LOS ANGELES -- South America is the hot spot for last-minute cruise bargains. Its fares have fallen more than any other market -- about 50 percent this year, according to industry watcher Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week.

But what's to see on a South American cruise? One person who knows every inch of the route is Johnny Faevelen, captain of the Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas. Feb. 19, he finished sailing the huge ship 16,892 miles and 47 days from Port Canaveral, Fla., to Los Angeles, stopping in nine South American ports and sailing around Cape Horn, as Magellan and Charles Darwin did so long ago.

About 850 of the 2,000 passengers aboard did the entire cruise, too.

''I'd been to Brazil before, but it's my first time beyond that,'' said Faevelen, who has been a captain since 1994.

Now that he's sailed the whole route, he puts at the top of his South America highlight list a visit to a lighthouse keeper's home off Cape Horn and the colorful cities of Valparaiso, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Norway native also felt at home in the eerie, cold beauty of the Chilean fjords, ''which geophysically is very similar to Norway and Alaska,'' he says.

Some things are unique about South American cruises:

The weather can range from equatorially steamy hot to ice cold.

There are more ''at-sea'' cruising days because the distances are much greater than European or Caribbean itineraries.

Most cruises start in one city and end in another, which can make airfare an issue.

Cruises are done only in South America's summer -- North America's winter.

Some ports can be far from major attractions, so shore excursions may involve 7 to 9 hours instead of 2 to 3 hours and cost more .

In addition, many crews -- and even captains -- are practically as unfamiliar with South American ports as the passengers are.

''It's an uncharted area for us; we really don't know that much about it,'' Faevelen says. ``To me, that stop in Arica (Chile) the other day, was -- where are we? You are in the middle of a desert by the sea.''

Some cruise port services in South America are not mature because only in the past five years have more than a handful of cruise ships put the route on the schedule.

In one way, it's good because there is no gauntlet of boringly similar stores -- each port is strikingly different. In Lima, you have a 30-minute drive to the colonial city. In Valparaiso, you can walk right off the cruise ship and be in the center of town.

On the other hand, ''it's really difficult to sell tours we don't know. Nobody has been to Arica,'' says Robert Prieto, expeditions manager of Mariner of the Seas and a Chile native.

Still, the blend of large, vibrant cities and remote natural wonders in South America gives a cultural richness to shore visits that purely recreational destinations don't have. You can see the grand museums of Lima, dine in the fantastic restaurants of Buenos Aires and still see glaciers, deserts and wildlife.

''People are actually learning a lot about South America on these tours instead of just having entertainment,'' says Prieto.

For people who have never been to South America, a cruise is a good way to get introduced.

''You can see it from the cruise ship point of view,'' Faevelen says. 'You find places you want to come back to, or you see it and say, `I ain't coming back here.' But at least you have made the opinion on your own. You have to see these places for yourself.''

And right now, you can do it at up to 50 percent off.

2009 ITINERARIES

Three interesting 2009 South American itineraries for $100 a day or less:

• Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas: March 29, 14 nights. Valparaiso, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Stops at Puerto Montt and Punta Arenas, Chile, sails Chilean fjords and Cape Horn; Ushuaia and Puerto Madryn, Argentina; Punta del Este and Montevideo, Uruguay; ending in Buenos Aires. ($1,399-up; www.royalcaribbean.com, 866-562-7625)

• Star Princess: March 30, 18 nights. Valparaiso, Chile to San Francisco. Stops at La Serena, Chile; Lima, Peru; Manta, Ecuador; San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua; Acapulco and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. ($1,199-up; www.princess.com, 800-774-6237)

• Celebrity Infinity: Dec. 5, 15 nights. Ft. Lauderdale to Valparaiso, Chile. Stops at Cozumel; Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; Manta, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; and Arica, La Serena and Valparaiso, Chile. ($1,299-up; www.celebritycruises.com, 800-647-2251)

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