Jump to content

Around The Horn: Princess, NCL, Holland or Celebrity??


Empehi
 Share

Recommended Posts

My wife and I ( in our late 60s) are planning an Around the Horn cruise. We are Elite on Celebrity (and normally would cruise them) but feel that to miss the Falkland Islands on this trip would be a mistake. Any insight to the difference of these four cruise lines in their approach to this adventure would be greatly appreciated. Also .... how important would a balcony be in comparison to an ocean-view ..... would it be very cold to be out on the balcony for much of this trip.

Thanks a million for any input.

 

T & V

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's begin with the Falkland Islands. Certainly a nice experience to go there but be aware there is no guarantee that you will make it there. You can only reach it by tender and more often then you might realize the port is cancelled if weather (strong winds) prevent running of the tenders. So I would not rule out Celebrity so fast.

 

I don't think it is critical to have a balcony given what you said.

 

I think the entire itinerary is key so I would want to see each one including times in port before giving you input on one cruise line over the other and would also like to know the name of each ship.

 

I have sailed around the horn several times.

 

Keith

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although not listed in your 4 choices, we went on Oceania from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso last December/January. Great itinerary but I think the Falklands were (at least for us) was the highlight of the cruise. We were advised by the lecturer who had made a number of trips there that getting on was not the problem, it was getting off. Our driver who took us to Volunteer Point (3 species of penguins if that is on your bucket list) said that once he returned and found the ship had left due to high winds, stranding about 1000 passengers. The locals rallied and no one went without a bed, and the police allowed the pubs to stay open all night - he said a relative tragedy turned into one of the best parties ever.

 

So, if you get ashore, hope you get stranded.

 

We were there in mid-summer and it was like a late fall day on the west coast of Canada.

 

You might want to look at Oceania's offerings for that trip - relatively small ships (largest only 1200 passengers) and they live up to their claim about fabulous food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I also am confused about which cruiseline to travel on - we have status with Princess but we would like to have Strait of Magellan and Glacier Ally included in whatever cruise we choose. Anyone have experiences/advice to share?

 

Karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We cruised on the Celebrity Infinity in 2011 from Buenos Aires to Santiago. It was a very nice cruise, especially the pre-cruise visiting Iguazu Falls. Like the current cruises, it was 14 days, with a choice of the itinerary we took or one that went to Antarctica for 2 days and the Falklands for a day. We chose to wait on Antarctica. You can see lots of photos from that cruise in our review on our website that is linked to in my signature.

 

In 3 weeks, we are doing another SA cruise on the HAL Zaandam. It is a 22 day cruise that goes a lot more than our first cruise, plus we visit the Falklands and spend 4 days in Antarctica. I am glad I waited for this itinerary, so we can spend more time in Antarctica. After we do that review, I will be able to tell you which one we liked better. Even though we are Elite Plus with Celebrity, I think we thoroughly enjoy our upcoming cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also am confused about which cruiseline to travel on - we have status with Princess but we would like to have Strait of Magellan and Glacier Ally included in whatever cruise we choose. Anyone have experiences/advice to share?

 

Karen

 

We cruised both of those locations on the Crown Princess last winter. Glacier Alley is especially impressive. We (group of 4) had wonderful back to back cruises from LA to Valparaiso to Rio. I don't think Rio is on the Princess itinerary any longer but we really enjoyed the city and our DIY post cruise trip to Iguassu Falls. While we all enjoyed our balconies, do remember that while it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather is still chilly so you may not spend much time on it. If my choices were an SA cruise with no balcony or no cruise at all, I would take the former in a heartbeat!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also am confused about which cruiseline to travel on - we have status with Princess but we would like to have Strait of Magellan and Glacier Ally included in whatever cruise we choose. Anyone have experiences/advice to share?

 

Karen

 

Hi Karen,

I forgot to mention in my previous post about Glacier Alley. On the Infinity, we left port at 5:00 PM and didn't arrive at the first glacier until 8:21 PM. With sunset at 8:13 PM, it meant that we were seeing it with very little light. It was still impressive; but this time we leave Ushuaia at 1:00 PM, so we will have a much different experience. Of course the downside is that people who have not previously been to the beautiful town of Ushuaia, will have very little time to visit Tierra del Fuego Park. If you are going eastbound on your cruise, you will have different challenges seeing the glaciers. Best of luck and have a great cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Karen,

If you are going eastbound on your cruise, you will have different challenges seeing the glaciers. Best of luck and have a great cruise.

 

We were going eastbound and we entered Glacier Alley a little after 6 am. We had port side cabins so we had beautiful views from our balcony and even from inside the cabin when we wanted to warm up. It was a wonderful way to start the day! On that itinerary we arrived in Ushuaia before noon and were due to depart around 6 pm but got 'stuck' at the dock for 6 hours - high winds stopped us from leaving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were going eastbound and we entered Glacier Alley a little after 6 am. We had port side cabins so we had beautiful views from our balcony and even from inside the cabin when we wanted to warm up. It was a wonderful way to start the day! On that itinerary we arrived in Ushuaia before noon and were due to depart around 6 pm but got 'stuck' at the dock for 6 hours - high winds stopped us from leaving.

 

That is probably the better way to see it than the westbound option. It is just a shame that it limits time in beautiful Ushuaia. Another reason to go back. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Karen,

I forgot to mention in my previous post about Glacier Alley. On the Infinity, we left port at 5:00 PM and didn't arrive at the first glacier until 8:21 PM. With sunset at 8:13 PM, it meant that we were seeing it with very little light. It was still impressive; but this time we leave Ushuaia at 1:00 PM, so we will have a much different experience. Of course the downside is that people who have not previously been to the beautiful town of Ushuaia, will have very little time to visit Tierra del Fuego Park. If you are going eastbound on your cruise, you will have different challenges seeing the glaciers. Best of luck and have a great cruise.

Thanks, Mike for your helpful info. After all these years after we joined you/Carol on a Med cruise, your website is still our 'go to' place for finding info on what to do and tips on how you did it (not to mention enjoying all of your wonderful photos). You have been on sooo many additional trips since that trip and not slowing down! Your future Suez Canal one seems very intriguing!

 

We have gone ahead and booked with Princess for the Jan 3, 2019 Cape Horn/Strait of Magellan cruise. They made us an offer we couldn't refuse ;). John really wants to go to Iguazu Falls on a day trip (or maybe one overnight) prior to jumping onboard the Princess Star but I am nervous about all the pieces fitting so we don't miss the ship. We just returned from the Galapagos and had very good experience with Latam Airlines flights but the current costs on flights from BA to Iguazu at the moment seem ridiculously expensive. Will keep a watch on that as we get closer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We cruised both of those locations on the Crown Princess last winter. Glacier Alley is especially impressive. We (group of 4) had wonderful back to back cruises from LA to Valparaiso to Rio. I don't think Rio is on the Princess itinerary any longer but we really enjoyed the city and our DIY post cruise trip to Iguassu Falls. While we all enjoyed our balconies, do remember that while it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather is still chilly so you may not spend much time on it. If my choices were an SA cruise with no balcony or no cruise at all, I would take the former in a heartbeat!

Thanks for the info. How did you work your trip to Iguassu Falls - take a flight/take a bus? Stay overnight? (I see Viator has a bus excursion but that must be a VERY long bus ride). We put a deposit down on a balcony on the Star Princess for the moment as Princess is familiar for us and we have a bit of status with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, Mike for your helpful info. After all these years after we joined you/Carol on a Med cruise, your website is still our 'go to' place for finding info on what to do and tips on how you did it (not to mention enjoying all of your wonderful photos). You have been on sooo many additional trips since that trip and not slowing down! Your future Suez Canal one seems very intriguing!

 

We have gone ahead and booked with Princess for the Jan 3, 2019 Cape Horn/Strait of Magellan cruise. They made us an offer we couldn't refuse ;). John really wants to go to Iguazu Falls on a day trip (or maybe one overnight) prior to jumping onboard the Princess Star but I am nervous about all the pieces fitting so we don't miss the ship. We just returned from the Galapagos and had very good experience with Latam Airlines flights but the current costs on flights from BA to Iguazu at the moment seem ridiculously expensive. Will keep a watch on that as we get closer.

 

We have traveled quite a bit since our Med cruise. Being retired for the last 5 years does help. :D We were also concerned about the flight cost to Iguazu; but found the pricing to be much more reasonable by booking directly with Latam. It is too early to book for your flights in 2019 now; but in a few months when pricing is available, it should look better. If you are looking at Jan 2018 prices for comparison, they will be much higher, since there probably aren't many seats left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. How did you work your trip to Iguassu Falls - take a flight/take a bus? Stay overnight? (I see Viator has a bus excursion but that must be a VERY long bus ride). We put a deposit down on a balcony on the Star Princess for the moment as Princess is familiar for us and we have a bit of status with them.

 

As I said in an earlier post, our cruise terminated in Rio. I had looked into the similar Princess excursion and the per person price would have been almost double our DIY trip which was wonderful without any hitches at all. Iguassu Falls was really the highlight of a cruise that had lots of highlights. The Argentine falls are incredible and the views from the Brazilian side are spectacular. I highly recommend a visit.

 

In Rio we stayed in a hotel 2 blocks off the Copacabana (Windsor Plaza) for 2 nights ($164 per night for their luxury room) and had a great full day private tour of the city. On the 3rd day we took a hotel shuttle (included in the room price) to the international airport and caught the morning 1 1/2 or 2 hour TAM flight to Iguassu Falls. I made those reservations directly on line with LATAM 11 months in advance and round trip tickets were $217 each. We stayed two nights on the Brazilian side of the falls at the San Juan Eco Hotel ($72 night). The afternoon we arrived we went to the Bird Sanctuary, the next day we spent the entire day at the Argentine side of the falls (the hotel tour office provided a van and driver for a very reasonable fare), and the last morning we took a 5 minute cab ride to the Brazilian side of the falls for a few hours. At 2 pm we took a cab back to the airport, caught our 4 pm flight and arrived at the Rio international airport around 6 pm. We went right to the United counter and checked in for our 11 pm flight and then spent the next few hours in their lounge before our departure for the States.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did Crown Princess last Feb. BA-Valpo. Enjoyed the cruise, made every stop with no issues. We had a balcony cabin and it was often too cold to enjoy it to the fullest. It cam down to price for us. Princess made us a great offer so we bit. We discounted the HAL ship because of it's age. Infinity was 60 percent higher in price at the time we booked. The ship was fine but certainly not as good as our last Sun Princess cruise.

 

We did Iguazu on our own. The air fares BA-Iguazu were high. We dialed into their Argentine web site and found that air was about 30 percent less. Plus, we were able to reduce it a little more by selected lower priced flight times that actually met our requirements. We had to phone down to the Aerolinieas call centre (not the 1800 number) in order to place the order. Plus, they had to process each of tickets seperately. Took ten-fifteen minutes. These falls were one of the highlights of our trip. You do not really need a tour guide....at least not for the Argentine side of falls. Don't know about the Brazil side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You do not really need a tour guide....at least not for the Argentine side of falls. Don't know about the Brazil side.

No need for one on the Brazilian side either. Both parks provide you with a map of the park when you enter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
We have traveled quite a bit since our Med cruise. Being retired for the last 5 years does help. :D We were also concerned about the flight cost to Iguazu; but found the pricing to be much more reasonable by booking directly with Latam. It is too early to book for your flights in 2019 now; but in a few months when pricing is available, it should look better. If you are looking at Jan 2018 prices for comparison, they will be much higher, since there probably aren't many seats left.

 

Mike & Carol,

 

Thank you so much for sharing your travels here on cruise critic. As I plan my South America cruise, I once agagin clicked on the link to your travels and photos. Thank you!

dog:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
We have traveled quite a bit since our Med cruise. Being retired for the last 5 years does help. :D We were also concerned about the flight cost to Iguazu; but found the pricing to be much more reasonable by booking directly with Latam. It is too early to book for your flights in 2019 now; but in a few months when pricing is available, it should look better. If you are looking at Jan 2018 prices for comparison, they will be much higher, since there probably aren't many seats left.

Hi Mike, in looking at your travel blog again today I am curious how you handled Santiago. You mention Personal Tours Chile. Did you create your own itinerary or did you choose a tour from their website? Our return flight to Miami dpts at 10p so lots of time to kill the day we end the cruise in Santiago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mike, in looking at your travel blog again today I am curious how you handled Santiago. You mention Personal Tours Chile. Did you create your own itinerary or did you choose a tour from their website? Our return flight to Miami dpts at 10p so lots of time to kill the day we end the cruise in Santiago.

 

Since we had done a tour from Valparaiso to Santiago on our first SA Cruise, we let Luis pick out the itinerary. He will go anywhere you want. Email Luis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another idea if you have any avois is to use those for the Lantam flights. Distance is short so not many avios. You can get them thru Alaska or American too but need a few more miles. Don't forget that if you have Chase points, they can be transferred to avois too. Keep the cost of Iguazu quite low. We also used Starwood points to stay in the park but I am told that hotel changed hands. Iguazu was the highlight of our trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are starting your cruise in, say BsAs, then instead of booking open-jaw flights from home-BsAs and returning Santiago-home, and then adding a round-trip BsAs to Iguazu, look at booking open-jaw home-Iguazu (via BsAs or Rio depending which side [iGR or IGU] you want to start at, or whichever is cheapest) and Santiago-home, and then adding a 1-way back from Iguazu to BsAS. The open jaw to Iguazu may be little more or even cheaper than to BsAs and your domestic flight is only 1-way. Mutatis mutandis if you are starting in Santiago and ending in BsAs (or Rio).

 

IGU is the Iguazu airport on the Brazil side

IGR is the Iguassu airport on the Argentine side

EZE and AEP are the airports in BsAS

GIG and SDU are the airports in Rio

SCL is the airport in Santiago

Edited by someotherguy
spelling
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...