Carnival in Rio Cruise: Arrival in Buenos Aires
In this first post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores a bit of Buenos Aires as she embarks on her Carnival in Rio cruise on Azamara.
Back for my second cruise on Azamara…this time I am exploring South America. The 15-night Carnival in Rio cruise is round-trip from Buenos Aires, going up to Rio de Janeiro and back. Join me as I explore the many wonderful ports in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil along the way!
Carnival In Rio Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about my time pre-cruise in Buenos Aires and embarkation on the Azamara Pursuit.
- Pre-Cruise – February 9 & 10: Buenos Aires, Argentina (embarkation)
- Cruise Day 1 & 2 – February 11 & 12: Montevideo, Uruguay
- Cruise Day 3 & 4 – February 13 & 14: At Sea
- Cruise Day 5 – February 15: Santos, Brazil
- Cruise Day 6 – February 16: Ilhabela, Brazil
- Cruise Day 7 – February 17: Parati, Brazil
- Cruise Day 8 – February 18: Buzios, Brazil
- Cruise Day 9-11 – February 19-21: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Cruise Day 12 & 13 – February 22 & 23: At Sea
- Cruise Day 14 – February 24: Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Post-Cruise Day 1 – February 25: Buenos Aires (disembarkation)
- Post-Cruise Day 2 – February 26: Iguazu Falls, Brazil
- Post-Cruise Day 3 – February 27: Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Bound for Buenos Aires
My fantastic journey kicked off with a little drama in Tampa! My original flight schedule had a fairly short layover in Houston, en route to Buenos Aires. What started as a 1 hour and 20 minute layover ended up being just a 20 minute layover, as the flight from Tampa to Houston was delayed. After a mad dash through the Houston airport, I made it to the connecting flight to Buenos Aires with a few minutes to spare. Luckily, I was traveling with carry-on luggage only, because any checked bags definitely would not have made that connection with me!
Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel
I landed in Buenos Aires bright and early Thursday morning after the long flight from Houston. A car took me from the airport to my hotel, the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, where I was able to check in early. I was pleasantly surprised to see the fantastic view I had of the Torre Monumental just outside my window, with the bustling Retiro Station just behind that. I had grand plans to get out and explore some of the city on my first day there, but it was very hot and humid! So, I chose instead to rest and relax in my comfy hotel room. I managed to catch a gorgeous sunset that night before I drifted off to sleep.
A Morning In Buenos Aires
After a relaxing first day, I set out to explore a bit of the area the next morning. It was another scorcher, and I only had a few hours before the shuttle would take me to the ship, so I stuck close to the area around my hotel. I walked over to see the beautiful Torre Monumental (“Monumental Tower”), also known as Torre de los Ingleses (“Tower of the English”) as it was a gift from the local British community to the city to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the May Revolution. I also strolled through the beautiful Plaza San Martín, enjoying the beautiful trees, lush greenery, and the monument to the plaza’s namesake José de San Martín. We’ll get to know him better when we return to BA after the cruise!
The final stop in my morning exploration was the gorgeous Retiro Station. It was inaugurated in 1915 and has been recently restored. Designed by British architects, the station is typical of the big train stations of the 19th century.
Embarkation
After my quick morning exploring (don’t worry…I spent more time in BA after the cruise ended, so stay tuned for that post later!), I took the shuttle from the hotel to the port. I had a bit of a wait before my check-in time, but the port has a large, comfortable (and cool!) waiting area with a few shops and restaurants. Before long, my check-in group was called, and I breezed through check-in. Once onboard Azamara Pursuit, I enjoyed a refreshing glass of bubbly as I went through the muster drill.
Settling Into Stateroom 7061
Once the muster drill was complete, I was able to get into my stateroom and start settling in. I stayed in a Club Veranda Stateroom again on this cruise, which is the same type I had on my first Azamara cruise in June 2022. It measures 175 square feet (with an additional 40 square feet on the veranda) and has plenty of storage space. The Queen-sized bed is very comfortable. There is a small sitting area with an oversized chair, table, and desk. My stateroom was on deck 7, almost exactly in the middle of the ship on the starboard (right) side.
A Sunny Sail-Away
I unpacked everything and headed up to the pool deck to enjoy the sail-away party on this gorgeous, hot afternoon! A cold piña colada hit the spot! I enjoyed listening to the band play while I sipped my cocktail. I was also able to meet up with a couple that I had met on my first cruise on Azamara in June, so it was great to catch up with them as well. We had some stunning views of Buenos Aires as we sailed away.
Conclusion
I made it to Buenos Aires safe and sound after a bit of drama in Tampa and got settled in on the Azamara Pursuit to start my next adventure! The weather in BA was very hot and humid, so my plans to explore got a bit curtailed, but I have another full day in BA at the end of the cruise. It was great to be back onboard the Azamara Pursuit…it definitely feels like “family” here on this ship. Now onto the first port of call, Montevideo!
Links
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Click the buttons below for more information about Azamara, and to read about my first cruise on Azamara in June 2022:
Terrific post however , I was wondering if you could write a
litte more on this topic? I’d be very thankful if you could
elaborate a little bit further. Thanks!
What additional information are you looking for? I’ve provided an overview of what I did, and there really isn’t too much else to say. But I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.