Archive for December, 2009

You could spend a few days pre- or post-cruise on excursions to the Andes, Easter Island (a five-hour flight from Santiago) or even visiting Machu Picchu in Peru. But my experience with Chile back home has been with Chilean wines, and so I decided to see Chile — a country that has been making wine since the 1500s — vineyard by vineyard.

Leaving Vina del Mar, my first stop was the William Cole Winery (www.williamcolevineyards.cl). Situated in Casablanca Valley, not more than 30 minutes from Vina del Mar, the winery is principally noted for its whites, namely Sauvignon Blanc, as the strong influence of the Pacific Ocean makes for a better climate for white grapes than for red ones.

For red wines, my driver (yes, you need a driver if you’re sampling wines) pointed the van to Colchagua Valley, Chile’s equivalent of Napa Valley (www.colchaguavalley.cl).

The two-hour drive from Santiago took us past immense fields of grapes and fruit-producing trees, family-owned ranches and bodegas, or wineries. Our destination was Santa Cruz, a small, unremarkable town that is in the heart of wine country.  Read more... (368 words, 2 images, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)

Holland America’s Veendam rounds Cape Horn on a series of cruises between now and March 2010. The following reports highlights Valparaiso, the embarkation/disembarkation port.]

Occupying a narrow swath of South America’s west coast, Chile extends nearly 2,700 miles from its southernmost point at Cape Horn to its northern border with Peru. The majestic Andes and the Pacific Ocean flank the country’s western and eastern borders, with slender Chile squeezed in between — averaging only 110 miles wide so that no matter where you are, you’re rarely more than a 90-minute drive from the Andes or the ocean.

Your cruise on Veendam will show you a fair bit of the southern Chilean coastline, including the country’s beautiful fjords and glaciers, as you make your way to or from Valparaiso, Chile’s principle port for cruise passengers.

But to truly get a feel for Chile, you’ll want to spend some time with your boots on the ground, particularly in Central Chile, home to the capital Santiago and a Mediterranean-like climate that lends itself to beautiful beaches and fine wines.  Read more... (810 words, 2 images, estimated 3:14 mins reading time)

It seems that everyone wants to belong to a club. Even cruise lines have such aspirations, but the phenomenon is apparently exclusive to two-ship cruise lines. There’s SeaDream Yacht Club, and now there’s Azamara Club Cruises. The latter is only a rebranding of the hastily launched Azamara Cruises – the two-ship brand that came to surface in 2007 with the 694-guest Azamara Journey and sister ship Azamara Quest.

Azamara’s newly refined brand features more inclusive options for guests such as gratuities, house wines with lunch and dinner, and coffee and bottled water throughout the day. Azamara Club Cruises also focuses on slowing the cruise experience down with more overnight stays and late night departures from ports of call to increase opportunities for immersion in a destination.  Read more... (712 words, 1 image, estimated 2:51 mins reading time)

[Holland America's Veendam rounds Cape Horn on a series of cruises between now and March 2010.]

From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, around Cape Horn to Valparaiso, Chile, or in the reverse direction, “Round Cape Horn” cruises are South America’s most popular itineraries. You’ll typically spend two weeks on board ship, and overnight in some ports.

For example, Veendam overnights in Buenos Aires (on select sailings), giving you sufficient time to take in the Argentine capital (you can even get to Iquacu Falls on the Argentine-Brazil border while docked in Buenos Aires).

For a full taste of Santiago (about 90 minutes from the port of Valparaiso), you’ll want to build in extra time before or after your cruise. You may want to plan on three nights to see the sights around Santiago — particularly if you plan to visit the area’s wine country.  Read more... (317 words, 1 image, estimated 1:16 mins reading time)

Your Veranda Suite awaits you on Silver Spirit's 2011 world cruise.

If you’d like for me to do some reconnaissance and choose your suite for the world cruise you’ll be doing on Silver Spirit in 2011, just post a comment below. Remember, I’ll be on board December 20 for a two-night sailing, and I’m happy to “sneak a peek into your suite.” (Doesn’t seem fair: I get two nights on board, you get 119 days on your grand voyage around the world.)

Well, even if you’re not doing Silver Spirit’s very first world cruise, you can at least dream. Themed “Spirit of Discovery,” the 119-day journey begins in Los Angeles on January 19, when Silver Spirit is set to welcome no more than 540 privileged guests who will explore 60 destinations in 25 countries — with 11 overnight port visits — before concluding in Southampton on May 19.  Read more... (585 words, 1 image, estimated 2:20 mins reading time)

Silver Spirit's Spa will debut the ceramic-tiled Thermal Suite, an exclusive spa area furnished with heated lounge chairs.

I’ll be boarding the new Silver Spirit December 20, so if you have questions about the new ship, please post comments below, and I will respond. One area of interest is Silver Spirit’s spa.

At 8,300 square feet (770 square meters), The Spa will be the largest in the Silversea fleet, featuring a beauty salon, fitness center, nine spa treatment rooms, two sauna rooms and two steam rooms.  Read more... (777 words, 1 image, estimated 3:06 mins reading time)

I’ll be boarding Silver Spirit on December 20 for a two-night cruise from Monte Carlo to Barcelona. Here on The Cruise Report, I’ll be offering some of the first reports from Sliversea Cruises’ newest vessel. Mark your calendar!

A Regent Seven Seas cruise represents a luxury vacation for people who prefer the finer things. Regent Seven Seas Cruises has been chosen as the world’s top-rated cruise line by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazine and is a leader in the six-star luxury market.

These People Will Love Regent Seven Seas
 Read more... (594 words, 1 image, estimated 2:23 mins reading time)

Lion Pavillion

Long known as the gateway to the mysteries and the abundant riches of the Orient, Hong Kong is one of those special places that lives up to its reputation for dramatic and romantic images. My travels there have always made me enjoy a small fantasy in which I’m a bit of a player in a movie, but the thing is I can never decide whether that film is set in the 1930s or contemporary times.  Read more... (1495 words, 5 images, estimated 5:59 mins reading time)