We selected this cruise for its destinations. We were not disappointed.

Here are onboard activities that we liked. The food was good except for the Danish, which tasted like donuts. Alana and Gav, the ballroom dancing instructors, were the best teachers we’ve seen. The top-level exercise room is well-equipped with an excellent view. The schedule of movies in Oscar contention was excellent. We appreciated having church services on board.

Tours generally cost at least twice what they would if arranged independently. All the tours we took were good, but the best were the Sparrow Cove penguin tour in the Falklands and the penguin tour at Puerto Madryn/Punto Tombo. The smell was not bad at either location. The Sparrow Cove tour was outstanding because our small groups allowed direct interaction with the juvenile Gentoo penguins who approached us and chewed on us with their relatively soft beaks. The Puerto Madryn excursion was memorable because we saw the Magellanic penguins close-up in their burrows, and at a distance surfing in the ocean. We enjoyed spotting guanacos as the bus approached Punto Tombo.

There’s something wrong in the taxi arrangements at the ports. At Punta Arenas, the contract taxis at the dock charged $8 for a ride that was $2 when arranged in the city. At Buenos Aires, I asked why it would cost $10 to travel one mile. Joe May, the port commentator, said that the taxis paid $7 to come inside the gates. He also told passengers that the fare to the airport would be $45 from the port. We found that the airport fare from hotels that were close to the port was only $13.

Be forewarned that traveling north in the Atlantic toward the Falkland Islands can be a rough trip. If you are prone to motion sickness, take preventative medicine. The Princess medical office does not recommend the patch, and the doctor said that Bonine and Dramamine don’t always work. He advised taking promethazine theoclate tablets at the first sign of discomfort and gives an injection of promethazine hydrochloride to solve the problem.