In port in Puerto Montt, Chile

Puerto Montt is a port city located in southern Chile and is the gateway to the Chilean Patagonia. We arrived a little before sunrise this morning. I jumped in the shower in order to be dressed before our room service breakfast arrived, but thankfully Ronnie was already up and took these pictures off of our balcony. This is the first time Oceania's sister ship Marina is in the same port as Vista at the same time.

 

nice view of snow covered Oscorno Volcano at sunrise

Oceania's sister ship, Marina 

We had already decided to get off the ship for a while so we took the tender to shore. We had visited this same city in 2023, so we were happy enough just to get off the ship and look around for a little while. Thankfully I’m no worse and with a couple of Advil I felt like walking around the port area. Ronnie is pretty well recovered but still doesn’t have all the energy in the world, so it was just enough for both of us. 

We came upon a nice mall where we were able to find a few things we’ve been looking for – some pastel pencils for Ronnie and some tape and scissors for me. 

We returned to the ship around noon and had lunch, then took naps this afternoon. I'll just post some random photos that I took while walking around Puerto Montt.

 

 Tenglo Island Cross sits at highest point on the island

friendly officers

dried mussels, seaweed, shallots

friendly fruit & veggie vendor

pregnant mannequin

sidewalk veggie vendors

cilantro & lemon grass

modern mall 

street musicians

this week's grocery specials 

     

a

a horse is a horse...

storefront window

smoked mussels

smoked mussels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oceania's Vista

It's another sea day and I've been super lazy today. I've come down with whatever bug Ronnie had last week so I've basically just hung out in the room except for breakfast and lunch. But 2 nice things happened today. We arrived in the Terrace for lunch just in time to see a whale breaching off the port side of the ship, and that was very exciting. This afternoon I had a good internet connection and was able to attend my zoom Bible study. It's always good to see faces you love, especially when far from home. Other than that, it's been a morning nap and an afternoon movie and room service for a bowl of french onion soup for dinner.

Since we've been at sea so much this past week I really don't have anything to write about. So I'll just post a few photos I've taken around the ship. I can add different parts of the ship as I take more.

The Vista is Oceania's next to the newest ship, launching in 2023. It's approximately twice the size of the Insignia we were on for our previous world cruise. It is now the only Oceania ship that offers the Around the World itinerary. While the Vista is twice the size of the Insignia, both are considered small ships according to today's cruise ship standards. See it docked next to a Royal Caribbean ship!

 

Vista next to Royal Caribbean's Celebrity

Being much newer, it has many modern features as you might expect. I personally like it better than the Insignia. However, Ronnie still prefers the Insignia because the running deck on Vista is not completely covered. He hates running on a treadmill (harder on his knees) and as you might imagine, it's difficult to run in inclement weather if not under cover. And if the weather is bad, the track is closed anyway. Thus, his preference for the older ship.

The Vista is "adults only" and does not carry guests under 18 years of age. So it's an overall different atmosphere than say Carnival, Princess or Disney as you might imagine. In other words, you will see lots of old people on Vista. :-) Sometimes you will see groups or families, but mostly you will see older couples like us. 

The guest to staff ratio is 1.5 to 1 (1200 passengers with 800 crew members from 47 nations) so we feel very pampered. Not only is the ratio good, the training of the crew produces very friendly, courteous and professional service. No complaints whatsoever!

So here are a few pictures I've snapped. This first one is on the wall next to our door. It's an easy way to indicate to room stewards if we're ready for room make up or don't want to be disturbed. It also controls room temperature. Our room features other nice touches like soft close drawers and touch-light mirrors that don't fog up.

These coffee machines are located in a number of places on the ship, but Ronnie visits the Executive Lounge which is just one floor up for coffee each morning. There is also tea, fresh pastries and different breads for toast along with a frig with soft drinks, water and yogurts. It's open 24 hours (cookies later in the day). He usually does his Bible reading here but can also watch news, use the printer or chat with other early morning "regulars".    made to order   Executive Lounge The library (below) is made up of 3 adjoining rooms with comfortable seating and lots of books and games for guests use.
pickleball court miniature golf
women's sauna
weights and equipment
treadmills in workout room deck after dark There are shows each evening. The entertainers are super talented and their dance moves are almost painful to watch! lol I snapped several pictures in a row and when I downloaded them, I happened to catch this one guy in an amazing move! I've since given the photo to him. Like I said, talented! I believe I can fly! whole lotta back bending! one side of the indoor smoking room   culinary center offers cooking classes lighting changes for Sunday's non denominational service Baristas - order coffee drinks, overlooking pool deck   The long hallway (below) leads to Horizons Lounge where lots of different activities take place. On the right (not pictured) is the Artist Loft where art classes are taught. Beyond that is the LYNC lab with computers and help available for internet or computer issues. Next to that is a learning center for digital learning offering classes on photography, using social media, phone security and such.   hallway leading to Horizons lounge Over time I will take photos of other parts of the ship to share on days when I don't have anything to write about. Early tomorrow morning we will dock in Puerto Montt, Chile. I'm not sure if I will be up to getting off the ship or not. I'll have to see what kind of night I have and how I feel in the morning.

Punta Arenas, Chile

Brrrr….it’s chilly in Chile! 😊 And that’s the main reason I haven’t much to share today. We arrived in port around 9 a.m. this morning. We were in no hurry to get off the ship because we had not purchased an excursion here (thank goodness, because pretty much every one of them was outdoors). Thankfully Ronnie is starting to turn the corner, but neither of us needed to be out in the cold and wind. And so far we are on a very similar itinerary as before, so we had seen a little of the city when we visited 3 years ago. Given all of that, we decided to wait until after lunch and then venture off the ship on foot and just meander around the port a bit.

 

view of Punta Arenas from our balcony this morning

You'll notice that the sky had changed from earlier this morning. The minute we stepped out, the wind almost took us away! Neither of us thought to pack a warm cap for our head either. We walked maybe a half mile to a building that all passengers must pass through. Before we even reached it, I voted to head back to the ship after we looked around a bit.

 

Vista docked in Punta Arenas

city is dense and houses run up the mountainside

Thankfully it was warm inside. Local women were selling their crafts (mainly needlework, pottery and jewelry) so I browsed a bit and then was ready to head back to the ship. In hindsight, I probably should have bought a cap!

 

locals display handiwork

International Certificate "I crossed the Magellan Strait"

headed back to ship

 

tugs in a row

So not very exciting, but it was enough to confirm that neither of us felt like exploring on foot. This afternoon Ronnie rested and I worked on this weeks BSF lesson (lots of reading this week!) Afterwards we enjoyed afternoon tea in the lounge. 

 

always friendly and helpful

 

Panache String Quartet plays second fiddle to tea and scones

 

scones, clotted & whipped creams & jam

I probably should have said a little about Punta Arenas before I posted my photos. Punta Arenas overlooks the Strait of Magellan. It used to be considered one of the world’s historic trade routes, enjoying its first boom during the California Gold Rush. However, it’s importance diminished with the opening of the Panama Canal. Later the city became even more prosperous due to its wool trade. It still reflects a mix of 2 cultures - English sheep ranchers and Portuguese sailors.

The locals say if you rub the toe of Ferdinand Magellan’s statue in Munoz Gamero Square, that means you will one day return to the city. They also say that if you haven’t tried a King Crab plate, you haven’t been to Punta Arenas. Well, I’ve been here twice and I haven’t rubbed Ferdinand’s toe or eaten a King Crab plate. I’m sorry, I’m sure their legs taste delicious dipped in melted butter, but seeing them alive trying to climb out of tanks still give me the creeps! 

Not many exciting photos today.