I recently returned from an incredible bucket-list sailing with Celebrity Cruises to South America. Our round-trip itinerary on Celebrity Equinox departed from Buenos Aires for 14 nights, visiting ports in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. The itinerary also included scenic cruising past Cape Horn and through the Strait of Magellan.
Our sailing was the last of the season in late February through early March, although Celebrity offers cruises to South America, Patagonia, and Antarctica during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer months.
Before the cruise, we flew from the United States to Buenos Aires and spent two nights exploring the city. Since we had never visited Argentina before, we arranged a few tours and transfers in advance to make our arrival smooth and easy.
For this cruise, my sister and I joined our parents for the adventure. None of us had ever visited these ports or sailed in this part of the world before. We were incredibly excited, although we weren’t entirely sure what to expect from one of Celebrity’s most unique itineraries.
Because this itinerary is very different than a traditional Caribbean cruise, it can be harder to find detailed reviews. As such, I wanted to provide an in-depth review of our memorable and adventurous cruise aboard Celebrity Equinox.
If you’re considering this sailing, I highly recommend it. It ended up being one of our favorite family vacations, with incredible scenery and unforgettable wildlife encounters along the way.
Here’s an honest review of our voyage to Patagonia, including our experiences both ashore and onboard Celebrity Equinox.
Itinerary: South America is one of Celebrity’s most unique sailings
The itinerary was one of the most unique aspects of this cruise. Sailing through Patagonia means visiting some of the most remote and dramatic landscapes in the world.
Our voyage included several sea days along with scenic cruising near Cape Horn and through the Strait of Magellan. Because of this, it’s helpful to bring a few things to keep yourself entertained onboard, such as books, cards, or movies downloaded to an iPad. You’ll have a lot of time relaxing onboard and enjoying the stunning landscapes.
Weather can also play a big role on this itinerary. Several ports require tender boats, which can be cancelled if winds or waves become too rough. For our sailing, we had three tender ports: Falkland Islands, Punta Arenas, and Punta del Este.
Celebrity did their best to reach every port, but it’s best to be prepared for possible changes. Many people say that it’s common for itinerary changes due to the weather conditions, and this was true for us.
For example, we were unable to visit Punta Arenas due to high winds that made tender operations unsafe. While disappointing, it’s simply part of cruising in such a remote region. Luckily, we didn’t have any other port changes or adjustments.
Our Patagonia cruise ports of call
Here’s a brief overview of every port we visited on our South America cruise aboard Celebrity Equinox. I’ve also included details about our booked excursions through Celebrity Cruises. For our time in Buenos Aires, we reserved tours through Viator with our travel agent.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires ended up being a pleasant surprise for us. The city felt clean, modern, and full of beautiful European-style architecture.
On our first evening, we booked an authentic rooftop asado dining experience, which quickly became one of the highlights of the entire trip. Argentina is famous for its steak culture, and the meal definitely lived up to expectations. It was the perfect activity after a long day of traveling.
The following day, we took a full private tour of the city with a guide named Dario. It was a great way to see the major highlights while learning about the city’s history. Our guide was fantastic and very knowledgeable.
I highly recommend both of these tours if you’re visiting Buenos Aires.
Like any large city, there are some areas that are less safe for tourists, so it’s important to stay aware of your surroundings. We felt more comfortable with our tour guides, but we did use Ubers to get around town.
Embarkation in Buenos Aires is also a little different from what many cruisers are used to. After dropping off your luggage and checking in, you’ll board a shuttle bus that takes you to the ship. From there, you walk up a long gangway at what feels more like an industrial port.
Montevideo, Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay was our first stop after leaving Buenos Aires during the cruise. We booked a city highlights tour combined with a tango experience through Celebrity.
While the city tour itself involved more time on the bus than we would have preferred, the tango portion was really enjoyable. After the excursion, we spent time exploring the small shopping area and cafés near the port. It’s an easy walk from the ship to the shopping area!
Stanley, Falkland Islands
This was my favorite port of the entire cruise!
Weather conditions were uncertain that morning, but thankfully we were able to tender ashore. We had booked a penguin excursion to Bluff Cove, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. It was pouring rain with strong winds, but we laughed our way through the treacherous conditions to see the penguins!
Seeing so many penguins up close in their natural habitat was absolutely incredible. Before the excursion began, we also had time to walk around the quaint port of Stanley. The town has many charming shops, a small museum, and beautiful coastal views.
If you sail this itinerary, I highly recommend booking a penguin excursion here!
Ushuaia, Argentina
After a few sea days, we arrived to Ushuaia, also known as the End of the World! This port offered classic Patagonia scenery with mountain views everywhere you look. The day started with a stunning sunrise from the ship before embarking on our excursion.
We visited Tierra del Fuego National Park, which featured dramatic landscapes, forests, and mountain views. The ship docks right in town, making it easy to explore independently. We enjoyed walking around the main street after our excursion, as it’s filled with restaurants, shops, and scenic views of the surrounding mountains.
Cape Horn (Scenic Cruising)
Cruising past Cape Horn was one of the most memorable days of the cruise. This is a scenic cruising day, so you’ll be spending a lot of time outside taking in the views. Most passengers gathered on balconies and outdoor decks to watch the dramatic scenery.
We were incredibly lucky to have calm seas and sunny weather, which is actually quite rare in this region. The captain and cruise director mentioned multiple times how lucky we were!
Strait of Magellan (Scenic Cruising)
This scenic cruising segment was beautiful throughout the day, but some of the most impressive scenery occurred in the evening as we passed near glaciers. It’s definitely worth staying up late to see.
Again, you’ll be spending all day onboard to take in the Patagonian mountains that surround the ship, so pack warm clothes for these days!
Puerto Madryn, Argentina
Puerto Madryn is a beach town with a small port area that includes shops, cafés, and sea lions resting nearby.
We booked an excursion to Punta Tombo to see more penguins. Most travelers suggest booking two penguin excursions in case the weather changes your itinerary, so we had a second penguin day.
The drive takes about two and a half hours each way, making it a long day. While we still saw many penguins, the population varies depending on the time of year. There’s also quite a bit of walking required, which may be difficult for guests with mobility concerns.
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Our final port was Punta del Este, a very charming beach town in Uruguay. It was much cleaner than Montevideo, so we preferred this port over the larger city.
It’s very easy to walk from the port to the famous hand sculpture on the beach, which is one of the town’s most recognizable landmarks.
We chose a combination city tour and winery visit, which made for a relaxing final day. The winery included a cheese and wine tasting and was a great way to wrap up the cruise.
Cabin: A balcony stateroom was a must-have for scenic views
For this itinerary, I highly recommend booking a balcony if possible. We spent $7,000 for two of us to share a mid-ship balcony cabin on Deck 8, which included drinks, internet access, and a refundable deposit.
There are multiple scenic cruising days, and having a private space to watch the landscapes made a big difference. We used our balcony more on this cruise than any other itinerary because of the scenic sights!
If you can choose your cabin location, the starboard side generally offered the best views for Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan. Our parents stayed on that side and had slightly better views than us, although we still enjoyed the scenery from the port side.
I will say that Celebrity Equinox is beginning to show her age in some areas, especially on the balcony areas. Our balcony had visible rust and some wear. In fact, my balcony chair broke while I was using it one day! However, the interior of the stateroom itself was comfortable and in good condition.
Entertainment: Excellent nightly shows and daily lectures
Celebrity did an excellent job providing entertainment throughout the cruise. Each evening featured a different performance, including a magician, comedian, singers, dancers, and even a sand artist.
The ship also hosted a historian who presented daily lectures as part of the “Beyond the Podium” enrichment series. Although we didn’t attend these, we heard very positive feedback from other passengers.
A nature specialist was onboard to help point out wildlife and natural features during scenic cruising days. She frequently made announcements so passengers knew when to head outside and where to look for the animals. We saw whales, dolphins, sea lions, and many birds!
We also enjoyed trivia games, music trivia, silent disco, and game shows throughout the cruise.
Food: Mostly hits, but some misses
Overall, we enjoyed the food on the cruise, although there were a few hits and misses.
We liked how the main dining room offered nightly specials that weren’t always listed on the menu, and several of these dishes ended up being some of our favorites. Service throughout the ship was consistently excellent (shout-out to our servers, Mario and Caroline!).
The Oceanview Café had a wide variety of options across the buffet, although it could become quite busy. One of my favorite daily routines was grabbing warm croissants there each morning!
We also enjoyed eating lunch in the main dining room on sea days, which were a little quieter and more relaxed.
For specialty dining, Tuscan Grille was our favorite meal of the cruise. The food was excellent and easily one of the best dining experiences onboard. Don’t skip the carbonara, filet, or limoncello cheesecake!
We also tried Murano for the first time. While we enjoyed the tableside preparation and overall experience, the meal itself didn’t wow us quite as much as we expected.
Bars and lounges: A nice variety onboard
There was no shortage of places to find a classic Celebrity cocktail during our cruise, as Celebrity Equinox has several excellent bars and lounges across the ship.
To start, Café Al Bacio quickly became a daily stop for coffee in the morning and small desserts throughout the day. This was a popular spot, and it was often hard to find a table!
Our favorite place each evening ended up being the Ensemble Lounge, where we listened to live music and received excellent service from Willy. Craft Social also had the best mojitos onboard!
Celebrity Equinox also features the classic Martini Bar with bartender performances in the evening, Sunset Bar with sweeping views of the sea, and World Class Bar with carefully crated cocktails.
Celebrity Equinox: An older ship that’s great for port-intensive cruises
Celebrity Equinox is part of Celebrity’s Solstice Class, meaning the ship is older compared to the newer Edge Class vessels. The ship first launched in 2009 and was later refurbished in 2019 as part of Celebrity’s “Celebrity Revolution” modernization program.
You won’t find the same modern design or technology as newer ships, but Celebrity Equinox still feels comfortable and upscale. The layout is intuitive and easy to navigate, and we rarely experienced any crowding. Even on colder days, we were able to find chairs in the Solarium without difficulty.
However, we all felt that the ship is definitely due for a renovation. Certain areas felt dated or underutilized, such as the photo gallery and internet cafe. Most public spaces still looked nice overall, but a refresh would make a noticeable difference. Our balcony cabin especially needed a facelift with rust and chipped paint!
Luckily, Celebrity Cruises announced a new revamp project for the Solstice class, with Celebrity Solstice recently completing her $250 million overhaul. Hopefully, Celebrity Equinox will receive the same upgrades with new spaces and revamped cabins.
Onboard demographics: An older, but active crowd
Celebrity Cruises generally attract an older demographic, especially on longer sailings like this one. However, this itinerary seemed to attract more active retirees and travelers looking for adventure.
While we did see a few families with children, they were definitely in the minority. There were only about 30 passengers under the age of 18 onboard.
My sister and I are in our 20s/30s, while our parents are in their 60s. We were younger than the average passenger, but our parents fit right in with the general demographic.
It’s also important to consider mobility when planning excursions. Some wildlife experiences involve significant walking, and tender operations can be challenging if waves are rough.
Overall, Celebrity’s Patagonia cruise was one of my absolute favorites!
I wouldn’t hesitate to book this cruise again aboard Celebrity Equinox, as the scenery and ports of call were magnificent. This was a very convenient way to see multiple destinations across Patagonia, with a wide range of things to do and see.
From the sunny beaches in Uruguay to the emperor penguins in the Falkland Islands and mountainous views in Ushuaia, this South America sailing is unlike anything else I’ve experienced.
Celebrity Equinox might be showing her age, but the destinations were the highlight for this cruise. We still loved our onboard experience with excellent service, entertainment, and onboard amenities.
