Tips for Choosing the Best South American Cruise

There are several steps to take in choosing a South American cruise. First, you'll need to do a couple of things - talk to a travel agent to discuss ports you want to visit, or research yourself online. Then, you need to set a budget which will determine the cruise line and duration of the cruise. Cruises to South America are of 10 -14 day or longer duration. The peak season is costlier and the value season is the least expensive. The "shoulder" season - a couple of weeks before and after the peak season will offer savings. Keep in mind the seasons are reversed - summer here is winter there.

Contact your travel agent, or, if you don't have one, one stop by and pick up some brochures about South America Cruises at a travel agency near your work or home. By using a travel agent, they'll check group space and may get you a lower rate if they can "place" your cruise with a large group. You may also get extra amenities this way - shipboard credit, a cocktail party, free photos, etc. Always ask for something extra, a travel agent might be able to get you some shipboard credit, or another amenity at no additional cost.

Or, do some research by either going through the brochures you've picked up, or by going online. Google some keywords - "South America Cruises," South America ports," Columbia ports, Argentina ports, Chilean fjords and similar phrases. Then visit these sites and cruise line sites and browse for information about the ports that interest you. Ask you friends or co-workers if they've been on cruises to South American and what they liked and disliked about their trip. Consider whether you'd prefer to cruise on the less traveled West Coast - northern Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama instead of the more popular East Coast.

Read through the brochures and the online websites thinking about what you'd like to do on your cruise - enjoy late night clubs and dancing, shop 'til you drop, gamble in the ship's casino or horseback ride at some of the ports, etc. Do you want your cruise to stop at Carnival in Rio? Are you single and wanting to meet other singles? Do you want a gay/lesbian cruise? Interested in fine wines or country music? Are kids traveling with you & if so, is there a good children's program on board? This will all help determine the best cruise line for the best cruise experience.

Determine your budget for your South America cruise. Once you've decided what ports you'd like to stop at, it's time to set a loose budget.

Consider which cruise line(s) to choose from based on your budget, the itinerary you prefer and possible travel dates. NCL, Norwegian Cruise Line, is almost always the least expensive but Carnival, Royal Caribbean (RCCL) and others might have specials almost as good. HAL and Celebrity might be a bit more but they claim "no additional tipping" is necessary so that saves some money. Silversea and Radisson are more expensive but include wine and some other adult beverages. Crystal is the most expensive cruise line but it includes many extras which get added on to your tab with the other lines. They usually have the oldest passengers of all the cruise ships due to the higher cost.

Take your budget and your list of ports to your travel agent or go online to some online agencies and look for South America itineraries. Match up your desired ports with the ships and your dates of travel and watch your list of possible cruises shrink. Shrink that list even further by seeing how your budget fits and drop lines that are too expensive. Remember, the listed costs don't normally include taxes and port charges. On most lines you'll also pay for sodas, adult beverages, ice cream and other items plus tipping.

Determine the best port to depart from. You will usually depart from Miami in the US or fly to a city in South America to start your cruise. You might see if you can choose a city you've not visited before and go a couple of days early to explore the area. There is also a chance you'll leave from one city and return to another.

Consider the activities you're interested in. The crowds on Carnival are usually younger with more partying. HAL and Celebrity often have a slightly older crowd onboard. Longer cruises seem to attract older passengers. NCL offers "freestyle" cruising where you dine anywhere and when you like but you won't meet fellow passengers and make friends with them because you won't eat with the same people every night. (I really like eating with the same group most nights when I cruise.) Want a ship with lots of sports type activities - RCCL is the line for that - rock climbing, in-line skating, etc. Read through and book some of your shore excursions as soon as you receive your cruise docs. These fill up quickly and might be gone if you wait until after you've begun your cruise. (Keep in mind, in most foreign countries it's smart to book ship excursions instead of using the local vendors.)

Book your cruise now that you've made your choice. You're ready to book your cruise either through a travel agent or with an online agency (site). You'll put a deposit down, give them billing information plus full names, addresses, etc. for each passenger. You'll get a date when payment in full is required and they'll send cruise documents out to you a few weeks before your departure. Book a "guarantee" instead of a specific stateroom. If the ship isn't full, you'll be upgraded one to several categories above the stateroom guarantee but you will never go "below" the category guaranteed.