soccerref
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We were in Walvis Bay in May 2015 on a Princess cruise. My DH and I did the ship’s tour and had a wonderful time. I can’t imagine that too much has changed in the last 4 years.
Below is my diary entry for the tour plus some short notes on Walvis Bay itself.
THE WALVIS BAY WILD LIFE CRUISE.
We left the ship at 08.15 by coach for the 10 minute drive to the boat dock and this is where my heart sank as it was right in the middle of the fish processing area and so the smell was awful. There were clean toilets and a tiny office area with a seat but that was about it.
The boats were small, semi-covered, fast game fishing style vessels which held 10/15 passengers.
There was no jetty so the tour boat firm had a narrow, extendable walk-way out from the mud flats and there were people to help you move along it.
Once on board our pilot and guide, Ruen (he had a great sense of humour) showed us that there was a toilet on board (small but adequate) and explained the safety rules before we set off across the bay.
This was where things improved and the fun began. Ruen stopped the boat in several places and we got very 'up close and personal' with pelicans, seals, dolphins and flamingos as well as many other sea birds and the sand dunes along the Namibian coast.
At times, the boat went very fast so it was a bumpy ride and sometimes I had to cling very tightly to the rail to stop myself bouncing off my seat but it was so exciting and exhilarating!
Ruen stopped the boat for 30 minutes by a sandbar and served sparkling wine, freshly shucked oysters and a variety of nibbles. Soft drinks and beer were offered throughout the trip.
We saw a lot and learned a lot so, despite the unpromising start we all had a great time. Hopefully, in years to come, the company will build a proper floating dock away from the fish processing plant and then the whole experience will be as great as the middle bit!
We were very glad that we had our fleeces and waterproof coats as it was very cold when we were moving and the spray was splashing over the sides.It was a wonderful trip and well worth the money although I know a lot of people complained about the dock area.
WALVIS BAY.
The port is huge and very industrial.
There was a free shuttle to the port gate where there was a small craft market.
There were taxis available on the dock.
The town is larger and seems more prosperous than Luderitz with wide streets and good quality, modern housing.
The town centre is a good 20 minute walk from the port gate.
There are a couple of shopping malls and supermarkets.
The majority of shops are closed on Saturday afternoon and all day on Sunday.
There is a large lagoon just outside the town with a pleasant promenade.
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Hi Tring,
We went to Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) in 2013 on a Costa cruise. Below is my diary entry for the day which you may find useful as I don't think things will have changed much since then. We will be revisiting the town in December 2020 when we sail on Boudicca from Cape Town to the Seychelles and are really looking forward seeing the area again.
Madagascar
We were so excited to be going to Madagascar as it always sounds so exotic. We went to the most northerly point of this very large island and docked in Diego Suarez. The sail in was lovely as the town is at the heart of a large bay and the sun was just peeping over the hills as we got to the bay. I think everyone was amazed to see the huge crowd of local people sitting on the hill just outside the port watching our approach. I believe there are very few cruise ships that visit this area so we were obviously a great attraction!
There were only 3 tours offered by the cruise line as, actually, there is not a lot to see.
I did the ‘Highlights of Diego Suarez’ and came back to the ship realising that, in our terms, this is a desperately poor area but the people we met were charming, happy to see us and really pleased to show us what they had.
The mini-bus was quite cramped and old so the ‘air-conditioning’ was the open windows! The roads, once we left the town were all dirt tracks and very bumpy in places but that wasn’t so noticeable as we spent most of the time waving to the lovely welcoming people along the roadside who came out of their homes to greet us.
We were taken to a beach, a view point to see the ‘sugar-loaf mountain’ in the bay, a local craft market, the town market and a small souvenir shop.
I left the tour in the town and made my own way down the hill to the port so I could explore a bit more at my own pace.
My husband did the ‘Amber Mountain’ tour and had a wonderful adventure when the late afternoon torrential downpour turned the dirt road to a skating rink for the 4x4 vehicles. The vehicles were skidding all over the place and many got stuck. The local people were very helpful and used ropes and brute force to get the vehicles out of the situation. The ship’s laundry cleaned my husband’s dirty clothes as a goodwill gesture. The group got back to the ship over 1 hour after the designated sailing time. Thank goodness it was a ship’s tour or he might still be there!!!
As the ship left the port there were crowds of people on the hill side to wave us off despite the heavy showers.
· The port was small and there didn’t seem to be a terminal building. The tour busses were parked on the quay
· It was approximately a 30-minute walk up hill into the town centre.
· There were a few bars and cafes as you got near the centre. There was also a small supermarket set back from the main road on the right as you go into town.
· The town centre had a large market selling mostly food and household items. There were some shops and several colonial style buildings.
· Tuc-tucs and taxis were available from outside the port but the condition of these was generally very poor.
· The condition of the tour mini-buses also left a lot to be desired but I’m sure we had the best of what was available.
· Most roads were unpaved dirt tracks.
· The souvenir shop and craft market took Euros and US dollars.
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We love a 'proper cuppa' made with freshly boiled water so really appreciate having a kettle in our cabin. We had a kettle when on Diamond Princess when sailing around Japan and I believe this is a standard item for sailings in that area. We asked for a kettle, and were provided with one, on a RCI and Celebrity sailing.
Celebrity kettle
IMG_6868 by P&O and Fred Olsen have kettles with mugs/spoons/tea/coffee/milk/sugar provided and replenished as standard in all cabins. I'm sure that the majority of cruise lines that sail from the UK will also provide a kettle. they have an automatic cut-off mechanism and are not a fire risk.
P&O kettle
I wish all the lines that we sail with have the option to request a kettle. I am quite happy to bring my own tea and coffee.....
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MY DH'S TOUR - SALOUM ISLANDS (8hrs)
The bus was air conditioned.
There were 2 guides that took turns to give information. Both spoke goodEnglish.
It was a 2.5-hour drive to the river through interesting countryside .......Villages, farm land and forested areas.
There was a 10 min toilet stop at petrol station.....squat plate toilets
The terrain was very bumpy once off the main road.
Once the group neared the destination they were transferred on to a small canoetype boat which took them to the island. It held approx 14 passengers.
People had to climb in and out of the boat, without aid, from the beach....nosteps etc. The boat ride was approx 45mins.
When the passengers disembarked, they were then given the choice to ride to thevillage by cart or doing a 10 min walk.
Lunch was at the Island Eco-lodge and consisted of….Spring rolls, fish in lightcurry sauce, rice, salad and crepes plus a bottle of water.
This was followed by some free time so people could explore the island where there were quite a few different species of birds and otherforms of wildlife.
There was then a 50 minute ride to the 'shell village' where a local guideexplained the history of the area.
The group returned to the ship by a different route for part of the journey.
My DH said that he thoroughly enjoyed the tour as it gave him an inside intothe history and geography of Senegal.
IMG_3576 by -
We would appreciate suggestions for ' must see' ...and if you used a guide service, would you share the name. Paula
Hello Paula,
My husband and I visited Dakar on a Fred Olsencruise in February 2014 so things may have developed a bit since we were there.It is not a common destination for cruise ships so the ‘cruise infrastructure’ isnot developed in the way that passengers are used to in the Mediterranean and Caribbean.The area is relatively poor by western standards and can come as quite aculture shock to people who have not visited this part of the world before. Thelocal people showed us the best that they had which, sometimes, isn’t a lot.
My DH and I did ship’s tours. We often do differenttours as I have mobility difficulties and he is very fit so we find it is moresecure to travel with other passengers.
Below are the notes that I made for my diary whichmay be of use to you.
Dakar
The City centre is approx 1.5km from dock and aShuttle bus ran from 09.15 to 17.30 on a continuous loop - £5pp tickets fromreception for unlimited use.
Dakar is a huge industrial port and there were taxis on the dock side near **********. There was also a small souvenir market on the dock side where you needto haggle.
The currency is CFA(Senegalese Franc but the € and US$ are widely accepted in souvenir shops.However, I did find that vendors appeared to have very little concept of the conversionrates and initially quoted ridiculously high prices for goods if I was offeringdollars or euros. I went armed with the current exchange rate in writing whichI then showed to the vendor during the haggling process.
The official Language is French and I found my very 'school girl' languageskills to be quite useful.
There were some WARNINGS in the 'Daily Times'. The Medical advice is to weartrousers, socks and long-sleeved tops + insect repellent and not to buy waterfrom street vendors. I was not aware of many insects and had no problem withbites but I did use the repellent quite liberally.
There was a warning about the danger of pick pockets so the advice was to keepvaluables well-guarded and also the fact that we would will be hassled by beggarsand traders.
The Senegal post office had a small stall selling cards and stamps just insidethe ship by the gangway. Postcards were
€1 for 2 cards and stamps were €2. The Post Office official will post them.
MY TOUR -SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF DAKAR(4hrs) £40pp
Bus was old but had working air conditioning.
Microphone didn't work so guide used a megaphone!
Dakar is a big bustling busy city but relatively poor by Western Europeanstandards.
Road surfaces are poor so ride was bumpy.
We were shown the best that Dakar has to offer which, again, is not a lot ifcompared with some other countries.
There were a couple of photo stops and there were souvenir sellers but theyseemed quite respectful.
There was a 40-minute stop at a restaurant where there was the opportunity towatch the 'sand painting' artist and purchase pictures. A beer/soft drink wasincluded. There were toilets.
The other stops (10 mins each) were at the Presidential Palace and the Monumentof the African Renaissance (a huge statue at the top of one of the only 2 hillsin Dakar).
The tour included driving past the palace, through the University grounds,through the street market, past the cathedral and mosque, along pastIndependence Square and then along the Cornish to see the coastline.
We couldn't go to the market as there was nowhere to park so we were taken backto the ship
There was a FO crew member with us throughout.
Was it worth it? That's adifficult question to answer but, on reflection, I would say yes because Ithink many people would find it quite intimidating to walk around the citycentre. Don't get me wrong, the people seemed polite and pleasant but the roadswere extremely busy and the pavements were really crowded. There didn't appearto be many of the types of shops that we are used to either. I also think youwould have needed to have done a lot of research to know the best places tovisit. I'm not sure how much English the taxi drivers would speak.
DSCN5140 by -
MozambiqueIsland.
· The island is tiny......roughly 1km fromend to end and 200m across with the town being in the centre. The majority ofthings were within easy walking distance for most people.
· There was a public toilet in the square atthe end of the pier.
IMG_1050 by · The island has a distinct Portuguese feeland the buildings, although very shabby in most cases, reflected the island'stime as a Portuguese colony.
· The currency is the Mozambique 'Metical' -£1 = 80MM but most places accepted US$ and Euro notes……there didn’t seem to be facilitiesto accept credit cards.
· Most people speak some English.
· The only downside in MHO was the fact thatthe children followed tourists and asked for money. Also, the hawkers werequite persistent.
· I didn't find anywhere that had a reliablewifi connection.
There was a small museum, a large church, a Fort($3pp entrance fee), a few tiny shops selling mostly household goods, a fewsmall cafes (we went in the largest of these, the Ancora D'Ouro, and had alarge local beer and a Fanta orange drink for $2) and some nice beaches.
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This is the entry from my diary of our day onMozambique Island during our Fred Olsen cruise. I make notes for futurereference so hope they may be helpful to you. I enjoyed the island but the peopleare very poor and it can be quite a culture shock.
Day27. Thursday 9th November 2017
MozambiqueIsland. 08.30 - 17.00
Tenderport
Timechange - 1 hour forward.
A.M.Very hot, humid, windy and overcast with sunny intervals.
P.M.As above
Seaconditions: calm until the wind got stronger.
We were on the first tender and disembarked at theisland at 09.00.
We walked across the island to the far side andwalked along the sea front for a while before going back into town and having adrink at the cafe.
After a rest in the cafe we strolled up to thefort and then back to the pier so I could get the tender back to the ship and Iwas on board for 12.30. Jim stayed on the island to go bird hunting and then dosome fishing.
Jim was back on board by 14.00 because the birdlife was limited and the tide was out so no fishing......oh dear!
IMG_0992 by Mozambiquejetty
· It is a tender port.
· The tender drops off at a jetty from whereit is 50m into town.
· There are no facilities on the jetty butthere were a couple of stalls selling local produce, people offering theirservices as guides and a booth selling guided walking, taxi and boat trips plusbike hire.
· There was a group of dancers performing awelcome dance as we stepped off the pier.
· People had set up an impromptu market atthe exit to the pier.
· There were taxis and tuk-tuks plusmotorbike taxis advertising that they carried 2 passengers but I didn't seeanyone taking advantage of those........!!
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Day 15. Monday 5th February
Cozumel, Mexico. 10.00 - 18.00
A.M. very hot and sunny
P.M.
Sea conditions: calm
Other ship’s in port; at NCL Escape, Carnival Triumph and Carnival.....? also NCL Dream anda Disney ship at the other docking area.
We left the ship at 10.00. And walked to the terminal where we got a3-hour island tour which was very nice and gave us an overview of the differentaspect of life on the island.
We were back on board around 14.15 having called at the small OXXOconvenience store just by the port gate to get a couple of packets of biscuitsto sustain us on the flight home.
Cozumel cruise terminal.
Having been to Cozumel last week, we expected to dock in the same placeagain but got a surprise when we sailed past that dock and tied up at the otherone alongside 3 other ships.
* This Port has a large duty free terminal area with a large number ofshops and stalls plus bars and food outlets.
* There are some booths along the pier offering beach days, snorkelingtrips and boat trips.
* The taxis and island tours are available at the port exit.
* There are lots of shops and bars within close proximity to the portexit.
IMG_E2094 by Cozumel City.
* The City is a sprawling urbanization with a huge number of retailoutlets of all styles.
* There are many hotels that offer day passes and the beaches are softgolden sand and the sea is clear and clean.
* The city itself is modern with good roads and it is kept clean.
Our independent'island tour' - US$40pp (ship’s tour - €90pp)
* We looked around for a tour that didn’t include beach time and foundVictor who offered a 3.5-hour tour for US $35pp.
* his mini bus was clean and comfortable.
* He had 14 passengers to start off with but dropped 9 off at a beachwhich left us 2 and a group of 3 from Australia.
* Our first stop was at the ClubCozumel Caribe hotel and beach where we dropped off the group of 9.Victor gave us 15 minutes there so we could look at the facilities and use therestrooms. It was a beautiful setting for swimming and lounging on the beach.He was going back to collect the group at 14.30.
* Victor was very informative and he stopped at a couple of areas withhistorical importance and explained their significance.
* Our second, long stop was at the SanGervasio Mayan Ruins site. We had an hour to explore after payingUS$9.50PP.
The site has a small shopping and refreshments area with well-maintainedrestrooms. The ruins themselves are set in very pleasant gardens with lots ofiguanas as an extra attraction.
The Mayan buildings are not as spectacular as the ones we saw at Tulumbut I still found them interesting and they were clearly labelled with relevantinformation. The only downside was that the pathways were very uneven.
* our third stop was at an 'organictequila' manufacturer's where we were given a short explanation of thedistilling process followed by a chance to taste a variety of differentqualities and flavours of tequila. We then had an opportunity to purchasebottles which ranged in price from US€40 to $110!
* Victor drove us through areas with very expensive properties and areaswith much more modest accommodation while he talked about the make-up of thelocal population.
* Victor dropped us off at the terminal at 14.00.
A pleasant and informative way to see something of the area at areasonable cost.
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Day 14. Sunday 4th February
George Town, Grand Cayman. 08.00 - 15.00. Tender port.
Welcome back cocktail party - 20.15.
A.M. hot and sunny for the second day!
P.M.
Sea conditions: calm
Other ships in port - Caribbean Princess
We were off the ship at 08.10 and I was back on board at noon.
Tendering in Grand Cayman
* The ship used large, locally provided tender boats so we didn’t needtickets.
* the ride took 10 minutes.
Grand Cayman port.
* the port area is quite large.
*there are duty free shops, a convenience store, several souvenirstalls, a clean restroom and lots of independent tour operators.
* there were taxis available on the street outside.
IMG_E2002 by * the island is small....22 miles long and 8 miles wide.....with apermanent population of around 60,000.
* it is a British protectorate and has many British customs. English isthe national language. People drive on the left and most shops are closed onSundays.
* because the island is so small, there are only a few attractions;
The beaches, especially 7 Mile beach
Snorkelling and submarine tours
* it is small, clean and easily walkable. It is considered to be verysafe.
*the shops, bars and restaurants cater for tourists. A lot have freeWi-fi.
* there are 2 Port areas, North Terminal and the Walter Terminal. Bothare situated in the town centre
* We chose a 2-hour tour for US$20pp from many different ones on offerin the terminal area.
* The mini bus was clean and comfortable. There were 14 of us.
*This tour took us to several points of interest across the island butdidn’t include beach time which, in our case, we were happy about.
* Our driver/guide was called Melson. He was very chatty andinformative.
* we drove out of town and along the road by 7-mile beach. We recognisedthe cemetery and supermarket from the last time we visited the island in thelate 1990s but there has been a huge building boom and the whole length of thebeach now has hotels along it. There is still public access but it is morelimited. The hotels were very impressive with immaculately manicured gardens.
1. At the village called Hell where there was a post office which willfrank postcards. It also sells souvenirs. There is a lava field (at least, Ithink it’s lava....it could be coral) by the post office.
2. At a small store where we were able to taste and buy the local rumcake. It also sold other Caribbean delicacies like hot sauce and jerkseasoning.
3. The Dolphin Experience which was free to get in and there wereviewing areas where you could see the people swimming with the dolphins.
* We were also offered the chance to visit the Turtle Reserve but thathad an US$18pp entrance fee. Non of the passengers wanted to go in.
* on the way back to George Town, we dropped some passengers off at thebeach. They were going to get a taxi back to the port.
* Melson dropped us off in the town but he would have taken us back tothe port if we had asked.
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Day 13. Saturday 3rd February.
Montego Bay, Jamaica 08.00 - 19.00
A.M. the first truly tropical day.....hot and sunny with a pleasantbreeze.
P.M. as above
Sea conditions: Slight swell.
Other ships in port - none
I had done some research on things to do from Montego Bay as we havealready climbed Dunn's River falls and done the rafting on the Martha Braeriver. I found that there is a bird sanctuary not too far from the town so weaimed to get a taxi to there.
Montego Bay Port.
*the port complex is large with a huge terminal building.
* It is situated a 20-minute drive from the town.
* There is an information booth inside the building.
* there are taxis and tours offered, officially, just outside the building.That is also where ship’s tours and pre-booked independent tours pick uppassengers.
* There are taxis offering tours more cheaply that wait outside the portgate. These are not regulated in the same way.
IMG_E1929 by Montego Bay.
* I haven’t a lot of information because we didn’t go into town.
* the port is a long way from the town 'Hip Strip'. MSC provided ashuttle bus service into town with stops at Margaritaville, Doctor's Cave beachand 'The Shoppers at Rose Hall' for €20pp. The bus ride is approx 20 minutes.
* There are shopping precincts outside the port area.....probably a 10minute walk....with food outlets, souvenir shops etc.
Rocklands Bird Sanctuary.
* I discovered this attraction when doing an internet search for birdwatching opportunities in Jamaica
* Viator, the independent tour broker site, offers a tour to thesanctuary but it worked out more expensive than getting a taxi at the portgate.
* We talked to the taxi dispatcher in the terminal and $150 was quotedfor a taxi so we went out of the port and there were taxis there. We negotiated$75 and gave $80 at the end. I think the price was excessive for what we gotbut the lady taxi driver, Tash, was a real comedian and very personable so thatwas a bonus.
* The sanctuary is a 25-minute drive from the port and up on themountainside. Once off the main road, the track is extremely steep and has deeppotholes so I can understand why the taxi drivers are reluctant to visit.
* The entrance fee is $20pp.
* The sanctuary site is quite small and consists of a small building and3 viewing areas plus a few short paths into the forest. There is a toilet butno opportunity to buy drinks or souvenirs.
* When we arrived, we were guided to chairs under a canopy and given asmall bottle of sugary water each. We were shown how to hold the bottle in 1hand and how to put out a finger from our other hand close to to the bottlewhich had a small hole in the cap. Within a few moments we had hummingbirdsaround us and then they stood on the finger and sipped from the bottle......amagical experience.
* There were numerous other bird species using the feeding stations inclose proximity to where we were sitting so there was plenty of opportunity toobserve and photograph the birds.
* We were allowed to wander around the site but people tended to stay towatch the antics of the hummingbirds.
* We stayed there for about 2.5 hours but most other visitors left afteran hour.
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Day10. Wednesday 31st January
Havana,Cuba - overnight.
Independenttour - Viñales Valley tour. 10 hours, £59pp (ship's equivalent tour - €120pp)
A.M.- early - cool, very windy and very overcast. Later - very warm with long sunnyintervals.
P.M.warm but cloudy with sunny intervals.
Seaconditions:
Thetour was great and well worth the money. As we didn’t get back on the shipuntil 19.30 we had missed dinner so we visited the pizza bar first and then thebuffet.
Independent tour - Viñales Valley tour. 10 hours, £59pp
*I had booked this tour on line through the 'CubaTravel Network' website and paid, in full, in £sterling.
*I had to choose a hotel from a list of pick-up points where we would join thetour as there was no stop at the port terminal. I used 'google earth' to locatethe hotels and found that the hotelAmadores de Santander was about 300 yards from the terminal exit so Iopted for that one. It proved to be convenient and a good choice because wewere the second group to be picked up so had a good choice of seats.
*I got an email confirmation with details of the timing for the pick-up and thetour operator which was Gaviota tours.
Ourpick-up time was between 07.30 and 08.00. We left the ship at 07.05 and got tothe hotel at 07.25.....I have mobility difficulties and walk slowly. The buspulled up just as we arrived and the guide was there with our names on alist.....great service!
*The downside of doing an independent tour like this is the time it took to pickup the rest of the group from various hotels around the city. The good thingwas that we got to see a lot of the city that we would not normally have seenand it was very impressive although a bit shabby. Havana must have been amagnificent city in its heyday.
*At 08.30 the tour proper commenced. Our group was about 24 and the people werefrom 8 different countries but were either English or Spanish speakers and ourguide, Mara, did the commentary in both languages.
*The journey to the Viñales Valley was 2.5 hours. The highway was good and thecountryside was interesting as we passed small villages and went throughagricultural areas.
*There was a 15-minute rest stop at a small roadside cafe. The toilets wereclean but basic and had a very fierce woman handing out toilet paper andexpecting a tip!
*we turned off the main highway after 2 hours and headed up into the mountainarea where the scenery got more impressive by the minute. It is easy to see whyit is a UNESCO Heritage area as the limestone karsts are spectacular and thelandscape is very reminiscent of northern Vietnam and southern China.
*We drove through the bustling town of Viñales which is a big tourist area for people attracted bythe cycling, hiking and horse riding opportunities.
IMG_E1781 by
*The first stop of the tour was at an organic tobacco farm where we were split into 2 language groups. We went withthe son of the owner who spoke excellent English and he explained the wholeprocess of producing tobacco and making the handmade cigars. There was anopportunity to smoke one of the cigars and also a chance to buy some.
Starter -fruits, tomatoes, cucumber and local crispbread.
Main - Cuban rice and beans (tasty) roast chickenand pork (tender and delicious) and boiled yucca (starchy and yuk!)
Dessert - local cinnamon rice pudding (ok but not asgood as mine)
Drinks - 1 soft drink/beer and coffee.
Ithought the meal was very good.
*After the meal all the others went to the 'undergroundriver and Indian cave'. I was a bit disappointed not to go but theguide thought it would be too dangerous so I stayed at the restaurant and satin the garden. Jim said there were a lot of steps and it was a bit trickygetting into the boat on the river. He enjoyed the experience though.
*We left the restaurant area at 14.45 and drove 15 minutes to the 'prehistoric wall mural' whichisn’t prehistoric at all but is a huge representation of prehistoric forms,painted on the mountain side.
Thereare food outlets, a stall selling, apparently, the best piña colada in Cuba andclean toilets with a less fierce woman handing out toilet paper and expecting atip. We spent 20 minutes at the site.
*The last stop was at a view pointacross the valley and was a 10-minute drive. The view was spectacular. Therewas a hotel at this point and we were able to use the toilet before the longjourney back to Havana.
*The drop-off route was the reverse of the morning's pick-up but the driver verykindly stopped as close to the terminal entrance as he could so we were back onboard at 19.30........a long but very enjoyable trip'
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Day 8. Monday 29th January
Cozumel, Mexico. 07.00 - 15.30
Ship’s tour - The Tulum Mayan Ruins - 7 hours. £160
A.M. warm with thick cloud, brightening up in the late morning with somesunny intervals.
P.M. almost hot with sunny intervals but rain in the evening.
Sea conditions: rough in the night
Ships in port. NCL Breakaway was docked next to us and there were 2 other cruiseships docked further along the coast and too far away to identify.
The alarm went off at 05.00 because we needed to have breakfast beforemeeting the tour group in the theatre at 07.00.
We managed to doze on the bus both traveling to and from Tulum so wecaught up on a bit of sleep.
The tour was excellent and well worth the money. I think it was too farto go independently in the time we had.
Once back on board we headed up to the pizza bar, played scrabble andgot changed for dinner
The Tulum Mayan Ruins ship's tour.
*We were in group 3 which was for English speakers.
*all groups for the many different mainland tours left the shiptogether.
*it was a long walk along the pier to the ferry.
*the ferry was just for MSC tour passengers and it was quite large withplenty of comfortable seating.
*the crossing to Playa del Carmen took 30 minutes and was quitebumpy.....some passengers were sick!
*When we disembarked from the ferry we were met by our English-speakingguide. Our group had 12 people.
*we were given time to go to the toilet at the dock before following theguide through the pedestrian shopping area to our coach. It was a 10-minutewalk.
* the coach was clean, comfortable and had a toilet.
*there were several other language groups on board the coach.
*we were given a 'boxed lunch' and a bottle of water.
*we were also given radio receivers and a comfortable ear piece so ourguide then spoke to just us. I presume the other language groups had the same.
*The journey to Tulum took an hour. It was a shame that the countrysidewasn’t more interesting. It was mainly scrubland.
We arrived at Tulum at 09.15 which was great because there were not manypeople. It got very crowded later in the day.
*our coach was scheduled to leave the site at 12.50
IMG_7719 by The Tulum site.
*the site is a very popular tourist attraction so a huge complex ofshops and food outlets has developed a little way from the ruins themselves.....wehad a Starbucks on the way back to the coach.
*it is quite a distance from the car park to the ruins site and then thesite itself covers a large area and the surfaces are uneven so you need toconsider whether it is the tour for you if you have walking difficulties.
*there is a tourist train that runs from the complex to the site ate forUS$2 return. That was a real benefit for me.
*our guide, Filipe, spoke excellent English and was a wonderful guide.He explained things clearly and made the history of the site come alive.
*we spent an hour with Filipe and then had a couple of hours to exploreon our own. Some people went to the beach while we took some photos of thebeach area and then walked/rode back to the mall area. We had a Starbucks andchatted to a delightful young lady from Israel.
*the bus left on time at 12.50 and, after walking through the shoppingdistrict, we were back on the ferry just after 14.00 and back on board at15.00.
A great trip!
These photos are of Playa del Carmen. some passengers got the ferry over from Cozumel to spend time here.
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Day 7. Sunday 28th January
Costa Maya, Mexico - 08.00 - 18.00
*Independent tour - Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. 3.5 hours $54pp (bookedthrough 'jaital.com' with Toucan Tours
*Captain's Welcome back cocktail party - 20.15.
A.M. SUNNY, HOT AND HUMID!!!
P.M. hot and mostly sunny until 13.30 when the heavens opened
Sea conditions: Very rough overnight
Other ships in port - none
We were off the ship at 07.50 and it was lovely walking along the pierin the sunshine.
It was a very long walk for me to the tour company meeting place but itwas good to be able to see the port area while it was quiet. I can see why someless adventurous passengers never leave that area because it haseverything.....although at a price.
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and were dropped off at the port entranceat 12.30.
Costa Maya Port.
*the pier is very, very long and Armonia’s exit was right at thefarthest point.
*at the shore end of the pier is a purpose-built shopping mall with ahuge variety of shops, stalls and food outlets plus restrooms and a largeartificial beach with a big salt water swimming pool.
*ship's tours passengers bypass the long walk through the mall.
*there were taxis and a shuttle bus to town (I’m not sure of the cost)in the car park of the terminal.
*outside the gate is a long boulevard with a replica of a Mayan templeat the end.
*our tour company, Toucan tours, had a booth by the temple from wherethe company ran shuttles to the Chacchoben Ruins.
IMG_7608 by Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Tour. US$54pp (similar ship’s tour - €90pp)
* our instructions were to meet at the Toucan Tour office 30 minutesafter disembarking the ship.
*It was a very long walk for me from the ship to the tourbooth......30minutes.
*we got to the booth at 08.30 where there were seats and a basicrestroom.
*once our paperwork had been checked we had to wait for another couplewho arrived at 09.10.
*we ended up with a group of 12 and I need to investigate the pricing asmost had not pre-booked the tour and payed $40pp........
*the minibus was clean and modern.
*we were given bottled water, soda or beer.
*the journey to the site took about 1 hour and we traveled along avirtually straight road which passed through mangrove forests but was mostlyflat shrub-land with a few isolated villages.
*we made one stop at a petrol station where there were clean toilets anditems for sale like insect repellent and sodas at Mexican prices.
on the journey back, we stopped at the pineapple village and we wereable to buy a bag of fresh pineapple slices and some chili powder to sprinkleon....this is how the locals eat it and it was delicious.
*we were asked if we wanted dropping off at the port or we could stay onthe bus and be taken to the local town beach for an hour.
Chacchoben site
*the site has a visitors' area with stalls selling local souvenirs,toilets and a small food outlet.
*the site is large and involves walking on designated pathways which areuneven.
*our guide, Carlos, was extremely informative and also empathetic to myslow walking so I made it to about half the buildings before I left the groupand walked back to the car park.
* I thought the buildings were impressive, particularly when Carlosexplained the significance of various parts. I liked the site too. It was cleanand well-kept and I loved the variety of trees and plants.
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Day 6. Saturday 27th January - Diet Day 2
Roatan, Honduras. 08.00 - 17.00. Coxon Hole Port
Nothing booked.
Clocks go forward 1 hour
A.M. warmish and overcast with heavy showers
P.M. a bit warmer and drier with short sunnyinterval
Sea conditions: strong swell last night.
Other ships in port - none
We left the ship at 08.30 and spent a few minuteslooking around the dock area before buying a tour. We left the port at 09.25and got back just before noon.
We then decided to walk into town to see if I couldfind the supermarket as I wanted some coffee but the prices in the souvenirshops was exorbitant. It was a long walk for me but worth it as I got my 2 bagsof coffee, some hot sauce and some cinnamon for the equivalent of £4!!
Coxon Hole Port.
*the dock area is purpose built for cruise ships.
*there are lots of colourful stalls and a varietyof shops selling souvenirs and local products.
*there are clean restrooms.
*there were several stalls offering taxi services,sightseeing tours and car hire on the way to the port exit. These were fixedprices and each stall had similar prices
*there were unregulated people selling tours morecheaply outside the port gate.
*local busses had stops near the port. They weremini-vans and had their destination displayed on the front.
IMG_7548 by Our tour - US$20pp (similar ship’s tour - €56pp)
We were offered time at a zoo, botanical gardensand or a beach but we all declined the offer.
The tour took us through Coxon Holeand the first 2 stops were at overpriced souvenir shops. Once the guide got theidea that we weren’t interested then the tour got better as we drove throughthe central forested area to the seaside town of West End. Thishad a lovely beach and plenty of more 'upmarket' shops, restaurants and bars.We spent 45minutes walking on the beach and through the town. We could have hadtime for a drink but nobody wanted it.
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Day 5. Friday 26th January
Belize - tender port.
Independent tour - Lamanai Ruins and crocodile city(6hours) $180. Splash Wave Tours
A.M. windy, warmish and overcast
P.M. torrential rain
Sea conditions: moderate swell
Other ships in port - none
Priority tender tickets were delivered to our cabinalong with our 'gift' which was 2 MSC baseball caps.....great for the kids!
Our priority tender tickets enable us to use anytender from 08.45.
The priority tickets were amazing - we just showedthem at the top of the staircase and were allowed straight down to the tender.
We had a wonderful day despite the terrible weatherand the change of tour. Jim was really happy with the birds that he saw and hegot some great photos too.
The tender.
The tender boats were provided by the portauthority and were much larger than the 'lifeboat' ones. They must have held200 people.
The journey to the dock took 20 minutes.
Belize Port.
The port area is highly developed for cruisepassengers with a variety of souvenir shops and duty-free outlets.
There were good toilet facilities.
There were taxis available at the exit.
There was a tourist train too.
IMG_7477 by Our tour. US$90pp (similar ship’s tour -€120pp)
I had booked our tour on the Internet after doing alot of research. The broker company offering the tour was Jaital - beyondboarders and it provides tours in a variety of Caribbeancountries. The tour along the river and to the Lamanai Ruins had an almostidentical itinerary to the one done through the ship but was $96 cheaper so nocontest.
We were met just by the exit by a representativefrom Shore Waves Tours, the company that provided ourexcursion. It was here that things changed. He explained that there had beentorrential rain over the last few days and the river was in flood so all rivertrips were cancelled. He offered us the option of cancelling the tour or wecould be taken to other places. We decided to go ahead anyway and it proved tobe a good decision.
We were the only 2 people in the car and Gareth,our driver, was very accommodating so we ended up doing lots of 'birding' onthe way to The Atun Ha Mayan Ruins.
Gareth took us through some of the suburbs and wesaw quite a few birds.....thank goodness!
*the site is about 20miles from the port.
*small restaurant serving a limited Belizian menu
*fascinating, partly excavated ruins.
Thank goodness the rain came while we were having lunch and after we had been into the site
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Our cruise
Air Europa - Gatwick to Madrid. 10.35 - 14.00.
The aircraft was an Airbus 300 with a 3x3 seatingconfiguration. We were on row 3. There was no inclusive food and drink and no in-flightentertainment. This was ok as the flight was only just over 2 hours.
Air Europa - Madrid to Havana. 15,45 - 19.40.
· There was an official who gave us our Cuba visas aswe went through to the plane. She had a list of people who were entitled to them.
· The aircraft was a Boeing Dreamliner with a 3x3x3seat configuration. The flight was 9.5hours and left almost on time at 15.45.
· The economy section was almost full. We were in thecentre section on row 18.
· There was a fairly extensive selection on the in-flightentertainment system.
· Wi-fi access could be purchased on a sliding scalefrom €6 - €15.
· We were served with drinks (alcoholic and soft)followed by a basic hot meal of chicken and rice or pasta, a bread roll andbutter, a lemon mousse and tea/coffee.
· We were offered water once and it was possible togo to the rear galley to get a drink.
· We had a hot drink and a hot cheese and hamsandwich (a bit like eating warm cardboard) before landing.
· We had to fill in a customs declaration form alongwith the visa forms.
· The flight was fine but I would recommend bringingsnacks on board as the food was very sparse for a 10-hour flight.
Havana arrival.
The luggage came quickly and we were met by MSCrepresentatives at the exit. This was when I understood why we had to attachour cruise luggage labels before we checked the cases in at Gatwickbecause these were scrutinised and our names crossed off the list. Once ournames had been checked we were directed to a line of coaches a few yards away.
The journey to the ship took about 30 minutes.
Boarding the ship.
When we arrived at the terminal, we collected ourcases and took them inside to where they were being collected by the porters.
From there we headed upstairs to the check-in andsecurity areas. This process was fairly short and it took us just over an hourfrom leaving the plane to boarding the ship.
The cabins were ready and our key cards were in thecabin.....this was fine except that we managed to close the door so were stuckin the corridor for 15 minutes before our steward ‘ rescued' us.
One case arrived just as we got into the cabin andthe other was there when we got back from dinner.
We were too late for the MDR so went to the buffetwhere we enjoyed the pasta in particular.
Things to note;
· Our cabin door was open when we arrived and our keycards were on the bed
· We were not given a ship’s map or a copy of thedaily programme. We might just have missed seeing them in the rush through thereception area.
· Our tour tickets were also not in the cabin.....theymay come later.
· Our key cards showed that we are 'black card'holders. It confirmed our first sitting dining option and showed the tablenumber as well as showing our 'drinks package' and muster station.
· Muster drill was scheduled for 09.30 the followingmorning with a backup one at 22.30 for people who were out on tours.
Day 3. Wednesday 24th January
Havana - Old cars Havana Classic Car tour 09.00 x12.00 - 120CUCs + 20 CUCs in tips (approx. £100)
A.M. torrential rain which gradually eased and thenit was warm with short sunny periods.
P.M. hot, humid and overcast
After breakfast we left the ship at 08.00 andwalked into the terminal building where we found the money exchange and changed£150 into CUCs
Old Cars, Havana.
· I had found the company through a google search andit had good reviews on Tripadvisor.
· The company provided a number of options and wedecided on a 3hour guided tour round Havana with an English-speaking guide for130CUCs (approximately £95) payable to the driver and guide.
· The website was easy to use and gave us a varietyof cars to choose from. We decided on a red 1950 open-topped Studebaker.
· We got an email confirmation straight away withinformation about the meeting point.
· I got an email 3 day before we left the UK,requesting that I confirm that we still wanted to go ahead.
· The pick-up point was at a Restaurant 2 minutes’walk from the terminal exit.
· Our guide, Belle, was waiting on the restaurantveranda, holding a sign with our name on it.
· Lester, our driver arrived 2 minutes later withthis amazing car.
· Belle asked if we had any requests for places tovisit but we decided to leave the itinerary to the 'experts'.
· We started the drive with the hood up but, once itbecame apparent that the rain had stopped, Lester put it down and we completedthe tour in style.
· Belle showed us the fortress, museums and statue ofChrist which were situated on the other side of the bay. From there we weretaken through the city and out into the suburbs to see the forest and somegardens. Belle and Lester were very accommodating and stopped when we asked. Wefelt a bit like royalty as we processed around the city as people waved at usand photographed the car.
· It was a wonderful tour. Belle spoke excellentEnglish, Lester was a good driver and very professionally turned out, the carwas stunning and the city was beguiling......even the weather cooperatedeventually so what more could we want?
· We were dropped off at 12.00 at the terminalentrance and Jim arranged to go fishing with Lester in the afternoon.
IMG_7970 by This photo was taken from the ship. We met our driver and car at the blue building
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Havana city.
The old city is a colourful, bustling place full ofmagnificent Art Deco buildings but, sadly, the ravages of time and lack ofmaintenance have taken their toll and it is a bit shabby.
There are a lot of the ‘classic' cars and theyattract a lot of attention.
The range of goods in the shops is limited andthere are often shortages of staple goods....at the moment it is toilet paperand detergent.
IMG_7004 by this is the square directly outside the cruise terminal
*our cruise was booked as a 2-week package but itis actually 2 separate cruises back-to-back so we were classed as 'in transit'at the end of the first week and lots of people disembarked.
*we had the Cubanvisa forms delivered to our cabin a couple of days before arriving backin Havana......a new visa is required for every re-entry into Cuba. The €15ppis added to you on board account. We Will need another visa when we dock at theend of the holiday.
*our visa was collected and our passports werestamped when we went ashore. We have to show our passports every time we leavethe ship.
*we kept the same cabin for the whole cruise sothere were no arrangements needed.
* it was 'open seating' in the dining room thatnight.
* There are taxis and classic cars cruising alongthe road past the terminal exit bit there is nowhere for them to park for morethan a couple of minutes so you need to hail one and negotiate quickly.
* There is on open topped HOHO bus which stops justto the left of the terminal building. It is 10CUCs per person (£8approximately) and the full circuit takes approximately 2.5-3 hours dependingon traffic. I got the one that left the terminal at 08.45.
The commentary is in English and Spanish and it isbroadcast on a loudspeaker system. There are no headphones.
* The city centre is within walking distance. Thepaved areas are often very uneven so care is needed.
* There was a meeting about the disembarkationprocess 2 days before our final day and this was repeated on the TV.
* Coloured luggage labels corresponding to yourdesignated departure time were delivered to the cabin the evening before.
* cases needed to be outside your cabin by 02.00.
* a visa form was also delivered to the cabin andthe €15pp added to your on board account.
* times for vacating your cabin and the meetingtime for your escorted departure from the ship were published on the dailyprogramme. We had an MSC fly/cruise package with a flight at 21.40 so we neededto vacate our cabin at 16.00 and meet in the theatre at 17.25 for our transferto the airport.
* a final copy of your account was delivered toyour cabin. Anything purchased after the account was closed is charged to yourcredit card
* We could use all the ship’s facilities, foodoutlets and our drinks package until we disembarked......excellent service!
* There was a place for storing hand luggage ifrequired.
* Luggage had to be collected on shore and taken tothe transfer coach. There were porters.
* The journey to the airport was 45 minutes.
The whole process was very efficient
Unfortunately, our experience at the airportwas horrible. Once we were off the coach there was no support to find thecheck-in desk and the signage was difficult to read.
When we finally found the Air Europa area, theactual check-in process was very time consuming and the queue was really long.We were near the front and it took 40 minutes to reach the desk! There wasn’tanyone marshalling the line. Usually when the marshal sees my mobility issues Iget assistance or, at least, somewhere to sit.
I use the 'airport assistance' wheelchair optionand that was very difficult to find. My husband had to push me as there wasn’tan available assistant. Fortunately, he is fit and strong enough to do that.There wasn’t a 'priority lane' although that isn’t always necessary but it doeshelp when there is a long queue.
Once through the security check, the concourse wasdown a flight of stairs and there wasn’t a proper elevator, only a very ricketycontraption to lower wheelchairs to the bottom level and that was extremelydifficult to manoeuvre into and out of.
The concourse is very spartan and the queue wasvery long to get a drink.
I couldn’t access Wi-fi and, to cap it all, ourflight to Madrid was delayed. Our original departure time was 22.05 and wefinally left just after midnight.
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Cabin 9249 - inside 'fantasia' level cabin.
*The cabin was conveniently located close to therear lifts.
*It was a reasonable size….comparable to insidecabins on other cruise lines.
*It had 2 bunk beds so was a family cabin.
*The bed was configured as a double when we arrivedso we asked for it to be separated which was done promptly and gave us muchmore floor space.
*There was adequate storage
*a reasonably powerful shower (dreaded showercurtain though!)
* TV with 4 English language channels - 3 news and1 films.
*there were 4plug sockets - 2x2round pin for 220vand 2x2 flat pin for 110v appliances
*safe
*fridge with a mini-bar
IMG_E1362 by *freshly made pizza and pasta outlet.
*'any-time' dining restaurant which was an optionfor people in higher grade cabins
· Passengers have to show their passport and gothrough a security screening each time they leave and return to the ship.
· The terminal is right in the centre of town.
· There are some small souvenir shops, a currencyexchange bureau, an information desk and some tour operators’ offices withinthe building.
· There is no long-term parking at the terminal exitbut there is a constant stream of taxis, both modern and classic, passing bywhich can be hailed.
· The HOHO bus also stops a few yards away from theexit.
· It is a short walk across the road to the old city.
· There were a few stalls selling cigars andsouvenirs in the square across the road.
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This was our first time with MSC but we have sailedwith Costa so we were aware of ‘the cultural differences’. We enjoyed thecruise and loved the ports but would put the MSC experience towards the bottomof our preferred cruise lines. We cruise for destination rather than cruiseline and we would sail with MSC again if the price and destinations made itworth our while.
Iam a compulsive note-taker so my intention is to give practical information anda limited blow by blow account of what we did in this review. These are mypersonal observations and opinions. My DH and I are ‘low maintenance’ and don’texpect perfection.
Background;
My husband and I are keen cruisers andtravellers with over 50 cruises using 12 different cruise lines and, so far, over100 countries visited. We are from the Midlands in the UK and are in our very,very late 60s. My husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobilityproblems and can’t walk long distances anymore. This restricts my adventurousnature somewhat.
IMG_8430 by We chose this cruise for 2 mainreasons:
*freshly made pasta, pizza, sorbet and gelato
* an 'always available' chicken or fish option onthe dinner menu.
* not having to vacate our cabin until an hour beforedeparture
*Complementary water and coffee with meals
*in cabin tea/coffee making equipment
*👎Paying for the ‘Cuban Experience’ onboard show - €29pp. The other showswere included
*👍🏿Loyalty level matching.....we applied on line once we had booked thecruise and were awarded the highest level - black card - having shown proof,with a photo shot, of our elite level with Princess. It was a quick and easyprocess.
*the 'black card' loyalty cocktail party was heldat 11.00 rather than in the early evening.
Facts for this 14-night cruise.
* Our holiday package included the initial entryvisa for Cuba but each time the ship returned to Cuba we needed a newvisa. The forms were delivered to the cabin for us to fill in and €15pp wascharged to our on-board account. As we returned to Havana twice this was atotal cost of €60 which needs to be factored into your budget.
* You hand the visa form to the immigrationofficial and you get a visa stamp in your passport.
* As UK citizens, we didn’t require visas for anyof the other ports.
* Unfortunately, it does mean that the theatreentertainment and films on the TV are repeated.
* The plus side is that, as top loyalty tiermembers, we get a repeat of the cocktail parties etc.
There was a catch-updrill for those people who were out on tours in the morning. This tookplace at 22.15 in the theatre. We had to take life jackets and, after thedemonstration, we had to put them on and were then lead out to our lifeboatstations on the deck 6 promenade.
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I have found fromrecent experience (RCI in November 2015 and May 2016 plus CelebrityConstellation, Singapore to Abu Dhabi, inApril 2017) that you can request a kettle for your cabin by asking yourroom steward or at the Customer Service desk.
I always take my own tea bags and coffee when sailing on a US based cruise line. We drink these brews black but I know that you can obtain mugs, spoons, milk and sugar from the buffet. There was a fridge in the cabin (inside cabin on all sailings) where you could keep small quantities of milk.
We are also from the UK and understand your frustration at the lack of tea/coffee making facilities that are standard onall P&O, Cunard, Fred Olsen, C&M and other lines that sail from the UK, Australia and Japan. Costa have a ‘Nespresso’ style maker which can be used without the pods to provide boiling water.
I do like the fact that P&O and Fred Olsen provide teabags/coffeesachets/milk/sugar/cups and spoons which are all replaced when necessary.P&O also provide biscuits but I’m not sure about the other lines.
Celebrity kettle
IMG_6868 by P&O hospitality tray
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My husbandand I found India a vibrant and fascinating country and we have visited itseveral times both on cruises and on land tours. We know that it is a longdrawn out and expensive task to get an Indian visa but, for us, well worth thehassle.
We needed our lastvisa in May of this year for a cruise on Celebrity Constellation that visitedCochin, New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai and below is a copy of the notes that Imade for future reference.
· It is important to go to the official Indian Governmentweb site http://www.vfsglobal.com/India/UK/Tourist.htmland follow the instructions for filling in the application form and making anappointment for your interview.
· I would suggest typing up all the answers to thequestions on a word document because the form takes a while to fill in and I foundthat it can ‘time-out’ if you get distracted.
This information isfrom the web site
Documents Required
Tourist Visa:
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Passport valid for a minimum of 180 days with at least two blank pages.
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Correct visa fee.
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Two recent 50 mm * 50 mm size photographs. Please check the Photo Specification.
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Duly filled onlineApplication form and Declaration with signatures.(Printed and duly signed)
Indian immigration.
· We had to get fullIndian visas as an e-visa is only valid from certain airports and doesn't covermultiple entries.
· UK residents need tohave a 'face to face' interview at their most convenient Visaoffice.....Birmingham in our case.
· Visa photographs are a different size than passport photos.
· Our passports werekept at the visa office to have the visa stamp attached and then posted back tous. That took 5 days. The total cost including postage was £120pp!
· When we boarded the ship,we had 3 Indian immigration cards to sign and these were kept, along with ourpassports, by the ship's authorities.
· On the sea day beforeour first Indian port all passengers had to attend the Indianimmigration vetting. Passengers were given a time to go to the RendezvousLounge (ours was 13.00-13.15) where we were given our passports, an'immigration card' plus a 'landing card' which already had our picture onit.......this was a copy of our security picture that was taken on the firstday - very clever. Once we had signed both cards we went into the lounge wherethere was a very short queue which we joined. We were called forward to haveour passports and visas checked by an Indian immigration officer who thenstamped our landing card and gave it back to us. He kept our passports andimmigration cards which were also stamped and then these were kept by the ship.
The whole process was quick andefficient.....probably 5 minutes in total.
· On each port day passengers could not disembark and re-embark withoutshowing their official landing card, acopy of their passport and their sea pass.
· Once back on board,that day's landing card had to be surrendered.
· Indian immigrationofficials were on board for the whole journey to Indian ports and, during thenight, they processed the landing cards for the following day's port. Thesewere then posted under cabin doors during the night. It was a very efficientservice.
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I hope the information is of use to you and you have a wonderful cruise.
Isabel
IMG_3697 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3708 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
DSCN5285 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3721 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr -
Fri 14th Feb 2014.
PRAIA, CAPE VERDE
distance to town is approx 2km.
Shuttle bus £5pp for unlimited journeys. Drop off in town centre. First busfrom port 09.00 - last bus from town is 17.00
Currency is Escudos or CVE but Euros are widely accepted.
Approx exchange rate:
£1 = 132CVE
€1= 109 CVE
$= 80CVE
Language is Creole but the official language is Portuguese. Many people speaksome English.
Many shops are closed for siesta from 12.00-15.00
Nearest beaches are Prainea and Kebra Canela and are approx 3km from the ship.
400 m to port gate through industrial dock
Taxis are available outside the port gate.
Market stalls along the road side.
OUR SHIP'S TOUR - ISLAND DISCOVERY.
Met in Neptune Lounge at 08.25
All transport in mini busses -quite comfortable but no air conditioning or PAsystem. Our guide spoke loudly and in excellent English.
Bus left at 08.45.
Drove through Praia (didn't seem much to look at there) and up into themountains where the scenery was spectacular........very green and lushvegetation in the volcanic crater.
The first stop was 15 minutes at the Botanical Gardens. These are quite smallbut have many beautiful trees and flowering plants. The paths are cobble stonesand fairly steep slopes with some steps up the hill sides. This caused somedifficulty for people with mobility problems but I thought it was worth theeffort to go part of the way.
There was 1 male and 1 female toilet. They were usable if desperate.
We travelled through some magnificent volcanic scenery to the I town of Säo Jorge dos Órgãos Where we had a 25-minutestop. We were able to use the toilets at a bakery/cafe which sold fabulouscakes.......no obligation to buy.
The toilets were clean. There was a colourful local market near the café and wehad a little time to view.
The journey continued through the crater and over the mountain pass to thesmall seaside town of Tarafalwhere we had a 90-minute stop for lunch.
The tables were on an open terrace with shaded areas and overlooked a gorgeousbeach and small harbour.
The lunch was a buffet and consisted of fish, chicken, hot bean stew, potatoes,rice, chips and salad followed by fresh fruit. There were bottles of water oneach table and beer and soft drinks to purchase.
The restaurant has a terrace overlooking the beach which was a very pleasantplace to sit in the shade and watch the beach and the waves. Many people tookthe opportunity to swim.
The toilet facilities were ok.
The beach area had a small harbour where fishing boats were landing and peoplewere selling the fish.......very colourful!
The journey back to the ship was by a different route and a lot of the roadswere cobbled so it was bumpy.
It took 2.25 hours to get back to theship with only 2 photo stops so not much time to stretch legs.
Was it worth it? I thoroughlyenjoyed seeing the beautiful scenery and realise that the islands are quiteunder developed so there are not many sights, other than scenery, to visit.Some people may find it a bit disappointing.
IMG_3680 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3724 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3681 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3691 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
IMG_3700 by isabel Rushton, on Flickr
Transfer from Tianjin port to central Beijing
in Asia
Posted
I’m not sure if people realise that Beijing is a long way inland from its port….almost 100 miles so direct transport isn’t particularly straightforward. As previously stated, the bullet train from Tianjin to Beijing is the quickest and probably the cheapest way for an independent traveller.
Below is the entry from my diary of our visit to Tianjin in April 2019 with some photographs which may be of use.
Tianjin cruise port.
* The port is huge and very industrial
* It is situated approximately 20 miles from the city of Tianjin.
* The cruise terminal is very modern and absolutely huge.
* There are duty free shops, a post office, money exchange, toilet facilities and an information desk. Unfortunately, the information desk is small and only had 1 assistant so the queue was very long. Her English wasn’t particularly clear either so we were glad to get assistance from two ladies from Singapore who spoke fluent Mandarin and English.
* There are taxis available directly at the exit (drivers are not allowed into the terminal building). We were quoted US$100 to go into Tianjin. I think the drivers did tours as well.
I didn't see any bus tours being offered.
The public service bus to Tianjin.
* We opted to get the local bus, #513, into Tianjin. It took us a while to find out where the stop was. It is a bit of a walk to the main road but then the stop is directly across the road. The bus livery is mainly yellow. The service isn’t particularly frequent and the information assistant didn’t have a timetable or make it clear where the stop is situated. The busses seem to run every 20 minutes.
* The fare is 2 yuan pp (25p) each way and the exact change is needed. We were very lucky that the driver took pity on us and let us on as we only had a 50 yuan note!!
* The journey takes about 1 hour and the bus terminus in Tianjin is right next to the Bullet train railway station.
* The first part of the route took us along excellent roads but there was very little to see.....only scrubland and a few newly built high rise housing complexes. Once in the city, though, the bus does quite a circuitous route so it gave us chance to see a little bit of the city.
The Bullet Train Station.
* The station is easily identifiable because the roof is made of shiny bronze segments and looks a bit like a tortoise shell.
* The station is huge but luckily there is signage in English.
* There are toilet facilities, a coffee shop, a supermarket and waiting areas.
* The ticket office is on the lower concourse.