Review: Amazon River Part 1

[seashells]

I thought the South American thread could use its own review area.

 

This is an old review with some of the details of the ship removed because the company is no longer in business and maybe it could be useful to someone planning a river cruise.

 

Cruise Line: Royal Olympia Cruise Line

Name of Ship: Voyager

Sailing Date: January 15th, 2003

Itinerary: Amazon River

 

While this was booked as a twin rivers (Orinoco and Amazon) we would not be going to the Orinoco due to the strikes in Venezuela which included the river pilots.

 

Thursday: At sea, Formal night

 

Virgin Gorda. Friday, casual, Tender:

We hired a cab for a tour of the island 5 hours 4 people $50.00 total with a stop at the baths. The drive to the other side of the island is beautiful. Internet is at the Yacht club a 5-minute walk from the pier 2 terminals with DSL. You can buy liquor at the building next to it.

 

Barbados. Saturday, Tropical casual, Pier:

We hired a taxi $20.00pp for the 4 of us for a tour of the Island and a visit to Harrison Caves. We had to pay to enter the caves $15.00 pp (charge cards accepted) but beat the busses from the ship. The drive to the Atlantic is breath taking. Most shops close early on Saturdays. The pier has a liquor store and a liter of vodka was $8.00. No Internet near the pier.

There were 4 other ships in port, Oceania, Freewinds, Princess Danae and Windjammer Royal Clipper.

 

Isle of Margarita, Sunday, casual, Pier:

Pulled into port right on time 8:00 am. Tours are on large busses unless you specify a van or truck. We hired a truck and driver (danielremo90@hotmail.com) for $25.00 pp and had the best day. The city is 45 minutes away and we asked him to take us to the Internet and a supermarket. Both were in the same spot in town. The Internet was 50 cents and he helped us in the market with the money exchange. He drove us to the other side of the island and we stopped for lunch at a beautiful beach restaurant. We had 2 Lobsters $10.00 and Yellow tail $8.00 for the whole fish. What a delicious lunch right on the open beach. Pearls are harvested on this island and they sell a lot of them. We returned to the pier around 5:00. There are small craft huts and some stores including liquor at the port. Phone cards are $6.00 for 20 minutes, no Internet at the pier. Spoke to several people about their tours; swimming with the dolphins, dune day, a few who attended a jazz festival and some who just swam at the small beach near the pier. They all seemed to like the island even though a lot of people are on strike against the government on the mainland.

 

Monday is at sea. Formal night

 

Tuesday, semi-formal: we bypassed Devils Island due to high swells. The tenders would not have been safe. We are disappointed. Everyone was up and ready at 7:00 am. High seas have caused some to become seasick and the ship is handing out Dramamine. The Norwalk virus has also been aboard for the last few days. We had heavy rain for a short time today. Tonight we had an almost all Greek menu and it was really good.

 

We entered the Amazon around midnight because the ship was in smooth waters.

 

Wednesday: casual, Cloudy all day and a little rain. We awoke to brown water and picked up the pilot we would have for the entire river portion of the cruise. It was hot, humid and some fly’s and flying insects. The ship had the crossing of the equator ceremony at 1:45. Get there early to have a seat at the pool for a hilarious time. There was a cocktail party for several high selling Internet travel groups.

 

Boca Da Valeria: casual, Thursday, Tender, Hot and Humid.

This is a dirt path area. The people come to this meeting place when they see and hear a ship. We have been hoarding the soap, shampoo and sewing kits from our cabin to trade or give to them along with colored pencils, crayons, paints in tubes and glitter glue and stickers. The women could use scraps of cloth for their doll making. Take some tablets of paper and anything useable if you have room in your luggage. Try to get past the kids who are begging at the landing and deal with the ones who are trying to earn it or you wont have anything left. Many of them dress in feathers and have birds for photos. They keep coming until the ship leaves. Small canoes sit behind the ship and the crew tosses them giant plastic bottles and food wrapped in foil from deck 4.

Make sure you take time to stroll outside on the top deck during your time on the river if it’s a clear night. The sights of the constellations at the equator are awesome

 

Manaus: Friday 7:00 am casual, Dock overnight.

I would have loved to spend a week here. To truly see the jungle of the Amazon you would need to go farther interior. If you get out on deck at least 1 ½ hours before arriving you will see the meeting of the waters (brown Amazon and the black Rio Negro) for free.

 

We had arranged a tour $80.00 pp for the entire day including lunch, on the Internet with owner Mark Aitchison swallows@internext.com.br before being told we would be here overnight. Our very informative guide Ramon Telles met us at the pier and took us on a tour of the city, marketplace and the opera house. In the afternoon we went on Marks boat to the meeting of the waters and a floating village. They served us a lovely and delicious lunch of fish, rice with shrimp, pasta, fruit, salad, and vegetables. We saw pink dolphins and had a wonderful day.

 

The ship had arranged a show at the welcome pavilion for our entertainment that evening. It was beautifully presented with huge feather costumes and terrific singing and dancing including some passengers.

 

Day 2 Manaus: casual, we took advantage of a free cab ride from one of the jewelry firms to the Tropical hotel about a 30-minute drive through town. This allowed us to see more of the city and the suburbs. We toured the grounds of the hotel seeing a small zoo and used the Internet at the hotel. $2.00 for 30 minutes. I exchanged money at a shop and had the cab stop at the supermarket on the way back. The market was in a mall and I would have loved to stay to check out what they sell at the other stores. We returned to the ship, had a late lunch then out to take a 20-minute helicopter tour offered at the pier $100.00 pp. This is where you can really see what your missing and why you need to stay longer. Spectacular!

 

Observations about the city: You can buy phone cards at the welcome building and there is a bank of phones on the second level. There was no Internet when we were there but they plan to have it. Shopping is excellent at the building with native and fine quality souvenirs. A bus is available at the pier for the short drive or walk from the ship to the building. While the opera house is within walking distance DO NOT do it because you have to walk through a rough area. Take a cab. You must walk through the welcome building and up a ramp or take the trolley to the street to get a cab. You can walk to the marketplace, turn right about 3 blocks. Just peek in at the fish section before searching out local buys.

 

Some on the ship spent the night at Ariau hotel and had a great time. Those who did the day to the hotel complained there was not enough time.

Part of the welcome building is a boat station where locals buy a ticket to board a boat to another village or town. It is interesting to watch as they board a big bus at the top of the hill to take them and their goods about 100 yards down to the boarding area on the floating pier. They set up their hammocks on the boat and the boats turn up the music and they have a grand time watching us watching them.

[seashells]

We left Manaus at 6:00pm and the meeting of the waters was about 7:30pm but to dark to see. The ship had more crew flown in from Florida along with some health personal to try to stop the Norwalk Like Virus that has gripped the passengers. We now see plastic gloves, smell more Clorox and are served in the buffet line. The casino is wiped down with disinfectant and there are people who boarded in Manaus with big spiral notebooks going around the ship inspecting everything. The doors to the outside deck off the café are closed to passengers at night due to flying insects.

 

Santarem: 250,000 people, Sunday, casual, Pier

We were an hour late due to traffic on the river. We had rain so heavy at times we could not see the shore but the sun broke out just before we arrived. We saw the meeting of the waters (Green River and the Brown Amazon) from the ship. We went on the ships Echo River tour. You can’t book this on your own. Do not expect to see a lot of wildlife but it is an interesting tour with a very detailed information guide. 7 people caught Piranhas on our boat. Make sure you have a weight on your hook and fresh red beef. We saw some pink dolphins, a gecko, a few birds and how people live along to river.

 

The person who catches the largest fish gets a prize. Some of the passengers took a city tour and some took cabs on their own or walked to town. There are craft shacks at the pier, which we hit as soon as our tour ended, and we hurried to the ship as we were over an hour late getting back. 400 people took this tour on the smaller working riverboats.

 

Monday: Greek casual, cruising the Amazon and leaves the river about 3:30pm but turned and headed North about 5:00pm.

 

Because we were on the river for 6 days people forgot about being seasick. Oops! Some passengers left dinner and seasick bags appeared at the elevators.

 

Tuesday: Sea day, semi formal, preliminary bill today

Much nicer seas more like a Caribbean cruise. Cooler breezes and everyone seems to be having a good time.

 

Wednesday: Trinidad, casual, Pier 6:00 am

Tours can be made with cabbies for $30.00 pp for a tour to the rainforest, countryside and city, discuss price. The red herons can be seen early in the morning and early evening. The cab can drop you off downtown and you can walk back to the ship 5 blocks. Don’t wear any valuables here. The crime rate is climbing. I bought a local paper and they published the year-end crime rate and wrote about the escalating crime. The shopping is really the best at the pier and you can haggle price. Internet is at the pier but it is 60 cents a minute. Downtown at one of the little side street malls it is $2.00 an hour. TT’s (‘T”rinidad & “T”abago) money runs about 6 to 1 US dollar. Leaving the port is visually stunning.

 

St. Thomas: Thursday, Formal night, Pier

We docked at the industrial port about 1½ mile from town. We pass immigration here and it takes awhile. Our passports are returned. A jitney will drive you $3.50 pp each way. There are 4 ships in the downtown port. The Millie, Norway, Holland America and Carnival. Phones are at this pier but no Internet. We used the Internet free at Little Switzerland upstairs with a small bar. Go there just to see their glass floor. We have been in St. Thomas many times and our friends wanted to shop.

 

We left port at 5:00pm and the Captain announced he would show us the top speed of the ship. I think the little boy in him wanted to show off and pass the Holland America and Norway ship.

 

Day at sea: Friday, casual

A beautiful day but we must pack. Luggage to be out in the hall by midnight.

 

Saturday: Ft. Lauderdale 8:00 am

Disembarkation is an easy process with the first called off the ship at 9:05 and we were among the last at 10:00 am. 200 people will be cruising on to Houston.

 

Final thoughts: The Norwalk Like Virus affected about 20% of the passengers one way or another. The ship was as clean as any other new ship. When the people boarded in Manaus some policies were changed and the virus seemed to be under control by the time we arrived in Trinidad. I have my own thoughts on the spreading of the virus, which includes the fact that I did not receive my own ice bucket back each time. The water used in cleaning the cabins is not changed with each cabin. They do use disinfectant but the same cloth is used. Other cruise lines do the same thing not just this one. We used Lysol spray on everything in the cabin and still got the virus.

 

The ship did exactly what it advertised. It took us from Ft. Lauderdale to Manaus Brazil and back in seventeen days with interesting ports.

 

The majority of passengers were over 60 with most of them from Florida, California, Vancouver, Texas and Arizona.

There are not any pushy sales of anything on the ship. A great relief.

 

I missed not having a promenade deck or at least some way of walking outside around the ship without walking through it. I knew this before booking.

 

Leave your heels at home. Bring nice looking flats for dinner.

 

A sweater is needed for the air conditioning.

Bring books and magazines. Leave magazines, fashion, people, anything that young people would be interested in for the stewards to read during their off time. We enjoyed this cruise and would recommend it to anyone who wants to travel to the Amazon