Sea Travel from Puerto Madryn, Argentina to Cape Horn, Chile

Thursday March 16, 2023

Today was another “day at sea” as the cruise ship navigated 1,478 km (or, about 900 miles) south from Puerto Madryn, Argentina to Cape Horn, Chile. Ship days have a bit of a “caged animal” vibe as 2,000+ passengers mill about the boat filling their day with drinks and entertainment. Fortunately, there are a variety of presentations, shopping specials, live music, and games happening throughout the day to keep people occupied.

Andi and I started our day with coffee in our stateroom, followed by the gym. I can’t figure out the crowd flow on this ship — this morning, the gym wasn’t nearly as busy and Andi and I were both able to find space to exercise. Tory and Aden were still asleep in their cabin, so we woke them up after we finished with our workouts and then made our way to the Oceanview Cafe for breakfast.

Ah! This is where we found all the people. The restaurant buffet was packed with people. So much so, Andi and I had to circle around the dining room a few times to find a place to sit. Adding to the chaos, the buffet is now self-serve so everyone can dish up their own food and drinks. This has definitely sped up the lines, but now people are getting heated about others cutting in front of them. The poor kids get completely overlooked when they’re standing in line waiting for food; other guests butt in line right in front of them like they weren’t even standing there. The buffet is definitely not our favorite part of cruising. It’s way too busy.

After breakfast, Aden begged to go to the morning session of Camp at Sea while Tory opted to stay back and do schoolwork. She and I went to the 11th floor Constellation Lounge and sat by the big observation windows. It wasn’t long after we sat down that a travel trivia game started in the lounge which proved to be a little distracting. We ended up going back to our room to finish Tory’s lessons there.

After the morning session of kids club, Aden joined us in the stateroom. Then, he and I worked together to complete his school work. He wrote about yesterday’s experience with the Magellanic penguins in his journal. He’s learning cursive this year, and wrote his entire entry that way. It isn’t easy applying a new skill, in addition to all the parts that go into writing (content, spelling, punctuation, etc.). I was proud of him!

For lunch, the four of us went back to the Oceanview Cafe. The restaurant offers a lot of the same foods everyday (salad, pizza, carving station, fruit, etc.), but there’s always a special offering. Today, there was a decorate-your-own-cupcake station which the kids loved! Eating here reminds me of my time working as a marketing director at the University of MN. I told the kids over lunch that this is similar to what the food is like on college campuses & they got really excited for the future.

There are several other restaurants on the ship, but you need to have priority status with Celebrity to eat at them or pay an additional fee. By Day 6 of the cruise, Andi and I are getting a little tired of the buffet so we made reservations tonight for Sushi on 5.

Of course, Aden and Tory haven’t grown tired of the buffet food in the least bit. Aden’s favorite part of the restaurant is the stir-fry station. The employees know him by name, and greet him with a warm welcome every time he approaches their area. I do appreciate how friendly all the Celebrity Cruises staff has been to our family.

Tory and Aden asked to go back to Camp at Sea for the afternoon session. They have a great kids program on the ship which keeps them entertained with games, scavenger hunts, crafts, and prizes. There are two other tweens on the boat, and Tory and Aden have finally made a connection with them which makes “sea days” more fun. While the kids were at camp, Andi and I sat in the iLounge and worked/blogged for the afternoon.

Tonight, Andi made dinner reservations for us at Sushi on 5. We haven’t tried any of the specialty restaurants on the ship so far, and it was definitely a quieter, more relaxed vibe. Tory and Aden passed on sushi, opting to go back to Camp at Sea, so Andi and I enjoyed a nice dinner just the two of us. We shared edamame, lobster ramen, and two sushi rolls while listening to a live solo / guitarist play at the bar area nearby.

This ship is definitely swaying more as we travel further south toward Cape Horn, Chile. Cape Horn is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet around the southern tip of South America. Extreme low-pressure systems whirl across the sea creating sudden, unpredictable winds and large ocean waves. The captain came onto the loudspeaker over dinner and warned passengers on the ship to use caution when walking around the decks.

Tomorrow, the cruise ship will stop in Cape Horn & we’ll have a chance to see the famous lighthouse and water passageway that has the claimed the lives of many sailors. Until then, hopefully the rocking of the ship won't keep us awake all night.