Princess Details 2011-12 South America Season

Princess Cruises in the fall 2011-spring 2012 cruise season will offer South American cruises and cruise-tours, taking passengers down the Amazon River, around Cape Horn, along Brazil or up to Machu Picchu.

The company will offer 10 departures aboard Star Princess and Pacific Princess to 31 destinations. Passengers can extend their South American vacation with a land tour to Peru’s Machu Picchu or Brazil’s Iguazú Falls.

The Pacific Princess will sail up the Amazon River on a 14-day cruise that calls at St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Tobago and Devil’s Island. Stops along the Amazon include Santarém, Boca da Valéria and Parintins with an overnight stay in Manaus. The ship departs on Dec. 16 and Dec. 30, 2011.

The Star Princess will operate a 14-day day cruise between Rio de Janeiro and Santiago around Cape Horn. Calls will be made to Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Falkland Islands, Ushuaia and Punta Arenas. The voyage includes scenic cruising around Cape Horn, including Beagle Channel, the Strait of Magellan and the Chilean fjords. Departures are Dec. 24, 2011, Jan. 7, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 18 and March 2, 2012.

A 15-day sailing from Rio de Janeiro to Fort Lauderdale by Star Princess starts with an overnight in Rio, then visits Brazilian ports of Salvador and Recife, plus Barbados, Antigua and St. Maarten. The sailing departs March 17, 2012. The Star Princess also offers a 16-day cruise that visits three continents. The voyage from Venice to Rio de Janeiro includes an overnight stay in Venice and calls at Dubrovnik, Corfu, Malta (Valletta), Tunis/Carthage (La Goulette), Gibraltar and Recife. Departure date is Dec. 8, 2011.

The five-day Machu Picchu land extension departs from Lima. The tour includes a guided tour of Machu Picchu and the historic city of Cusco and the nearby Sacred Valley and Sacsayhuaman Fortress, as well as enjoy rail travel up into the mountains. The package combines with the “Cape Horn Route to Rio” cruise.

The four-night Iguazú Falls tour features extra time to explore Rio de Janeiro, plus two days at Iguazú Falls. Travelers will view the falls from several vantage points as well as from excursion on an ecological jungle train and a boat ride. The tour includes two nights in Iguazú Falls and two nights in Rio on a package that combines with the “Cape Horn Route to Rio” or “Brazilian Adventure” cruises.