Best of South America & Antarctica 14 Nights • Buenos Aires, Argentina • Celebrity Equinox

The capital of Argentina throbs with creative energy. In this melting pot of cultures—native American, Spanish colonial, Italian, French, British, and more—the local Porteños greet you warmly with a kiss. Connoisseurs of culture find 300 theaters and 160 museums. Explore the French neoclassical Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo, near the port, or Teatro Colón, an opera house with interiors as beautiful as the acoustics, in the Centro. You'll shop till you drop in Buenos Aires, a leader in design. Find clothing, jewelry, and art at lavish Galerías Pacifico, near the port, or browse the fashionable Recoleta quarter for exclusive boutiques. Shop elegant Calle Florida, bustling with bustling with office workers by day and street performers at night. Look for native leather, antiques, and crafts. Eat and drink like a king on your cruise to Argentina, from elegant 19th-century bars to contemporary cafés and restaurants. Discover maté, the local tea, and don't miss the renowned steaks and excellent Malbec wines. Find pizza, pasta, and ice cream on every corner. For dessert, try alfajores, chocolate-covered double-decker cookies filled with dulce de leche.

Ushuaia, Argentina: No city on the planet has a more southerly latitude. As a result, the sun shines for 18 hours during each summer day, providing ample opportunity to view the mix of glaciers, forests and sea, all framed by Mount Martial to the west and Mounts Olivia and Cinco Hermanos to the east. There’s a magnificent wealth of history and culture to discover on an Ushuaia cruise. The town was formerly a missionary base, penal colony, and naval base, but has increasingly become a major tourist destination with many attractions, including restaurants, sight-seeing, and casinos. Explore Tierra del Fuego National Park on a day hike through the wilderness, or hike along the coast and glacial lakes. The End of the World Museum offers a wonderful glimpse into the history and culture that shaped this city and includes collections of artifacts and pieces from the first expeditions, as well as the indigenous people who once inhabited the region. Savor authentic Argentinean specialties made with the freshest seafood, like king crab, seabass, ceviche, and grilled octopus or the ever popular, slow-cooked Fuegian lamb, and delicious regional wines.

A number of geographical anomalies around this channel make these waters among the most plankton-rich in the world. You're likely to see a profusion of whales feeding in the rich ecosystem, which is a sight you'll not soon forget.

This name aptly reflects the stunning beauty you'll find here, just as the clear waters beautifully reflect the spectacular mountains, such as Rojas Peak, Bryde Peak, and the Petzvol Glacier. Within these waters we may see Minke whales feeding and Gentoo penguins curiously observing us from the rocky shores.

Schollart Channel, Antarctica: Journey to the far reaches of the world with a Schollart Channel cruise. Experience the spectacular wildlife that inhabits the great white South Pole and breathe in the exhilarating air. With Anvers Island to the southwest and Brabant Island to the northeast, take in the mesmerizing sights of massive ice flows, humpback whales, waddling penguins, leopard seals and more in their natural, and somewhat extreme, element. You are certain to leave with amazing memories, and pictures, as you cruise through Schollart Channel located near Antarctica.

This tiny island in the Weddell Sea of Antarctica plays a role in one of seafaring history's most legendary exploits. When the brave crew of the Endurance, led by intrepid explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, was trapped in the ice during a 1914 polar expedition, they took refuge on this island until help arrived. And, even though they spent the entire winter waiting for rescue, not a single crew member was lost.

Located in the Southern Ocean near the outer reaches of the South Shetland Islands, Elephant Island has claims from not only Argentina and Chile, but also the United Kingdom. Brazil also has two shelters here that contain up to six researchers that work during the summer months.

Check out the island's wildlife on your Antarctica cruise. The island is covered with elephant seals, hence the name Elephant Island. At Cape Lookout, a bluff on the southern coast where various penguins (chinstrap, gentoo, and macaroni) call home. Other birds of note include sheathbills, cape petrels, and stormy petrels; it's also a great place to spot the elephant seals and Antarctic fur seals. The truly adventurous can explore the moss colonies, which are thought to be thousands of years old. The moss bank is not terribly far from where the Shackleton party was marooned, and is considered one of the oldest living things in the world. Your cruise to Antarctica will truly be an experience of a lifetime.

Commune with the roughly 2,000 intrepid souls who call this remote former whaling outpost home. As you hike through the rocky, windswept landscape you may observe a few of the island’s flightless residents—including Magellan penguins burrowing underground, and rockhoppers carefully observing you from outcroppings.

This deep water port was founded in 1865 by Welsh immigrants. Extending out into the Atlantic from Puerto Madryn is the Península Valdés, a wildlife sanctuary where vast numbers of sea elephants, whales and penguins far outnumber the few human visitors who make it out this far.

Montevideo is a thoroughly modern city with a rich artistic tradition, the reach of the rural estancias is all around you. If ever there were a time you were inclined to indulge, delicious steaks are the specialty of the house in virtually every restaurant.