Anyone else on Epic South America?

In September, National Geographic Explorer is doing a 38 day cruise along the NE coast of SA - an area we have not fully travelled - it will go from Trinidad to BA - 38 days. Anyone else (besides us) going to be on board?

Don't I wish (cased it).

Cannot afford that, and medical concerns would have made me miss about 25% of the landings (cased it).

They haven't left themselves much time from the end of the Newfoundland trip to get there.

Got a full brochure for this in the mail on Thursday, unsolicited. Still not going :)

I want to be really careful in the way I write this, because after Antarctica/S. Georgia, I'm very much a Lindblad fan. Bud Lehnhausen is leading the S. America trip, and even more so I'm very much a fan of his.

I'm hoping, though, that after you get back, you can speak to whether or not this trip was value for money. There will be some time in jungle rivers, but also a fair amount of time in cities (Port-of-Spain, Georgetown, Paramaribo, Belem, Rio, Curitiba, Montevideo, BA). I'm wondering if, for that element, one would do just as well picking a "regular" cruise line, shelling out top-dollar for prime excursions, and saving considerable coin for another trip that's more Lindbladesque.

E.G. Lindblad trip starts at $34K pp/dbl. HAL is doing a 32 day segment from BA to Ft. Lauderdale next February on Prinsendam starting at $8,500 pp/dbl (before discount). You get rather less of the jungle cruising and a couple extra towns, but the itinerary is otherwise similar. Lindblad is excursion-in-price. OK, suppose now you spent $10K pp on excursions on the HAL trip. $10K might be a lot, but I'm trying to make a point. The point is that you'd have $15K unspent--enough for a separate Lindblad trip to Antarctica, Spitsbergen, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, or some other place a larger ship wouldn't go.

I hope you have a wonderful trip. I'm just looking through the brochure and it gives me the feeling less of an expedition and more of a (prohibitively expensive) cruise. I hope I'm wrong, and I look forward to your verdict.

It is clear that you fully understand the hazard involved in comparing expedition cruises with "cruise" cruises. Expectations and preferences are critical in describing the value of the experience. I always shudder when people ask me if they should do Alaska with Lindblad or Princess - hmmm. Sea Bird/Lion is a bit like camping at sea - no shows, casinos,room service,butlers,midnight buffets, cuisine is not haute, cabins are similar to walk-in closets. But, Lindblad is considerably more expensive. It is the experience that counts. I'm sure that you came away from the Antarctic with the same conclusion. But, what about an expedition cruise that has more of a cultural orientation than a natural world focus - where the ports are shared with ships which gaurantee that eating will trump learning. We have been on several Lindblad voyages which have that cultural focus - around the British Isles, Baltic,European Odessey (Copenhagen to Lisbon) and yes, The West Africa trip - anyone expecting a safari experience on that cruise would be disappointed. In cultural terms, it was fascinating. What Lindblad brings to the table in itineraries which are similar to "Cruise" itineraries is a staff which is dedicated to a broad learning experience along with surprises along the way. Add to that, a small and interesting passenger complement.

I wonder how many "cruise" cruises provide private sessions with Michael Gorbachev and Lach Walesa on their Baltic itineraries?

I'm very much aware of what I am giving up by paying the premium for Lindblad's SA trip. We had previously covered Rio to BA on a "cruise" cruise which went from Valparaiso to Rio.

I promise to provide an honest assessment of this one after I get back! It had better be good.

Ted

Ted, I also hope you have a great experience. We were in Antarctica this January/February on the Explorer with Lindblad, and it was truly THE experience of a lifetime. That said, I have difficulty imagining 38 nights aboard this ship. It's not that I need bingo or shows or stuff like that, but the ship is really meant to be an expedition ship, and, to me at least, lacks some facilities you'd want in a vessel on which you'd be spending so much time.

For me, a real drawback would be the food. I was so tired of it after 11 days -- lunches were always hot lunches, more like dinner, with no genuine cold/light alternatives. I didn't go to Antarctica to eat, so that was okay. But 38 days of just that dining room?

I love being at sea, and I love small ships, but for some reason it's hard to imagine spending that much time on the Explorer.... Obviously, you feel differently, and that's great. Again, I wish you only the best of times!

@hrprof: I met people on the Antarctica cruise who heard Walesa and Gorbachev, one of whom dined with Gorbachev thereafter. Their descriptions of the talks were fascinating.

Can you describe other cultural events/excursions on your Lindblad trips that go above-and-beyond what one might book through a cruise-cruise? I would love to read about them, even just a line here or there.

@Turtles: I hear you, loud and clear, but I actually hold out much more hope for many things, including the dining room, on hrprof's S. America trip than what we had in Antarctica. Our menu was necessarily limited by remoteness. If the kitchen wants to shop regularly, on the S. America trip they'll be able to eat fresh food all the time. There may be extra hours off-the-ship. Not having to wear a warm jacket on deck might make a difference too.

Might be a totally different vibe -- very eager to read hrprof's assessment.

Shawn and Turtles

Yep! 38 days is a long time to be on an expedition ship. We just returned from a 2 week cruise on Oceania Riviera (noted for its outstanding service and cuisine) and next month will head for French Polynesia for a Society Island - Cook Island cruise on Paul Gauguin - that's not exactly roughing it! Our expectations for 38 days on Explorer are different - food is very low on the list so is being spoiled by butlers, room service etc. (full disclosure - we always reserve cat. 7 rooms - space is important). Our expectations are high with respect to what we carry away from the experience - learning rather than 10 extra pounds! We may be nuts, but we have also just booked a B2B2B for 2014 on explorer - starts in Svalbard, continues along Greenland coast and finishes with a circumnavigation of Iceland - a month on board with cold weather and little hope of reprovisioning along the way.

Clearly, the newly acquired Orion will be providing a different experience!

Ted

Ted: Friends are doing the Greenland/Labrador one this summer. They are really looking forward to it; I'll try and coax a review out of them on their return.

The Iceland trip intrigues me for multiple reasons. My Dad had a lot of business with Icelandair and took several trips there--he says the geography is like another planet. All the pictures I've seen are so interesting. But also, Iceland via Lindblad looks (bizarrely) cheap. While that might not hold true for Cat 7 Cabins, the starting price of roughly $1K pp/dbl isn't at all out of line for an upscale Iceland vacation. Even post-financial crisis, Iceland might still be one of the most expensive places to properly tour on earth. Expensive to live there too--I think some people work into their 70s and the pension age is 67 or 70 depending on job/sector.

So glad you're enjoying your travels. Really looking forward to your impressions of the S. America tour.

Turtles and Shawnino

Well, we leave next Tuesday for the NG-Lindblad 7 week SA (followed by an Iguazu extension) cruise. Getting a Brazilian visa was an expensive nuisance as was the Argentina "Reciprocity" payment. Our previous Brazil Visa (good for 5 years) had just expired - this one good for 10.

One of the few NGL trips which don't call for boots - no wet landings! Will write our impressions of this trip upon our return in early November.

Just nailed down air for our month long B2B2B Arctic cruise next summer - definitely has wet landings - hope the body holds out!

Ted

Hi Ted,

Thanks for coming on with an update. I hope you have an amazing trip! I look forward to hearing about it on your return.

Now, with no wet landings, the Mud Room should be converted to a party room! :)

Safe and happy travels!

Hi Ted,

I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Re: no wet landings:

On the one hand this reinforces my curiosity as to whether or not this is an overpriced cruise where one could do better booking something at 1/4 the price and then going hog wild on port excursions. Please let us know. The missus and I nearly booked this late, and on balance, I'm glad we didn't: although it sounds perverse given my physical limitations, "no wet landings" would be something of a letdown.

On the other hand, the standard of excursions and local guest speakers and performers has no reason not to be outstanding. Furthermore, the food should be miles better than what is necessarily served in the polar regions. Lindblad has the reputation of pulling out all the stops so let's see how you go.

Really looking forward to your full report. Also interested in your thoughts on Iguazu extension: next time we hit the ice, we're thinking about tacking that on.

Re Iguazu

We went to Iguazu while on a "cruise" cruise on Oceania - Valparaiso to Rio a few years back - fantastic! Promised ourselves that we would return if we ever got back in the neighborhood.

All right Son, you've been back a month.

Give us as many details as you possibly can thanks!

OK Dad, we have been back for a while - adding Iguazu to the end made it a 7 week trip. Two days following our return, we repacked and headed to Las Vegas to visit our son and family. We're still breathing hard!

Our last communication centered on Lindblad's treatment of an itinerary which mirrors ofthose that "cruise" cruises follow and how it differs - let me outline some differences.

We had 114 passengers on board - mostly those with gray hair, but not all. We knew quite a few - most from the West Africa cruise which ran in 2012 and earlier this year. As expected, we had a full complement of naturalists, historians, archeologists, biologists etc.

Trinidad was first stop - we had never been there and always thought of it as a typical Carribbean resort - not so - fascinating colonial history, flooded with oil now, most wealth in the hands of Syrian immigrants. Musical history? Steel pan invented here. Went to Asa Wright Nature center for treks through rain forest and Caroni swamp on boats to witness spectacular return of Scarlet Ibis at dusk to nests.

Not too many cruise ships stop in Venezuela these days. We went up the Orinoco and never set foot on land. The ship was inspected stem to stern - a group of divers examined the hull for drugs we might be carrying.

Next stop was Guyana - OK, I remember Jim Jones and Kool aid but not much more. Up the Essequibo river for birding and other nature sightings - hopped small planes to see the remote Kaieteur Falls. The head of tourism came aboard to greet us and address the group.

Then on to Suriname (this is your Dutch Guiana) was brand new to us as well. All the while, we are observing and learning about the cultural and racial mix throughout all of the areas visited.

Devil's Island was next (Papillion was shown on board the night before arrival)

Oooops - they meant quick response! - will continue later.

OK Dad, we have been back for a while - adding Iguazu to the end made it a 7 week trip. Two days following our return, we repacked and headed to Las Vegas to visit our son and family. We're still breathing hard!

 

Our last communication centered on Lindblad's treatment of an itinerary which mirrors ofthose that "cruise" cruises follow and how it differs - let me outline some differences.

 

We had 114 passengers on board - mostly those with gray hair, but not all. We knew quite a few - most from the West Africa cruise which ran in 2012 and earlier this year. As expected, we had a full complement of naturalists, historians, archeologists, biologists etc.

 

Trinidad was first stop - we had never been there and always thought of it as a typical Carribbean resort - not so - fascinating colonial history, flooded with oil now, most wealth in the hands of Syrian immigrants. Musical history? Steel pan invented here. Went to Asa Wright Nature center for treks through rain forest and Caroni swamp on boats to witness spectacular return of Scarlet Ibis at dusk to nests.

 

Not too many cruise ships stop in Venezuela these days. We went up the Orinoco and never set foot on land. The ship was inspected stem to stern - a group of divers examined the hull for drugs we might be carrying.

 

Next stop was Guyana - OK, I remember Jim Jones and Kool aid but not much more. Up the Essequibo river for birding and other nature sightings - hopped small planes to see the remote Kaieteur Falls. The head of tourism came aboard to greet us and address the group.

 

Then on to Suriname (this is your Dutch Guiana) was brand new to us as well. All the while, we are observing and learning about the cultural and racial mix throughout all of the areas visited.

 

Devil's Island was next (Papillion was shown on board the night before arrival)

Welcome back hrprof...it looks like you may be one of an elite few now...Lindblad don't appear to be offering the South America or West Africa itineraries in 2014. With less than 120 pax, it seems to have fallen into the same experimental expedition basket as the Cape to Cape - with less than 100 pax, it hasn't been offered since.

Orion is doing an interesting trans Pacific expedition starting in Australia and ending up on Easter Island - also eye wateringly expensive!

Cheers

Welcome back hrprof...it looks like you may be one of an elite few now...Lindblad don't appear to be offering the South America or West Africa itineraries in 2014. With less than 120 pax, it seems to have fallen into the same experimental expedition basket as the Cape to Cape - with less than 100 pax, it hasn't been offered since.

 

Orion is doing an interesting trans Pacific expedition starting in Australia and ending up on Easter Island - also eye wateringly expensive!

 

Cheers

Paris

It was clear from the beginning that both trips would face a limited market - duration and cost made it a tough reach for anyone still working for a living. The SA trip was introduced as a one time cruise associated with the 125th anniversary of NGS. Lindblad is continuing a series of BA to Salvador trips.

I was a little surprised that the West Africa voyage was repeated in 2013 - areas visited were short on tourist infrasructure and was not designed to meet the expectations of safari bound travelers.

We were a bit surprised at the number of folks on the SA cruise we had travelled with on the 2012 West Africa trip. On our flight from Houston to Trinidad, acquaintances from W Africa filled up 5 consecutive rows!

Ted

Ted

Ted, this is great, please keep going.

I lived in the South Caribbean for six years, and my one regret is that I never got to Suriname. By the time I found out that it was a must-go-to place I was married, and visa logistics for my wife were catch-22 impossible.

Ted, this is great, please keep going.

 

I lived in the South Caribbean for six years, and my one regret is that I never got to Suriname. By the time I found out that it was a must-go-to place I was married, and visa logistics for my wife were catch-22 impossible.

Where in the South Caribbean? Our most visited island in that area is Bonaire - traces back to our 35 years dominated by diving - we still have a time share there but have retired as divers a few years back.

To continue....

Clearly, our visits to Trinidad, Venezuela and the 3 Guianas are not made by conventional cruises - all stops were rewarding except the Orinoco in Venezuela - more time was spent entering the country than seeing it - and we never set foot on land. International politics influenced that.

While Devil's Island is a common stop for cruises, ours was somewhat different - we had it to ourselves. Not sure how it would accomodate large ships - also, because of our zodiacs, we could visit the adjoining smaller islands which were a part of the prison. Having seen Papillon the night before made it a haunting experience.

After leaving Devil's Island, we were struck by a sad event. A passenger suffered a stroke and had to be evacuated by helicopter and taken to a Brazilian hospital - he was subsequently flown, with his wife, to their home in Switzerland. He died shortly after arrival. They were long term travelers with Lindblad. We had dinner with them the night before he was stricken.

As a result of our connection with the helicopter, there was some rescheduling which cut short our stay in Salvador. Gotta go to a meeting...

Where in the South Caribbean? Our most visited island in that area is Bonaire - traces back to our 35 years dominated by diving - we still have a time share there but have retired as divers a few years back.

 

To continue....

 

Clearly, our visits to Trinidad, Venezuela and the 3 Guianas are not made by conventional cruises - all stops were rewarding except the Orinoco in Venezuela - more time was spent entering the country than seeing it - and we never set foot on land. International politics influenced that.

 

While Devil's Island is a common stop for cruises, ours was somewhat different - we had it to ourselves. Not sure how it would accomodate large ships - also, because of our zodiacs, we could visit the adjoining smaller islands which were a part of the prison. Having seen Papillon the night before made it a haunting experience.

 

After leaving Devil's Island, we were struck by a sad event. A passenger suffered a stroke and had to be evacuated by helicopter and taken to a Brazilian hospital - he was subsequently flown, with his wife, to their home in Switzerland. He died shortly after arrival. They were long term travelers with Lindblad. We had dinner with them the night before he was stricken.

 

As a result of our connection with the helicopter, there was some rescheduling which cut short our stay in Salvador. Gotta go to a meeting...

To continue...As I'm sure you already assume, a distinguishing difference between Lindblad and conventional cruises is their focus on the natural world on all voyages. Not too many cruise ships will stop or alter course to observe marine life. All Lindblad ships have naturalists on lookout to provide a ship-wide announcement and comments when any sighting is made. Dolphins, Humpbacks and a variety of bird life popped up along the way.

After Devil's Island, we entered the Amazon river basin and Delta - we were there for 2 days exploring tributaries by zodiac. We were lucky enought to have done the length of the Amazon - Peruvian border to Belem - back in '97 so have seen much of the primitive areas of this incredible river. Many cruise ships will go as far as Manaus as part of their itinerary. The advantage of zodiacs is getting closer to the population that lives along the narrower tributaries. Our guides were able to include us in conversations with locals - fascinating!

The importance of the natural world emerged again when we got to Fernando de Noronha.

This archipelago is closed off to most shipping, but we had special permission to spend 2 days there exploring land and water. Well worthwhile. One disappointment - Spinner Dolphins are headliners in this area - we saw one! When we were in French Polynesia in June, we saw hundreds off Moorea. Oh well, you can't have everything!

Our stop in Salvador probably was not a whole lot different than conventional cruise shore excursions. One exception was a result of the emphasis on music of Latin America by Jacob Edgar. He is heavily involved in contemporary music in both Africa and South America. He lectured on the souces and development of music by region. My wife spent an afternoon with a well known Salvador percussionist who orchestrated 12 of our shipmates with local instruments. It was one of Joan's premier events!

That's some amazing stuff. Tragic about your shipmate, so very sad. If I had a week to live, though, I'd want to spend at least half of it in S. Georgia on Explorer. I hope I'm active right up til the end.

I was on Curacao--next island over from Bonaire. Curacao is something of the red-headed stepchild among the ABC islands: Bonaire is so tranquil and has so much good diving, Aruba has that long strip of beach with all the resorts on it and more developed nature-tourism. Curacao has nice spots here and there but in my opinion has less for tourists and a harsher vibe for expats. Obviously if I was there six years I could not have minded it too much, but we would often get away to Aruba and Boneiru and the grass seemed greener.