1st druise with Fred

We are booked on the Amazon cruise on Braemar for next Feb I have a few questions

1. Has anyone any experience of this destination please? Any hints and tips etc would be great.

2. On our other cruises we have been able to arrange private excrsions, any recommendations please for guides or tours please? or even if it is possible for this cruise.

3. If they have a sort of daily events paper, could someone post a copy please?

4. Some cruise ships have a sort of Destination guide or Port information paper availablle which they distribute on board, is this the same with Fred If anyone has a copy could they post it please?

5. Are there bands etc on board for dancing? We have late sitting dining so it seems with the change of show times we'll need something to amuse ourselves after dinner.

Our Ports of call are Santarem, Boca Da Valeria, Manaus, Pantarins and Devil's Island

I have started a roll call for the cruise

Thanks for your help

Sandy in Spain

What struck me most of all when I did an Amazon cruise were all the giant moths and beetles over the ship's decks and exterior walls. Very colourful! There were lots of flying insects around but we carried sheets of 'Bounce' in our pockets which we were told would ward off any nasties. Some say that's an old wive's tale but we didn't get a single bite. Other passengers had bites the size of tangerines so you can make up your own mind. There is lots of dancing to suit all tastes available on the ship. We went on an excursion to fish for piranha and we caught one! I'm sure others will come along with more information.

We did the Amazon 2006. Even though it was a while ago, there are very few cruises to there compared to other destinations so very unlikely you will get a private excursion - especially one which would be sensible to take.

If you want to get back to the ship I suggest you take the trips and I suggest a selection of things i.e. river cruise, woodland walk and above all go on the Bobumba excursion in Parantins as it is excellent (I think some cruise lines refer to that as 'folk dancing', but it a mini Rio type festival so def. do not miss).

Hi we are on the same cruise.

Wouldn't have thought there would be many private trips, and if there are, we will certainly not be risking them.

Having spoken to a few other people this cruise comes highly rated.

Presume you have cruised before so the daily paper is very similar to other cruise lines.

The destination info is not too detailed, but there are talks about the destinations which I am told are good. We do our own research before hand.

As for Dancing.

Well if you like, as we do, Ballroom, Latin and Sequence then there is lots of opportunities. On the Breamar previously there is also what I refer to as a popular music group who play music to listen and dance to.

If you want to learn to Dance then there are lessons, or rather there has been on all our previous Fred cruises.

Ok Fred cruises are not Rock and Rolling all night, but we have never gone to bed before midnight on any Cruise, Fred included.

If your experience of cruising is on the huge RCI ships then the options on Fred may seem limited. No climbing walls, no outdoor cinemas, no surfing machines, no casino to speak of.

But if you want to feel you are cruising on a proper ship with civilised passengers, good food and drink, lovely dancing and a full itinerary then you will have a great time. We will.

See you around the Ship.😄

We did this cruise a few years ago as well.

Lots of amazing sights and plenty of trips to choose between.

The night time caiman spotting was a true adventure as our canoe almost sank :)

This is one cruise we still talk about even years after.

I think your questions have been answered and I am pleased to see you are visiting most of the ports we visited when we did this trip 13 years ago. It was fantastic and as others have said, you will be talking about it for years to come. You need vaccinations and, in particular Yellow Fever, so arrange for that and remember to take your certificate.

Have a wonderful cruise, you lucky things. :)

snip... You need vaccinations and, in particular Yellow Fever, so arrange for that and remember to take your certificate.

snip,,, :)

When we had our YF a few years ago, OH said then we had to go to plenty of places which need a YF vaccination so as we got our monies worth..:-)

snip ...The night time caiman spotting was a true adventure as our canoe almost sank :),,,,snip

Not so sure we fancy this tour now Mark, although i hald a small alligator at one time and last year when we were in Darwin we got up close to the jumping crocodiles while out on the river

Sandy in Spain

Not so sure we fancy this tour now Mark, although i hald a small alligator at one time and last year when we were in Darwin we got up close to the jumping crocodiles while out on the river

Don't be put off, it was a fantastic experience.

The piranha fishing was another fun trip as were several others that gave you a chance to get out onto the river in small boats.

Manaus is also an interesting place, the opera house was worth a visit but the real interest came from the perspective and stories from our guide who was a member of a small tribe much deeper into the jungle.

He spent a few months each year acting as guide to earn money to send supplies to his village and to arrange education for the children. His take on 'civilization' was indeed interesting.

We were fortune enough to have him on a couple of the trips while we were docked in Manaus.

It looks like they have dropped the visit to the small fishing village on the river, in exchange for Devil's Island. We quite enjoyed meeting the people at the village, but I'm sure Devil's Island will be interesting too.

Hi we are on the same cruise. snip...

The destination info is not too detailed, but there are talks about the destinations which I am told are good. We do our own research before hand.

As for Dancing. Well if you like, as we do, Ballroom, Latin and Sequence....snip

If your experience of cruising is on the huge RCI ships....snip .... then you will have a great time. We will.

See you around the Ship.😄

So glad you replied 1160451, I had come across some of your previous comments on CC and have tried to add you as a friend in the hope you would get in touch.

Yes, dancing is great esp as we go to classes every week here in Spain, Latin and ballroom, OH isn't that fond of Sequence though. So that will be something to look forward to.

I always do lots of research for our cruises and have already started, there a good series of posts fromTerry in Ohio link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696&highlight=amazon

Yes we have cruised before carefully avoiding Carnival, RCI and Disney, preferring Princess, P&O and Holland America

We have only just booked this cruise in the last week, but I suppose there are many other who might even have booked a year or so in advance, the Amazon cruises always seem popular.

Pease come and join the Roll Call, it's lonely with only me there at the moment and operhaps we can chat more

snip...I suggest you take the trips and I suggest a selection of things i.e. river cruise, woodland walk and above all go on the Bobumba excursion in Parantins as it is excellent ......snip.

Thanks for that Tring, It will be interesting to see how it comares to Rio

Thanks everyone for your comments

Sandy in Spain

What struck me most of all when I did an Amazon cruise were all the giant moths and beetles over the ship's decks and exterior walls. Very colourful! There were lots of flying insects around but we carried sheets of 'Bounce' in our pockets which we were told would ward off any nasties. Some say that's an old wive's tale but we didn't get a single bite. Other passengers had bites the size of tangerines so you can make up your own mind. There is lots of dancing to suit all tastes available on the ship. We went on an excursion to fish for piranha and we caught one! I'm sure others will come along with more information.

Thanks for the info re Bounce sheets, not sure if we can get them in Spain, will have a loook, if not they will go on OH's shopping list when he visits UK next month I've already started to look for some light weight long sleeved shirts for the excirsions...and trousers of course:-)

Last time we went Piranha fishing it was from a small Indian village along he Orinoco, OH caught one which we ate at dinner, I think it had a red underside, anyway I know they just used a stick, a bit of cotton and a bent pin....

Sandy in Spain

Don't be put off, it was a fantastic experience.

 

The piranha fishing was another fun trip as were several others that gave you a chance to get out onto the river in small boats.

 

Manaus is also an interesting place, the opera house was worth a visit but the real interest came from the perspective and stories from our guide who was a member of a small tribe much deeper into the jungle.

 

He spent a few months each year acting as guide to earn money to send supplies to his village and to arrange education for the children. His take on 'civilization' was indeed interesting.

 

We were fortune enough to have him on a couple of the trips while we were docked in Manaus.

 

It looks like they have dropped the visit to the small fishing village on the river, in exchange for Devil's Island. We quite enjoyed meeting the people at the village, but I'm sure Devil's Island will be interesting too.

Thanks Mark. It seeems some ships stop in Manaus for 2 or 3 full days, our stay will just be overnight, although they call it 2 days. I've been loooking at peoples blogs and pix for the city and Manaus always sounds interesting. It always amazes me how a lot of the towns/cities in South America have fabulous opera houses and Theatres

I've also read something about taking childrens clothes and pens/pencils over to give to people, is this something you (or anyone else reading this) came across?

Sandy in Spain

I've also read something about taking childrens clothes and pens/pencils over to give to people, is this something you (or anyone else reading this) came across?

No, and while it might have made some sense when the fishing village which has a small school was on the itinerary I don't see where it will be helpful on your trip.

Support the locals where you can through the enterprises they have established, when you go to see the Boi Bumba show, buy the DVD. Buy locally made crafts when you can, not the imported trash.

You will be approached by children in small boats carrying various forms of wildlife which they hope to get you to pay to hold while you take a photo, don't do this as it just encourages them to take young wild animals out of their habitat and as your guides will explain they are trying to preserve and support the local ecology not destroy it.

No, and while it might have made some sense when the fishing village which has a small school was on the itinerary I don't see where it will be helpful on your trip.

 

Support the locals where you can through the enterprises they have established, when you go to see the Boi Bumba show, buy the DVD. Buy locally made crafts when you can, not the imported trash.

 

You will be approached by children in small boats carrying various forms of wildlife which they hope to get you to pay to hold while you take a photo, don't do this as it just encourages them to take young wild animals out of their habitat and as your guides will explain they are trying to preserve and support the local ecology not destroy it.

Thanks Mark. I absolutely hate it when the children bring along baby animals and it certainly is something we would never support

Sandy in Spain