Crystal Cruises charts new course to South American and Antarctica in 2013

When Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity sets out on her 2013 World Cruise to circumnavigate South America on January 16, an entirely new itinerary segment is planned. While the entire South America cruise, round-trip from Miami, takes 74 days, a new 24-day voyage segment will sail from Lima to Buenos Aires on February 2, 2013. 

From exploring the frontiers of Patagonia to dancing the tango in Buenos Aires, this will be a truly unique, fascinating and immersive cruise experience. The Crystal Serenity will spend four days cruising the Chilean Fjords affording a first time view of  the rugged Seno Eyre Fjords. A new port of call, Puerto Chacabuco, will take guests into a pristine region where the Patagonian ice sheets from high in the north country eventually meet the Pacific Ocean.

The unique 24-day voyage will visit two maiden ports; Puerto Chacabuco and Cape Horn. After cruising Cape Horn, the ship will spend an overnight in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city before continuing north towards Buenos Aires.

For those who relish the complete 74 daycruise, they’ll find it begins like any typical cruise to the southern Caribbean. However, the voyage soon takes a life of its own as the Crystal Serenity enters the Pacific Ocean and heads for Lima, Peru and the start of the new 24 day cruise.

Along the way, there are five new ports of call for the entire 74 day voyage, beginning with Manta, Ecuador, the gateway to the capital, Quito, and home to some of the most beautiful beaches in South America.

The next four maiden ports of call are interspersed throughout the voyage and include: Salaverry, Peru,  Puerto Chacabuco, Chile, Cape Horn, Chile, and Rio Grande, Brazil.

For those who always thought Crystal Cruises was for the sedentary folk, guess again. Crystal Cruises has upped the ante and will offer active guests the opportunity to experience more than just shuffleboard.

What’s new for shore excursions

• a rare visit to Earth’s last great wilderness, Antarctica, with a guided trek on King George Island and a zodiac ride to view penguins in their natural habitat;
• flying over the mysterious Nazca Lines, ancient geoglyph figures in the desert floor that can only be seen from above; and
• an overnight option to Perito Moreno Glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For the more adventurous, check out these expeditions:

• exploration of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego by horseback
• hiking to the mouth of the magnificent Iguazu Falls
• kayaking through the Strait of Magellan
• pitching in at a working Uruguayan ranch

Cultural and culinary experiences range from:

• exploring vineyards and tasting wines to visiting beachfront communities of the “jet set”
• perusing local markets and taking cooking lessons with local cuisine experts to browsing the art and homes of renowned Latin American artists such as poet Pablo Neruda
• tracing the footsteps of Argentina’s famed “Evita” to dancing the night away at a Buenos Aires nightclub

As part of Crystal’s 2013 World Cruise, the voyage features expanded enrichment programming and courses in wellness, language and music.

Until June 30, the 24-day “Southern Fjord Exploration” start at $12,760 per person. The complete 74-day Grand South American Exploration round-trip from Miami on January 16, begins at $26,970 per person based on double occupancy.