South America cruise - Argentina to Chile

My husband and I have done two Viking river cruises. I recently put a deposit on an NCL cruise almost this exact itinerary. I tried to get my husband excited about a Viking Ocean trip but his response was "let them work out the kinks first, then maybe". Oh well. I would love to do this with Viking, maybe we'll do a Australia/New Zealand trip sometime.

I too booked on NCL hoping that Viking would offer this itinary.. I looked and it is the same one..

IMHO, this is going to be a cold trip, so a balcony is not as much a plus..

I looked but I am staying on NCL..

I love Viking and doing 2 Viking Ocean cruise this year. hubby wants to go back to the Viking river cruises next year..China and Tulips. So we will book them onboard and save Viking Ocean for the Amazon

I too booked on NCL hoping that Viking would offer this itinary.. I looked and it is the same one..

IMHO, this is going to be a cold trip, so a balcony is not as much a plus..

I looked but I am staying on NCL..

I love Viking and doing 2 Viking Ocean cruise this year. hubby wants to go back to the Viking river cruises next year..China and Tulips. So we will book them onboard and save Viking Ocean for the Amazon

Hello geffric, I very much appreciate your reply. How cold do you think it will be at the southern tip of South America, in Dec/Jan? I'm trying to plan for warmer weather up north and colder weather south. I will have to search the NCL forum for advice.

I also want to get back to Viking at some point. I really like the service on Viking. Reviews of NCL are mixed. We ended up on NCL because of recommendation of a friend/coworker.

Dec/Jan is mid-Summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

That's why they set this schedule.

I still think it will be colder for penguin and such to live so ..I am thinking cold. But cold is relative depending on where you live.i am from Florida so 40s is very cold and 50s are cold to me..I am booked in March. I am doing a B2b.. with the next cruise through the Panama canal to Miami..

Oh it will be cold! My husband didn't believe me because he looked up the temperatures in Santiago and BA, which said 85 degrees, but it will be chilly most of the cruise. When we did this itinerary (in early February) it was cold everywhere except Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. And I mean frigid. And windy. You will absolutely want ear muffs, hats, scarves, gloves, etc., if you're getting off to do excursions, especially in Ushuaia and the Falklands. The bonus is they have lovely alpaca stuff for sale everywhere, so you can buy on the run.

Often the outdoor decks were closed due to high winds, and it wasn't a particularly unusual sailing in that regard. That's quite normal. It was too cold to sit outside, which is why I mentioned above checking out whichever ship you're going on for outdoor vs. indoor space. Is there an indoor pool? Decent spa? Lots of indoor lounge space? Places for people to go in the cold? Most cruise ships are really built for warm climate cruising and depend on outdoor space to accommodate half the passengers at any given time.

Having done South America and also a transatlantic via Iceland and Greenland, I've learned my lesson about cold weather cruises (which I love) on warm weather ships. Sea days can be horribly crowded, and the S.A. cruises usually have a lot of them.

When Viking closes the lid over the pool it really is climate controlled in there and you can sit out as you would in the tropics, unlike the dome they closed over the pool on Princess where it was still really drafty, and some ships don't even have that.

So, anyway, don't be like my husband and try to pack only shorts for daytime because "It's Summer down there!" All that said, YMMV and you may well have a warm snap all the way around, but I wouldn't plan for that.

AmyR, what would you say the coldest temps were on your cruise?

AmyR, what would you say the coldest temps were on your cruise?

Hmm. Probably in the 30s during the day? Hard to tell because the wind was the real problem, but we had snow flurries on our Terra del Fuego tour in Ushuaia, and the Falklands was brutal. We took a tour out to Volunteer Point to see the King Penguins and, well, it was a penguin habitat like geffric said. They like it cold.

Hello geffric, I very much appreciate your reply. How cold do you think it will be at the southern tip of South America, in Dec/Jan? I'm trying to plan for warmer weather up north and colder weather south. I will have to search the NCL forum for advice.

 

I also want to get back to Viking at some point. I really like the service on Viking. Reviews of NCL are mixed. We ended up on NCL because of recommendation of a friend/coworker.

We went around the horn with Celebrity about 10 years ago. It was HOT in Buenos Aires but by the time we got to Ushuaia and along the glacier, it was much cooler (but not not freezing). I went back and looked at pictures; based on how we were dressed, it was probably in the 50s. DH is wearing a turtleneck and a polartec jacket. I had started the day with hat and scarf.

BTW for what its worth, I think I would prefer working out the kinks with Viking to NCL. Knowing I love the on board experience, I could put up with the shakedown snafus.

Oh it will be cold! My husband didn't believe me because he looked up the temperatures in Santiago and BA, which said 85 degrees, but it will be chilly most of the cruise. When we did this itinerary (in early February) it was cold everywhere except Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Montevideo. And I mean frigid. And windy. You will absolutely want ear muffs, hats, scarves, gloves, etc., if you're getting off to do excursions, especially in Ushuaia and the Falklands. The bonus is they have lovely alpaca stuff for sale everywhere, so you can buy on the run.

 

Often the outdoor decks were closed due to high winds, and it wasn't a particularly unusual sailing in that regard. That's quite normal. It was too cold to sit outside, which is why I mentioned above checking out whichever ship you're going on for outdoor vs. indoor space. Is there an indoor pool? Decent spa? Lots of indoor lounge space? Places for people to go in the cold? Most cruise ships are really built for warm climate cruising and depend on outdoor space to accommodate half the passengers at any given time.

 

Having done South America and also a transatlantic via Iceland and Greenland, I've learned my lesson about cold weather cruises (which I love) on warm weather ships. Sea days can be horribly crowded, and the S.A. cruises usually have a lot of them.

 

When Viking closes the lid over the pool it really is climate controlled in there and you can sit out as you would in the tropics, unlike the dome they closed over the pool on Princess where it was still really drafty, and some ships don't even have that.

 

So, anyway, don't be like my husband and try to pack only shorts for daytime because "It's Summer down there!" All that said, YMMV and you may well have a warm snap all the way around, but I wouldn't plan for that.

Okay. File this under "your mileage may vary" because I don't remember the temps being that cold on our trip (Jan '09). It wasn't shorts weather but even Volunteer Point was polartec weather. At least with the internet and weather sites, it is a lot easier to follow the weather to know what to pack. The coldest was probably standing on our balcony as we tried to sail around Cape Horn and I was wearing a sheepskin coat.

I have been on a few NCL cruises, and our last one was very disappointing. However, we would go back on one with the right itinerary, but plan all meals in specialty restaurants, and keep expectations low. But .. they did have excellent entertainment on our cruise, and a great cruise director.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Okay. File this under "your mileage may vary" because I don't remember the temps being that cold on our trip (Jan '09). It wasn't shorts weather but even Volunteer Point was polartec weather. At least with the internet and weather sites, it is a lot easier to follow the weather to know what to pack. The coldest was probably standing on our balcony as we tried to sail around Cape Horn and I was wearing a sheepskin coat.

Yep, YMMV. I think that's a very changeable part of the world. We had 50s in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Montt, but had pretty bitter wind and cold for the whole trip through the glaciers and around past the Falklands. I had a polartec, a good windbreaker over top of it, and wind/water pants to put over my other pants for excursions and it wasn't enough. We were all woefully underdressed, and I thought I had packed well. Sounds like you were lucky all the way around - I'd do the trip again in a heartbeat either way.

My only point really is that it's not the sort of cruise where people spend the sea days outside enjoying the pool, so inside space is at a premium. Viking excels at that. Also, pack more cold weather clothes than you thought you needed.

Hi,, we've done this trip twice. 13 (March) & 16 January). Once you start to head south, BA or Valparaiso , it will get chilly. Rounding the horn was totally different. In 13 it was calm as glass temp was 63. Last year the wind was blowing 65+ knots, with 22 - 25' seas. We loved the 16 rounding. As for Ushuaia we took a tour out to Hubberton to get an upfront look at the Penguins. That island is on the straights. Prob the coldest at that was 40's until the sun broke out. Then the temp jumped to the high 50's. As for the Balcony we used them every day. We had an oversized balcony and ours became the party place. Bring layers with you. We covered all with our NF jackets. Costco sells this 32 degree underwear which is a perfect base layer. We did it twice and would do it again if the right cruise came along. It was a Lifetime Journey for us.

We went around the horn with Celebrity about 10 years ago. It was HOT in Buenos Aires but by the time we got to Ushuaia and along the glacier, it was much cooler (but not not freezing). I went back and looked at pictures; based on how we were dressed, it was probably in the 50s. DH is wearing a turtleneck and a polartec jacket. I had started the day with hat and scarf.

 

 

 

BTW for what its worth, I think I would prefer working out the kinks with Viking to NCL. Knowing I love the on board experience, I could put up with the shakedown snafus.

Not sure because we are on the VO WC and they have done a wonderful job getting the Sun ready for this WC . They have brought in really GOOD ENTERTAINMENT and guest lectures that are good and very interesting. They have added an outdoor menu by either pool (Mexican, Asian, Surf and Turf) along with their normal Offerings. Yes they are learning but not at the expense of poor service or food . We and 30 plus percent of this year’s WC travelers have signed up for next years WC . They must be doing something right.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums