Yesterday I wrote up a packing list for our upcoming travels. It goes something like this:

Packing List for Holland America 22-Day South America & Antarctica Cruise

My daughter drew this on the back of a Silver Diner comment card a few years ago

Including Three Days in Santiago

Clothing

  • Wear for travel –
    • Zip-off pants
    • Belt
    • Running shoes
    • Jacket
    • Short sleeve and long sleeve layer
    • Pack change of clothes – shorts, underwear, socks, shirt, travel pants, swimsuit, running outfit
  • Lightweight button down shirts (2)
  • Travel shorts (2)
  • Jeans (1 or 2)
  • Evening wear for formal cruise nights
    • 2 dress shirts
    • Suit
    • Tie
  • Smart-casual outfits for dinners and onboard activities
    • 2 pairs khakis
    • 1 polo (in addition to lightweight shirts above)
    • 3 less formal button down shirts
  • Thermal base layers (top and bottom) for Antarctic experience (three top and bottom layers
  • Heavy sweater or fleece jacket –
    • Antarctica sweater
    • Waterside Man hoodie
    • All Blacks sweatshirt
    • Long sleeved under layers (3)
  • Waterproof and windproof outer shell (raincoat)
  • Winter gloves, running gloves (waterproof recommended)
  • Warm hat and neck gaiter or scarf
  • Workout clothes
    • 2 pair yoga shorts
    • Trainers (three)
    • 3 pair running shorts
    • 3 short sleeved running shirts
    • 4 pair running socks
    • 1 pair running tights; 2 pair long sleeved running shirts (can be used as layers)
  • Swimsuit (for ship’s pool or spa, 2 or 3)
  • Sleepwear (nothing)
  • Socks (including wool or thermal for cold excursions)
    • 3 pair heavy socks
    • 6 pair regular
  • Underwear – 10 pair
  • Comfortable walking shoes for city sightseeing – NY Boot company shoes
  • Frye boots
  • Sandals or dress shoes for onboard use
    • Frye boots
    • Beach sandals
    • NY Boot Company shoes
  • Compact umbrella for unpredictable weather
  • Two white undershirts
  • At least three black undershirts
  • Two yoga shirts

Toiletries

  • Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss – spare toothbrush, at least 1 ½ tubes of toothpaste
  • Shampoo and conditioner (travel size in case your hotel/cruise supplies are limited)
  • Pack soap from Asia
  • Deodorant – one full tube
  • Razor and shaving supplies – electric shaver and charger plus cream
  • Hairbrush or comb – travel brush plus regular
  • Skincare essentials (moisturizer, sunscreen, lip balm with SPF)
  • Bug spray
  • Hair product
  • Fingernail clippers
  • Travel-sized laundry detergent for hand-washing small items
  • Shoe polish

Electronics

  • iPhone
  • AirPods
  • AirPod MAX
  • Plug adapters/converters for Chile and cruise ship outlets
    • USB-C to USB-C (2)
    • USB-A to USB-C (2)
    • FireWire charger (to -C and -A)
    • Watch charger
    • Oura ring charger
    • Charger plugs
    • International adaptors (2)
  • Work laptop
  • iPad
  • Books –
    • South America travel guide
    • Cruise Antarctica travel guide
    • Wheeler book on Antarctica
    • At least two fiction novels
  • Portable power bank
  • Magnetic charger

Travel Essentials

  • Passport (with required visas, if any); photocopies of passport; extra passport photo
  • Travel insurance documents
  • Credit/debit cards and some US dollars for tips/incidentals
  • Chilean and Uruguayan Pesos
  • Printed copies and digital backups of reservations, tickets, and cruise documents
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Waterproof daypack or small backpack for shore excursions
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Spare duffel bag

Miscellaneous

  • Reading glasses, distance glasses
  • Prescription medications (with extra in case of delays)
  • Over-the-counter remedies (motion sickness Bonine, cold meds DayQuil/NyQuil, pain reliever Tylenol / Advil)
  • Travel pillow and eye mask for flights
  • Binoculars for wildlife and glacier viewing (2 pair)
  • Notepad and pen
  • Laundry bag
  • Small first-aid kit
  • Snacks for travel days
  • Personal entertainment (puzzle book, journal, cards)
  • Carcassonne game
  • Sewing kit
  • Shopping bag
  • Vitamin C drops

Antarctica-Specific Gear

  • High-quality waterproof gloves
  • Thermal socks
  • Waterproof pants
  • Packable down jacket
  • Sunglasses with UV protection (glare from ice and snow)
  • Sunscreen (for unexpected sun exposure)
  • Dry bag for camera/electronics during zodiac cruises

 

It’s a bit excessive. But still, gone from home for 25 days with a half a dozen different climates. This should be fun.

So today we ended up upgrading to a Neptune Suite. According to some they’re the smallest “true suite” on Holland America. We were in a Signature Suite. We started with a Signature Suite because we decided if we were going to be on a ship that long we wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Also, we didn’t go on a smaller expedition ship for a similar reason – because we wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I don’t feel as if I’m missing much by not having a more active expedition experience, although who knows I may eventually change my mind on that. Some day I think I’d enjoy expedition cruising around Greenland.

We justified the Neptune upgrade for a few different reasons:

  • It comes with laundry, dry cleaning, and pressing. Unlimited.
  • Additional menu items in the main dining room.
  • Concierge can arrange a lot of things such as full main dining room menu in room.
  • Aft-facing suite cabin.
  • Priority tendering, embarking, and disembarking.
  • Priority seating in the main dining room (better seats – in an elevated area or by windows).

We actually were feeling a little trepiditious about the main dining room. Holland America has assigned dining times and any time dining times. Honestly, I would prefer assigned dining – you know where you’re going to sit every night and you show up at your assigned time and they seat you. Anytime… can be a crapshoot. Sometimes you wait. Sometimes there’s a kitchen delay. Sometimes you get worse seating. Nonetheless, now we have priority access to avoid a wait.

We’ll see how this goes.

The Antarctic Continent

In general, we’re flying to Santiago, staying a few days, heading south along the Chilean coast and then across to Antarctica, then returning via the Falkland Islands, a stop on the Argentine coast, two in Uruguay, and two days in Buenos Aires. This all begins two weeks from tomorrow.

I’ll blog about the trip of course. I haven’t decided if I want to put it up on Cruise Critic or not. If I do, it will be daily or twice daily, not true live. Maybe I’ll focus on a few things I’ve had to research to help people taking the cruise in the future. Things like:

  • What to pack
  • Do HAL cruisers really actually do dressy night?
  • Weather – day by day report (most reports I’ve seen fizzle out)
  • Activities on board, especially what “younger” people engage in
  • Activities in port
  • Walkability of ports and safety in port
  • Always talk about food

And so forth.