Insignia South America Feb 17 2009

[aleeyohu]

We are from the UK and are giving serious consideration for this Cruise and just wondered whether there were any comments relating the cruise and its schedule. It has a lot of Chile in including the fjords - is this good and would like to know about some of the destination tours. Thanks

[raffeer]

We did this (Valparaiso - Buenos Aires) in February '08. If I were to do it again I would schedule it earlier in the season.

We had rotten weather. The catamaran trip that was to take us to the San Valentin glacier was not available and as a result we spent two days at Puerto Arenas (barely enough to see for one day). Due to heavy rain we never really got a good look at the glaciers in "glacier alley" although we did sail amongst them. Last but not least we were unable to sail around Cape Horn due to heavy seas. From others who we've met and who did this itinerary at other times of the year we heard that the scenery is incredible. Couldn't prove it by us.

Having said all of the above it was a lovely trip, our third with O. The service was great, the food delightful and the people we met were lovely. We did get to see how people live at the southernmost part of South America (in very plain small towns with little to distinguish among them).

[Paulchili]

I think the weather is "luck of the draw". We did this trip after the Carnaval in Rio (on a Princess) a couple of years ago and the weather couldn't have been better. We even made it to the Falklands, which is not very common. Several of the earlier cruises were not able to stop there. Sailing around the Cape was almost "disappointingly" smooth and sunny. You have to be lucky with weather, but I wouldn't go too late in their summer.

[Dreps]

We're on this cruise. Check the roll call on CC for this cruise (link below), and you'll see several other couples who have posted and exchanged information. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=750442