taking kids on a SA trip...

I am looking for advice/thoughts/feedback/trip reports from anyone who has taken their kids on a South American cruise- we are considering the standard 14 day itinerary- BA to Santiago (including Port Stanley) through NCL- which is returning to SA in 2015/2016. My kids are nature/animal lovers, who have done many cruises, and some international travel, but this would be the longest/most exotic trip. They will be 10 and 8 when we are thinking of going.

Any feedback? Things you did in port that the kids really loved? Advice for BA or Santiago before/after?

For before BA, consider a couple of days at the falls at Iguaxu/Iguacu. The kids might like seeing them, a boat ride under, a swim, all the coatis, butterflies, parrots, etc

Keep in mind sailing around the horn can be very rough weather wise. We did it on HAL and outside decks were closed several days due to high wind. I'm not sure kids would be thrilled with this trip. I don't remember any kids on board. I agree kids would love the falls.

We were on the Golden Princess in January. This is the summer season for SA. There were a large number of multi-generation families from SA on board, and there were children of all ages -- infants to teens. You and your family would feel most comfortable.

The kids would love all of the nature they would be exposed to: penguins, sea lions, seals, birds, glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls etc.. It would be a wonderful learning experience for them. They would experience the warmth of BA and the cold of Cape Horn and everything in between. Add in some culture and food lessons, and they will never forget this trip.

I would think you would find the same demographic on NCL.

If you can do it, book it!

We were on the Golden Princess in January. This is the summer season for SA. There were a large number of multi-generation families from SA on board, and there were children of all ages -- infants to teens. You and your family would feel most comfortable.

 

The kids would love all of the nature they would be exposed to: penguins, sea lions, seals, birds, glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls etc.. It would be a wonderful learning experience for them. They would experience the warmth of BA and the cold of Cape Horn and everything in between. Add in some culture and food lessons, and they will never forget this trip.

 

I would think you would find the same demographic on NCL.

 

If you can do it, book it!

Thanks for the feedback! As a side note- we had our honeymoon on the Golden Princess 10 years ago- so it's got a special place in my heart!

Were there any specific shore excursions that you liked/disliked? Which "direction" did you go, and how was embarkation, debarkation? I'm really just starting my research, so every little bit helps!!

It's hard to compare our excursions to what might be of interest to young children, but here are some thoughts. I'm also not sure if you are stopping at the same ports or taking the same route.

1. We went from Valparaiso to BA. When we reached Amalia Glacier and Cape Horn, they were both early morning viewing. The cruise after us did the reverse route and their viewing was late afternoon. Both are full sea days, so you can always go back to bed, but see if you can determine what hour you would reach these locations, if you are sailing that route.

2. Puerto Montt: Mt. Osorno and Petrohue Falls would hold their interest.

3. Ushuaia: Tierra del Fuego National Park, "End of the World" (I heard the train ride was not so great.), the ski lift is a long ride and you can walk to a glacier. There are scenic cruises to see wildlife, also.

4. Penguins: there are many opportunities to see penguins in many ports, depending on when you go. The later in the season, the less you will see. If seeing penguins is a priority, I would suggest scheduling them in more than one port, especially if one is a tender port. This way, you have a back-up plan. In our case, we did see them in the Falklands. We also were scheduled to see them in Puerto Madryn, and the port was cancelled the night before due to a labor strike! So, if we were set on seeing them only in Puerto Madryn, we would have missed seeing them at all. Worse yet, if we were unable to tender in the Falklands, we would have really been upset at missing them completely!

5. Estancia: The children might really enjoy this.

6. Buenos Aires: Recoleta is not your ordinary cemetery. It is a tour of sculpture and history. Tigre Delta was a very nice surprise, too. The city is worth exploring for days...but it can get extremely hot and humid.

Hope that helps!