Jetsettersblog

Holland America Line’s Veendam is set to cruise South America for the fall 2009 and the winter and spring 2010 season. By the time Veendam embarks on its South America sailings it will have undergone extensive renovations that include a new resort pool, lanai staterooms, new entertainment and enrichment options, new stateroom décor and more. The newly refurbished vessel will join Prinsendam, which is also sailing South America and Antarctica in 2010.

The 10 sailings aboard the Veendam range from 16 to 20 days. It will spend more time in ports than most major cruise lines and is the only premium cruise line offering overnights in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires on select cruises.

“We have seen an increase in travelers who wish to take a South America cruise aboard a premium, mid-sized ship,” said Richard Meadows, executive vice president for marketing, sales and guest programs.

“With the newly renovated Veendam sailing South America in 2009 and 2010, and the Prinsendam, our 793-guest ‘Elegant Explorer,’ we are perfectly poised to meet travelers’ discriminating demands as well as provide a premium, enriching and unforgettable experience to this remarkable continent.”

Holland America offers several pre- and post-cruise land tours. Guests can opt to spend an extra night or two in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago de Chile. Guests also can take overland tours ranging from two to five days to the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguaçu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, and Chile’s wine country. Veendam’s first South America sailing departs San Diego on Oct. 31, 2009, on a 19-day journey to Valparaiso, Chile, that visits ports in Mexico and Central America before making its way to Manta, Ecuador; Salaverry, Peru; and an overnight in Callao (Lima), Peru.

While in Salaverry, guests may board a flight to take advantage of the optional, two-night shore excursion to Machu Picchu. Departing Valparaiso Nov. 19, 2009, and March 7, 2010, Veendam will sail a 16-day South America Explorer cruise that calls at Ushuaia, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Punta Arenas, Chile; and Puerto Montt, Chile. With an overnight in Buenos Aires, guests can take in a tango show or visit Iguaçu Falls. Veendam sails the reverse itinerary from Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso on Dec. 5, 2009, as well as Feb. 19 and March 23, 2010.

The Veendam will depart Dec. 21, 2009, on a holiday cruise and again, Jan. 10 and Jan. 30, 2010, on a 20-day Antarctica voyage. The Dec. 21 and Jan. 30 voyages begin in Valparaiso and end in Rio de Janeiro.

The Jan. 10 cruise sails the reverse itinerary. These cruises offer calls in Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas, Chile, as well as Ushuaia, Argentina. Following the rounding of Cape Horn, the ship continues to Antarctica and spends three days exploring the continent. Veendam also calls in Stanley, Falkland Islands;

Buenos Aires; and Montevideo, Uruguay. On April 8, 2010, Veendam ends its seasonal cruises in South America, departing Valparaiso for a 17-day journey that sails the western coast of South America and transits the Panama Canal. Overnight calls are planned in Callao, Peru, and Fuerte Amador, Panama, and an optional tour to Machu Picchu is also offered. During this cruise, the Veendam calls at six ports throughout Chile, Peru, and Ecuador before transiting the Panama Canal.

After calling at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, Veendam ends its cruise in Fort Lauderdale, where guests can opt to spend an extra night or two in post-cruise land tours.

MSC