Andes and Cape Horn Grand Adventure

Has anyone done this cruise? Sounds an amazing itinerary! Would love to hear from anyone who has already done this cruise!!!!!

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Welcome to Cruise Critic.

We have done it twice and loved it. Early this year we did it as part of a 49 day South America circumnavigation on the Grand Princess. The scenery as we went around Cape Horn was spectacular.

Thanks Paul appreciate your feedback!!

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Your original question was kind of vague, and so was my answer. If you have questions ask away.

Paul what was your overall opinion of the Crown Princess?

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Sorry you said you went on Grand Princess!

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Did you do shore excursions with Princess or did you organize your own?

Would love to hear what shore excursions you did and which ones you would recommend!

Am new to Cruise Critic but what a great way to communicate with other travellers!!

Would appreciate any advice you can offer! Thanks.

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Has anyone done this cruise? Sounds an amazing itinerary! Would love to hear from anyone who has already done this cruise!!!!!

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Yes, On the Star Princess in February 2012. Our voyage was 30 nights from Rio to L.A. consisting of two legs, Rio to Valparaiso and then Valparaiso to L.A. It was great. Since we started in Brazil we had to get a Brazil visa. This cost us just under US$400 for the two of us. We have US passports. You will experience both warm and cool weather, so we had to bring layered clothes. There were many tours organized on the roll call, including pre cruise tours of Rio which were nice. When we rounded Cape Horn the seas were very calm, almost glass like. I guess we were lucky. It was sunny on deck, but cool. Had to wear a jacket and sleeve shirt.

We were on the Crown last October/November in the Eastern Med. We had a great time on the ship. Cabin was great and of course the service was wonderful.

We did no Princess excursions in South America. Most ports we took tours planned by someone on our roll call. We had one friend on the cruise who loves to plan tours and does a great job. So most were with her. Is some ports we just went off on our own. This was mostly places we had been before.

I don't know how long you will be on. This year, most people were on for 49 days from Fort Lauderdale to SF. About 2000 of the 2500. This made for a very friendly atmosphere on the ship.

We were on the Star this year from BA to LA We had an amazing sailing with great weather all the way. We did all our own tours mostly booked with folks on the roll call and none disappointed. We also did some after reading the reports by ibfern, and I note she has posted alot of these on the SA boards. My favourite stop was the Falkland islands, it was helpful that we had the most amazing weather there, I also loved Lima, had a great 2 day tour there too. It was a great trip and a "bucket list" to do for my husband

Terry

We did this 3 years ago from BA to Valparaiso. It was a 14 day cruise and I think one of our very favourites. We walked many of the ports on our own or with on other couple. We also booked private tours in some ports. No ship tours and saw the same sites but with fewer people we were able to fit more in.

We flew into BA 4 days early and toured the city both with HOHO and walking everywhere. This is an amazing city, relatively inexpensive, and worth going back. We also spent 2 days in Valparaiso, and another 2 in Santiago before flying out. All these plans were made because we felt that we would not return to the area. However, we do plan on booking the same itinerary within the next 2 years. We enjoyed it that much.

I did this itinerary on Celebrity for a month 11 years ago. We did independent excursions (set up through our roll call on Cruise Critic- that's when I first joined) in all the ports except Rio. We were two women traveling alone in Rio during Carnaval, so we stuck with larger groups there. Favorite memories-

Spending all night watching Carnaval parades at the Sambadrome (at the time, Celevrity included this with our cruise fare)

Puerto Madryn penguin rookery in Patagonia.

The Falkland Islands (penguins, and shopping in the British food markets)

Ushuaia was absolutely gorgeous with wonderful weather.

It snowed on us going through the fiords.

Punta Arenas was the coldest day I've ever experienced on a cruise (Hobart, Tasmania was a close second)

The Osorno Volcano and German villages near Puerto Montt

Hiking in the Andes near Santiago with a private guide and getting snowed on then too.

We then added Machu Pichu to our trip as long as we were that close.

It was a wonderful trip. I won't do it again- it wasn't a trip that I personally want to do again and again, as the weather was so cold in Patagonia, southern Chile and the Falklands- but I'm glad I did it once.

I've done this cruise twice. Once on Princess, once on HAL. The HAL cruise was much, much better as the ship was a lot smaller. Some ports, such as Stanley, don't have the resources for such a big ship and as many passengers as the Grand or the Crown. You have to book a tour either through the cruise line or private months in advance. I'm a big Princess fan but I wouldn't do this cruise on a big Princess ship. But that's my personal opinion.

There is a very active roll call for the upcoming Cape Horn cruise on the Golden Princess

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1628903

there is a wealth of information regarding tours and anything else you may have an interest in.

This is a great itinerary. We have done the Buenos Aires. to Valparaiso/Santiago leg 2.5 (!) times, and the Valpo to Los Angeles leg once:

-- B.A. to Valpo and then back to Ushuaia on the Star in Feb. 2010 -- on that trip, we cancelled plans for 6 post cruise days in Santiago when the great Chilean earthquake (mag. 8.8) occurred 3 days before we reached Valpo. We accepted Princess' offer to let us stay aboard the Star til it got to a port (Ushuaia) where the airport was operating.

-- B.A. to Valpo on the Grand in Feb. 2013. Disembarked for 11 nights in Valpo/Santiago area.

-- Valpo to L.A. on the Star in March 2013 after the aforementioned 11 nights ashore.

The South America board would be a better place for detailed comments on this itinerary, but since the OP asked about individual places and tours, here is a short(?) summary. Note that, when we went on organized tours, we used mostly ship's tours, contrary to many others who post here:

Buenos Aires: In both 2010 and 2013, we spent 4 pre-cruise nights in B.A., and could happily have stayed there longer. Take the warnings about pickpockets seriously, but don't be deterred from walking around the city.

Montevideo: Easy to walk into and around the scenic downtown portion of the city from the ship docks. We did that in 2010. In 2013, we took the ship's tour to Estancia Rabida (plus a quick city drive-through) -- expensive but we were glad we did it.

Puerto Madryn: On the 2013 itinerary but not in 2010. We took the ship's tour to Peninsula Valdez as we are interested in the wildlife.. A long day, and expensive, but very good -- saw lots of guanacos and southern sea lions, plus some S. elephant seals (needed binoculars), and a peludo (a species of armadillo). Also many Magellanic penguins (close up), plus various other interesting birds, e.g., rheas, Chimango caracaras, tinamous, etc.

Stanley, Falklands: A highlight of the itinerary, if the tenders are able to operate. In 2010 we did the Bluff Cove 4WD penguin tour (excellent, but bumpy) in the AM -- Gentoo and King Penguins; other birds. I did a good naturalist-led walk in the PM out to Gypsy Cove (sightseeing, 1982 war history, Magellanic Penguins) while DW walked around Stanley on her own. In 2013, to our disappointment, the Grand did not get to the Falklands due to threatening weather, so we missed out on a planned war history tour (me), visit to a sheep farm (DW), and walkabout in Stanley.

Cape Horn (scenic cruising): not to be missed!

Ushuaia: The catamaran tour in Beagle Channel is great both for scenery and for wildlife -- did that on both cruises. Train and bus tours into the National Park were pleasant but not outstanding.

Beagle Channel (scenic cruising): If your ship traverses the Beagle Channel west of Ushuaia in daylight (in 2010 ours did), position yourself on the north-facing side of the ship to see the sequence of glaciers.

Punta Arenas: Missed this port in 2010 due to weather. In 2013, we took the ship's half-day tour to the Otway Sound penguin colony. Not many penguins this late in the season (22 Feb.). We did see rheas. If you have seen Magellanic penguins elsewhere, you may want to do something different from the Otway Sound tour. Walking around the town, and up to the lookout on the west side of downtown, was interesting and scenic in the late afternoon sunshine.

Chilean Fjords (scenic cruising): Impressive scenery, especially in 2013 when the clouds were high enough to allow a good view of the Andes.

Puerto Montt: DW did a ship's tour to the Alerce forest in 2010; not a great success. In 2013 we did a ship's tour to Lake Esmeralda, Petrohue River & Puerto Varas in good weather -- excellent.

Valparaiso/Vina del Mar: Our 2010 plans were much disrupted by the earthquake. In 2013 we disembarked at Valpo and spent much of that day on a private tour (AboutChile) of Valpo (mostly on foot), Vina del Mar, and on to Santiago where we stayed several days. Valpo is very interesting and scenic (and hilly). For those with just a few hours in port before travelling on, there is lots to see in Valpo and neighbouring Vina del Mar.

Santiago is a large, relatively prosperous, historic, and very interesting city. However, it takes half a day to drive there and back to Valpo, and in our view it is a place to visit for a few days before or after a cruise (or, as in our case, between cruises) rather than on a rushed day trip from Valpo. Also worth a visit are the wineries between Valpo and Santiago

Valpo to California: Given that this message has grown longer than planned, I will stop here and comment on the Valpo to LA leg later.

John

Fantastic information from everyone! Will be doing lots more research!

Thank you so much! Thanks for taking the time to post all your comments!

One last thing - if you have a choice what is the best time of the year for this tour as we will be travelling from Australia.

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Continuing from my long message of yesterday, this time concerning the Valpo/Santiago to California leg:

Santiago interlude? As previously noted, it is well worth spending a few days in this city, and it is impractical to see much of it on a day trip while docked in Valpo. In Feb.-March 2013, we did the B.A. to Valpo leg on the Grand, disembarked for 11 nights, and then did the Valpo to LA leg on the Star. We had planned to spend 7 nights in the Valpo/Vina and Santiago areas, plus a 4-night side trip to Easter Island. (The E.I. side-trip had to be cancelled at the last minute due to illness, regretably.)

As I read the Feb.-March 2014 Princess schedules, one could go from B.A. to Valpo on the Golden, 1-15 March; disembark for 5 nights; and then board the Crown on 20 March for the Valpo to LA leg. That would seem to me to be an excellent option for those interested and able to do it. I am not following the relevant Golden and Crown roll calls on CC, but some people presumably have noticed and booked this "Santiago interlude" option.

Coquimbo/La Serena: We did the ship's half-day tour entitled "Coquimbo City Drive and [La Serena] Archaeological Museum", which was interesting but in our view not outstanding. (We wanted to go on a full-day Elqui Valley tour but that was fully booked long in advance and the wait list never cleared.) In the afternoon, we walked the short distance from the dock to Coquimbo's Plaza de Armas. From there, one can walk up the zig-zag walkways leading up the steep hill behind the Plaza -- good views, and sobering signs about tsunami safety zones.

Callao/Lima: Lima (centered several miles inland) has expanded to encompass the port of Callao. Callao itself if of limited interest so you need to get to Lima. We went on the ship's tour to the San Francisco Monastery, Cathedral, Plaza Mayor, etc., in the downtown area of Lima, and then to the Parque del Amor and Casa Garcia in the Miraflores area -- an excellent tour. After the overnight stay, we went on ship's morning tour to the Larco Herrera Museum and Indian Market. We both enjoyed the museum, and the market was... a market. Colourful & very busy (largely cruise passengers). Inside photos (without flash) were allowed at the Larco Herrera Museum, despite the dire warnings from Princess. I enjoyed the show put on in the Princess Theatre by Peruvian entertainers during the evening when we were docked in Callao.

Manta, Ecuador: Not on the 2014 itineraries, so I will not comment on this port here.

Central America: Many Princess cruises stop at Puntarenas in Costa Rica, San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua; and Cabo San Lucas in Baja California, and much information is available on CC about these ports. Briefly, at Puntarenas, C.R., we did the ship's "Rainforest Aerial Tram, Tarcoles River, & Lunch" tour (all day), which was excellent -- especially for anyone interested in wildlife and tropical ecology. At San Juan del Sur, we took the ship's "Granada, Lake Nicaragua, Las Isletas Cruise, & Lunch" tour". It was good, but we had disappointingly little time on our own in Granada. At Cabo San Lucas, we took the "Chileno Bay, Sail & Snorkel" tour -- a pleasant and scenic way to see some of the sights, including the famous rocky peninsula, but the water was too rough and turbid for good snorkeling. We also walked around the area near the tender port. It is the one port on the entire itinerary (B.A. to LA) that looks like many of those in the Caribbean -- heavily commercialized for tourists. Our cruise was originally scheduled to stop at Acapulco as well, but Princess cancelled that stop several months before the cruise because of concerns about crime.

Book shore excursions early! Some shore excursions on both legs of this itinerary, including both ship's tours and private tours, were fully booked many months before the embarkation dates. Reserve early.

John

In February 2012 we went from Santiago to Rio and in March 2012, we cruised from Santiago to Los Angeles. The weather this year was warm to hot the whole way. For our trip last year, it was hot in Santiago, then very cool until we got to Buenos Aires and Rio. We absolutely loved this itinerary, especially "Glacier Alley" off the coast of Chile (which blew away anything that we've seen in Alaska) and the penguins in Chile and the Falklands. It is amazing and we would do it again in a heartbeat.

I've done this cruise twice. Once on Princess, once on HAL. The HAL cruise was much, much better as the ship was a lot smaller. Some ports, such as Stanley, don't have the resources for such a big ship and as many passengers as the Grand or the Crown. You have to book a tour either through the cruise line or private months in advance. I'm a big Princess fan but I wouldn't do this cruise on a big Princess ship. But that's my personal opinion.

As per previous posts, we have done the B.A. to Valpo leg twice (actually 2.5x) on the Star and Grand, and Valpo to L.A. on the Star. I agree that a smaller ship (HAL or otherwise) would be better, particularly for the tender ports. However, this could be said about just about any itinerary where the ports are the main attraction--not just the South American itineraries. Also, we and (I think) most other pax on the Grand-class ships were very happy with our B.A. to Valpo and Valpo to L.A. cruises, despite the ship-size issue and other complications.

The Crown and her sister ships, with a few hundred additional pax relative to the original Grand-class ships (if the ships are full), certainly seem less well suited for the S.American itineraries and especially for the tender ports. Also, we generally find the Crown and her sister ships to be more crowded, as is to be expected from their lower space ratios compared to the original Grand-class ships. However, I would not let that deter me from going on a South American trip on the Crown if that ship was the one assigned to the cruise best matching our interests, schedule and budget.

John