Can I visit S. America on a Southern Carib. cruise?

[foto451]

I would like to say that I have been to South America, you know for my bucket list. And Central America for that matter, but that´s not the point here.

 

I cannot take a three week cruise (Holland America has a fantastic three week cruise including a day in Cartagena, Columbia), at the most two weeks. The nearest I can get is Aruba or Curacao. I have looked for excursions to Venezuela but haven't been able to find any.

Does anyone know if any exist? Or do you need a visa?

 

Thank you,

Klaus

[Velvetwater]

Carnival have a 13 night Panama Canal cruise that does Columbia, Costa Rica, Cayman and Mexico in August. If you do not mind different embark/debark ports. You are from Europe like me so you can either book very reasonably priced flights with Carnival or act quickly and book multi stop flights online. You can tick off many things with this cruise!

 

It starts in Tampa FL and ends in Los Angeles CA 17th August to the 30th.

 

We are booked on it and cannot wait! It is on a ship called the Legend and she is wonderful and the perfect size with a bargain price.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Velvetwater

[fishywood]

Princess has 10 and 11 night round trip cruises from Ft Lauderdale that call at Cartagena, Colombia.

Previously there have been Southern Caribbean cruises that called at Isla Margarita, Venezuela. But given the current political climate I don't think they will be returning.

[Extra Kim]

Well technicaly Aruba is located in S. America.

[Keith1010]

Yes you can visit a portion of South America such as Cartagena, Colombia.

 

I would get the assistance of a travel agent to help you with this.

 

Keith

[KirkNC]

Well technicaly Aruba is located in S. America.

 

I don't believe that is true.

[foto451]

Hi all.

Thank you for your many and varied answers.

 

Velvetwater. Hello! The trip through the Panama Canal is yet another thing I would like to do, but in the summer I am going to Paris (re-tracking Tom Baker's Doctor Who adventure "City of Death" from 1979). And SO many other things.

Are you ending in LA? So you will be able to see the Pacific?! Arghh. :cool:

 

Fishywood: I cannot find any cruise going there. I had already looked. Would have been fun to have a Princess cruise, they are on my bucket list as well, having seen "that" tv-series when I was young.

 

Extra Kim: Like Antarctica I want to be on the continent, not an island just off-shore. I am a purist in these things. And I have looked for "real" Antarctic expeditions, way out of my league, sadly.

 

Keith1010: Yes, I shall have to do that. Thank you for telling me what I didn't really wanted to do.

 

Klaus

[paul929207]

During the winter, Princess and other lines have Panama Canal cruises. Many go between the US east coast (usually Miami or Fort Lauderdale) and the US west coast (LA or SF). Many of these cruises stop at Cartegna, Colombia.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL's Zuiderdam does 10 and 11 day cruises from November until about March in the Caribbean out of Ft Lauderdale.

The 11 day cruise does go to Cartagena as well as doing a partial Panama Canal visit.

[Stratheden]

Well technicaly Aruba is located in S. America.

 

They are the Dutch Islands of the Carribean and belong to the Netherlands

[John Bull]

Cartagena is the most likely, as you'll note from other replies.

 

Isla Margarita is in Venezuela, but I understand where you're coming from.

Occasionally ships include La Guairá, on the Venezuela mainland. Certainly Princess and P&O have done so.

They call there for two reasons

- fuel is about as cheap as ships will find in the Caribbean

- it's an hour or so from Caracas.

It's probably the worst port-of-call in the Caribbean, and the most dangerous - this from someone who rates Jamaica as tolerably safe. :rolleyes:

Folk are advised for good reason not to simply wander ashore, and the place is grubby and uninteresting anyway.

But it is the gateway to Caracas, which is well worth visiting though only on a ship's or private tour.

 

That one day would give you a false impression of South America, and probably but unreasonably put you off the whole continent for life. :eek:

Better to put South America on the back burner until you can do a proper South American cruise - places like Rio or BA.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

 

JB

[Nebr.cruiser]

Your best bet is to find a cruise that stops in Cartegena; it's often a port on 10-11 day partial canal transits, ( and occasionally on other itineraries) and is 'real' South America.

 

Many years ago we took a cruise that ported in Venezuela and we took a tour to Caracas; This was in the 70's, and even then Caracas was an eye-opener. I don't think I would want to go right now, as unfortunately I don't think it's very safe--and we've been to quite a few questionable areas in the world.

 

I understand wanting to touch base on a certain continent. We would like to hit Australia and Antarctica, for the same reason.

[KroozFoolz]

Celebrity Equinox 11 nights

Roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale - includes a stop at Cartagena, Columbia

[LHT28]

Check for Western Caribbean or partial Panama cruises they will hit Columbia & Central American ports like Belize, Roatan

 

Check HAL Celebrity & Oceania have a 14 day

 

Depends on the month you want to go, budget & number of days you have

 

Pullmantur have 7 day cruises r/t from Caracas mostly Spanish speaking guests

 

P & O from Barbados may work for you

Edited May 29, 2014 by LHT28

[sail7seas]

Well technicaly Aruba is located in S. America.

 

 

:confused:

 

Could you please explain this?

 

Thanks.

 

[Extra Kim]

I don't believe that is true.

 

They are the Dutch Islands of the Carribean and belong to the Netherlands

Well as it turns out, some maps include them in S. America and some don`t :rolleyes:

In this map it´s included in S. America but on an other map I have it´s included in N. America. Look for the grey line with the word "Världsdelsgräns".

[John Bull]

Well as it turns out, some maps include them in S. America and some don`t :rolleyes:

 

In this map it´s included in S. America but on an other map I have it´s included in N. America.

 

Sorry Kim, you're onto a loser if you think you'll be able to convince the rest of us ;)

Isla Margarita is at least part of a South American country. :p

 

JB :)

[Extra Kim]

Well Google it and you will find different answers depening on what site you find. As I told you, some say that it´s a part of N. America and some say it´s a part of S. America. :o

[Velvetwater]

Well Google it and you will find different answers depening on what site you find. As I told you, some say that it´s a part of N. America and some say it´s a part of S. America. :o

 

Hate to add even more confusion but a lot of European schools teach North and South America as the same continent (At least they did when I was younger in the 90s)...thus it is in America/The Americas. The kids I teach now are too young to get on to map work.

 

I am personally indifferent to the whole thing....as long as I cruise. :P

Edited May 29, 2014 by Velvetwater

[BruceMuzz]

I don't believe that is true.

 

The US Government requires passengers on an open loop cruise between 2 US Ports to visit a foreign port that is not part of North America or Central America.

Most Caribbean Islands do not satisfy this requirement.

Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire do satisfy the requirement.

 

So at least in the eyes of the US Government, the ABC Islands do appear to be part of South America.

Isla Margarita, just a few miles south of the ABC Islands, is usually considered part of South America.

Devil's Island, just South of the Eastern Caribbean Islands, is often called part of South America. Brazilian Immigration lists it as a South American port.

[BruceMuzz]

They are the Dutch Islands of the Carribean and belong to the Netherlands

 

Aruba recently broke it's legal and political connections with Netherlands and the other 2 islands

[Roz]

My partial Panama Canal transit on the Coral Princess (10 days) included a stop in Cartagena, so now I can say I've been to S. America. It was an eye opening experience.

 

Roz

[Extra Kim]

The nearest I can get is Aruba or Curacao. I have looked for excursions to Venezuela but haven't been able to find any.

Does anyone know if any exist? Or do you need a visa?

 

Thank you,

Klaus

 

Jag missade att du var dansk :) Better take this in English so everyone understands.

 

Aruba is only 25-30km from Venezuela, we spent last christmas there and will be going back next Jan. Our ship (Legend O.t.s) will be in port between 10:00 and 20:00, that may be enough time to make a trip to Venezuela. The airport is close to the cruise port.

Found this: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g316089-i7570-k31058-One_perfect_day_in_Venezuela-Central_Western_Region.html

[SPacificbound]

Celebrity has 2 week South America cruises. :)

 

I've been in Cartagena as a port day on a Panama Canal cruise, but I didn't really count it as being in South America since it was only a day. :D

[Nebr.cruiser]

Celebrity has 2 week South America cruises. :)

 

I've been in Cartagena as a port day on a Panama Canal cruise, but I didn't really count it as being in South America since it was only a day. :D

 

Hey, that counts to me! I've even been tempted to count Japan and Switzerland in my countries visited when we only stopped there to change planes--but I didn't.