Topic: Recommendations for South America

We have been on 8 cruises now, with P&O and our first cruise with Fred Olsen. We are thinking of a cruise around South America in 2012. I know there won't be brochures available yet but it's never too early to start reseaching. Up to now we have only done cruises of up to 17 nights but it might be possible for us to take a longer one in 2012. From what I have found out already two of the cruiselines that visit this area are Princess and Holland America.

We like traditional cruising with set dining and some element of formality on a couple of evenings a week. I would welcome any recommendations or thoughts from anyone who has experience of South American cruises or of any of the cruiselines which visit the area. Many thanks.

Hi carol,
Will be interested in the responses you get from this as we are very interested in cruising round S america, the only thing that puts me off is if it gets rough as I am prone to sea sickness!! After all the cruises we have done, it still happens to me damn it!!!! But I still keep going.

I prefer smaller ships and have had a wonderful time sailing around South America. Cruise lines like Azamara, Oceania and Regent do that area but are quite expensive but good value for money. I think they all have open seating and are generally quite smart but no formal dining.

Hi Carole

You are probably aware that Fred's Black Watch is currently on a 77-night Around South America cruise. There might not be brochures available for the next circumnavigation but it's not likely to be too different from this one (and probably Black Watch again) - so why not research last year's brochure?

You didn't say which FO ship you cruised on so forgive me if you know about Black Watch... We've been on her four times so far (including a full world cruise) and she's our favourite ship. She might be smallish, but she was built for long-distance voyages.

By the way, if we could have afforded it we'd have done this year's Around South America. It's number one on our 'when we win the lottery' list!

Regards

Voyages of Discovery is worth checking out. We are going next January. Flying to Barbados then down the rivers Orinoco and Amazon for a bit then down the coast of Brazil. We are flying home from Recife after 18 nights but 'Discovery' carries on round South America ,up the west coast and through the Panama canal.

Thank you all, particularly Dave, for the comments. Our first cruise was on Braemar, before she was stretched, so I'll have a look at the Black Watch cruise if I can get hold of a brochure. It's Chile that my husband is really interested in so something like the Black Watch cruise sounds ideal - if I can persuade him to go away for that long!

QUOTE:

Thank you all, particularly Dave, for the comments. Our first cruise was on Braemar, before she was stretched, so I'll have a look at the Black Watch cruise if I can get hold of a brochure. It's Chile that my husband is really interested in so something like the Black Watch cruise sounds ideal - if I can persuade him to go away for that long!

Hi Carole

You might be interested in this:


It shows part of the 2011 Around South America cruise on Black Watch (I think the website isn't showing anything more than one year ahead - hence only the first part). There are five ports in Chile. The details are here:
Southampton To Lima Cruise Only - Cruise holiday packages – Fred Olsen Cruise Lines

Regards

Dave, that looks like a good cruise.

Carole, if your hubby wants to go to Chile then those are some very good ports that the ship is calling at. I know them all quite well.

I'm sure that the route sketched in on the map is not quite what they will be doing because it appears that the ship will loop out from Punta Arenas and miss the inland passage through the fjords. This is highly unlikely because of the ports being called at and it is a beautiful journey, and much smoother, through the fjords.

Well worth having a look at.

Hi CaroleF, if January 2011 is not to soon why not take the first leg of the PO Aurora world cruise, you mentioned you had sailed with PO previously, she sails from Southampton then to Rio, Buenos Aires?, Motivideo, Falklands and around to Valpairaso, before continuing on through the Pacific, maybe this helps?

Hi Everyone. we are off on a cruise on the 15th of may on Independance of the Seas and are looking forward to it . This is our second time on this ship. have just booked a cruise for 20th of October with celebrity cruises. Looking forward to that as we have not been on Celebrity. We normall go P and O.
Mary and John