Celebrity pre cruise to Manchu Pichu

[mittenscat23]

Has anyone done this cruise tour or planning on it? I am thinking of this before my March 11 2012 cruise out of Santiago.

Thanks

[bubbachief]

Has anyone done this cruise tour or planning on it? I am thinking of this before my March 11 2012 cruise out of Santiago.

Thanks

 

Don't know anything about how long the tour is, but if I was going to Manchu Pichu I would allow 4-5 days to do a tour. We visitd MP on our own after a cruise that ended in Santiago two years ago. We spent three nights, 1 1/2 days in Cusco, then did the train day trip to M where we really only had about 5 hours there. If we had it to do over would have spent an extra day in Cusco then take two days to go to MP. There is really alot to see in and around Cusco and it's probably a once in a lifetime trip.

[boogs]

Has anyone done this cruise tour or planning on it? I am thinking of this before my March 11 2012 cruise out of Santiago.

Thanks

 

Unlike the pre-cruise excursion you are considering, we considered doing Machu Picchu as an excursion during our South America/Panama Canal cruise three years ago, but because of the cost and time away from the ship, we decided to take an extra week and do it on our own. For less than the cost of the three day ship's excursion, we had a full week in Peru and Chile. We spent three days in Cusco, the most often used transfer point into Machu Picchu. We stayed at the very nice Libertador Palacio del Inka Cusco for three nights to get acclimated to the elevation (our hometown is close to sea level). While there we wandered around this wonderful city, and enjoyed a private tour excursion around the area one afternoon. Then we took the Hiram Bingham luxury train to Aquas Caliente, the town at the base of the mountain that Machu Picchu is on. The train ride is truely spectacular, and this train is very luxurious. With less than 90 passengers, gourmet food, included drinks and lively entertainment, the train trip itself was worth taking. We visited Machu Piccu that afternoon with a private guide, then checked into the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel, another beautiful hotel with a nature preserve as part of the property. A second day on Maccu Picchu and we headed back to our hotel in Cusco before catching an early plane the next day to Santiago and a one night stay at the Radisson Plaza Hotel. This hotel was just OK, so I won't recommend it. The next day we headed out to Valparaiso - where the ship docks - and stayed at the Hotel Manoir Atkinson for one night, a small seven room boutique hotel overlooking the bay. If you stay here, ask for room #7, the "Magie et Horizons (Magic & Horizons)" suite. With a private balcony with views on all three sides of Valparaiso and the harbor, this room is a wonderful way to get yourself psyched for your cruise!

 

All flights, transfers with private cars, hotels, private Cusco excursion, round trip train ride, and two day Maccu Picchu visit with private guide, was organized by our TA. The total cost for these seven days was less than the ship's excursion - and we didn't miss out on three days away from the ship and our stateroom, which you still pay for even though you aren't aboard.

[Granny DI]

We did a Princess post cruise trip to Machu Picchu in 2006. The most amazing trip we've ever taken...don't miss Machu Picchu. I think the precruise tour is the better idea. We were worn out by the end of the cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago as we have to see and do everything!!! The other advice I have is to READ as many books as possible before you decide on the Celebrity precruise or to go it alone. An excellent book that I just finished reading is "Turn Right at Machu Picchu". I read about it in the Sunday book section of my local paper. I prefer the ships tours when I'm doing something "exotic". There are threads for Machu Picchu pre/post cruise on other cruiseline boards...just do a search for Machu Picchu.