South America

[pipster37]

My husband and I are thinking of the South America Cruise in Dec. Have been on Oceania before and found the excursions overpriced. How safe is it to go off on your own in South America? Is there much to see there? Thank you.:)

[shoshona2]

Hi Pipster,

 

We've been on Oceania three times and other cruise lines and arrange for private guides to do the excursions. We were in South America three times and did private tours. If you go to the "ports" section of this wonderful Cruise Critic Board and hit on "South America", all your questions will be answered. We did the Valpariaso to Buenos Aires cruise on another line in 2004 and used the services of portcompass.com. Many people have used other companies with great success. I don't know which cities you are interested in touring, but Buenos Aires and Rio are two cities where you have to worry about walking around by yourself. Just don't wear any jewelry off the ship and watch for pickpockets carefully as if you were in a big city in the U.S.

 

Sheila

[Jane110]

I agree with Sheila's advice. It really depends on the city. Many of the towns are quite safe, however, you'll see a lot more if you hire a guide. Oceania's tours are quite overpriced and like any tour, you're on their schedule! Private guide is the way to go and you can get some very reasonable prices, especially in South America. You didn't tell us your itinerary so it's hard to give you feedback about various places.

 

I'll disagree with Sheila on one thing though. Rio is very dangerous, we're not even comfortable walking around by ourselves in the daytime there. But Buenos Aires is a much safer city. I walked around by myself (got a $3.00 manicure) when DH took a nap and we walked around in the evening in the well lit areas.(La Recoleta) The La Boca area is dicey and should only be visited during daylight hours.

 

However, in all of SA, don't wear good jewelry and don't even think of wearing designer knock-offs or fake gold. Muggers will take first and check authenticity later. I bought a $10. watch that looks like a $10. watch and some cute plastic bracelets/earrings.

[shoshona2]

Hi Jane,

 

Hope you are doing well. I don't know where pipster lives, but you live in NYC and I live in L.A. and we know how to use caution when walking around. Since the Peso in Argentina has dropped so drastically, the crime rate has gone up and although it might have been okay to walk in the La Recoleta area, it is wise to use caution.

 

Regards,

Sheila

[pipster37]

I live in Sarasota, Florida. However I grew up and spent most of my life on Long Island, right out of New York City so I know all about crime and being careful. We were just thinking about going to South America, but we like to go off on our own. We may just go and spend a week in Venice and Florence. I do not want to look over my shoulder the whole time I am away. It is probably to late to book the South America trip for Dec. with Oceania, we will see. Thanks for your imput:)

[tgg]

We were on the Rio to Buenos Aires cruise last December, leaving from Tampa. The plane ride is incredibly long (we were routed through Atlanta!) and the ports were not terribly interesting. Rio is fun (we walked around ourselves with no problems) and Buenos Aires is fun, but the ports in between were some of the most uninteresting we have visited. Many people did enjoy the $1299 per person excursion to Iguazu Falls, but we were not able to do the walking involved at that time.

 

Your idea of Venice or Florence sounds great. We'll be on the cruise leaving in late October from Venice and arriving 14 days later in Barcelona. Perhaps you can get a last minute cancellation on that one and join us.

 

Enjoy whatever you decide to do.

[mike35]

Wife (aka DW) and I did the Oceania Insignia Valparaiso to Buenos cruise in January, 2006, and I can honestly say that it was one of the best cruises we've ever sailed on. At that time, Oceania's shore excursion reputation was rather poor (overpriced, boring, etc), so we spent many hours researching each and every port and booked private guides in each one. I could write paragraph after paragraph about the uniqueness and beauty of this itinerary. Can you imagine getting up close and personal with over 1/2 million Magellenic penguins (we're talking inches away)? How about platters of the best king crab one can imagine anywhere in the world (much sweeter than Alaskan king crab)? Or visiting the incredible holocaust memorial in Montevideo, followed by a trip to a fabulous Uruguayan winery that doesn't export to the U.S.? We toured the Falkland Islands with a veteran of the Falkland Island/Argentinian war, seeing more penguins, fields that are still strewn with land mines, downed helicopters, and then enjoying fish and chips in a true English pub. Or viewing the Chilean fjords - that rival anything that Norway could throw at you. Or visiting the world-renowned Chilean wineries - a short drive from the wonderful capital city of Santiago. And finally Buenos Aires - the most European capital city in the Western Hemisphere, with inspiring architecture, a world-class opera house, the best beef in the world at ridiculously low prices, those wonderful tango shows - each more spectacular than the next, leather goods at almost give-away prices. We spent 3 days post-cruise there and could have spent many, many more.

 

On the subject of safety, I was warned by a store owner in the Florida shopping district to not have my expensive camera loosely swinging from my shoulder (smart advice in any major city). And at one point, we were stalked by a young Argentinian on a small motorcycle; we hurriedly joined a large crowd of people and he then left us alone.

 

So to reply to the OP's query "is there much to see there" (I assume "there" means the entire South American itinerary), the answer, at least to us, is a resounding YES. We would love to repeat this itinerary in the future to experience so many things that due to time constraints we had to miss.

 

A final note about Oceania's shore excursions. Our most recent cruise was this past February -- Hong Kong to Bangkok on the Nautica. The shore excursion department was exceptional, and all of the ship tours we took were professionally done at reasonable prices. So it appears that Miami has taken note and has resolved many of the shore excursion complaints.

[pipster37]

To tgg,

I don't know if my husband would want to spend $1200 a person for an excursion to the falls. That is an extra $2400. plus you loose what you paid to be on the ship that day. Sounds a little foolish to me. If the other ports are not that interesting you only have Rio and Buneos Aries. It sounds like it is a long journey to get there so I am assuming it may not be worth it. I am curious how did they route you through Atlanta? Did you take their air? Thank you:)

[mike35]

To tgg,

I don't know if my husband would want to spend $1200 a person for an excursion to the falls. That is an extra $2400. plus you loose what you paid to be on the ship that day. Sounds a little foolish to me.

 

Our major regret on our South America cruise was that we didn't spend the extra 2 days to go to Iguassu Falls. Many of our friends and fellow cruisers describe the falls as one of the most spectacular sights on Earth. We're planning a future cruise where the highlight will be an excursion to the falls. But - as they (who's they??) say -- whatever floats your boat.

[tgg]

Pipster,

 

We were routed through Atlanta because we didn't want to deal with a 7 hour layover in Miami. Also, as I'm sure you know, the Miami airport is not a great place to spend extra time. We did our own air.

 

I just took a look at the Oceania site for this year's itinerary for the Rio to Buenos Aires cruise on December 9 and found something interesting. They've made LOTS of changes, probably based on the feedback from passengers on last year's cruise. They've added overnights on the ship in Rio and Buenos Aires and many of the ports have been changed.

 

It is possible to do an excursion to Iguasu Falls from Buenos Aires for about half what Oceania charges. Many people on our cruise were extending their trip to do just that in addition to enjoying Buenos Aires. Hotel rooms are reasonable there.

 

In order to make a reasoned choice of a cruise, why not search for information on the ports in between and see what there is to do if you don't want to take the ship's tours. (We never do either.)

 

As for safety, I can tell you that someone on the ship's tour was mugged in Recoleta Cemetary, a woman walking with her husband in Montevideo had her purse grabbed by a man on a motor scooter and was thrown to the ground, and someone else was pickpocketed. My husband and I walked around Rio and Buenos Aires with no problems.

 

We live in Sarasota during winter. I'm the woman in Fruitville Publix with the blue Oceania Cruises visor I won playing team trivia.

[Jane110]

To tgg,

I don't know if my husband would want to spend $1200 a person for an excursion to the falls. That is an extra $2400. plus you loose what you paid to be on the ship that day. Sounds a little foolish to me.

 

A trip to Iguazo Falls is not in your budget, then skip it. Or you can look for a private tour company that charges less (there are many fine ones).

 

However, I really have to disagree with your philosphy that it's foolish if you take an overnight excursion and that you "loose what you paid to be on the ship". Most people take port intensive cruises to visit interesting places that are easier to reach by ship. I love when the ship overnights in a port so we can enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and not have to worry about getting back to the ship on time. However,with your theory, you should never leave the ship.....or never leave home if you have a mortgage or pay rent. Same thing.

Do what makes you comfortable, but if every minute that you're off ship or everytime you have a choice to eat something new and different, you start to calculate that you're losing money, you're not going to be happy and should probably consider a transatlantic cruise with many days at sea with no ports and you'll get your "money's worth".

 

BTW, you CAN do Iguasso Falls from BA or Rio and pack up your hotel room and check out and then check back in when you return so you don't "lose money" on a hotel room that you've paid for.

 

Whether South America is boring or exciting is "personal". We didn't take the same route as MikeBrill, we went from Buenos Aires to Rio, and visited some small towns that some, like tgg, think are boring. I think you have to do your research and do what you think you'll enjoy. At different times I want different things.

[pipster37]

To Jane110. Yes, everyone is different. I do not have any problem paying my mortgage or anything else. When I said it was foolish to pay the extra $$$ when you are already paying for your ship I really mean if an excursion takes you overnight it is best to do a land trip and fully enjoy the area. You have already paid for your food and cabin on the ship, so you are paying double to see a certain area. If you want to enjoy the varied dinners in different countries, yes I believe you should stay in those areas to fully get a feel for the country. I have been on cruises and most of the focus is on the food. You touch on several ports to get a taste of where you may want to do a land trip. Just my opinion, and I was just asking as I have not been to South America.

[billie5]

There are only three large cataracts in the world, Niagara, Victoria and Iguassu. I have had the fortune to see all three, and Iguassu and Victoria are far more dramatic than Niagara. Victoria is much narrower, very much in the jungle (When the water is low, you can see elephants meandering on the top of the falls) and you are the closest to the falls. Iguassu is the most extensive -- can rightfully call itself the largest cataract on earth. On my personal list of the top ten natural wonders of the world, I would rank Iguassu #3 (along with Mt. Everest, Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef, Yellowstone Basin, Galapagos Isls, Ngorongoro Crater, Amazon Rain Forst, Sahara Desert and Victoria Falls). So I do think it is a must-see site.

 

On the other hand, it is easy to get to from either Rio or Buenos Aires. I was at a conference in Rio, and when I realized the weekend would be free, I just walked into a travel agency, booked a return trip to Iguassu and a hotel for two days there. I don't recall how much the cost was, but I know it was not very much, nowhere near the quoted Oceania price. Once there, I hailed a cab and arranged for him to take me to both the Brazilian and the Argentinian sides. All in all a very memorable experience.

 

Bill

 

Bill

[owl61]

RT air from either Buenos Aires or Rio to Iguazu is about $250 on GOL, TAM, ( Rio) Lan Chile, or Aerolineas Argentinas (BA). Spend 2 nights at a deluxe hotel like the Sheraton ($235/night) and the cost for two will be around $1000 plus meals and tours ( not expensive). You will see just as much or more than the ship excursion priced at around $2600 which may be for just one night and not two.

[DGF]

Hi Pipster,

 

We've been on Oceania three times and other cruise lines and arrange for private guides to do the excursions. We were in South America three times and did private tours. If you go to the "ports" section of this wonderful Cruise Critic Board and hit on "South America", all your questions will be answered. We did the Valpariaso to Buenos Aires cruise on another line in 2004 and used the services of portcompass.com. Many people have used other companies with great success. I don't know which cities you are interested in touring, but Buenos Aires and Rio are two cities where you have to worry about walking around by yourself. Just don't wear any jewelry off the ship and watch for pickpockets carefully as if you were in a big city in the U.S.

 

Sheila

 

Thanks for the Port Compass lead. We were able to make contact and await their response

[DGF]

Wife (aka DW) and I did the Oceania Insignia Valparaiso to Buenos cruise in January, 2006, and I can honestly say that it was one of the best cruises we've ever sailed on. At that time, Oceania's shore excursion reputation was rather poor (overpriced, boring, etc), so we spent many hours researching each and every port and booked private guides in each one. I could write paragraph after paragraph about the uniqueness and beauty of this itinerary. Can you imagine getting up close and personal with over 1/2 million Magellenic penguins (we're talking inches away)? How about platters of the best king crab one can imagine anywhere in the world (much sweeter than Alaskan king crab)? Or visiting the incredible holocaust memorial in Montevideo, followed by a trip to a fabulous Uruguayan winery that doesn't export to the U.S.? We toured the Falkland Islands with a veteran of the Falkland Island/Argentinian war, seeing more penguins, fields that are still strewn with land mines, downed helicopters, and then enjoying fish and chips in a true English pub. Or viewing the Chilean fjords - that rival anything that Norway could throw at you. Or visiting the world-renowned Chilean wineries - a short drive from the wonderful capital city of Santiago. And finally Buenos Aires - the most European capital city in the Western Hemisphere, with inspiring architecture, a world-class opera house, the best beef in the world at ridiculously low prices, those wonderful tango shows - each more spectacular than the next, leather goods at almost give-away prices. We spent 3 days post-cruise there and could have spent many, many more.

 

On the subject of safety, I was warned by a store owner in the Florida shopping district to not have my expensive camera loosely swinging from my shoulder (smart advice in any major city). And at one point, we were stalked by a young Argentinian on a small motorcycle; we hurriedly joined a large crowd of people and he then left us alone.

 

So to reply to the OP's query "is there much to see there" (I assume "there" means the entire South American itinerary), the answer, at least to us, is a resounding YES. We would love to repeat this itinerary in the future to experience so many things that due to time constraints we had to miss.

 

A final note about Oceania's shore excursions. Our most recent cruise was this past February -- Hong Kong to Bangkok on the Nautica. The shore excursion department was exceptional, and all of the ship tours we took were professionally done at reasonable prices. So it appears that Miami has taken note and has resolved many of the shore excursion complaints.

 

Mike

 

If we could trouble you for the names and contact info for the guides you used; either by this thread or by contacting us at DeanGayle@rogers.com. Any suggestions will certainly be appreciated on what you would do different.

 

We are looking forward to the cruise and hoping for good weather; as Alaska it is crap shoot

[DGF]

RT air from either Buenos Aires or Rio to Iguazu is about $250 on GOL, TAM, ( Rio) Lan Chile, or Aerolineas Argentinas (BA). Spend 2 nights at a deluxe hotel like the Sheraton ($235/night) and the cost for two will be around $1000 plus meals and tours ( not expensive). You will see just as much or more than the ship excursion priced at around $2600 which may be for just one night and not two.

 

We are presently costing out/ arranging a two night/day trip to Iguazu Falls from Buenos Airies at the end of our cruise on Feb 5, 09.

 

When convenient please advise as to where you are getting a $235/ night quote for Sheraton

 

Thanks