Live from the Carnival Splendor 'Round the Horn - Page 3 - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Forum, Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

CruisinCindy55 · 02-23-2009, 06:06 AM

Thanks all. Danny says Thanks, too for the BD wishes. Today is the day we 'Round the Horn, sometime between noon and 4pm is what we were told. We have been told to expect a high of 58F with wind and possibly rough seas. If we don't get wind we've been gyped. LOL My heart won't be broken if we don't get it though. So, dressing in layers and headed out on deck to stake out our claim to get the pictures. I have sunrise pictures of today, but they are still only in the camera. One good thing of a port side cabin this half of the cruise, the sunrises. :-) Hopefully tonight I can post a few pics of the reason I booked this cruise, 'rounding the horn. Have a wonderful day, y'all. Cindy

sue miller · 02-23-2009, 06:15 AM

How exciting Cindy

I hope it is a perfect day for you

Char · 02-23-2009, 08:18 AM

Great report, Cindy! I'm glad you got to meet Bill, zydecocruiser. Between the 2 of you we will have fantastic pictures!

Looking forward to your post about going around the Horn today.

cruisin' chick · 02-23-2009, 05:36 PM

I hope the Horn is everything you expect to see. Can't wait to see more photos.

mango · 02-23-2009, 09:37 PM

Cindy great pics can't wait for more.

when we went around the horn on my cruise it was rough seas hope you had calm seas

CruisinCindy55 · 02-26-2009, 03:09 AM

Howdy all. I think I have a couple days to catch up on. They are both wonderfully exciting days. Wow. This has been a fantastic cruise so far. I’m so glad I can share it with you all. I printed this out earlier before supper and saved it and it’s not 4am, but am going to give it to you as saved. Here goes.

Monday was Rounding the Horn. It started off rather mild, calm seas. I was all set to go camp out on an outer deck and wait for the big event that we had been told was to occur between noon and 4pm sometime. Well, while watching Goose do an interview from the bridge, he mentioned that the Captain was going to circle the island backward, counterclockwise. Well, since our balcony is on the port side, I jumped for joy. I figured most of the things to see were going to be on the starboard side of the ship. So, we changed the plans and camped out in our cabin. We arrived at Cape Horn shortly after 2:30pm and the ship stopped and we let a lifeboat down and sent a few crew members to the island to get stamps and a few other things. It made for a better photo op, but by this time, the weather was not as cooperative. It was misting rain, hazy and I think there was some snow in that mist once in a while. The temp. was cold, upper 40’s, but the wind was very cold and very brisk. After the lifeboat was off, the ship started our circumnavigation of the island. We took tons of pictures of the Albatross Memorial, flagpole and camp at the end where we had stopped. We also took quite a few pictures of the Cathedral Rocks. As we rounded the west end, the Carnival Splendor’s first time in the Pacific Ocean, the ship was quite a bit more restless. LOL At one point, we listed to the port side and stayed. LOL It wasn’t really much of a rocking motion, more of a tilt. It was really raining by then. That’s when Danny and I decided to come into the cabin. Goose was announcing that we had 15 ft. swells and 56 knots of wind. Now, I’m no sailor, but some of you that know may be able to translate that into English for me. I just know that it was NASTY out there. LOL It was cold, windy, and the worst sailing I’ve ever been in, INCLUDING the few days coming home on the transatlantic where I thought it wasn’t too bad that the crew had the barf bags out by the elevators on the Carnival Freedom last November. I was running for cover and Danny was hollering, “Yee Haw.” LOL We got to Ushuaia the next morning about 6am.

CruisinCindy55 · 02-26-2009, 03:16 AM

Ushuaia was another fantastic port for us. The excursion we booked through Carnival was the Lapataia Highlights. We started the day with a catamaran tour through Beagle Channel of some of the islands and the wildlife with a visit to the lighthouse. The captain of the catamaran took us so close to the wildlife at the islands that we could hear and smell everything. OMG, it was a wonderful experience. The animals ignored us completely like we were supposed to be there. We got some amazing pictures of sea lions and cormorants. The cormorants are birds that could pass for penguins except for their necks are longer and they fly.

CruisinCindy55 · 02-26-2009, 03:28 AM

The catamaran dropped us off at the Tierra del Fuego National Park. We were at the very end of the Pan American Roadway. From there you can drive all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. You will have to take only 2 ferries, so we were told. I mailed a few post cards from the post office that is the furthest south, other than the one in Antarctica, and we saw some grebe sitting on their nest. When they got off the nest to change places, they have 4 eggs; trying to get a 3rd family raised this season. The guide doesn’t think they will get it done before the weather gets bad. A little shopping in Ushuaia, then got our certificates for visiting Ushuaia, the “Southernmost city of the World.” We had to be on board by 3:30pm for 4:00pm sail away. Well, we sat and sat and sat. Finally, Goose came on and announced that the captain and pilot were waiting for the winds in Beagle Channel to quiet some before we departed. So, we waited. Danny and I had been sitting out on Deck 10, enjoying the time with other passengers, waiting for sail away, then we had been told that there would be some glacier viewing that evening from 6-10pm, so we were ready for picture taking. Well, I think at about 7pm or so we gave up and went to the cabin when a Princes ship came into harbor to get out of the wind in the Channel. We figured we weren’t leaving any time soon. They also announced that our port for the next day Punta Arenas, Chile was not happening, while we were at dinner, that we would enjoy scenic cruising and glacier viewing, when it was safe to leave port. I had figured that was coming. My first missed port in 9 cruises. LOL Another first. More time to view glaciers and enjoy the ship. I think we finally left Ushuaia around 11pm. I was half asleep when Danny announced that we were moving. I remember grunting something acknowledging affirmation.

Today we have cruised and seen several glaciers and some beautiful mountains. We have passed Cape Froward twice and are cruising the fjords.

Tomorrow will be more glaciers, two particularly big ones that they say to not miss. We’ll be sure to get pictures. By missing the port, the one is during daylight hours. A bonus, I suppose some aren’t really appreciating. Some are still growling about the missed port. Some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope, my Dad used to say.

I’ll see how many pics I can find and convert here in a few min. Supper is in a bit. Having a wonderful time and loving every min. Danny and Cindy

*Lars* · 02-26-2009, 04:02 AM

Thank you, Cindy. I thoroughly enjoy reading your last instalment of you Live From report.
I wish I was there cruising the fjords with you. The fjords and glaciers are breathtaking. I hope to go back to SA soon.
I am glad you enjoyed Usuaia. I think its a funny little town and ofcourse also the southern most town/city in the world.
Looking forward to read more

Char · 02-26-2009, 10:10 AM

Thank you Cindy! You really do have a way with words...keeping us captivated and wanting more!