When and where ?

[dan33]

Wanting to go on a South America cruise. What would be the best time of the year? Wich cruise line? We want to try a more upscale line this time. We have been on Carnival. Holland, Costa, Celebrity and NCL. We were thinking of Crystal, Silversea or Oceana. Any help would be appreciated.:o

[Keith1010]

A popular South America cruise goes between Buenos Aires, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chili. The length of this cruise will vary somewhat from cruise line to cruise line and from year to year.

 

I have sailed this area in January and February. There are cruises that begin earlier and end later but the tourist season is primarily between December and March. I would highly recommend sailing December, January and February so you can take excursions that provide the opportunity to see wild life such as the Penguins in selected ports of call.

 

It will be summer in South America but as you sail southward from either Buenos Aires or Valparaiso it will get cooler. These two cities will be in the 80's and maybe 90's depending on which month but as you get very south from these places closer to the tip of South America it will get quite cool and windy with highs in the 40s and 50s so it is an interesting cruise. The ports and the people are great and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

 

We have cruised two luxury cruise lines between these points Crystal Cruise Lines and Seabourn. Both provided wonderful experiences and a luxurious cruise.

 

The Crystal Symphony has a very special cruise during the December holidays. I believe it begins December 20 and runs through January 8th. What makes this one extra special is that it includes a few days of sailing off Antarctica which when we did that was breathtaking. And, because of environmental concerns it looks like after this year that most of the major cruise lines will not be able to sail off Antarctica as they do today.

 

In late January of 2010 Seabourn offers a 19 day sailing from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires on the Seabourn Spirit which is one of its triplets which can carry up to 200 passengers. Now in late January 2011 Seabourn's newest ship which comes out this year the Seabourn Odyssey will also sail from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. This ship will carry a maximum of 450 passengers.

 

In terms of luxury cruise lines the two I mentioned plus the one you mentioned Silversea are luxury lines.

 

I have not sailed on Oceania which is premium cruise line.

 

There are other sailings of South America which include places such as a Brazil but I think for someones first time to South America sailing between Valparaiso and Buenos Aires is quite nice.

 

Keith

[owl61]

Or between Rio and Valparaiso in either direction.