Deciding what to pack and take with you on any cruise can be a challenge, but on a voyage around the southern tip of South America and Cape Horn, it can be even more difficult, with an itinerary that includes a wide variety of latitudes and weather conditions.
All of these cruises generally take place in the southern hemisphere summer, namely from November through March, when the seas in the South Atlantic are their calmest, and the climate is its warmest. The weather at your starting and ending points, typically Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Valparaiso or San Antonio (Chile), will be hot – and sometimes very hot, with afternoon temperatures occasionally exceeding 95° Fahrenheit (35° Celsius). In these cities and during your first few days at sea, therefore, you will want to dress lightly, perhaps at most needing only a thin sweater in the evening during those balmy summer nights on board.
As the ship sails further south, reaching Puerto Madryn in Argentina or Puerto Montt in Chile, the weather begins to cool a little, and this is where conditions can become harder to predict. You will still have some gorgeous days where you need little more than shorts and a T-shirt, but you can also be met with wind and rain, and for this reason, you will want to dress in thin layers that can be added or removed with ease.
Further south is where the weather gets much more unpredictable, and this is where dressing in multiple layers really works best. While it remains warm inside the ship, your daily laps around the deck will most likely be windy affairs, and being outside to take in the scenery of the Beagle Channel or the Chilean fjords will require a good jacket to protect you from the elements. Some people even bring a woolly hat and gloves for these days in the extreme south, as the wind chill around Cape Horn can be intense.
There aren’t many other cruise ship itineraries in the world that traverse such variable climatic conditions, and one in which the weather can change so quickly, but this only adds to the allure of this unique route but makes the question of what to pack a little more tricky. Marvelling at glaciers that are almost inaccessible from land, all from the comfort of your ship, is one of the real highlights of this particular route, as you sail in the wake of such famous explorers as Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake. While ski pants are not necessary, you will be very grateful for having packed a small amount of very warm clothes for those days at the bottom of the world.
Other items when considering what to pack:
- A good pair of binoculars. Some ships provide guests with a basic pair, but if you want to really enjoy the wildlife and scenery, a high-quality pair will make all the difference.
- A guidebook to the fauna of the area. You will be catching sight of multiple species of animals along your journey, and it is worthwhile to have a book with you that explains what you are seeing.
- A camera with a good zoom. If you are serious about photography, you will want to consider taking more than just your cell phone, as some of the most memorable views on this itinerary can sometimes be far away. Likewise for getting close-up shots of the wildlife that you see.
- Sea-sickness medication. Most modern cruise ships with stabilizers give you a smooth ride even in the roughest of seas, but the conditions in the South Atlantic and around Cape Horn can occasionally be less than tranquil!