South America Air/Cruise, From $2,199

If you'd like more time to explore Buenos Aires, you can add a pre-cruise extension package for an additional $299 per person, which includes two nights (from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1, 2009) at the downtown Reino del Plata or a similar class hotel, buffet-style breakfasts, a four-course traditional Argentine dinner with wine and a tango show, a city tour, and transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the port.

Or you could opt for a similar South American Odyssey cruise package featuring round-trip airfare, 14 nights aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun, and most meals and beverages, plus one night at a hotel in Buenos Aires. Departure dates are Nov. 23 and Dec. 7, 2008; Jan. 4, 18, and Feb. 15, 2009. Rates start at $2,299 per person, not including taxes of about $457. (Single supplement is $849.)

Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires (Javier Pierini/Getty) [enlarge photo]

For more on what to expect, visit the official tourism websites for Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.

Related Stories:

• Five Hotels: What's Nuevo in Buenos Aires

• Cultural Etiquette: Tango Hall Protocol

• Top Shops in Montevideo, Uruguay

• Readers' Cruise Tips