Amazon River cruise

[MoneyGuy]

We're very interested in cruising on this fabulous river. The Amazon intrigues me. We've cruised on the Nile and the Amazon fascinates me for very different reasons. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has cruised on the Amazon and your experiences and any comments.

 

Some Amazon/rainforest facts I've read:

- Apparently, the Amazon has more species of fish than the Atlantic ocean does.

- The point where the Negro (sp?) River meets the Amazon is visible from space, wth the black water meeting the Amazon.

- Apparently, this river which is the world's largest is bigger (as measured by water volumes) is larger than the next 10 largest combined! WOW!

- 20% of all of the water that the world's rivers pour into oceans comes from the Amazon.

- The river is six to 10 km wide, wider in rainy season.

 

This river does fascinate us. Please tell me your experiences on this river.

[MercedMike]

It was a while back that we did this cruise, but we LOVED it. Your facts are right but they can't compare to actually seeing it. Don't forget the pink dolphins, jumping in the river.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/royalprincess.html

 

You will have a GREAT cruise!

[dfb]

Don't forget that it is so wide at the mouth of the river that there is an island the size of Switzerland in the middle and that the fresh water extends over a hundred miles in the Atlantic.

 

Below is the link to our cruise journal beginning with entering the Amazon River. Enjoy. The Amazon basin is an enormous and astounding area.

Debbie

 

http://journals.aol.com/dfriia/circle-south-america-2008-aboard/entries/2008/02/17/day-45---february-17-2008---sailing-the-amazon-river/1791

[MoneyGuy]

Good reading, guys. It just makes me want to see this amazing river even more. Wow!

[MoneyGuy]

I realize that price will depend on many factors, but I was wondering if someone can give me an idea of what it is likely to cost for a seven- to 10-day Amazon cruise. Five grand per person, more, less. I'm just looking for a ballpark idea. Also, what is the typical length? Again, ballpark idea. Thanks.

[piper28]

Princess does 14 day cruises, Fort Lauderdale to Manaus or the reverse. Balcony's seem to run about $3200 to $3500 per person (or at least that's what they were running for the one we booked recently, and oddly this cruise doesn't seem to have the usual huge markup for christmas that other ones do). Princess air from Detroit was another $1100 (and keep in mind that airfare to or from Manaus is kinda limited, so this is one cruise air might be worth it).

[dfb]

Good question. I don't know if there are any that are that short 7-10 days! Ours was part of a 60-day circumnavigation, though it was split into segments that could be purchased individually and Manaus at the furthest point up river of the Amazon was an embark/disembark or start/stop point. That being said I looked up the segment lengths and prices for you, but keep in mind that RSSC is not doing this cruise next year, sorry.

Buenos Aires, Argentina to Manaus, Brazil - CRUISE NIGHTS 17 $8,850

Manaus, Brazil to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA CRUISE NIGHTS 12 $5,995

 

Debbie

[bobesmith]

I realize that price will depend on many factors, but I was wondering if someone can give me an idea of what it is likely to cost for a seven- to 10-day Amazon cruise. Five grand per person, more, less. I'm just looking for a ballpark idea. Also, what is the typical length? Again, ballpark idea. Thanks.

 

Check IETravel.com

 

If you take the trip make it on a small ship, not Princess or whatever which cannot explore the preserves. 4-5K PP for about 10 days Inc. Lima

[cjpj]

I realize that price will depend on many factors, but I was wondering if someone can give me an idea of what it is likely to cost for a seven- to 10-day Amazon cruise. Five grand per person, more, less. I'm just looking for a ballpark idea. Also, what is the typical length? Again, ballpark idea. Thanks.

 

Hello MoneyGuy,

I just booked Princess Amazon 14 days on the Royal for Jan 2010 for about 9,000.00 for two - including airfare from Toronto from an internet discount agency. Will probably end up booking my own airfare, but with the increase in airfares lately thought I'd book Princess air - just in case. BTY, see you are from Spruce Grove -- I'm originally from Edmonton.

CJPJ

[DebsUK]

Cjpj, Would you mind telling me what category cabin you have and roughly what the break down is in price for the air. DH and I are booked for 14nights on the Royal in April 2010 (Amazon) which right now is directly with Princess. I too am looking at flights out of Toronto so am curious as to what you have found. I'm probably going to transfer my booking to a TA, internet or otherwise depending on price.

 

Thxs,

 

Deb.

[paul929207]

We did a land tour last year with Overseas Adventure Travel (part of Grand Circle). It included Lima and 6 nights on a small (22 passenger) riverboat on the upper Amazon in Peru. It was wonderful. It is 11 days with prices starting at $1995/person. This includes air from Miami.

 

We had a great time.

[cjpj]

Cjpj, Would you mind telling me what category cabin you have and roughly what the break down is in price for the air. DH and I are booked for 14nights on the Royal in April 2010 (Amazon) which right now is directly with Princess. I too am looking at flights out of Toronto so am curious as to what you have found. I'm probably going to transfer my booking to a TA, internet or otherwise depending on price.

 

Thxs,

 

Deb.

 

Hi Deb,

We have a BA balcony - one of the rear facing cabins. I booked the Princess Air right now, for the price it is difficult to beat. But from reading other posts on these boards, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Princess air was just under $US-1100 each plus $170 each for transfers and hotel. I would like to spend a few days in Manaus after - if I can (ie-if I have enough money left). Princess air from Miami to Manaus is just 499.00. One way to cut costs on the airfare would be to book a round trip ticket from YYZ to MIA (or even cheaper BUF to MIA) and just get to Ft. Lauderdale which is easy enough and use Princess air for the MIA to MAO portion. I have seen some reasonable flights from Manaus to NYC and MIA. Of course you can't look seriously at air fare until one year out.

If you want to discuss off line, feel free to email me at cindyjenkins at rogers dot com.

Cindy

[TCF]

Thought this might interest folks looking at getting to the Amazon from the western side of North America.

We're booked on the HAL Veendam at the end of September from Vanacouver to Tampa (reposition) that gets there via Mexico, Panama, Caribbean and the Amazon.

It is 36 days from Vancouver, but you can also do 28 days from San Diego. The cost for a Verandah B cabin for two of us with taxes, port fees, etc all in is about $16,000 CDN. Airfare from Tampa home is about $750 CDN.

The cost of this cruise is just about $1500 more than the Med cruise we booked with Carnival for the same time, then cancelled when this one came along. The cost of the Med crusie covered airfare, excursions, four nights in Rome and some other extras....but is was for 12 days...not 36!

According to HAL's website they still have some Verandah cabins left...all the suites have been gone since before we booked two months ago...so if anyone is interested check it out. This is the last year they are doing this reposition...and it is a good deal.

[patkusps]

To all of you who have booked or are thinking about booking this trip, below is a copy of my trip journal for the Amazon portion of the recent 39 day cruise my wife Ann and I just finished from Jamaica to London, which included 12 days in the Amazon Basin. It was an incredible journey and one that is not to be missed. It is a hassle getting the visa and the yellow fever shots, etc. but well worth it.:)

 

 

Our Amazon Adventure

 

April 8, 2008 & April 9, 2008 Days at Sea

We had two relaxing days at sea. We attended lectures where we learned many interesting facts about South America, Brazil and the Amazon Basin, we read on the deck (we both finished our books), we played games (Ann won 7 games in a row at backgammon, due to her excellent teacher), we played trivia games each night, one night teaming up with a couple of Brits and the next night with a couple of New Zealanders, and we danced the night away at the deck party one evening. We also squeezed in a couple of one mile walks on the observation deck and Ann attended some aerobic classes.

April 10, 2008 Entering the Amazon Basin

This morning we entered the Amazon Basin and the water turned from turquoise green to a muddy brown. The floods are very bad this year although we haven’t seen any serious rain yet. This evening we will cross the equator. We are beginning to look for Piranhas and pink dolphins. The weather has been mostly hot and sunny with a few passing showers. This is the life – almost too good to be true.

April 11, 2008 Cruising the Amazon River

We crossed the Equator today and it feels like we are in an oven (very similar to Thailand). It is exciting to be on the Amazon. The Amazon River basin is the largest in the world. If it were superimposed on the United States it would cover almost all of the lower forty eight states and parts of Canada and Mexico. The Portuguese called it “Rio Mar” which means “River Sea”. At one time the Amazon basin was actually an inland sea until about 10,000 years ago when it breached the Atlantic Ocean and the river basin was formed. A couple of interesting facts: At no point on the 4,100 miles of the river is it crossed by a bridge and the amount of freshwater that flows into the Atlantic in one day is enough to supply every person in New York City with water for two years. The water that flows in the Atlantic is potable for about 100 miles offshore before it becomes salty. Our journey on the river will take us over 1,000 miles inland to the city of Manaus. We are starting to see many little villages and some of the villagers come out to greet us in their small canoes.

April 12, 2008 Boca de Valeria

Today we stopped at the village of Boca de Valeria which is a village of stilted houses and dugout canoes nestled on the banks of the flooded Amazon River. During the rainy season the height of the river will rise up to fifty feet therefore all the villages are built on stilts to accommodate the rise and fall of the river. The locals are called Caboclos and they are descendents of Portuguese settlers who intermarried with Indians. The entire village came out to greet us, especially the children who were very eager to be your personal guide. Our first stop was the one room schoolhouse – the school taught 35 students of various levels and the walls were decorated with examples of their writing, math skills and art work. We had brought some much need supplies with us (paper, pens, pencils, packs of art stickers and candy) and made a donation to both the school and the church. The village is very poor but the people seem very healthy and happy. The kids led us up a muddy path past houses and into the rainforest. Along way children and adults were dressed in native costumes and posing for pictures for a dollar. We also see parrots, iguanas, and many local birds but no mosquitos. It was a very hot and muggy day (like DC in August) so we opted for a boat ride on a dugout canoe and explored the village from the water. Then we had a refreshing beer and back to the ship. At tonight’s trivia quiz we learned two new words (graphospasm & somnambulist). Do you know what they mean?

April 13, 2008 Cruising the Amazon River and arrival in Manaus

We started our busy day with a two mile walk on the observation deck followed by the Interdenominational church service. Patrick then made new friends in the scrabble tournament which he won. We took a Portuguese class given by one of the dancers who was from Madeira, Portugal. We thought it might come in handy for ordering cervesa, vino, etc. since we will be in Manaus for three days and on the river for another week. Just prior to our arrival Ann saw a pink dolphin which is indigenous to only the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. The next interesting sight we saw is known as the “Meeting of the Waters” where the acid black Rio Negro and the yellow muddy nutrient rich Amazon flow side by side for some six miles before intermingling. The two rivers do not mix due to the temperature and acidity composition of their waters. It is an amazing sight. Manaus is the Capitol of the Amazonas State. It was once the rubber capital of the world but is now an unattractive major industrial center on the fringe of the wilderness one thousand miles from the Atlantic Ocean. As we enter the port we are greeted with a thundershower, one of many we will experience the next few days. Tonight the sunset was awesome I captured some great photos.

April 14, 2008 Amazon Experience

Today we took an all day tour called “Amazon Experience” – It was fabulous. First we cruised the Rio Negro in a local boat and got a close up view of the "mingling of the waters" then we visited a native village. The children who greeted us looked like they were holding stuffed animals but upon closer observation we realized they were three toed sloths. We observed how the locals harvested rubber, made bread and tapioca from the Manioc roots, and filleted the local fish. After a brief shopping break to buy local made jewelry and handicrafts we boarded small motorized canoes and took a trip that took us deep into the jungle. We saw locals in dugout canoes, one had a ten foot boa constrictor and they were coming up beside our boat for photos (of course they were looking for $$ if you took their picture). Our next stop we went out on a boardwalk built over the river to a lily pond where we saw a ten foot caiman (they look like crocodiles). We were then treated to a delicious lunch of local foods and fresh fish on a floating restaurant before boarding our boat for the ride back to the ship. It was a truly awesome day and quite frankly indescribable experience.

April 15, 2008 Manaus

Today we took a tour of Manaus, there was not much to see except for the local market, a small museum and the opera house. The opera house was constructed during the rubber boom. Everything to build it was imported from Europe and no expense was spared. It is a jewel in the jungle.

April 16, 2008 Parintins

Parintins was our next stop and we hired pedicabs with some new friends and took a tour of the town. It was not a fancy town but very clean and friendly. If it was in Ireland it would probably win a “Tidy Town Award”. We enjoyed this town very much. The ship had a tour called "Boi Bumba" which is show of local dances and singers. It cost $150pp so we opted out but everyone we talked to that attended said it was worth the expense. Today was our tablemate’s (Peter) birthday so we hosted a small celebration in our cabin before dinner. Our cabin steward brought in some extra chairs and a table, we ordered hors d’ouvres from room service and Patrick and I provided a fruit plate, some wine and a nice bottle of French champagne which exploded like a geyser when opened. The party continued in the dining room with a cake and several songs sung by the waiters and busboys.

April 17, 2008 Santarem

Our final stop in the Amazon was at Santarem a vibrant port city about four hundred miles from the mouth of the river. We took a boat tour to Maica Lake where we observed flooded grazing lands, stilt villages and many different exotic birds. Ann tried her hand at Piranha fishing but was unsuccessful. We saw many local birds and exotic flowers. We also saw many locals fishing for Piranha and they would proudly show off their catch when we motored by.

April 18, 2008 Cruising the Amazon River

Another relaxing, but busy, day. Ann took exercise classes and read her book on the deck. Patrick got a massage and took a watercolor painting class. Tonight was formal night so we dressed up in our finest outfits and enjoyed a lovely dinner. The muddy water is flowing fast now as we approach the Atlantic our last day on this amazing river. We are sad to be leaving this incredibly different and beautiful part of the world.

April 19, 2008 Cruising the Atlantic Ocean

Another busy day at sea, we exited the Amazon basin this morning but the water is still muddy as we cruise to Devils Island, French Guyana, our next stop. We started with our morning walk, attended lectures, took a tour of the bridge and attended a service club meeting where we met fellow lions from the UK. Patrick enjoyed another watercolor class and Ann took another exercise class. We then participated in the daily trivia contest which we still haven’t won but were having fun trying.

[Wotan758]

Suggest you check the cruises offered by Iberostar (http://www.iberostar.com/EN/Manaus-hotels/Iberostar-Grand-Amazon_3_32.html) in the Grand Amazon river boat. I'ts just fantastic!

Wotan

[MoneyGuy]

Wow, Patkusps, what a report. Great trip on the Amazon. It makes me envious. Ah, one day.... Maybe soon. Thanks.

[Lise Dagenais]

We are looking of doing the Amazone River on the Pacific Princess in April 2009

I would like to know how you flew over there.

We are from Canada

I found a flight Montreal- Miami and Manaus with a brazilian airlines

To you have any tips

Thank you

[MercedMike]

We are looking of doing the Amazone River on the Pacific Princess in April 2009

I would like to know how you flew over there.

We are from Canada

I found a flight Montreal- Miami and Manaus with a brazilian airlines

To you have any tips

Thank you

 

This is one of the times that we used Princess air. It can be rather complicated otherwise. They flew us to FLL and chartered a flight to Manaus. Only problem was that carry on baggage was severely limited.

[Lise Dagenais]

This is one of the times that we used Princess air. It can be rather complicated otherwise. They flew us to FLL and chartered a flight to Manaus. Only problem was that carry on baggage was severely limited.

 

We booked our flight with Princess

We don't speak portugese so we were afraid of having problem on arrival

Thank you for your respond

[coo359a2]

We are looking of doing the Amazone River on the Pacific Princess in April 2009

I would like to know how you flew over there.

We are from Canada

I found a flight Montreal- Miami and Manaus with a brazilian airlines

To you have any tips

Thank you

 

Come on over and join our roll call for the April 10, 2009 cruise. Three of us are doing this as a b2b so that we don't have to fly to or from Manaus.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=644794

[MalibuCA]

Yes, I must have too much time on my hands! I was surfing CC, and when I came across this posting, I couldn't help but insert my summary of our Amazon experience that I had previously posted. Why? Because the Amazon was indeed so Amazing! Don't hesitate -- book your trip and GO! You will not be disappointed. It's up there on the list of most unbelievable spots on earth, right next to places like Alaska. Hope this helps in making your plans!

 

Shelley

 

Summary of Our Amazon/Caribbean Cruise on the Regent Mariner

Since there is not a lot of information on cruisecritic or elsewhere on the subject of the Amazon, I decided to provide a summary of our February 21 Regent Mariner cruise to the Amazon and the Caribbean. I hope it helps everyone in planning your visits to these ports. I am going to try and post this summary on the boards of each port that we visited, so if you come across it more than once in your surfing, you don’t need to read through all of it again unless you are looking for responses and questions that others may ask. Sorry in advance for the length, but I’ve tried to include lots of good information that may be helpful.

First, I will address the ship. The Regent Mariner was fabulous! My husband and I have cruised numerous times on Crystal, which, for me, is absolute luxury. Crystal is a floating Four Seasons in terms of service, food, entertainment and amenities. I knew that Regent shares an equally superb reputation, but our real reason for booking on the Mariner was to be part of a Theater At Sea themed cruise. We were two of about 100 passengers (700 total on the ship) who were part of a Theater League group, which was responsible for bringing special entertainment on board. As part of the Theater League group, we not only enjoyed the performances by the best that Broadway has to offer, but we also participated in special events with the performers such as cocktail parties. The performers consisted of Ed Asner, Nat Chandler, George Dvorsky, Tovah Feldshuh, Shirley Jones, Patricia Neal and Susan Powell. All Class “A” Acts, to say the least! It was like watching a Broadway performance (and sometimes even two) every day on board! My favorite? Patricia Neal! She is the most down-to-earth, warm and sincere lady. When she talks with you, she really listens to you, and she makes you feel like you are the only person in the room. Patricia was definitely one of the greatest highlights of my cruise. The ship, too, was lovely. Regent and Crystal each have their points of superiority. For Regent, it is the accommodations. Every stateroom is a suite, and compared to other ships, the size of the room is enormous. I particularly liked the walk-in closet! My husband particularly liked the fact that ALL beverages (including all wine and alcohol) are included with the price of the cruise, and there is no “nickel-and-diming” of the passengers while on board. Of course, passengers are free to upgrade the wine at a charge, but we did this only once, and my husband is a real red wine expert. Needless to say, I would definitely sail on the Regent Mariner again, and I would definitely sail with Theater League and Theater At Sea again.

Now, for the itinerary. We flew from Ft. Lauderdale by Miami Air, which Regent had chartered, and arrived in Brazil. From Manaus, Brazil, we cruised along the Amazon out through its mouth into the Atlantic and back to Ft. Lauderdale through the Caribbean. The ports we visited are: Manaus, Parintins and Santarem (all in Brazil), and Devil’s Island (French Guiana), Barbados-Bridgetown, Roseau (Domenica), San Juan, Grand Turk, disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale.

Ft. Lauderdale: We shipped our luggage ahead from home (for fear that the commercial airline would lose it before the cruise) with www.luggageforward.com. This is the second time we have used them (previously shipped to Rome), and they are a dream to work with throughout the process. It is very expensive to ship the luggage, but Luggage Forward quoted me the best rates, and it is so worth it not to have to worry that you will spend two weeks on a cruise ship wondering where your lost luggage is. This is of even greater concern when you are cruising an area of the world as remote as the Amazon River. Luggage Forward picked up 4 pieces of luggage at my home on time, the bags were tracked by both them and me throughout their journey, and they arrived either on time or early. As soon as the luggage arrived, they called me to confirm its arrival. They are wonderful! I shipped the luggage directly to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, which is less complicated than having the bags shipped to the ship in Manaus because we would have had to make special arrangements with the Brazilian port authority to transport the bags to the ship. Seemed like too much opportunity for error, and we were flying on a Regent charter (which turned out to be a nightmare, BTW!), and I had relied upon Regent to get our luggage to the ship with us. They did!

We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale on February 18, and stayed at the Atlantic Resort and Spa, which was lovely. I had an incredible massage at the spa, too. We always try to arrive at least two days pre-cruise to insure that if there is a problem with the flight (i.e., canceled?!), we still have time built in to get to our cruise destination for embarkation. In this case, it was the charter from Ft. Lauderdale that Regent had arranged that we had to insure that we met on time.

Manaus, Brazil: We arrived in the evening on February 21 in Manaus. A short caveat: 1) Getting a Brazilian visa is a nightmare! We allowed plenty of time, and we used ZVS, a reputable visa service that we had used previously for a visa to Russia. We were cautioned that Brazil is very difficult to work with, and they do things their way. We had given February 18 as our departure date. About a week before, I started freaking out because we had not received our visas (we received them immediately when we applied for our Russian visa). In the interest of appeasing me and having some peace at home, my husband started tracking down the problem. Apparently, Brazil had in fact issued the visa by February 11, but did not schedule it for release and pick up by ZVS until February 19. Yes, that is the day after our departure for Ft. Lauderdale. When ZVS said they would FedEx the visas and passports to us in Ft. Lauderdale, that’s when I really freaked out! With my husband’s urging, and ZVS’s prodding, the Brazilian consulate in Los Angeles (where we live) released the visa (and passport) on February 12. As soon as we received word at the end of the day from ZVS that they had our visas, we drove over to their office in Beverly Hills to pick it up. We did not even want to take the chance that FedEx could misplace the overnight delivery to our house. It all worked out fine, but I caution anyone trying to get a Brazilian visa – it’s not easy, and it can be very stressful. I have already agreed with my husband that if we return to Brazil again, it will definitely be within the 5-year period before our visa expires! 2) The Manaus airport was a mess! We had two charter flights from Regent arriving at the same time to the same terminal, so lots of passengers and lots of luggage converge all at once. At first, we were told that each passenger had to be photographed and fingerprinted upon entering the country. It didn’t take long for the Brazilian customs to determine that that would be impossible to accomplish because there were so many of us. So, they herded us all into the baggage claim area where everyone crowded to get their luggage. The result was a huge traffic jam, and no one could move anywhere. There was one Brazilian customs official and one narrow door that everyone had to pass through. It turned out that the official didn’t even ask to see our passports. All he wanted was to collect our immigration declarations that we filled out on the plane. Because of the slow process with only one customs official and one very narrow doorway through which everyone had to pass, it took well over an hour of standing with our luggage trying to get through that door. Once we did, however, the Regent representatives boarded us on luxury buses and whisked us away to the ship. So, my second caveat is: when flying into Manaus, bring your patience. Expect the worst (we had been previously warned), and it’s likely to be worse than that! Once you get through customs, however, the places and people that you see and experience in Brazil is well worth the hardship.

A note on sightseeing in Manaus, Parintins and Santarem: We are people that prefer to stay away from the large ship shore excursions and either take a private guide or to explore by ourselves. These ports in Brazil are ports where you can do neither. I’m sure that we could have wandered the cities ourselves, but because we wanted to see the actual Amazon River areas, this would not have met our needs. I tried repeatedly to arrange a private guide, but it was not possible. There are private sightseeing companies, however, when I told them we were cruising and needed to be met at the ship, they declined to take us. They explained that the cruise lines make it so difficult for them to get near to the ships that it is virtually impossible for them to book cruise passengers for sightseeing. That being said, we instead took Regent shore excursions in each of the Brazilian ports. Not only was that our only choice, but it turned out to be absolutely the smartest thing to do and we loved each tour.

In Manaus, we took Regent’s “Amazon River Cruise,” which was a 4-1/2 hour excursion. We ventured into the Amazon tributaries via riverboat for one hour down the dark waters of the Rio Negro River. There, we saw the huts of the river people clustered along the riverbanks. For me, the highlight of any sightseeing expedition is not just the land and sights that we see, but the people and how they live. This excursion gave us a real sense of the Amazonian culture and way of life. The poverty is horrendous, so be prepared, but it is their way of life – they know nothing different, and they seem happy. The Amazon is truly a different world from what we as worldly travelers know. If these river people had seen our cruise ship, they would think they were being invaded by Martians! After an hour on the riverboat, we transferred to motorized canoes to cruise the narrow channels inside the tropical forest. There are about 10 passengers to each canoe, two per seat. We saw beautiful, quiet, peaceful waterways and giant water lilies, not to mention great wildlife. We then returned to the riverboat to visit the “Meeting of the Waters.” This is where the Rio Negro and the Amazon meet up to each other flowing side by side, and the best way I can describe it is that it is like trying to mix oil and water. They do not mix. The clear black waters of the Rio Negro flow alongside the muddy yellow waters of the Amazon, and it is an amazing phenomenon. A note on mosquitoes: We had no problem in Manaus. We were advised to use Deet on our riverboat trip in Santarem, but I will discuss that below. Actually, however, we never saw a single mosquito anywhere.

Parintins: Regent offered a complimentary Boi-Bumba Folkloric Show in Parintins for all of its passengers. To be perfectly honest, I did not expect much in Parintins. I expected that the show might be very touristy, and there seems to be little else to do in this port. So, we went to the Boi-Bumba show figuring that it was complimentary, and then, we would look forward to getting back on the ship. How wrong could we have been! This show was so much fun! Parintins, an extremely small village, offers an annual festival not unlike Mardi Gras or Carnivale (I think, having never been to either one). Performers dance, sing and celebrate the joy of life in a mesmerizing display of revelry. The costumes are extraordinarily colorful. The dancers are unbelievably beautiful! I mean, really young and beautiful! The performance includes these enormous colorful floats, and it is simply the most amazing thing to experience. At the end of the show, the dancers came into the audience to bring the tourists into the dance. Because I was fortunate enough to sit in the front row, I was immediately grabbed by one of the adorable female dancers. She couldn’t have been over 14 years old. It is fabulous how neither one of us spoke the other’s language verbally, but we were easily able to communicate through music and dance. As soon as I sat down, huffing and puffing, I was grabbed by a gorgeous young man and taken back into the scene of chaos to dance once again. Yes, my husband did get the entire dance escapade on video. Yes, I look like a complete dork in the video. But I will tell you that I have never had so much fun in my life! So, my word of advice: go to Parintins, go see Boi-Bumba (even if your ship charges a fee for the excursion, as I know some of them do from what I have read on cruisecritic), and get up and dance, dance, dance! You won’t be disappointed, and you will remember it fondly forever.

Santarem: In Santarem, we took Regent’s “River Tour and Eco Maica Lake” excursion, which was every bit as fantastic as the excursions in Manaus and Parintins. Again, we traveled by riverboat down the Tapajos and Amazonas Rivers. Here, too, we saw another “Meeting of the Waters” where the two rivers run side by side, each bearing its individual color, and never mixing like oil and water. Our guide explained that this phenomenon is created by both a difference in temperature between the two rivers and a difference in acidity. We soon entered Maica Lake, where we were able to see many native homes and local vegetation. Again, the poverty is shocking, so be prepared. For the most part, the homes are very small huts that are raised above ground on stilts. This is not in the event that the river overflows as one might think, but so that they could put large termite nests (which are readily visible in the rainforest) under their homes. They burn the nests each night beginning at 6:00 p.m. to ward off the mosquitoes which come out at night. Of course, there is no electricity or running water in these homes. Therefore, at 6:00 p.m. when the mosquitoes come out, everyone goes to sleep in their dark huts. They sleep in hammocks all in one room. Families can be very large – our guide explained that this is because there is little else to do when your night begins at 6:00 p.m. other than make babies. That’s what happens, I guess, when a society has no tv, Nintendo, telephones, internet, etc. After exploring these fascinating communities, our riverboat docked for a short while so that we could do some piranha fishing. We were each given a make-shift fishing poll that had been pre-baited for us (I certainly appreciated that!), and we stuck our hooks in the water to see what would happen. Three piranhas were actually caught on our boat. I didn’t care if I caught one, but I was so glad that someone did because I wanted to see a piranha up close that was not in an aquarium. They do have very sharp teeth! Our guide explained that the piranha are very tasty, and that since everything the river people have is what they are able to obtain directly from the river, the piranhas were an important staple in their diet. What was shocking, however, was that when we left the piranha fishing area, we sailed not more than 3 minutes away and found families with small children swimming in the river! Our guide explained that he has never heard of a piranha attacking a person in the river, that unless they are provoked, humans are not their optimum choice of food. Nonetheless, I was not about to don my bathing suit and jump in to test his theory!

A note on mosquitoes in Santarem: This excursion in Santarem is the only time that we were advised by the ship to use Deet. Going to extremes regarding insect repellant was my motto because the mosquitoes in the USA just love me. I will be outside, and no one else will even notice a bug anywhere, and by the time I go inside I’m scratching my bites. So, I was taking no chances. We were advised by Passport Health where we obtained our yellow fever shots (can’t get that visa without it!) to take malaria meds. We chose Malarone because it had the fewest possible side effects and had to be taken for the shortest duration. We also purchased clothes before the cruise that were a brand called Buzz Off. I just ordered them online – I know that REI carries them. These are pre-treated with a deet-like substance (I think it’s Permetherone, although I don’t think that’s the correct spelling). The purpose of this is that the clothes you are wearing will also ward off the mosquitoes. My husband and I both had long-sleeve shirts with khaki pants and hats that were treated. I told you I went overboard with this. Now, this is important: We never saw a single mosquito because they do not come out looking for people to bite until nightfall. We didn’t know this until we arrived on the Amazon. So, all of this was overkill, but I would probably do it again just to be safe. As for the malaria meds, we had to begin taking those 2 or 3 days before entering Brazil and continue them for a week after our return to the USA. Since we never saw a mosquito, and since we obviously never got bit, we stopped taking the malaria meds entirely as soon as we left Brazil. So, with that said, I leave it all to your own discretion.

Devil’s Island: Devil’s Island does not require any kind of guide or excursion. It is “do it yourself.” A visit to Devil’s Island is actually a misnomer. French Guiana has a cluster of 3 islands (Devil’s Island is one of the three) where the French penal colony was located that is best known from the film “Papillon.” The island that we actually visit is Ile Royale. It was very interesting to roam around the ruins that are left of the old prison where the prisoners were not only separated from society but severely and torturously punished. The views from the island are gorgeous, the views within the cells (particularly the size of the isolation cells) is quite severe and disturbing. It is a short hike up a hill to where the prison ruins are located, so wear comfortable shoes. I highly recommend renting the movie, “Papillon” before you visit, not because you will recognize places on the island (as the prison is only ruins and I’m not even certain the movie was filmed there), but for the history and story of some of the prisoners who lived there. It will make your visit to the prison much more meaningful when you have an image in your mind from the movie of the kinds of punitive treatment that took place in the prison. An autobiography by Henri Charriere of his escape from Devil’s Island, the prisoner best known as “Papillon,” is available online. I read it after watching the movie and prior to our visit to Devil’s Island. It made it very easy to imagine the atrocities that occurred within the confines of these ruins.

Barbados-Bridgetown: We really enjoyed our day in Barbados. I arranged pre-cruise to have Sarah Taylor of Glory Tours take us around the island for the day. I was very excited that Sarah would be taking us personally because I had read so many wonderful things about her on cruisecritic. She was very efficient and friendly in taking care of all of the arrangements pre-cruise. To my grave disappointment, however, I turned on my cell phone when we arrived in Barbados to find a message from Sarah that she was not feeling well (she explained that she has a heart problem, that she had been visiting a sick friend in the hospital all week, that she was exhausted) and would not be able to take us sightseeing. However, she told me in the message that she would be sending Quammie in her place to show us the island. Of course, I was disappointed . . . but not for long. Quammie was an excellent guide, and we had a most enjoyable day with him. It was only my husband and me with Quammie so we were easily able to ask questions and get to know him. He was most informative about his island; in fact, I was really surprised to learn that the schools have an extremely firm policy of strictness that they enforce upon their students (including children at very young ages), very different from the USA. We talked about the government, we talked about cost of living, we talked about just about everything, and we really learned a lot about Barbados from Quammie. As for where we went, we visited Harrison’s Cave (truly awesome), Hunts Gardens, St. John’s Parish Church, Bathsheba (absolutely breathtaking), North Point (equally breathtaking), and the Wildlife Reserve (amazing how the animals are free to come and go as they please, and they are wandering right next to us with absolutely no care for the fact that we are there!) On the return drive to the ship, we drove on a street called either Shady Lane or Sandy Lane, I wish I could remember. This is where all of the wealth in Barbados is located. Quammie pointed out one hotel where the room rates begin at $1,500 per night and go as high as $8,000 per night. Get this – they are always full! The Four Seasons is presently building a hotel there as well. Quammie also pointed to homes (rather mansions) owned by many successful Hollywood celebrities. It is quite a contrast to some of the other areas that we saw on the island where the residents are not quite so fortunate. Each of these stops was exceptional. If pressed for my favorites, I would have to say Harrison’s Cave, Bathsheba, North Point and the Wildlife Reserve. We were with Quammie for 7 hours, and we never felt rushed seeing all of these places. If you were more limited in time, I would recommend that you at least see my favorites.

Roseau, Domenica: In Roseau, we also arranged pre-cruise for a private guide for the two of us. I arranged for the tour with Beno Tours. I had hoped that Beno Pascal would be our guide, again because I had read so many great things about Beno on cruisecritic. Unfortunately, Beno was not available, but just as with Glory Tours in Barbados, Beno set us up with an excellent guide, whose name is Desmond. My greatest disappointment with Roseau was that our ship was only docked there from 7:00 a.m. to noon (of course, this means we must be back on board no later than 11:30 a.m.) It just was not enough time to do justice to this magnificent place. What is really special about Roseau is that it has not yet been run over by tourists, and remains in its beautiful natural state. Despite the time limitations, however, Desmond took valiant efforts to show us as much as possible. We were supposed to meet Desmond at 8:00 a.m., but the ship’s information desk misinformed me about tendering in Roseau. I asked so that we could allow extra time to get to the island by tender if necessary, and I was told that the ship docks in Roseau. At 7:55 a.m., we arrived at the gang plank to walk off the ship only to be told that we must tender ashore. As a result, it was closer to 8:15 when we met up with Desmond, and had only until 11:00 a.m. to sightsee. It was a whirlwind! We started by visiting the Emerald Pool, which was gorgeous. It reminded me a lot of Hana, the tropical rainforest on Maui. Then, we made a stop at Mr. Nice’s fruit stand to sample the island’s tasty fresh fruits. At first I was afraid this might just be a very touristy waste of time, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Mr. Nice is a real character! He virtually puts on a show for you as he tells you about how all of the fruit is grown on the island. Every time he picks up a fruit, you get to sample it. He showed us how he cuts open the coconuts, and then gave us the milk and meat to taste. I know it sounds a little hokey, but Mr. Nice is an extremely entertaining guy, and you really get a flavor (no pun intended!) for the locals on the island. From there, we were hoping to visit Trafalgar Falls, but we just ran out of time. Desmond tried and tried to get us there, but the traffic was just too much given the time we had. Yes, even on this little remote island there are traffic jams. We loved Roseau, but we didn’t want to miss our ship, so we discontinued trying to reach Trafalgar Falls and resumed sightseeing by car on our way back to the ship. We did drive along the Layou River through a number of small villages, and we wound up at the Morne Bruce for a magnificent panoramic view of the city with our ship in the background. It was an extraordinary morning with Desmond, and I only wish we had more time to spend with him.

San Juan: San Juan is really a city that you can see on your own without a guide or excursion. I did my homework before we left, and I knew exactly what our itinerary would be when we got off the ship. We were docked in San Juan from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so we had lots to sightsee without feeling at all rushed. When you get off the ship, you have 3 options of transport: 1) HOHO trolley bus, 2) taxi, 3) foot. San Juan is a city built on hills similar to San Francisco, but, fortunately, not as steep. Therefore, we opted to take a taxi and begin our sightseeing at the highest point of Old San Juan. It is certainly easier walking downhill than up! We had the taxi drop us at El Morro Fort, where we roamed and explored all of it 6 levels. The views from the highest level are to die for! Wandering the old fort is quite interesting, and we had a great time investigating all of the nooks and crannies. When we finished at the fort, we began our descent through Old San Juan, stopping to visit the cathedral, the San Juan Gate, the Paseo La Princessa Promenade, but to spend a great deal of time admiring the architecture along the way. We found residences with lots of rod iron (similar to New Orleans), and the colors were magnificent. The buildings are so colorful! Pastels, oranges, reds, blues, greens, yellows; you will find every color of the rainbow represented. There are many narrow, windy roads all made of cobblestones that we found a joy to wander and explore. Shopping in San Juan is great, but I didn’t buy anything simply because I was only in the mood to explore the city and I really didn’t want to spend my time in stores. My husband says this is a “first,” and I guess it is. He was very grateful! I don’t want to disappoint him, so I’m sure I will shop plenty on our next cruise! If you are interested in shopping, the streets that I found to have nice shops were Calle San Francisco and Calle del Cristo. We also stopped for lunch during the day. We tried to eat at the Parrot Club because of all the chatter about it on cruisecritic. We searched everywhere, and finally found it, but when we tried to enter, the place was so crowded that we couldn’t even get in the door to put our name on the wait list. It must really be good! Lots of people must read cruisecritic, too! So, we continued to wander and we finally settled on Restaurante Raices, which I had also read about on cruisecritic. It was very good. The food was authentic Puerto Rican, as was the décor, and the drinks were fabulous! We really enjoyed our visit in San Juan. It is a very walkable city, full of history, great shops, fabulous little cobblestone roads for exploring, and beautiful views.

Grand Turk: If I had to pick a port that was my least favorite, I would have to pick Grand Turk. However, I must specify why. The water in Grand Turk is gorgeous (this amazing turquoise color), and it is (from what I have read and been told) fabulous for snorkeling, scuba diving, etc. So, if these are activities you like, then Grand Turk is your place. We have spent many years in our youth (note: we are only in our 50s, not old, but not in our 30s either) snorkeling in Hawaii and the Caribbean. Each time, however, my mask would leak, or I would take in water through my snorkel. I’m also not the world’s strongest swimmer. You get the picture? Unless it’s the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, I’m done snorkeling. If you are not interested in snorkeling or scuba diving, there is not much to do in Grand Turk. We did, however, explore the island some. We visited Pillory Beach and Governor’s Beach, which were lovely, although I was surprised how little sandy beach existed. I am spoiled by the beaches in Santa Monica, California that are so deep that the sand seems to go on and on forever until you actually reach the water. The beaches that we saw in Grand Turk were lovely, but surprisingly shallow in depth. What really struck me, however, is how empty the beaches were. For the most part, we were the only ones on the whole beach! Moreover, as we were sailing into Grand Turk, it looked like the entire perimeter of the island was covered with white sand beaches. The fact that they were empty was really puzzling because we were there on a Sunday, and I figured that everyone on the island would be at the beach. We did have the opportunity to watch a family at play at Governor’s Beach, and being that I love to people-watch and get a flavor for the culture, it was very enjoyable. Grand Turk is very pretty, the water is amazingly turquoise, but there is not a lot to do unless you partake in the water sports. We were very fortunate to have a balcony on the side of the ship that could view the island. When we finished visiting the island, we spent the afternoon on our balcony watching people from our ship swim at the Margaritaville beach right where we were docked.

Conclusion: When I started this summary, I was hoping it would be brief. Oops! I’m sorry! If you made it all the way to the end, I commend you and thank you. Mostly, I hope it helps you in planning your own visit to the Amazon and the Caribbean. If you have specific questions, you can email me at shelleyville@aol.com, and I will do my best to answer. Please use the subject “Cruisecritic Amazon Question” so that I don’t accidentally delete your email thinking its spam or a virus. Oh, life is so much easier on the Amazon without all of our technological luxuries! Hope you have a great trip!

Shelley

[Essiesmom]

I have been to the Amazon three times...the last was on Royal Princess in 1999, ending in Manaus. If you really want to experience the Amazon, you should book one of the much smaller ships, such as suggested by another poster. My first time was a package tour with a professional group and included a two night stay up the Rio Negro at the Ariau Jungle Tower Lodge, a very interesting hotel...The second time was an Earthwatch Expedition researching the tropical fishing industry, and we went up the Rio Negro in a very small boat as far as Barcelos, where we spent a week. Certainly not luxury...no a/c, but what an experience! We certainly got to see the Amazon as most tourists don't. EM