Infinity South America January 2012

[mothergoose1957]

Anyone done this route yet, have booked 4 cabins CC looking for tips on tours and possible accommodations at the start and finish.:)

[Denny01]

We did the Buenos Aires to Valp cruise in '09 and it was fantastic. Great ports, loved seeing the Cape and thought the Beagle Channel was unbelievable. One of our favorite cruises of all.

 

Tough flying there and back, but well worth it. We enjoyed starting from Buenos Aires and spent a few days there before - worked it through Celebrity because they had good deal flights. I'd tend to depart from Buenos Aires since the ship is right there and you don't have to go from Santiago to Valparaiso. If you depart from Valp, I'd suggest you go to Valp right off and stay a few nights there. Very interesting town. Looks like a S Calif town in the '60's.

 

 

Either way is fantastic. I'd strongly suggest you fly in at least a day or so before the cruise. too chancy to fly in the day of....and you'll be dead from the flight. enjoy.

 

Den

[travelling mom]

We just did this route in Jan/11 from Valparaiso to Buenos Aries. I picked this itinerary based on advice that sea's are not as rough going from West to East. That being said, we found it rough some days with 20 foot waves. There was a fair amount of rocking. If you or members of your family are prone to sea sickness, I would suggest a lower midship cabin.

We enjoyed the cruise and found the ports very interesting. The people in South America are very friendly and many do not speak much English. If you are stopping in Puerto Madryn, you should not miss the excursion to Punta Tombo to see the penguins. Even though it is a 3 hour drive to Punta Tombo, it was well worth it.

 

Another thing to consider is if you decide to fly into Santiago, everyone will be charged a reciprocity fee of approx $135.00 entering Chile (fee depends on your nationality). This is a one time fee, good for the life of your passport. You can pay in cash or by credit card.

 

We flew into Santiago the day before, stayed at the Radisson Santiago and booked a car to drive us to the Valparaiso port the next day.

[Denny01]

Not sure what the advice about rougher seas when going West to East was referring to, because this cruise is mainly North-South oriented with West-East only through the Beagle Channel and Magellan Straits. And even going West to East or the other way, if the Sea is rough, it doesn't matter much except the wind impact. You will be sailing in waters that are known for getting rough at times. We had very high winds approaching the Cape and only got up to the Cape but didn't pass them because of the winds. So it's hit/miss.

 

But well worth it all.

 

We took the Beagle Channel boat tour and it was fantastic. Did a private tour in Puerto Monte but the bad wx made it a bust. The Wx on the rest of the cruise was fantastic. Did a wine tour from Valp to Santiago on our departure day and enjoyed.

 

Den