Buenos Aires Cruise Port

[sabrefan]

Going on a cruise on the Infinity out of Buenos Aires in March 2017. What is the area near the cruise port like? Is there shopping and restaurants outside the cruise terminals? How safe is this area?

[davwen81]

It's not good or nice. Best to grab a taxi away from there to Retiro/Recoleta. People on here have walked to Retiro train station but there are slums very close to this area. Taxis are cheap in BA so not a problem.

 

 

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[Xfedcruiser]

Assuming your cruise is originating in Buenos Aires, go a few days early and enjoy the city. Don't go to the port area until you are ready to go to the ship and stay on the ship.

[njkruzer]

Our cruise on the Infinity this Janary we had an overnight in BA. We had a ship tour. Others did their own thing. You should note that you can't just walk off the ship into the terminal as it is a commercial shipping port and they bus you from the ship to the terminal building. The area around the terminal wasn't that bad but there is nothing nearby. You will need a taxi to anyplace.

[GottaKnowWhen]

We spent several days in BA before and after our Infinity cruise last year. Great city. Many options. Museums, dance halls, restaurants like you would not believe, neighborhood bars, ... Most are not convenient to the commercial port that also accommodates cruise ships.

[Keith1010]

As others have suggested I would go in a few days ahead.

 

Buenos Aires is a beautiful city and very European.

 

The one caution is to be very careful of your possessions. Do not walk around with jewelry other than say a very inexpensive watch and don't carry all of your money and credit cards with you. Use a travel wallet. We have not only visited there many times but our daughter's in law lived there for many years and our son in law was born there. The in-laws go back two to three times a year and would give you this same advice.

 

The port itself is an industrial port. To get between the ships berth and the front you have to take a port provided bus. Other than a few shops there is not much at the port. About a 15 to 20 minute ride depending on traffic are many restaurants and shopping.

 

There is so much to do and see in this city. I would do an organized private tour if you go in ahead of time as well.

 

Keith

[Miaminice]

We cruised on Infinity around the Horn last year and absolutely loved it. Buenos Aires was one of the highlights and the days spent there before the cruise were fabulous and way too short.

 

Just as in any other large city, be aware that there are tricksters and there are pickpockets. Act accordingly and go through town minimalistic. Don't showcase expensive jewelry or expensive cell phones and you are fine... and you will see the beauty of this city.

 

Try Buenostours for a guided walking tour. One of the best we ever did. Visit their website for an A-Z online guide to BA, it offers a lot of valuable information.

 

Last but not least... you might want to look at our review as a teaser and for more information:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2239271

 

Or directly...

http://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/South-America-01/south-america-01.html

 

Oliver

 

 

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Edited May 28, 2016 by Miaminice

[Northern Aurora]

I also hope that the OP spends several days in Buenos Aires prior to their cruise. We spent several days there in February 215 before boarding the Infinity for a B2B2B series. We loved both Buenos Aires and the South American cruises so much that we are repeating two of the legs in March 2017.

 

There is a wealth of information regarding Buenos Aires on Cruise Critic on the South America forum (found under Ports of Call). Hope the OP peruses that thread prior to their trip.

[2552phxcrzr]

We had an overnight in BsAs in Dec 2014. As others stated, you have to take a shuttle from the ship to the terminal. The terminal has some facilities, but most were closed when we passed through on our way to the city. Taxis were lined up and there was a dispatcher matching you up with the cabs ... we took advantage of this to get to the airport the next day. On the first day, though, we walked from the port to Avenida Florida and from there to the Madero neighborhood and didn't feel any undue concern. Madero overlooks the canal and is lined with modern high rises and lots and lots of restaurants. Similarly, we wandered around freely when we first visited BsAs in 2006. We stay on streets that are crowded with locals, and remain alert to what's happening around us.

 

That said, be careful of people squirting stuff on you from behind and then trying to "help" you clean up by offering water and tissues, and saying they will hold your handbag/backpack, etc. while you wipe off the stuff. Havign heard of the trick, we knew what to expect when it happened to us on the way back from Madero last time, on a fairly busy street, too. The two women who tried to help us claimed it was bird sh*t ... a play on the ketchup/mustard trick that we had heard about. We refused their help and kept moving, and they didn't insist because doing so would have attracted too much attention from the other pedestrians and they didn't want that.