Chilean Fjords

December 24 – Christmas Eve

About 0300 we headed out of the protected channels and back into the Southern Ocean where a full SW gale was blowing, with winds to 52 knots and seas to 8 meters. The motion was radical at times, with the entire ship enveloped in a cloud of wind blown spray.  As we continued to head south the ship gradually took the seas on the beam and the motions got somewhat better, but with occasional slams where the entire ship shuddered. All the outside decks were closed, the pools were drained, and there was little people traffic around the ship. Some of the crew were succumbing to motion sickness as were many passengers.

Enjoying the whirlpool leaving Chiloe

The seas got a little rough

Entering the first of the Chilean Fjords

By 1000 we had made the turn into the Gulf de Penas where even from miles away we could see the waves breaking on the headland and sending spray high into the air.  At 1600 we entered the first of the Chilean Fjords. The weather is getting colder as we head south with the high today of 54 degrees, the same as the water temperature. As we headed into the fjord the wind lessened and the waves disappeared, but the cloudy conditions remained.

Later this afternoon there is a sing-along Christmas Carol event, followed by a family style dinner in the Colonnade of  roast turkey and all the fixings, which we will attend, in addition to the regular restaurant menu choices. We shared dinner with Seng and Su Ong from Malaysia, who are in the suite next to us. Following dinner was a holiday show, “Santa Claus – The Musical” to cap off the evening.  The only choice for religious services is a Catholic Mass at 11:30 PM.

Family Style Christmas Dinner

The Christmas Penguin after the show

Some gifts from the ship

As the show ended, the ship turned and headed back out into the Pacific and the motions once again became apparent. That did not seem to affect our sleep.

December 25 – Christmas Day

We awoke early to calm seas, rain and low clouds as the Seabourn Quest had re-entered the fjords while we were asleep.  Shortly after 0800 Seabourn Quest slowed as we approached El Brujo glacier and then eased forward through the floating ice until the glacier face was visible, several miles in the distance.

El Brujo Glacier

The bow deck is open for viewing

Deck 11 is also a good place for photos

This glacier looked large until we got to Antarctica

After everyone's photos had been taken and ship was departing the glacier, Santa suddenly appeared racing towards us in a zodiac, waving to those of us left on deck. Still in the rain we continued down the Chilean Fjords as the weather gradually improved. We passed by a shipwreck and a mountain volcano that looked a lot like Mt. Rainier. As Christmas Day finally came to a close, we watched the early show, with a magician, a gala dinner with British poppers for everyone and then a harpist. We did not attend the last show since we had an early tour in Punta Arenas.

Shipwreck in the fjord

First of many seabirds

Santa Arriving by Zodiac

Chilean Version of Mt. Rainier