If u fly delta, flights open up 331 days in advance, already snagged outbound to Buenos Aires on 10 Feb, waiting for 3 April to book
return leg 28 Feb

Been working on ff mile tickets. The kicker is that they must be two seperate tickets because the distance between Val and sydny is longer than one of the segments. Of course if you do that almost all airlines charge round trip miles for a one way ticket. THis is what I got from an agent at US Airways trying to use Air Canada. We can do a little better paying than Regent air by using LAN through Dallas which is really an AA flight and costs alot less if booked as LAN as compared to AA. Any great ideas from anyone.

Pammy, We're not doing that cruise anymore but I remember calling AA when we were looking into using AA miles from LAX and it was doable. Unfortunately I can't remember now (and threw my notes away) but I remember being pleased with the options. Call AA and see if this is better for you.

Usually it is the award level from the most expensive leg so with AA it would be the normal mileage cost from Australia.

On our CPT to RIO it was the cost of the CPT award but we could come back from RIO no problem.

All airlines are different on these types of rules.

When will Regent post air for this cruise?

Carolyn

Already posted on the Regent web. From Texas $6300 business and $1959 coach.

Received flight confirmation for Koala today! Extremely exciteed :banana: :banana:

Now -- just have to sit, back and wait for our next cruise (this Friday)

Thanks for the early morning laugh! What a picture, love it!!

You booked your flights already, good for you Jackie! I'm starting to book up hotels but it's kind of haphazard at this point as I'm only guessing as to when we are going in and I'm also waiting to see what Regent is offering and if they are offering transfers to the ship...but better to have some rooms booked then be left with nothing. I'm kicking myself that I didn't book the Ritz-Carlton last fall when it was in the $300's for a club level room....now it's climbed to over $500.00 but I booked it anyhow before it goes even higher. Also, booked the Sheraton Miramar Hotel in Vina Del Mar as it might be nice to just be at the port and get all of the traveling out of the way. I'm looking for a website in English for the Del Mar Hotel in Vina Del Mar as it gets #1 on tripadvisor but I can't find an english version link and I'm the pits at Spanish. Great picture by the way.
Pat

Pat,
I found the hotel. I'll paste the link below (I'm not good at links so I'll also briefly explain. It was under southamericahotels.net. Then I searched for the city and found the hotel. The rates on the website was $222-224/night. Okay -- I'm hopeless at linking this. Here it is anyway.

http://www.southamericahotels.net/chile/Vina_hoteldelmar_hotel.aspx?Bookme=3108

Jackie

Unfortunately, we've just cancelled. We just have too many trips planned right now. This was the first to go, since objectively it only had Easter Island as someplace we hadn't been. We'd really looked forward to extra days in Buenos Aires and Australia, though.

I keep telling myself that we can't do EVERYTHING ... but then I come back with WHY NOT????

Of course there are several reasons 'why not'.

I'm sorry we'll miss all of you on this trip, but there will certainly be others.

Betty

Graywolf, I'm sure you won't be the last that has to cancel. Some of us are still waffling on this for all kinds of reasons and nothing is a done deal until final payment but I'm thinking positive on this one.
Jackie, thanks for the link but I really want to find the english version of the actual DelMar website. The one you posted is through a travel broker/booking engine. Thanks for trying though....I appreciate it. The Spanish link for the Del Mar is below. Maybe someone who reads Spanish can find a translation link on it somewhere. http://www.hoteldelmar.cl/
Pat

Betty, so sorry to hear this! But I know full well what you mean about too many trips planned, as I'm in the same dilemma.

Betty, so sorry to hear you cancelled KOALA. We were looking forward to meeting you. We are booked at the Ritz Carlton in Santiago for two nights, then two nights at Vina del Mar before embarking. Looking forward to it. Haven't booked air quite yet. Business Class is very expensive going to SCL and returning from SYD. Probably won't get any cheaper either. Linda & Larry

Hi Pat,

I speak spanish. I went to the website but can't find any link to English. The only place where you can click on "English" is the screen for making a reservation.

Is there any specific info that you are looking for? I could see if they give it in Spanish and let you know what it says.

Hi Maria, thanks for checking the website and letting me know that there is no translation link for English. Could you translate what's below for me please? I found a picture link and I assume they are describing a "standard" room.

Habitaciones (does this mean "rooms"?)
Estándar (does this mean "standard"?)
Cómodas y sofisticadas habitaciones de un ambiente, ubicadas entre los pisos 3º y 5º, con una espectacular vista a los hermosos cerros de Valparaíso o a las playas de Reñaca.
Pat

Hi,

Yes, it means rooms and estándar is standard.

"Comfortable rooms with a sophisticated atmosphere, located in the 3rd to 5th floors, with a spectacular view of the beautiful hills of Valparaíso or of the Reñaca's beaches"

Thanks Maria, very much appreciated. Now I can figure out the other descriptions for superior etc and what floors they are on.
Pat

Pat, I do have pictures of the "shower" in the Mariner shower suites. Will take a few days to sort through things. The Mariner will look picture perfect in time for KOALA (although she looks great now!)

Jackie, take your time and settle back in at home. No hurrry. Thanks so much for your live postings on board the Mariner the past 11 days. I thoroughly enjoyed every tidbit.
Pat

Maybe (or maybe not) this link goes to a slideshow (5 photo's) of the Mariner shower. I'm just learning how to do this, so, apologies in advance if it's messed up!

http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/...ka/?action=view&current=48da230a.pbw

Jackie, it worked fine! I love those showers and Mark really likes the sunflower shower heads.

Thanks Jackie! Bravo...for a first try as it worked perfectly. I don't know if I could have mastered the pics myself and probably would have had to rely on our Karen to post them. The sunflower shower head looks neat but I'm not quite sure why there are 2 shower heads in different postions. Love the seat though as it's a great place for us gals that need to use a razor to clean up our legs.
Pat

Unfortunately, due to many, many reasons we have cancelled KOALA and will instead be doing an 11 night cruise in February and will book another cruise in the fall of 2009. Leaving for 24 nights was really too long for us (plus the kitties, etc.)

It is not the cruise that we are disappointed about -- we were looking forward to meeting the LCT group. We may have to wait until 2010 for that to happen . . . but, good things are worth the wait.

Jackie

Oh shoot!

Why didn't they get rid of the dreaded mirror in the shower? :mad:

Hi folks,
Back home again. We had a pre cruise stay in Vina.
Here is a slideshow I put together which may be of interest to those heading that way.

Pre cruise stay at Vina del Mar
http://good-times.webshots.com/slideshow/563518543CKZqdH

Beautiful pictures, Dave. Thanks for posting the link.

Chile is such an interesting country. Lots of natural beauty. It brings back great memories of our pre-cruise trip in January.

Cheers, Anne

Thanks Dave, it's always pleasant to log on and find photo's of beautiful and interesting places.

Great photos, Dave. Your pictures captured the feel of the area north of Vina del Mar, especially the ones fo the horses pulling the boats. Thanks for sharing.

Jackie, sorry, to hear that you decided to cancel this one but I do understand. I still have my doubts and worries about my 4 legged child too.
Pat

Kiwi Kruzer, Wow, such great pictures! Thank-you for posting them.. Vina del Mar is really gorgeous and now I'm glad that I already booked the Sheraton Hotel as it looks very nice.
Pat

I just checked out that new cruise calendar site that Fred posted and discovered that the Mariner with be in port with the PG and Star Flyer on Wednesday March 13/09....Moorea. That's so cool!
Pat

Unfortunately we will be cancelling. Decided to do a similar itinerary this year on SS that wasn't quite as long. I'll have to meet some of you on another one of B&K's group cruises in the future I guess.
Pat

We are flying into Santiago on 25th Feb and plan to stay at the Ritz Carlton for 1 night, followed by 2 nights at the Sheraton Vina Del Mar. Can anyone help me with recommendations on the best way to get from the airport to the hotel in Santiago and also to get from Santiago to Valparaiso. We prefer private transfers to taxis. Perhaps there are others who might like to share the transfer to Valparaiso.

Hi Sheila! The hotel is only about 10-15 minutes from the airport. I understand you prefer private transfers. However, the taxi services are excellent and the cars in very good condition.

If you choose that route, put your luggage on a trolley and head for the door. Just before you exit, there are three desks for the official taxis. You prepay the taxi fare at the desk. Once you exit, a porter will take your trolley, lead you to the car, load up the bags and you're off. IF you have a lot of luggage, this will not work well. Otherwise, inquire with the Ritz about their fee for sending a private car. My recollection was the Hyatt's price was about double the taxi cost.

As for Valparaiso - see this post by CruiserPK following our Antarctica trip. http://www.luxurycruisetalk.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000263 You can probably get a private transfer and a half or whole private tour if you like. If they won't do the transfers, perhaps they can recommend a sister company to you.

Nice, as always, to see you and Ken on CAMEL. We're just gearing up for our annual pilgrimage to Wimbledon. Fingers crossed for no rain!

Cheers, Anne

Check out http://www.shoretrips.com/. They do private transfers from the airport or hotel. I got the tip from B&K. We'll probably use them in Santiago to Valparaiso this October so I can let you know how they were.
Pat

Thankyou very much, Anne and Pat for your very helpful replies. I'll follow up on them. The cruise seems a long way off but it comes around very quickly. Hope you enjoy the strawberries and cream in the sunshine, Anne. We tasted them a couple of weeks ago and they were a treat. Nothing quite like it while watching Wimbledon. Unfortunately we will have to be content with the replays this year as we are back in OZ earlier than usual because of CAMEL.

Shelia, we will be flying into Santiago on the 24th of February, staying two nights at the Ritz Carlton. Our TA has arranged with the hotel a private transfer from the airport to the hotel and a day trip on the 26th to drive to Vina del Mar (stopping for a winery visit and lunch) before heading to the Hotel del Mar for two nights before the cruise. You may want to check out the Ritz.

We look forward meeting you on KOALA. How nice that you don't have that far to go at the end of the cruise (whereby we have about 30 hrs to get home. Any excuse to visit Sydney. Linda & Larry

Sorry, Shelia, it wasn't arranged thru the Ritz Carlton, it was arranged by our TA with A&K. I'm sure that if you are booked thru B&K (we are not) that they could help arrange something also. Linda & Larry

We've had to cancel this cruise - getting to Valparaiso and back from Sydney just adds too much to the overall cost, altogether too much at least for us. We really wanted to go too, it's a great itinerary and group - especially great group - but it just got to be too much, we couldn't find business air under $10 grand for the two of us, and Regent doesn't offer Premium Economy except the Scandinavia special.

I wasn't convinced premium economy was a good idea on such a long flight anyway, but was willing to give it a try. Instead we'll try it coming back from VIKINGS next year, if we can find the right deal. Thats much shorter, and west-bound to boot, which we personally find easier to adjust to.

Pat and I really regret having to make this change, but in addition to the cost, we've found we're less and less tolerent of those long trans-Pacific flights, as we learned coming back from PANDA last year. Even double-doses of sleeping pills (Ambien) didn't work on that one. Too bad, but cruising and related costs have skyrocketed, particularly on Regent, while the bottom seems to have fallen out of the market, our main source of fun money.