Pre-Cruise/Post-Cruise Days in Buenos Aires & Rio de Janeiro -- How Many?

[MalibuCA]

My husband and I will be sailing on the Mariner from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro. The only day that the ship is in Buenos Aires is the embarkation day, which I know will be consumed with boarding the ship and getting settled, not much with sigthseeing. We want to arrive in Buenos Aires pre-cruise in order to properly see Buenos Aires.

 

1) HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD WE PLAN TO SPEND PRE-CRUISE SIGHTSEEING IN BUENOS AIRES IN ORDER TO SEE ALL OF THE "MUST SEE" IMPORTANT SIGHTS?

 

We disembark the ship at the end of the cruise in Rio de Janeiro. We will be on the ship one full day and overnight in Rio, disembarking the following day. Therefore, we will have one full day of sightseeing in Rio while on the ship. That being said, . . .

 

2) HOW MANY DAYS SHOULD WE PLAN TO SPEND POST-CRUISE SIGHTSEEING IN RIO DE JANEIRO IN ORDER TO SEE ALL OF THE "MUST SEE" IMPORTANT SIGHTS?

 

3) ALSO, ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PRE-CRUISE HOTELS IN BUENOS AIRES OR POST-CRUISE HOTELS IN RIO DE JANEIRO? We are looking for luxury hotels in prime locations.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Shelley;)

[freddie]

Shelley - I would suggest that you plan at least two post-cruise days in Rio. It's a fantastic city that will give you a wonderful experience if you allow it to do so. As the citizens of that city say, "Paris may be the most beautiful city designed by man, while Rio is the most beautiful city designed by God."

 

As for Buenos Aires, a couple of days in total there are likely enough. However, if you can manange another couple of days, then a trip up to Iguassu Falls should be considered. Iguassu is one of the most beautiful places we've visited in about 70 countries. It's an easy flight from BA. I would suggest at least one night or two there in order to not feel too stressed by the travel issues.

 

Cheers, Fred

[Hambagahle]

I can't say anything about Rio since I have not been there but we did disembark from the Mariner in BA in 2008. we spent 4 full days there - got off the ship around 9am on the first day and went straight to our hotel. (Park Hyatt which was fabulous!). Were picked up by our guide that afternoon and did our first sightseeing tour. Had a morning tour the second day, and again the third. That gave us plenty of time to shop and to see things on our own as well. We left in the late afternoon of the fourth day - I think we had a late checkout at the hotel and left there about 6pm for the airport and our flight to Paris. We were very very pleased with the time we spent in BA which is truly one of the world's great cities. I would not have wanted a shorter time. And any longer would not have been great either as we were eager to get home!

[Dreps]

We went on Regent's 30-day cruise around S. America at the beginning of 2010 and enjoyed both Buenos Aires and Rio. While Rio is very picturesque, I think BA is the real Paris of S. America. We would gladly go back there. I also think that it is considerably safer than Rio. (Several of us had issues with identify theft involving credit cards.) I would spend at least a couple of full days in each city at a minimum.

 

Have you considered going to Iguazu Falls from BA? If we were going again, I would try to work a trip in, but since BA was not at the beginning or end of our cruise, it was too difficult.

 

On our last day in Rio, we took a day trip to Petrópolis -- the Imperial City -- and it was a nice change from the heat and traffic of Rio. If you are looking for a reasonable and economical hotel in Rio in a convenient and relatively safe neighborhood, check out the Arpoador Inn. It's not fancy, but it tends to get good reviews. We had a booking there, but had to cancel so I cannot speak first-hand.

[A Tucson Guy]

We are doing the same in Dec. 2012. Thinking Marriott in BA. One night in BA then 2 nights Iguazu Falls at Sheraton and then back to BA for two nights. May skip Rio post cruise because of safety issues etc. Also cruise ends 12-16-12 and then getting to close to the Holidays.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I can't speak for BA, but I would recommend several days in Rio, with side trips if you have the time. Rio is a stunning city, we loved it, despite having to be more security-conscious than usual. We stay in Ipanema, which was a very walkable area, and safe.

[wripro]

I strongly disagree that anyone should skip Rio because of safety issues. It's one of the most glorious spots on the planet and all it takes is a bit of common sense and planning to enjoy it without incident. I would spend at least two to three days there, staying in Ipanema or Leblon.

 

As for Buenos Aires, if you can afford the time, give yourself fours days to see and enjoy the city the same way you would for Paris or London. It deserves it. You can even go outside the city for a day to visit an estancia and see the pampas. You won't regret the time.

[Travelcat2]

While I do not believe you should not visit Rio due to safety issues, it is very wise to be aware of them. Here is a link to some fairly lighthearated safety tips from someone living in Rio http://www.rentinrio.com/rio_de_janeiro_safety_tips.htm . If you follow these tips thre is no reason not to have a wonderful time in this beautiful city.

[findacruise]

I strongly disagree that anyone should skip Rio because of safety issues. It's one of the most glorious spots on the planet and all it takes is a bit of common sense and planning to enjoy it without incident. I would spend at least two to three days there, staying in Ipanema or Leblon.

 

As for Buenos Aires, if you can afford the time, give yourself fours days to see and enjoy the city the same way you would for Paris or London. It deserves it. You can even go outside the city for a day to visit an estancia and see the pampas. You won't regret the time.

 

I concur with all of the above and would also higly endorse a trip to the falls. We did a cruise that started in Rio and had a total of 2 1/2 days there, which was good. We used common sense and got along fine. We were in port at BA for 2 days and did a boat trip on the delta which was enjoyable and visited an estancia and saw the pampas. We then disembarked and flew to the falls which is an experience we won't forget. We were at the Shearaton 1 night and could have used a second. The next day we flew back and spent that night and the next day in BA until late flight out. http://www.iguazuargentina.com/english/ We would like to go back to BA sometime.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

While I do not believe you should not visit Rio due to safety issues, it is very wise to be aware of them. Here is a link to some fairly lighthearated safety tips from someone living in Rio http://www.rentinrio.com/rio_de_janeiro_safety_tips.htm . If you follow these tips thre is no reason not to have a wonderful time in this beautiful city.

 

Some of these tips are fine, although not many relevant to your average Regent cruiser. And as for "hard currency"--the Brazilian economy is booming, so their currency is probably harder than ours!

 

We walked around Ipanema at night with no problems, did not take cabs. We were told not to walk on the beach at night, however. And we had a private guide for a couple of days to take us around the sights--I would highly recommend doing this, for convenience, safety, and just the quality of your visit.

[kihei228]

My DH and I traveled throughout S.A. In '09. If you can spend minimum 3 days in B.A., great. I could have spent a week. Stayed at the Four Seasons; it was outstanding. I would also agree with other posts concerning Iguazu. Really worth the trip, but would not reccommend the Sheraton. It was awful, and the service and food quite poor. Check out the Hotel das Cataratas on the Brazil side. It's an Oriental Express property, and we found them to be first class in Peru. Have a cold drink at the Sheraton after you've done the park and you will have seen it all. We stayed in Ipanema at the Caesar Park directly on the beachfront and had a great time. A really great guide is essential in Rio and we had one for two days. Would like to have had more time, but it was adequate to see all the sights.:)

[MalibuCA]

Thank you, Everyone, for all of the great information. All of your responses gave rise to a few more questions:

 

1) Can you recommend a private guide in BA?

 

2) Can you recommend a private guide in Rio?

 

3) Is it necessary to have a guide at the Falls, or can we just get there by taxi?

 

TO: LAPETER -- My husband and I are booked on the same cruise with you!

 

Thanks again, Everyone, for taking the time to help me plan the perfect South American adventure!

 

Shelley:D

[dcl]

Shelley - We just returned from our first trip to Rio de Juneiro

 

We spent 1 night at the J.W. Marriott Rio de Juneiro after our SilverSea Ft. Lauderdale to Rio de Juneiro cruise. Since our return flight didn't depart until 2 AM, a 1 night hotel stay gave us about 2 full days to see Rio de Juneiro

 

We had a fantastic guide Neyla and driver for two 8 hour days of tours.

She showed us everything she could possibly fit into 16 hours. She picked us up from the port and a dropped us off at the airport. She was able to get us pass long ticket lines, to the best photo sites, she spoke excellent english and was extremely knowledgeable. I can highly recommend her - Torguide Neyla (neyla@tourguideneyla.com)

 

As far as hotels, the J.W. Marriott is considered one of the best hotels in Rio, was nicely located on the Copacabana Beach, nicely decorated hotel, and the food at the hotel was very good. We booked the bottom level room, and it was the extremely small (can we say "large closet size"), but very comfortable and we had a very good sleep. They were very accommodating regarding - early check-in and late check out.

 

Marriott advertises a "Look no Further" low rate policy we took advantage of.

https://www.marriott.com/hotel-rates/pop-up.mi

 

Marriot rate for a basic room was $448 per night

 

We found the same basic room for $327 per night through American Airlines Vacations

https://www.aavacations.com/.

 

We Submitted the AA Vacations rate to Marriott "Look No Further" department, they accepted it and our room ended being $251.38 per night.

 

-David

[MalibuCA]

Thanks, David. Did you arrange for Neyla prior to your arrival, or did the hotel help you make the sightseeing arrangements? I will definitely contact her. That's a great recommendation you give.

 

Thanks

Shelley

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Definitely arrange a guide ahead of time. I can't recommend ours because he's relocated, but Raffa is also very good I hear--I've met him but not been guided by him. Guides are licensed and there are a number who get good reviews.

[dcl]

Shelley,

 

Yes, we pre arranged with Neyla - She was very easy to deal with and surprisingly didn't require any deposit.

 

Security & Safety - During the day Rio seemed no worse than Los Angeles. Every big city has crime problems.

 

David

[freddie]

Shelley -

 

You might also wish to have a look at another popular Rio guide, Rafael Torres, known as Rafa. He has an interesting blog: http://donrafaguestsinrio.blogspot.com If you click on the last December post, you will note that he also arranges visits to Iguazu. Rafa's email is: donrafainrio@yahoo.es

 

From our experience, we would definitely suggest arranging a guide for at least one day at Iguazu, if you wish to visit any of the surrounding area. If you are going to only visit the falls, then a guide is less necessary. Consider viewing the falls from different perspectives: from the hiking trails and walkways on both the Argentine and Brazilian sides; from the water in a zodiac; and from the air in a helicopter. We did all of them and got a much better sense of the majesty of the falls and the surrounding river system than we could have done if we'd only looked at the falls from land.

 

Another fun thing to do before going is to rent the movie, "The Mission", some of which was filmed at Iguazu, including the scenes of Rodrigo (Robert de Niro) dragging his armour up the cliffs and the scene of the bad guys going over the falls in their little boats.

 

While you're at Iguazu, a visit to the enormous dam, Itaipu, is worthwhile if one is a dam fan. Otherwise, I'd skip it. I wish that we'd done so.

 

Cheers, Fred

[MalibuCA]

Thanks for the great tips! Shelley

[mmeurer]

Hello everybody!

I would like to add another suggestion. My name is Marcelo Meurer and I will be aboard 7SM on the trip from Buenos Aires to Rio. I'm a native brazilian, born in Rio and work with H. Stern Jewellers. I'm their representative on board. On many cruises that end in Rio, we do a special promotion for all passengers. We offer a complimentary car or van with an english speaking interpretor. The car will be at your disposal for the day, so you can do as much sightseeing as you like. It is absolutely safe, since a local person will be with you at all time. The only thing we ask in return is that at some time during the day, you also visit the H. Stern headquarters located in Ipanema. We offer a 15 min. tour through the gem factory, followed by a look at our displays. No obligation at all to buy. At the end of the day, we drop you off at your hotel or at the airport, as you wish. We will run this service on both days the ship is in town. Just contact me on board. I can give you lots of tips about what to do in Rio as well. See you on board!!!

[Eager2Travel]

A group of 6 of us used H. Stern's complimentary service while onboard Crystal several years back. We had a great time with a lovely young woman accompanying us. She showed us around Rio for 2 days at no cost to us. It was a wonderful way to see Rio. We did visit H.Stern and as was promised there was no push to buy anything.

[dabear]

While we used a private guide in Rio for a full day and night tour of a samba club, the next day we did use H Stern to take us to/from the ship into high end shopping areas. We felt fafe with the guide.

 

Our ship departed from Ba. We flew in 3 or 4 nights before the cruise to see the city highlights with private guide and then did a full day trip to Igusau falls also having a private guide pick us up at the airport , toured with us in the park (& saved time getting around, etc) and then drove us back to the airport for our flight back to BA. Some will argue that you should stay overnight at the falls , but it's up to you to decide how much or how oftrn do you want to see the falls. BA is a wonderful city, especially if you like steak and malbac wine!