This cruise allowed stops at places I had never cruised. These included Punta del Este and Montivedio. Because of a great price the friend with whom I traveled and I were able to book single balcony cabins next door to each other. The cabins were comfortable. (On this ship, those who use CPAP machines need to carry an extension cord as the plug in is not near the head of the bed. If notified, the ship provides a gallon of distilled water that is waiting in the cabin on arrival.)
Embarkation was a mess with passengers waiting for hours with little news on what was taking place. It caused worries about the whole trip which ended up being needless.
The food was most adequate. It is not the equal of the upscale lines, but not bad at all. A pleasant part of buffet meals is that there is a large open air space at the stern just behind the buffet. It has its own shorter buffet lines. It also helps one to avoid a crowded and noisy room.
The cabin was comfortable and efficiently laid out. Its balcony had adequate room for two upright chairs and a small table. The large window that the balcony allows was a benefit and the curtains were kept open every night.
Montevideo is a pleasant city. The round the city open tour bus left from just beyond the port entrance and was enjoyable. A meal at one of the barbecue restaurants in the large market providing interesting flavor and contact with local folk.
Rio is a great city. I arrived four days before sailing to have a better chance to enjoy it.
This is a big and relatively dirty industrial port. The trip to Sao Paulo would have been exhausting and expensive so other than a quick exploration of Santos the day was spent relaxing on the ship.