Experience stunning extremes across South America, where your route defines your adventure. Choose a sun-drenched coastal sailing to explore the vibrant beaches of Rio de Janeiro, or journey south to navigate the icy, dramatic fjords of Cape Horn. Because these distinct routes do not overlap, enjoy peace of mind knowing your itinerary perfectly matches your vision, with side-by-side comparisons of the most up-to-date sailing schedules.
Your daily experience shifts dramatically with the landscape. In major cities like Buenos Aires or Rio, explore distinct neighborhoods like San Telmo, enjoy a late-night tango show, or take a cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain. On the southern routes, however, highlights like Cape Horn and the Patagonia glaciers become scenic sailing days where you take in the breathtaking views directly from the warmth of the ship, often with no port landing at all.
Many current sailings begin in Rio de Janeiro and run the Brazilian coast. The older pattern was an Atlantic crossing from New York. Carnival, Norwegian, Holland America, and Cunard still sail in the region. The expedition lines sail the routes into the Patagonian fjords.
A cruise of about a week that starts in Rio includes Rio and Búzios. In the city you can ride the cable car up Sugarloaf, with the beaches and the water below you. A longer Brazilian cruise can include Salvador or Recife. Farther south, Buenos Aires gives you neighborhoods such as San Telmo, and a tango show if the ship stays into the evening. A Patagonia cruise includes Ushuaia, the fjords, and Cape Horn when the weather allows. On those southern days you often stay aboard and watch the glaciers from the warmth of the ship. You book one sailing or the other. They do not share a port list.
Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf, and Corcovado are in Rio. In Buenos Aires you can walk San Telmo and the waterfront at Puerto Madero, and the evening starts late, which lines up when the ship stays overnight or sails late. A daytime stop can include that waterfront and San Telmo. Extra nights are when you can stay out. A grill can be part of those nights if you want a table held.
Brazil’s east coast is warm from November through April. Cruises in Patagonia run from October through March.
In port
Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf, and Corcovado are in Rio. In Buenos Aires you can walk San Telmo and Puerto Madero, and the evening starts late, which only helps if the ship stays.
In port
A Brazilian coast, a Cape Horn sailing, and the Andean coast do not share the same cities.
See the portsThese are typical routings and ports. Ships, dates, and fares change.
7 nights around Rio. 12–14 nights to reach Salvador or Recife
November–April
Rio round trip, or on toward Salvador
A line actually scheduled out of Rio
10–14 nights
October–March
Ushuaia, or a start in the Chilean fjords
Expedition line, or Holland America when the routing is theirs
Depends on which part of the longer voyage you book
When those ships are moving between regions
Callao toward Valparaíso, or the reverse
Often a segment of a longer voyage
Tell us whether you want Rio and the Brazilian ports, or Ushuaia and Cape Horn. We only price ships that are actually scheduled.
