Greetings from Onboard Splendour of the Seas!

The sights and sounds of South America are scintillating, and it's been an amazing journey so far. We began our adventure in Santos where many of us arrived after an overnight flight. It is wonderful to meet our good friends we've cruised with many times before with the chance to get to know many more of our loyal Crown & Anchor members. With 600 members and so much to do, we are ready to take on the trip of a lifetime!

Our day in Rio de Janiero began with a trip up to the top of Corcovado Mountain to see the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. We were blessed with perfect weather, and the locals told us that it was the first time in three weeks Rio had blue skies and sunshine. The view from the peak afforded breathtaking views from the mountain down to the valley and ocean below. The afternoon gave us a chance to stroll along Impanema Beach, made famous by the song.

Our sea days on the way to Buenos Aires were filled with activities designed to thrill and delight our members like the Crayola art classes, salsa dancing, and the ever-popular beaded-jewelry making. Maria Sastre, the Vice President of our Latin American region, was on hand to greet members at the Platinum/Diamond mimosa party along with Captain Yngvar Knutsen.

And what a special treat we had on tap for our Diamond Members! We toured through the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the famous La Ventana Tango House in the historic San Telmo district to take in one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen. What a spectacular sensation! The Tango show was a unique and inspiring event that evoked the emotional character of days gone by. Not only were we treated to fabulous tango, but also fantastic singers including a heart-rendering number from "Evita", authentic Andean music with native flutes and guitar, the breathtaking performance and mesmerizing rhythms of the Argentinean Gauchos. The live music provided by four old-world accordion players and other instrumentalists added to the passionate atmosphere. All this set in a wonderful and very intimate venue where we enjoyed delicious Malbec red wine and snacks. The experience completely exceeded my expectations and I know that our Diamond Members thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular.

Just a quick trip through the famous Florida Street for shopping to find some deals on leather goods and wine before we head back to the ship to prepare for our rounding of Cape Horn. This will be the first time a Royal Caribbean ship has rounded the Cape and of course we are all brimming with excitement for this unique event! I would love to hear what kinds of adventures South America has inspired for you.

If you like reading this article there are others about our previous member cruises and travel locations featured in the 'Crown & Anchor Society' group at Gather. Go to the yellow bar at the top of the page and click 'featured articles'. By clicking, you will go to a page of featured articles by me. Clicking on the three buttons to the right: 'articles', 'images', and 'video', you will get a list of items featured from other group members by scrolling down. Enjoy!

To see more images from this trip, scroll through the pictures in the upper right hand corner of this article.

Are you a Crown & Anchor Society member? Connect with other members and share your insights. Click here to join the group. If you're not a member but have cruised with Royal Caribbean before, become a member today at royalcaribbean.com/crownandanchor!