Tag Archives: Montevideo

G Adventures’ New Expedition Sets Sail to South America

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G Adventures’ New Expedition Sets Sail to South America

G Adventures’ new Expedition is currently on its way to South America for its maiden season in Antarctica.

Acquired by the company earlier this year, the former Ocean Adventurer spent the last few months in Europe while being prepared for its debut.

Replacing the former Expedition, the 1976-built vessel is scheduled to kick off its first expedition for G Adventures in late October.

Departing from Montevideo, Uruguay, the itinerary features visits to the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica before ending in Ushuaia, Argentina.

According to G Adventures, the expedition is highlighted by wildlife and nature, with opportunities to catch up with penguins, whales and seals.

The cruise also includes daily lectures, as well as zodiac excursions, landings and other activities both onboard and ashore.

While the final itinerary is subject to weather conditions, the company plans to visit Port Stanley, the Scotia Sea, the South Shetland Islands, the Antarctic Peninsula and more.

After arriving in Ushuaia in early November, the new Expedition is set to kick off a series of sailings to Antarctica that includes four itineraries.

Among the options is the “Antarctica Classic” expedition, which sails for 11 nights and includes four days in the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands.

Previously operated by Quark Expeditions, the former Ocean Adventurer was acquired by G Adventures in May.

According to the company, the 117-guest vessel marks “an exciting step” for its polar program, securing the future of its small-ship expeditions and allowing room for expansion.

Chartered from SunStone Ships, the Expedition is said to be more comfortable and efficient, featuring a restaurant and bar, as well as a large presentation lounge, a library, a fitness area, an observation deck and more.

The ship also carries 11 zodiacs for daily excursions, in addition to a minimum of 14 expedition experts per sailing.

In related news, G Adventures has recently announced the relaunch of its Arctic expeditions, set to begin in 2026.

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One of three Costa Cruises ships in South America this season, the Costa Diadema recently offered its first-ever cruise to Argentina and Uruguay.

The 3,700-guest ship debuted in the two countries as part of a seven-night itinerary that includes visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as the Brazilian ports of Santos and Itajaí.

Sailing from multiple homeports, the cruise will be offered through early April and also includes three days at sea.

“We had great demand for this itinerary in the 2023-24 season, so we decided to increase our offering in this region,” said Renê Hermann, Costa’s Brazil president.

The Costa Diadema takes over the itinerary from the smaller Costa Favolosa, which had been sailing to Argentina and Uruguay for the past two summer seasons.

While most of the ship’s capacity will be allocated to the Brazilian market, passengers will also be able to embark in Argentina.

“We’ve also seen significant demand in the country, and we’ll have guests embarking there too,” Hermann told Cruise Industry News.

In addition to the Costa Diadema, Costa’s 2024-25 deployment in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Pacifica.

The Costa Pacifica opened the company’s season in South America after arriving in Brazil in late November.

Sailing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro, the 2009-built vessel will be fully dedicated to the Brazilian market through late March.

Offering longer itineraries in the region, the Costa Favolosa is also offering cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The vessel’s eight- to nine-night itineraries sail from Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo and visit destinations that include Punta del Este, Balneário Camboriú and Ilhabela.

After completing its schedule of seven-night cruises in the region, the Costa Diadema is scheduled to offer short cruises from Santos before returning to Europe in late April.

Costa Ship Shuffle for Brazil Due to LNG Supply Chain Challenges

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Citing uncertainty and recent world developments, Costa Cruises has announced changes to its 2022-2023 program in South America.

According to a statement issued in the local market, the company will no longer operate the 2021-built Costa Toscana in Brazil during the season.

Instead, the Costa Firenze will debut in the country, taking over the program previously announced for the LNG-powered ship.

Citing world developments in the energy market, Costa said it decided to “assure the arrival of three vessels in South America, bringing the new Costa Firenze in place of the Costa Toscana.”

The company said that the LNG needed for the Toscana “could only be sourced through international operations.”

With the change, the 2020-built Costa Firenze is now set to offer a series of seven-night domestic cruises in Brazil.

Departing from Santos and Salvador, the program takes place between December 2022 and April 2023.

Taking the title currently held by the Costa Diadema, the Firenze will become the largest ship ever operated by Costa in South America, the company said.

In addition to the Costa Firenze, Costa’s 2022-2023 program in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna.

Starting in December, the Favolosa is set to offer seven-night cruises to Argentina and Uruguay. The program runs through April and features departures from two Brazilian ports: Santos and Itajaí.

Returning to the region after a ten-year hiatus, the Costa Fortuna will also be based in Brazil. Sailing from Rio de Janeiro, the vessel is set to offer eight-night itineraries to several destinations in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

Both ships will also offer departures from Buenos Aires and Montevideo.