Itinerary struggle: Panama Canal or PC and South America

[HappyTvlr]

Please let me know your thoughts and experiences that might help with our choice. We’re not factoring in the ship, but certain ports. We are really torn between the port stops in Guatemala and Costa Rica on the PC cruise, and the port stops in Ecuador and multiple stops in Chile. I’m drawn to the PC/SA itinerary, but the ports seem less interesting than those on the PC cruise. Using the shore excursions listed on Celebrity as a starting point, most of the options in Chile are very expensive private tours. I understand that these are inflated when compared to me booking on my own, but I am using them as a baseline for locations I have not yet visited. Thanks in advance!

[CruiserBruce]

Sorry, but pretty vague questions here. We don't know anything about you, your interests or limitations, or the cruise routes you are considering. Hard to offer any suggestions.

[Outlanderssc]

If you're looking at one of the "Miami to Valparaiso" cruises, some of the stops are definitely "local color" tours, that is we take you around the counrtyside and show you what's there. That said, you might work a stop in Machu Pichu which would be worth a LOT of local color.

 

Another thing to consider on "repo" cruises, the cost of travel. I looked at a South America tour like that one, getting to Miami was $79 but getting back from Valparaiso was $2,200pp one way, plus a 1.5 hour $150pp bus ride to the airport. The airfare was more than the cruise - and it's a 15 hour red-eye flight to boot.

 

Of course, fares will be different when you travel, but do figure that in.

[Keith1010]

If you could list out all of the ports on each respective itinerary that would help out.

 

Keith

[fleckle]

PC and South America is definitely a superior itinerary if you don't disembark at Valparaiso to fly back because the best part comes after that.

 

So remain on the ship for the B2B around Cape Horn and fly home from Buenos Aires, or one of the other cities on the east coast.