South America cruises serve a wide range of fascinating destinations and cultures. On a South America cruise, you could see lush rain forests, towering waterfalls, brightly feathered macaws, snowcapped mountains, fiords or penguin colonies. On a South America cruise, you could explore such glittering places as Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires, and learn of lost cities, ancient civilizations and time-honored customs.

Some South American cruises last 50 days or longer, sailing south along the west coast around the southern tip of the continent, and north along the east coast, all the way back to the US. Most South American cruises are purchased in shorter segments, from 7 to 15 days. The most popular South America cruise includes ports along the east coast and a segment down the Amazon River to Manaus, Brazil.

The South America cruise season lasts from November to March.

Cruises to South America are 7 to 50+ nights in length.

On South America cruise itineraries that round the southern tip of South America, passengers may be able to sign up for a flightseeing excursion over Antarctica.

If you must fly a long distance to reach your port of departure, we suggest that you arrive at the port city at least one or two days in advance of your South America cruise. This will give you time to rest and get oriented before boarding the ship. Most cruise lines offer pre-cruise hotel packages.

For a list of ports or places you can visit in South America, .