December 17th:
We were picked up from our hotel in Santiago by a tour guide who told us about Santiago and Chile as he transported us to the San Antonio pier. As we were leaving the city he told us about the Cerro El Plomo, a 17,783 ft mountain that overlooks the city. It's gorgeous! And luckily it was a clear day and we could see the large glacier at the top. The mountain was sacred to the Inca and there is a shrine at its peak.
After learning more about Santiago I regretted not spending a day there before we got on our cruise ship. Oh well.
We arrived at the San Antonio pier where we checked into the ship, got our pictures taken, and boarded the Zaandam.
This beautiful ship is one of the smaller cruise ships. It's 777 feet long, has 10 decks, and can hold up to 1432 passengers (plus 615 crew). Yes, it's a large ship, BUT it's nothing compared to the Symphony of the Seas, which is 1184 feet long, has 18 decks, and can hold up to 6680 passengers (plus 2200 crew)! We obviously needed a smaller ship in order to maneuver around the icebergs and through the bays of the Antarctic.
We boarded the ship, found our rooms (Main Deck in the back), met our room attendants (Here and Sofian), and unpacked while we waited for the safety drill to start.
[Our room]
[The room was pretty small, but we managed to fit a pack n play and a mini fridge in there too!]
[Baby life jacket for Theo]
[He LOVES Toy Story]
[Finally able to wash Theo's bottles and syringes in the sink!]
After the safety drill, we headed up on deck to say goodbye to San Antonio.
[The whole ship was decorated for Christmas]
[Daily towel animals]
That night we went to the MainStage where we were introduced to our Cruise Director, Bruce. He then introduced the rest of his team/support staff:
- Sandra, Assistant Cruise Director - She would be hosting the afternoon Team Trivia
- Kevin, EXC Guide - He is tasked with giving "Talks" (Lectures) about the upcoming ports and helping us figure out what to do while we are at port. He also provides commentary while we are cruising through the Chilean Fjords.
- Scott, Corey, Tamara, George, and Bryan, Antarctic Expedition Team Members - This fabulous group of people are all experts in Antarctica. They will give various "Talks" throughout the trip and also provide commentary as we cruise through Antarctica.
- I don't remember all of their names, but there was also a lady from America's Test Kitchen, a couple who would teach Spanish and Tango lessons, and many more!
December 18th:
Today was a very bumpy day at sea. The ship was constantly rolling and people were getting sea sick 🤢. I even took Dramamine and I still felt a little nauseated. I assumed that once we entered the fjords the waters would be calmer (and they were), but this day made me dread crossing The Drake to Antarctica. I figured those waters would be rough!
During the day we went to "Everything Salmon" cooking demonstration at "America's Test Kitchen." It was fun to learn new ways to cook salmon and to learn what "America's Test Kitchen" was. Apparently it's a very popular cooking show!
We also attended our first (of MANY) Team Trivia Challenges. Even though we only ended up winning a few times, it was still always a lot of fun!
In the afternoon we went and listened to our first "Talk" with our EXC Guide Kevin. He gave lectures (or "Talk") throughout the cruise, mostly about our upcoming ports. He would give a little history about the port and then go over things to do while we were there.
That night we went to the "Tree Lighting Ceremony", played Evening Trivia, and then got dressed up for Gala Night.
[I love wearing my wedding jewelry]
[Cutest baby in a tux!]
We walked around the boat trying to get good pictures of us in our formal wear, but Theo was NOT cooperating!
[Theo was still NOT happy!]
[Captains Welcome Toast]
I told Josh before we got on the ship that they will be serving a lot of different "exotic" foods that he should try (e.g. escargot, foie gras, caviar, etc). And what do you know? On the second night on the ship escargot was offered as an appetizer! Snails floating in garlic and butter?! Yes, please!
[He's such a good sport]
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