We can't say anything other than that it was a beautiful, extraordinary journey.
Getting there was a bit of an ordeal, especially with the added challenge of losing our phone on the first day, but we managed it all. However, we feel that Lufthansa could have done more on the outbound journey to ensure we made our flight to Toronto. We were certainly not alone in this, and the return journey was much better organized. We are still in the process of trying to get the points and dollars refunded in the Air Canada loyalty program based on the original route. After all, it wasn't our choice to fly a different route (with fewer miles). Air Canada was a mixed experience for us. On one hand, we had no trouble getting the free upgrade, which shouldn't have been free 😉. On the other hand, the premium economy is significantly stripped down compared to pre-pandemic times. Especially the breakfast was beyond disappointing. I was also disappointed that we didn't have footrests at the bulkhead seats. In principle, they're wonderful seats, but with short legs, it's very tiring. We specifically choose premium economy because it has been less tiring in the past. We won't be choosing those seats again.
South America also pleasantly surprised us. It was much cleaner than expected, and people in the tourist sector speak English very well. Often with a heavy accent, but that's okay. Outside of that, it's a bit of hand gestures and basic language skills, but they are very accommodating. We also didn't expect everything we had arranged beforehand, such as taxis, to go so smoothly and be so punctual. We didn't experience any mañana, mañana attitude. Argentina has piqued my curiosity about the beautiful sights in the interior.
Living on a cruise ship took some getting used to. It's such a different way of vacationing than we're used to. We liked it immediately, but how much we liked it, we had to discover. In the end, it turned out great, and we enjoyed it. It's wonderful to be pampered, to eat well (although it's dangerous for the waistline if you're not careful), and to drink (the drinks package with HAL is ideal). We thoroughly enjoyed the evenings with Meagan and Gabe and hope to see them again somewhere. The lectures by experts Dr. Neil Gilbert and Jim McParland were also fantastic.
In terms of excursions, we had a great time, with highlights including horseback riding in Puerto Chacabuco and on the Pampas, the Falkland Islands with the penguins, and the super highlight, although technically not an excursion, was Antarctica. It's amazing to sail around there. How special is that! We saw many whales, stunning icebergs of all shapes and sizes. We were lucky with the weather, although it was often overcast, but when it mattered, it was just a bit lighter. The build-up in the itinerary was very good because each day we got a little more of an Antarctica feeling. We had beautiful weather at Cape Horn, so we could see the cape very well. Many ships in the 17th century would have loved to have had such weather there. We experienced a bit of what they went through at Elephant Island when it was storming heavily, with winds reaching force 8-9, gusting to 10. It's a shame we couldn't see the island well and therefore also not the sea lions, but it still had something special. On the other hand, the excursion in Ushuaia was a big disappointment.
We also enjoyed the contacts we had on board. Some were fleeting but pleasant, while others, like with Alfy and Marianne, Ron and Ann, and Bob and Nancy, were more frequent and intensive, with sometimes deep conversations.
We were very satisfied with Holland America Line, so much so that we've already booked another cruise for 2024 😳
What surprised us was the COVID policy on board. In principle, we were supposed to wear masks for the first 3 days on the ship, but not even half of the passengers adhered to this, and neither did the crew. So, we didn't either. On the third day, there was a mandatory self-test, and we expected this to be done once a week or so, but it remained just that one time. There were people with COVID, but they stayed in their cabin and received room service. Ultimately, it seemed to be not as big of a deal, but it wasn't entirely clear. There were also crew members who sometimes wore masks and sometimes didn't. Doesn't seem very useful.
And then there was more. After the cruise, we went on a waterfall tour. In particular, Iguazú was very special. It was amazing to walk through that sweltering hot and soaking wet jungle on the way to those overwhelming waterfalls. Then the long journey to Niagara Falls, only to suddenly find ourselves back in winter. That's also a beautiful natural phenomenon, although I think it's better to go to Niagara first and then to Iguazú because of the size order.
And then the homecoming. So different from usual, as Zipper passed away two days earlier. We thank everyone who always took such good care of him when we weren't there and will never forget him. Searching for a new rhythm, we throw ourselves into future travels, as we won't easily shake off that virus.
We had a wonderful time on the beautiful, elegant Oosterdam.
