My wife and I are about to take a RSSC cruise starting in Lima (Callao), going down the west coast of South America, spending five days in Antartic waters, then heading up the east coast of South America finishing in Rio. January 24th to February 23rd. We are in a quandry about temperature variations, and thus what clothes to pack. Has anyone taken a similar cruise? What do we need? How cold should we expect it to be near the pole? Any advice is welcome.

I did that cruise in January a couple of years ago. You really need to layer. The biggest thing I found was the wind. The temperatures themselves weren't that bad but the winds were really biting. We wore sweaters under a windproof gortex jacket and be sure to have a scarf and hood on the jacket. Then when you start heading north the weather certainly warms up and Rio is very warm so its one of those cruises where you have to pack for both climates. Does your ship have land excursions in Antarctica? If so you would need a warm boot and if you are going on a penguin excursion in SA be warned that the walking can be a little tough as you are walking amid the penguins and you need to protect you footwear.

Anytime you are ouside on deck, you need a wind breaker. Traveller69 is 100% correct about the wind. Wind chill is the big killer even though it is tecnically their "summer"

I don't belief you need winter clothing as such as hoodies, sweaters are must.

We did a similar cruise about 6 years ago..we did have a couple days of sort of rough weather where walking on the deck took a lot of concentration..I did buy a jacket while near the artic, as what I carried was not enough...Wool sweaters, long underwear, waterproof shoes, scarfs, etc...Have a wonderful trip.

Thank you all - on your advice we've purchased Goretex jackets that are lightweight - then we'll layer underneath. Very helpful - thanks for taking the time to reply.

Don't forget to take sunscreen and some sunglasses or even goggles if you are comfortable wearing them. Enjoy!