Just off Ocean's West Africa cruise?

[cwn]

Senegal had full-size buses with A/C and yes we did that tour. The tour had decent sights and took you all around the Dakar peninsula. There were two stops with shopping. One was quite extensive with all sorts of goodies, kind of like a sook in Arabia. Vendors were "out there" but not as bad as Ghana. The other stop was at the sand painting shop where in addition to sand paintings there was a nice little stand with an assortment of trinkets at decent prices from where the bargaining would start. In Senegal at the port there was an ad-hoc setup of vendors right in front of the shop as well. If you missed anything on tour you had a good chance of finding it there as well.

 

Thanks...the tour sounds OK. Did you feel like you had enough time on Goree? Seems like that is the highlight of this port? I haven't found a private tour for this stop and DH thinks I am crazy to even look lol!

 

What was the cost/timing?

[beg3yrs]

Thanks...the tour sounds OK. Did you feel like you had enough time on Goree? Seems like that is the highlight of this port? I haven't found a private tour for this stop and DH thinks I am crazy to even look lol!

 

What was the cost/timing?

 

Sorry, I missed that comment in your previous post. We didn't go to Goree on our tour, just around the peninsular part Dakar. After our other stops with supply-side slavery education, we weren't ready for more.

 

The tour we did was:

Dakar, Senegal 7AM 6PM City Drive & Handicraft Village DKR200A 9:00AM 1:00PM $ 158.00 (for two)

[SkystheLimit]

Thank you to both posters. Not sure if we can ever make this trip so we do appreciate the narratives. Fascinating information about the countries and the people.

[Wehwalt]

There's probably some discussion of this somewhere but in my experience the two small ships the Ocean and Pacific are much more liberal about bringing alcohol on board then say the Caribbean while on a party cruise.

[cwn]

Thank you beg3yrs, hillslife, MandE-UK, bronte2 and coo359a2 for taking your time to provide all the wonderful tour and ship information from your the May 2014 Ocean Princess cruise! You have answered many of the questions I had about cruising in this part of the world.

 

I also want to thank royal65 for starting this thread for all of us who are booked for 2015 or thinking about booking a cruise to this part of the world....it is definitely the road (sea) less traveled! It is great to have all the current information.

 

I know this will be a memorable cruise!!!

Carolyn

[Cruiserkenn]

Thank you beg3yrs, hillslife, MandE-UK, bronte2 and coo359a2 for taking your time to provide all the wonderful tour and ship information from your the May 2014 Ocean Princess cruise! You have answered many of the questions I had about cruising in this part of the world.

 

I also want to thank royal65 for starting this thread for all of us who are booked for 2015 or thinking about booking a cruise to this part of the world....it is definitely the road (sea) less traveled! It is great to have all the current information.

 

I know this will be a memorable cruise!!!

Carolyn

 

I second the notion! :)

[ssawjo]

First, I want to thank all of you for your posts about your experiences on the cruise. It is appreciated since we will be going next year.

 

Question: Do you know of anyone who ventured out to the castles at Cape Coast in Ghana? If so, do you recall what they said about it?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

[beg3yrs]

First, I want to thank all of you for your posts about your experiences on the cruise. It is appreciated since we will be going next year.

 

Question: Do you know of anyone who ventured out to the castles at Cape Coast in Ghana? If so, do you recall what they said about it?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

 

You are all very welcome. It's nice to give back to all the folk at Cruise Critic who have helped us in the past.

 

Sorry, I don't know of anyone who did that. Before this post I had not even heard about the castles at Cape Coast in Ghana.

Edited June 21, 2014 by beg3yrs

[Emma Chisit]

First, I want to thank all of you for your posts about your experiences on the cruise. It is appreciated since we will be going next year.

 

Question: Do you know of anyone who ventured out to the castles at Cape Coast in Ghana? If so, do you recall what they said about it?

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

 

Yes, again I would like to say how grateful I am for those from the 2014 cruise who have shared their experiences and are keeping this useful thread alive..

 

As for the Cape Coast question....As it happens DH & I have been to Ghana a few times, but not for over ten years. We have been to the Cape Coast, but it was a long and slow day trip from central Accra (2-3 hours each way). Remember also that our ship is docked at Tema, which is about an hour's drive from Accra, on the other side of the city from the Cape Coast region. From what I hear, the traffic in Accra nowadays is much worse than when I was last there. Travel time alone to Cape Coast looks like being 6-8 hours. So, and regretfully, we would not attempt a day trip to Cape Coast during this port stop. A shame, as it is very interesting and UNESCO heritage-listed. Wish Princess would offer it, but clearly they have decided it is in the too hard basket. However, I do recommend posing the question on other travel forums like Trip Advisor for more up to date information than mine.

[Cruiserkenn]

Sorry, I missed that comment in your previous post. We didn't go to Goree on our tour, just around the peninsular part Dakar. After our other stops with supply-side slavery education, we weren't ready for more.

 

The tour we did was:

Dakar, Senegal 7AM 6PM City Drive & Handicraft Village DKR200A 9:00AM 1:00PM $ 158.00 (for two)

 

I don't mean this question to be political or sarcastic. I am truly interested. Nothing more intended.

 

Here's my question: what was involved with supply side- slavery education? Was this talks about historical slavery, or stops at sights, or both? Was this about the 19th century, or earlier?

 

Thanks in advance for any information that can be provided.

[beg3yrs]

I don't mean this question to be political or sarcastic. I am truly interested. Nothing more intended.

 

Here's my question: what was involved with supply side- slavery education? Was this talks about historical slavery' date=' or stops at sights, or both? Was this about the 19th century, or earlier?

 

Thanks in advance for any information that can be provided.[/quote']

 

It was both sights and talks (from our guides) and mostly 19th century but a little bit about the earlier activities as well.

 

Overall it really opened up my understanding outside the limits of my US-centric education about slavery. It was a sad business with lots of moving parts. We felt after hearing about it in two countries with a minor amount of repetition, seeing some places where slaves were gathered for sale and shipment as well as a few monuments and memorials, a third experience would have been too much. It was interesting the guides were very stoic and matter-of-fact about what they said. I never felt they had an agenda other than getting their information out there.

[MandE-UK]

I spoke to the guides in Togo Benin and Senegal and all of them said that slavery had been going on amongst the tribes themselves well before any white man became involved. Many of the local tribes were only too ready to cash in their goods once the opportunity was presented. One guide even offered the opinion that many of the people sent into slavery may have found better lives on the plantations. I was astounded to hear this from an African, but seeing how many of them still live he could have a point.

.

[libby10205]

I am hoping to be fly out the day we dock in Dover. How quickly did the debarkation go? Do you think we could make a 1:00 pm flight?

[paul929207]

It is a long way to both Gatwick and Heathrow. As I recall 2 hours plus. We have stayed over and flew out the following day.

 

I notice you are from Greenville. We live just past Furman.

[paul929207]

When we did this cruise in 2010, there was a wonderful Welcome performance on the pier. Singers, dancers, musicians and several guy on real tall stilts.

[beg3yrs]

I am hoping to be fly out the day we dock in Dover. How quickly did the debarkation go? Do you think we could make a 1:00 pm flight?

 

Princess officially recommends no later than 1PM for Gatwick and 3PM for Heathrow if your ship docks at 7AM.

 

That said, for our particular journey, tidal and port constraints required us to dock at 2AM rather than the originally scheduled 5AM arrival. The revised onboard transfer requirements were flights no earlier than 11AM for Gatwick and 1PM for Heathrow. Be aware your mileage may vary as the situation could be different next year.

 

Disembarkation was so easy. As over half the ship was Elite, we didn't bother with going to the Elite/Platinum lounge (in the Tahitian Lounge deck 10 BTW) so we just showed up for our group's departure at the designated time. Our group had already left! We sauntered off and there were zero lines for UK immigration, just went right up to the desk, answered a few questions and we were off to gather our baggage which was also so simple. Used a trolley to take it to the Princess bus and off to Heathrow it went. As Paul said, it was about a two hour ride.

 

Personally I like to arrive for an international flight two hours ahead of time. For a 1PM flight that would mean getting to the airport at 11AM which would require a 9AM departure from Dover (assuming Heathrow, Gatwick is at least 45 minutes closer). If Princess doesn't make that possible, I suppose a private transfer could be easily arranged as it seems getting off the ship by 9AM seems very feasible, even for the usual 5AM arrival.

[beg3yrs]

When we did this cruise in 2010, there was a wonderful Welcome performance on the pier. Singers, dancers, musicians and several guy on real tall stilts.

 

We had the same thing in Benin this year. As you said, it was wonderful.

[Cruiserkenn]

It was both sights and talks (from our guides) and mostly 19th century but a little bit about the earlier activities as well.

 

Overall it really opened up my understanding outside the limits of my US-centric education about slavery. It was a sad business with lots of moving parts. We felt after hearing about it in two countries with a minor amount of repetition, seeing some places where slaves were gathered for sale and shipment as well as a few monuments and memorials, a third experience would have been too much. It was interesting the guides were very stoic and matter-of-fact about what they said. I never felt they had an agenda other than getting their information out there.

 

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and illuminating comments. I so appreciate hearing about your experiences.

 

Thanks, also, for sharing your experiences concerning the guides.

 

What an amazing trip you had.

 

Thanks again.

[Cruiserkenn]

I spoke to the guides in Togo Benin and Senegal and all of them said that slavery had been going on amongst the tribes themselves well before any white man became involved. Many of the local tribes were only too ready to cash in their goods once the opportunity was presented. One guide even offered the opinion that many of the people sent into slavery may have found better lives on the plantations. I was astounded to hear this from an African, but seeing how many of them still live he could have a point.

.

 

Thanks, also, for sharing your incredible experiences. This was truly educational, in the finest sense.

 

Thanks so much!

[caribill]

Princess officially recommends no later than 1PM for Gatwick and 3PM for Heathrow if your ship docks at 7AM.

 

 

 

Earlier?

[beg3yrs]

Earlier?

 

Doh! Yes, earlier. Thanks for the catch.

 

Even though I review my posts before final submission, during the last couple of days I've done something like that more than once. I suppose I need another cruise ...

[brucedodge]

When we did this cruise in 2010, there was a wonderful Welcome performance on the pier. Singers, dancers, musicians and several guy on real tall stilts.

 

Paul,

 

Like this? ;)

 

 

Bruce

[paul929207]

Yes, that is it. I looked for my head in your video, but didn't see me.

[stoneharborlady]

Hi, I have a friend in Togo with her husband and three children for the next 7 weeks. She is quite concerned since the ebola virus is supposed to be rampant right now in that area. Were you cautioned about anything in connection with this virus from the ship?

 

Karen

[beg3yrs]

Hi, I have a friend in Togo with her husband and three children for the next 7 weeks. She is quite concerned since the ebola virus is supposed to be rampant right now in that area. Were you cautioned about anything in connection with this virus from the ship?

 

Karen

 

Not a word was said on the ship although I had read about it in the news. Yes, the virus is in the nearby areas but I haven't yet read any reports of it being in any of the countries we visited.