Season Nov ‘21- February ‘22, Cruises to South America Cancelling?

[dreamercruise]

Which cruise lines have cancelled due to COVID?

If possible, please include links where you see related discussions or announcements.

I need to start purchasing air tickets in a month or two, so any cancellation news would be appreciated.

[scottjeanne]

So far, we are still a go.  We are on Seabourn's South America, Antarctica and South Georgia cruise beginning on February 24 2022.

[slewis7]

Celebrity just cancelled their cruises to South America through early 2022.  I am booked on Viking for late February 2022 and waiting for them to cancel.  It seems inevitable but hope is still alive.

 

Your user name seems familiar.  Aren’t you booked on Viking?  May be best to get air through the cruise line.

Edited July 29, 2021 by slewis7

[mjmalino]

We are booked on the Diamond Princess to South America (Buenos Aires to Santiago) on the February 5, 2022. So far, we are still on. (fingers crossed)

[dreamercruise]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:14 PM, slewis7 said:

Celebrity just cancelled their cruises to South America through early 2022.  I am booked on Viking for late February 2022 and waiting for them to cancel.  It seems inevitable but hope is still alive.

 

Your user name seems familiar.  Aren’t you booked on Viking?  May be best to get air through the cruise line.

Yes, I am booked on Viking for Late February 2022 as well.  I did not consider Viking air, because I did not know my travel plan for pre and post cruise extensions.  The COVID situation does not look good, so I am skipping all self-arranged travel. If the cruise goes, then I shall take the Viking post-cruise extension from Buenos Aires to Brazil.  Your suggestion of getting Viking air now sounds very good.  Still, I do not feel confident about this cruise going at all (80% chance cancelled by Viking), so I shall not be making any travel arrangement until late December.  Worst case is paying high “last-minute” airfare and/or being very flexible with travel dates.  My guess is that there will be more cruise lines making the cancellation call starting August.

[sippican]

On 7/28/2021 at 9:39 AM, scottjeanne said:

So far, we are still a go.  We are on Seabourn's South America, Antarctica and South Georgia cruise beginning on February 24 2022.

 

Did you have The Falklands as a port of call? What is the ship size?

 

[scottjeanne]

We are on the Seabourn Quest.  It has 229 staterooms, but for Antarctica they do not fill it up so they can keep it under 400 passengers. We do not stop in the Falklands this time.  The cruise itself is 24 day, we have added the Iguazu Falls extension, which is 7 days and we have two days before we get on the ship.  All told we are gone 35 days.

 

I too booked our airfare through the cruise line, which is not our normal procedure, but we felt more secure in case of a cancellation.  The same holds true for the precruise hotel, transfers and the Iguazu Falls trip.  It all seemed a little easier if there are cancellations.  

 

I had several trips booked for 2020 that were a nightmare to cancel and get refunds for.  So I am being cautious at this juncture.

[dreamercruise]

Scottjeanne, I took a look at your cruise itinerary. Looks like your cruise does not get to South Georgia and Antarctica Pennisular until March.  If your Seabourn cruise gets cancelled, rebook a future one that cruises in late December, January, or early half of February when the sea is calmer and wildlife is more abundant (before penguin chicks stop molting).  Besides great weather, the calm water helps zodiac landings, kayaking, and crossing the Drake Passage.  In addition, pick the itinerary that stops by South Georgia for more than 2 days. Although I like that you can combine Chilean Fjords with the expedition part of South Georgia and Antarctica, I think spending less time in South Georgia does not do justice to this memorable, far-away place.

I would not worry about missing Falkland Islands, because there are many South America cruises that stop by this place.  South Georgia, on the other hand, is not a commonly included stop due to its location.  Besides, there are much more to see in terms of wildlife.

[jean s]

We are booked on Diamond Princess March 5, 2022 Buenos Aires to Santiago.  I am hopeful but I highly doubt it will happen.

[scottjeanne]

Dreamercruise, thank you for the advice about the timing of the trip.  I am still hopeful the one we are booked on  will go.  If it is cancelled, I am not sure I can afford the same trip in winter 2022/2023.  Seabourn is changing from the Quest to the Venture and the prices are double.  We shall see.

[WindWalkerII]

On 7/28/2021 at 6:39 AM, scottjeanne said:

So far, we are still a go.  We are on Seabourn's South America, Antarctica and South Georgia cruise beginning on February 24 2022.

 

[WindWalkerII]

We are on the same cruise.  How do you plan to go from Santiago the the Quest? We are spending one night before the cruise at a hotel in Santiago.

[scottjeanne]

We are also spending the night at the Ritz in Santiago and Seabourn is providing the transfer to the ship.  They say private, but I would have no problem sharing the ride with other passengers.

[clo]

On 7/31/2021 at 8:34 AM, scottjeanne said:

we have added the Iguazu Falls extension, which is 7 days

Where will you be traveling other than Iguazu? Thirty years ago we spent two days there and that was plenty so I figure you must have other stops.

[scottjeanne]

Seabourn's extension is two nights in Buenos Aires, two days in Iguazu falls and three days in Rio.  We fly home from Rio on day seven.

[scottjeanne]

Seabourn is now offering a Quest Antarctica (25 days) with the same itinerary as this year in January 2023.  It is more than we have paid, but not as pricey as the Venture cruises.  So if the 2022 cruises are cancelled this year, there is hope for 2023.

[HALrunner]

It appears both Princess and Celebrity have cancelled their 2021-2022 SA season.

[slewis7]

I just checked Celebrity and their website does show that South America cruises are cancelled through their March 2022 sailings.  
 

I also checked Holland America.  They continue to show early 2022 sailings as available (as does Viking which I am booked on for late February 2022).

[StephenNJ]

I am booked on MSC for December (after Norwegian cancelled on me).  The cruise has not been cancelled yet.  I don't know what to do.  My final payment is due next week.  From my reading of the US State Department websites, both Argentina and Uruguay are closed to tourists.  I already cancelled and lost airfare as I had originally also booked a few days in Chile too.  Chile is closed.   Also, how does the cruise line handle COVID testing upon arrival at each port?  The messaging I've gotten is inconsistent and unclear.  

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

[deadzone1003]

On 9/1/2021 at 10:00 AM, StephenNJ said:

I am booked on MSC for December (after Norwegian cancelled on me).  The cruise has not been cancelled yet.  I don't know what to do.  My final payment is due next week.  From my reading of the US State Department websites, both Argentina and Uruguay are closed to tourists.  I already cancelled and lost airfare as I had originally also booked a few days in Chile too.  Chile is closed.   Also, how does the cruise line handle COVID testing upon arrival at each port?  The messaging I've gotten is inconsistent and unclear.  

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

Argentina is allowing cruise ships effective 10/20/21.  Uruguay and Chile are in much better shape than Argentina so it is likely that they will re-open for the summer season down there too.  MSC is scheduled to send 6 ships towards South America this winter.  Costa is also sending a ship in November.  You can always cancel your cruise and book it again when you feel comfortable.  It is unlikely that any cruise ships will be full especially MSC as they have so many ships in South America.  If you have airfare that is not refundable or changeable, then you have a problem.  The MSC Preziosa is leaving Barcelona on 10/21/21 for South America.  I assume all those passengers have made their final payment.  MSC hasn't modified any of their South America cruises that I know of, not even their World Cruise.  As for covid testing, I can't help you there.  Don't be surprised that the only way of getting off the ship in any port is through a ship's excursion.  

[psygist]

Princess cancelled all of their cruises to South  America for the entire 2021-2022 season.  I think it's highly doubtful that ANY cruise ships will be in South America for the upcoming summer season there.

[deadzone1003]

Right now, there are probably 8 cruise ships going to South America where their passengers have already made their final payments, 6 MSC ships, 1 Costa ship, & 1 Viking ship.  Just because the North American mass market cruise lines have backed off, doesn't mean that others will.  Oceania is still scheduled to go, along with Saga and Silversea.  Unless a new variant starts spreading in South America like a wildfire before their summer months, I think a few ships will make it down there.  

[scottjeanne]

My Seabourn trip is still on.  They have sold out cruises in November and December that are still scheduled to go.  My trip is February 2022.

[slewis7]

7 hours ago, scottjeanne said:

My Seabourn trip is still on.  They have sold out cruises in November and December that are still scheduled to go.  My trip is February 2022.

Sorry to say, but Seabourn just announced it has cancelled their 2021-2022 South America/Antartica season.

 

https://www.seabourn.com/en_US/news/press-release/2021-press-releases/seabourn-announces-updated-restart-date-for-seabourn-quest.html

 

The number of cruise lines still going to South America for 2021/2022 keeps shrinking.

[deadzone1003]

Apparently, NCL will have a ship sailing from Buenos Aires on Jan. 16th.  So, they may be the only North American mass-market cruise line left to sail South America this season.  Don't forget there are dozens of expedition ships visiting Antarctica from South America.