South America cruise, Nov. 16, 2025 - Jan. 8, 2026
I was looking online for a future getaways and found a decent price on a very long Princess Cruise to many places we have not been before. I mentioned it to Lynn and she suprised me as she was onboard. I was thinking oceanview, but Lynn wanted a Balcony for this long cruise (so a little pricier than I thought).
Then while talking to Princess, George (from London) said they had a Princess promotion... Give them $15k (6k down, then $1k for 9 months), and within 18 months you get (need to use or book)... $12k future cruise credit (to go on this cruise), $600 onboard credit (to pay tips, excursions or whatever), then included we get two 2 -day, two 5-day vouchers for 4 or 5 star hotels that you only pay the tax. Also you get 4,000 Princess points to use on hotels. Lastly, they would bump us up from our platinum status to Elite status for the next two years (until Sept. 1 2026) which gives discounts on excursions, discounts on wifi, free laundry services, etc. We found out later they only bump one person to Elite, so Lynn will be and we will see how it works as a couple. They also put us on a list to possibly get a free upgrade from a balcony room to a balcony suite. I won't hold my breath for this, but it sure would be nice on this long of a trip and with almost half of the days being sea days or cruising around the horn or Antarctic Peninsula. This sounded good to Lynn, I was a little more hesitant, because it meant a $6k deposit and $1k per month from Oct. 2024-June 2025, versus a $200 deposit to start. We also need to make sure we use the hotel vouchers to get our moneys worth. So, we are booked on a 53 day South American cruise. We reserved Deck 11 - Baja, room B337 (a balcony room) for this cruise.
Princess now gives you three levels of reservation, standard, plus and premium. We booked standard, plus cost $6k more and included tips (53 days x $34 = $1,802), WiFi multi devices, all cruise ($1,192.50), up to 10 drinks per day (we don't drink much), additional special meals (we don't do many of these). So the higher levels were not worth the money to us.
My main disappointment after looking into our Princess Loyalty levels and benefits is that they no longer (since 2019, I believe) give you any wifi minutes free. We use to get 150 or more free minutes on each cruise. Now you have to pay, and it is not inexpensive. Platinum and Elite get 50% off, but for a 53 day cruise like this, half off still cost around $1,250 for us to have wifi during this cruise. This bothers me and may sway me to book other cruise lines in the future.
Our longest previous cruise was 28 nights and we said we could have kept going. So, this cruise will be our longest and most expensive cruise. I hope we love it as much as past cruises and it will expose us to many locations (17), that we have never been to. Our price was $21,972, but we will try to watch incase there is a rate drop before final payment in July. Tips, airfare, excursions and trip insurance will be extra.
We booked through Costco and should get a $1585 gift card for booking with them. Final payment (approximately $9,972) will be due in July 2025.
This will be our 29, 30, 31st cruise (11/117 days on Princess (after this cruise), 10/120 days on Norwegian, 6/44 days on Carnival, 3/26 days on Royal Caribbean and 1/9 days on Celebrity) = 316 days of fun and relaxing cruising.
Ship
Sapphire Princess is an old ship, built in 2004. 2018 was the last time it was refurbished. The ship capacity is 2,670 passengers, 1,100 crew, it is 952 foot long and has a 121 foot beam. This will be a medium ships for us as we have mostly cruised on ships from 4,004 to 1,380 passengers, crews from 550 to 1,735.
Airfare and Parking
We used 18000 of my American Airline miles to book two tickets from Miami to Los Angeles on a very early flight, 6:11 am, Nov. 16. The flight only cost $11.10 after the air miles but we will need to be up very early to get to the airport and check in. Online bag check is $35 per bag (still to do).
We were looking for a cost effective was to get to and from the airport for this long cruise. Searching I found ParkSleepFly.com webpage and we booked parking at the Hampton Inn Miami Airport West, which for $421.76 we can stay the night before our flight. They have free shuttle to the airport and for this rate included parking until Jan. 9th. The cruise ends Jan. 8th but we still need to get airfare back from Buenos Aires, Argentina on January 8th so this gives us an extra parking day, just in case.
Insurance
Lynn already purchased Go Ready Travel Insurance from AEGIS for $396 which goes for one year and started March 30th, 2025 before our last cruise, so it is still good for this cruise. It covers items like: Trip Interruption, Airline Ticket Change Fee, Baggage Delay, Baggage / Personal Effects, Accidental Death, Emergency Accident and Emergency Sickness Medical Expense, Emergency Medical Evacuation, etc. Each with limits from $200 - $50,000.
53-Day Ultimate Antarctica & South America Adventure
3 cruises | 20 Ports | 3 Scenic Cruisings
Cruise 1 
Cruise 2 
Cruise 3 
More to come as we plan and go...
Los Angeles (San Pedro), CA
To come
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Manzanillo, Mexico
Research: A lush, tropical environment welcomes travelers - verdant hillsides make way for sandy beaches, a setting that just begs for outdoor adventures and lazy days by the ocean. Visit between December and April and you're likely to glimpse one of the playful whales swimming in Manzanillo Bay. By night, the village is full of energetic nightlife and restaurants are full to the brim. It's all the charm of old world Mexico with every 21-century creature comforts you could want. While the crashing Pacific surf is sure to capture your attention for much of your time in Manzanillo, be sure to check out the countless other outdoor pursuits. Take an ATV off-road adventure, go deep-sea or sportfishing, head out hiking on an eco tour or take to the sea by kayak. Go sailing, snorkeling, SCUBA diving and surfing, then head back to shore for some shopping. Lace up your tennies for a volcano or waterfall tour.
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Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Research: Puntarenas is a port town on Costa Rica's Gulf of Nicoya. Its Casa de la Cultura is a cultural center with a theater and art gallery. On the main boulevard, Paseo de los Turistas, Parque Marino del Pacifico includes an aquarium and rescue center with seahorses, turtles and crocodiles. The town beach, Playa Puntarenas, is backed by shops and cafes. Southeast of town, Playa Dona Ana is a beach known for strong surf.
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Fuerte Amador, Panama
Research: Fuerte Amador, situated at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, is a man-made peninsula extending out into the Pacific Ocean.
The one-mile causeway was created by connecting four small islands with rocks excavated from the Panama Canal. There are several shops, restaurants, and other specialty stores centered around a large marina that serves as a tender dock. The causeway also affords a panoramic view of Panama City's impressive skyline and serves as the home for the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research.
More about Fuerte Amador, Panama (for Panama City) Points of Interest
Panama Viejo / Casco Viejo - Central America's historic and cultural roots are celebrated and displayed in Panama's oldest settlements, where exceptional museums, archeological ruins, and Colonial streets, churches, and monuments tell the story of the city's tragic past.
Canal Locks - On the Atlantic side, the three chambers of the Gatun Locks raise ships 87 feet above sea level, while the Miraflores Locks transfer 26 million gallons of water in under seven minutes at its Pacific end.
Panama Canal Railway - Ride the world's first transcontinental railway. Experience Panama's rainforest setting along the historic route originally built in 1855 during the heyday of the California gold rush.
Panama Canal Transit - Experience the thrill of canal transit and the intricacy of the lock's system firsthand as your ferry is lifted over 85 feet above sea level, from one body of water to the next.
Cruise Gatun Lake - A jungle boat excursion through the dense rainforest highlights the abundance of exotic wildlife and breathtaking scenery found along this vital waterway, a key component of the Panama Canal's intricate system.
Embera Natives - Experience traditional Embera hospitality when you are invited into a world of ancient ritual, native culture, and timeless wonder. Watch a ceremonial dance routine, explore the unspoiled grounds, and marvel at the exquisite handmade crafts.
Aerial Tram & Soberania National Park - Nestled within the vast Soberania National Park, an aerial tram soars over the Gamboa Rainforest, a jungle paradise and complex ecological system that showcases some of the most spectacular vegetation and wildlife in the world.
Panama Canal Expansion - Get a close-up view of the engineering and construction behind the canal's expansion. The massive project includes widening Gatun Lake and creating two new sets of locks in 2016.
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Manta, Ecuador
To come
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Lima (Callao), Peru, 2 days
To come
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Pisco, Peru
To come
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La Serena, Chile
To come
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San Antonio, Chile, end of cruise 1
To come
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Puerto Montt, Chile
To come
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Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
To come
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Amalia Glacier, Chile (Cruising)
To come
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Punta Arenas, Chile
To come
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Ushuaia, Argentina
To come
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Cape Horn (Cruising)
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Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
To come
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Puerto Madryn, Argentina
To come
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Montevideo, Uruguay
To come
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Buenos Aires, Argentina, 4 days, end cruise 2
To come
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Punta Arenas, Chile, 2nd time
To come
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Ushuaia, Argentina, 2nd time
To come
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Antarctic Peninsula (Cruising), 4 days
To come
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Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, 2nd time
To come
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Montevideo, Uruguay, 2nd time
To come
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Buenos Aires, Argentina, again
To come
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