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Round the Horn West to East |
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Reviewed By: Howells, Rushden on 15th May 2009
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| Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: Radiance of the Seas |
Sailed:
March,
2009 |
| Destination: South America |
Age: 56-65 |
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This cruise on The Radience of the Seas sailing from Valpariso to Buenos Aires was to celebrate our Ruby Wedding Anniversary, and we were delighted overall with the ship, service and scenery.
We have sailed with RCI before but not on this ship, so we were interested to see how it compared to the bigger Explorer of the Seas. It was smaller, but infinitely friendlier and more pleasant, feeling much more like a ship and not a floating shopping mall.
The Schooner Bar became our favourite of the many on offer. We ate in the main restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and sometimes there for lunch, but the self-service restaurant 'Windjammer' was an excellent alternative.
All the staff had the happy (but not common) knack of being there instantly when you needed them and vanishing when not required. Amazingly, specific tastes were accurately remembered after only one instruction. Everyone we talked to commented upon this. Special mention to restaurant waiter Deepak and his assistant Carlos for exceptional service. And, for the first time, the Captain. His daily noon address was exceptionally good, witty and informative.
On board activities were low-key and enjoyable for us, particularly the series of lectures on the history and sociolgy of Chile and Argentina. This was a first for us on an American ship; usually there is an enthusiastic lecturer on where to shop, but nothing cultural!
The scenery was spectacular, with an unpublished close-up visit to a glacier.
Round the Horn was not what I was expecting at all. The sea was as flat as a pancake, and The Horn comprises many islands all very different in shape, including one which looks just like The Needles on the Isle of Wight.
Ushuia was definitely our favourite destination, a Welsh-speaking town with snow-capped mountains in the background, and a chance to take a 'Train Ride to the End of The World' as this is the most southerly properly populated area in the world. However, this excursion, organised by the ship was very expensive for us, as were all the others, so we were only able to take this one.
One other grumble was the library. This is a mis-nomer, as there were only a few tatty second-hand books available. It should either be properly stocked (preferably) or the area re-designated for another purpose.
On trying to leave Buenos Aires airport you have to pay a 'departure tax' ($18 per person at the time of writing), and no-one, neither the ship nor our travel agent, thought to tell us about it.
Overall, I thoroughly recommend The Radience of the Seas, and this itinerary.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Main restaurant steak | | Entertainment | |
| Excellent magician. Good Gaucho show. Good music/dance routines | | Shore Excursions |  |
| Ushuia - the only one because of the huge (for us) expense - wonderful place | | Staff | |
| Deepak waiter, Carlos assistant waiter. Always there when needed, friendly and efficient, remembering personal chpoices after only one instruction, but melted away when not needed. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| | Cabins | |
| Yes | | Overall Rating | |
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