South America
South America cruises will introduce you to vibrant and history-rich cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and unique and diverse wildlife.
The main itineraries allow you to visit the Amazon River, the beaches of Brazil, the coast of Argentina, the Fjords of Chile as well as Peru and the equator.
Some itineraries include a few days of sailing in Antarctica.
Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands are destinations in themselves and are often considered as a voyage of a lifetime.
When to cruise to South America
The best time to take a cruise in South America is during the austral summer, between November and April. The days are longer and the temperature warmer. The best prices are offered for departures at the beginning and end of the season.
Departures including Antarctica take place between January and March when the ice has receded and allows non-polar class ships to go there. However, you will only sail there unlike polar class expedition cruises, whose ships are equipped with zodiacs and can face ice.
Departure ports for cruises in South America
For repositioning cruises, departures are usually either from Florida via the Panama Canal or from Los Angeles to Santiago in November and make the reverse trip at the end of the season, around April.
A popular route is the one between Buenos Aires and Santiago and passing by the Cape Horn. The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet at Cape Horne, resulting in rougher seas but spectacular views.
For itineraries in Brazil, the trips are mostly between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.
Trips including sea days in Antarctica usually navigate on the Atlantic side with round trips from Buenos Aires and making stops in the Maldives islands.
Ports of call
For conventional itineraries around Cape Horn, the main ports visited are Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Stanley, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas, Puerto Montt and Santiago.
For trips to Brazil, stops are usually made in Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Ilha Grande, Ilhabela, Sao Paolo (Santos), Punta Del Este, Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
Luxury companies will visit more smaller ports less frequented by mainstream cruise lines.
Cruise lines in South America
Azamara, Celebrity, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess, Norweigian and MSC are the mainstream cruise lines operating in South America. The majority of luxury cruise lines also offer trips there.
For the Amazon River, Avalon offers river boat cruises. Viking Ocean, Lindblald Expedition, Hurtigruten, Holland America and Seabourn have a few itineraries visiting the Amazon River.