Around the Horn Cruise

We're doing a bike tour in Montevideo with Bike Tours Montevideo (Uruguay Bike Tours). They do small groups up to 10 people and have great reviews on TA. Communication has been excellent and they don't require a deposit in advance. I thought about doing a walking tour on my own but it's always nice to have a local guide, especially when you only have a few hours to explore a place. I figured we could cover a lot more ground with the bikes and get some exercise without killing my feet walking on concrete.

It's a 3 1/2 hr tour that starts at the Ministry of Tourism right next to the port. It goes through the old city and out to the Lighthouse then returns along the coast via the Rambla in time for the a highly recommended lunch at the Mercado del Puerto. She said the tour could be extended another hour to see more of the east coast if the entire group agreed but it's not safe to go farther than that.

She said they don't have time to go inside most of the buildings but they do go inside the cathedral and they explain the history and have plenty of time for photos and breaks. We'll be there on a Sunday so I'm not sure what will be open anyway but I figured we could always walk or take a cab back to town after lunch if there was something we wanted to revisit.

Our guide was Victoria. In looking at GV's website, I see she is the owners' 21 year old daughter. On the plus side, she grew up in the states so English is no problem, and she seemed nice enough. The website describes her as "bubbly", but flighty and immature would be a more accurate description. She rambled a lot, but there were huge holes in the information and guiding skills. We assumed she was a fill-in doing her first tour and were really surprised to find out otherwise.

The general itinerary was fine, the bus ok, the times were accurate, and there was a good lunch included. But a quality company needs to do a whole lot more to train their guides, even if she is the daughter.

In terms of navigation, does it make any difference whether one begins in Buenos Aires or Valparaiso? Are the some daytime passages one might miss if not doing the right direction?

Same questions here !

We will be on next Christmas/New Year Zaandam from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires, with an Antarctica sail-by (so we do not go ashore).

I kind of wonder whether we'll be overpenguined by the end of the itinerary.

If we were to do only one major penguin expedition, where would you do it?

We loved our Infinity cruise Around the Horn.

Only a few ports are amenable to DIY. Punta del Este and Montevideo you can DIY. I would not recommend DIY for the other ports, since you need to get out of the ports to see the sites, scenery and wildlife.

We used SouthExcursions for most of our private tours.

Here is my review, which details our pre-cruise in Buenos Aires, cruise and post in Chile.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=248878

I've done it in both directions and also been down to Antarctica on an excellent drive-by with Holland America. If your cruise goes to Antarctica then I think it is best to start in Valparaiso so you really enjoy the scenery of the Chilean fjords. In the other direction, they seem anticlimactic after the Antarctic Peninsular. If you don't visit Antarctica, then I don't think the direction matters so much. Be sure that you see the Beagle Channel/Glacier Alley (just West of Ushuaia) in daylight.

For tours, a lot depends on whether you want to see Penguins. If you do, you need a tour. If not then you can do a lot on your own. In Ushuaia, and Punta Arenas there are good museums where you can learn about the Yaghan/Yamana people. Punta Arenas also has an excellent cemetery (a bit like Recoleta in BsAs) and a wonderful boatyard where they have built accurate reconstructions of the Nao Victoria, Beagle, James Caird, and Ancud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_Nao_Victoria

I really enjoyed (and learned a lot from) the book "Rounding the Horn" by Dallas Murphy and wish I had read it before my first visit.

We are doing an Around the Horn cruise ending in Buenos Aires on March 13. Our flight leave at 9pm that night. Any recommendations for an excursion with airport drop off?

I've done it in both directions and also been down to Antarctica on an excellent drive-by with Holland America. If your cruise goes to Antarctica then I think it is best to start in Valparaiso so you really enjoy the scenery of the Chilean fjords. In the other direction, they seem anticlimactic after the Antarctic Peninsular. If you don't visit Antarctica, then I don't think the direction matters so much. Be sure that you see the Beagle Channel/Glacier Alley (just West of Ushuaia) in daylight.

 

For tours, a lot depends on whether you want to see Penguins. If you do, you need a tour. If not then you can do a lot on your own. In Ushuaia, and Punta Arenas there are good museums where you can learn about the Yaghan/Yamana people. Punta Arenas also has an excellent cemetery (a bit like Recoleta in BsAs) and a wonderful boatyard where they have built accurate reconstructions of the Nao Victoria, Beagle, James Caird, and Ancud: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_Nao_Victoria

 

I really enjoyed (and learned a lot from) the book "Rounding the Horn" by Dallas Murphy and wish I had read it before my first visit.

We're planning a SA cruise for Jan/Feb 18, trying to decide which cruise line to go with and also whether to include a 'drive by' of Antarctica. Did you cruise with varies companies or all with HAL? We have cruised with Celebrity & Princess but not HAL.....Any advice and thoughts would be greatly appreciate

We want to go in 2018 and would lover advice on cruise lines. Love Princess, but open to try another.

Think we are going to go with HAL for the first time - Val to BA on the 28th Jan 18 ....

Have one of the secret cabins on hold that was recommended here!

We are doing an Around the Horn cruise ending in Buenos Aires on March 13. Our flight leave at 9pm that night. Any recommendations for an excursion with airport drop off?

We did the same cruise with Norwegian in March of this year. One of our best tours was the excursion that included a short tour of the city, and then a trip to an Estancia outside of town. There was an exhibition of riding by gauchos and then a huge barbecue with free wine. Lots of fun. Then we were delivered to the airport in plenty of time.

We're planning a SA cruise for Jan/Feb 18, trying to decide which cruise line to go with and also whether to include a 'drive by' of Antarctica. Did you cruise with varies companies or all with HAL? We have cruised with Celebrity & Princess but not HAL.....Any advice and thoughts would be greatly appreciate

The weather south of Cape Horn is some of the worst in the world. On our cruise in March the weather was really pretty good, but the winds south of the Cape were 75mph so the Captain cruised within good viewing of the Cape and turned the ship so that each side could get good views and pictures, but he didn't go ahead and go around as he felt it wasn't safe. I'd say your chances might not be that good to actually 'drive by' Antarctica.

I really enjoyed (and learned a lot from) the book "Rounding the Horn" by Dallas Murphy and wish I had read it before my first visit.

I read the book and it almost persuaded me not to take the cruise.:D

Think we are going to go with HAL for the first time - Val to BA on the 28th Jan 18 ....

Have one of the secret cabins on hold that was recommended here!

Hi Cathy I have also just booked Jan 28th from VP. Long way to go but it will go quickly. I am also having a week in BA at the end including a trip to the falls. Not sure what I am doing in Santiago yet. K

Hi Cathy I have also just booked Jan 28th from VP. Long way to go but it will go quickly. I am also having a week in BA at the end including a trip to the falls. Not sure what I am doing in Santiago yet. K

Fantastic.....After reading all the reviews on CC I think it will be a fabulous cruise. We're planning to do the falls post cruise as well and Torres del Paine pre cruise.

I have booked an Around the Horn cruise for Dec 2017 but seeing the crime that is happening during the Olympics I am now wondering if this is a wise thing for me. I will be a female traveling solo. I was planning to stay at least 1 night in Santiago on the way and then in Buenos Aires I was planning to go directly from ship to airport or take a cruise line shore excursion that leaves me at the airport.

Thoughts? I really want to go on this cruise, but being a female traveling alone I do need to think about my safety.

You'll be fine on the excursions. To avoid unnecessary risks: Don't wear jewelry, not even fake, don't flash your camera (bring pocket size, easy to tuck away after each photo), keep valuables in the hotel room/ ship's cabin safe and take only the necessary stuff into the city, for example a bit of toilet paper. Walk with confidence. Avoid going out at night alone. Have your hotel call taxis.

I don't know Santiago, but I found Valparaiso fascinating. Consider spending the night there and book walking tour.

We loved our Infinity cruise Around the Horn.

 

Only a few ports are amenable to DIY. Punta del Este and Montevideo you can DIY. I would not recommend DIY for the other ports, since you need to get out of the ports to see the sites, scenery and wildlife.

 

We used SouthExcursions for most of our private tours.

 

Here is my review, which details our pre-cruise in Buenos Aires, cruise and post in Chile.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=248878

Your post on your review of your 2014 Around the Cruise is older. But I had to tell you, I have never seen a review as informative and helpful. Thank you!

chris

I have booked an Around the Horn cruise for Dec 2017 but seeing the crime that is happening during the Olympics I am now wondering if this is a wise thing for me. I will be a female traveling solo. I was planning to stay at least 1 night in Santiago on the way and then in Buenos Aires I was planning to go directly from ship to airport or take a cruise line shore excursion that leaves me at the airport.

 

Thoughts? I really want to go on this cruise, but being a female traveling alone I do need to think about my safety.

First of all, there was very little crime during the Olympics. (Are you counting that lying idiot Lochte?) And Rio is unique as cities go in that its slums are on the hills overlooking and touching the very wealthy neighborhoods, not tucked away somewhere out of sight as is more common for world cities. There is a very severe economic crisis in the country right now, and some disadvantaged people are now desperate for survival. One feels sympathy and tries not to give opportunistic crime the opportunity to occur by being foolish or heedless.

I have been traveling to Rio (and all over Brazil) regularly and long term for the last two decades (solo, female, currently senior) and have had not a single incident or anything close to one, nor seen one anywhere in Brazil (and I go into areas most tourists do not) in all that time.

It doesn't even sound like you plan to be in Brazil anyway, so why even include a thought of what the media sensationalism has made you think might have happened there? One country is not interchangeable with another, even in South America.

Don't worry, be happy. I find quite astonishing that the OP worries about an Antarctica sail-by because something that happened or didn't happen in Rio, even though she would be flying home at the conclusion of the Around the Horn cruise in Buenos Aires.

Reminds me of what my former boss, a former resident of Rio, said when I asked about all the dangers in Rio. "You serious? You live in west Baltimore, and you worrying about safety in Rio.

Do the Penguins on Stanley. I saw so many of them and got very close. Others on my cruise took penguin tour on Punta Arenas and didn't get close or see many.

You will be safe in South America if you are smart and use common sense.

We were able to travel around the horn. Weather was wonderfully clear and calm but cold. This was 1st 2 weeks of Jan in 2015.

You should do the cruise. You will love it

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What was your guides name? We have tours booked in both cities with GV Tours, now you have me worried!

we used GV Tours in Puerto Montt - we had a wonderful guide. It was a male and he was very informative and professional.

Seems Norwegian isn't selling well. Might consider this except that we will have departed Valparaiso on an Antarctica sail-by.

Norwegian Cruise Line • Norwegian Sun

Rio de Janeiro, Buzios, Ilha Grande, Santos, Punta del Este, Montevideo, Buenos Aires

1 departure date: Dec 13 2016

Inside from

$349

$35 per day

OceanView from

$649

$65 per day

Balcony from

$749

$75 per day

Suite from

$3099

$310 per day