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Day 25 – January 19, 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil → Raleigh, NC We met up for breakfast around 9:15 am and decided to keep the day low-key. Marguerite was still doing some last-minute damage control, and Catherine and Scott were being picked up earlier than us, so after a bit of discussion, we opted

Day 24 – January 18, 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil We met up for breakfast around 8:30 am, both of us feeling refreshed after a great night’s sleep. The others, however, had clearly enjoyed the night before and didn’t roll in until around 1 am—sounds like a good time was had 😂. Catherine had already

Day 23 – January 17, 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil We met up early for breakfast and then set off for a full day of sightseeing with Sergio, our guide, and Joel, our driver. Our tour began with a drive up Corcovado Hill, ascending about 4 km through Tijuca National Park, the world’s largest urban

Day 22 – January 16, 2026 Foz do Iguaçu, Argentina → Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It was another early start today—we were up at 6:15 am, packed up, and ready to go when Eduardo picked us up at 8 am. Our morning was spent visiting the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls, which offers a completely

Day 21 – January 15, 2026 Foz do Iguaçu, Argentina It was an early start today—we met for breakfast at 6 am since Eduardo was picking us up at 6:50. Today’s plan: exploring the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls, and we couldn’t have been more excited! Catherine had arranged a private tour with Eduardo, which

Day 20 – January 14, 2026 Buenos Aires, Argentina Today marked the official end of our cruise as we returned to Buenos Aires—a moment that felt both satisfying and a little bittersweet. We truly loved the ship, the incredible food, and all the thoughtful personal touches that made the experience so special. We disembarked around

Day 19 – January 13, 2026 Montevideo, Uruguay(Day 17 on the ship) Today, John, Scott, and I headed off on an excursion that combined two of our favorite things—wine and cooking. We were picked up by our driver and guide, Ricardo, along with Soledad, and enjoyed a scenic 45-minute drive into the hills surrounding Montevideo.

Day 18 – January 12, 2026 At Sea(Day 16 on the ship) We woke up this morning to straight-up pea soup fog—so thick you literally couldn’t see anything. The foghorn was sounding off intermittently, which definitely added to the atmosphere. Since we weren’t sure how much food would be involved in our cooking class (and

Day 17 – January 11, 2026 At Sea(Day 15 on the ship) Today we continued sailing north through the Atlantic Ocean, making our way toward Montevideo, Uruguay, where we’re scheduled to arrive at 8 am on January 13. We slept in a bit this morning, then all met up for Sunday brunch around 10:40 am—and

Day 16 – January 10, 2026 Stanley, Falkland Islands(Day 14 on the ship) We arrived in Stanley, Falkland Islands, right on time at 7 am, with a 9 am excursion lined up to see Gentoo penguins. We enjoyed room service for breakfast, then headed down to the theater to pick up our tender tickets for

Day 15 – January 9, 2026 Drake Passage(Day 13 on the ship) Today was another day at sea, cruising north through the Drake Passage, and it turned out to be one of those unexpectedly fascinating behind-the-scenes days. We had breakfast delivered to the room this morning since John had signed up for a ship tour

Day 14 – January 8, 2026 At Sea – Cruising Elephant Island(Day 12 on the ship) We arrived at Elephant Island a little later than planned this morning after having to reroute around ice. After a quick cup of coffee and a light bite, we bundled up and headed up on deck—it was definitely cooler

Day 13 – January 7, 2026 South Shetland Islands(Day 11 on the ship) Today was another day at sea, cruising through the stunning South Shetland Islands. Our first stop was Deception Island, where we spent about an hour before continuing along the island chain. Most of the morning was spent up on deck, soaking in

Day 12 – January 6, 2026 Antarctic Peninsula(Day 10 on the ship) We woke up this morning to icebergs—and wow, what a breathtaking sight! Truly magnificent. We spent a good part of the morning on the top deck, cameras in hand, watching as we sailed through this icy wonderland. Photos were taken nonstop, and honestly,