Like an old house in an established neighborhood, the Crown has been well-maintained. From the large cabins, with generous closets and drawers; to the Top of the Crown, with wrap around windows, we experienced the elegance of yesteryears cruising. She wears her age well!

Unfortunately, most people will never sail from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso (or in reverse). What a pity. This itinerary offers so much. Penguin rookeries; glaciers calving; Cape Horn; small villages, with residents waving and dolphins dancing on the water; the most southern city in the Western Hemisphere; and the beautiful Chilean Fjords. Expect the unexpected in South America.

Before we bought passage on the Crown, we read the cruise reviews. Many people wrote of unfit food. We found the food to be exceptional both in the main dining room and the three specialty restaurants. Even the food in the Yacht Club buffet was consistently good! Ships don't complain. Why do people?

We love the free-style dining NCL offers on their cruise ships. Also, the relaxed dress code suited us. If our health holds, look for us on the Crown when she repositions from the east coast of the United States to Valparaiso in November of 2006.