Two days before we round the Cape, Mickey Live, our port and cruise guide onboard our ship Celebrity Infinity, recites these lines in the ship’s theatre.
We are warned to expect rough weather – apparently it is not uncommon to experience all four seasons in one day around the Horn - and Live tells us that when the ship was last here just weeks ago, the storms were so wild, waves crashed up onto the ship’s bridge. The excitement – and apprehension - in the theatre is tangible. I can’t wait.
We are due to reach Cape Horn around 6am, and the night before we brace ourselves for force ten gales, 20 foot waves and a lumpy bumpy passage. Instead, we find a sleeping sea bathed in a golden sunrise. The ocean feels deceptive – its gentle appearance making it hard to imagine the violent tempests that have stolen the lives of so many. Relieved? Yes. Disappointed? A little. But it is one more memory that my husband and I will treasure on what has quickly become the trip of a lifetime.
Prior to this voyage, I admit the idea of a cruise had never really appealed. I was full of misconceptions of being packed onto a ship with crowds of people all eating together; sight-seeing together; and having nowhere to escape to. It seemed like our idea of hell - we realise later that we couldn’t have been more wrong.
It took us a while to come around to the idea. We had been discussing at length where to go on our next holiday – we love the sun, but wanted more than a fly and flop. We wanted relaxation time, but also culture and a chance to see the world. And then we saw an advert for a cruise around the tip of South America, with port calls at more than six towns within a fortnight. Everything about it appealed, (despite the fact it was on a ship!) and so we decided to bite the bullet.
As first time cruisers, we were full of questions, unsure about how it all worked. But both our travel agent and the staff at Celebrity UK were invaluable. Three weeks later we had booked onto the Celebrity Infinity.
Excited and a little nervous we embark with no real idea of what to expect and find ourselves standing in the grand atrium of what feels like a vast, floating luxury hotel. This theme continues throughout the ship, including our balcony stateroom, which offers plenty of storage space, a TV and compact bathroom that is spotlessly clean. Although there are plenty of places to sit on various decks undisturbed, having our own balcony means that we can enjoy passing scenery by ourselves when we want to. It all helps to make the ship the perfect floating home for two weeks.
Three days into the cruise we are converts - our initial fears about cruising entirely dispelled. We enjoy lovely lazy afternoons by the pool during the warm weather, and struggle to believe there are 2,000 other passengers onboard with us.
In the evenings, we sample different menus each night and and feel as though we are eating in Michelin-starred restaurants. Having opted for the Select Dining Option, we can eat when we want to and not when we have to.
The days at sea are spent marvelling at breathtaking scenery – particularly the Chilean fjords and its spectacular glaciers. And the six ports of call are unique and unforgettable.
First up is Puerto Montt, which seems traditionally Chilean with its fascinating array of produce on market stalls (we never did find out what some of it was). Further down the coast is Punta Arenas - a colourful and vibrant town with the statue of a native American. Legend has it that if the toe of the statue is kissed, a return to South America is guaranteed. There is a queue of toe kissers and I make sure I am one of them.
Ushuaia is next, before passing the famous Cape Horn. The weather might be calm, but the landscape around the world’s most southerly city is rugged.
We take the End of the World train into the national park of Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia was originally a penal colony and it was the prisoners who constructed the railway in the last century. We learn fascinating facts about the town, but it is the jagged beauty of the mountains and the Beagle Channel that captivates us.
As the ship sails up the coast towards Buenos Aires, the temperatures climb again too. We call at Puerto Madryn, a Patagonian port which has a Welsh history – my Welsh husband puts on his rugby shirt for the occasion, much to the delight of the Argentinian port official who notices it immediately. Later, we take in the sights of Punta del Este, known as the St Tropez of South America. It is easy to see why, with its fast cars, yachts and huge houses.
It is Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo, that is our favourite though - its historic charm, friendly people and quirky artistic culture resonate long after we set sail that evening.
Our sea days are just as captivating as the ports. We spy the heads of seals bobbing in the waters; sea lions lolling on the quay sides and the silhouettes of dolphins arching through the waves. Our favourite is the albatross – its vast wingspan evident as it soars alongside us and in the bows of the ship, reminding us of its haunting memorial at the end of the world.
Within two weeks, the ship feels more like a home than a hotel – largely because the crew are so welcoming. We are quickly on first name terms with several of the passengers, as well as our waiters, cabin crew and drinks attendants.
Everyone we speak to has a genuine interest and warmth and
nothing is ever too much trouble. By the end of our two weeks we have a lifetime of memories and a number of new friends, and not just with our fellow passengers.
We are both genuinely sorry to leave the ship in Buenos Aires. But, before we disembark, we pick up several brochures. Asia next year? Or the Baltic? Well……Why not both?
