Our South America Cruise - 22 Jan 2006

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/FalklandIslands

[dileep]

Montevideo http://www.archive.org/details/MontevideoUruguay

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/SantiagoChile

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/ChileanGlaciers

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/ValparaisoChile

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/VinadelMarChile

[tak2]

In the beginning ,1990, when I started cruising , there was just one cruise magazine that I could find in the local bookstore ( Cruise Travel ). It was easy to be up to date, plus there weren't many mainstream ships.

 

Then came CruiseCritic, an explosion of cruise information.

 

Now, 2006, we have cruise video from you. Amazing!

Not only can we read about the ship, where we're going, we now actually can see what it's like to be on a particular cruise.( and have someone like you answering our questions) How much more sophisticated can it get?

Thank you kindly for your contribution, I have enjoyed them all. Please keep cruising , so the rest of us can be better informed.

[dileep]

http://www.archive.org/details/BuenosAiresArgentina

[chachabell]

Belatedly, I'd like to thank you for posting the videos of your cruise. We were on the cruise previous to yours that missed the Falkland Islands and Puerto Madryn. So it was nice to get the flavor of those areas. But, I must admit my very favorite video is that of Iguazu Falls. Pictures don't do the Falls justice but the video certainly comes close.

 

Diane

[dileep]

But, I must admit my very favorite video is that of Iguazu Falls. Pictures don't do the Falls justice but the video certainly comes close.

 

Diane

 

The Falls were the highlight of our trip!

[dileep]

Thanks for making this the most viewed thread on the South America Board! I will not be monitoring this actively. If you have questions for me, please email me. I am intowines at Yahoo!

[sultan_sfo]

Dileep:

Hope you will keep tabs every now and then. The planning by the 2007 group (like ours) will intensify soon! Thanks for the information you have already posted. /Sultan

[ElaineS]

Hi again, we're packing for Alaska now and getting in the cruise mood. My friend is going to South America (Peru) and told me that her documents arrived and that she needs all sorts of shots to go to SA. She said it will cost about $400 per person. Is that true????? It's after midnight now, so I figured I'd go on the web and ask people who have already done a cruise there.......

[dileep]

Hi again, we're packing for Alaska now and getting in the cruise mood. My friend is going to South America (Peru) and told me that her documents arrived and that she needs all sorts of shots to go to SA. She said it will cost about $400 per person. Is that true????? It's after midnight now, so I figured I'd go on the web and ask people who have already done a cruise there.......

 

Don't know about Peru, but we did not get any shots for our South America cruise.

[dileep]

Dileep:

Hope you will keep tabs every now and then. The planning by the 2007 group (like ours) will intensify soon! Thanks for the information you have already posted. /Sultan

 

OK. I will monitor it on a weekly basis now! Ask your questions :D !

[sultan_sfo]

Thanks Dileep! Just sent off a desired land tour package SFO /Rio / Iguassu/ Rio / (Cruise Rio - BA already booked) / BA /SFO to agent! If that does not work out, it will be separate booking for each part and you will be inundated with more questions (although I have all the info from your past posts) ! /Sultan

 

OK. I will monitor it on a weekly basis now! Ask your questions :D !

[Francine]

Dileep,

Your review of you cruise has been a great help while we are in the planning stage for our cruise in March, 2007. Thank you so much,

Fran

[jtbk]

Hello: I read your posting that you went on a south america cruise that we are embarking this December. You mentioned that you had a private excursion Puerto Madryn to see the penguins at $ 50 per person for a group of 4.

 

Can I please ask 1) the name and contact # for this company? 2) what type of vans or vehicle were you in?

 

Thanks,

JTBK

[dileep]

Thanks Dileep! Just sent off a desired land tour package SFO /Rio / Iguassu/ Rio / (Cruise Rio - BA already booked) / BA /SFO to agent! If that does not work out, it will be separate booking for each part and you will be inundated with more questions (although I have all the info from your past posts) ! /Sultan

 

good luck! What cruise line are you on?

[sultan_sfo]

Hi Dileep!

Thanks for continuing to post. Your comments, reviews, and videos are, as always, very helpful for our planning.

 

We are doing the 21-day Golden Princess Rio to BA with Around The Horn Jan 22 - Feb 12 cruise. We will do Iguassu pre-cruise.

 

Our local cruise TA was finally able to put together through Brendan -- 4 nights in Rio, 2 nights in Das Cataratas, and 1-night back to Rio to board the ship. Also included is 1 extra night in BA. Some sightseeing is included. We included all the air including SFO-Rio-Iguassu-Rio / BA-SFO in the land package -- so it worked out well being hassle free. They will "eventually" give us the names of the local hosts for transfers and sightseeing. One of our cruisers is arranging the tours in some of the other ports. But we will continue to ask you questions. Thanks. /Sultan

 

good luck! What cruise line are you on?

[haras]

The Falls were the highlight of our trip!

 

Hi Dileep,

 

I also wanted to thank you for all the work you put into gathering your thoughts and all the wonderful pictures and videos for others to enjoy.

 

I'm currently planning the tours for my parent's (and their siblings) on the Celebrity infinity on Feb 25th from BA to Chile.

 

We've booked the cruise, but not the airfare, yet. In hindsight, would you consider flying directly from the states to the Iguazu falls?

 

We're probably going to do 2 full days pre-cruise in BA. Also, I saw that your tour to the falls were booked for $220/pp does that include hotel and tranfers and a tour? If so, that seems like a great deal! Or was that airfare only? Do you think 1 day is enough to spend at the falls? One of my concerns is that my grandmother (who's 88 years young) might be too jetlagged to arrive in BA, spend one night, only to have to uproot again. Their cruise doesn't leave until 11 pm on Sunday the 25th of Feb.

 

My second question is that in your video of BA, I noticed some people dancing the tango (?) in the street. That was just random people dancing or was that a show? I also noticed that you went to a tango show. Can you tell me where that was located and how much it was?

 

It's apparent how much you enjoyed the trip. Thank you for making this planning process a little bit easier. It's tough when the ports are unfamiliar. I love cruisecritic.

 

TIA!

[dileep]

Hi Dileep,

 

We've booked the cruise, but not the airfare, yet. In hindsight, would you consider flying directly from the states to the Iguazu falls?

 

We're probably going to do 2 full days pre-cruise in BA. Also, I saw that your tour to the falls were booked for $220/pp does that include hotel and tranfers and a tour? If so, that seems like a great deal! Or was that airfare only? Do you think 1 day is enough to spend at the falls? One of my concerns is that my grandmother (who's 88 years young) might be too jetlagged to arrive in BA, spend one night, only to have to uproot again. Their cruise doesn't leave until 11 pm on Sunday the 25th of Feb.

 

My second question is that in your video of BA, I noticed some people dancing the tango (?) in the street. That was just random people dancing or was that a show? I also noticed that you went to a tango show. Can you tell me where that was located and how much it was?

TIA!

 

When I posted my notes, I never imagined that it would have over 8000 views! Glad to be of help. Here are some answers to your questions:

 

I don't know of anyway of getting to Iguazu from anyplace other than Rio or BA.

 

There is a lot of walking at Iguazu. Can you grandmother walk 3-4 miles in 4-5 hours?

 

We spent 2 nights in BA and one in Iguazu. 24 hours there was a bit rushed but it worked out. We went straight from Iguazu to the ship. I think it cost us a little over $800 for flights, hotel, and transfers. We booked our BA and Iguazu through Ricardo at Defrantur. The tango show we went to was at El Viejo Almacen.

 

There are street dancers in La Boca and also on Florida street.

[dileep]

Oh forgot to answer the cost of the Tango show. It was around $55 per person including dinner and drinks. And it included transportation to and from the hotel. Without the dinner, it would have been about $20 less if I remember right.

[Pennyguy]

Dileep ..thanks so much for all the info on your SA cruise. We are going on Princess in Feb.2007 with 3 other couples. We have cruised with them on various other cruises.

 

I was wondering if you had to do it again would you take the same shore excurisions? How did you find the companies you used?

 

How was the weather in BA and Santiago?

 

Thanks again for all the info and good pictures?

[dileep]

Dileep ..thanks so much for all the info on your SA cruise.

I was wondering if you had to do it again would you take the same shore excurisions? How did you find the companies you used?

 

How was the weather in BA and Santiago?

 

Thanks again for all the info and good pictures?

 

The only ones that might not use again is the agency in Santiago. Latin Travel did not convey our information to the local agency, but in the end it all worked out.

 

All the others were great.

 

I did a lot of research on Cruise Critic. Many of the ideas came from BC Happy Gal who took the same cruise in 2005 and was also kind enough to answer my emails.

 

BA was in the mid 80's in January which was cooler than normal. Santiago was also around 80. Both were very pleasant weather wise.

 

Wewere very lucky to hit all ports and only had some rain in the Falklands. Cape Horn and Skua Glacier were chilly.