Splendor to tour S. America

Carnival Cruise Lines is stretching its sea legs again.

In 2005, when the FunShip line launched Carnival Liberty, it used the new vessel as a wedge to plant its first foot in the European cruise market.

Until then, Carnival had been staunchly home-based, delivering mostly domestic itineraries and ports in the nearby Caribbean and Mexican Riviera.

Now, with the pending introduction in July 2008 of its biggest ship – the 113,300-ton Splendor – Carnival has announced plans to plant its other sea leg firmly in South America.

It will offer a series of sweeping, 14- to 18-day voyages to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile and Peru beginning in January 2009, following the Splendor’s inaugural season of Europe and Caribbean sailings.

According to Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen, “Logistically it fit into the schedule perfectly as the ship sails the Caribbean and then heads for the West Coast. Since it’s too large to fit through the Panama Canal, the South America cruises were an attractive option.”

Splendor will inaugurate its South America series on Jan. 31, 2009, with a 17-day, six-port cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Buenos Aires.

The itinerary includes calls to the tropical islands of Dominica and Barbados as well as day-long calls at four Brazilian cities: Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro.

On Feb. 17, the 3,006-passenger ship will make a 14-day, six-port “Cape Horn/Strait of Magellan” cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago (Valparaiso). The itinerary begins with an overnight in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital.

Other highlights include calls in Puerto Madryn and Ushuaia, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Punta Arenas, Chile, which lies at the entrance to the Straits of Magellan and is considered the gateway to Antarctica; and scenic cruising of Cape Horn, South America’s southernmost point, and Chile’s majestic fjords.

On March 3, Splendor embarks on an 18-day “Andes, Peru and Mexican Riviera” cruise from Valparaiso. Prior to crossing the Equator, the ship will visit Arica, Chile; Lima (Callao), Peru; Manta (Quito), Ecuador; and wind down with calls to Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Long Beach, Calif., before concluding in San Francisco.

In addition to breaking new ground in South America, Splendor also will break new ground in the fleet’s maritime architecture.

Its design boasts a 40,000-square-foot “wellness” area that includes a 21,000-square-foot health and fitness center spanning the forward portion of two full decks and, for the first time, adjacent spa staterooms and suites. The 68 cabins in the new category will be accessible by private elevator and offer passengers exclusive amenities.

Other firsts for Carnival: a Thalassotherapy pool under a glass dome, and an elaborate thermal suite with four rooms offering varying degrees of warmth and coolness.

Splendor also will have the fleet’s largest children’s play area – 5,500 square feet – as well as a water-spray park and a mid-ship pool under a sliding Sky Dome.

Even before setting out for its first South American port, Splendor will inaugurate Carnival’s first-ever Northern Europe cruise program from London (Dover).

That will be followed by a series of voyages to the Mediterranean and Greek Isles through Oct. 17, 2008.

After its far-flung journeys, Splendor will relax its wanderlust and settle in for a year-round schedule of seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach.

Fares for Splendor’s South America cruises start at $1,399 for 14 days; at $1,199 for 17 days; and at $1,099 for 18 days, all per person, based on double occupancy.

For more information, call (800) 327-9501 or go to carnival.com.