Destination: South America by Sea
by John Hawks

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With a few exceptions, South American cruises break down basically into two different itineraries. The Cape Horn sailings usually begin in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and wind up in Valparaiso, Chile, with lots of fjords, the Patagonian countryside, and Cape Horn (the southernmost tip of South America) along the way. On the other hand, smaller cruise vessels typically ply the Amazon River, going in as deeply as the river's depth will allow between the Amazon port of Manaus and either Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro.

Think comfortable clothes and rugged walking shoes, not black-tie dinners, for these sailings. Another big advantage of cruising South America instead of buying a land tour is that the entire continent is simply too vast to explore using the current network of completed roads. Also, while the professionally guided shore excursions to penguin habitats and riverside villages will be your clients’ best memories of the trip, they'll actually be grateful most of all for the chance to return each evening to the creature comforts of a modern-day cruise ship (to recharge their energies for tomorrow's adventures!).

Almost every South American cruise will run longer than a week, so you should plan ahead as soon as your clients have made the decision to go. The weather can change quickly on the voyage, so always remind your South America-bound travelers to pack for both cool and warm climates. Remember that the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere run the opposite of our calendars here, so the cruising season runs usually from November (which is late spring in South America) to May (the middle of autumn).

Another big advantage of cruising South America is that you can add on many unique destinations to the beginning or end of these trips. Popular add-ons include Antarctica, Iguazu Falls, Patagonia, and Indian ruins in many parts of the continent. At the least, your clients should go into the departing cruise port a full day (or more) ahead of time, to avoid missing the ship if they encounter problems with their flights. Also, you can point out that, since they’re already taking a long flight on the way home, they should relax an extra day or two in the port where they disembark. (Those extra hotel commissions can add up quickly!)

The Cruise Lines International Association reports that, currently, 16 different lines offer South America itineraries – including these OSSN supplier members: Crystal Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Coastal Voyage, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Royal Caribbean (including its sister lines Azamara Cruises and Celebrity Cruises), and Silversea Cruises. CLIA offers these tips for planning cruise getaways to South America.

(Credit: Stock photos)