Strong Bookings as Swan Hellenic opens new horizons in South and Central America

Swan Hellenic’s six early 2024 Americas cultural expedition cruises have met with an enthusiastic response. Offering in-depth exploration on SH Diana up the West Coast of South and Central America through the Panama Canal to the Bahamas, highlights include the Chilean Fjords, Atacama Desert, Moche culture, Darien Jungle, Panama, Cartagena and a Caribbean odyssey.

Swan Hellenic has turned up the dial with an exclusive series of six cultural expedition cruises up the West Coast of South America and through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean between February and May 2024.

As the pioneer of cultural expedition cruising, Swan Hellenic is the choice of adventurous minds across the generations seeking in-depth exploration of the Arctic, Antarctic and Rest of the World – from Brazil to the Bijagós Archipelago, Norway to Nova Scotia, Argentina to Africa, and Madagascar to the Mediterranean.
SH Diana is the largest of its Scandi-design boutique ships, accommodating 192 guests in distinctive comfort and style, while differing from her sister ships in being outfitted with tender boats as well as expedition zodiacs.

The first cruise in the series is the 13-night In the wake of the HMS Beagle through the Chilean Fjords which departs Ushuaia for Valparaiso on 25 February 2024, steering a historic northwest course to the Chilean Fjords with their unspoilt wilds and awe-inspiring glaciers, including the massive Garibaldi and Pio XI. Natural wonders of the Atacama and Paracas Desert follows, sailing from Valparaiso on 09 March 2024 for nine nights’ immersion in some of the driest places in the world, famed for their cool, almost lunar landscapes and mysterious Nazca Lines. Leaving Callao for Panama City on 18 March 2024, the nine-night Cultures of Northern Peru and Biodiversity combines exploration of pre-Incan Moche civilization’s famous adobe brick pyramids in Trujillo with opportunities to encounter indigenous tribes and experience the deep wilds and wildlife of the Utria and Darien Jungle National Parks. Central America Discovery follows on 10 April 24, sailing south from La Paz, Mexico, for Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on a 10-night voyage of whale watching and incredible archaeology. This includes the recently discovered La Joya del Ceren, the Pompeii of the Mayans, which was hidden buried under a volcanic eruption. The 10-night Costa Rica & Panama Canal Discovery leaves Puntarenas for Cartagena, Colombia on 20 April 2024, offering multiple discovery opportunities in Costa Rica’s national parks, on uninhabited islands and in the Darien Jungle National Park. Famous for its well-preserved colonial fortifications, colourful architecture, lively music and rich history, Cartagena itself is a bucket list choice for many, wholly deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage site status. The last cruise in the series Tropical Charms of the Caribbean and Beyond, sails from Cartagena on 30 April 2024 for a 10-night exploration of these fabled islands, from the whales and national parks of Samana to San Salvador, where Columbus landed, and Exuma’s exquisite Compass Cay with its charming swimming pigs.

Offering exceptional personalisation and unrepeated itineraries, these cultural expedition cruises can be daisy-chained as desired to create unique custom voyages of exploration.

Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic, says: “We’re truly delighted with the fantastic America itineraries our experts have curated for 2024, enriched with exciting new destinations. Exploring history, culture and nature in equal depth, they’re proving quite a draw. So anyone with a passion for the region should book without delay”.