For this cruise, we're going back to Azamara. We did our 2012 Baltic Cruise on Azamara Journey and we're aboard her again, way down south.
We're making up these pages ahead of time to make it easier later.
The first problem is getting to Santiago, Chile. Finally used points & rewards to schedule American JAX-SCL. We also scheduled a car & driver to take us from SCL to the Enjoy San Antonio hotel in our embarkation port..
We visited Santiago in 2022 when we ended a cruise there. We had started in Miami, through the Panama Canal, to Santiago with O's cousin Fran and her husband Duane. They've already done the cruise we're planning here, so they're not with us this time.
An oddity about this cruise is that we leave the US in winter, fly to Santiago which will be in summer, then cruise to Antarctica, which is always in winter, and continue to BA again in summer. Then we fly home to winter. It'll be a packing challenge.
AA3101 JAX-MIA 1649-1816
AA957 MIA-SCL 2250-0914*
20250130 Thursday into 20250131 Friday
Now what really happened. Son Bill took us to JAX where we checked in and waited. The flight to MIA (one-class, yuk) was uneventful. Our wait here was long but we killed time in a restaurant. When it came to board, we were put in with the need-help group because I had indicated I'm hearing challenged (true). Gotta remember that one. We found our seats in the ancient 777-200 and settled. Hmmm, no power outlets. Hmmm, no internet. Seats just behind the bulkhead, so lots of leg room.
It snorted and huffed down the runway. As we passed over Cuba we were still climbing. Drinks came; box red wine wasn't what I'd expect for PE prices. O skipped food, D received a chicken dish she didn't like. O dropped off and slept the whole flight; D was up for a while playing games on the iPad. We landed and taxied to a gate, but were held in seats because a passenger had turned up ill and the medical people came. Then we walked for seemingly miles to a very crowded immigration area.
We were allowed to enter Chile. It took a bit to find our luggage. Finding our driver, Bedsey, was a challenge but we met. Nice medium SUV. She drove swiftly but well through the urban traffic and then the sort-of-interstate Route 78. Downtown San Antonio was crowded and congested, but she fought her way to the entry of the hotel. She advised us to stay in the hotel at night. This hotel "Enjoy San Antonio" (Enjoy is a brand) has a great view of the port and seaward.
We were checked in and assigned a room on the top floor (13 - no superstition here) which has huge windows on the inland side (see photo (L)) and view of the town. The windows in the room (1308) looking seaward have evidence on them of seagulls, but a good view when the fog lifted around 1300 (all times 24-hour). The views of the harbor show three large container ships and one automobile carrier plus a small navy patrol craft. Some fishing boats were off-loading as we arrived, so people were watching that and a few seals that were hoping for handouts.
The rooms are nice and very large. Odd lighting requires a bit of experimentation. Good internet. Breakfast included, 5th floor, which is also the restaurant. It's a bit lacking in amenities like a bar - there is one in the casino next door. There's no direct entry to the casino or to the shopping center next door, which might reflect a reaction to the crime rate. All the downtown establishments have bars on the windows and doors.
We settled in and D took a nap to make while up for last night. Both of us are really stiff after that flight. Then we found that our power adapters (220 Chile to 115 US) weren't correct, so O went to the shopping center and brought one back. He looked into the restaurant returning about 1440 and found it open. O brought D back for glass of local wine that was very nice. iWith poor English and worse Spanish, we found the hours are 1230-1600 for lunch and 1700-0200 for dinner.
We lingered over the wine so long that it became time for the dinner serving. We decided to stall at the table for an early dinner to replace lunch. D had a super tender rib-eye steak she could cut with a knife. O had salmon with capers on mash, but this came in a caper - bearnaise sauce that was great but thick and very filling. He said he could only do that about twice a year. Four glasses of good wine and two fine entrees cost $50.60.
Back then to the room at 1830 for R&R.
Azamara Journey will actually arrive tomorrow, the day prior to our boarding, as part of the previous cruise agenda.
The picture below is of downtown San Antonio looking ENE from the top of the hotel. A link to the Photos taken today is here. There are lots of people out walking the paseo along the harbor south of the hotel.
(continued below)
20250201 Saturday
This is our day to play in San Antonio. If we didn't do it yesterday we might do a local wine-tasting. But that didn't work out.
We rose late after taking full advantage of the comfy beds. Then down to the "restaurant" for the included breakfast, buffet-type but decent with drinkable coffee.
D took aspirin for pain, then we did a walk along the paseo. Lots of little stands selling various things to the crowd. Much of the crowd appears local, as though they come down to the shopping center and then look around. Many had their dogs along. D found a lapel pin for her collection. On the way back D's right hip told her to stop.
We returned to the room. The person on the desk told us a local who does shuttles to the cruise terminal will be doing that tomorrow on the hours from 1000 to 1400 for $10 pp. That solves that. We continued to the room to rest.
We did internet stuff for a while. We heard a train horn hoot. The desk person says that on alternate Saturdays a train of old coaches comes down from Santiago and returns there later in the day. O thought he'd get a picture of it but it backed away, probably to turn around.
O toured the shopping center after missing the train. Four floors with the usual assortment of stores filling various needs. Escalators upward on one end, downward on the other - guess they want you to pass by everything. Dozens of people in line for the two cash machines. Lots of customers this Saturday.
The layout of this place is totally wacky. The entry (controlled by button at the desk) faces the harbor; no exit toward the town. One must exit, turn left, walk 50 yards, turn left again, descend a set of steps, walk through the building, ascend a set of steps - now you're on the town side. Turning 180 degrees, one ascends another set of stairs into the lobby of the shopping center. Sheesh!!! In passing through the part-basement you pass a department store and pharmacy and a little technical shop where O purchased the power converter yesterday.
After a while D felt better, enough to get aspirin in the basement pharmacy. So we hiked the crazy approach but first went up to the madhouse. She looked for shoes in the department store but didn't find any that suited her. Back to the pharmacy. The sales person sold us aspirin which we later found was baby aspirin. Language problem.
Out to the room, changed for dinner and went to dinner. A bottle of the red from last night was ordered and started. D had a chicken & fries dish, O had a filet with fries that was very nice. We ate and chatted and watched water traffic. On checking out we picked up cokes for the room. The bill was $43.50, lovely exchange rate.
Then back to the room to rest, do internet, do this tome and prepare for tomorrow. D took pictures of the sunset.
