Best Months to cruise South America

[Trobrah]

I know there has been some discussion about the following but I thought I would try to ask all my queries in one place. Please bear with me as my DW and I only just decided that we want to do this itinerary and we plan to book within a few days.

Anyway,

1)What is the best month (s) from November to April weather-wise or are the weather patterns similar from month to month. I'm thinking about the types of clothing we will need to bring ?

2)What are the best ports and months to see penguins. I have seen that the Falklands islands is very good but also that some ships miss it due to bad weather conditions. Are the penguins always in the same locations or do they migrate at certain times of the year.

3)What are the best times to see baby chicks?

4)Are there any pros or cons to cruising in a particular month other than weather and the ability to see penguins?

5) What are any advantages/disadvantages of going east/west or west/east?

Thank you very much,

Jay

[J-D]

The Falklands are the best place to see penguins in part because it is easy to see at least 3 species there, including the large King Penguin. At the usual stops in southern S. Am., one is likely to see only one species, the Magellanic Penguin. However, one should be prepared for the possibility of missing one or more ports, especially Stanley (Falklands). During our two cruises "round the Horn", both in February, we missed Stanley on one trip, and we missed Punta Arenas on the other. Even if the Falklands is the primary place where you plan to visit penguin colonies, it would be wise to plan to visit at least one of the colonies in S. Am., e.g., during stops at Puerto Madryn or Punta Arenas.

 

I am not sure about the seasonal schedule of the various species on the Falklands, but the Magellanic Penguins that one sees around southern S. Am. start to leave their colonies by late February, and numbers present thereafter will be reduced. Also, numbers present and visible on land vary from day to day even at a specific time of year -- another reason to plan for visits to penguin colonies during more than one port. Our visit to Otway Sound near Punta Arenas on 22 Feb. 2013 was on a relatively warm and near-calm day, and unusually small numbers of Magellanics (even for 22 Feb.) were visible that particular day.

 

With some planning, it is quite possible to see much more than "just" the penguins during visits to any of these ports, so giving some priority to the penguins does not preclude seeing other things.

 

John

Edited April 15, 2014 by J-D

[Trobrah]

J-D,

Thank you for your response. It was most helpful.

Jay

[Duane T]

We were on the Golden Princess this past December which cruised from Los Angeles around Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro. We had great weather and calm seas during the cruise. We had a port side Balcony which gave us a front row seat going around the Horn from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans.

 

We had great weather at all ports although it snowed a bit when we went to see the Penguins in Punta Arenas, Chile.

 

You,ll need to dress for all 4 seasons as you get hot weather around the Equator to cold snowy conditions the closer you get to the Horn.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It will be cold and it will be hot ..

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for the info! I have been reading about the weather online but there is nothing like information from cruisers who have been there. The penguin information was an added plus for me.

[Keith1010]

Weather in many of these ports, particularly those that are further south, are like many places around the world meaning there is a wide range of weather that you could encounter. History means nothing. I have been to many of these ports over the years and my experience was different even year over year. Most cruises are December through March. Personally I prefer January into mid-February.

 

Keith

[Linda the Book Lover]

Weather in many of these ports, particularly those that are further south, are like many places around the world meaning there is a wide range of weather that you could encounter. History means nothing. I have been to many of these ports over the years and my experience was different even year over year. Most cruises are December through March. Personally I prefer January into mid-February.

 

Keith

 

Thanks for the month information which is helpful for me.