Friday, March 17, 2023

As we approached the southern tip of South America overnight, the cruise ship really started to sway in the ocean waves. Drinking glasses rattled on the desk and clothes hangers screeched as they slid back and forth along the metal bar in the closet. The drawers of our nightstands slowly slid open and then closed themselves as the ship leaned from side to side. Sleeping through the night was difficult as the rocking ship made it feel like we were going to roll out of bed. We didn’t, of course, but it’s a jarring sensation.

Today was another “sea day” which meant that the cruise ship did not dock in a port. Instead, we cruised around the southern tip of the South American continent, stopping at Cape Horn, Chile to view its lighthouse from the ship, then continued our journey “around the horn.”

Rough seas or not, life on the ship proceeds as normal. At breakfast this morning in the Oceanview Cafe, plates were stacked on top of Saran Wrap to keep them from sliding off the countertop. Some passengers looked green as they walked around the restaurant — and it wasn’t because it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Sea sickness is real thing on a ship when it’s swaying so much. We could hardly feel the cruise ship moving during the first few days of our trip, but now it’s impossible to walk in a straight line. There hasn’t been any mention from the staff about the rough waters — only a morning weather announcement from the captain stating the ship is traveling through 12 ft waves. The weather today was in the low 40’s, but it wasn’t particularly ominous. The giant waves we are experiencing are caused by two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific, meeting together here at the tip of the continent.

We feel the waves the most when we’re inside our stateroom or when walking down the hallway corridors. Watching the seas churn through a window is the worst — it made our stomaches flip upside down! I can almost forget the boat is moving until I look outside. All four of us took motion sickness pills (meclizine) which we’ve taken many times before in our travels. Meclizine works great, but the side effect is that it makes you feel really sleepy. The kids and I mostly felt fine; it was Andi who seemed the most nauseous from the waves of the ship. He ended up sleeping most of today.

Since today was St. Patrick’s Day, Celebrity Cruises had several special things planned. First, there were themed foods in the Oceanview Cafe — colorful green cakes and desserts, corned beef hash, and Irish beef stew. There was also a St. Patrick’s Day party happening in one of the lounges this evening.

After breakfast, the kids and I did schoolwork in our stateroom. Then, Aden wanted to go to the ship’s kids programming, Camp at Sea, for the afternoon while Tory and I went to a live Gaucho Show in the Celebrity Theatre. A gaucho is a skilled horseman who works on estancias (ranches) in the rural Pampas Region of Argentina. The theatrical performance brought to life the skills of a gaucho using boleadoras (a weapon made of leather and stones) in lasso tricks, rhythmic dancing, and twirling ponchos in the air. The same fantastic performers who danced the tango last night gave an amazing gaucho show today.

Around 5:00pm, the cruise ship director announced over the loudspeaker that the ship was approaching Cape Horn, Chile. Some passengers bundled up in coats, hats, and gloves to see Cape Horn from the ship’s outside viewing decks while others watched from windows inside the ship. Our family wanted the best view, of course, so we walked all around the top deck to various viewpoints.

The weather was so intense! The wind gusted at 50 mph, causing the cruise ship to rock fiercely in place. Tory’s whole body was tossed around in the wind. The force of air blowing in our faces took our breath away. My lips tasted like salt from the seawater spray.

The outdoor pools on Deck 10 sloshed water over their sides. Celebrity Cruise employees all bundled up in parkas were doing their best to squeegee the floors to prevent anyone from falling, but it was a lot of water spilling onto the floor.

There honestly wasn’t much to see other than a red lighthouse in the distance. A Chilean lightkeeper, his wife, and their three children live at the lighthouse keeping it running year-round. The cruise director on the ship contacted the lightkeeper over the radio and talked to him over the loudspeaker about what life is like on Hornos Island. It would be lonely! The lightkeeper said his daughter was celebrating her 13th birthday today.

Tourists can visit the lighthouse, as well as a monument built there to honor the lives of sailors lost at sea around Cape Horn, but not in ships as large as the Celebrity Infinity. Our ship stayed stationary in front of Hornos Island for about an hour allowing passengers to take pictures and admire the beauty of Cape Horn. It was a beautiful sight, and realizing exactly where we were in the world was a pretty cool feeling.

After the viewing, Aden and Tory wanted to go to kids club, so Andi and I decided to have a nice dinner together at Trellis, the main dining restaurant on the ship. As luck would have it, we were seated right by a window facing the Cape Horn lighthouse. We enjoyed our dinner of shrimp cocktail, squash soup, pork & beans, and chorizo linguini while the ship slowly departed Hornos Island.