South America cruises 2026–2027: routes, seasons and lines

South America cruises come in four kinds. The best known is the crossing around the southern tip between Argentina and Chile. Brazil and Argentina also have their own coastal cruise season, run mostly by MSC for local guests. Long Amazon voyages leave from Florida, and Costa Rica is a stop on Caribbean and Panama Canal cruises, with a few week-long small-ship trips of its own.

Best time for a South America cruise

The season runs from about November to March, the southern summer. Holland America, Princess and MSC all schedule their South America ships in those months, and the ships go elsewhere for the rest of the year.

• November and December: the start of the season. Princess’s 2026–27 season on Majestic Princess runs only from November to January.
• January and February: the middle of summer in Patagonia. Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival falls in early February in 2027 (Ash Wednesday is February 10), so expect higher hotel prices in Rio that week.
• March: the last sailings before the ships head north.

Weather in the far south changes quickly at any time of year. A ship can skip a port or change its route when the wind or sea is too rough.

Best time for a Costa Rica cruise

Costa Rica’s tourism board gives December to April as the dry season on the Pacific side, with the green season from May to October. The Caribbean side, where ships call at Limón, has no clear dry season; its drier spells are February and March and September and October. Limón’s cruise season runs from about October to May.

South America cruise lines compared

These are the ships each line has announced for the region.

• Holland America LineThe widest choice. In 2026–27 Oosterdam sails 14- and 15-day Buenos Aires to San Antonio crossings through the Chilean fjords, and Volendam sails 27- to 30-day Amazon voyages from Fort Lauderdale. In 2027–28 Zuiderdam and Oosterdam add Cape Horn, an Antarctica route and a Panama Canal route to Chile via Lima.
  From $1,564 per personChecked October 2026
• Princess CruisesMajestic Princess sails six departures of 15 to 33 days from November 2026 to January 2027, including a 15-day Cape Horn and Patagonia route, a 17-day Antarctica route and an 18-day Brazil route.
  Fares change daily; check current prices
• Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Equinox sails from Buenos Aires in 2026–27, calling at Rio, Montevideo, Punta del Este, Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia, with some sailings around Cape Horn and scenic cruising off Antarctica.
  Fares change daily; check current prices
• Norwegian Cruise LineNo season in 2026–27. Norwegian Star returns from December 2027 to March 2028 on 15-night Buenos Aires to San Antonio crossings with scenic cruising at Elephant Island, off Antarctica.
  Fares change daily; check current prices
• MSC CruisesFive ships in 2026–27 sailing from eight ports in Brazil and Argentina, including Santos, Rio and Buenos Aires. These cruises are sold mainly to South American guests.
  Fares change daily; check current prices
• Windstar CruisesSeven-night small-ship cruises between Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica and Colón in Panama, through the Panama Canal.
  From $3,053 per personChecked October 2026

Luxury lines sail here too. Regent Seven Seas sends Seven Seas Grandeur and Mariner to South America, and Explora Journeys moves Explora I there for winter 2027–28. For a river cruise on the Peruvian Amazon, see Avalon Waterways, which lists the 22-suite Delfin III.

Our pick for a first trip is Holland America’s 14- or 15-day crossing between Buenos Aires and San Antonio. It sails the route in both seasons, and it covers the Chilean fjords, the Falklands and Ushuaia. Pick Princess for a longer voyage or a Brazil route, and wait for Norwegian’s 2027–28 season if you prefer its freestyle dining.

Typical length and price

• Around the tip of South America: 14 to 16 nights one way. Holland America sails 14 and 15 days, Princess and Norwegian 15.
• With Antarctica: about 17 to 22 days. Holland America’s 2027–28 route spends four days in Antarctica and crosses the Drake Passage.
• The Amazon: 27 to 30 days round trip from Florida, with overnights in Manaus.
• Costa Rica: 7 nights on Windstar, or one or two port days on a longer Caribbean or Panama Canal cruise.

These are long trips, so compare fares per night rather than in total. The flights are the other big cost: you fly into one country and home from another, so price open-jaw tickets before you book the cruise.

Departure ports

Buenos Aires and San Antonio

Most South America cruises start or end in Buenos Aires, Argentina, or San Antonio, Chile. San Antonio is a cargo and cruise port on the coast west of Santiago, and lines sell it as “San Antonio (Santiago)”. Its DP World terminal has handled 491,000 cruise visitors on 157 ships since 2017. Plan for a transfer from Santiago’s airport to the ship, and add a hotel night at the start of the trip.

Cruises to South America from the US

No mainstream line sails a short round trip from the US to South America. The options are long voyages:

• The Amazon: Holland America’s Volendam sails 27- to 30-day Amazon voyages from Fort Lauderdale in 2026–27, and Zuiderdam a 28-day round trip from Miami in February 2028.
• The Panama Canal to Peru and Chile: Holland America’s 16-day Inca and Panama Canal route in 2027–28 runs from Fort Lauderdale to San Antonio, with an overnight in Callao for Lima.
• Across the Atlantic: Norwegian Star also sails 15-night crossings between Buenos Aires and Lisbon via Recife and Rio in 2027–28. See our repositioning cruise guide for how one-way voyages work.

Passports and visas

You need a passport. Brazil has required a visa or e-visa from US citizens since April 10, 2025, for arrivals by air, land or sea, so a cruise that calls in Brazil needs one even for a single port day. Argentina ended its reciprocity fee for US citizens in 2016. Check your line’s travel document page for every country on the route, including the Falkland Islands.

South America sailings snapshot

Our price snapshot has only a few sailings in this region. The table shows what it had when we checked.

Ports of call

• Montevideo, Uruguay: across the River Plate from Buenos Aires, on Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian routes.
• Puerto Madryn, Argentina: a Patagonian port on Celebrity and Norwegian routes.
• Stanley, Falkland Islands: on Holland America and Norwegian crossings.
• Ushuaia, Argentina: in Tierra del Fuego, on Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian routes. Holland America’s 2027–28 route also sails the Beagle Channel.
• Cape Horn: scenic cruising past the southern tip on some routes.
• Punta Arenas, Chile: on the Strait of Magellan.
• Glacier Alley and the Pío XI Glacier: scenic cruising in the Chilean fjords on Holland America’s routes.
• Puerto Montt, Chile: on Holland America and Norwegian crossings.
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: on Brazil and Amazon routes and repositioning voyages.
• Manaus, Brazil: the turnaround point of Amazon voyages, with overnight stays and the Meeting of the Waters.
• Callao, Peru: the port for Lima, on Panama Canal routes down the west coast.
• Puerto Limón and Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica: Puerto Limón on the Caribbean side, Caldera and Puntarenas on the Pacific side.

South America cruise FAQ