Share
Have you heard about the Magnificent South America Cruises? Two days ago, I was chatting on Facebook with Marianna B. about the great value of cruising. Marianna was telling me about all the places she visited with her fiancée, Rob. I became especially intrigued when Marianna said she enjoyed her recent trip to Curacao, but was disappointed with her St. Maarten experience. As it turns out, Marianna and Rob did not seek the advice of a travel professional and paid a princely sum for very little service. Marianna said “we use computers everyday, and we believed we could find the best deals online”.
Our chat provided me with the opportunity to advise Marianna on other travel options. When considering a vacation, it is important to decide whether you are seeking an active vacation (doing something different almost every day), or a passive vacation (enjoying life as a book-worm or beach bum). If you prefer active vacations, a cruise might be the best vacation experience, because it would allow you the opportunity to see a few countries, or different cities in the same country, and have varied cultural experiences, with the added bonus of all-inclusive features.
mv Voyager South America Route
In a recent issue of the Cruise and Rail Travel Newsletter, clients were informed about the opportunity to embark on a unique 16 day cultural experience on one of the Magnificent South American Cruises from Manta, Ecuador to Valparaiso, Chile on Voyages of Discovery, mv Voyager. Traveling along the South Pacific Shores (South Pacific Ocean), the mv Voyager will make port calls at Santiago de Guayaquil, Ecuador; Salaverry, Callao and General San Martin, Peru; and Arica, Coquimbo, and Valparaiso, Chile. This cruise provides many exciting discovery opportunities in Ecuador, Peru and Chile – each country with its own culinary story to tell. If you are not convinced, here is a sweetener, this cruise is a No USA Visa Cruise™.
Manta: Features the Museo del Banco Central, a museum with a superb collection of artifacts from the various indigenous cultures that inhabited Manta, prior to the arrival of the Spanish.
Santiago de Guayaquil: Guayaquil is the largest and the most densely populated city in Ecuador. Nature lovers, historians and architecture enthusiast would thoroughly enjoy a visit to Parque Histórico Guayaquil with its trinity of Endangered Wildlife (more than 40, species of bird, animal and reptile in perfectly recreated habitat); Urban Architecture, with minor enhancements to early 20th century architecture; and the Traditions Zone, which immerses you in local customs, crafts and agriculture.
Salaverry: Salaverry is a merely a ship port which should change its motto to “Move on folks, nothing to see here”. Staying on the ship in this port is not advised because you will miss out on the numerous archaeological sites. I would suggest that you sign-up for a guided tour for your personal experience at Chan Chan, Plaza de Armas, Casa de la Emancipación, Museo Arqueológico Casinelli, and Iglesia y Monasterio El Carmen.
Callao: The main attraction at this cruise port is the Museo Naval. However, the primary destination on this port-of call is Lima, which can be experienced with a panoramic drive and walking tour.
Compared to Marianna’s land vacation of $220 USD ($1,380. TT) per person per day, the mv Voyager’s cruise is a little over $500 TT per person per day. In fact, the some South America Cruises are less than half the cost of the land vacation, with the upside of all-inclusive features and a fantastic cultural experience. If you are thinking about a January 2013 vacation, you should consider one of the Magnificent South America Cruises on mv Voyager, with Voyages of Discovery. Don’t forget, this is a No USA Visa Cruise™.