Changes for South America cruises in Dec 2024 and Winter 2025

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Just received an email regarding Equinox sailings from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso 

No word on where they will be cruising 

Dear Travel Partner,

We're reaching out to inform you that our Celebrity Equinox^® sailings departing December 7, 2024, December 21, 2024, February 15, 2025, and March 1, 2025 have been redeployed due to operational issues in Valparaiso and will now sail round trip from Buenos Aires. We ask that you please contact clients you have booked on these sailings to advise of the change.
 

Rest assured that reservations will automatically be adjusted to reflect the changes, updated confirmations will be sent, and guests' rates and brand promotions will be protected.

If guests wish to rebook another Celebrity sailing or cancel their cruise reservation, they may do so at prevailing rates and without penalty.

If a guest chooses to cancel, a full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment. Please note, reimbursement will not be offered for associated flight cancellations.

As normal, commission will be paid on sailed bookings and will not be protected if the guest cancels.

We understand that this news may prompt some questions, so we have set up a special desk to assist with changing to another Celebrity sailing or canceling. The desk will be available from Wednesday, April 12, 2023, until Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Please feel free to reach out to the following numbers for assistance:

 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by Ex-Airbalancer

[Susanb10567]

Does anyone have the new itinerary…

[Ex-Airbalancer]

28 minutes ago, Susanb10567 said:

Does anyone have the new itinerary…

No sailing are showing for December 2024 and beyond on Celebrity website in South America 

[Susanb10567]

10 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

No sailing are showing for December 2024 and beyond on Celebrity website in South America 

I noticed that…they probably need to load the new itinerary…my friends are booked on the 12/7 sailing and was wanting to join them so I’m curious what they changed it to…

[mahdnc]

Interesting.  The last time they had problems with Valparaiso, Celebrity moved the embarkation/disembarkation to San Antonio, Chile.  That was a couple of years before COVID hit.

[ckck]

Confirmed. We received this info through our TA. I’m disappointed as we wanted the one way Argentina to Chile. We’re waiting to see what the new itinerary will be before deciding what we’re going to do. 

[hawkesbaynz]

That’s a shame for people as Chile a fabulous cruise destination. We sailed out of San Antonio on Oceania but visited Valparaiso on a day trip from Santiago -outstanding! Puerto Montt, Castro and the Chilean Fjords are great.

 

We originally had a cruise on the Eclipse Valparaiso to Buenos Aires but cancelled when they changed the ship to Infinity and the length of the cruise to 12 nights. Eventually splashed out much more on 20 nights with Oceania and did the San Antonio to Buenos Aires with Antartica and Falklands. It was DWs bucket list and well worth the cost.

Personally I would consider changing to another cruise line for this itinerary if X are reducing the stops. HAL and Princess do similar as do Oceania and ?NCL. 

 

[Shiba_Lover]

Got the same.  Do wish they would wait till they had all the info before they sent emails like this out.  We really wanted to see the fjords and I don't think this will be possible if it's Buenos Aires RT.

[drowelf]

26 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

Got the same.  Do wish they would wait till they had all the info before they sent emails like this out.  We really wanted to see the fjords and I don't think this will be possible if it's Buenos Aires RT.

Probably not, as on our recent 14 RT out of BA, we only got as far as Ushuaia and Cape Horn, none of the Chilean Fjords or Puerto Arenas.  

[mahdnc]

1 minute ago, drowelf said:

Probably not, as on our recent 14 RT out of BA, we only got as far as Ushuaia and Cape Horn, none of the Chilean Fjords or Puerto Arenas.  

 

What was the full itinerary on that trip?

[drowelf]

1 minute ago, mahdnc said:

 

What was the full itinerary on that trip?

Although we missed Port Stanley due to weather. Got 3 Sea Days going to Puerto Madryn instead. 

[mahdnc]

Ok, that makes sense, it was an Antarctica cruise.  So one theoretical option is for Celebrity to convert the affected cruises into Antarctica sailings.  Equinox is already scheduled to do them in Jan and Feb 2025.

 

If they choose not to put Antarctica on the itinerary, then Punta Arenas and the Strait of Magellan (and some of the fjord scenery) could be retained.  

 

We will see.

[Shiba_Lover]

Yes, I'm hoping they don't convert to Antarctica.  Since they already had that as an option, people would have chosen it if that's what they wanted.  I hope they opt for something else that will allow closer to original itenerary.

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

Yes, I'm hoping they don't convert to Antarctica.  Since they already had that as an option, people would have chosen it if that's what they wanted.  I hope they opt for something else that will allow closer to original itenerary.

 

I agree.  When we did this cruise on Infinity back in Dec 2016, Buenos Aires was an overnight port.  I wouldn't be surprised if that is one of the changes.  I am not sure if an overnight stop at Buenos Aires is enough time to allow passengers to go see Iguaza Falls.

[gerelmx]

new route

 

Old route

Cruise Itinerary: Buenos Aires, Argentina (07 Dec d1845); Montevideo, Uruguay (08 Dec 0800-1800); Punta Del Este, Uruguay (09 Dec 0800-1700); Puerto Madryn, Argentina (11 Dec 0800-1800); Cape Horn, Chile (13 Dec 1600-1800); Ushuaia, Argentina (14 Dec 0700-1600); Punta Arenas, Chile (15 Dec 0900-1800); Puerto Montt, Chile (18 Dec 0800-1700); Valparaiso, Chile (21 Dec a0500)

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

new route

 

Old route

Cruise Itinerary: Buenos Aires, Argentina (07 Dec d1845); Montevideo, Uruguay (08 Dec 0800-1800); Punta Del Este, Uruguay (09 Dec 0800-1700); Puerto Madryn, Argentina (11 Dec 0800-1800); Cape Horn, Chile (13 Dec 1600-1800); Ushuaia, Argentina (14 Dec 0700-1600); Punta Arenas, Chile (15 Dec 0900-1800); Puerto Montt, Chile (18 Dec 0800-1700); Valparaiso, Chile (21 Dec a0500)

 

Source? Or is this just your prediction?

[gerelmx]

Just now, mahdnc said:

 

Source? Or is this just your prediction?

Celebrity web site and cruise time tables

 

[Shiba_Lover]

32 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

Celebrity web site and cruise time tables

 

This is the route for the current Antarctica cruises.  I don't think it's the same cruises we are taking about.

[gerelmx]

14 minutes ago, Shiba_Lover said:

This is the route for the current Antarctica cruises.  I don't think it's the same cruises we are taking about.

Itineraries for January 4, 18 and February 1, 2025

There are no more published Between December 2024 and March 2025

Edited April 13, 2023 by gerelmx

[hobbsie65]

 

3 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

Itineraries for January 4, 18 and February 1, 2025

There are no more published Between December 2024 and March 2025

My cruise is the 15th February 2025 which has now been removed - waiting for the update & new itinerary before deciding if to cancel    

[mahdnc]

5 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

Itineraries for January 4, 18 and February 1, 2025

There are no more published Between December 2024 and March 2025

 

The affected sailings have been removed from Celebrity's reservation system.

[Shiba_Lover]

57 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

Itineraries for January 4, 18 and February 1, 2025

There are no more published Between December 2024 and March 2025

The cruises we are all referring to were departing December 7, 2024, December 21, 2024, February 15, 2025, and March 1, 2025.  These are no longer appearing on the X website and were advertised as 14 night Paragonia and Argentina .  They originally went from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso.  They have been removed from the website for now.  The cruises you are showing appear to be ones that have been on the X website for some time as "Antarctica" cruises (ie - completely different sailings).  I think you may be referencing a different cruise than what we are talking about?????

Edited April 13, 2023 by Shiba_Lover

[drowelf]

3 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

I agree.  When we did this cruise on Infinity back in Dec 2016, Buenos Aires was an overnight port.  I wouldn't be surprised if that is one of the changes.  I am not sure if an overnight stop at Buenos Aires is enough time to allow passengers to go see Iguaza Falls.

We did a day trip to the Falls in January during a pre cruise stay in BA. It was a long day as we were up and out before 6am and did not return until almost midnight, but we got in over 8 hours at the falls. So it was well worth it. So its definitely doable. Celebrity also offered a ShorEx to the falls as part of our cruise, which was RT out of BA. Of course the cost for the 2 of us to DIY the tour was less than Celebrity wanted for 1 person. 

Edited April 13, 2023 by drowelf

[mahdnc]

19 minutes ago, drowelf said:

We did a day trip to the Falls in January during a pre cruise stay in BA. It was a long day as we were up and out before 6am and did not return until almost midnight, but we got in over 8 hours at the falls. So it was well worth it. So its definitely doable. Celebrity also offered a ShorEx to the falls as part of our cruise, which was RT out of BA. Of course the cost for the 2 of us to DIY the tour was less than Celebrity wanted for 1 person. 

 

Iguaza Falls was offered by Celebrity for our Valparaiso to Buenos Aires cruise as well.  I just remembered that the cost for my family of 4 would have exceeded the price of the cruise so we passed.  

[soniam]

I hope they can restore some of the Chilean portion of the cruise. That's an itinerary I would love to do. Seeing the fjords from the ship would be fantastic. Getting to visit family in Santiago would be a huge bonus.