We flew from JFK to BA on Delta - a nice non-stop, something very few people on this cruise were able to do. We used the Princess hotel program and I am extremely pleased. We were met at the airport and promptly brought to the Intercontinental hotel. I did not even have to touch my luggage. Check in was a breeze and my room was upgraded(get the Ambassador card if you plan to stay at Intercontinental hotels - big perks!) We checked out the town, bought some nice (cheap prices in this city)gifts and went back to the hotel where we could check in for the cruise - amazingly painless, we even left our luggage outside our room and never had to touch it until it was delivered to the ship! After this we took in a Tango show through Alan at BA tours (met Mezza there amongst others) Great steak! Very expensive and overpriced for BA but entertaining none-the-less. The next day we toured a bit in the morning - the Recoleta cemetery was very nice and a $4 cab ride! With the Princess transfers we were bused over and rather than a pointless drive around the city we were told that the port was not busy and we could get on the ship quickly which we all cheered since we had heard it was usually a nightmare to embark. We got to the port and was on the ship in less than 5 minutes, we were one of the lucky ones. The ship is nice, after my 3 small ship cruises it took a bit getting used to but the cabin was very close to an elevator and I quickly found the easiest ways to get places. We had booked an extended balcony cabin which was worth every penny and for my money better than the mini suites on the deck below as the view and partial covering was priceless - especially in the rain or snow. The room was a bit smaller but the balcony was twice the size. We found the food to be excellent, surprising considering the size of the ship. We chose traditional and had a table for 4 which quickly turned into a table for 2 because the couple that sat with us evidently hated us! We had to move our table due to large noisy tables that we in the middle of but this was done quickly and we ended up with a large table for 6 to ourselves the rest if the cruise. We had a very nice waitress as well. The alternative restaurant - Sabitini's is simply a must. My Italian wife is hard to please when it comes to dining out Italian but this place is simply amazing. Can't decide what to eat on the menu? YOU GET EVERYTHING ON IT! Did this twice - very southern Italian. We did not try to Steakhouse. The ship really does not offer a lot on sea days but I found enough to do. The shops were nice and there was food everywhere. The casino was very empty most of the cruise, a shame since it is the largest I think of any ship. Ports: The Falkland Islands were great, a rare warm day and we saw lots of penguins at Gypsy Cove, had fish and chips at a local restaurant and bought lots of beautiful wool in the raw to make sweaters and scarves. People were extremely friendly and we even had a British Air Force jet buzz us at the cove. The trip to Antarctica was smooth and the 3 days we spent there were amazing. Princess was awesome here, there was an expert on board who gave nice narration along with another who had been there many times. Pointing out the sights to us and telling us where to look for wildlife and ice was priceless and we saw lots of ice and the trip through Iceberg Alley was awesome. The captain was amazing here ensuring that everyone could see the most that was possible. We left a day early due to impending storms - good choice in hindsight as the trip through the Drake passage was VERY ROUGH indeed. Ushuaia, Argentina was another nice sleepy port town but the shipping here was not like BA, very very expensive. We did our one ship's excursion here and it was run very well. The train at the end of the world and Ensenada Bay. Don't miss the handicraft area when reboarding the ship. Punta Arenas, Chile was another great day. Go to the main square and you will be amazed at what you can buy for so little. We bought the most here and spent the least. Some really great handmade items and also had a great lunch at a local restaurant. By the away - leaving Ushuaia make sure you get to the starboard side on the way to Punta Arenas if you travel this way as there is some awesome scenery that once again our captain made sure everyone knew about. The trip back to Valparaiso was rough the first day thought the Straits of Magellan but uneventful the final 2 days. Upon disembarkation(everything ran about an hour late) we were taken to the hotel in Santiago and right to the hotel. Once again Princess was great here as well as leaving the next day to the airport, I am so glad this time I did not do my own air and land. The airport in Santiago is a mess when checking in to your flight - it could take a LONG TIME unless you go business class - crazy long lines. By the way, I felt the entertainment on the ship was seriously lacking save for one or 2 shows. Definitely geared to the over 70 crowd. Great trip - worth it once in a lifetime. Next year back to Tahiti....