What is the Best Time to Cruise Around South America?

[JDPCruisers]

We are looking at possible cruise around South America early Dec or early March. For those that have done so, which is the best time weather wise?

[Luvcrusn]

We cruised from Ft. Lauderdale to Valparaiso, Chile in early December and the weather was glorious every day. I can't speak to weather in March since we've never done it.

[Ken the cruiser]

We have gone to Antarctica/South American in January 2018 and plan to go the same time again in 2024, as that seems the best time to see the furry penguin chicks and the pods of whales before they head north. As far as weather goes, we were able to stop at all the ports to include tendering at the Falkland Islands without issue. Hopefully that will be the same this coming January. But not quite sure how the weather will be in November and March. 

[DingoMom]

I personally would pick March. We did a holiday trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago one year — 17 nights during December and January. Ports and weather were fantastic! BUT — and this is a very big BUT) the ship was crawling with hundreds of kids. In South America, that is their “summer” vacation, so the kids are not in school. (And X had a super sale in South America that if 2 adults paid a certain fare, all the kids could come for $100 per person.) To say the nearly 750 unsupervised marauders were disrespectful, loud, and annoying is the least of it. They kept putting the elevators out of order by smearing eggs or pizza all over the insides. They congregated on the stairs. The younger kids ran laps around the buffet (you know, where normal people carry hot food and beverages, mobility challenged people use canes or walkers, and staff carry heavy trays). They were not kept out of the solarium. I reported two kids in the casino:  a 5-year old doing cartwheels in the aisle and a screaming toddler that was sitting on Mom’s lap while Mom was playing. That may have been the only cruise where we really got our money’s worth on our drink packages!

[zitsky]

35 minutes ago, DingoMom said:

I personally would pick March. We did a holiday trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago one year — 17 nights during December and January. Ports and weather were fantastic! BUT — and this is a very big BUT) the ship was crawling with hundreds of kids. In South America, that is their “summer” vacation, so the kids are not in school. (And X had a super sale in South America that if 2 adults paid a certain fare, all the kids could come for $100 per person.) To say the nearly 750 unsupervised marauders were disrespectful, loud, and annoying is the least of it. They kept putting the elevators out of order by smearing eggs or pizza all over the insides. They congregated on the stairs. The younger kids ran laps around the buffet (you know, where normal people carry hot food and beverages, mobility challenged people use canes or walkers, and staff carry heavy trays). They were not kept out of the solarium. I reported two kids in the casino:  a 5-year old doing cartwheels in the aisle and a screaming toddler that was sitting on Mom’s lap while Mom was playing. That may have been the only cruise where we really got our money’s worth on our drink packages!

 

Let me guess?  This was 30 years ago and it's MUCH better now, right?  Right!?

[soniam]

1 hour ago, DingoMom said:

I personally would pick March. We did a holiday trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago one year — 17 nights during December and January. Ports and weather were fantastic! BUT — and this is a very big BUT) the ship was crawling with hundreds of kids. In South America, that is their “summer” vacation, so the kids are not in school. (And X had a super sale in South America that if 2 adults paid a certain fare, all the kids could come for $100 per person.) To say the nearly 750 unsupervised marauders were disrespectful, loud, and annoying is the least of it. They kept putting the elevators out of order by smearing eggs or pizza all over the insides. They congregated on the stairs. The younger kids ran laps around the buffet (you know, where normal people carry hot food and beverages, mobility challenged people use canes or walkers, and staff carry heavy trays). They were not kept out of the solarium. I reported two kids in the casino:  a 5-year old doing cartwheels in the aisle and a screaming toddler that was sitting on Mom’s lap while Mom was playing. That may have been the only cruise where we really got our money’s worth on our drink packages!

 

I was just about to mention this. We went to Patagonia (Chile and Argentina) on a land trip during xmas break 2019. The airports/planes, hotels, and sightseeing trips/boats were full of kids. We have a kid, so it wasn't a big deal. There were also a lot of college kids and teen running around. Got to see a lot of interesting cultural things that other countries do on family vacations though. My father-in-law is from Chile, and we have been before, so I didn't think anything like that would be out of the ordinary for me. Unfortunately, when you are looking at doing it is really the only time that you can cruise down there, due to winter/ice.

[mahdnc]

2 hours ago, DingoMom said:

I personally would pick March. We did a holiday trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago one year — 17 nights during December and January. Ports and weather were fantastic! BUT — and this is a very big BUT) the ship was crawling with hundreds of kids. In South America, that is their “summer” vacation, so the kids are not in school. (And X had a super sale in South America that if 2 adults paid a certain fare, all the kids could come for $100 per person.) To say the nearly 750 unsupervised marauders were disrespectful, loud, and annoying is the least of it. They kept putting the elevators out of order by smearing eggs or pizza all over the insides. They congregated on the stairs. The younger kids ran laps around the buffet (you know, where normal people carry hot food and beverages, mobility challenged people use canes or walkers, and staff carry heavy trays). They were not kept out of the solarium. I reported two kids in the casino:  a 5-year old doing cartwheels in the aisle and a screaming toddler that was sitting on Mom’s lap while Mom was playing. That may have been the only cruise where we really got our money’s worth on our drink packages!

 

Our one holiday experience was the opposite, fortunately.  We did 15 night Valparaiso to Buenos Aires over Christmas 2016 thru New Years Day 2017 aboard Infinity.  There were some families (I brought mine although they were college kids).  The cruise was very nice and I don't remember kids running amok.

 

The weather during the cruise was very nice although the temperatures throughout the trip varied a lot because of the large changes in latitude (hot in Buenos Airs, cool at Cape Horn).  Our cruise day at Cape Horn had some rain but the seas were very smooth.

 

Isla Magdalena, Dec 30 2016

Edited March 9, 2023 by mahdnc

[PurpleTraveller]

I did a 14 night cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago in 2018 that left at the end of February. We avoided the local school holidays and the weather was great. We were able to dock at the Falkland Islands and sail around the Horn. The only rain we had was a brief shower at Punta Arenas. It was very warm when we left Buenos Aires and got cooler as we headed south then got warmer as we headed north again. 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by PurpleTraveller

[wrk2cruise]

Hopefully March as we leave for the Infinity in 2 weeks.

[iceleven]

There is one cruise company, that I know of, that circumnavigates South America, starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. Since I don't enjoy flying, it is the only way I will see South America. Not likely there to be any children issues due to the many days. It's on my bucket list.

[Arizona Wildcat]

We went in mid January.  Perfect weather.  Sea was like glass.  Tendering no issue in the Falklands.

Two weeks before seas were 50' and National Geographic Explorer turned around with injuries on board.

Hope weather is excellent for everyone.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

We were think of going on the Equinox in mid December 2024 
Did even think of kids being on the cruise 🤔

[DingoMom]

I am so happy to hear that others did not have our experience! Our cruise was in 2017 - 2018. It nearly turned us off of X for good. The older kids (college age, and even HS ‘older’ kids) were not the issue. There was a Huge thread following our cruise, so please know that I am not being overly dramatic.

 

[mahdnc]

39 minutes ago, DingoMom said:

I am so happy to hear that others did not have our experience! Our cruise was in 2017 - 2018. It nearly turned us off of X for good. The older kids (college age, and even HS ‘older’ kids) were not the issue. There was a Huge thread following our cruise, so please know that I am not being overly dramatic.

 

I wasn’t trying to say you were wrong, I genuinely believe what you posted. My wife and I were luckier. 

[Cruising Is Bliss]

We did the Buenos Aires to Santiago cruise 20 years ago in February on the old Mercury and had probably unseasonably really nice weather the whole cruise even on the day we went around the Horn. Very windy there of course since that wind has been blowing unabated for centuries but that day was clear blue sky and the water had just the tiniest bit of white caps.

[cruzzzinma]

We spent 28 days on Azamara Pursuit in Jan-Feb 2019 in South America and Antartica. As someone else has said, it was extremely hot in Buenos Aries but cooler as went south. There were no kids on our cruise.

[zitsky]

15 hours ago, iceleven said:

There is one cruise company, that I know of, that circumnavigates South America, starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. Since I don't enjoy flying, it is the only way I will see South America. Not likely there to be any children issues due to the many days. It's on my bucket list.

What company is that, please? 

[Mark_K]

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

What company is that, please? 

Silversea, it’s their Grand South America voyage.  It leaves next January.

[terrydtx]

We are booked on a 18-day cruise in March 2025 from Santiago to Buenos Aires, after reading this thread I feel better about doing this in March. Friends of ours from Chile told us March is more like the Northern Hemisphere in September and will be cooler than January. The only thing we lose by going in March is going to Antartica as it is too late in the season to safely go there.

Edited March 10, 2023 by terrydtx

[iceleven]

5 hours ago, zitsky said:

What company is that, please? 

I've been corrected, There is more than one but I was thinking of the Zaandam (Holland America) and it is 70+ days, circumnavigating SA, originating in Ft. Lauderdale and returning to Ft. Lauderdale. Comparing apples with apples? Not sure, but the price is pretty good if you can get away that long. It also leaves in October of this year.

[iceleven]

5 hours ago, Mark_K said:

Silversea, it’s their Grand South America voyage.  It leaves next January.

Wow! Looks beautiful but waaay out of my bucket list budget. That's $100 grand for two. Of course it includes a lot, i.e., airfare, excursions, etc. The suites are so beautiful I would be tempted to not want to leave the ship.

[Mark_K]

39 minutes ago, iceleven said:

Wow! Looks beautiful but waaay out of my bucket list budget. That's $100 grand for two. Of course it includes a lot, i.e., airfare, excursions, etc. The suites are so beautiful I would be tempted to not want to leave the ship.

Regent and Seabourn have ones leaving from/returning to Miami in December/January - somewhat less expensive. No matter how you cut it, no ten week +/- cruise is going to be inexpensive.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Mark_K

[Provence55always]

We did 14 days on the Infinity in January BA to Valparaiso 7 years  ago. We added on three days in Santiago, then crossed the Andes to Mendoza on a bus!! three night there wine tasting etc then bus again (overnight) 1st class🤣 to BA. We had a wonderful week there before flying home. Great holiday but worth adding days before and after cruise. It was one of our favourite cruises.

[JDPCruisers]

On 3/9/2023 at 12:47 PM, DingoMom said:

I personally would pick March. We did a holiday trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago one year — 17 nights during December and January. Ports and weather were fantastic! BUT — and this is a very big BUT) the ship was crawling with hundreds of kids. In South America, that is their “summer” vacation, so the kids are not in school. (And X had a super sale in South America that if 2 adults paid a certain fare, all the kids could come for $100 per person.) To say the nearly 750 unsupervised marauders were disrespectful, loud, and annoying is the least of it. They kept putting the elevators out of order by smearing eggs or pizza all over the insides. They congregated on the stairs. The younger kids ran laps around the buffet (you know, where normal people carry hot food and beverages, mobility challenged people use canes or walkers, and staff carry heavy trays). They were not kept out of the solarium. I reported two kids in the casino:  a 5-year old doing cartwheels in the aisle and a screaming toddler that was sitting on Mom’s lap while Mom was playing. That may have been the only cruise where we really got our money’s worth on our drink packages!

Kids is what we're trying to avoid as we did Allure last month and had the same experience you had, out of control kids with no parenting. We're leaning heavily towards early March.

[Luvcrusn]

-For the record,  we did our December trip in early December.  (7th-21st),. There were no kids but the cruise after they were expecting 250 children.