African Safari Cruises and MS Royal Star?

[soccerref]

I would love any information on this ship and the Seychelles, Zanzibar and Madagascar. We are booked for next July.

 

Thank you SR

[hybrn8]

Are you USA based or UK? This looks like my kind of ship. Hope someone reading this can tell you/me about it.

[bcscot]

I sailed on the Royal Star in 1986 when she was the Ocean Cruise Lines, Ocean Islander. She is a nice little vessel. I crossed the Atlantic on her twice but I have to say that she does not take the heavy seas too well. I would however love to sail on her one more time.

 

I believe that the African Safari Club use Indonesian waiters & cabin stewards on her. Having sailed with Holland America Lines many times, I think that the Indonesian crew are wonderful & would add to any cruise experience.

 

I do not know if Royal Star will survive the SOLAS regulations in 2010, so enjoy sailing on this special little ship while you get the chance. Your cruise may not be a luxury experience but it may still be a wonderful one.

[soccerref]

Thank you for the info about the ship. You have confirmed what I had heard about her being small and old fashioned but the itinerary was the selling point. It will be a bit of a shock since our last cruise was on Norwegian Pearl which is 93,000 tons compared to 5,600 tons for the Royal Star.

I am from the UK and booked the holiday through ‘African Safari Club’ who owns the ship. My DH are tied to school holidays and, hopefully without sounding bigheaded, we have done the Med, Caribbean, US, SE Asia etc and we love cruising. This was the only alternative we could find that goes to places we have not yet experienced. My DH has always been fascinated by Zanzibar since his childhood stamp collecting days so we are really looking forward to the experience.

[SpikeH]

We sailed on the Royal Star in 1998 along with a week in Kenya and a small safari. Cabins are small and the bathrooms are very small, no TV or fridge. We enjoyed sailing in her but due to her size you will notice if the sea is rough. Suggest you have tablets available. Good mix of passengers from around the world. Itinerary was a week in Kenya (Mombasa). Mahe, La Digue, Nosy Be, Mayotte, Zanzibar and return to Mombasa. They were using the USA dollar on board and this was accepted everywhere except Mayotte which used the French franc. We needed cash to pay for visas in Kenya and Zanzibar.

 

Seychelles - overnight stay in the port of Victoria. Very good tour of the island in the morning including time on a beach. Walked around Victoria in the afternoon before sailing in the evening. Anchored off La Digue next day. Tenders to Praslin as well as La Digue for tour of that island. We spent the day on the beach. Great beaches!

Nosy Be, Madagascar - anchored off Hellville and did full day tour. This included lunch and time to relax on a beach. Very good way to see the island. Would not go independently.

 

Mayotte - French island, we just went on the tender to the port of Mamoudzou to stretch our legs and look at the shops. Like a lot of France, not many English speakers.

 

Zanzibar - We did a morning tour of Stone Town which also included a visit to a spice farm. Quite a good tour and would recommend it. In Stone Town (Old City) we visited the Anglican Cathedral on the site of the old slave market, walked through the Old City area and the Markets and the Fort and Sultan’s Palace.

 

I am certain that you will enjoy your trip, both to the destinations and the ship itself. It’s reassuring to know that you have the ship to go back to at the end of the day. The trip up the Amazon to Manaus is also recommended if you are looking for other destinations.

Regards

Mike.

[soccerref]

Thanks for the info Mike. I have printed it and put it in the holiday file for reference. I love the idea of the Amazon (in fact I just want to see everywhere - oh to be Michal Palin!) but can't do the itinerary until we retire as it doesn't go in school holidays.

 

Hope you continue to enjoy your cruises.

Regards SR

[bcscot]

I take it that you are not saying that the Royal Star goes up the Amazon, but that you are talking about other cruise ships?

 

I got as far as Belem on the Amazon delta on Royal Star when she was the Ocean Islander. We also went up the Orinocho in Venezuela. Incidently the Ocean Islander's sister ship, Ocean Princess, sank in the Amazon but was salvaged & now sails for Louis Cruises in the Med.

[SpikeH]

We went on Cunard's Caronia, now Saga Ruby, up the Amazon. Manaus is approx 1,000 miles inland and you can get a good "feel" for the area whilst not roughing it. I think that nearly a quarter of the world's fresh water flowing into the sea comes down the Amazon. Amazing to sail up it on a ship. Not boring either as there is always something to see and there are five places to stop and visit.

 

Fred Olsen's Braemar has been going there, next cruise Feb 2008 from/to Barbados. Other small to medium ships such as Seabourn also have this itinerary and I am sure that other people can give details of others if you need. Linda liked this cruise because the majority was on a river and no problem with rough seas!

 

Mike.