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After sailing from Chile around South America for two weeks, we reached our final destination in Buenos Aires, Argentina where we disembarked the Radiance of the Seas and headed to the trendy Design Hotel in the Centro district. We had decided to meet up with some friends (Brian and Judy) in Buenos Aires and stay for three days in order to have enough time to see most of the city’s attractions and attend a tango show.

Located on the southern banks of the Rio de la Plata, the Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Ayre was founded in 1536 by Spanish explorer Pedro de Mendoza, and eventually expanded through waves of immigration from the Mediterranean-based countries of Europe. As a result, Buenos Aires was built with European-style grand plazas, broad boulevards and beautiful buildings, which is why the city is often called “the Paris of South America.”

While Buenos Aires is a huge city filled with 13 million residents called “portenos” (people of the port), the main tourist areas are concentrated near the waterfront in seven compact barrios – the Centro, Monserrat, La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta, Palermo and Puerto Madero. We chose to start our tour in the nearby historic Plaza de Mayo in Monserrat, a pretty park created in 1580 that houses the Piramide de Mayo and is surrounded by several grand buildings including the 19^th-century Casa Rosada (Pink House), the 18^th-century Metropolitan Cathedral and the colonial-era Cabildo (town hall).

The site of the Casa Rosada was originally a fortress, and later evolved into the Presidential Palace for Argentine leaders including Juan Peron. In 1951, Eva Peron appeared on the palace’s left balcony to tell adoring crowds in the Plaza de Mayo below that she was withdrawing her candidacy for vice-president (she was ill and died of cancer the next year). Madonna used the same balcony in the movie “Evita” when she sang the film’s theme song “Don’t Cry for me Argentina.” Our tour guide Sebastian told us that while the inside of the main Palace is usually closed to the public, it was now open for a special exhibit (a small museum in the back of the palace is open from 2 to 6 on Mondays to Fridays). This meant we got a rare glimpse of its beautiful courtyard and interiors, which include a stained glass skylight, busts of each President and an opulent wood paneled and red velvet elevator.  

Our next stop was the Caminito pedestrian walkway in the Bohemian neighbourhood of La Boca, which is surrounded by colourful houses, pretty cafes, and street vendors selling their handmade crafts. The street is lined with sculptures, murals, engravings and tango dancers who perform and pose for pictures with tourists for a few pesos (as our friend Brian and I were walking by one of the tango dancers, she grabbed us for a couple of impromptu tangos on the street corner!).

The working class people of this neighbourhood are passionate about their local soccer team, the Boca Juniors, and a number of store fronts are proudly painted in the team’s blue and gold colours. The team’s stadium is just a few blocks away, and during game days La Boca turns into a giant block party with fans tooting car horns, waving flags and dancing in the streets. However, while La Boca is a fun place to be during the day, the neighbourhood is still a bit rough around the edges and is not a safe place to roam after dark.

After a day of touring, we decided it was time to watch one of Buenos Aires’ famous tango shows, so we booked a table at the ritzy Faena Hotel in Puerto Madero for its evening show called “Rojo Tango.” The sensual and steamy tango is a uniquely “porteno” dance that many believe was invented in the brothels of the city’s poorer barrios like La Boca to keep customers happy while they awaited their turn with a “lady of the night”. Today the dance is synonymous with Buenos Aires, and the city is filled with tango schools and dance halls like the Academia del Tango and Confiteria La Ideal which keep the tango legacy alive.

Our show in the intimate Cabaret room of the Faena Hotel was a spectacular blend of traditional tango dancing with “nuevo tango” from the repertoire of the late Argentine bandoneon (small hand-held accordion) player Astor Piazzolla, who incorporated elements of jazz and classical music into his compositions. The show was preceded by a marvelous dinner of Argentine beef and copious amounts of delicious red wine from the nearby Mendoza region.     

The next morning we took a taxi to the barrio of San Telmo, which is the city’s oldest neighbourhood dating back to the arrival of Pedro de Mendoza. The barrio originally housed the city’s wealthiest residents, but when yellow fever struck in 1870 the elite moved further north and their elegant homes were converted to tenements called “conventillos” to house poor immigrants arriving from Europe.  

Today, San Telmo is filled with colonial-style buildings, tango salons, street performers and on weekends, one of the best open-air antique markets in the country. We began our stroll through San Telmo at the Plaza Dorrego, which is the oldest square in the city and home to dozens of vendors selling antiques, curios and handmade crafts. From the Plaza, we walked north along Defensa Street stopping to watch various street performers including a puppeteer and a full orchestra of young people called Ciudad Baigon playing tango music. By now we were hungry, so we slipped into a small “parrilla” (open-air wood-fired grill restaurant) on Defensa for some grilled meats and beer.

After lunch, we decided to visit the exclusive barrio of Recoleta with its tree-lined avenues, fashionable boutiques and trendy restaurants. The centerpiece of Recoleta is the elegant Alvear Avenue, which houses a number of 19^th-century mansions, exclusive designer stores, and the beautiful French-chateau style Alvear Palace Hotel. The neighbourhood is also home to the Recoleta Cemetery, where many of Argentina’s heroes and celebrities are buried, including Eva Peron.

The Recoleta Cemetery covers four city blocks and has more than 6,000 mausoleums, some big enough to pass for a small church. Of course, the most popular site in the cemetery is the tomb of “Evita” who was buried here after her death in 1952. While her body went missing for 16 years after her husband Juan Peron was deposed in a military coup in 1955, it was eventually repatriated to Buenos Aires and returned to the cemetery behind a marble fronted vault containing a number of plaques. Interestingly, her husband’s tomb is not next to Eva’s, but is instead located at the more formal Chacarita Cemetery with other national heroes including the great tango icon, Carlos Gardel.

After a wonderful dinner that evening at one of the city’s best parrillas called Cabana las Lilas in Puerto Madero, we returned to our hotel early so we could get an early start the next day. Of course, at night “early” in Buenos Aries means before midnight, as most “portenos” don’t go out for dinner until at least 9:00 p.m., and usually stay up until the wee hours of morning sipping cocktails or coffee.

Since it was our last day in Buenos Aries, we decided to spend it seeing some of the monuments and buildings we had missed, including the beautiful Teatro Colon (which was still closed for renovations), the Vittorio Meano-designed Parliament Building, and the landmark Obelisco built in 1936 to commemorate the city’s fourth centennial. The 67.5 metre high obelisk stands in the middle of the amazing Avenue 9 de Julio, which spans 110 metres and is the widest boulevard in the world, boasting some 16 lanes of traffic.

It was now time for a final meal in Buenos Aires before we left for the airport and our 12-hour flight back to Toronto. Coincidentally, it was my birthday, which meant we had a convenient excuse for a blow-out lunch in Puerto Madero with plenty of free-flowing wine.  After close to a month in South America seeing some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, it seemed like a fitting way to conclude our marvelous journey of discovery, and a wonderful way to celebrate my 55^th birthday. 

Taking a cruise is one of the most economical and stress-free ways to travel. And cruise ships literally sail to almost every corner of the globe. Here’s a quick summary of some of the best cruising regions in the world:

Caribbean

The most popular destination for first-time cruisers is the Caribbean.  A large number of cruise ships depart easy-to-get to ports like Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and Tampa, Florida on voyages that range in length from three to 14 days. They sail to idyllic islands like the Bahamas, Barbados, St. Marten, the Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Antigua, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexican Riviera

This was the itinerary made famous by TV’s original Love Boat, the Pacific Princess.

There are several variations, but basically you sail the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and Mexico between Los Angeles and Acapulco.  Ports of call include Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Mazatlan. 

Panama Canal

One of the world’s great engineering achievements, the Panama Canal welcomes a select group of ships each year on a marvelous journey between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The typical Panama Canal cruise sails between Miami and Los Angeles on a 11- or 12-day voyage, with calls at some Caribbean ports. Some lines also offer a shorter, partial transit of the canal by sailing through the first set of locks at Gatun Lake and then visiting several Caribbean islands before returning to Miami.

Alaska

The west coast of Canada and Alaska have become one of the most popular cruising grounds in the world, and given the spectacular scenery of glaciers, wildlife and soaring mountains peaks, it’s not surprising. Most Alaska cruises depart from Vancouver or Seattle, and offer seven-day return voyages, or seven-day one way trips to Anchorage, Alaska so that passengers can combine the cruise with a land trip to the interior.

New England/Canada

The beautiful maritime coasts of New England and eastern Canada provide the backdrop for cruises between New York or Boston and Montreal or Quebec City, Canada. Ports of call include pretty coastal towns like Bar Harbor and Kennebunk Port in Maine, and Halifax, St. John, and Charlottetown in Canada.

Europe

The magnificent cathedrals, monuments and palaces of Europe await those who cruise the Mediterranean, Baltic and Black Sea. There are a wide variety of itineraries ranging from 7 to 14 days, with Rome, Venice, and Barcelona serving as the most popular departure ports for Med cruises.

Hawaii

A Pacific paradise with towering volcanoes, lush vegetation and majestic shorelines, the Hawaiian Islands are one of the most beautiful cruise destinations in the world.  NCL offers seven-day cruises from Honolulu to Maui, Kauai and the big island of Hawaii. A number of other cruise lines make calls at the islands on 10- to 14-day cruises from California and Vancouver.

South America/Amazon

With its lush rain forests, tropical wildlife, and mysterious Indian tribes, the Amazon provides cruise passengers with adventure at every turn.  Most Amazon River cruises sail on 10- to 14-day voyages between Barbados and the spectacular city of Manaus, deep in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest. There are also cruises through South America that usually take place in 14-day segments starting in Miami through the Panama Canal to Valpariso, Chile; from Chile around Cape Horn to Buenos Aires, Argentina; and from Buenos Aires along the coast of Brazil to Miami.

Australia/New Zealand

Cruise ships sail around New Zealand, past the Great Barrier Reef and to the major ports of Australia, providing a glorious opportunity to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Australia’s capital of Sydney is also the departure port for cruise ships repositioning to Asia.

South Pacific

Most cruises to the South Pacific depart from Tahiti, and include Moorea, Bora Bora and the other Society Islands of French Polynesia. Some ships also sail to the Marquesas Islands, one of the most idyllic destinations in the world.  Cruises usually range in length from 7 to 14 days.  .

Orient/Southeast Asia

Passengers get a rare glimpse into mysteries of the world’s oldest civilizations during cruises to the Orient and southeast Asia. Ships usually sail on 10- to 14- day voyages from Hong Kong or Singapore to ports like Canton, Ho Chi Mihn City and Taipei.  Many also visit Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. 

Antarctica

This destination is mainly for nature lovers and adventurers.  There’s a lot of wildlife (whales, penguins, seals, albatrosses and petrels) and incomparable beauty (giant glaciers and towers of ice). Cruises usually take from 10 to 21 days, depart from Ushuaia, Argentina and may include stops at the Falkland islands, South Georgia, the South Orkney Islands and Elephant Island.  Silversea’s Prince Albert II and Linblad Expedition’s National Geographic Explorer are two of the best cruise lines offering voyages to Antarctica.

 After sailing west from Punta del Este along the mighty Rio de la Plata, we arrived the next morning in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital city and cultural soul.

Squeezed between two continental giants — Brazil to the north and Argentina to the south — little Uruguay was first settled by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 17^th century. The Spanish eventually built a fort in 1714 as a bulwark against further expansion of the Portuguese colony of Brazil, and began to recruit immigrants from the Canary Islands in 1726.

By the late 1700s, Montevideo had grown into one of the most important ports in all of South America, and was a key link for trade between Spain and the New World. In 1811 Uruguay rebelled against Spanish rule and eventually gained independence in 1826.

Today, Montevideo is an eclectic mixture of peaceful plazas, beautiful beaches, grand government buildings, and decaying mansions that are surrounded by water on three sides. While it may have seen better times, Montevideo is still an interesting and engaging city, particularly in the colourful “Old City” near the port.

While the ship offered several interesting excursions outside the city, including one to the old Portuguese town of Colonia del Sacramento some 2 ½ hours to the west, we decided to do a walking tour around the Old City just a few steps from our berth.

Our first stop was the nearby Mercado del Puerto, the city’s old market which now houses a number of wood-fired grill restaurants (parrillas) that serve a variety of barbecued meats, empanadas and local wine and beer in an old-world atmosphere. The market is a favourite with merchant sailors and cruise ship staff, and several waiters on the Radiance had told us they were planning to eat there.

Since it was too early for lunch, we walked south along the narrow, winding streets of the Old City to the Plaza Zabalia, where we found the nearby La Museo Historico Nacional. The museum, which is housed in and around the former residences of the country’s first president and other national heroes, traces the history of Uruguay from its indigenous tribes, to the colonial period, and up to the present time.

We continued walking along the pedestrian-only section of Sarandi Street until we found the Plaza Constitucion, a beautiful park that serves as the heart of the Old City. The park is surrounded by a number of colonial era buildings including the early 19^th century Cabildo (the town hall where Uruguay’s constitution was signed),  the Museo Torres Garcia (which houses the works of some of Uruguay’s most famous artists) and  the beautiful Metropolitan Cathedral (an 18^th century church built in a Spanish neo-classical style).

Our next stop was the gorgeous 19^th century Teatro Solis on Calle Buenos Aires, just a few blocks from the Plaza Constitucion.  Montevideo’s main theatre and opera house, the Solis was built in two sections between 1842 and 1869. The theatre is the oldest still in use in South America, and was fully restored in 2004. It hosts Uruguay’s most important cultural events, and is the site of the Museo Nacional de Historica Natural.

After leaving the theatre, we walked a few feet along Calle Buenos Aries to the Plaza Independencia, which was originally the site of a Spanish citadel. The old 18th-century gate of the original citadel is still standing at the entrance to the park, providing a vivid reminder of the city’s old fortifications. There’s also a large statue in the centre of the plaza dedicated to General Jose Gervasio Artigas, the hero of Uruguay’s independence movement.

By now our feet were getting tired, and our stomachs were starting to growl. Throughout the morning, the winding streets and colonial-era buildings of Montevideo’s Old City had provided a feast for our eyes. Now it was time to return to the wonderful parrillas of the Mercado del Puerto to feast on some of the best barbecued pork, beef, chicken and sausage in South America.  

 Since leaving Valparaiso in Chile for our 14-day cruise around Cape Horn to Buenos Aires, Argentina, we’d had plenty of time to explore our ship, which is one of the many benefits of having to sail long distances between ports of call in regions like South America.

As large ships go, the Radiance of the Seas is a gem, mainly because of the smart way it has been laid out and decorated to feel cozier than comparable ships weighing 90,000 tons and carrying 2,500 people.  For example, there are a number of small bars and intimate lounges like the Schooner Bar, Colony Club, Scoreboard Sports Bar, Champagne Bar, and the Viking Crown Lounge instead of a handful of large, cavernous show lounges. There’s also an intimate Concierge Lounge that’s reserved for the Royal Caribbean’s top level of frequent cruisers and passengers staying in suites, which is run by Juan Diego, the charming and helpful Concierge from Panama.

The same philosophy applies to the ship’s food service, where the main dining room has been divided into several cozy sections and two tiers, and the “Portofino” and “Chops” alternative restaurants have been gracefully decorated to create intimate atmospheres. In addition, the buffet-style Windjammer Café offers a variety of food stations and dining sections including an outdoor patio overlooking the stern, and the tiny Seaview Cafe offers up salads, burgers and light snacks in a bright and airy space lined with large picture windows.

While we had signed up for the second-seating service in the main Cascades dining room, we found the 9:00 pm start time too late (it starts half an hour later on South American cruises), so we switched to the “My Time” dining option. This flexible program allowed us to dine whenever we wanted each night between 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. in a special area of the dining room, as long as we were willing to be seated at whatever table was free when we arrived. Our Head Waiter Bharat, and waiters Rathan and Victors in the “My Time” dining section have been terrific, the food has been great, and the different people we’ve dined with each night have been delightful companions.

One caveat on food: the two alternative restaurants, Portofino Italian and Chops steak house charge $20 and $25 respectively to dine there. Based on our experience, the food isn’t worth the extra charge. In fact, the food in Portofino was no better than what’s available in the main dining room without an extra fee. So save yourself some money, and if you really want a different dining experience, try having lunch ashore.

The cabins aboard the Radiance are reasonably large, with a deluxe ocean view stateroom measuring 179 sq. ft., and the accompanying balcony covering 41 sq. ft. However, the Radiance-class ships have a quirky design feature that impacts the mid-ship balcony cabins  (especially Deck 7) – they are set back further into the ship and overlook a partition protecting the life boats below. And mid-ship balconies on Deck 10 are directly below an overhanging patio on deck 11, which partially obstructs sunlight.

There’s lots to do on a large ship like the Radiance, which makes days at sea a lot more fun and entertaining. For example, there’s a miniature nine-hole golf course, and an electronic golf simulator for those who want to maintain their driving and putting strokes. There’s also a basketball/volleyball court, a rock-climbing wall, a jogging track and a fully-equipped fitness centre with yoga and pilates classes for those who want to stay in shape. There’s also a full casino with slots, roulette, blackjack and dice.

For those who desire more sabyritic pleasures, there’s a day spa with a full range of treatments including Ionithermie anti-cellulite and detoxification treatments, and hot stone massages to balance your spirit. Just outside the spa there’s an area called the “Solarium” which has a hot tub, heated swimming pool, padded lounge chairs and a juice bar in an African-themed oasis under a glass roof. And next door there’s a regular swimming pool with two decks of chaise lounges, two outdoor bars and a bandshell where live music is played poolside (weather permitting) in the early afternoon.

Kids are welcome aboard the Radiance, and there are a variety of activities aimed at various age groups ranging from three months to 17 years of age. For children under three, there are interactive playgroup sessions and a special aqua tots program developed by childhood experts at Fisher-Price. Kids from three to 11 years of age can participate in the Adventure Ocean Youth Program, which offers a blend of educational activities with fun. Teens under 18 years of age can participate in a wide range of supervised events including scavenger hunts, open mic shows, discos and special themed evenings, as well as play in the ship’s video arcade. There aren’t a lot of kids on this cruise, or maybe it just seems so since they are so well occupied and entertained.

The main show lounge aboard the Radiance is the Aurora Theatre, and the entertainment so far has been terrific. There’s been a classical violinist, a comedian, a music impressionist, and a trio of singers from Detroit called “Horizon” who performed Motown classics to a standing ovation. In keeping with the South American theme of our cruise, there have also been Salsa and Samba dance lessons, and a Latin Fiesta in the Colony Club complete with live music by the Mambo Trio, and a fabulous Vegas-style review called “Tango Buenos Aires.” The singing, music and dancing in the Tango show was one of the best I’ve seen afloat, and the audience gave them not one, but two standing ovations. 

During the day and early evening, most people gather in or around the Centrum, the ship’s multi-storey and beautifully designed atrium that is surrounded by various public rooms and boutiques. For example, there’s a coffee shop called “Latte-tudes,” a piano bar in the lobby where a trio plays classical music, a library, a champagne bar and several stores selling jewelry, gifts and clothing. And the entire area can be viewed from a bank of glass-enclosed elevators that ferry passengers up the port side of the Centrum.

Of course, the pinnacle of any Royal Caribbean ship is the Viking Crown Lounge, and the Radiance is no exception. The trademark lounge is located mid-ships at the very top of the vessel and provides stunningly beautiful 180- degree views of the sea below. It’s also home to a pair of clubs called the Hollywood Odyssey and the Starquest, which are popular with late-night revelers.

With so much to see and do on the Radiance, it’s not surprising that we have yet to experience everything on the ship – even after 12 days. However, with two more day left, I’m confident we will have time to sample the remaining bars and restaurants, even if it means skipping a pilates class or two!

The charming, talented and multi-lingual Anthony Richards, Cruise Director aboard the Radiance of the Seas, recently took time out from his busy schedule to speak with me. Here is an edited version of our interview: 

CD:  Hi Anthony. Where are you from? 

AR:  I’m from Vancouver, British Columbia.

CD:  How did you get into cruising? 

AR:  I got into cruising when I graduated university in 2003. I wanted to travel the world and enhance my Spanish, so I joined Royal Caribbean as a part of the Youth Staff.  I thought about doing it for just five months and then I was offered a job on the Splendour of the Seas in Europe. Then, I was offered the opportunity to go to a new build in Finland, the Mariner of the Seas, to develop some kids programs. From there I got a management opportunity as Youth Activity Manager.  This is where my degree in international business came in and I was able manage a team of 6-10 staff of between 5 and 10 different nationalities.  So that worked well for me and eventually I became Assistant Cruise Director, which we call Activities Manager, and eventually Cruise Director. 

CD:  So how many years was it from starting in cruising to becoming Cruise Director? 

AR:  Five and a half years. It gave me the opportunity to a lot about everything in the portfolio before becoming a Cruise Director. 

CD:  So what are you responsible for now, and how many people do you have working for you on this ship?

AR:  I am responsible for all the onboard entertainment and activities, including all the shows we put on.  Depending on the cruise and activities taking place, I have between 80 to a 100 people working for me in our division — right now it’s 85. Some of the key roles include the Activities Manager, who runs all of the Cruise Director staff activities, and the Production Manager, who is responsible for all of the shows and the technical operations in the theatre.  We have a Sports Supervisor who is responsible for all the sports programs including the vitality program which is the evolution of the Ship Shape program.  There’s also an Adventure Ocean Manager who is responsible for all the activities for tots from 6 months old up to 17 years old, and then I have a Musical Director who is responsible for all the onboard musicians and the scheduling of the live music.  

CD:  You speak Spanish very well and often use on the ship. How did you learn it? 

AR:  During my years in university I wanted to study international management.  There were a number of prerequisites including taking a second language.  So I looked at the world Almanac and discovered that Spanish was one of  the most widely spoken language in the world by population.  So I learned the A,B, Cs of the language, and then took an exchange program to a university in Mexico where I lived with a family and became more at home with Spanish. My reading and writing is a lot better than my speaking, because the speaking part comes through practice. On Royal Caribbean I am mainly on European cruises with Spanish speaking guests. They also asked me to come here for the South American itineraries because there would be a lot of Spanish-speaking guests, as well as Portuguese. 

CD:  Do you speak any Portuguese? 

AR:  Very little.  I have my Rosetta Stone and have been working on it.  I am able to welcome them to the shows.  Portuguese and Spanish are very similar. Out of respect for the language and for the Brazilian and Portuguese people onboard, it’s nice to be able to acknowledge them and welcome them as much as you can in their language as well.

CD:  What’s your favourite itinerary for a cruise? 

AR:  Well, this is my first time in this part of the world, so it’s pretty neat. But I have to say I like the western Mediterranean which is where I find myself most of the time – sounds like I am spoiled, which I am!  But the western Med and the south of France is my most favourite.  There is a little town in a bay east of Monte Carlo called Villefranche.  If you ever get the chance to go there, please do. It’s just precious. Many ports in Europe are wonderful and unique in their own way, but for me that place is so relaxing: beautiful scenery, beautiful homes.  I also enjoy Key West if I am in the Caribbean.

CD:  What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you? 

AR:  Well, I haven’t been a Cruise Director for very long.  However one thing I would say is sometimes when you get your introductions wrong on the stage. For example, the other night I had to introduce a tenor and called him a “tender” as I had just finished speaking about boats tendering. And one day we were arriving into Mykonos and I told a group of 700 Mexicans in Spanish that we that we were going to arrive in the downtown of Mexico, instead of Mykonos.  They thought that was very funny. 

CD:  I understand that the Radiance of the Seas is your favourite ship. Why is that? 

AR:  It has a lot to offer. The size of the ship and the venues are absolutely wonderful, and the finishing on this ship is terrific.  It’s very cozy and intimate, and small enough that you will bump into staff like the Cruise Director many times per cruise and you see the same people more than once, but big enough that you have plenty to do.  

CD:  People on the cruise seem to love this itinerary, but Royal Caribbean won’t be offering it again next year. Any particular reason for that? 

AR:  I think it’s mainly driven by the current economic situation which is making it more difficult to sell itineraries to out of way places like this one. Also these longer cruises limit how many people can take them.  It’s also expensive to fly so far to get to the ship.  This is a once in a lifetime trip for most people, and a lot of them right now are putting these types of trips off. In my personal opinion, I think we will be back here one day when the economy improves and demand for it returns. 

CD:  I understand  that you were part of the “take out” teams for a couple of new ships.  What does that entail?  And how different is it to being on a ship that’s been around for a few years, like this one? 

AR:  When you are part of a “take out” team, you are there to help set a new ship up, so to speak.  The team usually comprises some experienced staff whose job is to set up the ship for success.  So when we went over to Finland, our role was to get the itinerary and set up the programming for the Cruise Compasses (the schedule of various theme nights, events, etc.).  The Cruise Director will be looking into what shows to put on, what kind of activities for the type of guests expected.  Really setting up for success.  It’s pretty much a blank slate when you arrive, which is the difference.  You are not following a set path.  You get to be creative, which is the exciting part.  That was also the case on the Radiance when I recently arrived for the South America season as we were on a new itinerary with quite a mix of languages. Typically this ship is touring Alaska, the Caribbean, Panama, or Hawaii with mainly North American English-speaking guests.  For example, the recent Seventies night that we put on here had never appeared on the Radiance before.  And some of our entertainers are a bit more specialized with languages and more appealing to the different demographics we have on board. 

CD:  What about the spectacular Tango show last night?  Is it just for this ship?  Is it new? 

AR:  The Tango show is only run on a few of our ships. I believe only three or four of them as it’s an itinerary specific show.  We got it specifically for our South American season, but we are trying to keep when we go back to Alaska as it’s one of the best additions to the theatre program.

CD:  Final question.  What does a Cruise Director do when he’s not working on a ship? 

AR:  Believe it or not, I’m travelling. I go home to Vancouver for about two weeks usually to see my friends, catch up, and enjoy my new car.  I then sometimes go to Miami, or to visit my parents in Palm Springs.  Or maybe go to South America.  Wherever I haven’t been yet, I am trying to make a point of getting to while I am young. I really do have the travel bug – itchy feet!  I went on an exchange to Australia in grade 10 and haven’t stopped travelling since then.

We awoke to the sound of the Radiance of the Seas dropping her anchor into the gorgeous harbour of Punta del Este at the southernmost tip of Uruguay. As we pulled the drapes open and stepped onto our balcony, all we could see were sand dunes, beautiful beaches and expensive-looking condominiums hugging the shoreline. If we hadn’t just double-checked our itinerary, we could have sworn that we were looking at the ritzy art-deco community of Miami’s South Beach or somewhere on the exclusive shores of the French Riviera.

Located on a small peninsula where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Rio de la Plata some 85 miles (140 km) east of the nation’s capital of Montevideo, Punta del Este sits on 31 miles (50 Km) of breathtaking waterfront. Before it was discovered by South America’s glitterati, the series of small towns that became Punta del Este were nothing more than tiny fishing villages with pretty coves, beautiful beaches and spectacular water views.

Today, Punta is a sizzling hot vacation spot for the rich and famous from Montevideo and Buenos Aires who flock here from November to March. Many of them live in expensive condos that ring the coast, and some even arrive by private yachts which they tie up at the Puerto Punta del Este yacht club near the town’s gastronomical zone of trendy restaurants and bars.

Since Punta and the surrounding region is easy to navigate, we decided to wander around in our own rental car (US$75 per day).  Our first stop was the Faro de Punta del Este, the town’s 45-metre high light house built in the mid-1880s which is one of the few remaining historical buildings left in the city. It sits across the street from the Victorian-style Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria, an old but pretty church painted sky-blue and snow-white.

The port of Punta del Este is just down the street from the church, and that’s where we found fishing boats unloading and cleaning their daily catch, including Corvina, Bratola and Raya. As the fisherman filleted the fish, huge “sea wolves” (sea lions) bobbed up and down in the harbour next to the pier, anxiously waiting for the fishermen to throw them scraps.  If you get to the pier before noon like we did, you’ll get a close-up look at the local community of sea wolves and save yourself the cost of the eight-km boat trip to the nearby Isla de Lobos (Sea Wolf Island).

Instead of going to Isla de Lobos, we took the 15-minute ferry across the harbour to Isla Gorriti, a beautiful public park with pretty beaches, a forest of marine pines, a lighthouse, and the remains of several historical buildings. The island also provides a spectacular view of Punta’s pretty skyline and its sensational beaches, which are usually filled with bikini-clad senoritas, vacationing families and vendors hawking beachwear, sodas and beer.

After spending some time shopping at the chic outlets on Gorleo Avenue and in the street market of Plaza Artigas, we decided to get back in the car and head 25 km east along the coast to the quaint village of Jose Ignacio. This small seaside-town sits on a beautiful expanse of beach on the Atlantic Ocean, and has recently become the “in place” for the rich and famous who want to escape the busy streets and beaches of Punta del Este. While there, we had a delicious lunch of chilled carrot soup and grilled Corvina fish at a wonderful restaurant called “Parador La Huella,” which sits on a sand dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The restaurant and its location were recently featured in an episode of travel writer Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” cable television show.

We decided to make our final stop of the day at the Casapueblo in Puerto Ballena, just a few kilometers west of Punta del Este. The Casapueblo is a stunningly beautiful hotel that sits on the western edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Its organic design by Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaro evokes the modernista style of Barcelona’s Antoni Gaudi, and features a white-washed façade of terraced apartments, gothic-looking spires, a rabbit-warren of hallways and staircases, and varying shapes of balconies and windows. It also has a museum that is open to the public, and like the hotel, provides spectacular views of the sunset. 

By now, it was almost time to return to our ship for the overnight voyage up the Rio de la Plata and our next port of call in the bustling city of Montevideo. We were looking forward to seeing the nation’s capital tomorrow, but for now we just wanted to savour our final few minutes in Punta del Este soaking in the spectacular scenery of the sizzling seaside village of Punta del Este.

During a sea day on the Radiance of the Seas, I recently sat down with Sean O’Shea, the talented entertainer who has been performing his superb musical impressions and comedy aboard cruise ships around the world for close to 20 years. Here is an edited version of our interview: 

CD: Hi Sean. Can you tell us where you are from?

SO: I grew up in a little town east of Vancouver called Maple Ridge in British Columbia, and now live nearby in a town called Pit Meadow.

CD: How did you get into entertainment?

SO: It was the strangest circumstances and luck you can imagine.  After high school I didn’t intend to be an entertainer. I just liked doing the community theatre and things like that.  I was studying to be a geologist, but I needed money for school so I got a job as a waiter at a restaurant that had singing waiters doing a show. Sort of cabaret, vaudeville… hard to describe but it was hilarious.  One day a miracle happened.  All the teachers in university went on strike and on that same day one of the actors didn’t turn up for the show at work.  The boss looked at me and said, “You’ve seen the show many times, get up there and perform.”  And I’ve never stopped performing since. 

CD: How long ago was that?

SO: I think around 1990, 1989.  I built up my chops with their theatre club, learning how to do impressions and impersonations for a while.  Then somebody said to me, “Hey, you could do that on cruise ships.” And I laughed because I didn’t think cruise ships were very hip for performers. You know, here comes another “Gershwin toe-tapper” and the like. But he said “no, no, cruise ships are really modern these days, lots of fun and young clients,” so I went to the audition.  And guess what happens when you really don’t want the job: you get it.  I ended up in Fort Lauderdale two weeks later, then flew to California to join a ship where I fell in love with cruising – and where I fell in love with my wife. 

CD: You met your wife on a cruise ship?

SO: Yes. We were both on the same cruise from Los Angeles and we met during a stop on Catalina Island. So I literally “met my love in Avalon!”  She was the social hostess on board the ship – the only Norwegian social hostess. She was pretty straight forward. When she introduced herself she said, “Hello, my name is Maryanne and I would like to get to know you better.” She was a beautiful Norwegian blonde, and I thought why not?  And we eventually got married.

CD:  Does she still work on ships and get to travel with you?

SO: She doesn’t work on ships anymore, but she understands what it’s like to be away from loved ones when they’re at sea. She worked almost all her life on ships as her father was a sailor, and her father’s father was a sailor, and so on. So the marriage has worked out for us.  She’s in Vancouver now, but will be joining me on the ship later this week.

CD: How often are you on ships?

SO: I work about six months a year on ships, but not six months in a row. It generally works out to be two weeks on the ship, and then two off. 

CD:  Do you work on ships all over the world?

SO:  Yes. In fact I’ve been to so many places, it’s easier to say where I haven’t been.  I’ve not been to Dubai, India, and South Africa.  I’ve been to Hong Kong many times but never stopped anywhere in mainland China like Shanghai, or in Korea, although I have been to Japan.

CD:  You must spend so much time on airplanes travelling to and from cruise ships that you’re at the level of every frequent flier program there is in the world!

SO:  I have enough air miles to fly to the moon!

CD:  What’s the best thing about being a performer on a cruise ship? 

SO:  The best thing is how well cruise ships care for their performers. All we have to do is show up, rehearse and perform. All the other things we sometimes have to worry about on land  like sound, music, lighting, staging, etc. is all taken care of. The other thing is the ability to meet and talk with people during the cruise who have seen my show. In fact, I meet so many people that I sometimes see them again on other cruises and they wave to me and call me by name. Unfortunately, I don’t remember all of their names!

CD:  Have you performed on many cruise lines?

SO:  Quite a few, including Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Silversea, Regent, Celebrity, and Princess.

CD:  Do you have a favourite place you’ve cruise to that you enjoy the most?

SO:  Vietnam, by far the best.  It’s hard to explain why if you haven’t been there.  It’s chaotic, it’s crazy, and the people are just so sweet and kind.  It has a fascinating history, and it’s hard to fathom how they got into that war.  And it’s so different from the stories you hear about it over here.  Their culture, music, dress is all so different. I hope they don’t get too westernized and that they find their own way.

CD:  Any bad things about being a performer on a cruise ship?

SO:  Long breaks between shows, and long sea days.  Now many passengers love that, and I can see why: it’s very relaxing. But I have a little too much energy, so I want to be working or at home with my wife. But the extra time has allowed me to make a lot of friends at sea.

CD: How do you kill the time aboard ship in between shows?

SO:  I have other projects.  I do songwriting. I do music creation. I have a video blog I want to start editing. I like to write; in fact, I should start a blog. I have enough material.  I fill up my days reading, writing, exercise, editing, music creation, music compositions… enough to keep me busy.

CD:  What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you while performing on a cruise ship?

SO:  The funniest thing involved an audience, which is where I sometimes get material from unintentionally. One of my favourite routines is when I pick up a stemmed martini glass and stemmed one, and ask the audience “who do you think I’m going to be impersonating next?” The answer of course is Dean Martin.  But this time a little girl in the front row yelled out “the Captain!”  I laughed so loud I had to stop the band, compose myself, and meanwhile the audience was howling as they heard it too.  I said, “someone write that down!”

CD:  What comes next after performing on cruise ships, or do you see yourself doing this until you are 75?

SO:  I wish I could do this until I’m 75, but I think one day I will do more song writing, and more gigs on land. I’ve done a few contracts with casinos and corporate events.  It’s good money, but one thing about cruise lines is they take such good care of you and it’s such a great environment.  With the corporate jobs you have to take care of everyone else: you hire the sound man, the bands, the people and make sure it all comes together.  So part of me says take less money and continue to perform at sea.

CD:  The other benefit of being a ship’s performer is that you get to see the world.

SO:  We do, but sometimes you get so jaded. People ask me what’s your favourite port, and I answer “the one with the fastest internet connection!”

The whining sound of tenders being lowered from davits on the starboard side of the ship should have been the first sign that something had gone amuck in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. After all, we were supposed to be docking at the pier, not taking tenders ashore for our day in this small seaside town in the Patagonian province of Chabut near the scenic Valdes Peninsula. But it was early, and we were still half asleep and in desperate need of our first coffee of the day.

However, there was no mistaking the next sign as the Captain’s voice came crackling through the public address system a few minutes later.

 “As you may have noticed,” Captain Trym Slevag told us in a slight Norwegian accent, “we’ve put the tenders in the water because we won’t be able to dock at the pier as planned.  There’s a freighter parked in our spot at the pier that had a small fire early this morning and doesn’t have any power to move right now. I’ve been talking to everyone I could find onshore for the last hour to see what can be done. In the meantime, we’ve sent our tenders ashore to see if they can find a suitable place for us to operate them from.” 

By now hundreds of people were up and milling around the ship, anxiously awaiting permission to go ashore and begin their much anticipated shore excursions. There had been hundreds of tours booked for Puerto Madryn to amazing places like the Punta Tombo penguin colony (one of the largest in South America); Puerto Piramides to see Southern Right whales; the Punta Loma Reserve where there’s a large colony of sea lions; and the colonial town of Geiman with its famous Welsh tea houses. And since most of the tours were scheduled to start soon, they were now in peril of being missed or cancelled. 

About 30 minutes later the tenders returned to our ship and the Captain provided an update over the PA system. He told us there was no suitable place in town to operate the tenders from, mainly because the pier was far too high for the small tenders to safely embark and disembark passengers. An available berth further along the pier and another possibility at a smaller pier were both in waters that were too shallow for our large cruise ship. And there were no tug boats in the port that could move the freighter out of our spot at the pier.  

We were out of options to get people ashore in time for their tours, so they were all cancelled with full refunds. 

It was now 9:00 a.m., and the Captain announced he would be putting a full day’s program of activities in place aboard the ship despite the fact that he was continuing to work with local officials to find a way to get us ashore. Officers and crew members, some of whom may have been given shore leave for the day, were now called into action to entertain, feed and care for all 2,500 passengers at the last minute. 

The response was amazing. Within 20 minutes Cruise Director Anthony Richards was on the PA system announcing a complete set of events and activities for the day, including sports tournaments, dance classes, trivia contests, a destination lecture and a poolside barbecue. And within 90 minutes, freshly printed and revised daily activity newsletters called the “Cruise Compass” were being distributed to all cabins. 

At 11:00 a.m. the Captain came back on the PA system with the news we had all been expecting: we were pulling up anchor and heading out to sea as there was nothing local officials could do to free up our docking space, or set up a safe place for our tenders to disembark passengers. It was disappointing news, but we all knew it was not the fault of our Captain and crew. They had handled the situation flawlessly, had kept us informed and up to date on what was happening throughout the morning, had done a marvelous job in setting up a day of replacement activities at the last minute, and had been diplomatic and apologetic throughout. In fact, later that evening Captain Selvag even sent a personal letter to every guest explaining the situation again, and offering his apologies and regrets. 

However, that didn’t seem to appease a small group of passengers who began brewing a mini-rebellion.  They developed a conspiracy theory that the Captain had purposely kept them from going ashore so they would be forced to spend more money on board the ship. Believe it or not, the group got so many people worked up that they demanded and got a meeting with one of the officers to air their grievances, and the Captain made an announcement  the next morning referencing the false rumour and providing an explanation once again.  The announcement, like all of the others before it, was repeated in the major languages aboard ship including English, Spanish, German and French. I advised the Captain to ply the mutineers with Pisco Sours, serenade them with rebellious accordion music, and lead them in a mass audience tangao dance. It didn’t work, and the South American rebels are threatening to make placards and picket the ship in a future port (I’m not kidding).  

In my view, if there is any blame for the palaver at Puerto Madryn, it is clearly in the hands of the local port authorities. They didn’t inform our ship of the problems at the pier until we approached early that morning, and seemed either uninterested or incapable of figuring out a solution in a timely fashion.  I’m sure they will be hearing about their shameful behaviour from the dozens of local tour operators, restaurants and gift shops who lost a fortune in profits that day, as well as from the hundreds of local tourism industry workers who may have lost out on wages and tips.

If there’s a lesson in all of this, it’s that passengers should never take for granted that a particular port of call or favourite shore excursion will automatically be available. There are all sorts of reasons why a port or tour might be skipped, including rough seas, emergencies on board ship, or the lack of suitable docking space. So don’t put off doing or seeing something that may be available earlier in the cruise, or you may be sadly disappointed. 

But as long as the captains, officers and crew handle these types of situations as well as the team on the Radiance did, it won’t be a disappointment that lasts for long – at least, it won’t be for those who don’t engage in silly conspiracy theories and question the integrity of their own captain.

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