Penguin Island, Antarctica 2008

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Itinerary, January 9 to March 23, 2011, plus Port Times and Shore Adventures:

9-Jan; Sun - Fly to Fort Lauderdale. Overnight at the Ritz-Carlton. Dinner with friends from Miami.


10-Jan; Mon - Fort lauderdale. Meet with the full circle passengers for a Gala evening event at the Ritz-Carlton. Overnight at the Ritz on Regent's nickel.


11-Jan; Tue - Fort Lauderdale. Transfer to the dock. Board SS Mariner for 6 PM sail away and a web cam sail away wave. Dinner with some Cruise Critic friends in Signatures.


12-Jan; Wed - At Sea, Cruise the Caribbean Sea, International Waters
13-Jan; Thu - At Sea, Cruise the Caribbean Sea, International Waters


14-Jan: Fri -  Willemstad, Curaçao - 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Free Adventure -Discover Curacao’s Beautiful Beaches. Noon for 4 hours. Visits to Daaibooi and Cas Abou Beaches. Do a shore dive at Cas Abou.


15-Jan; Sat - Oranjestad, Aruba - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Free Adventure - Two Tank Certified Dive. 9 AM for 4 hours. Red Sails Sports will pick us up at the ship. First dive is the Antilla shipwreck at 60 feet. Second dive is on the wreck Pedernalis at 25 feet.


16-Jan; Sun - Cartagena, Colombia - 3:00 PM....overnight. Free Adventure - Bay Cruise on a Spanish Galleon. 4:15 PM for 2 ½ hours. Cruise the Bay of Cartegena on a replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon. See the massive ramparts built to protect the city, the clock tower at the entrance to the Walled City, the dramatic modern skyline dominated by the domes of the Church of San Pedro Claver, Fort Manzanillo guarding the eastern entrance to the inner bay and loop between Tierrabomba Island and Castillogrande Peninsula for a look at the beaches of Bocagrande. Drinks will be served.  Plus there will be a folkloric dance and drumming show.
17-Jan; Mon - Cartagena, Colombia - ....until 1:00 PM. Free Adventure - La Popa Monastery and the Gold Museum. 8:45 AM for 4 hours. Visit La Popa, built in the early 17th century has a beautiful gold leaf alter and commanding views out over the city and water from its hill top location. Do a photo stop at the Fortress San Felipe, largest Spanish fort in the new world. Then drive to the Old City visit St Peter Claver Church and Cloister. Do a five block walk through the Old City visiting Bolivar Plaza with the Cathedral on one side and the Inquisition Palace on the other. The Plaza is surrounded by history and beautiful colonial homes. Visit the gold Museum also.


18-Jan; Tue - At Sea -Transit the Panama Canal, International Waters
19-Jan; Wed - At Sea - Cruise the Gulf of Panama, International Waters


20-Jan; Thu - Manta, Ecuador - 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Free Overnight Adventure for full circle guests - ~ 8 AM Transfer to airport for 9:30 AM, 30 minute flight to Quito. Visit Old Quito for walking tour. Visit Itchimbia viewpoint. Check into Swissotel for overnight. Enjoy a buffet lunch. Afternoon at leisure. Visit the San Francisco Monastery choir and museum for cocktails then dinner in the Refectory.


21-Jan; Fri - Guayaquil, Ecuador - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Quito Adventure continues - 8 to 9 AM Breakfast then visit the Middle of the World and Inti Nan Museum. Return to Quito airport for 2PM, 45 minute flight to Guayaquil. Transfer to Mariner.


22-Jan; Sat - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Peru, International Waters


23-Jan; Sun - Salaverry, Peru - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free Adventure - Chan-chan City of Palaces. 9:30 AM for 3 hours. Amazing mud brick homes built over 8 square miles between 900AD and 1470 AD.


24-Jan; Mon - Lima (Callao), Peru - 9:00 AM...overnight. Free Adventure - Convents and Monasteries of Lima. 9:45 AM for 3 ½ hours. Visit Convento de Los Descalzos built in 1592 at the foot of San Cristobal Hill, San Domingo Convent the oldest church in lima built in 1540 and lastly the Convent of El Carmen famous for the sweets made by the nuns from 16th century recipes.25-Jan; Tue - Lima (Callao), Peru - ...until 7:00 PM. Free Adventure - Lima Highlights. 9 AM for 4 ½ hours. Visit Lima’s main square with the Government Palace, Lima City Hall, the Archbishop’s Palace and Lima Cathedral. Enjoy tea and chamber music at Casa Aliaga, the oldest colonial house in the western hemisphere inhabited by the same family since 1534. Visit San Francisco Monastery and visit Miraflores and San Isidro districts.


26-Jan; Wed - Pisco, Peru - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Free Adventure - The Route of the Pisco. 9AM for 4 ½ hours. Visit Bodega Catador for a tour and tasting and also Vista Alegre in the Pisco Valley.


27-Jan; Thu - At Sea - Cruise the Pacific Ocean, International Waters
28-Jan; Fri - At Sea - Cruise the Pacific Ocean, International Waters


29-Jan; Sat - Coquimbo, Chile - 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Free Adventure - Journey to Elqui Valley. 8:30 AM for 5 ½ hours. Visit villages of Algarrobito, El Molle and El Tambo in the narrow fertile valley in the Andes. Stop for a tour and tasting at the national drink distillery factory. Visit picturesque Vicuna for lunch and free time for the sites. Stop in La Serena for the La Recova handicraft market and a panoramic view of the city.


30-Jan; Sun - Valparaíso, Chile - 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Discover Santiago. 8 AM for 7 ½ hours. Panoramic tour of both historic and modern Santiago including La Moneda, Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral and San Cristobal Hill. Free time for lunch and a visit to the Los Condes district and the Los Dominicos handicraft market.


31-Jan; Mon - At Sea - Cruise the Pacific Ocean, International Waters


1-Feb; Tue - Puerto Montt, Chile - 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Free Adventure - Petrohue Falls and Puerto Varas. 1:30 PM for 4 hours. Enjoy the stunning Lake District with visits to Llanquihue Lake and Petrohus Falls, Osoma Volcano and Puerto Varas, the City of Roses.


2-Feb; Wed - Puerto Chacabuco, Chile - Noon to 8:00 PM. Free Adventure - Coyhaique and Simpson Valley. 1 PM for 5 ½ hours. Scenic drive to the Regional National Museum of Natural Resources on the Rio Simpson then cross the Andes through the scenic narrow mountainous river valley for a visit to Coyhaique, its main square and the Museum of Patagonia.


3-Feb; Thu - Laguna San Rafael, Chile - 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Free Adventure - Laguna San Rafael by Catamaran. 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM for 3 hours. Cruise the beautiful Chilean Fjords, visit the Laguna San Rafael National Park and and the San Valentin Glacier and the massive ice fields for stunning photographic moments.


4-Feb; Fri - At Sea - Cruising the Chilean Fjords
5-Feb; Sat - At Sea - Cruising the Chilean Fjords


6-Feb; Sun - Punta Arenas, Chile - 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Free Adventure - Otway Sound and Penguin Reserve. 7:45 AM for 4 hours. Visit a penguin rookery of Magellanic Penguins.
Afternoon for 2 hours: hire a car for a tour of Punta Arenas. Stop at Cerro la Cruz for a view of the city, the Straits of Magellan, the port and the Tierra del Fuego Island. Then the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum for the areas history and the Pioneer Cemetery home of the grave of the last of the now extinct Ona Indians.


7-Feb; Mon - Ushuaia, Argentina - 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Free Adventure - Lago Escondido and Los Cotorros. 3 PM for 5 hours. Scenic drive on the Pan American Highway across the Fuegian Andes with their peat bogs and glaciers up to Garibaldi Pass and Lake Escondido including a stop at a local restaurant.


8-Feb; Tue - At Sea - Drake Passage, Antarctica
9-Feb; Wed - At Sea - Deception Island, Antarctica
10-Feb; Thu - At Sea - Paradise Bay, Antarctica, Antarctica
11-Feb; Fri - At Sea - Half Moon Island, Antarctica
12-Feb Sat - At Sea - Cruise the South Atlantic Ocean, International Waters


13-Feb; Sun - Port Stanley, Falkland Islands - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Extra cost Adventure - Bluff Cove Lagoon Penguin Safari. 8:45 for 3 hours. Informative tour of Stanley and some of the 1982 battlefields on the way to Bluff Cove Farm. At the farm visit the Lagoon and enjoy the 1,000 breeding pair of Gentoo Penguin and a growing colony of King Penguins.
Stay in Stanley for awhile after the tour and visit the 1892 Christ Church Cathedral, the Government House, the 1982 Liberation Monument and the 1914 Battle Memorial.


14-Feb; Mon - At Sea - Cruise the South Atlantic Ocean, International Waters


15-Feb; Tue - Puerto Madryn, Argentina - 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Extra charge Adventure - Peninsula Valdes, Punta Norte and a visit to an estancia. 8 AM for 8 ½ hours. Visit the Peninsula Valdes Reserve with it collection of sea lions, sea elephant, seals, guanacos, rheas and other sea birds on the beaches and headlands. Visit Punto Norte and its mixed colony of sea lions and sea elephants. Then on to Estancia San Lorenzo on the San Matias Gulf. Visit the famous Magellan penguin colony and enjoy the scenery, flora and fauna by 4x4 vehicles. Then enjoy a lamb barbeque at the estancia.


16-Feb; Wed - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Argentina, International Water


17-Feb; Thu - Montevideo, Uruguay - 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Old Town Walking Tour. 10:30 AM for 3 ½ hours. See the splendid 19th and 20th century architecture and historic sites of Old Town. (May want to change to the photo stop motor couch tour)


18-Feb; Fri - Buenos Aires, Argentina - 8:00 AM....overnight. Free Adventure - Tigre Delta and River Cruise. 9 AM for 4 hours. Enjoy a cruise through a labyrinth of streams and channels by islands beautiful riverside villas, English garden and rowing and boating clubs. See a world that has changed little since the 1920's.Free Adventure - Tango Show. 7:30 PM for 2 ½ hours. 
19-Feb; Sat - Buenos Aires, Argentina - ...overnight... Take taxi for visits to Recoleta Cemetery, San Telmo and La Boca areas during the day for some photos.
20-Feb Sun - Buenos Aires, Argentina - ...until 6:00 PM. Take a taxi to the Hotel Alvear Palace for their outstanding Sunday Champagne Brunch then visit one of the Sunday Markets.


21-Feb; Mon - Montevideo, Uruguay - 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Extra charge Adventure - Colonia Del Sacramento Choice of the UNESCO. 9 AM for 9 hours. Drive through the Uruguay countryside to historic Colonia founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Visit the picturesque, unusual and quaint Barrio Historico section jutting out into the Rio de la Plata. See the colonial buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, the lighthouse and the beautiful cathedral. Enjoy lunch at a typical restaurant.


22-Feb; Tue - Punta Del Este, Uruguay - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Punta Del Este and The Casapueblo Museum. 9 AM for 3 ½ hours. Drive the Rambla General Artigas and visit many of the beaches. Visit the hanging bridges of Barra de Maldonado and the Ralli Museum with works of famous Latin American artists. Drive to Punta Ballena for a visit to the famous Casa Pueblo home of Carlos Paez Vilaro. Stop for some window shopping at Gorlero Avenue.


23-Feb; Wed - Rio Grande, Brazil - 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Free Adventure - Sights of Rio Grande. 10 AM for 3 hours. Visit Alfandega, the 1879 neo-classical customs house, the 1775 Baroque style Cathedral Sao Pedro, Praca Tamandare, Oceanographic Museum and the Molhes da Barra, an early 20th century rock and cement defense structure. Wait listed, No big deal if the waitlist doesn’t clear.


24-Feb; Thu - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Brazil, International Waters


25-Feb; Fri - São Paulo (Santos), Brazil - 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Free Adventure - Highlights of Santos. 9 AM for 4 hours. Drive through the historic city center to the Coffee Museum, a former palace built in 1922 and the Museum of Santos Football Museum then visit Santos Aquarium.


26-Feb; Sat - Paraty, Brazil - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Parati Islands by Schooner. 9 AM & 1:30 PM for 2 ½ hours. Cruise among the islands and along the beautiful white sand beaches with blue and green clear water. Stop for a swim at Vermelha Beach. Stop in Paraty and visit the quaint streets at the end of the tour.


27-Feb; Sun - Ilha Grande, Brazil - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. No tours offered.


28-Feb; Mon - Búzios, Brazil - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Beach and Swimming by Schooner. 9 AM & 1:30 PM for 2 ½ hours. Cruise by the many small, beautiful, isolated beach coves and islands with calm clean water aboard a Bahian style saverio. Stops off shore of Ilha do Feia and Praia da Tartaruga will be made for swimming and snorkeling. Refreshments will be served.


1-Mar; Tue - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 8:00 AM -....overnight.... Free Adventure - Highlights of Rio. 9 AM for 4 hours. Visit to Corcovado and the Statue. Drive through Tijuca Forrest.
Free Adventure - Samba Sounds and Glitter. 9 PM for 3 hours. Visit to the Plataforma for a glimpse of Rio at Carnival time.
2-Mar; Wed - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -....until 5:00 PM. Free Adventure - SugarLoaf and Copacabana. 8 AM for 4 hours. Ride to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain and visit the crescent beach of Copacabana.

3-Mar; Thu - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Brazil, International Waters


4-Mar; Fri - Salvador de Bahia, Brazil - 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Free Adventure - Highlights of Salvador and Walking Tour. 2 PM for 4 hours. Visit the Barra district for the fortress of San Antonio where Amerigo Vespucci supposedly landed in 1501. Visit Pra a Municipal and the colonial center including the Cathedral and the Church of Francisco with its gold leaf carvings. Walk downhill and visit one of the oldest squares, formally the slave market. Then drive through the Victorian district to the Mercado Modelo for some shopping for things of both Brazilian and African origin.


5-Mar; Sat - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Brazil, International Waters


6-Mar; Sun - Fortaleza, Brazil - 7:00 PM....overnight.....
7-Mar; Mon - Fortaleza, Brazil - ....until 3:00 PM. Free Adventure - Ride the Dunes of Cumbuco Beach. 8 AM for 4 ½ hours. Drive to Ceara, originally a primitive fishing village now a popular attraction. Enjoy a 4x4 ride on the Cumbuco Beach dunes along with exploring the beach and swimming. Visit the Metallic or English Bridge and the Emcetur Tourist Center for local handicrafts.


8-Mar; Tue - At Sea - Cruise the Coast of Brazil, International Waters


9-Mar; Wed - Macapa (Amazon River), Brazil - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. No tours offered


10-Mar; Thu - Alter do Chão (Amazon River), Brazil - 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. No tours offered


11-Mar; Fri - Boca Da Valeria (Amazon River), Brazil - 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM. No tours offered.


12-Mar; Sat - Manaus (Amazon River), Brazil - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Meeting of the Waters. 9 AM for 4 ½ hours. Scenic riverboat ride on the Rio Negro, transfer to a motorized canoe for a visit to Lake January to see the Victoria Regia, giant water lilies. Then back to the riverboats and down river to see the natural phenomenon where the clear deep green waters of the Rio Negro meet the muddy yellow waters of Solimoes River ("the Meeting of the Waters") and flow side by side for several miles before merging. The meeting of the two rivers is the official starting point of the Amazon River.


13-Mar; Sun - Parintins (Amazon River), Brazil - Noon to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Boi Bumba Folk Show. 1 PM for 1 ½ hours. Experience the Amazonian folklore and festivities in this celebration of life with song, dance and costumes.


14-Mar; Mon - Santarém (Amazon River), Brazil - 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Free Adventure - Santarem City Highlights. 8 AM for 3 hours. Drive from busy dock for a visit to Santarem’s Cathedral, the Town Hall Museum and the handcraft shop where the local tribes display their wares. Drive to a native village to visit the Casa da Farinha to see rubber extraction for the trees and learn about other native plants.


15-Mar; Tue - At Sea - Cruise the Caribbean Sea, International Waters


16-Mar; Wed - Devil's Island, French Guiana - 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. No tours offered.


17-Mar; Thu - At Sea - Cruise the Atlantic Ocean, International Waters


18-Mar; Fri - Bridgetown, Barbados - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Free Adventure - Luxury 4x4 Safari. 10 AM for 3 hours. Ride in a 4x4 vehicle to San George Parish to see the Gun Hill Signal Station, then on to St Joseph for a visit to Joe’s River Forrest. In Bathsheba see the rugged hillsides and the pounding surf. Stop in Castlehill for refreshments and continue through quaint villages and the famous West Coast upscale area.


19-Mar; Sat - St. John's, Antigua - Noon to 7:00 PM. Free Adventure - Spectacular Antigua. 1PM for 3 ½ hours. Visit Antigua National Park for English Harbor and Nelson’s Dockyard and a visit to Dow’s Hall Visitor’s Center. Next visit the Blockhouse Ruins built in 1787 over looking the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Creek. Then on to Shirley Heights for the cliff top views. Finish at Nelson’s Dockyard Village for free time and refreshments at an 18th century inn.


20-Mar; Sun - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas - 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Free Adventure - Kayak, Hike and Snorkel on Cas Cay. 8:30 for 4 ½ hours. Visit St Thomas Mangrove Wildlife Refuge and Marinelife Sanctuary. Learn to use two man Kayaks in tranquil lagoons with stingrays, octopus, starfish, conch and puffer fish. See coral and shell beaches, tidal pools and a blowhole on 16 acre uninhabited island.
22-Mar; Tue - At Sea - Cruise the Atlantic Ocean, International Waters


23-Mar; Wed - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - 7:00 AM. Transfer to the airport. Fly Home

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