Pride to South America

[Memlin]

Need advice--has anyone taken the Valparaiso-Buenos Aires on the Pride ? Would you recommend it? We have done this on a larger ship (Crystal) with wonderful weather and it was a great trip. Would the Pride handle rough seas well? Actually, this advice is for very good friends who travel a lot, but have only cruised once. We have friends who love Seabourn, but have not done this particular cruise. Any comments would be appreciated.

[JaneBP]

I did it this year and loved it. I don't mind bouncy seas, but did get off in Ushuaia and flew to BA for a week of touring there before getting off in Rio. That land trip option was fabulous. and I understand the weather was rough at sea.

I have found the roughest time I ever spent was on the QMII off the Carolinas in a nor'easter. Lots of CC who post here have done it, so hopefully others will comment as well.

[Keith1010]

Memlin, I had posted on the other board where you had posted a similar question, but thought I'd also add some comments here.

 

We took the Valparaiso to Buenos Aires cruise on the Seabourn Pride in 2005. It was our first time on Seabourn and we had an outstanding time. We were able to cruise in some areas that no cruise ship that sails these waters can. The Seabourn experience was wonderful as it was the first time that we had sailed on a ship with only 200 (I think on that cruise 170) passengers and it is a very unique experience.

 

The odds do say you will encounter rough seas when you go around Cape Horn as these are some of the roughest seas in the world.

 

On this trip, we had rough seas for a 24 hour period. We did not get sea sick but the seas were rough. To reach the ships verandah where we usually had breakfast you have to walk outside on the open deck for a short amount of time and I remember that was quite an adventure. Of course we could have had breakfast in our room or in the restaurant instead.

 

For some these seas would be a problem, for others so so, and for others no big deal whether they are on the Pride or a different ship.

 

We sailed around the Horn on the Serenity in 2007 and the seas were very calm. It was the luck of the draw.

 

For me, I will say that I do feel the rough seas more on the Pride than say the Serenity. But, we have not been in the same seas at the same time in the same conditions on both ships. At the same time, I feel the rough seas more on say the Symphony than the Serenity. But, again, different circumstances.

 

But each person is different and each sailing is different.

 

I only was sea sick one time in my life and it was not in the roughest of seas. It was the type of movement of the seas and the fact that I waited too long to do anything about it.

 

So, two things to consider. One is to try Seabourn but maybe try it on a different itinerary or if you go with this itinerary come prepared just in case and that could range from getting a prescription for the patch, and brining something like bonine with you (and the key to that is to take it before the seas get to rough not afterwards as I mistakenly did the one time I did get sea sick), and even bring sea bands with you. That way you are prepared and just as seas do not impact each person in the same way nor do the remedies as some work better for some than others.

 

Again, each person is different and each sailing experience is different.

 

Keith

[Margate Cruiser]

Started in Chile ended in Rio. What a great trip. Yes we had a few rough days lots of wind when we got near the horn. As a matter of fact we missed the horn because of the wind. It was a very exciting day with all the wind and surf. We also did the crossing on the crystal from Dover to New York the northern Rt. Now that was rough but the ship made it fine. No problems at all. Both ships were good with the seas. But if you want to do a SA cruise as your first cruise and no worry about the weather you can do either start from Ft.Lauderdale to Santiago Chile or the cruise down the Amazon back to Ft Lauderdale. Both smooth cruises with wonderful ports.

 

Jane how are you doing. Going anywhere soon?