Need HAL 37 day South America cruise tips

We are going on the 37 day South America cruise on Holland America line. We leave October 2. Any tips?

Yes, read thru the "New to Holland America" sticky thread, then come back with any specific questions you might have.

What type of tips are you looking for?

On board the ship? Ports?

To explore your ports, hit the ports boards and you can get some good ideas on shore excursions, diy or private, etc.

Let us know how we can help and we will do our best :)

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You'll find it's a wealth of information provided by many knowledgeable posters.

I've done the Rio to Valparaiso (via Antarctica) route several times. If you have a specific question, please post it and I will attempt to answer.

My tip would be to view the Great Courses series on this part of the world in order to get a firm grasp on the range of incredible pre-Columbian civilizations and art forms that emerged from this part of the world - absent any contact with western or asian cultural forces. This opens up a far greater context for what you will see and want to explore.

This was one of the best cruises we took and one we had very low expectations about ahead of time. Which is why it worked so well - these are not "obvious" tourist destinations so they do not suffer from the mass tourist appropriation of their local scene. The scenery is stunning. The urban architecture displays fine examples of opulent Spanish Baroque. Their newly emerging economies are softening the prior sting of poverty, dictatorships and corporate oligarchies.

And don't miss the 4x4 jeep drive out to see the penguins on the Falkland Islands, if this is part of your cruise.

#1) Don't overpack. Pack for 10 days and take advantage of the laundry on board.

#2) HAVE A GREAT TIME!!! So JELLY!!

We are going on the 37 day South America cruise on Holland America line. We leave October 2. Any tips?

go on a diet now

go on a diet now

This is very good advice. A few pounds a cruise that one never quite takes off and kind of never notices with each cruise ...... finally does add up.

For the OP, don't worry about the diet advice.

When you cruise that long, you tend to use some "judgement" and dont't have the need to have "everything" all cruise.

You'll be fine. The most I have gained is 1 pound on those cruises. Same with DH. ;)

Welcome to Cruise critic!

We have done LA to NY, 48 nights (different line), so my first bit of advice is to pack clothes you can wear in layers. I used many thin layers. Not sure of your embarkation and disembarkation ports but you will likely have chilly weather in the south and hot weather in the equatorial zones. And be prepared for rain with a rain jacket/windbreaker, especially one you can wear over some underlayers when it's chilly. A hat for sun and a hat for rain, even an earband and a light pair of gloves.

Try to arrange for penguins everywhere you can because there are no guarantees that you'll get to see them at every possibility.

I though the Great Courses overview (mentioned above) of the South American history and pre-Columbian cultures was excellent; if you have the time to take it all in it will add a lot to your appreciation of what you will experience.

Assuming you are stopping in Brazil, start working now on getting your visa! I used an agent, TravelPro, and they made it very easy for me; we paid only a small charge for their services and it was worth every penny. But start now for Oct 2 departure!

Get on your Roll Call, you will likely find tons of tips and advice from your fellow cruisers.

Ask lots of questions! m--

I've done the Rio to Valparaiso (via Antarctica) route several times. If you have a specific question, please post it and I will attempt to answer.[/color][/size][/font]

Ruth - I'm thinking of booking the same Antarctic route as you've mentioned for 2018. Did you ever do a post-cruise summary and if so can you re-post it. Cheers

For the OP, don't worry about the diet advice.

 

When you cruise that long, you tend to use some "judgement" and dont't have the need to have "everything" all cruise.

 

You'll be fine. The most I have gained is 1 pound on those cruises. Same with DH. ;)

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of cruisers will gain considerably more than one pound on a 37 day cruise....count your blessings to only gain a pound.....

Go see penguins verywhere you can .We saw ours on Isla Magdalena from Punta Arenas ...not cheap but very special .I bought Alpacasweaters here ..love them ...so warm ...they come from Peru ..lovemine

Because weather is iffy prepare for cool to cold lots of layers and rain ..hat and gloves amust

Do notwear jewellery or purse ...wallet in sealedfront pocket ....bevigilant

Go towine country in Chile

Visit Valparaiso ...plan exvursionsdo not prepay ...we missedso many portsdue to bad weather ....hopeyou get to see more than wedid .

There is an incredible small pre-Columbian museum in the lovely Vinha de Mar which is a short metro ride from Valparaiso - easy to do plus, getting to see more of the surrounding area. It also includes very good info about the Easter Islands if they are also on your list of things to see.

http://www.aboutchile.com/museums-in-chile/fonck-museum/

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

You've gotten some good advice already -- but it is so good that it bears repeating:

1. Don't over pack. The laundry service onboard is good. Use it. Also, you'll want some free space for the "stuff" you'll buy to bring home.

2. If you want to see penguins, book them EVERYWHERE! Ports can be cancelled in SA due to weather/sea conditions, so you have to take every opportunity you can since it may be the only one that actually works.

3. I don't know where you are going, but if you have Reciprocity Fees and/or Visa requirements, start on them NOW. If you have Reciprocity Fees that need to be paid at the airport, look at the payment method. If it is cash, make sure those bills are clean/crisp/unused. If the Reciprocity Fees need to be paid upfront/online, make sure you have the receipts with you.

4. Follow the advice about looking at your Ports on this website. It is great and helps you to plan what you want to do at each port.

Once you digest all of the above, come back here for specific questions. The folks on this board WONDERFUL!

In the Ushaiha Prison Museum - which is a must see too - there is a glass display case with all the different types of "stuffed" penguins to see up close where you can learn to pick out their distinguishing features. As each locale you visit for penguins will have different combinations.

We saw King Penguins with their signature yellow markings which were roaming and murmuring around us in the thousands and another kind (?) which were nesting on the Falklands 4x4 shore excursion. Wear penguin poop proof shoes. The tender stairway was green with penguin poop after that shore excursion. I don't even want to think about what we did to the hallway carpets. It gets very cold and windy and you will want to be out among them as long as you can. Dress for the worst weather - hat, gloves, scarf and ear muffs too.

Good advice, book penguins where you can because sometimes they cannot dock at the Falklands. But if they do stop at the Falklands, be sure to also visit the main penguin gift shop by the tender dock for penguin themed items that still bring joy every time we see them. Socks, pot holders, tee-shirts, cosmetic bag and yes even a rubberized stuffed penguin. It was love, what else can I say.

Did the Falkland Islands change OlsSalt? The last time we were there it was a tender port. I thought it still was :confused: Does HAL dock there now?

For the OP, chances of tendering there are not the best. It very much depends upon the weather and waves.

I agree on booking the penguins. For any "water transportation" required tours, we opted for the HAL excursions.

For land we did a mix and private tours.

Penguins are always fun and there are lots of kinds. You can't get too many of them IMO ;)

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of cruisers will gain considerably more than one pound on a 37 day cruise....count your blessings to only gain a pound.....

I'd be willing to bet that Jacqui is very close to the normal weight gain for passengers on longer cruises, although I would think 2-3 lbs. is about it.

When on for so long, there's no sense of urgency to try things, as you know there will always be another chance. No need to rush to the ice cream bar, AND the bread pudding, as tomorrow is another day.

After a while you are not interested in eating very much for dinner, and lunch is more like at home.

Food falls way down the list of things to pay attention to on the cruise when it's a long one.

Did the Falkland Islands change OlsSalt? The last time we were there it was a tender port. I thought it still was :confused: Does HAL dock there now?

....)

Pardon my lack of nautical precision. Yes, it is a tender port; not a "dock" port. My apologies to anyone who would have been misled by my description. I shall pay better attention in the future.

Pardon my lack of nautical precision. Yes, it is a tender port; not a "dock" port. My apologies to anyone who would have been misled by my description. I shall pay better attention in the future.

No worries at all ;).

Sadly we missed the Falklands as we could not tender in South America so, if things had changed it would have been wonderful ;)

OlSalt: which version and format of the Great Courses are you referring to? When I got my catalog a few weeks ago I was trying to decide.

Am considering SA again (the sequel) because we missed so many ports. And am interested in Iguazo. It sounds like GCs might be a good way to build on the base I started.

OlSalt: which version and format of the Great Courses are you referring to? When I got my catalog a few weeks ago I was trying to decide.

 

Am considering SA again (the sequel) because we missed so many ports. And am interested in Iguazo. It sounds like GCs might be a good way to build on the base I started.

We got the CD versions of the following Great Courses which we enjoyed very much, and agree, it would take several trips back to cover the highlights these courses uncovered for us:

1. Lost Worlds of South America - Prof. Edwin Barnhart

2. 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World - Disc 5 and 6 is Central/South America, but all discs were terrific. - Prof. Diana McDonald

3. Conquest of the Americas - two volume series - Prof Marshall Eakin

If you found others, please let me know too.

Titles for the 30 Masterpieces of the Ancient World for SA:

Disc 5:

1. Colossul Olmec Heads

2. Sarcophagus cover of Pakal at Palenque

3. Carved Stone Lintels of Yaxchilan

4. Teothuacan - Temple of the Feathered Serpent

5. Colossal Stone Statue of Coatlicue

Disc 6

1. Aztec Calendar Stone

2. Moche Earspools - (yes, an entire lecture on earspools)

3. Ancient Andean Cermics

4. Ancient Andean Textiles

5. What we can learn from ancient art

6. How ancient art reverberates

Thanks. I'll get out the catalog again. I thought it was ONE series you had referred to and there were a few there.

Thanks. I'll get out the catalog again. I thought it was ONE series you had referred to and there were a few there.

If you get just one, I'd pick Lost Worlds of South America.

My sole recommendation would be to arrive at the B Street Pier after 2 pm.

David