Day 29 –Scenic Cruising of Cape Horn, Chile

I surprised myself this morning by getting up very early once again to witness our sailing to Cape Horn. Viking Octantis did not arrive at the Horn via the scheduled route, however. Because of the rough conditions in the open ocean last night, the Captain made the decision to sail the Beagle Channel instead.

The Captain was determined to take us to Cape Horn, however, so he exited the Beagle Channel and approached the Horn from the east, despite a wind speed of 52 knots.

Our Route To and From Cape Horn

The Expedition Team provided commentary as we approached Cape Horn, a treacherous, rocky headland on Hornos Island at the southern tip of the Chilean Tierra del Fuego archipelago. Cape Horn marks the meeting point of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and was the primary, but extremely dangerous, route between the oceans before the Panama Canal was built. Today, the Horn is no longer a shipping route.

Approaching Cape Horn

On the island are a Chilean naval station, lighthouse, and memorial. Because a Chilean pilot was onboard Viking Octantis, we were allowed to sail very close to Cape Horn and get a good look at the lighthouse. I learned later that conditions prevented Viking Polaris, our sister ship, from sailing by Cape Horn, so I feel very lucky to have seen this landmark.

The Lighthouse at Cape Horn

At lunch, a Tiramisu Station was quite popular. It’s too bad that one of the penguins manning (birding?) the station had a broken arm.

Tiramisu Station

Around 4:30 pm, we reached Puerto Williams, Chile, in the Beagle Channel. Ships passing through Puerto Williams are required to complete various clearance and inspection procedures with local authorities, and we were advised that this could take several hours. When I asked why it might take so long, one of our Expedition Team members jokingly said that Chilean authorities love stamps. Only one ship was in front of us, but we still were not cleared until 8:00 pm.

Waiting Our Turn at Puerto Williams - A Ponant Ship Was Ahead of Us

Beautiful Mountain Views as We Finally Left Puerto Williams

Viviana Guzman, who entertained us with her flute two days ago, was back for a final performance, “Nomadic Notes, Music Without Borders.” She performed a variety of music to a backdrop of beautiful videos.

Viviana Guzman and Her Flute

Today marked the end of the second segment of our cruise, from Valparaiso to Ushuaia. Up next is a round trip from Ushuaia to visit Antarctica.

Segment 2 - Valparaiso, Chile, to Ushuaia, Argentina

Day 46 – Ushuaia, Argentina

Tim and I slept soundly as Viking Octantis continued to sail through the Drake Passage. We passed Cape Horn early this morning, but I did not get up, since I had previously seen the Cape during the earlier part of the cruise. 

Today was our last full day on the ship, and I spent many hours seeking out my favorite members of the crew and Expedition Team. The Expedition Team is one of the things that sets Viking Expedition ships apart from Ocean ships, and these talented and amazing people were instrumental in making this cruise so exceptional for me.

A Few of My Favorite Expedition Team Members - Devi and Sara (upper left); Valeria and Jack
(upper right); Mira (lower left); and Olivia, Our Expedition Leader (lower right)

I continue to believe that the crew is the best part of Viking, and so many were extra special to Tim and me. Getting to know these people is one of the things that I enjoy about cruising with Viking, and I find that I typically relate more to the crew than to most of the other passengers. I’m not sure why that is, because I enjoyed interacting with many of the passengers. It’s telling, though, that I only took photos of the crew and Expedition Team members today, and not a single passenger.

Our Kind and Thoughtful Stateroom Steward Ron (top) and His Assistant Gerlie (bottom)

The Best Restaurant Team - Restaurant Manager Alfredo (top) and My Favorite Head Waiter
Nagesh (bottom)

A Few of Our Favorite Waiters - Kalvin and Thompson (top); Grace and Khyati (middle);
and Brian and Ralasha (bottom)

My Favorite Department - Guest Services - George and Ashley (top); Margie (middle);
and Sasa and Daria (bottom) 

Wrestling with the contents of our suitcases occupied much of my time, and I finally threw in the towel and accepted the reality that everything would not fit. I ended up donating a lot of items to the crew, including the extra suitcase, the two red parkas, and unopened toiletries, and I used compression bags to try and squeeze in everything else. Tim and I will wear our hiking boots and puffer jackets. Somehow, I managed to zip the cases closed and keep the weight at just under 50 pounds.

During our Final Briefing this afternoon, Expedition Leader Olivia provided a recap of this voyage and presented great maps of the third segment of our cruise, which was the one to Antarctica. I am also including another map that marks the places we visited on the Antarctic Peninsula.

Detailed Maps of Our Cruise from Ushuaia to the Falklands to South Georgia
to the Antarctic Peninsula and Back to Ushuaia

Our Stops on the Antarctic Peninsula

Since our cruise was comprised of three segments, I didn’t have a map of our entire cruise. However, after returning home, I found a great website, The Cruise Globe, which maps all cruises, and I’m including a screenshot of our voyage. I do love maps!

The Cruise Globe's Depiction of Our Entire Cruise

A Zoomed-In Version of the Map of Our Entire Cruise

At the Final Briefing, other team members summarized the science projects that had taken place and things we had learned. Our favorite presentation, however, was by Tony, who showed some of his incredible wildlife photographs.

A Final Recap by the Expedition Team

Thank You and Goodbye from the Expedition Team

In the World Café this evening, Chef Beni presented his interpretation of an American Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey and pumpkin pie were very good, but the traditional side dishes either missed the mark or were missing entirely. Oh well, you can’t win them all!

Viking Octantis docked in Ushuaia tonight, and we will have one last night on board before disembarking tomorrow morning. I’m just not ready to leave!

Throughout the cruise, I kept in touch by text with a friend I had met on the World Cruise. I sent her photos from time to time (she refuses to look at blogs, even mine!), and we discussed how amazing this cruise had been and how this one compared to our World Cruise.

Was this cruise even better than the World Cruise, she wondered. Each cruise was a “trip of a lifetime,” and I feel privileged to have experienced both. This cruise let me encounter a world that most people never see, one that is majestic, pristine, and yet so fragile. Both cruises exposed me to places, sights, cultures, wildlife, and people that I never imagined I would ever encounter. Each adventure was special in its own way, and I can’t pick which one was “best.”