Questions about expedition cruise to South America

Hi everyone--I'm a long time Cruise Critic reader/observer/lurker. Husband and I have cruised SS since 2014 and love it. On our last cruise, we booked a 2019 October expedition on the Cloud to South America for 44 days. (I hope they'll have the fuel pump issue in hand by then! :confused:) I understand that it's still a luxury cruise but I'd like to ask just how "expedition-y" such a trip will be. Like the zodiac boats--are they stable and not scary for someone who is not a water person? Is every landing a wet one? And how wet is the worst case scenario? At that time of year, what type of outdoor clothing/shoes would I need for excursions? Will we need vaccinations, malaria pills, etc? As you can tell, I'm not a real outdoorsy person but I am very much looking forward to this trip--sort of a challenge for me as I turn 68. Thank you for any help and reassurance you can provide!

At that time of year, what type of outdoor clothing/shoes would I need for excursions?

The tough thing about such an itinerary is that you need to plan for both winter AND spring gear. The weather can be everything from upper 70’s / lower 80’s with calm seas to 30’s / 40’s and a rough sea unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

 

Have fun planning for the next 2-Years!

 

 

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Zodiacs are fine even for people with physical disabilities. They aren’t scary at all.

I can’t help with the rest.

Hi qb51, glad you're converted from a lurker to a poster. Are you doing FLL to Buenos Aires, starting October 11?

 

If so, we have just completed an expedition cruise on Silver Explorer which went from Guayaquil to Valparaiso. We stopped at many of the same ports in the middle of your cruise. I'm blogging about that cruise on another thread (link in my signature) so if you want to take a look at that thread, you may find some answers about how things work on an expedition cruise. And you may find some details for those ports which overlap with your itinerary.

 

Lucky you... looks like a great itinerary. Wish we had the time to do it.

 

RE: Malaria, at first glance I don't see any stops on your itinerary which would be high risk for malaria, so you may not need prophylaxis. However, you should check the CDC's website which has a comprehensive list of where prophylaxis is recommended.

Hey guys, thanks for the helpful suggestions and ideas. Yes, we do fly out from FLL on the 11th. Sounds like the cruise will have its "ups and downs" with both temps and seas. If you think of anything else that pertains to the cruise and ports, please let me know. Thanks!!!

We just returned from the Valparaiso to Ushuaia segment on the Explorer. None of our landings were wet (in the sense of walking in water). Being in the zodiac is wet from splashing so I found the waterproof boot great for that. The zodiacs are completely stable and are just fine for the non-athletic. They even got one guy, who tires easily and uses a wheelchair a lot of the time, into them for glacier viewing.

I used those boots that are rubber, or something, up to about the top of your foot and neoprene the rest of the way up your calf while out on deck when cold and in the zodiacs. Make sure you have real gloves - like ski gloves that are warm when in cold areas. An extra hat, like a fleece beanie is helpful. And I ended up wearing ski pants in the zodiac and hiking in Torres del Paine. I was toasty and the left them behind with another woman heading to the Antarctic with no insulated pants. She will mail them when she returns.

Yes this is a lot to add into your luggage. But you will not be sorry. The other woman had carried more lightweight stuff (and consequently looked better at dinner than me!) but needed more for colder days. So if your itinerary is like the Explorer’s, consider making the sacrifice!

Very informative and useful. Thank you so much!