Here I go Again- to cruise or not to cruise, that is the question around the Horn

I would appreciate some feedback from previous South American cruisers. I am always torn when booking travel plans as to whether or not to travel by land or sea or a combination. I like adventure and hotels better than cruising, but cruising always serves a purpose and is more economical.

The 14 day South American cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago or reverse has many sea days. I loved Alaska and the scenery, but was concerned this horn cruise had too many sea days. Is the scenery so spectacular it is worth it?

Has anyone taken the excursion to Antartica fromuenta Arenas?

The Falkland Islands would be a reason to cruise, however I realize it's 50/50 on weather conditions to port. Is November any different than any other summer month weather wise?

It's risky to book a cruise and depend on the ports in this part of the world. I need a little push here! Any feedback is helpful. Keith?

Cheers, Sungirl

I haven't been to South America yet, so I can tell you only what I have planned. I am doing both a land trip and a 14-night Buenos Aires to Valparaiso cruise on the Star Princess in February. We initially planned to spend a few days in Buenos Aires and Santiago on each end of the cruise. After I read a trip report where the poster spent time in El Calafate after his cruise ended - that got me looking at land tours in Patagonia. I ended up booking a 15-night land tour in Argentina and Chile with Overseas Adventure Travel, and it ends in Buenos Aires 3 days before we sail. (My husband will be with me on the cruise, but he wasn't interested in going on my land tour.)

The Princess excursion to Antarctica from Punta Arenas costs more for 1 person than our cruise fare for 2 people! If you really want to go to Antarctica, I'd book a cruise that goes there.

This is what we are doing:

- Flying to Buenos Aires and visiting there for the second time.

- Flying to Ushuaia and spending three days there.

- Taking GAdventures Expedition to Antarctica. If money were no object this could include a visit to the Falklands and South Georgia.

- Afterwards going from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas by bus, then bussing north to Puerto Natales.

- Spending a few days in Puerto Natales and taking day trips to El Calafate and Torres del Paine.

Taking the Navimag ferry from Puerto Natales to Pueron Montt (3 days and with luck, spectacular scenery.)

Renting a car to visit in the Lake District (Puerto Varas, Bariloche, etc.)

Flying from Puerto Montt to Santiago and spending a week in that area before flying home.

Except for the Antarctica trip I know we are spending less than the around the Horn cruise. Our Antarctica trip will include sailing in the Magellan Strait and, weather permitting, a peek at Cape Horn.

Maryann, thank you for all of the information. I needed that help. Now I can make a more educated decision. Does GAdventures get good reviews? I was also looking at the Stella Australis. Did you consider that? The Navimag ferry is 3 nights? how are the accomodations?

Thank you, Sungirl

My land trip is definitely more expensive than our 14-night SA cruise for 2 people in an inside cabin, but it's also longer. I wanted to go on an organized land tour because I'll be traveling solo for that part, and my Spanish isn't fluent. However, due to when I could book a low-mileage award plane ticket to Buenos Aires, I'll arrive in BA a week before my tour starts. I'll spend a few days each in BA, Iguazu, and Salta on my own.

I considered G Adventures for a Patagonia land trip - in particular, their 15-day End of the Earth tour: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/end-of-the-earth/SAPE/2015/. If I were younger and more fit, I might've booked it! I was THIS close to booking this Road Scholar tour (http://www.roadscholar.org/n/program/summary.aspx?id=1%2BJB%2B208&MC=), but it was quite expensive. I felt that OAT Travel gave a lot of bang for the buck, with no single supplement, so I booked this tour: https://www.oattravel.com/trips/land-adventures/south-america/chile-and-argentina-the-andes-to-patagonia/2016.

I must say that after planning my land trip - I felt that the cruise was almost (but not quite) unnecessary!

We did the Celebrity Infinity Around the Horn and loved it.

In my opinion, the ports that you will visit would be hard to justify spending more than one day to tour there.

However, it appears that you enjoy camping and outdoor stuff more than I do.

I would opine that someone like MaryAnn (take away the trip to Antarctica) will spend far more than you will spend on the cruise.

The cruise also takes you to Uruguay as well. Further, the scenery around the Horn was special, as well as the glaciers on your way from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas.

Also, the Chilean Fjords are very scenic.

Thanks everyone for talking me through this. I really want to cruise, but was worried that I would spend seven sea days in the buffet getting fatter! And I would be freezing while getting fatter.

I have a courtesy hold on the HAL Zaandam Nov 8. I am booking a trip to Easter Island from Santiago to thaw out the last few days.

4774 Papa - you are spot on when you say one day is enough in these ports. When I travel by land, I move almost everyday! I travel wide, not deep.

I guess my main complaint is that I am not getting any perks with the cruise. I am booking so late and so no special offers. the balcony is expensive. I am paying a lot of $$ to be cold. that doesn't seem right.

Can someone chime in on the "gear" I need to buy for the cruise. Are hiking New Balance shoes ok, or do I need something more waterproof.

Thanks everyone for talking me through this. I really want to cruise, but was worried that I would spend seven sea days in the buffet getting fatter! And I would be freezing while getting fatter.

 

I have a courtesy hold on the HAL Zaandam Nov 8. I am booking a trip to Easter Island from Santiago to thaw out the last few days.

 

4774 Papa - you are spot on when you say one day is enough in these ports. When I travel by land, I move almost everyday! I travel wide, not deep.

 

I guess my main complaint is that I am not getting any perks with the cruise. I am booking so late and so no special offers. the balcony is expensive. I am paying a lot of $$ to be cold. that doesn't seem right.

 

Can someone chime in on the "gear" I need to buy for the cruise. Are hiking New Balance shoes ok, or do I need something more waterproof.

I have never considered a balcony cabin to be a requirement on any cruise - including Alaska. The Zaandam has good outdoor viewing areas. If it were me, I'd book the least expensive cabin (though I like the Lower Promenade deck for quick access to the outdoors), and save my money for great tours and/or a longer trip.

* I just checked that cruise, and inside and ocean view cabins are dirt cheap! I would never consider paying 3-4 times more for a balcony!

** I've had an HH obstructed view on a sister ship, and I loved the location of my cabin.

Around the Horn cruises are very popular and tend to go up in price as the cruise approaches. We booked early and had a nice mid-ship balcony for about $2500 pp. A year later, the price had gone up to $3500 pp.

Plan to stay a few days in Buenos Aires prior to the cruise. Here is my review.

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

I have never considered a balcony cabin to be a requirement on any cruise - including Alaska. The Zaandam has good outdoor viewing areas. If it were me, I'd book the least expensive cabin (though I like the Lower Promenade deck for quick access to the outdoors), and save my money for great tours and/or a longer trip.

 

 

* I just checked that cruise, and inside and ocean view cabins are dirt cheap! I would never consider paying 3-4 times more for a balcony!

 

** I've had an HH obstructed view on a sister ship, and I loved the location of my cabin.

I totally agree. We usually get insides, and feel we splurged when we upgraded to an outside on the promenade deck of the Sun.

Take the cruise.

We have done this itinerary numerous times.

It is beautiful.

As to weather, you never know.

We have gone around the horn and it was rough, other times moderately rough and even twice very calm.

So much to see. Lots of beauty on this itinerary. Book it.

Keith

Around the Horn cruises are very popular and tend to go up in price as the cruise approaches. We booked early and had a nice mid-ship balcony for about $2500 pp. A year later, the price had gone up to $3500 pp.

 

Plan to stay a few days in Buenos Aires prior to the cruise. Here is my review.

 

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

The prices for the Nov. 8 Zaandam cruise the OP is considering are very good for a last-minute booking - particularly the $599 pp inside and $699 pp oceanview (plus taxes) gty cabins. Balcony cabins start at $2399 pp plus taxes.

is cold weather gear enough or do I need to buy waterproof everything? This is going to require some major shopping.

has anyone taken the day trip from Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine?

The prices for the Nov. 8 Zaandam cruise the OP is considering are very good for a last-minute booking - particularly the $599 pp inside and $699 pp oceanview (plus taxes) gty cabins. Balcony cabins start at $2399 pp plus taxes.

HAL's pricing tends to be high compared to Celebrity when booking early. HAL does lower prices for late bookers. However, Celebrity's Around the Horn cruises tend to sell out early and late booking offers are not available.

If you are considering Antarctica check out these two sites:

http://www.traveltothepoles.com/ant-home.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowForum-g1-i12337-Antarctic_Adventures.html

The Navimag ferry is not luxury but it does have cabins for two with bathroom. It is also a cargo ferry as there is next to nothing in the way of roads there. It will get you close to fjords and there is at least one glacier which meets the sea.

http://www.navimag.com/site/en

Because we are putting our Antarctic Cruise on a travel rewards credit card we are going to get our internal flights, most hotels and possibly part of our Navimag ferry trip free. I'll know more later. We will be away for six weeks, two of them for Antarctica.

Just got an email from G Adventures about this South America cruise: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/south-america-ushuaia-cartagena/XVUCSX/2016/ It's a wee bit more than I care to pay for a cruise, but I'm sure it would be a great trip!

ok, I am set to go. I need costumes, however. aka gear, clothing, etc. Paid too much for balcony cabin, but hoping for an upsell offer like I received last year in the Med.

I will post "Live" as I always do.

So much to do, so little time. 3 weeks!

Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

Cheers, Sungirl

We didn't go to Torres del Paine, but our dinnermates did. They said it was worth every penny. Of course, they had a gorgeous day, which would make all the difference.

On Easter Island, we stayed at the Tiare Pacific, which was humble but clean and nice.

Are you looking to have a guide at all on Easter Island? We used Marcus Edensky, https://www.easterisland.travel/about-us/, who was excellent.

If anyone is interested, I wrote a live thread on the HAL forum. It might give you some ideas about ports, excursions, weather, etc.

Keith, if you are out there, thanks for encouraging me. I loved it! Except the Fjord cruising was a bit of a disappointment. We could not navigate the two most beautiful passages. one due to size, one due to time.

we are now in the Atacama desert. The driest place on earth. Looking for UFOs!

Thank you for a great trip report! I'm glad you made it to all of your ports, but it's too bad about the disappointing fjords day. One reason for choosing the Zaandam over other ships is for the extra day of "scenic cruising" - which you didn't get much of on day 3.

Here is the link to Sungirl's trip report: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2279222

Glad that you went!

Thanks everyone for talking me through this. I really want to cruise, but was worried that I would spend seven sea days in the buffet getting fatter! And I would be freezing while getting fatter.

 

I have a courtesy hold on the HAL Zaandam Nov 8. I am booking a trip to Easter Island from Santiago to thaw out the last few days.

 

4774 Papa - you are spot on when you say one day is enough in these ports. When I travel by land, I move almost everyday! I travel wide, not deep.

 

I guess my main complaint is that I am not getting any perks with the cruise. I am booking so late and so no special offers. the balcony is expensive. I am paying a lot of $$ to be cold. that doesn't seem right.

 

Can someone chime in on the "gear" I need to buy for the cruise. Are hiking New Balance shoes ok, or do I need something more waterproof.