Clothing for Dec. 21st 20 day Santiago to Rio on Veendam

[iamaphisig]

Question about what to pack...

 

Realizing that it will be hot and humid in Chile, and then cold and possibly windy in Antarctica... What do we need to pack clothing-wise? How cold is it in Antarctica? I read 35-40 degrees, but how cold does that really feel on the ship? Any advice would be appreciated, especially since I have a tendency to overpack and this is a 20 night cruise!!

 

Jessica

[Goldryder]

I did a similar cruise with NCL in 2005/6.

 

Santiago/Valparaiso was in the 90's, not too humid but very hot if out on deck. My cruise was Christmas/New Year and it was really weird listening to 'Frosty the Snowman' on the PA system on board when suffering sunburn :o

 

As we sailed south, the temperatures dropped around 10 degrees a day. Cape Horn was fairly mild but wet & windy, so jumpers & jeans/trousers were definitely needed for outside on deck. On the run back up towards (in my case) Buenos Aires, the temps increased about 10 degrees every day, to around the high 90's again by the time we reached Montevideo.

 

Packing wise, I took a mixture of cotton tops & skirts for the first & third sections of the cruise - ie from Santiago to around Ushuaia and Falklands to Buenos Aires. For the middle section it was jeans, tops & a couple of jumpers. Oh and if you are doing a shorex to Antarctica, take a decent anorak with you too.

[YXU AC*SE]

Hi Jessica. We did this itin as our last cruise on the Amsterdam. Santiago was surprisingly dry and quite temperate. Antarctica was around 0℃ (32℉) and we did have snow at Palmer Station. Rio was very warm and humid.

 

The ship was pretty pleasant throughout - 21℃ (70℉) except for the Lido pool area which is hard to regulate for temperature.

 

Best advice is probably the same as what people tell you to pack for an Alaskan cruise. Think about stuff that can be worn in layers. I didn't bring a winter coat per se - a polar fleece jacket paired with a windbreaker was enough for me. I did bring gloves and a scarf -- skipped the hat, but bought a cool Andean knit one on the way down to Ushuaia.

 

Be prepared to be amazed by Antarctica! I'd re-do that itin in an heartbeat!

 

Scott.

[RuthC]

How cold is it in Antarctica? I read 35-40 degrees, but how cold does that really feel on the ship?

I've cruised in Antarctica twice, and both times I found a wide range of weather. Packing is a challenge.

On each cruise there was at least one half-day where the weather was bone-chilling cold, usually with an accompanying wind. I needed my flat-knit sweater, with the sweatshirt over it, and my heaviest winter coat over that---with the hood pulled tight around me and my gloved hands in the pockets. And even then, I had to get back out of the wind every once in a while.

There were also days where the sun was brilliant and warm, no wind at all---just beautiful weather to sit out on the bow with my senses on overload.

 

I have found Rio to be even more hot/humid than Santiago.

 

This is a wonderful cruise. There are no words to describe it adequately. Enjoy every moment of it; you will come back forever changed.