South America Cruises

South American cruising happens in the southern summer and splits into a few distinct trips. The signature one sails around the bottom of the continent between Buenos Aires and San Antonio, the port for Santiago (some versions return to Buenos Aires instead): Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, the Falklands, Cape Horn, Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and the Chilean fjords, over two weeks or more. Brazil's coast is the second, with Santos (for Sao Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro as home ports. The Amazon is the third - long voyages that sail upriver from the Atlantic - and a few expedition trips combine the Falklands with the Antarctic Peninsula.

Expect weather to edit a southern itinerary. Stanley in the Falklands is a tender port for big ships, and wind and swell commonly stop the tenders, so treat a Falklands penguin tour as a hope rather than a plan. The fjords and Cape Horn are scenic cruising, also at the mercy of conditions. Pack for everything from Buenos Aires heat to near-freezing wind on deck in the same fortnight.

The document trap is Brazil. Since April 10, 2025, U.S., Canadian and Australian citizens need a visa for Brazil, whatever the reason for the visit, and that includes arriving by cruise ship even for a single port day. The e-visa costs $80.90 through Brazil's official portal and usually takes a few days. On March 30, 2026, nearly 100 passengers were refused boarding on a Celebrity sailing from Buenos Aires for not having one, with no compensation, so apply weeks ahead if any Brazilian port is on the route.

Many are one-way trips that need flights in and out of different cities, which makes them better suited to travelers with time and a taste for landscapes and wildlife than to anyone wanting a quick beach week.

Sources: tripprof.com, cruisedealstipsandtricks.com, cruiseweb.com