica as this is one of the main points of entry to the continent.

The area of Punta Arenas is the end of the South American “Continent”, meaning everything south of it is not accessible without a boat (they are islands). In 1987 Pope John Paul II visited South America, and in his honor there is a cross signifying where we preached at the “end of the earth”. You can read more about his visit here.

Some people went on a private excursion to see the penguins and thought it was fabulous. Please note that there have been times when people go to see the penguins and cannot get back because of the tides, so be careful.

My Recommendation: Walk Around Punta Arenas. Lots of little shops and handmade crafts. Definitely go to the museum.

End of Earth Punta Arenas — You can see the Cross at the top of the “End of the Earth”. This spot marks the end of the South American Continent. South of this are islands.

Cruise Beagle Channel

In the morning before arriving in Ushuaia, we cruised down the Beagle Channel.

The Beagle Channel, the Strait of Magellan and the Drake Passage are the only three waterways between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean in the southern hemisphere. map

The Strait of Magellan runs at 53.7302° S, 70.8288° W while the Beagle Channel runs to the tip of the continent at 54.8899° S, 67.8349° W.

The body of water is named after the first ship to pass, the HM Beagle. This ship happened to have Charles Darwin onboard, as a crew member, not yet famous.

In the Beagle Channel there are five main glaciers. They are very nice to see, but you need to awaken around 6am and stand out in the cold. If you are taking this cruise to see the glaciers there are several groups in Ushuaia that will take you up to see one off the ship.

One of the five glaciers we saw in Beagle Channel

Ushuaia

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Ushuaia. I would like to go back on another trip and just spend time there.

As you get off the boat there are a ton of little shops where you can buy various souvenirs, candy, water, etc. Even if you do not want to go into town, this is a nice little stop.

You can take your passport with you and for $2, they will stamp it with an “End of the World” stamp.

From there, you walk into the town and decide what to do. There are many options and we could have just hung around the city had we not been in Tierra del Fuego!

We hired a cab to take us to to take us up to the park and it was the best option for us. We got out there before any of the buses, so we were alone in most of our stops. The final stop was an overlook and there were tons of buses. So many that at some point our driver told us to walk through the field of grass and he’d meet us later around the corner. So, yes, I walked through the field. With the geese and their poop. But the view was worth it!

After returning we found a nice pub that served local beer.

My Recommendation:

Get off the ship and you will see a ton of taxis. Get one to take you up to Tierra Del Fugo. Negotiate in amount of time spent. Ours we made four stops, which was basically what all of the private tours were doing too. Granted the private tours gave you a run down on what was in each area, but when you enter the park they will give you brochures.

Once you finish with your cab, have him drop you off somewhere to eat. Make sure you take into account the time as we finished our ride around 2pm and places were closing at 3.

Go over to Cafe Banana and have some local Patagonia brew. The place is friendly and I could have stayed there all day.

Lots of information available about Antarctica.

Ushuia Penguins — In Ushuia you can buy all kinds of things!

What do you do when in a field of geese in Tierra Del Fuego National Park? You take photos!!

Fin Del Mundo Tierra Del Fuego National Park — This is considered the “End of the Earth” and you can purchase specific stamps, books, etc in this guy’s shop.

Cape Horn

Cape Horn, or Cabo de Hornos, is named after the city of Hoorn in the Netherlands. Yep, the Netherlands.

The cruising around Cape Horn is really something to experience. The Cape is where the Drake Passage (Antartic Route), the Pacific and Atlantic waters collide.

There were many sailor traditions such as you could wear a gold earring as you passed the cape, and passing around both sides meant you could put your feet on the table during dinner.

The ship had a tradition to pour “holy water” of all three seas on the passengers. People lined up to have the water was poured on them. The ice, cold water. We declined and stayed warm.

Stanley, Falkland Islands

The main reason I wanted to do this cruise was for Stanley. I will have a dedicated write up about it as there was so much information.

The main point for this though is to go to Lagoon Bluff, you must do it via NCL. The owner only works with tour ships, nothing private. I am glad we signed up for it for a few reasons:

It took the captain three hours to anchor (we found out later we never actually anchored). Many private tours were cancelled. NCL rescheduled our tour so we were still able to go with plenty of time.
People that went alone saw penguins.. from a distance.
The people that run Lagoon Bluff were awesome. Our driver was fabulous. The penguins were incredible.

My Activity Recommendation: Hands down do Bluff Cove Lagoon Penguin Tour. You can only get there via your cruise, so do not fall for any private tours.

Stanley Falkland Islands — This is the main road in Stanley.

Stanley, Falkland Islands, Road — Road in Stanley. So peaceful nothingness.

Sea Cabbage Café Falkand Island — At the Sea Cabbage Cafe, they have a delight of pastries. Don’t try to ask for just one, she wasn’t having any of that! I think we tried one of everything and it was delish!!

Falkland Islands Sea Cabbage cafe — Sea Cabbage Cafe and shop. We got some great take aways in the shop.

Bluff Cove Lagoon Gentoo Penguin Tour — Gentoo Penguins

Stanley, Falkland Islands, Penguin, Buff Cove — The lonely Penguin. As his friends were swimming in the ocean this one was waiting on the beach for them (that is my version of the story)

Falkland, Penguins, Lagoon Bluff — Gentoo Penguin warming up its chicks!

Bluff Cove Lagoon Penguins Gentoo — You can see on this tour, you can get quite close to the penguins.

Bluff Cove, Gentoo — When you go to Bluff Cove, you must take a 4×4 to the penguins. It was a great ride!

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Puerto Madryn is home to the largest Penguin Rookery, Punta Tombo.

Given we had just had an incredible experience with the penguins in the Falklands, I was hesitant to go to the rookery to see more. But I am glad we did because the experiences are vastly different. The Falklands was freezing and the penguins were clustered together. Punta Tombo was very hot and the penguins were scattered like squirrels at the park!

My recommendation: If you want to see penguins, the tour to Punta Tombo is worth the trip. Given it is a two hour ride there and back, we decided to stay with NCL tours just to be safe. Others went on their own and did not have a problem but we really liked our guide on the NCL tour.

Penguins in Punta Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina — Look under the bridge!!

Penguins in Punta Tombo Nature Reserve, Argentina. Puerto Madryn — Penguins walking in the reserve

Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo is a typical South American city. There is the port, the square, with the Cathedral and an avenue of shopping. I felt so at home in Montevideo and yet there was nothing really to do. We did not need to go shopping, and we were not interested in crafts. So, we found a place to sit outside and people watched.

The Uruguayans are known for very large sandwiches. Ridiculous amounts of ham, cheese, egg, fries. We did not dare have one, but they looked yummy.

My recommendation: Walk around the city and explore on your own. The cathedral is worth a visit. On your way back, stop off at the market near the port that is full of restaurants. Food is being cooked on a grill in front of you and it is delish!

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I enjoyed Buenos Aires a great deal and wish we would have stayed more than one day there.

We were able to hit the highlights of the city and enjoy some tango on our last night in South America.

Overall

The trip was a success. I would highly recommend this itinerary to anyone who loves nature, adventure or wants some peace and relaxation.

I will write up more about the ship itself in another post.

If you want to add your thoughts please do so in the comments below.