South America Blogs

[alibabacruisers]

Hi everyone!

 

We have booked the 2025 South America Discovery cruise on QV.  We have never been to S.A. and I know I have read several cruise blogs over the years, but can anyone give me several people that have done them in the past please?  I would love to read them and get some helpful information plus get more excited about our trip!  I have quite a bit of time before then to get helpful hints, information and suggestions.

 

I would appreciate any and all of your suggestions!  Thank you!

[sfred]

There were several of us on all or parts of QV's 2020 South America voyage.  Mrs. sfred and I were aboard from Rio to Santiago.  Others included @carlmm, @Bell Boy, @Palmeat, and @Dogtanian20.  I'm sure Ive missed others - my apologies.  One blog here on Cruise Critic was @Dogtanian20's posts - a link is copied below.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2729733-queen-victoria-south-america-trip-blog/

 

Best wishes for 2025 - very exciting!  Let us know any questions you have.

Edited April 7, 2023 by sfred

[Victoria2]

Can't think of many blogs better than this one

http://butarewethereyet.blogspot.com/

 

Maybe Roscoe could add the appropriate links to his S.A adventures.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Victoria2

[sfred]

Thanks @Victoria2.  I had forgotten that @roscoe39 was also aboard QV for 2020 South America voyage.  My apologies.  He does indeed do an outstanding blog!

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you for the suggestions!  That ought to keep me busy!😉

[roscoe39]

11 hours ago, alibabacruisers said:

Thank you for the suggestions!  That ought to keep me busy!😉

Hi Alibaba - look forward to seeing you in 2025 - South America is a great cruise. 

If you are interested, I did indeed blog on a couple of my blogs, (thank you guys for the acknowledgement -very flattering)

 

https://roscoesseafever.blogspot.com

 

if you scroll back to  Jan 26 2014 you will get the first blog from Rio that goes down around the horn and up to Valparaiso and then across past Pitcairn easter Island and then bouncing back from Australia and NZ to San Francisco and also on

 

http://butarewethereyet.blogspot.com

 

if you scroll back to feb 1st 2020 its the start of the South American trip from Santiago up to Southampton and the journey through COVID.. Interesting enough you might find  the next story after Feb 1st on there is about the fate of the Laconia which was the first World Cruise ship and the one being celebrated with this years world cruise. (I also have a thing for shipwrecks!)

 

You are going to love the South American Circumnavigation. It's a terrific trip. Looking forward to seeing you in the bar.

[tmacktravels]

6 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

Hi Alibaba - look forward to seeing you in 2025 - South America is a great cruise. 

If you are interested, I did indeed blog on a couple of my blogs, (thank you guys for the acknowledgement -very flattering)

 

https://roscoesseafever.blogspot.com

 

if you scroll back to  Jan 26 2014 you will get the first blog from Rio that goes down around the horn and up to Valparaiso and then across past Pitcairn easter Island and then bouncing back from Australia and NZ to San Francisco and also on

 

http://butarewethereyet.blogspot.com

 

if you scroll back to feb 1st 2020 its the start of the South American trip from Santiago up to Southampton and the journey through COVID.. Interesting enough you might find  the next story after Feb 1st on there is about the fate of the Laconia which was the first World Cruise ship and the one being celebrated with this years world cruise. (I also have a thing for shipwrecks!)

 

You are going to love the South American Circumnavigation. It's a terrific trip. Looking forward to seeing you in the bar.

These look fabulous and I will be reading them too as also booked on QV for 2025. 
Cheers  Tracey

[watsonbeau]

Just wondering for those who have done South America by cruise if there is any preference for -

 

flying to Santiago and sailing back to Southampton 

 

or

 

sailing from Southampton and flying back from Rio de Janeiro

 

as QV has those two voyages as possibilities for me in 2025 but am undecided ! Have done Panama Canal so not essential so just wondering which might be the more interesting itinerary of the two. Have to say flying long haul is not something I enjoy but needs must.

 

thank you 

 

 

[roscoe39]

6 hours ago, watsonbeau said:

Just wondering for those who have done South America by cruise if there is any preference for -

 

flying to Santiago and sailing back to Southampton 

 

or

 

sailing from Southampton and flying back from Rio de Janeiro

 

as QV has those two voyages as possibilities for me in 2025 but am undecided ! Have done Panama Canal so not essential so just wondering which might be the more interesting itinerary of the two. Have to say flying long haul is not something I enjoy but needs must.

 

thank you 

 

 

two completely different trips, although if you only travel down  as far as  Rio you are missing the most exciting part of the east coast of SA, which is down around the horn to Santiago which has lots to see.

Can you stretch it to Santiago and fly home from there?

 

The last half from Santiago to the Panama and back to UK - the path less travelled and in my mind more interesting if you are less interested in the cosmopolitan side of life and more in rural life and ancient ruins and pre Inca life.. There are some interesting pre Inca cities in the desert, the pryloglyths , Peru, Lima, the Coral Valley with its city older than the Giza Pryimids...

 

http://butarewethereyet.blogspot.com/2020/03/they-are-not-just-pile-of-rocks-you-know.html

 

it is all less tourist and I found fascinating.

 

Santiago is also a great city and worth spending some time in at the beginning or the end of your trip.

 

If it was a choice of finishing in Rio or starting in Santiago I would take the second option. But South America is a great trip you will have a great time either way.

 

Personally, I would take your second option.

[roscoe39]

8 hours ago, tmacktravels said:

These look fabulous and I will be reading them too as also booked on QV for 2025. 
Cheers  Tracey

yayyyayyy Tracey, someone else to introduce Pisco Sours too!

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you Roscoe!  I knew there was another blog (roscoeseafever)!  Thank you so much for the links and the dates so I can find them.  You always have such a great way of describing things!

 

That, also, is great news that you are doing the 2025 QV WC!  I will finally get to meet you!

[alibabacruisers]

HI Tracey, it is good to hear from another person that will be taking the QV 2025 WC.  

 

We were going to start in SOU but decided to start in FLL because the weather in FLL should be warmer and we can visit family prior and after the cruise.

[sfred]

The "Where in the World" game here on the Cunard board has some great photos of South America ports, glaciers, and cruise-bys.  You can search by the port name to find the specific photos.  This is the list of South America ports that have been "seen":

 

Alter do Chao, Brazil

Amalia Glacier, Chile

Arica, Chile

Armacao Dos Buzios, Brazil

Belem, Brazil

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cape Horn, Chile

Cartagena, Colombia

Coquimbo, Chile

Devil's Island, French Guiana

Fortaleza, Brazil

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Jamestown, St Helena

Lima (Callao), Peru

Macapa, Brazil

Maceio, Brazil

Manaus, Brazil

Manta, Ecuador

Montevideo, Uruguay

Parintins, Brazil

Pio X Glacier, Chile

Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Puerto Montt, Chile

Punta Arenas, Chile

Recife, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

San Andres Island, Colombia

San Antonio, Chile

Santarem, Brazil

Santos, Brazil

Ushuaia, Argentina

Valparaiso, Chile

 

[alibabacruisers]

Thank for that idea sfred!  Love it!

[watsonbeau]

Thank you. On balance sounds like starting at Santiago might be the more interesting option for me. Certainly food god thought.  Thank you 

[LittleFish1976]

8 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

Santiago is also a great city and worth spending some time in at the beginning or the end of your trip.

@roscoe39 I have to make a decision and book return flights soon (either Melbourne or Auckland to Santiago) for a cruise to Antarctica. Would you suggest 3 days in Santiago or in Buenos Aires as being the more interesting for those interested in museums, architecture and restaurants (maybe a bit of music and dancing thrown in for good measure). Seems Santiago is possible as a direct option from those points of origin but we have to get to BA anyway. Would love to have th ebenefit of your consoderable experience in those parts.

 

The around SA trip on QV sounds fantastic - do Cunard do this every year?

[roscoe39]

1 hour ago, LittleFish1976 said:

@roscoe39 I have to make a decision and book return flights soon (either Melbourne or Auckland to Santiago) for a cruise to Antarctica. Would you suggest 3 days in Santiago or in Buenos Aires as being the more interesting for those interested in museums, architecture and restaurants (maybe a bit of music and dancing thrown in for good measure). Seems Santiago is possible as a direct option from those points of origin but we have to get to BA anyway. Would love to have th ebenefit of your consoderable experience in those parts.

 

The around SA trip on QV sounds fantastic - do Cunard do this every year?

sorry but that is a really hard decision only you can make. 

BA has dancing in the streets and its a beautiful Parisian style city with lots of cosmopolitan history around  

Evita etc . The clothes shopping is fantastic, the men dress spectacularly and the women are stunning, The atmosphere in the city when you are just walking down a street round a corner and find a couple doing the tango is unforgettable.

 

Santiago on the other hand - I fell in love with in 2020 when I spent 3 days there and wished I had spent more.Most other years I had fled and headed straight to Valparaiso where we used to pick up the cruises and the only reason I stayed this time was because the new berth is San Antonio and its pretty dire.

There are too numerous things to do in the city and envorons to list however

A hike in the Andes and sitting in the hot pools on the edge of the cliff off set by a walking tour around the city where the architecture and european style restaurants and cafes was a welcome surprise. The architecture and churches, the slightly run down magnificent parks and the colours and smiles from the locals........all   priceless.

 

The South Americans are very passionate about life I can't wait to go back.

 

Latam flies direct to Santiago if you are leaving from Melbourne the flight starts in Sydney  and you can either bounce and fly to Rio or Ba and then fly down to Ushuaia to catch the antarctic cruises although some leave from Santiago or BA. It just depends. Latam is a great airline, its 11 hours from here but if you are sitting on the starboard side you get to view the andes as you fly in to Santiago and it makes up for it.

 

Cunard started doing the SA circuit for the QV in 2017 I think, Ive done it or parts of it each time they have done it, the last time was 2020 and I hope as the QA will probably do the WC for a few years they may return after 2025. I noticed this next trip they are not doing the Amazon which is a shame.

[roscoe39]

9 hours ago, alibabacruisers said:

Thank you Roscoe!  I knew there was another blog (roscoeseafever)!  Thank you so much for the links and the dates so I can find them.  You always have such a great way of describing things!

 

That, also, is great news that you are doing the 2025 QV WC!  I will finally get to meet you!

if there is a bar onboard serving Pisco Sours - Ill be there!

[RICHARD@SEA]

Has anyone been to Manaus on a SA cruise - I'd like to see the opera house & hopefully a performance....

 

Roscoe - what would a gentleman of a certain age wear???

[roscoe39]

8 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Has anyone been to Manaus on a SA cruise - I'd like to see the opera house & hopefully a performance....

 

Roscoe - what would a gentleman of a certain age wear???

Hi Richard, we are not going to Manaus on the SA trip in 2025 unfortunately...but going to the Opera house is my dream one day and certainly to see a performance.

as to what does a gentleman of a certain age wear....I have no idea what you mean........but I am probably not an example of whatever it is that you do mean....

 

however....

 

[Solent Richard]

On 4/7/2023 at 8:19 AM, alibabacruisers said:

Hi everyone!

 

We have booked the 2025 South America Discovery cruise on QV.  We have never been to S.A. and I know I have read several cruise blogs over the years, but can anyone give me several people that have done them in the past please?  I would love to read them and get some helpful information plus get more excited about our trip!  I have quite a bit of time before then to get helpful hints, information and suggestions.

 

I would appreciate any and all of your suggestions!  Thank you!

 

Good morning. I'll make the assumption that  you are more interested in the ports of call and can offer you one or two 'Blog' reviews that hopefully will be useful for your visits. The first, Ushuaia...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/12/30/one-way-to-do-ushuaia/

 

 

*****

 

[Solent Richard]

Here's another for you @alibabacruisers ,this time Buenos Aires...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2013/05/30/one-way-to-do-buenos-aires-part-1/

 

 

*****

 

[Solent Richard]

And a third @alibabacruisers for this morning, Montevideo...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2014/01/28/one-way-to-do-montevideo/

 

 

Indeed this was such a good visit with Queen Mary 2, it was when they offered World Cruise Grills passengers special events. @Bell Boy will no doubt also recall that exceptional evening at Jacksonville ...

 

 

*******

 

******

 

 

If you get an opportunity to visit the Jacksonville Estate, pull out all the stops.

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you Richard for the links to the blogs! 

[surreymum]

Thanks @Solent Richard.