South America Cruises
From a tango in the night in Buenos Aires to the picturesque port of Valparaiso, South America offers a rich diversity of experience.
More and more, people are becoming aware of the many attractions South America has to offer. As a result, travelling the continent has never been more accessible for Australians with Qantas, Lan Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas all flying into Santiago or Buenos Aires. And excitingly due to its popularity, a growing proportion of tourists are being drawn to the rapidly expanding cruising market.
Immediately upon arrival you're immersed in charming, modern cultures with a strong Latin beat. The principal language is Spanish (as it is everywhere throughout the continent except Portuguese-speaking Brazil) and the style is very European. However, the seasons match our own, with summer being the southern cruising season. The cuisine has a strong Spanish influence, although most visitors leave with fond memories of the best beef in the world, served in very large portions.
The main ports are highlights and that's particularly true of Rio de Janeiro, one of the world's most spectacularly beautiful cities. Oddly, the dominant feature of South American cruising is the Andes, the mountain spine that reaches 6960 metres at Cerro Aconcagua, near Santiago, Chile.
To the south, the Andes meets the Chilean coast - the vineyards end and fjords and islands begin. It's a vast area largely accessible only by ship though there are roads to Punta Arenas (Chile) and Ushuaia (Argentina). This is a world of albatrosses and penguins, fjords ending in glaciers and Cape Horn, one of the most notable nautical landmarks in the world.
One of the gems of South American cruising is the Galapagos Islands. This natural wonderland triggered Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. And only a short distance east of Argentina are the Falkland Islands, the most far-flung outpost of Britain. Port Stanley, the capital, is a welcoming town of about 2000 people where Land Rovers and Union Jacks predominate. Further north, the Argentine city of Puerto Madryn was founded by Welsh settlers and is now popular as a gateway to Peninsula Valdes, where killer whales can often be seen hunting sea lions.
Both Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, and Argentina's Buenos Aires are situated on the Rio de la Plata. Buenos Aires, in particular, is an attractive city with a great architectural heritage and offers dancing in the streets virtually 24 hours a day.
Super Shore Excursions
The wide - and often creative - range of excursions offered at each cruise destination extends from local highlights to day flights to distant wonders.
PORT STANLEY
The 1982 war with Argentina shaped the Falklands of today and left indelible scars. A local battlefield expert will take you to several of the major battlefields of the Falkland war and explain how the war unfolded.
Cruise line: Princess Cruises
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: US$59 (approx $77)
CHILOE ISLAND, CASTRO
With Spanish and Jesuit-influence, and distinctive, colourful wooden houses on stilts, this island is home to 20,000 inhabitants. Explore this culturally rich area known for its music, dance, crafts, traditions and a wealth of spellbinding myths and legends.
Cruise line: Bentours
Duration: 3-4 hours
Cost: Included in cruise price
PUNTA ARENAS
Outside this pretty little port city, one can come face to face with the native penguins of the region. A drive out to Otway Sound takes you through the wilds of Patagonia to arrive at a nesting site for cute, burrowing Magellanic penguins. A magcal experience.
Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line
Duration: 4 hours
Cost: US$69 (approx $89)
PUERTO MADRYN
The journey out to spectacular Peninsula Valdez provides a chance to see playful sea lions, huge elephant seals and a wide range of birdlife. This peninsula has featured in innumerable wildlife documentaries and a day there will reveal why it is renowned.
Cruise line: Norwegian Cruise Line
Duration: 7 hours
Cost: US$85 (approx $109)
RIO DE JANEIRO From the mountains or by air, the truly magical setting of Rio is revealed. Visit the summit of Corcovado Mountain before a helicopter takes you over the city. Copacabana Beach and Sugar Loaf Mountain are on the way back to the dock.
CRUISE LINE: Holland America Line
DURATION: 4 hours
COST: US$269 (approx $350
PORTILLO/THE ANDES Journey from the ski resort of Portillo to the valley of South America's highest peak, Aconcagua. See valleys formed thousands of years ago, rushing waterfalls, highland glaciers and rare Andean flora. Lunch with wine and soft drinks is included.
Cruise line: Discovery Cruises
Duration: Full day
Cost: US$71 (approx $94
)
Popular Ports
VALPARAISO
The port for Santiago is a picturesque and unusual city. There's a small area of flat land around the port that is largely occupied by the navy (Armada de Chile). Above that, there's a maze of residential streets accessible by steep stairways or the famous public funiculars called ascensores built at the end of the 19th century. It's all quaintly seedy. Santiago is 120 kilometres away but the nearby fashionable seaside town Vina del Mar is particularly popular with tourists.
PUNTA ARENAS
Chile's Antarctic gateway is a pretty (albeit windy) little town of some 120,000 residents. This is where Sir Ernest Shackleton came to seek help rescuing the crew of Endurance. Today, it's the ideal gateway to the beautiful Torres del Paine National Park and for flights to the Falkland Islands. The town was established in the 19th century as a service centre to the surrounding sheep estancias. It is possible to fly from Punta Arenas to Antarctica.
USHUAIA
Over the past decade, Ushuaia has consolidated its role as the port for Antarctic cruises and the city of 45,000 is booming. There are excursions from here to the National Park (complete with train ride) and to the small glacier above the town. Every visitor should try the centolla, the tasty local king crab and there are many restaurants offering it. There is an excellent range of souvenirs available on San Martin street and some good shopping because of the region's duty free status.
STANLEY
The first time most of the world became aware of Stanley and the Falkland Islands was when Argentina invaded the islands in 1982. Since Britain won them back, a popular photographic site is the sign for Margaret Thatcher Drive. Stanley has an excellent museum and some excellent bookshops. Tours of the battlefields are available and there is some wonderful wildlife viewing nearby. It is vital to obey the signs warning of the many still lethal minefields.
PUERTO MADRYN
A beach resort surrounded by Patagonian desert, Puerto Madryn has a lively waterfront beach scene. However, much of its appeal lies outside town. About 80 kilometres away is Gaiman, which still clings to its Welsh heritage long after it disappeared in Puerto Madryn. About twice as far away is Punta Tombo reserve, where the largest population of penguins outside Antarctica reside. But the prime attraction is the Peninsula Valdes where a huge range of wildlife thrives.
BUENOS AIRES
One of the world's great cities, Buenos Aires (universally known as BA) has become very affordable since the economy almost collapsed a few years ago. Great restaurants, fun tango shows, good shopping and a very lively street scene combine with some very grand architecture to make it a wonderful place to visit. Nearly every visitor ends up at Recoleta, the impressively extravagant necropolis where Evita is entombed.
Pick of the Ships
RADISSON SEVEN SEAS MARINER
A feature of the luxurious Seven Seas Mariner is that all cabins not only have outside views but also balconies. Built in 2001, the 48,000-ton vessel carries 700 passengers in 354 cabins. The ship will be doing a 20-day voyage from BA to Callao (for Lima, Peru) in February 2006 as part of a complete circumnavigation of South America ex-Fort Lauderdale.
MS ROTTERDAM
Although nearly 60,000 tons, HAL's Rotterdam can reach a speedy 25 knots. Between December 2005 and April 2006 it is offering a series of "South American Explorer" cruises between Rio and Valparaiso. There is a total of almost 600 crew (with Dutch officers) to look after the 1300 passengers in 660 cabins. Some 80% of cabins have ocean views.
MV DISCOVERY
The Galapagos Islands feature on MV Discovery's 16-night voyage that begins in Quito, Ecuador, and ends in the Bahamas. MV Discovery is a medium-sized 20,000-ton ship for up to 600 passengers and has recently been refurbished. And, as the name suggests, she explores some of the world's more interesting areas while visiting regions inaccessible to larger vessels.
CELEBRITY XPEDITION
The Galapagos Islands necessitate a small vessel that is registered in Ecuador. The new 2329-ton/94-passenger Celebrity Xpedition qualifies on both counts. The vessel was launched in 2001 and was refitted in 2004 for its Galapagos service. There's now no pool but there is an outdoor hot tub. Voyages vary from 7 to 11 days and run year round.
REGAL PRINCESS
Regal Princess is an impressive ship, of 70,000 tons and carrying almost 1600 passengers in nearly 800 cabins. One unusual feature is the huge top deck "Dome" that contains a casino, bar and dance area. Between January and March 2006, Regal Princess will be conducting a series of voyages around South America, generally of about 13 nights from Valparaiso to BA.
NORWEGIAN CROWN
Norwegian Cruise Line aims for an informal atmosphere aboard. The dress code is relaxed, some of the shore excursions are quite adventurous and there's no fixed seating for dinner. Norwegian Crown is a spacious, mid-sized ship of 32,000 tons, with 1100 passengers in 527 cabins. Facilities are good although about 25% of rooms have no outside view.
Written by David McGonigal - Issue 20, Winter 2005