Roxburgh Posted August 22, 2015 #1 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Is Manaus one of those ports that it is best to let Seabourn do the hotel/transfer or is it okay to do your own thing? Opinions/experience welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patnlcc Posted August 22, 2015 #2 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Can't help you with transfer information but I can tell you that Manaus is a much bigger city than you ever imagined so give yourself plenty of time. Do try to see the Opera House before you leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosier74 Posted August 22, 2015 #3 Share Posted August 22, 2015 We did the Seabourn transfer in '14. It was worth it in that we had a place to go for the day after we left the ship...our flight didn't leave until mid afternoon. I'm sure you could work in some sort of tour (opera house included) for the day and get taken to the airport at the end of it. Or you could get your own taxi and as was said, leave plenty of time. The hotel Seabourn took us to was the Tropical which was nice enough but very crowded, but also close to the airport. The airport was a mess, vast remodeling getting ready for the World Cup. I hope that is finished now. I would think that arriving in Manaus, would be pretty trouble free. We loved our trip up the Amazon. Fabulous experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 22, 2015 #4 Share Posted August 22, 2015 As others have said, Manaus is a large city. I would first investigate hotels to see what you can get on your own and see if the hotel would arrange the transfer for you. This is something I would have my TA take care of. The downtown area is about a 30 minute drive from the cruise ship terminal from what I remember. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxburgh Posted August 22, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted August 22, 2015 As others have said, Manaus is a large city. I would first investigate hotels to see what you can get on your own and see if the hotel would arrange the transfer for you. This is something I would have my TA take care of. The downtown area is about a 30 minute drive from the cruise ship terminal from what I remember. Keith Our TA told us which hotel Seabourn was using. I checked online and found that I could get rooms from US$ 107. Seabourn want $902 :eek: My main concern is security/safety. If Manaus is considered safe and I can just jump in a taxi then I am happy to do it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 22, 2015 #6 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Roxburgh, we felt fine in Manaus. We had a private tour that day that our TA arranged for us. I would feel fine in a Taxi. We felt very comfortable during our tour. You still could have the hotel arrange for a private car for you. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laylam Posted August 23, 2015 #7 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) Is Manaus one of those ports that it is best to let Seabourn do the hotel/transfer or is it okay to do your own thing? Opinions/experience welcome. We had a frightening experience on disembarking. We chose to disembark the night before scheduled, as we had a 3.40am flight. Seabourn ordered us a taxi for 12mn and we were escorted/helped to the Port gates with our luggage about 11.30pm, then left standing there alone. Just outside the port gates was a bus shelter, housing several homeless people. We were soon surrounded by beggars and felt quite unsafe. We retreated to where Security Guards sat, which was a long way back from the gates. P.S. 35 murders in 3 days last month http://mashable.com/2015/07/23/manaus-brazil-murders-weekend/ Edited August 23, 2015 by Laylam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2SailingNomads Posted August 23, 2015 #8 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) Roxburgh: the city itself is diverse and as others said large (and very much 3rd world from what we saw). As for hotels, based on our experience several years ago where we opted for the "top rated" B&B, as opposed to the Seabourn hotel, my advice is: do not stay anywhere except where Seabourn is putting people up. I grew up relatively poor and when we travelled it was the cheapest place my Dad could find but compared to that "best" B & B those were 4 star places. As for taxis: we used them no issue except that although I can converse somewhat in Spanish I am not conversant in Portuguese so once the person from the B&B called the taxi and told him where we wanted to go we were unable to tell him to stop and let us out somewhere. Edited August 23, 2015 by 2SailingNomads Add taxi experience Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haworth Posted August 23, 2015 #9 Share Posted August 23, 2015 We were in Manaus in 2013 for three days prior to our Amazon cruise, we stayed at the Tropical Hotel, the same one used by Seabourn. We did not do the Seabourn transfer as we had been travelling on our own up to that point. We used a local guide and driver for a morning trip to the opera house, market etc with a drop off at the ship. I don't know if things have changed since the World Cup but there was a shortage of hotels when we stayed and the Tropical was the best of a bad bunch, the area around the hotel felt very safe and we were happy to walk round. Finally apologies but I don't know the name of the local agency as it was part of an overall trip through S America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted August 23, 2015 #10 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Our TA told us which hotel Seabourn was using. I checked online and found that I could get rooms from US$ 107. Seabourn want $902 :eek: My main concern is security/safety. If Manaus is considered safe and I can just jump in a taxi then I am happy to do it that way. Perfect example of why one should never book a hotel through a cruise line. Book yourself and have the hotel arrange transfers. Your TA can handle it for you, as Keith has advised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxburgh Posted August 23, 2015 Author #11 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Perfect example of why one should never book a hotel through a cruise line. Book yourself and have the hotel arrange transfers. Your TA can handle it for you, as Keith has advised. Looks like that is the way to go. I did look online and there seem to be reputable Limo companies in Manaus. But I will allow myself to be guided by the hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 23, 2015 #12 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Henry is right. Based on the difference in price you can have the hotel get you a private transfer from ship to hotel and ship to airport and pay significantly below what Seabourn will charge you. I did like the downtown areas and do see the opera house. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted August 23, 2015 #13 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Looks like that is the way to go. I did look online and there seem to be reputable Limo companies in Manaus. But I will allow myself to be guided by the hotel. Ask the hotel about the transfer they will provide and see what the cost is and then compare it to what you found on line. See if trip advisor mentions the companies. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxburgh Posted August 23, 2015 Author #14 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Ask the hotel about the transfer they will provide and see what the cost is and then compare it to what you found on line. See if trip advisor mentions the companies. Keith Thanks Keith. Will do all of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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