Curt From Canada

Last one before we enter the “dark zone” (no internet 😂)
The Captain made a quick decision to visit Antarctica first before the Falklands. He has an excellent talk on how and why the decision was made.  Short course:  We need to race to Antarctica quickly to miss some terrible weather.  The theatre was packed for his talk. More importantly two of the questions allowed him to show his humorous side:  
When asked “Celebrity is slightly ahead of us on the way to Antarctica … are you coordinating the Drake Passage route decisions with them?”
Captain Stig replied:
“I don’t care what Celebrity is doing. And by the way, Celebrity took two tug boats to get in and out of Buenos Aires”
When asked “For those of us who are new to cruising, what is the safest and calmest place on the boat?”
Captain Stig replied:
“Madame this is not a boat. A boat is what you look for when the ship sinks.”
“The safest place is my cabin and the calmest place is deck 4 mid ship.”
😂😂😂
 

JAN 09
Patagonia 
This ended up being one of our favourite tours in a long time. The Welsh traditions are alive and well in a small enclave about 90 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. 
This part of Argentina is very dry (it really is very close to a desert … similar to southern France). However, the river that runs through Patagonia has created an “oasis” for agriculture to thrive and the Welsh who settled there created an extensive canal system that turned the valley into a lush green environment that supports a large community. Once the railway came in (late 1800s to early 1900s), the community “blossomed”. The Welsh traditions thrived and are being actively supported to this day. The food is excellent and extremely well priced. The Welsh tea was a highlight (as a Welsh choir helped elevate the experience). We highly recommended the trip to Patagonia if you can. 
 
Curt from Canada

Second Drake Crossing was as close to the “Lake” as we could expect. Less than 2 meter waves, and a barely noticeable sway to the ship. 
Yesterday’s visit to Elephant Island was very restful. Lots of whale and penguin watching. We saw a “double fluke” where two whales dove down side by side at the exact same time. That was a first for us. We found two great places for site seeing. The Viking Crown lounge (that was obvious), and the Schooner Bar (having live piano and guitar music made it even more relaxing … if you turn the chairs around, it is like you are the only people in the world watching Antarctica pass by … we enjoyed that the most.  Oh yes, the ice cold martinis helped.)
Dinner in the MDR continues to be good (better than most of our past cruises). 
We were only able to squeeze in one swing dance on the way to the Illusionist’s show. The number was quite fast and, we had lots of room on the dance floor, so it was an “oxygen required” swing number … only one or two of those per night are allowed (I have a doctor’s note 😉). 
No sign of the Stowaway Piano Player … We are becoming concerned for his safety😉.
The Illusionist was good, but better still due to how he engaged the audience. The show was late (due to a late departure from Elephant Island), therefore it was straight to bed after the show was done. 
Tomorrow is the Big Band Penguin Party Day. We will sleep in to make sure we do not miss the orchestra playing dance music. 
 
Curt from Canada

JAN 13
Sailing through the calm Antarctica waters was exhausting and serene. The icebergs were the highlight. So many different and stunning ones to photograph and the Antarctica Vistas played more of a “second fiddle” to the floating sculptures. 
For pictures it is best to check out @Twangster’s blog “Live from the Wind(s) of Antarctica”
I am thinking about adopting @Twangster 
😉
 
Lots of whales and penguins. This resulted in multiple sprints between the port and starboard side. We spent a lot of time on our balcony (in between sprints). We spent a little bit of time on the helicopter deck … mandatory viewing for Canadians (cold, wet, sometimes snowy and always windy … a stark reminder of home). 
The Crown Lounge is busy for Happy Hour, but you can still find a seat (especially after first seating starts). It is opened to the Viking Crown Lounge (as it should be), and that is critical. With over 700 Diamond and above cruisers the C&A drink “vouchers” are also critical in controlling the Crown Lounge. The Concierge Lounge is not open to Pinnacles (there are 115 on this segment). The barricades have not gone up and the revolution seems to be on hold. 😉 However, I will make sure to keep everyone in the loop. 
The entertainment is a level or two or three above what you see on normal Radiance Class ships. The orchestra is excellent and is a 9 piece. For one of the production shows they brought in 2 strings players for an 11 piece. It makes a big difference. All 5 principle singers would be the lead on other Radiance class ships. It maybe does not compare to Mama Mia or Hairspray, but it is very close. 
Certainly the number and quality of the bands around the ship compares favourably to any Royal ship. Due to the number and variety of styles it is probably the best we have seen.  To be a little more precise:
1). Classical Guitar Player:  A very creative and engaging guitar player. Some of it is danceable, all of it is extremely interesting and fun. This is not your normal classical guitar experience. 
2). Strings Trio: Normally in the Centrum (which can have music that starts just after lunch most days).  Very relaxing, very “classic cruise”, and very difficult to dance to 😂 … still, a great place to have a drink to on decks 4 through 6. 
3). Caribbean Duo:  South of the equator they transformed into a 50s, 60s and 70s standards group. They might be the best band to dance to on the ship, except for:
4). Big Band Orchestra: All 9 members on the small Centrum stage for the Big Band Penguin Party. They were great and it was a blast.  We were having trouble getting room on the dance floor, and one of the principle singers whispered to us … “Get your elbows up and carve out some space” (professional advice executed by total amateurs that actually worked 😂).
5). 3 Different Piano Players in the Schooner Bar:  Tons of talent in the Schooner Bar throughout most of the day. Yes … there is a small dance floor for 2 there. You just have to use your imagination and depend upon the kindness of strangers to deviate from the normal aisle ways. 😉
6). Stowaway Piano Player:  He was here for the first few days and took our requests. We have not seen him since … I hope they did not catch him. 😮
7). House Band:  We have not seen enough of them, so it is difficult to tell. Given the 6 points above, we have not missed them. High praise for the level and number of entertainers that are all over this ship. 
 
Curt from Canada

Cruise pricing is dynamic and influenced heavily by supply and demand.  
When a category of cabin such as 4B has ample empty cabins the price for this specific category can be lower than another category such as a 3B cabin which is a cabin that can sleep 3 or more guests.  It's all about how well a specific category is booking.   
"Balcony" is not a category, "interior" is not a category.  Consequently it is very common to see a discrepancy between actual categories such as 1B, 2B, 3B, 4B, 5B etc.  
If you had priced this cruise the very first day it opened you would have likely observed that cabins for two guests, such as 2B or 4B would have been lower than cabins for more than two guests such as 1B, 3B, or 5B, etc.  Over time as various categories start to book up the demand factor is applied to each category independently of any other category.  
For your cruise, in a month's time the cabins for 3 or 4 guests maybe nearly sold out (because there are fewer of them) and their price may be much higher than the current rate on that day for a cabin that holds two.  On the other hand if these same cabins aren't being booking the rate can go lower than it is today to stimulate bookings.
There is no fixed price for any cabin.  There is the rate on the day the shipped opened for booking and there is today's rate or what they call the prevailing rate.  
You may see it as "whacked out", I see it as an opportunity to find deals since my schedule is flexible.  Since I am okay in any type of cabin I can play the dynamics across many types of cabins from interior to suites.  They all fluctuate independently of each other and some days they drop rates to stimulate bookings, but they only drop rates for categories that aren't booking as well compared to a category that is booking well.  
The rate you booked was the prevailing rate on the day you booked.  At some previous point in time it may have been higher or lower.  We'll never know.  At some future point in time it may be higher or lower.  You'll only know if you check often. 

JAN 12
We arrived in Antarctica quite early in the morning.  Captain Stig delivered!!! Lots to talk about with his course and itinerary change. He gave a brilliant and funny talk as we were entering the Drake Passage. 
AND Elon appears to have delivered too.  Starlink was 118 Down and 9 Up.  Geez … we are at the bottom of the world. 😂
The Drake Passage was rough (between 25ft to 30ft waves), but nothing really too bad. If you stayed mid ship, it was “drunken walk” time. The theatre was bad (right at the front of the ship), so I skipped an enrichment lecture, and laid down for a nap.  My soulmate felt no ill affects at all. They, obviously, cancelled the production show, and it was held the next night instead.  Deck 12 (the walking track) and Deck 5 (outside promenade) were closed for the entire passage  
Slept like a baby last night (and I do not sleep well typically).  The Drake rocked us all night long … (sounds like a song title from the early 70s 😉). 
The bars were not as busy yesterday (but it was still difficult to find a seat in the Centrum before the first seating). The dance floor was a little too difficult to manage … so we sat the night out. 
There was much anticipation for this … and, obviously, everyone is very excited. 
 
Curt from Canada

Last one before we enter the “dark zone” (no internet 😂)
The Captain made a quick decision to visit Antarctica first before the Falklands. He has an excellent talk on how and why the decision was made.  Short course:  We need to race to Antarctica quickly to miss some terrible weather.  The theatre was packed for his talk. More importantly two of the questions allowed him to show his humorous side:  
When asked “Celebrity is slightly ahead of us on the way to Antarctica … are you coordinating the Drake Passage route decisions with them?”
Captain Stig replied:
“I don’t care what Celebrity is doing. And by the way, Celebrity took two tug boats to get in and out of Buenos Aires”
When asked “For those of us who are new to cruising, what is the safest and calmest place on the boat?”
Captain Stig replied:
“Madame this is not a boat. A boat is what you look for when the ship sinks.”
“The safest place is my cabin and the calmest place is deck 4 mid ship.”
😂😂😂
 

We are on the Ultimate World Cruise right now. Just heading back to Ushuaia (after visiting a Penguin Rookery). I will post something more substantial and detailed later, but the short course is:
1).  No drama … the experienced cruisers already figured this out. Actually, the cruise so far has been extremely relaxing.  Although we have been a little bit too busy. 
 
2). Thé entertainment overall has been better than “normal” cruises (some of it excellent … rare for a Radiance class ship). The food has been hit and miss (as usual) … however, we did have the best MDR dish in over 30 cruises a few nights ago. 
 
3).  The staff is in over perform mode. They are doing a phenomenal job. 
 
4).  1,600 on this segment is well below capacity. 700+ Diamond and above C&A members.  1,600 only should bring up some questions. 
 
5).  Tons of dancing opportunities … only once did we have to elbow our way around the dance floor 😉
 
I will start a start a separate thread when we get back on board.
 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂

Quick background … we are on Serenade right now (we have done the Drake Crossing twice now). We are “segmenters” so we will be getting off in Santiago (on JAN 23). We have been cruising since 2006, so we are always looking for new parts of the world to visit. We can not envision spending too much time away from friends and family. Still, when the segments came out we jumped on the chance for this once in a lifetime experience. 
We booked an Oceanview for the Buenos Aires to Santiago leg, used Air2Sea to get a good price on our Toronto to Buenos Aires flight (plus the return from Santiago), AND won our Royal Up bid to a balcony (2 days before sailing). 
All of the updates will be in no order at all (get ready for a Tetris style information flow).  Questions are encouraged, but expect a delay (we may not have coverage every day, and we will not be monitoring this site when we are on the dance floor. 😂)
We went to the Loyalty Celebration on JAN 10 (we normally do not go). The crew appreciation portion of the hour was new to us (back of house and front of house nominees and winners for DEC were introduced and celebrated). It was nice. 
Top Level Cruiser Numbers:
115 Pinnacles
300 D+
325 D
Only 1,600 passengers for this leg. 
Cruise Director (Joff) is quite good. He has a nice mix of comedy and fun done in a mostly “relaxed” manner (very appropriate for a World Cruise). The World Cruisers are gravitating to him quickly … he is a stabilizing part of the cruise. 
Falklands port day was “juggled” to get us to Antarctica and back before some very bad weather sets in. We still experienced a “Drake Shake” on the way down (All most 30 ft waves). The sea sickness bags appeared in the stairwells at 8:00AM on JAN 10.  More on the Drake later. 
Like @twangster said … “It is part of the experience” … so we are going in with a positive mindset and a “boatload” of Gravol 😉
The singers are excellent (all 5 of them … no weak links). We will make sure we see all of their shows. 
I’ll post some thoughts on most of the days, but (to be clear) this is a “not at all live blog” so replies will be very delayed (we do not have the WiFi package). 
Send questions … but expect delays. 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂 

JAN 12
We arrived in Antarctica quite early in the morning.  Captain Stig delivered!!! Lots to talk about with his course and itinerary change. He gave a brilliant and funny talk as we were entering the Drake Passage. 
AND Elon appears to have delivered too.  Starlink was 118 Down and 9 Up.  Geez … we are at the bottom of the world. 😂
The Drake Passage was rough (between 25ft to 30ft waves), but nothing really too bad. If you stayed mid ship, it was “drunken walk” time. The theatre was bad (right at the front of the ship), so I skipped an enrichment lecture, and laid down for a nap.  My soulmate felt no ill affects at all. They, obviously, cancelled the production show, and it was held the next night instead.  Deck 12 (the walking track) and Deck 5 (outside promenade) were closed for the entire passage  
Slept like a baby last night (and I do not sleep well typically).  The Drake rocked us all night long … (sounds like a song title from the early 70s 😉). 
The bars were not as busy yesterday (but it was still difficult to find a seat in the Centrum before the first seating). The dance floor was a little too difficult to manage … so we sat the night out. 
There was much anticipation for this … and, obviously, everyone is very excited. 
 
Curt from Canada

Last one before we enter the “dark zone” (no internet 😂)
The Captain made a quick decision to visit Antarctica first before the Falklands. He has an excellent talk on how and why the decision was made.  Short course:  We need to race to Antarctica quickly to miss some terrible weather.  The theatre was packed for his talk. More importantly two of the questions allowed him to show his humorous side:  
When asked “Celebrity is slightly ahead of us on the way to Antarctica … are you coordinating the Drake Passage route decisions with them?”
Captain Stig replied:
“I don’t care what Celebrity is doing. And by the way, Celebrity took two tug boats to get in and out of Buenos Aires”
When asked “For those of us who are new to cruising, what is the safest and calmest place on the boat?”
Captain Stig replied:
“Madame this is not a boat. A boat is what you look for when the ship sinks.”
“The safest place is my cabin and the calmest place is deck 4 mid ship.”
😂😂😂
 

JAN 09
Patagonia 
This ended up being one of our favourite tours in a long time. The Welsh traditions are alive and well in a small enclave about 90 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. 
This part of Argentina is very dry (it really is very close to a desert … similar to southern France). However, the river that runs through Patagonia has created an “oasis” for agriculture to thrive and the Welsh who settled there created an extensive canal system that turned the valley into a lush green environment that supports a large community. Once the railway came in (late 1800s to early 1900s), the community “blossomed”. The Welsh traditions thrived and are being actively supported to this day. The food is excellent and extremely well priced. The Welsh tea was a highlight (as a Welsh choir helped elevate the experience). We highly recommended the trip to Patagonia if you can. 
 
Curt from Canada

We are on the Ultimate World Cruise right now. Just heading back to Ushuaia (after visiting a Penguin Rookery). I will post something more substantial and detailed later, but the short course is:
1).  No drama … the experienced cruisers already figured this out. Actually, the cruise so far has been extremely relaxing.  Although we have been a little bit too busy. 
 
2). Thé entertainment overall has been better than “normal” cruises (some of it excellent … rare for a Radiance class ship). The food has been hit and miss (as usual) … however, we did have the best MDR dish in over 30 cruises a few nights ago. 
 
3).  The staff is in over perform mode. They are doing a phenomenal job. 
 
4).  1,600 on this segment is well below capacity. 700+ Diamond and above C&A members.  1,600 only should bring up some questions. 
 
5).  Tons of dancing opportunities … only once did we have to elbow our way around the dance floor 😉
 
I will start a start a separate thread when we get back on board.
 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂

JAN 07
A sea day (Day 3), we went to an Enrichment lecture (they have one every day … today they have two), ran to lunch, skipped a dance class on 70s dancing (this upsets us 😂), explored a little bit, got in our Espresso Nap, dressed for Formal night, “chased” dance music, ate in the MDR and watch the best Broadway review show at sea before crashing into bed. It really was non-stop.  We will try to take it easier today. 
Breakfast has been exactly the same as usual, and lunch has been very disappointing. I would say the MDR is very hit and miss. Which is exactly our experience on other ships. 
For Formal Night … My soulmate was, by far, the prettiest woman on the ship. The Formal Night really was a formal night. 80% of the passengers are in suits (and 30% of them are in tuxes/ballgowns/cocktail dresses). 
All of the bands (except the strings) are danceable. The “Caribbean” band is singing 50s, 60s and 70s music. The house band is very good and once early seating is finished the dance floor gets packed. 
The orchestra is a 9 piece and they are excellent. There are 5 principle singers and each one of them are as good or better than the best on other ships. They set a very high bar for the theatre entertainment. No dancers yet. We may be a dancer free zone for this segment. Watch this space …
I had my third Filet Mignon in 3 days (research 😂). The first night was the best Filet Mignon i have had at se), but it was an aberration … Chops was good, but it was just Chops. Second night MDR filet was good, but not outstanding. 
We love dancing with the Stowaway Piano Guy … best dances yet (in an odd venue, but we could care less). Dancing is possible in the Schooner Bar … longer story. We danced too much last night and we are really feeling old today. This might be a “maintenance”day. 
Curt from Canada 

JAN 06
Late Seating is the MDR is the better time on this cruise. Dancing before dinner is abundant and the after dinner shows timing works out really well. 
Early Seating (in the MDR) is a zoo. The R BAR is packed by 5:00 (as dinner is at 5:30). Everyone has the drinks package and they want their pre-dinner drink.  No fist fights at the R BAR yet, but they still have 246 days. 
R BAR is empty by 5:40. Lots of room on the dance floor.  The bartenders have lots of time and they are much more relaxed. 
The classical guitarist is excellent. They are typically difficult to dance to, but not this one. We will strike up a conversation with him to “order up” some foxtrots and rumbas.
There is Stowaway Piano Player on board.  We have already had one “drive by” Swing dance (to Crocodile Rock), and we will actively seek him out. He takes requests.
There is a Strings Trio with relaxing classical music. They are quite good. We are debating if anything is “danceable”. We might have to dust off a very old waltz (we have not waltzed in years).  Clear the dance floor … this might get messy. 😂
It is still very early, but the theatre entrainment has been top tier so far. 2 shows and 2 ✅.  Drawing on local talent will provide lots of options over the 274 days. RCL appears to be doing their homework. 
We have only had 3 days on board, but the Social Media personalities have been far less annoying than we anticipated. They are not hogging the dance floor nor being too distracting with “staged” recording. However, we have only had 2 days on board. Watch this space …
The pace (so far) has been very hectic. Afternoon naps are a must. Even the sea days are busy. 
Buenos Aires is a little scary. Lots of notifications of being careful about thieves and scams (from RC, locals and passengers). The Argentine economy is in very big trouble and it is very noticeable. We are glad that we paid for the RC excursions (and do not mind paying the premium).  We have heard of one stolen phone and one stolen purse from passengers just in Buenos Aires alone. 
Chops was empty on night 2 (only 4 other tables occupied in Chops over the 2 hours we were there). Very easy to get a window seat AND we got to watch a very tight and interesting sail away.  
As we left the Schooner Bar (after Chops Dinner) the sun was just setting. The pianist paused, looked out across the water at Buenos Aires skyline and switched to “Someone to Watchout over Me”.  After he finished, I asked him if he thought about playing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me”.  He said that was his first thought, but it was a little “too cliche”. I think he made a great choice.  It was a beautiful, and tender moment (one that is easier, for some reason, to find on a cruise ship).  You have to be always looking for these moments, but you typically do not need to wait long. 
Do not spread this around (or the future segments will get totally booked). I am investigating future segments. D+ and tagging along on the UWC is (so far) a great deal. 
 
Curt from Canada

Quick background … we are on Serenade right now (we have done the Drake Crossing twice now). We are “segmenters” so we will be getting off in Santiago (on JAN 23). We have been cruising since 2006, so we are always looking for new parts of the world to visit. We can not envision spending too much time away from friends and family. Still, when the segments came out we jumped on the chance for this once in a lifetime experience. 
We booked an Oceanview for the Buenos Aires to Santiago leg, used Air2Sea to get a good price on our Toronto to Buenos Aires flight (plus the return from Santiago), AND won our Royal Up bid to a balcony (2 days before sailing). 
All of the updates will be in no order at all (get ready for a Tetris style information flow).  Questions are encouraged, but expect a delay (we may not have coverage every day, and we will not be monitoring this site when we are on the dance floor. 😂)
We went to the Loyalty Celebration on JAN 10 (we normally do not go). The crew appreciation portion of the hour was new to us (back of house and front of house nominees and winners for DEC were introduced and celebrated). It was nice. 
Top Level Cruiser Numbers:
115 Pinnacles
300 D+
325 D
Only 1,600 passengers for this leg. 
Cruise Director (Joff) is quite good. He has a nice mix of comedy and fun done in a mostly “relaxed” manner (very appropriate for a World Cruise). The World Cruisers are gravitating to him quickly … he is a stabilizing part of the cruise. 
Falklands port day was “juggled” to get us to Antarctica and back before some very bad weather sets in. We still experienced a “Drake Shake” on the way down (All most 30 ft waves). The sea sickness bags appeared in the stairwells at 8:00AM on JAN 10.  More on the Drake later. 
Like @twangster said … “It is part of the experience” … so we are going in with a positive mindset and a “boatload” of Gravol 😉
The singers are excellent (all 5 of them … no weak links). We will make sure we see all of their shows. 
I’ll post some thoughts on most of the days, but (to be clear) this is a “not at all live blog” so replies will be very delayed (we do not have the WiFi package). 
Send questions … but expect delays. 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂 

JAN 06
Late Seating is the MDR is the better time on this cruise. Dancing before dinner is abundant and the after dinner shows timing works out really well. 
Early Seating (in the MDR) is a zoo. The R BAR is packed by 5:00 (as dinner is at 5:30). Everyone has the drinks package and they want their pre-dinner drink.  No fist fights at the R BAR yet, but they still have 246 days. 
R BAR is empty by 5:40. Lots of room on the dance floor.  The bartenders have lots of time and they are much more relaxed. 
The classical guitarist is excellent. They are typically difficult to dance to, but not this one. We will strike up a conversation with him to “order up” some foxtrots and rumbas.
There is Stowaway Piano Player on board.  We have already had one “drive by” Swing dance (to Crocodile Rock), and we will actively seek him out. He takes requests.
There is a Strings Trio with relaxing classical music. They are quite good. We are debating if anything is “danceable”. We might have to dust off a very old waltz (we have not waltzed in years).  Clear the dance floor … this might get messy. 😂
It is still very early, but the theatre entrainment has been top tier so far. 2 shows and 2 ✅.  Drawing on local talent will provide lots of options over the 274 days. RCL appears to be doing their homework. 
We have only had 3 days on board, but the Social Media personalities have been far less annoying than we anticipated. They are not hogging the dance floor nor being too distracting with “staged” recording. However, we have only had 2 days on board. Watch this space …
The pace (so far) has been very hectic. Afternoon naps are a must. Even the sea days are busy. 
Buenos Aires is a little scary. Lots of notifications of being careful about thieves and scams (from RC, locals and passengers). The Argentine economy is in very big trouble and it is very noticeable. We are glad that we paid for the RC excursions (and do not mind paying the premium).  We have heard of one stolen phone and one stolen purse from passengers just in Buenos Aires alone. 
Chops was empty on night 2 (only 4 other tables occupied in Chops over the 2 hours we were there). Very easy to get a window seat AND we got to watch a very tight and interesting sail away.  
As we left the Schooner Bar (after Chops Dinner) the sun was just setting. The pianist paused, looked out across the water at Buenos Aires skyline and switched to “Someone to Watchout over Me”.  After he finished, I asked him if he thought about playing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me”.  He said that was his first thought, but it was a little “too cliche”. I think he made a great choice.  It was a beautiful, and tender moment (one that is easier, for some reason, to find on a cruise ship).  You have to be always looking for these moments, but you typically do not need to wait long. 
Do not spread this around (or the future segments will get totally booked). I am investigating future segments. D+ and tagging along on the UWC is (so far) a great deal. 
 
Curt from Canada

Quick background … we are on Serenade right now (we have done the Drake Crossing twice now). We are “segmenters” so we will be getting off in Santiago (on JAN 23). We have been cruising since 2006, so we are always looking for new parts of the world to visit. We can not envision spending too much time away from friends and family. Still, when the segments came out we jumped on the chance for this once in a lifetime experience. 
We booked an Oceanview for the Buenos Aires to Santiago leg, used Air2Sea to get a good price on our Toronto to Buenos Aires flight (plus the return from Santiago), AND won our Royal Up bid to a balcony (2 days before sailing). 
All of the updates will be in no order at all (get ready for a Tetris style information flow).  Questions are encouraged, but expect a delay (we may not have coverage every day, and we will not be monitoring this site when we are on the dance floor. 😂)
We went to the Loyalty Celebration on JAN 10 (we normally do not go). The crew appreciation portion of the hour was new to us (back of house and front of house nominees and winners for DEC were introduced and celebrated). It was nice. 
Top Level Cruiser Numbers:
115 Pinnacles
300 D+
325 D
Only 1,600 passengers for this leg. 
Cruise Director (Joff) is quite good. He has a nice mix of comedy and fun done in a mostly “relaxed” manner (very appropriate for a World Cruise). The World Cruisers are gravitating to him quickly … he is a stabilizing part of the cruise. 
Falklands port day was “juggled” to get us to Antarctica and back before some very bad weather sets in. We still experienced a “Drake Shake” on the way down (All most 30 ft waves). The sea sickness bags appeared in the stairwells at 8:00AM on JAN 10.  More on the Drake later. 
Like @twangster said … “It is part of the experience” … so we are going in with a positive mindset and a “boatload” of Gravol 😉
The singers are excellent (all 5 of them … no weak links). We will make sure we see all of their shows. 
I’ll post some thoughts on most of the days, but (to be clear) this is a “not at all live blog” so replies will be very delayed (we do not have the WiFi package). 
Send questions … but expect delays. 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂 

JAN 12
We arrived in Antarctica quite early in the morning.  Captain Stig delivered!!! Lots to talk about with his course and itinerary change. He gave a brilliant and funny talk as we were entering the Drake Passage. 
AND Elon appears to have delivered too.  Starlink was 118 Down and 9 Up.  Geez … we are at the bottom of the world. 😂
The Drake Passage was rough (between 25ft to 30ft waves), but nothing really too bad. If you stayed mid ship, it was “drunken walk” time. The theatre was bad (right at the front of the ship), so I skipped an enrichment lecture, and laid down for a nap.  My soulmate felt no ill affects at all. They, obviously, cancelled the production show, and it was held the next night instead.  Deck 12 (the walking track) and Deck 5 (outside promenade) were closed for the entire passage  
Slept like a baby last night (and I do not sleep well typically).  The Drake rocked us all night long … (sounds like a song title from the early 70s 😉). 
The bars were not as busy yesterday (but it was still difficult to find a seat in the Centrum before the first seating). The dance floor was a little too difficult to manage … so we sat the night out. 
There was much anticipation for this … and, obviously, everyone is very excited. 
 
Curt from Canada

Last one before we enter the “dark zone” (no internet 😂)
The Captain made a quick decision to visit Antarctica first before the Falklands. He has an excellent talk on how and why the decision was made.  Short course:  We need to race to Antarctica quickly to miss some terrible weather.  The theatre was packed for his talk. More importantly two of the questions allowed him to show his humorous side:  
When asked “Celebrity is slightly ahead of us on the way to Antarctica … are you coordinating the Drake Passage route decisions with them?”
Captain Stig replied:
“I don’t care what Celebrity is doing. And by the way, Celebrity took two tug boats to get in and out of Buenos Aires”
When asked “For those of us who are new to cruising, what is the safest and calmest place on the boat?”
Captain Stig replied:
“Madame this is not a boat. A boat is what you look for when the ship sinks.”
“The safest place is my cabin and the calmest place is deck 4 mid ship.”
😂😂😂
 

JAN 09
Patagonia 
This ended up being one of our favourite tours in a long time. The Welsh traditions are alive and well in a small enclave about 90 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. 
This part of Argentina is very dry (it really is very close to a desert … similar to southern France). However, the river that runs through Patagonia has created an “oasis” for agriculture to thrive and the Welsh who settled there created an extensive canal system that turned the valley into a lush green environment that supports a large community. Once the railway came in (late 1800s to early 1900s), the community “blossomed”. The Welsh traditions thrived and are being actively supported to this day. The food is excellent and extremely well priced. The Welsh tea was a highlight (as a Welsh choir helped elevate the experience). We highly recommended the trip to Patagonia if you can. 
 
Curt from Canada

JAN 12
We arrived in Antarctica quite early in the morning.  Captain Stig delivered!!! Lots to talk about with his course and itinerary change. He gave a brilliant and funny talk as we were entering the Drake Passage. 
AND Elon appears to have delivered too.  Starlink was 118 Down and 9 Up.  Geez … we are at the bottom of the world. 😂
The Drake Passage was rough (between 25ft to 30ft waves), but nothing really too bad. If you stayed mid ship, it was “drunken walk” time. The theatre was bad (right at the front of the ship), so I skipped an enrichment lecture, and laid down for a nap.  My soulmate felt no ill affects at all. They, obviously, cancelled the production show, and it was held the next night instead.  Deck 12 (the walking track) and Deck 5 (outside promenade) were closed for the entire passage  
Slept like a baby last night (and I do not sleep well typically).  The Drake rocked us all night long … (sounds like a song title from the early 70s 😉). 
The bars were not as busy yesterday (but it was still difficult to find a seat in the Centrum before the first seating). The dance floor was a little too difficult to manage … so we sat the night out. 
There was much anticipation for this … and, obviously, everyone is very excited. 
 
Curt from Canada

Last one before we enter the “dark zone” (no internet 😂)
The Captain made a quick decision to visit Antarctica first before the Falklands. He has an excellent talk on how and why the decision was made.  Short course:  We need to race to Antarctica quickly to miss some terrible weather.  The theatre was packed for his talk. More importantly two of the questions allowed him to show his humorous side:  
When asked “Celebrity is slightly ahead of us on the way to Antarctica … are you coordinating the Drake Passage route decisions with them?”
Captain Stig replied:
“I don’t care what Celebrity is doing. And by the way, Celebrity took two tug boats to get in and out of Buenos Aires”
When asked “For those of us who are new to cruising, what is the safest and calmest place on the boat?”
Captain Stig replied:
“Madame this is not a boat. A boat is what you look for when the ship sinks.”
“The safest place is my cabin and the calmest place is deck 4 mid ship.”
😂😂😂
 

JAN 07
A sea day (Day 3), we went to an Enrichment lecture (they have one every day … today they have two), ran to lunch, skipped a dance class on 70s dancing (this upsets us 😂), explored a little bit, got in our Espresso Nap, dressed for Formal night, “chased” dance music, ate in the MDR and watch the best Broadway review show at sea before crashing into bed. It really was non-stop.  We will try to take it easier today. 
Breakfast has been exactly the same as usual, and lunch has been very disappointing. I would say the MDR is very hit and miss. Which is exactly our experience on other ships. 
For Formal Night … My soulmate was, by far, the prettiest woman on the ship. The Formal Night really was a formal night. 80% of the passengers are in suits (and 30% of them are in tuxes/ballgowns/cocktail dresses). 
All of the bands (except the strings) are danceable. The “Caribbean” band is singing 50s, 60s and 70s music. The house band is very good and once early seating is finished the dance floor gets packed. 
The orchestra is a 9 piece and they are excellent. There are 5 principle singers and each one of them are as good or better than the best on other ships. They set a very high bar for the theatre entertainment. No dancers yet. We may be a dancer free zone for this segment. Watch this space …
I had my third Filet Mignon in 3 days (research 😂). The first night was the best Filet Mignon i have had at se), but it was an aberration … Chops was good, but it was just Chops. Second night MDR filet was good, but not outstanding. 
We love dancing with the Stowaway Piano Guy … best dances yet (in an odd venue, but we could care less). Dancing is possible in the Schooner Bar … longer story. We danced too much last night and we are really feeling old today. This might be a “maintenance”day. 
Curt from Canada 

We are on the Ultimate World Cruise right now. Just heading back to Ushuaia (after visiting a Penguin Rookery). I will post something more substantial and detailed later, but the short course is:
1).  No drama … the experienced cruisers already figured this out. Actually, the cruise so far has been extremely relaxing.  Although we have been a little bit too busy. 
 
2). Thé entertainment overall has been better than “normal” cruises (some of it excellent … rare for a Radiance class ship). The food has been hit and miss (as usual) … however, we did have the best MDR dish in over 30 cruises a few nights ago. 
 
3).  The staff is in over perform mode. They are doing a phenomenal job. 
 
4).  1,600 on this segment is well below capacity. 700+ Diamond and above C&A members.  1,600 only should bring up some questions. 
 
5).  Tons of dancing opportunities … only once did we have to elbow our way around the dance floor 😉
 
I will start a start a separate thread when we get back on board.
 
Curt from Canada
Partial Ultimate World Cruiser 😂