South America Cruises in 2026

Where Do South America Cruises Go in 2026?

South America cruising in 2026 covers a wide sweep of the world. The largest concentration of sailings heads across the Atlantic — transatlantic crossings that often call at South American ports along the way — with Brazil close behind as a standalone destination. Sailings dedicated to South America more broadly follow, then a healthy selection into the Caribbean and Central America, with a handful venturing further into the Southern Caribbean. The median sailing runs around 13 nights, though itineraries range from short hops to voyages of up to 47 nights — there is something here for a fortnight away or a genuinely extended journey.

Which Regions Can I Sail to in South America?

Transatlantic and Brazil

Transatlantic crossings make up the largest single group of sailings. Many of these are one-way itineraries — the ship repositions across the ocean and you either sail out to South America or back from it — so a flight at one end is part of the plan. Our team can sort that alongside the cruise itself.

Brazil sailings give you the big port cities: Rio de Janeiro with its iconic waterfront, and Santos (the port for São Paulo) as a common embarkation or disembarkation point. Salvador da Bahia also features among the disembarkation ports. These are round-trip and one-way itineraries alike, so check both when you are comparing dates.

South America, Argentina and River Cruising

South America itineraries visit a broader sweep of the continent’s ports, with Buenos Aires a popular end or start point. Argentina also appears as its own destination category for those wanting to focus on the southern reaches of the continent. Valparaíso (Santiago), Chile features among the ports used by these sailings too.

Alongside the ocean cruises, a small number of river sailings explore South American waterways, including a sailing on the Amazon River. If you are considering a river option alongside an ocean cruise, it is worth knowing these are a small share of the total — the vast majority of sailings here are ocean cruises.

Caribbean and Central America

A number of itineraries pair South America with the Caribbean or Central America, often as part of a longer voyage. These sailings frequently end at Florida ports — Miami and Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) both feature as disembarkation ports. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are about half an hour apart, so a Florida trip can sail from either — worth checking both for dates and prices. Cartagena, Colombia is among the ports called at on Central American routings.

Which Cruise Lines Sail to South America in 2026?

MSC Cruises has the most sailings by a clear margin and operates several ships on South American routes. Costa Cruises follows with a solid selection, and Cruise1st Packages — our own cruise-plus-flights bundles — give you a ready-made option with flights and hotels already built in. Holland America Line and Princess Cruises both offer sailings for those who prefer a more classic or premium experience, while Oceania Cruises covers the smaller-ship, destination-focused end of the market.

Which Ships Sail to South America in 2026?

MSC Virtuosa

MSC Virtuosa, built in 2021 and MSC’s Meraviglia-Plus flagship, is one of the most distinctive ships in the South America programme. It is home to Rob — the world’s first humanoid robotic bartender at sea — and offers 7 specialty restaurants including the Indochine French-Vietnamese fusion venue, Butcher’s Cut steakhouse and 2 Kaito Japanese restaurants. The Savannah Aquapark, a 1,168 m² LED Galleria and a ship-within-a-ship MSC Yacht Club round out a wide range of on-board options. Starlink internet runs throughout. See MSC Virtuosa cabins and deck plans for the full layout.

MSC Virtuosa cabin grades include:

• Deluxe Inside Cabin Fantastica — 17 m², sleeping up to 4, with 5 m² more space than a standard inside cabin
• Ocean-View Cabin FPO — 57 m², the largest ocean-view cabin on the ship, sleeping up to 10
• Suite with Balcony D3x — 59 m² with a private balcony and generous living area
• MSC Yacht Club Royal Suite — 58 m² spanning two decks, with separate bedroom, 2 walk-in wardrobes and an open living and dining area

MSC Divina

MSC Divina was christened by Sophia Loren and the ship’s Italian glamour shows — from the Swarovski crystal staircase to the De Jorio-designed Piazza. The stern Infinity Pool dissolves into the ocean horizon in one of the most dramatic pool settings at sea, and the Pantheon Theatre delivers Broadway-scale productions nightly. A Casino Veneziano, 4D cinema and F1 simulator are also on board. Check MSC Divina cabins and deck plans before you book.

MSC Divina cabin grades include:

• Deluxe Inside Cabin Fantastica — 16 m², 3 m² larger than the standard inside option
• Premium Ocean View Fantastica — 20 m² with an unobstructed window directly to sea
• Premium Suite Aurea — 33 m² with a private balcony
• MSC Yacht Club Executive & Family Suite — 40 m² with separate lounge, dining room and walk-in wardrobe

MSC Splendida

MSC Splendida is a classic 137,936-tonne Fantasia-class ship with 5 swimming pools and the exclusive Top 18 Solarium for sun-soaked days at sea. Evenings are well catered for across 20 bars and lounges — The Purple Jazz Bar and Club 33 disco among them — and the Strand Theatre runs world-class variety shows nightly. The MSC Yacht Club delivers a ship-within-a-ship experience with 24-hour butler service, a private pool deck and exclusive access to the L’Etoile gourmet restaurant. Browse MSC Splendida cabins and deck plans for more detail.

MSC Seaview

MSC Seaview is built for sun seekers, with over 13,000 sq metres of open deck — the highest ratio of outdoor space in the MSC fleet. A 360° glass-railed Waterfront Promenade wraps the entire ship on Decks 7 and 8, giving sea views from every angle. The Aqua Park runs 5 waterslides plus a 120-metre zip line, the longest onboard zip line at sea. See MSC Seaview cabins and deck plans for the full cabin range.

MSC Musica

MSC Musica is a 294-metre ship launched in 2006 and renovated in 2024, with a three-tiered waterfall in the atrium setting the classic Musica-class tone. La Scala Theatre seats 1,200 guests for Broadway-style productions with song, dance and acrobatics. The Kaito Sushi Bar and Butcher’s Cut steakhouse join the MSC Yacht Club for elevated dining options. See MSC Musica cabins and deck plans.

Costa Diadema

Costa Diadema is Costa’s flagship for South American routes, and the Samsara Spa — at 6,200 m² across 4 decks — is the largest spa in the entire Costa fleet, so a sea day here is genuinely restorative. A 500-metre open-air promenade on Deck 5 gives you a proper seafront stroll alongside the ocean, and the Archipelago restaurant features three Michelin-starred chefs. Browse Costa Diadema cabins and deck plans to find your grade.

Costa Diadema cabin grades include:

• Inside Cabin I1 — 12 m², 2 m² larger than the I2/I3/I4 categories, sleeping up to 4
• Ocean-View Cabin E1 — 14 m² with a sea-view window and natural light
• Balcony Cabin B1 — 14 m² on a lower deck, offering calmer waters and more stability
• Grand Suite GS — 25 m² with a balcony, considerably more spacious than standard cabins

Caribbean Princess

Caribbean Princess sails for Princess Cruises and brings Princess’s well-regarded fare structure to the South America programme. Explore Caribbean Princess cabins and deck plans when comparing options.

Nieuw Amsterdam

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam operates on South American sailings for those who prefer Holland America’s destination-focused, more refined style. See Nieuw Amsterdam cabins and deck plans for the cabin breakdown.

Are There All-Inclusive South America Cruises in 2026?

A large proportion of sailings are sold on an all-inclusive or drinks-included basis. Costa Cruises offers an All Inclusive fare tier covering a full Italian drinks and dining package, as well as a Comfort Plus tier that bundles full board, unlimited drinks and 24-hour room service. Princess Cruises offers its Princess Plus package — which covers casual dining meals per voyage, beverages up to $15 each (with a daily limit), MedallionNet Wi-Fi, pre-paid crew appreciation, unlimited digital photographs and reserved theatre seating — alongside a standard base fare for those who prefer to add extras themselves. Fare types such as last-minute offers and promotional fares also appear across lines, so it is worth calling our team to check what is available on the sailing you are eyeing.

What Are the Best South America Cruise Deals in 2026?

Reductions are available across a good portion of sailings, with discounts measured from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing. The maximum reduction reaches up to 42% on one departure, though most discounted sailings are reduced by around 10%. If a deal matters to you, our cruise experts can check current pricing across all lines and flag which sailings represent the sharpest value at the time you call.

Where Do South America Cruises Depart From?

Most sailings depart from ports in South America or Florida — a flight from the UK is needed for almost all itineraries, and we can arrange that alongside the cruise. The main embarkation ports are Santos (the port serving São Paulo), Miami, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Miami and Fort Lauderdale are about half an hour apart, so if you are basing yourself in Florida for a night or two before the cruise, either port works — worth checking both for the dates that suit you. A small number of sailings depart from European ports such as Barcelona, which can make for a more leisurely start to the trip.

One-Way or Round-Trip — What Is Available?

More than half of the sailings are one-way itineraries. That means the ship starts in one port and ends in another — often crossing the Atlantic in the process — so you will need to arrange a flight home from the disembarkation port at the end. Our team can book that return flight, any hotel nights you need and your transfers as part of the same booking, so nothing is left loose. If you would rather a round-trip sailing that returns to where you started, those are available too, and are clearly shown when you compare sailings.

Why Book Your South America Cruise with Cruise1st?

As one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, Cruise1st does more than list sailings. Our cruise experts know these ships and itineraries in genuine detail — which cabin grade suits a couple travelling for a fortnight, which fare tier saves money if you drink wine with dinner, which embarkation port makes the connection from the UK easiest. Because almost every South America sailing involves a flight, we put the full trip on one booking: cruise, flights, hotels before and after, transfers and insurance. You are not handed a cabin reference and left to work out the rest. Our Cruise1st Packages are built exactly for that — fly-cruise bundles where everything is priced and confirmed together.

We are ABTA and ATOL protected, and rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews. If anything changes with your sailing, you have a specialist team behind you — not a call centre that has never been to sea.

Also Sailing in 2026

If South America is part of a broader look at 2026 sailings, it is worth knowing that many of the same cruise lines — MSC, Princess, Holland America — operate across other regions in the same year. Transatlantic cruises in 2026 often dovetail neatly with a South America sailing, either as an outbound or a return crossing. Princess Cruises in 2026 and MSC Virtuosa 2026 sailings from Southampton give you the fuller picture for those lines if you want to compare options across more than one region. For Christmas travel, 2026 Christmas cruises cover what is sailing over the festive period, including some South America and Caribbean departures. Browsing all 2026 cruises gives you the widest view if you are still deciding on a region.

Where a discount is shown, it is a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing, not a comparison between cabin grades or against a brochure rate. Discounts and prices shown are not kept up to date: the reduction available now may be smaller, or may have ended, and prices may have changed.