Great itinerary, I boarded in Buenos Aires ( after a wonderful week) and enjoyed visiting Uruguay and the coast of Brazil then departed in Rio for a week. This size ship ( I think 1,800 ) is perfect for a cruise like this. Easy to get around, plenty to do. Only on the 2 sea days do you miss the water slides, rock climbing walls, golf, etc. found on the newer bigger ships. The 8 days in port you have everything you need to fill your evenings: dance lessons ( you can learn and practice Tango), good nightly performances in the auditorium, dancing in the clubs and on deck, casino, piano bar. Never a dull moment. My favorite area on ship( in fact best on my 15 cruises) was the large outside covered area aft deck 11. Take your breakfast or lunch with a view ( and shade) ,in the evenings this bar offers the best sunsets and sail away views of the city or island that you visited that day. Great multi-linguial staff, good accomodations, entertainment, and food.