South America Cruise Reviews

We loved this cruise! I highly recommend spending time in South America before and after the cruise. We spent a week in Brazil beforehand and two weeks in Peru.

You will love the cruising  around "the end of the world" but you may not find the ship to be on par with what you are used to.

I am from Switzerland and I moved to Brazil a year ago. My fiancee and I had booked this cruise several months before in order to show a little bit of Brazil to my family (coming from Switzerland to visit me).

When we arrived, we were offered a "welcome lunch" for which we had to wait 20 minutes in a queue to put food in our dirty plastic plates. Then, it was hardly possible to find a table to seat and in addition, the food was awful...

I took an hamburger at the buffet and the meat was literally green. At the beginning, there was no descent food for my fiancee who's vegetarian. Just a few waiters understood Portuguese and it wasn't better for English.

My family had already been on an 6 days MSC cruise in the United Arab Emirates (MSC Lirica) and my fiancee to a 5 days MSC cruise in South America (MSC Orchestra) so they expected a certain quality. Unfortunately, everyone was shocked by the service and, mostly, the food... It was eatable but not any special. It seemed that the crew didn't like brazilian guests so we began to speak in english and they were suddenly extremely kind with us. We later spoke about the food with the Food & Beverage Manager (who was vegetarian as well) and he took special care of my fiancee and things got a tiny bit better.

The trips offered were EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE!!! $60+ for a trip operated by MSC while you find the same trip on shore for less than a 90 réais (+/- $20). (prices per person)

It was a 4 days (3 nights) cruise but in fact, it was a 2.5 days cruise because we had to LEAVE the cabin at 7.00 AM and leave the ship at about 9.00 AM.

We expected to relax and rest on this ship, instead, we disembarked more exhausted than when we embarked.

CONCLUSION: your experience on this ship might be better in a cruise out of Brazil but I don't recommend you the MSC Armonia because there wasn't too much things to do onboard. I also recommend you to choose longer cruises (5 nights minimum) even if the price will be a little higher, I believe that the number of night has a lot of influence on the quality experienced onboard. (more night = better experience, less nights = stressful and no time to rest).

I hope my review will be useful. Feel free to ask me questions.

This was our 9th cruise with Princess and our 23rd cruise overall. The most disappointing cruise. It began with a horrendous embarkation in Rio. It was a very hot day, there were no porters to assist with luggage and no Princess personnel assisting outside the terminal to direct the proceedings. The local staff in the terminal did not speak English and were of little to no help. this process took hours.

We were unable to dock in the Falklands and unable to tender into Ushuaia. Then we personally had a horrible experience on a speedboat excursion arranged through Princess, and were eventually transferred to a small Zodiac boat to take us back to the dock. A very dangerous situation for approximately 50 +/- people, many of whom were violently seasick. Our land trip was wonderful, and was a good ending to a very disappointing 14 day cruise........I think Princess should revisit this itinerary and embarkation location.

We just finished the 1/2/16 sailing from Buenos Aires to Santiago on the Sun. We were regular NCL customers, but have not sailed with them now for about 5 years. While there were many changes (all for the worse, i.e. now charging $7.95 for room service, no fancy meals in the main dining rooms, no chocaholic buffet), most everything was fairly top notch. The overall ship despite its age, dining, entertainment, shore excursions were all terrific. We wish there was better weather as other than the first 2 and last 2 days when you are in the north, the other 10 days were very cool and windy (but never got rained on once). In fact the traverse of Cape Horn had to be scuttled due to very rough seas. We particularly enjoyed seeing the penguins within a few feet on the Lagoon Bluffs tour in the Falklands. In one way or another we enjoyed all of the ports, either from a cultural, scenery, or wildlife viewing standpoint. The Chilean fjords cruising reminded me exactly of going up the inside passage of Alaska with numerous glaciers. We were surprised that less than 25% of the passengers were Americans, mainly Brazilians and Argentinians. Nearly everything had to repeated three times in English, Spanish and Portugese. 

-- Very organized embarkation, activities, dining.

-- Formal dining food and waiters were great 

-- Buffet options were better than that other cruise lines, including sushi every day and five different ice creams; Since food was Always available throughout the day, there were no long lines queuing in the buffet.

-- The Qsine fee-dining was unique and worth the extra$.

-- For the Christmas cruise, it was super convenient to have multiple Catholic masses on-board (and were well attended)

-- The excursions were certainly too expensive, but we did them for the convenience, safety, variety,  and guaranteed-return to the ship! Best ones were the penguin  encounters.

-- Shows were enjoyable, included local  Goucho and tango show.

the trip was average, the food below average except in the specialty dining rooms which were very good.

the Suite. Was the best I have ever had and the highlight of my trip.  The only issue with it was that for suites NCL charges additional $2 pp on the tip. $31 per day for tipping seemed a bit much.  The Concierge was very good and efficient and probably worth the additional tip, but it seemed odd.

the activities were fair, the prices on drinks quite high, the shops were priced higher than Princess, the shows fair.  The tours extremely expensive and mostly sold out before I boarded.

Boarding the ship in Valparaiso and Puert Madryn was a series of upwards ramps which I had only seen in amusement parks!  Not good for pax with canes and disabilities.

We have taken 6 cruises before, indeed this cruise was the second in 2015 (the other in July 2015 with P&O, and it was the second with HAL. Therefore we are quite experienced to know what is good or not. Well this HAL cruise was bad - very bad. We had a mid ship outside cabin main deck. Firstly the good points - the navigation crew went out their way to visit places other cruise lines probably would not bother. Indeed against big winds and rough seas we did actually managed to visit the Falkland Islands - which is what most of the other cruise ships failed to do at that time. Now the bad points. No fridges in any room despite 32C degrees temp.The food was dreadful!!! In the buffet was a sign saying FULL BUFFET, well it was neither full nor was it a buffet. Most of the items were served to you - more over the portions were ridiculously small. The first day breakfast we were given a tiddly over cooked sausage one over cooked rasher of bacon, a tiddly amount of baked beans and five mushrooms. We both returned the plate (along with those behind us in the queue) so the plate could be filled correctly. Not that that happened anyway. In any event the food was over cooked and was cold so it hardly made any difference. The mushrooms were off and going toxic. The second day we decided not to return the plate but actually count what was on the plate. Well I had been served 9 baked beans and my wife 14!!!!! The portions were a complete joke. The mushrooms once again were not fit to be served and had gone funny and we never again ordered them. The so called buffet had limited opening times. It was never open outside those times but even during the stipulated times great sections were frequently closed off meaning the limited choice was even more limited. They had other food concealed behind the shutters but would not release it. This even applied to bread rolls on at least three occasions. I could go on, but in short the so called buffet was a complete joke. very very small portions, cold food every day, poor quality food cooked to death, really horrendous. Buffet score 1/100. The main restaurant was little better. we were second sitting as every cruise we do we alternate. Second sitting on this ship on this cruise is a big mistake. The service was dead slow. We would arrive promptly at 8PM and would still be waiting for the third course at 10PM. The shows start at 10PM also. The delay was not the volume of food on the plate, as the portions were only slightly better than the buffet but service was just so slow, Every meal we had was warm at best or cold. A big complaint many had. In the end we got fed up with returning stone cold food. Another problem is that the meals were not structured. You would get one slab of hot meat (which was cold) and a ludicrously small amount of one vegetable. On day one we asked for fries for every day to give the dinner some structure, this was agreed but we were never given any at any time. On one day we noticed 4 or 5 different vegetables were being cooked (only one type of vegetable per meal of course!) so we asked for the different vegetables to be put on our plates. This was agreed but no. What resulted was the vegetable (singular) I should have received was removed to be replaced by a spoon full of cold rice and two slithers of carrot. The two slithers of carrot amounted to about one twentieth of one carrot. On week two we changed (unofficially) to any time dining. So many were changing that they could only agree one night, but in week two we just turned up anyway. The food was just as bad but the service was rapid. One day the prawns in the prawn cocktail (all 5 of them) were hot due to being out in the heat for too long and it was obvious they were going off. They were sent back but obviously no replacement as that would have cost them another 30 pence. On another day peas were included. well we missed that one, but a couple we had met had that meal with the peas, and like us on day two, counted them and they had both been served 9 peas each. And so I could continue. The fact is HAL have got the fine art of stone cold stingy portions off to a fine art. The entertainment was also a joke. The theatre lounge is small and not really large enough. We should not have worried. The entertainment was so poor that in week two the theatre was barely 15% full on most days, something the entertainment staff kept referring to. By week two most passengers had found better entertainment elsewhere in smaller venues but that usually always meant standing. Over all we saw the Falklands which other ships copped out about visiting so that was a good point. Just about everything else was rubbish as direct result of stingy penny pinching. The July P&O cruise was not fantastic but their food and entertainment were both top notch. HAL should go on the P&O Aurora (a ship of similar size) and see for themselves what good entertainment and good food should be about. as for us - Well it is the second but last time ever with HAL unless they have complete re-think.   

Unfortunately, I broke my hip playing pickle ball within two months of this cruise. However, regardless of having to use a walker, we could not have had a better time. We fell in love with cruising and will always be grateful to our friend who suggested we book this cruise.

Seabourn does a terrific job.  The Antarctic experience was beyond our expectations and simply "wowed" us.  This ranks as one of our top vacations.  The Seabourn Quest is a beautiful ship and very nicely appointed. The coffee bar is very popular and the baristas efficient.

The ship provides 3 - 4 dining options depending on the weather plus room service of course.

1. Our first shore tour, St. Bart's, was cancelled at the last min. due to boat problems. There was no plan to replace this, after awhile they did give us an hour taxi ride around the island. Thought you could have done better.

2. Our shore tour was cancelled in Triniad due to lack of participation but notice was not given until we got on board. Our second choice was filled.

3. Water problems - twice we did not have water. When the water did come on it was the color of very dark tea. Sure glad this did not happen during the night. No notice given that they anticipated problems.

4. Entertainment - not as good as before.

5. Debarkation-took 1 hr 20 min. Longer than it should.

Entertainment was a little sketchy.  Our main issue for not rating it as 5 star was the charge for internet access.  The charge was excessive considering he exceedingly slow speed of access. 

The crew and naturalists of the Xpedition were outstanding. We had a wonderful trip and they catered to our every need. They were always willing to go the extra for any of us. What a wonderful experience. Don't miss it!!

Food and Service outstanding, but could have more daytime activities. Also need to work on issues affecting persons with limited mobility. Stops need more offerings

Excellent Silversea service and name remembrance except at lunch and sometimes dinner when something is ordered but it never comes or you have to be assertive to get someone to take your order.  Expedition cruises often have smaller rooms but it was beautifully equipped and excursion memories will last a lifetime!

The Statendam is an older ship, but she is in great shape. The staff was one of the best I have sailed with. I can not comment on the dining room as we spent all our time in the lido. 

We had cabin 410 on the lower promenade deck. The only bad thing was this is the walking deck. During the day you can not see into the cabin. However, at night with the lights on you can. So make sure you close your drapes.

The highlight of the cruise was Chris Bartlett, solo guitarist in the mix bar. What a talent. Tried not to miss a minute he played.

First, the up-side. 

Holland America Line (HAL) delivered on its itinerary.  We embarked in Valparaiso, Chile.  We disembarked two weeks later in Buenos Aires having sailed around the Horn.  There were two ports along the way where we were supposed to stop, but didn’t.  The Captain probably made the right decisions in the interest of safety.  One was weather-related.  The other due to a forest fire and a lot of smoke. 

The food was great, plentiful, and available just about every minute of the day.

The cabin was clean and everything worked well.  The boat is getting a little old, but it is well maintained.  Our cabin steward was excellent.  He was incredibly cooperative, conscientious, and attentive.

Now, for the downside.

HAL maximizes its revenue by selling use of limited boat space to vendors who make good use of a captive audience.  There’s a wrist watch shop, a jewelry store, people bugging you all day long to buy photos of yourself, a place that sells clothing, and a smoky casino.  Pardon me, but if I want to buy a watch, some earrings, or a sweatshirt, then I’ll do it on land before I leave for the trip.  And I won’t pay an inflated price.  We would like for HAL to use all that vendor space for something more productive - like a place to sit and look out the window at the fantastic scenery.  The most amazing hustle of all is the Park West Gallery art “auction,” complete with the “auctioneer’s” confederates circling behind you, telling you when to raise your card.  It was offensive. 

HAL seems to be a generation behind in the areas of on-board entertainment, restaurant décor, and mid-ship sculpture.  The comedy and dance presentations could compete for the Lawrence Welk audience.  The fancy restaurants looked like 19th century brothels, complete with servers sporting costumes and a level of fake formality calculated to encourage heavy drinking.  A hideous, organ-shaped sculpture consumes the middle of the ship, unavoidable on decks three through five.  HAL would make more friends if it traded the artificial opulence for brighter, more contemporary furnishings and service. 

In short HAL, as an independent company, was a first-class cruise line for the first nine decades of the last century.  Carnival bought it in 1989, and has now completed the culture shift.  Today HAL is a reflection of the lowest common denominator.

Freezing public areas do to very strong air condition . Half of my journey I had the flu.

Services , food , entertainment was excellent.

Expensive excursions .

Great entertainment to the bar ( music from  50' s , 60's, 70' s) and beautiful piano and violin concerts and also beautiful shows.

Freezing public areas do to very strong air condition . Half of my journey I had the flu.

Services , food , entertainment was excellent.

Expensive excursions .

Great entertainment to the bar ( music from  50' s , 60's, 70' s) and beautiful piano and violin concerts and also beautiful shows.

Freezing public areas do to very strong air condition . Half of my journey I had the flu.

Services , food , entertainment was excellent.

Expensive excursions .

Great entertainment to the bar ( music from  50' s , 60's, 70' s) and beautiful piano and violin concerts and also beautiful shows.