orchards Posted October 9, 2014 #1 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We are looking at options for a 14 day South America Cruise around Cape Horn for Jan-Feb 2016. I would appreciate any feedback on the following general questions: 1. Any relative outside temperature differences between Jan and Feb? 2. Any relative differences in sea roughness around the Horn between Jan and Feb? 3. Any advantage of sailing East to West, Buenos Aires to Valparaiso, or West to East, Valparaiso to Buenos Aires? 4. Is there much to see in Falkland Islands? (some ships stop there and some don’t) 5. Pros/Cons on Princess, Celebrity, Holland or Norwegian Cruise Line for this trip? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcoy Posted October 9, 2014 #2 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I went around South America last Jan-Feb. (2014) 1 The temperatures were worm 80-90 in both Buenos Aires and Valparaiso. It got colder as you traveled south and was in the mid 40's by the time we hit Cape Horn. It seemed colder as we sailed past the glaciers because it was cloudy and a wind chill. I'm from Florida so I'm not use to this cold weather and went inside my cabin to worm up a few times. There was also a misty rain one day and that made it seem colder too. 2 The seas were real calm as we went around the horn but just a few days before, it was stormy and high seas. There is no way to predict the weather down there. The seas were so calm, the captain sailed all the way around the island and did several 360 degree turns so everyone on the ship had great views of the island. A highlight of my 94 day cruise. 3. I traveled east to west but to me it would not seem to be much difference if we had gone the reverse direction. I did enjoy the Chili ports more than Brazil or Argentina. 4. As I was on a British ship,(Queen Victoria) we did not stop at the Falklands. They're still not happy with the Brits over the war. 5. I traveled on Cunard so I can't help you with these. This was my first trip to South America and really enjoyed the southern part including the penguins and glaciers. Have a great trip Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorisis Posted October 9, 2014 #3 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We did that on Princess Star from Argentina to Acapulco B2B several years ago.All our excursions were with private companies. Most were good to excellent Weather is unpredictable at all times in that area and Falklands are always iffy. Our trip was in April and very cold as we went south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted October 9, 2014 #4 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We did the cruise with Doris (above) a few years ago and then last year from Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco. Both were great. As mentioned above the weather is warm in BA and Santiago, but gets cooler as you head south. The first time we made it to the Falklands, the second we had to skip it as the seas were too rough for tendering. Both times we had calm seas around the Horn. The only benefit of one direction over the other is going from the west, you have not been to the Falklands when you visit Ushuaia. That seems to be the place where the locals are most upset over the Falklands/Malvinas. They seem more active if the ship has been there already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisker92 Posted October 9, 2014 #5 Share Posted October 9, 2014 We did a B2B from Buenos Aires to LA in March on the Golden Princess. Our stop at the Falklands was great, but we booked with Patrick Watts to Volunteer Point. Book early with him! Unfortunately, we did not make it around Cape Horn because of stormy seas with 40 foot waves.:( I kept watching the barometer and it kept falling. Normal pressure is 29.92, but as we got closer to Cape Horn it dropped to 28.50, which is the lowest I have ever seen. We ended up going through the Straits of Magellan instead. The story and pictures are on our website. We are always happy to answer questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted October 9, 2014 #6 Share Posted October 9, 2014 January will be warmer than February. The seas around the Horn will be around the same. You never know whether it will be calm or rough. I prefer Buenos Aires to Valparaiso as I recommend doing a pre cruise to enjoy all that Buenos Aires has to offer while it also provides the benefit of flying in prior to the start of the cruise. Big thing to see in the Falkland Islands is the Penguins but because of strong winds it's not for certain you will make it there as it requires tenders. I prefer Celebrity in terms of the cruise lines you have mentioned. I have sailed around the horn serval times and no two sailings have been exactly the same with respect to sea conditions and overall wether. It's a fantastic itinerary. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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