Carnaval & Iguazu Falls - Which Ship?

Just starting my research into the above ..

Is there a particular cruise line you would choose that provides ease to doing both Carnaval and Iguazu Falls during the same itinerary?

Traveling February 2020.

Looking at Azamaras and Celebrity ... or other choice.

You need to look for an itinerary that either starts or ends in Rio which will cut down the number of cruises. You will also need to reserve a hotel well in advance if you are in Rio during Carnival. Seeing Iguazu Falls is well worth the effort, time and cost. We were on a cruise that ended in Rio in January 2017 and we spent 2 days and nights there and our last 2 days and nights in Brazil at Iguazu Falls staying on the Brazilian side. We spent our full day at the Argentine park. On our arrival afternoon we went to the Bird Park (Brazilian side) and on our departure morning we went to the Brazilian Park. That afternoon we flew back to Rio and caught our flight to the States that night (around 11 pm which is a common time for return flights to the US).

You need to look for an itinerary that either starts or ends in Rio which will cut down the number of cruises. You will also need to reserve a hotel well in advance if you are in Rio during Carnival. Seeing Iguazu Falls is well worth the effort, time and cost. We were on a cruise that ended in Rio in January 2017 and we spent 2 days and nights there and our last 2 days and nights in Brazil at Iguazu Falls staying on the Brazilian side. We spent our full day at the Argentine park. On our arrival afternoon we went to the Bird Park (Brazilian side) and on our departure morning we went to the Brazilian Park. That afternoon we flew back to Rio and caught our flight to the States that night (around 11 pm which is a common time for return flights to the US).

Thank You .. I am looking at Celebrity Eclipse that actually overnights in RIO 2 nights during Carnival, so no hotel would be necessary here.

Would you suggest the best way to see the falls then would be to arrive early or extend our trip at the end?

Any comments on the Azamara ? I believe they do the same itinerary.

Thank You .. I am looking at Celebrity Eclipse that actually overnights in RIO 2 nights during Carnival, so no hotel would be necessary here.

Would you suggest the best way to see the falls then would be to arrive early or extend our trip at the end?

 

Since Iguazu Falls is about a 2 hour flight from Rio and there are only a few flights a day you need to determine which flight schedule works best.

Off the top of my head, if you go to the Falls first I would not recommend scheduling an early morning flight out of Iguazu to make an afternoon embarkation. Too many things could go wrong and you would miss the ship so that means a night in a hotel in Rio.

If you visit the Falls after the cruise you might be able to make the 11 am (or so) morning flight but I'm not sure I'd risk it. Disembarkation was delayed more than 2 hours on our ship and I gather that is not all that unusual.

Another thing to consider is that February is still summer vacation season so you will be competing for seats with lots of Brazilian and South American families. Fares fluctuate. We purchased our January 2017 tickets as soon as they were available in late February/early March 2016 for $217 round trip.

Looks like both options are winners! It should come down to whether you want a large ship or small ship experience. I’d lean towards the Eclipse because it’s 14 days. You can see Carnival while the ship is in port, which is ideal. One thing about Rio during Carnival- many shops and restaurants are literally boarded up. You can get to Iguazu Falls pre or post from Buenos Aires.

I’d lean towards the Eclipse because it’s 14 days. You can see Carnival while the ship is in port, which is ideal. One thing about Rio during Carnival- many shops and restaurants are literally boarded up. You can get to Iguazu Falls pre or post from Buenos Aires.

The Eclipse cruise is 10 days next year. We did it this year on the Celebrity Infinity and it was 14 days.

We enjoyed it a lot and arranged Carnival tickets through DoBrazilRight as well as a tour in Rio. They have the options posted already for your cruise.

Make sure you spend enough time at Iguazu to see both sides of the Falls - you need two days to do that and as mentioned it will be very busy with lineups for the buses, the mini train etc to get to the Falls and probably very hot and humid. It was 35C - 37C ( 95F - 98F ) the days we were in Rio in February.

You can also access the Falls by flying in from BA.