Just off Ocean's West Africa cruise?

[royal65]

We're on Ocean's 2015 West Africa cruise. With the 2014 trip recently finished, several of us on next year's cruise have been hoping for a review or some information re these little known ports. If you're willing to answer a few questions, please contact dkmccalli at aol com or post on the 2014 or 15 roll call. Thank you.

[cnd crsr]

We are waitlisted on the 2015 West African cruise on the Ocean and would be very interested in info as well. Will watch for reviews or start perusing the 2015 roll call.

[soccerref]

We are also booked on this cruise and would love to hear the experiences of those who have just completed this itinerary.

[hillslife]

We are just off the Ocean and the 2014 West Africa cruise...so ask away...we are still jet lagged, but getting better everyday...these are just my opinion..so others may see things differently. But we gave been on 25 Princess cruises, 45 total, so we have a good insight on ship stuff.

 

Some basics...the ship is in good shape. Some things have been updated since we were on it five years ago ( carpets, drapes, stage curtains).

 

The seas out of Capetown were pretty rocky for a couple days....many people were ill. But after that, pretty calm waters the rest of the trip.

 

Port lecture (Deb Frioli) had some good slides, but just read her notes, monotone, and showed no real expertise in the area. She said she had been there, but wouldn't answer questions because they were taping. So she hit some basic info,but ??

 

Cruise Director was Stuart Mac....he is tired and needs to move on. He rambles, can't remember names, ports, info, very scattered (ie: called one special lecturer Susan Hamilton, when her name was Susan Middleton. One night after the show, about 10 days before we disembarked, he went through a whole tirade about the disembark procedure. Jason, the asst CD had to continually correct him and keep him on track, etc). Someone complained to head office about never seeing him around the ship, and he went on about that for days.

 

On this 30 day cruise, we had one special lecturer. Susan Middleton had 3-4 voodoo, cultural lectures. Great pix. But after those she moved on to sea life, invertebrates. She was good speaker. One passenger was in an Artic convoy and brought a CD about his experience. That was excellent. But besides that, same stuff everyday. If not for trivia, some days were eventless. We love sea days and are never bored, but the day activities were very lacking for a long cruise.

 

They did have many movies in the afternoon, current releases. So great, if you hadn't seen them. We asked for, and they finally got Casablanca, after we had already done the port. You would think they would have thought of showing that movie before we had to ask. But fun to see since we had just been there.

 

Night entertainment was great. Good variety, singers and dancers were excellent. And we love the close interaction with them on the smaller ships, They even had dinner with various tables in the dining room. That was very fun.

 

Food..very subjective for all. It was average. Menu did repeat at about 2 weeks. Lobster was the worst ever: small, rubbery, fishy tasting.

 

We kept hearing the ship didn't get 5-6 containers, and they didn't catch up to us the entire cruise. So many things missing: lots of wine variety , laundry bags, coffee cups, anchovies, prunes, NO african T-shirts, port tees, or souvenirs, bananas, strawberries, etc. Small things, but after awhile they start to add up.

 

Same discounted off season, port stuff from Australia, Hawaii, etc on racks in the atrium every day....

 

Ports....great variety, but not widely visited. So we never knew if there would be a shuttle, free or not. Almost always docked in a container port. Tours were VERY expensive due to limited resources in Africa. But some ports were doable on your own, like Luderitz. The small town is right there. There are a few cabs available if you want to go to the ghost town. The ship charged $110/pp for the ghost town and $69/pp for the town tour.

 

We did preorganized CC tours in Walvus Bay, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cape Verde, Dakar. They were all excellent, very inclusive of all sights and much more cost effective.

 

Gotta go, for now. Feel free to ask specific questions, and I will try to answer for you.

 

Happy Fathers Day.

[cdngrl]

this is the next big trip I'd like to do so I'm soaking up all the information I can. thank you for posting!

[beg3yrs]

Here are excerpts from two progress e-mails we sent to our friends and family. I may have some facts a little off but they should be pretty close to correct. Note that we started this cruise in Singapore so take that into account for some of my comments.

-----------------------------

Hello everyone! It is about 8:30 AM locally on May 16th. We’re sailing in a big circle about two miles off the coast of the West African fourth world nation of Benin, waiting for the local pilot to come aboard so the ship can proceed to the dock. The pilot should have been on board at 7 AM. We’d previously been warned it can be this way in these undeveloped countries. Captain Ravera sounded very annoyed during his announcement.

 

 

Since we’re sitting here just waiting I thought it would be a good time to bring you all up to date on our progress.

 

CAPE TOWN

Cape Town in South Africa is a marvelous place. The ship spent three days and two nights there and it wasn’t really enough. What a marvelous place. Very well developed and full of a very mixed population who all get along and are in my opinion, pretty happy as well.

 

Day 1 we went down to the Cape of Good Hope, which is almost the most southern point of Africa. It turns out there’s another cape which is a little but further south but isn’t very dramatic and not so many ships have been wrecked there. We climbed up to the Cape Point lighthouse which was a great spot for photos of the actual Cape. The ride to the Cape was fantastic as well, taking a road on the edge of the mountains with steep drops into Hout Bay. The return ride was less exciting but interesting nonetheless.

 

Day 2 we spent on our own with no organized tours available from the ship as it was a turnaround day. Technically it was the end of one cruise and the start of another so there were many passengers and crew leaving the ship in the morning with new passengers and crew then embarking later in the day (150 passengers like us were in transit and continuing on the next segment). Along with a two other couples from the ship (two passengers and two crew), we took the Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus for a narrated tour around the city and got off at the Table Mountain cable car stop. Table Mountain is one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World and is the major landmark of Cape Town. The ride to the top on the tram only takes about five minutes and it’s really interesting as the cable car rotates one full time as it goes up and down. Everyone gets a view in every direction. The scenery at the top was dramatic. For those of you who have climbed mountains, it reminded me of the top of Mt. Whitney even though it is nowhere near as high at only about 4800 feet. It is blasted by strong winds much of the time which keeps the vegetation stunted (think bonzai trees) and there even some rodents (Rock Dassies) that look like marmots. After enjoying Table Mountain, we finished the HOHO tour and went back to the ship to prepare for an evening on shore. Cape Town is home to the Victoria & Alfred (not Albert) Waterfront which is a huge collection of outdoor stores, restaurants, a large mall and even a Ferris wheel. Oh yeah, they also have a brew pub and that’s where our evening was spent sampling the various local beers, meeting up with the passenger couple from the HOHO and generally having a great time.

 

 

 

On day 3 we took another ship’s tour to the Stellenbosch region and the Neethlingshof Estate winery for a tour and of course a tasting. It is a beautiful place, the wines were great and of course we purchased two very nice bottles of Sauvignon Blanc for $10 US each. I didn’t mention we had already purchased five bottles of various red wines on day 2 and two of them were also from Neethlingshof. They’ve been great so far although I’ve still got quite an inventory to be consumed in the next three weeks. Even the non-branded bottle of “Spanish Tempranillo” I purchased for $5 US was pretty good! South Africa is definitely a place to purchase high quality wines at a low price.

 

During our transit to Namibia we had one particularly rough night. At 5 AM all the glassware (including many bottles) slid off our desk to the floor. The noise was astounding. All glasses broke as they were slammed by the full liquor and wine bottles. Fortunately, none of the bottles broke! Wahoo! Talking with other passengers it seems there were others who experienced a similar event at exactly the same time.

 

NAMIBIA

 

We had two ports in Namibia, Luderitz and Walvis Bay. In Luderitz we went to a nearby ghost town known as Kolmanskoppe. Both Luderitz and Kolmanskoppe have German heritage. Luderitz is still a very small town on the edge of the Namib desert. It still has some half timbered buildings in the German style and many of the residents still speak the language. Kolmanskoppe boomed in the early 1900s because of diamonds and then died out when larger and easier to mine diamonds were found further south. The desert is slowly reclaiming the buildings, last occupied as late as 1959.

 

We visited Walvis Bay on Mother’s Day and took a wildlife cruise through the bay. Early in the day there was lots of fog and visibility was very limited. In spite of that, we still had a great tour. Charlene (aka Charlie) got “hugged” by a wild seal and we saw pelicans, dolphins and a seal colony which was very entertaining as the young ones were swimming around the boat just jumping and cavorting as the young ones do.

 

Next e-mail will report on Benin, Togo and Ghana!

 

 

-----------------------------

Hello everyone! It’s been a little over two weeks since we sent out our last e-mail regarding the progress of our cruise on the Ocean Princess. Today is June 2nd and it’s our second-to-last sea day of the cruise. We’ve just entered the English Channel and will be in Rouen, France tomorrow morning. Following that we have another day at sea, a day in Antwerp, Belgium and then we get off the ship in Dover, England and fly home on Friday. It will be quite interesting being at the “White Cliffs of Dover” as it will be the 70th anniversary of start of the D-Day Invasion of Europe in WWII. Note: We did not see any of the D-Day ceremonies in Dover.

 

 

Since our last post after Walvis Bay in Namibia, we’ve been to four west central African countries, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Senegal. These were very poor countries with Benin being the poorest with small increases in wealth as we progressed from one country to the next. We learned about the Voodun religion (aka Voodoo), saw some of the less grisly ceremonies, bounced over dirt roads which were the major highways of the countries, learned about slavery from the supply side’s perspective (still a nasty business), drank some of the local “hooch” and really enjoyed the people. As poor as they are, they were all busy working to get by in these impoverished countries, doing whatever the could with what little they had. We didn’t see anyone feeling sorry for themselves either. Then there were the kids. Talk about some happy children. Now, these kids don’t have video games or much television to consume their free time, so guess what ... they play outside. They’re fit and limber, they run everywhere and are happy to see visitors. Of course they do get lots of family responsibilities at a young age. We were amazed to see what had to be a five-year-old paddling his own dugout canoe.

 

After these visits we headed North and stopped at two sets of islands, Cabo Verde (aka Cape Verde), and Tenerife in the Canary Islands which are officially a province of Spain. Both sets of islands are volcanic in origin and are younger than the continent of Africa so they don’t have its indigenous wildlife. Cabo Verde, while not a rich country, certainly looked like a five-star resort after our last four African stops. It has a lot of French influence which is reflected in the architecture and the language (a version of Creole). The Canary Islands are well, the Canary Islands. They are prosperous and are a big draw for Europeans going on holiday. We went on a whale watching trip and were rewarded with the sight of pilot whales and dolphins. The water was clear and the whales came close enough to see the babies nursing!

 

Then we were on to Casablanca in Morocco. We didn’t see even one camel! It was certainly not the country I had imagined. It is predominantly Muslim and is very modern with good infrastructure. Being about the same latitude as Tucson the weather was mild (not hot, not cold). We toured the sights in Casablanca as well as Rabat, the capitol. This part of Morocco was fairly flat with lots of farming going on. These farms were fairly small and worked mostly with animal power instead of machinery. The livestock consisted mostly of goats, chickens, and sheep. There was some cattle and absolutely no pigs (remember, this is a Muslim country). In the Medina (an old walled city) of Rabat we very much enjoyed a traditional Moroccan lunch, sitting at low tables and eating family style. Fresh vegetables, curried chicken, lamb with couscous followed by a dessert of melon and cherries. Delicious!

 

Our most recent stop was the town of Ceuta, a small enclave of Spain on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar. It is completely surrounded on three sides by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Ceuta itself is very nice and modern and is a duty-free shopping destination for people coming from the Spanish mainland, less than twenty miles across the strait. There is a high speed ferry service running on an hourly basis moving people and vehicles very quickly. Ceuta was also known in Greek mythology to be the home of Hercules.

 

 

With not much to really see in Ceuta (that's an opinion BTW, YMMV), we took an all-day tour back into Morocco, going a long distance to an old historic town known as Chefchaouen located up in the mountains. It took a long time to get there (including an hour long stop at the border where guards had to leisurely inspect and stamp close a hundred passports from our two buses) but the drive through the northern countryside and mountains was really beautiful. The original inhabitants of this part of Morocco are the Berbers and many of them live in the higher country. Their farms are kind of a hodge podge scattered on rocky hillsides wherever the could fit something in. Wheat could be seen in patches as small as 20 by 20 feet with olive trees interspersed. Their livestock pretty much went where it wanted but stayed close as it knew where food and shelter was. The Berbers wear straw hats with colorful fuzzy balls attached to a wide circular brim. The city of Chefchaouen has its own medina (walled city) which also includes a casbah. A casbah is an Arab version of a fortress which has armament to repel invaders. This medina was nice as it features tall walls which are white with blue paint from the street/alley level to about 8 feet high. The blue is supposed to annoy mosquitoes and I suppose the test of time has proven its effectiveness. Another Moroccan lunch there in another restaurant similar to the one in Casablanca, some shopping and sightseeing and we were on our way back to the ship for sail away.

 

Sail away from Ceuta back through the Strait of Gibraltar was scenic as we passed both the statue of Hercules knocking down a temple as well as the Rock of Gibraltar.

 

 

Tomorrow, June 3rd, we enter the Seine river of France and sail 75 kilometers up to the ancient town of Rouen. Rouen is famous for being the town where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy. We’ll be up with the sunrise so we can see the Norman countryside as this ocean-going cruise ship goes far inland on this navigable river. This will be the first time a Princess Cruise Lines ship calls at Rouen. It turns out this ship has called at Rouen before but was a Renaissance ship at the time.

 

 

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Loved Rouen and Antwerp/Brussels!

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Comment regarding supplies: Even before we embarked on this trip, we'd heard about the difficulties of keeping the ship supplied on this itinerary. In Senegal we were supposed to receive six shipping containers, of which we only received two before the ship was supposed to sail. Just as the ship was buttoning up to depart, a truck with another container showed up and we delayed another couple of hours to get all the contents on board. Our cabin balcony was very close to the activity and I spent the evening and most of a bottle of chilled white wine being entertained watching the Keystone Cops try to get this done quickly.

 

Also in Senegal the Executive Chef, Eric, rejected a majority of the produce being delivered as he determined that even with a good washing, he couldn't guarantee its cleanliness. This man received death threats because he was concerned about the health of the passengers. After all this, Eric had to spend quite a bit of time adjusting pre-planned menus and recipes to account for the missing items. Nevertheless, nobody on the ship went hungry although there were complaints about the small size of the peanut butter portions (just take two for God's sake) and the lack of fresh blueberries (really?).

 

Personal comment: In retrospect I'm really glad we did this trip. We certainly learned a lot and had quite a variety of experiences. Not sure I'd do it again, but I'm glad we went once.

 

We started this cruise in Singapore and discovered life on a small ship on a long (61 day) cruise is very different from the larger ships on shorter cruises. You get to know people much better (or worse as the case may be) than you would on shorter cruises or larger ships. It often felt like you were surrounded by all your family (God love 'em all - somebody has to). Jeff Foxworthy has comments about his family on a cruise ... I think some of Jeff's family were on board (heck, I might even resemble some of them).

 

Hillslife's comments about Stu, to my dismay, are IMHO, appropriate. Now, that said, DW and I have some history with him and really like the man. As such we see him through our own eyes and reading her comments we see plenty of truth. I'd like to point out though that I'd enjoy cruising with Stu again. The deputy, Jason, was pretty much a one man show (I'm Jason, look at me) and while he's superficially friendly and outgoing, there's not much underneath. I don't think Jason would even remember you on a subsequent cruise. Stu on the other hand, wears his heart on his sleeve and is a real gentleman through and through. He's a very competent CD and works hard. He does appear all over the ship and the passenger's comment that they never saw him really hurt him as he works hard to be available and visible.

Edited June 15, 2014 by beg3yrs

[royal65]

Thanks to Hillslife and Beg3-

It sounds as though that while this was not a perfect cruise, it was interesting and at least somewhat enjoyable. A few questions:

- with regard to the logistical problems with supplies not arriving, did you get the sense this was endemic to this part of the world and we might expect similar problems next year (ie. comments from the staff) or was this the exception?

- did many of your shipmates use local tour operators as opposed to ship's excursions?

- any advice about tour operators to use, or especially, to avoid?

- with regard to the more backward ports, did the crowded/rutted roads concern you about getting back to the ship on time?

- did you ever feel unsafe anywhere?

- what were the most surprising aspects of this cruise?

- how many formal nights and was that the same number as scheduled pre-cruise (it's been my experience that on long cruises, they will reduce the number)?

- what portion of tuxes versus just coat and tie? With the lower weight limit, I'm considering leaving my tux at home.

 

Thanks for your help and welcome home!

[Emma Chisit]

Feel free to ask specific questions, and I will try to answer for you.

 

First of all thanks so much to hillslife and beg3yrs for all the information they posted about their recent cruise. It will be very useful indeed for those of us doing the cruise next year. (We should have been on the cruise this year from Singapore to Dover but jumped ship in order to get the cabin we wanted in 2015.) Many of us have been lurking on the 2014 roll calls for ideas.

Having spent some time in West Africa in the past (different countries however, apart from Ghana), your experiences sound quite familiar. Fascinating part of the world....but not always the easiest travel destination....

I have one question - Did you have any feedback from those who took the Princess overnight safari from Durban? From reading the roll call for this year I think it was offered quite late in the piece, maybe only about a month before the cruise departed.

Thanks again, and of course - Welcome Back!….

[beg3yrs]

Thanks to Hillslife and Beg3-

It sounds as though that while this was not a perfect cruise, it was interesting and at least somewhat enjoyable. A few questions:

- with regard to the logistical problems with supplies not arriving, did you get the sense this was endemic to this part of the world and we might expect similar problems next year (ie. comments from the staff) or was this the exception? I believe this is endemic to this part of the world. I had been forewarned that it's happened before and it also happened to us. I did hear a comment from a crewmember (officer type I recall) that some of the issues were due to a failing on the part of the ship's agent in that area.

- did many of your shipmates use local tour operators as opposed to ship's excursions? I did not personally use local operators but know that many of the CC members (there were a lot BTW) did.

- any advice about tour operators to use, or especially, to avoid?

- with regard to the more backward ports, did the crowded/rutted roads concern you about getting back to the ship on time? Since we used ship's tours, no.

- did you ever feel unsafe anywhere? Our Princess tour in Benin had an armed guard on the bus and a security escort vehicle running a siren. While we had no incidents, make your own opinion from these facts.

- what were the most surprising aspects of this cruise? The wildlife and the kids.

- how many formal nights and was that the same number as scheduled pre-cruise (it's been my experience that on long cruises, they will reduce the number)? I think we had four formal nights.

- what portion of tuxes versus just coat and tie? With the lower weight limit, I'm considering leaving my tux at home. I used only a sport coat with a nice shirt (even left the ties at home) and did not feel out of place. Didn't even notice any huffy stares...

 

Thanks for your help and welcome home!

 

First of all thanks so much to hillslife and beg3yrs for all the information they posted about their recent cruise. It will be very useful indeed for those of us doing the cruise next year. (We should have been on the cruise this year from Singapore to Dover but jumped ship in order to get the cabin we wanted in 2015.) Many of us have been lurking on the 2014 roll calls for ideas.

Having spent some time in West Africa in the past (different countries however, apart from Ghana), your experiences sound quite familiar. Fascinating part of the world....but not always the easiest travel destination....

I have one question - Did you have any feedback from those who took the Princess overnight safari from Durban? From reading the roll call for this year I think it was offered quite late in the piece, maybe only about a month before the cruise departed. We were initially very excited about the overnight as originally advertised which was three nights at Phinda for about $2,000 US pp with transport back to Cape Town. Once officially released (after we left the US for Singapore) it was only a single night, and about the same price. We decided to spend our money on two day safaris in Durban and then in East London. I didn't get much spontaneous feedback from the Princess overnighters as I don't think those who did go weren't overly happy. Others arranged their own three-day private tours and while very tired afterwards were exceptionally happy with their experiences.

Thanks again, and of course - Welcome Back!….

 

See my responses in RED

[Emma Chisit]

See my responses in RED

 

Thanks so much! That is extremely helpful - sounds like the Princess one-night safari is not what we want. We haven't been on safari in South Africa, but we have been on safari in Kenya, where we spent a few nights at the safari camp. Will go ahead and explore the possibilities of leaving the ship in Durban to stay several nights at a safari camp, and then rejoin in Capetown.

PS. The other info in response to royal65's questions was interesting too.

[soccerref]

Thank you so much for posting the information and your impressions of the cruise. We are very aware that we are visiting a very poor area of the world so are prepared for things to be at a different standard to our everyday life but it does help to have some pre-knowledge of what to expect.

[hillslife]

Hi all....glad you are getting some perspective from two different people...everyone sees things differently. We boarded in Capetown

 

We did use private tours with CC in many ports. The guides were very conscious of timing and getting us back to the ship. We never felt unsafe or that we were gonna miss the ship. One Princess tour was about 2 hours late and we did wait for them (it was in one of the African ports..can't remember which one now). I wouldn't think the ship would leave anyone in the African ports...that would be a real safety issue with no real infrastructure or resources, but obviously just my opinion. We never had to test the theory.

 

For Benin, Togo and Ghana our tours were organized with the same company and guides each day...(Jolinaiko Ecotours. http://Www.joli-Ecotours.com)the guides drove to the next town to meet us..so that worked out well. The only issue is the vehicles say they can hold 8-10, but with full sized adults, it was a bit cramped and not much leg room. But, we saw soooo much more and with smaller groups..so truly a trade off we were very happy with.

 

Walvis Bay/ Sandwich Harbor tour was done with Herman http://www.photoventures-Namibia.com. Excellent tour, very interesting stops, the sand dunes were so fun and scary all at the same time. Lunch provided out in the dunes...great day.

 

If you are going to Robbens Island, try to buy your tickets online before you go..they fill up fast.

 

We booked our own tour with Viator for the Cape of Good Hope/Boulders Beach for one of our per boarding days while in Capetown..booked it online and it was very good. I think we paid less than $100 for two and the ship was asking $159/pp....we spent there nights precruise in Capetown. Great city and so much to do and see. I think 3-4 nights would be perfect.

 

Hoho bus in Capetown is excellent. We hopped off and did the additional

Township tour. So interesting...amazing the way people live . At that same stop they have a used tea bag factory where the locals make fabulous things out of used, dried tea bags. Amazing.

 

Precruise we flew to Johanesburg , then to Hodespit, then a two hour drive over dirt roads for a safari in the Sabi Sands area, out side of Kruger, at Simbambilli Game Reserve...it was excellent and we loved it. They have a website and get excellent reviews on tripadvisor. I never really heard people talking about the Durbin safari...plus very expensive.

 

We did take maleria pills, Malerone, for our safari, but didn't on the ship. Some people did...personal choice.

 

We did Stellenbosh with the ship...in retrospect, I would have found or organized a private tour. We didn't get long in the town and only went to one winery. I heard from others they did a private tour and went to three wineries.

 

Hope that covers some more of your questions. We loved our experience, so happy we did it, but as said before, probably only a one time adventure. I would do a safari and Victoria falls on a future trip. But the flights to Africa are brutal, especially from California....22 hours approx.

 

Five formal nights..one a week. It was all over the field..some tuxes and formalwear, most were more casual...women in nice pants and tops. My husband took a long sleeve shirt and ties, no jacket. With our weight restrictions for the safari, we didn't have room. But it was fine. Many didn't dress up at all and did buffet dining.

 

Enjoy your adventure...it will be like nothing you have ever experienced.

[Wehwalt]

I am on the Ocean now as it does its Norway cruise. I have to defend the port lecturer. Questions can't be done during the lecture because they would be inaudible to those of us who watch on the state room television rather than attending the lecture. She almost always has office hours between the lecture and the port that is when you go and ask questions. Princess is eliminating port lecturers on most ships so be careful what you wish for. At least so far she struck me as competent and informed.

 

Now don't get me started on the worn furniture in the Tahitian lounge. Or the obstacle course the waiters and other crew in the panorama buffet make of trying to get a plate of dinner and getting it intact to where you want to eat it. I had several near collisions with waiters who are very anxious to walk at a rapid pace right through you

Edited June 16, 2014 by Wehwalt

[cwn]

Hi all....glad you are getting some perspective from two different people...everyone sees things differently. We boarded in Capetown

 

We did use private tours with CC in many ports. The guides were very conscious of timing and getting us back to the ship. We never felt unsafe or that we were gonna miss the ship. One Princess tour was about 2 hours late and we did wait for them (it was in one of the African ports..can't remember which one now). I wouldn't think the ship would leave anyone in the African ports...that would be a real safety issue with no real infrastructure or resources, but obviously just my opinion. We never had to test the theory.

 

For Benin, Togo and Ghana our tours were organized with the same company and guides each day...(Jolinaiko Ecotours. http://Www.joli-Ecotours.com)the guides drove to the next town to meet us..so that worked out well. The only issue is the vehicles say they can hold 8-10, but with full sized adults, it was a bit cramped and not much leg room. But, we saw soooo much more and with smaller groups..so truly a trade off we were very happy with............

 

.......Enjoy your adventure...it will be like nothing you have ever experienced.

 

Thank you hillslife and beg3yrs!

 

Hillslife We are using joli-Ecotours for the three ports also. But at this point we will have a 4X4 since there are only four of us. I have talked about upping that to 6 so wonder what the vehicle is like? Did you sit three to a row?

 

What did you see in Benin...we are going to the lake village and the slavery monument area. This is the one I worry about as far as traffic is concerned.

 

In Togo we are going to their village project to see a voodoo ceremony and then some places in the city. What did you do...was it interesting?

 

In Ghana we going to Jamestown area for some of the historic stuff, seeing the coffins and some craft area. These last two ports are not full day tours. I asked for shorter times since we find the heat and humidity so tiring. What did you see there.

 

What about Dakar...did anyone go to the Ille de Goree on their own? What did you do?

 

What did you do in Casablanca?

 

Thanks for the information on the Cape Town HOHO bus. Did you take it from the ship or from your hotel? Did you explore on your own once you got on the ship in Cape Town?

 

I am so glad that you and beg3yrs are posting about this cruise. What little information out there is for the 2010 and 2012 cruises and things can change so much in 3-5 years! It is great to have some current impute!!!

 

Beg3yrs, what was the arrival in Durban like? We will be getting off for an overnight trip and meet the ship the next afternoon in East London. Did it take long to get off in Durban? We will have a car and driver waiting for us.

 

We will be on the ship from Singapore to Dover. In Cape Town, what is the port like? Was there a shuttle? Was it easy to get out to sight see?...meet the HOHO Bus....were taxis easy to get? How far to say V & A Shopping area? We have talked about renting a car for the three days, but wonder of there is safe parking in the port area?

 

Carolyn

[beg3yrs]

Thank you hillslife and beg3yrs!

 

 

Beg3yrs, what was the arrival in Durban like? We will be getting off for an overnight trip and meet the ship the next afternoon in East London. Did it take long to get off in Durban? We will have a car and driver waiting for us.

 

We will be on the ship from Singapore to Dover. In Cape Town, what is the port like? Was there a shuttle? Was it easy to get out to sight see?...meet the HOHO Bus....were taxis easy to get? How far to say V & A Shopping area? We have talked about renting a car for the three days, but wonder of there is safe parking in the port area?

 

Carolyn

 

Durban was our first port in South Africa. South African immigration required a face-to-face inspection. Fortunately the inspectors boarded in Mauritius and performed the f2f on the sea day before so we were all ready to go upon docking in Durban. I don't recall any disembarkation delays in any of the South African ports.

 

In Cape Town we docked at a small cruise terminal and taxis were available right at the door. Princess ran a free shuttle about every 20 minutes over to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront mall making access very easy. The area is physically very close to the cruise terminal but it is one of those things where pedestrian access just isn't possible as there are some obstructions. The mall and the Waterfront area are loaded with shops, pubs and restaurants. It was very nice and restaurant prices were inexpensive. The closest HOHO was located adjacent to the aquarium and was about a 10 minute walk from the shuttle drop off. You had to go through the mall and then across the Waterfront. So, if you get distracted, the walk is longer.

 

I don't know about parking for rental cars at the terminal. I didn't notice any vehicles other than taxis and shuttle buses. You might want to see if the port has a web-site.

[coo359a2]

I was also on the Cape Town to Dover cruise and it was great no mater what little glitches might have cropped up. I arranged 5 private tours in Walvis Bay, Contonou, Lome, Dakar and Mindelo. I also had a precruise safari at two different game reserves - 4 nights each.

 

If any one would like a copy of my safari blog with pictures or cruise blog with pictures that I sent to my family, send me an email at tcook46 at gmail dot com. Put in the subject line which blog you are interested in.

[Colo Cruiser]

Great review!

 

My father worked in Cape Town and Durban. :)

[cwn]

beg3yrs,

 

Thank you so much for the great information!!! That is exactly what I wanted to know.

 

I hope the clearance for South Africa will again take place on the way to Durban...that will make our plans work so much better.

 

The port situation in Cape Town sounds very easy also even though we won't be off the water front.

 

Thanks

[bronte2]

We were on the Sydney to Cape Town segment and stayed for a total of 5 nights in Cape Town.

I don't recall any delays in getting off the ship in Durban either.

The HOHO bus is great and it has two routes, the blue and the red. Both are very worthwhile. As it was such a great day when the ship arrived we headed straight for the bus and got off at the cable car station for the trip to the top of Table Mountain. Wow. Absolutely brilliant. We were very lucky as the mountain is often shrouded in cloud. Highly recommended if the weather is kind.

A couple of days later, we took the alternative route and hopped off at Hout Bay which is just beautiful. We had a great lunch at Mariner's Wharf as Hout Bay is where the fishing fleet is based. On both routes, the bus returns via the coast passing such lovely spots as Camps Bay where you can get off if you choose.

We thought the buses were a wonderful way to see some of the sights and the audio commentary is very interesting as well.

 

The concierge in our hotel was able to book tickets for us to Robben Is but unfortunately due to the sea conditions the trip was cancelled. The trip to the Cape of Good Hope is well worth it too.

 

Just be prepared for the weather in Cape Town. The locals joke that you can never tell what it will be like. We had 1 day which was sunny and hot (the day we went up to Table Mountain), the rest of the time was mainly chilly and windy with some occasional showers so make sure you have some warm clothing.

[cwn]

Thanks bronte2,

 

We spent 5 days in Cape Town several years ago on a 4 month trip between safaris in Kruger and Tanzania, but we didn't do the HOHO or much of anything in Cape Town proper other than rest up between the safaris and get caught up on "stuff'. We did drive out of town along the coast on several days and go over to A&F for dinner several nights. So I want to explore Cape Town proper. Glad to know both HOHO routes are good.

 

Carolyn

[caribill]

In Cape Town we docked at a small cruise terminal and taxis were available right at the door. Princess ran a free shuttle about every 20 minutes over to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront mall making access very easy. The area is physically very close to the cruise terminal but it is one of those things where pedestrian access just isn't possible as there are some obstructions. The mall and the Waterfront area are loaded with shops, pubs and restaurants.

 

The picture at http://africacb.homestead.com/WKG02M007.html shows the waterfront.

 

The V&A Mall is at the center left (small blue topped buildings) and when we were there a while ago, the cruise pier was the one in the middle of the picture.

[hillslife]

Hi Tina..glad you popped in. Tina was a great organizer for many of our Cc tours....I will try to find my tour itineraries for the African tours and post them.

 

Benin we did go to Quidah...long drive, VERY bumpy roads and mega traffic. Security stops along the way...but interesting to see the slave trail area and monuments. Also visited the sacred snake temple...people could actually hold them and coil them around their necks..no thanks. Took a small boat out to the stilt village...very interesting. They even have a small gift shop area we stopped at to "get gas".

 

Togo...We also went to the village for the voodoo ceremony, traditional dancing, saw a blessing of a newborn baby, heard some of their folk lore, toured the village and had a traditional lunch cooked by the tribe. ( I had pb&j from the ship), but many ate the food and said it was delicious and no adverse reactions.

 

Ghana...we visited the coffins, fetish market, Jamestown walking tour, kids church service..very cute and they honored us and shook our hands, we joined in the singing as we knew the same songs we used to sing, fish market, shopping.

 

Dakar..we were on an organized CC tour...so did city site seeing and then the ferry boat ride out to the island. Could gave stayed out there much longer....very interesting.

 

Casablanca ...wanted to do Marrakesh, but Princess didn't offer it. Since it is about three hours from the port, we didn't want to try it on our own and miss the ship...so we did the ships Casablanca and Rabat tour. There were 6 buses, but we weren't all in the same places at the same time.

 

All the tours were excellent, very informative and such different stuff..it was all new to us.

 

We caught the hoho bus from our hotel cause we boarded in Capetown...stayed right on the V&A waterfront..so very walkable.

 

Dolores

[hillslife]

Our tour schedules...FYI

 

GOREE ISLAND AND CITY TOUR

Departure from the SHIP for a small panoramic drive .You will have a panoramic view of Place de l'independence and Kermel Market before a 20 minute ferry to Goree Island. We will be on Goree Island for approximately 2 ½ hours. We walk around Goree Island – a historical place because from this Island thousands and thousands of Africans have left their countries and been brought to America as slaves. Departure from Goree Island at around 12h30. Arrival of the ferry in Dakar and heading to LES ALMADIES for lunch

 

Departure from LES ALMADIES after lunch and beginning of the visits of Dakar with panoramic sight of revelation mosque - visit of village artisanal de Soumbedioune - market of Tilene , market of Sandaga presidential palace and back to the ship at around 16h30

 

Tour price includes: Tour with AC Minivan, van or coach with a professional English speaking guide, mineral water during the tour, visit fees and lunch

[cwn]

Our tour schedules...FYI

 

GOREE ISLAND AND CITY TOUR

Departure from the SHIP.......Tour price includes: Tour with AC Minivan, van or coach with a professional English speaking guide, mineral water during the tour, visit fees and lunch

 

Thanks sounds like our tours with Ecotours are similar to yours. Good to know you thought it was OK.

 

Do you remember what the price of the ships tour to Goree? That actually sounds like a good tour, I just don't like to do the big group lunches.

 

Thanks,

Carolyn

[hillslife]

Cariolyn, I don't remember specifically...,but I remember thinking that is very expensive. I will look through my stack of cruise stuff and see if I kept the excursion sheets. But all the ships tours were $$$$ on this itinerary ...maybe due to logistics.

 

I haste the big two hour lunches also...wastes too much time:mad: