Cruises to Peru?

[Relax Cruiser]

Are there any cruises which go to Peru (Lima, Machu Picchu)? I know this is a general question but I asked in the general forum because I am fine with any cruise. As long as above port is included.

 

Thanks!

[Floridiana]

You need a cruise that is headed further down to South America. They usually continue around the cape and go back and forth between Valparaiso/Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the end of the southern summer season (March), they return north either to Florida or to California. Other ships come across the Pacific to Lima, so you could return to the USA on a ship.

Edited June 19, 2015 by Floridiana

[SantaFeFan]

Are there any cruises which go to Peru (Lima, Machu Picchu)? I know this is a general question but I asked in the general forum because I am fine with any cruise. As long as above port is included.

 

Thanks!

 

We were on a Celebrity cruise from Valparaiso, Chile to Ft. Lauderdale, FL by way of the Panama Canal. It had a stop in Lima, Peru and people could take a three day excursion to Machu Piccu through the cruise line. That would require leaving the ship for three days, missing on visiting Lima, a sea day, and the next port of call. Plus, the cost was almost as much as the cruise itself. On this excursion you only spend a few hours at Machu Piccu, arriving on a train in the late morning, and leaving in late afternoon the same day. You are in that area for about six hours, but it is about an hour ride by bus to the entrance to Machu Piccu, and another hour to get back to the train station. A lot of time spent away from the ship for a few short hours there.

 

We chose to leave seven days early and do Machu Piccu on our own, staying in Cusco for several days prior to the luxury train trip to Machu Piccu, mostly to get acclimated to the 11,000+ ft [3,400 meter] elevation since the area we live is close to sea level. After the train ride, we toured Machu Piccu, watched the sunset, then stayed in a very nice hotel in Aquas Caliente, the town at the base of the mountain and where you transfer between the train and buses. The next morning we were back up at Machu Piccu for the sunrise, and then to the train station by mid afternoon. On the ship excursion you miss both the sunrise and sunset. We spent another night in Cusco before flying to Santiago, Chile for a day and night exploring that area, and then to Valparaiso for another night before boarding the ship.

 

The seven days we spent on our own were fabulous, a real highlight of the trip. And, we did it all for less than the cruise's excursion which would have forced us to miss three days and two nights enjoying the ship and the two ports, and with only 25% of the time at Machu Piccu.

 

 

MACHU PICCU SUNSET

 

 

MACHU PICCU SUNRISE

 

 

HIRAM BINGHAM LUXURY TRAIN - CUSCO TO AQUAS CALIENTE (MACHU PICCU)

 

Edited June 19, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[cruising cockroach]

You'll find some seasonal repos to Callao (port of Lima) late in the year. I think HAL at least has some that cruise between Callao and North America. HAL's Amsterdam is doing one such in November (ending in Callao but you can take the ship back up to San Diego).

[CruiserBruce]

You need a cruise that is headed further down to South America. They usually continue around the cape and go back and forth between Valparaiso/Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the end of the southern summer season (March), they return north either to Florida or to California. Other ships come across the Pacific to Lima, so you could return to the USA on a ship.

 

Not true. HAL has a cruise that goes San Diego to Lima in 16 days, and back in 15. We were on the cruise back to San Diego last November.

[paul929207]

We have sailed twice with Princess up the west coast of South America. These include Machu Picchu either as a multi-day excursions in the middle or a pre or post cruise option.

[Viv0828]

You can take a HAL cruise from San Diego to Lima , get off in Lima and arrange a trip to Machu Picchu and then fly back. Or you could do the reverse.

HAL also has a trip to Machu Picchu during the 3 days the ship is in Lima. I think the RT cruise is 30 or 31 days.

[Chloe1500]

If your main interest is visiting Peru and seeing Machu Picchu, rather than a cruise that covers many ports in South America, you may want to consider a land trip. Peru is a wonderful destination with many ruins throughout the country, friendly people, and great food and shopping. We visited Peru on a small group tour two years ago with Odysseys Unlimited, and it was a fantastic (and very affordable) trip. We were able to stay in Aguascalientes for two nights and visit Machu Picchu over two days.

[quelah]

As others have said, there are cruises down the South American coast that allow an expensive multi-day excursion to Machu Picchu. However, they really don't do justice to a site as remote and magnificent as Machu Picchu, and a longer land trip is really a better option. There is just so much to see, you don't want to go all that way then feel you didn't have enough time there.

[Essiesmom]

Lots of ships call there, many on segments of a world cruise. Go here, and choose the month you want to sail. You will see who is calling there, and their itineraries. EM

 

http://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-callao-lima-peru.html

[maryann ns]

You need more time than even most of the pre or post cruise tours give you for Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. We had nine days and that was about right. If your go on a cruise starting or ending in Lima then you can easily do the trip to Cuzco, etc. on your own.

 

If you are trying to avoid flying it is just about impossible as Cuzco is way inland over the mountains. It is a long uncomfortable bus ride from what I read when researching our trip.

[Shorex]

Avalon Waterways has a Lima to Lima river cruise/land excursion that includes Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, as well as a river cruise on the Peruvian Amazon aboard the Amazon Discovery. You can add the Nazca lines as an option. That looks like a great itinerary.

[indigosails]

Are there any cruises which go to Peru (Lima, Machu Picchu)? I know this is a general question but I asked in the general forum because I am fine with any cruise. As long as above port is included.

 

We just returned from there in April. We sailed with Oceania from Tahiti (and Moorea, Bora Bora etc.) to Easter Island to Lima. We took a private post-cruise tour to Machu Picchu that was WONDERFUL! So, to answer your question, Oceania goes there, as does Paul Gauguin (we saw that ship in very nearly every port we stopped).