South America with MSC Fantasia (Fly & Cruise) 2025

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis - the "Paris of the South" - by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world's great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city's enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens - the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Step onto Ilhabela, or "Beautiful Island", and you'll instantly understand why it was given its name. Green mountains, emerald green waters and golden sand beaches welcome you to this kaleidoscope of natural wonders, an archipelago off the mainland of Brazil. Almost 85% of the island's 350,000 square miles is designated as Ilhabela State Park and no further development is allowed. The 25 miles of beaches and the costal Atlantic rainforest delight visitors with their unspoiled beauty.

Discovered in 1502 by Américo Vespúcio, Ilhabela has a rather colorful past, having once served as a haven for pirates and smugglers. The local waters are rumored to hide over 50 shipwrecks?no wonder the island is a favorite destination for scuba divers! Water sports is just one of the many reasons outdoor enthusiasts flock to Ilhabela. Hikers enjoy around 300 waterfalls that thunder into the ocean and sailing enthusiasts enjoy the favorable winds that have earned Ilhabela an international reputation in nautical circles. On dry land, you can explore the charming downtown area with its graceful colonial buildings, museums, and restaurants. Fresh seafood is always on the menu and you'll want to be sure to try the shrimp, rumored to be the best in Brazil!

 

Buzios is a land of beaches, with more than 20 in all. Just within walking distance of the tender pier lie the Praia de Armação and the Praia dos Ossos beaches. But if you prefer something a bit more private, head to Praia Tucuns or the Praia dos Amores ("Beach of Love"), popular with romantic couples. A "must" for any visitor to Buzios is a stroll along the mile-long Rua das Pedras, named for its beautiful stones. Lined with shops and restaurants, it's right on the ocean and a great place to enjoy refreshments and to people-watch.

 

"Passionate" best captures the wild beauty and heady sensuality that is Rio de Janeiro. For Rio is the Cidade Maravilhosa - the "Marvelous City" that throbs to a samba beat and revels in the hedonism of Carnival. There is no place on Earth like Rio - as the city natives, the famed Cariocas, delight in telling you. The geographical facts read like dry dust: over five million souls live in the city, another four million live in the surrounding suburbs, the metropolis is the cultural center of Brazil. The reality is Rio: the white sand beaches of Copacabana, the swaying palm trees, the immense statue of Christ the Redeemer and always the never-ending rhythm of life lived with passionate intensity.

Founded in the early 16th century, Rio was once the capital of Brazil. The city remains the nation's cultural and spiritual center, an amalgam of Latin and African cultures.

 

Brazil's third largest island, famed for its tropical scenery and gorgeous beaches, has an unusual history. It was once a leper colony and later a prison. Today the entire island is a protected area and is home to a tiny beachfront town, Vila do Abraão, where cars are banned. With fine-grain sand and clear turquoise waters, the two-mile-long Lopes Mendes Beach is virtually a postcard. Another picture-album sight is Abraão Cove, considered the most beautiful bay on the island.

 

It is a city located in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. You can ride the Big Wheel, where you can watch the popular tourist city view, and visit the Jurassica Dinosaur Park. You can try a variety of food to suit every taste, accompanied by live music, at Passeio San Miguel in the city. You can wander around Unipraias Camborui Park with a magnificent view and go down with a zipline.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Nestled between the continent's two giants, Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay is the second smallest country in South America. More than half of the nation's population of three million reside in the capital of Montevideo, located at Uruguay's southernmost point on the Rio de la Plata. Although small in size, Uruguay has proven to be big-hearted - the country is one of the most literate nations in the world while Montevideo is one of South America's most interesting and cosmopolitan capitals.

Montevideo is a charming city made up of 19th-century Beaux Arts buildings, parks, and historical monuments.

 

This is the time to personalize your cruise experience—you can participate in any or all the activities scheduled onboard or do nothing more strenuous than lift an umbrella drink while reading a book poolside.

 

Founded in the early 16th century, Buenos Aires was transformed from a colonial port into a cosmopolitan metropolis - the "Paris of the South" - by the cattle boom of the 1880s. As in the American West, boom was followed by bust. But that did not stop Buenos Aires from becoming the city it is today. With its air of haunted grandeur, Buenos Aires is a place of icy intellect and smoldering passion. It is a city where the elegant Colon Theater, one of the world's great opera houses, stands in counterpoint to the working class barrios that gave birth to the tango. Perhaps the city's enigmas and contradictions are best embodied by its two most famous citizens - the reclusive librarian and literary genius Jorge Luis Borges and the showgirl turned First Lady, Evita Peron.

 

Istanbul is supremely exotic, warmly welcoming, and quite unique – after all, where else can you tour Europe and Asia on the very same afternoon? Must sees include Haghia Sophia, decorated in 30 million tiny mosaic tiles, the greatest church in Christendom for 1000 years, then a mosque and now a museum; and Topkapi, palace of sultans, complete with harem quarters. And of course shopping in the Grand Bazaar, a medieval version of a mall, for unusual gifts to take home, stopping along the way in a café for a cup of Turkish coffee or mint tea.