Questions about South American Cruise

I am wondering if December is a good time to a South American cruise? What kind of itinerary is good and what cruise line? We have cruised many times but I don't know anything about this part of the world and am looking for a Dec. Destination. Any guidance about must see ports, best cruise lines for this, weather in Dec is appreciated!

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We did HAL (Zaandam) from BA to Santiago (now San Antonio, Chile). All of the ports were great, but Puerto Montt and Stanley. Falkland Islands both were stand-outs.

Stanley for the penguin excursion to Volunteer Point (all day, 4 wheel drive, non-ship excursion with Estancia)

Puerto Montt for the scenery..(all day, small bus, Viator (non-ship) excursion...Orsorno volcano, petrohue falls)

We followed the cruise with a DIY to Machu Picchu in Peru and then back to the US.

HAL small ship meant fewer tender ports, tho there were more than one. Princess and Celebrity, with their larger ships will have more tendering.

Because we have friends who did not go with us....we will likely go again...same itinerary...maybe add Antarctica, too.

December is perfect...it is early summer...the penguin chicks have hatched but still with their mothers (so cute). Weather was all over the place. Cape Horn was placid...like a farm pond...sunny and bright. Hard to believe we were at the end of the world. It did rain in several places, but not long term, drenching storms...misty to moderate rain...usually lasting an hour or two.

We are on a December cruise from Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires on Celebrity eclipse. December is usually an inexpensive time to cruise and the prices for a veranda on this Cruise are currently under $100 a day.

Fellow Torontonian we are on the new Azamara Pursuit this December as we want warmth.

We are doing the Christmas New Years from Buenos Aries round trip. It goes to Rio and after two days we sit off Copacabana Beach for the fire works.

It is a small relaxed ship that docks in places the big ones can not.

I would not by any means call this time of year cheap as it is their holiday time also.

The cost of flight from Toronto was high.

We are on a December cruise from Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires on Celebrity eclipse. December is usually an inexpensive time to cruise and the prices for a veranda on this Cruise are currently under $100 a day.

December BEFORE Christmas would have been more correct.

Around the Horn is great. I recommend sailing from Buenos Aires to Chile. That way take a few days to spend in BA prior to your cruise.

December is Summer, so prepare accordingly. Our cruise was in early January.

Here is my review of our cruise in 2014.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=248878

December BEFORE Christmas would have been more correct.

Yes I would agree that early Dec would be less expensive

We did HAL (Zaandam) from BA to Santiago (now San Antonio, Chile).

 

HAL small ship meant fewer tender ports, tho there were more than one. Princess and Celebrity, with their larger ships will have more tendering.

 

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. Always 3 sometimes 4

You could take this up with HAL....we had 2 tendered ports on the Dec 6, 2016, 14 day sailing of the Zaandam from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Stanley and Puerto Montt.

The others were docking events.

I had this conversation on another thread and it seems that Punta Arenas is usually a tender port for the larger ships (like Princess).

We actually docked at the industrial pier some distance east of downtown, which meant a $2. shuttle from ship to the park in downtown Punta Arenas.

I have no way of knowing if this is normal or an exception...but I do know we did not tender in Punta Arenas.

You could take this up with HAL....we had 2 tendered ports on the Dec 6, 2016, 14 day sailing of the Zaandam from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Stanley and Puerto Montt.

 

The others were docking events.

 

I had this conversation on another thread and it seems that Punta Arenas is usually a tender port for the larger ships (like Princess).

 

We actually docked at the industrial pier some distance east of downtown, which meant a $2. shuttle from ship to the park in downtown Punta Arenas.

 

I have no way of knowing if this is normal or an exception...but I do know we did not tender in Punta Arenas.

You could take this up with HAL....we had 2 tendered ports on the Dec 6, 2016, 14 day sailing of the Zaandam from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. Stanley and Puerto Montt.

 

The others were docking events.

 

I had this conversation on another thread and it seems that Punta Arenas is usually a tender port for the larger ships (like Princess).

 

We actually docked at the industrial pier some distance east of downtown, which meant a $2. shuttle from ship to the park in downtown Punta Arenas.

 

I have no way of knowing if this is normal or an exception...but I do know we did not tender in Punta Arenas.

We also had the same experience in March 3018: tendered at Stanley and P. Montt on Zaandam.

January, 2013, Veendam: Tendered Chacabuco, Castro, would have also tendered Stanley and P. Montt had the weather allowed. We tried docking, then tendering in Ush, but had to abort due to fierce winds. We docked in P. Arenas (not the same dock as we docked Zaandam).

I did this trip with HA in November and had a great time! Weather was cool and fine....got to dock at the Falklands, and only a bit rough going through Drake passage. Penguins were just laying eggs, so not many baby chicks, but lots of penguins in the Falklands and Magdelena Island. Loved, loved, loved this cruise and want to do this same one in the near future!!!!!!!!