Silversea South America cruise January 24th to February 15th

[lindaysmith]

We are going on the South American cruise from Barbados to Buenos Aires from 24th January till 15th February 2016. There is an excursion with Silversea for the Iguazza falls but the cost is astronomical! Has anyone ever arranged this excursion themselves with any success? Would love some advice on this please

[57 varieties]

We visited Iguacu as a couple on a visit arranged by our TA. If you are using one for the cruise they should be able to come up with an itinerary. There is only one hotel at the falls - a Sheraton. There are several flights a day from Buenos Aires domestic airport. We arrived around midday and were collected from the airport and driven to the Brazilian side of the falls and then to the hotel. On the following day a guide walked us to the best spots for viewing and we took the speedboat trip under the falls and left that evening for BA.

 

 

 

 

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[lindaysmith]

The excursion unfortunately is not prior to the cruise but when the ship arrives in Bahia and is 3 nights commencing on the Brazilian side, then rejoin the ship in Rio. So not sure how the TA could arrange that?

[57 varieties]

I hadn't appreciated that but looking at the itinerary on the SS website it is not a trip I would do. There is a lot of travelling involved. I would enjoy the ship and plan a visit to Iguaca at some other time. Sorry not to be more helpful.

 

 

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[lindaysmith]

Thank you for your help. TA is now looking at doing it post cruise

[Fletcher]

I would NOT do this as a cruise excursion. The cost is a secondary consideration. The weather here is notoriously unpredictable so you need a few days to get one decent day. We stayed three nights (at the Sheraton) and could easily have stayed a week - it's that dramatic. There is also another hotel here, the colonial-era Belmond on the Brazilian side, and that's another thing: you need to see the Falls from both sides of the border. The views are quite different yet equally spectacular.

 

A lot of cruise companies offer fleeting excursions to places like Iguassu, Angkor, Agra, Bagan - they are never worth it.

[lindaysmith]

I am thinking of doing it post cruise for 3 days. This will be my only opportunity to see these falls as I will not be going back to Brazil in the future as My husband has Parkinson's which is why we are doing Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina on a cruise. His mobility is still good at he moment

[Emtbsam]

We are going on the South American cruise from Barbados to Buenos Aires from 24th January till 15th February 2016. There is an excursion with Silversea for the Iguazza falls but the cost is astronomical! Has anyone ever arranged this excursion themselves with any success? Would love some advice on this please

 

We actually did it from Buenos Aires and stayed at the Sheraton on the Argentine side for two nights. It was considerably less than what Silversea charged even allowing for the fact that we held on to our hotel room in BA while we were gone so we could leave luggage there.

 

If you do go, leave plenty of time for your return to BA because flights can get cancelled due to bad weather leaving you stranded.

[Emtbsam]

duplicate post

Edited October 12, 2015 by Emtbsam

[lindaysmith]

Well that sounds promising and very good advice. The Travel Agent is arranging a package for us so the risk is on them!

[MrsWaldo]

The weather here is notoriously unpredictable so you need a few days to get one decent day. .

 

 

We did a one night January pre-cruise and IMHO it was well worth it. The weather for the entire week was torrential rain (spoke with several people who were there both before with and after us). Apparently we had the "good weather"... if so, I couldn't tell.

 

 

We felt the one day/night was ample, but we put a lot into our time, so were walking, viewing etc continually from arrival to park closure and then again the next morning. Book flights with LAN as they are less prone to cancellations and seem to have a better back up system when they occur.

 

 

(Sometimes those mid cruise packages are worth it, who knows if you don't ever get back? and sometimes they are the real reason for a particular port)

[Emtbsam]

Lindaysmith -

 

If you go to the Argentine side, you have to have a room with a view of the falls at the Sheraton. Although the hotel isn't much, the view is magical!

 

We will be on the cruise with you and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

 

Ask for Bob & Victoria

[lindaysmith]

Thank you Bob and Victoria for the excellent tips. Look forward to meeting you on the cruise. It's our first time on Silversea, the only other cruise we have done is the Caribbean with Princess so this one is quite an adventure!

[57 varieties]

I am thinking of doing it post cruise for 3 days. This will be my only opportunity to see these falls as I will not be going back to Brazil in the future as My husband has Parkinson's which is why we are doing Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina on a cruise. His mobility is still good at he moment

 

 

I don't know if you have heard of 'Cure Parkinson's Trust' here in the UK? They were founded by a local friend, Tom Isaacs. He is inspirational and they are doing great work.

 

 

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[lindaysmith]

Thank you, I will have a look at that. My husband gets very nervous about travelling and it's a real effort getting him on these adventures but once he is there he reall enjoys them.

[lindaysmith]

Is there a safe affordable way to do the excursions that Silversea offer or is it best to pay the high cost and use their excursions. Also, how formal is the dress?

[Ithaca]

There are various threads regarding formal dress for men and women; you can easily research those. My limited SS experience is that people tend to enjoy dressing up (suits or tuxes for men) and glitzy tops over pants or cocktail dresses for women. Last May there were a few long gowns, which made me regret not carting mine. But then, I like to dress up. I'm sure you'll be fine with some elegant accessories if you wear a simple dress or pant outfit. There was a Captain's welcome reception before dinner on our first formal night and the ambiance was indeed celebratory. The menu was a special selection from the chef, including lobster. The second formal night might be construed as arbitrary, but all seemed to enjoy it, anyway.

[Emtbsam]

We have booked several private tours for this cruise since there were specific things we wanted to see. I don't know how they will turn out since I've never used these guides before, but I figured I would give it a chance.

 

Having said that, Silversea tours, while expensive, are never crowded and the staff goes out of their way to make sure that you are well taken care of. Given your husband's situation, it might be advisable to do Silversea tours. Another good thing about a Silversea tour is that should there be a problem and the tour returns late, either the ship will wait or you will be taken to the next port.

[lindaysmith]

Yes, I think I will take your advice and book the excursions with Silversea. I have only done two cruises, both with Princess and just did our own thing. But as you say, you take a risk. I need to get booking!! And get my wardrobe sorted ...

[brimary]

Yes, I think I will take your advice and book the excursions with Silversea. I have only done two cruises, both with Princess and just did our own thing. But as you say, you take a risk. I need to get booking!! And get my wardrobe sorted ...

 

 

Wise decision if the itinerary includes Brazil where sadly crime is a problem and SS excursions provide the necessary peace of mind .Enjoy a great itinerary.