Floating on a cloud up the Amazon.

[Narita]

Help

[TLCOhio]

Yesterday I read pages and pages of report about the Cloud 2012 Barbados up the Amazon and back. Pages ---all informative. Today I can only scroll down through Grenada. What has happened to the rest or what am I doing wrong???? Help--I need to decide this week to go or not :)

 

Let's go!!! We are getting ready for a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days on the Silversea Silver Cloud. Fun doing that future research and planning as we prepare!!

 

Appreciate your pulling up of this earlier post. I was able to check it out and see all of the various pages. Things seem to be working just fine for me.

 

Are you considering doing our Silver Cloud 17-day Amazon trip? Or, the earlier Silver Whisper Amazon adventure starting Nov. 25, 2014? Both Silversea cruise have all of the same stops, timings, etc.

 

From everyone I have talked with who done the Amazon by cruise or other means, they loved it and rate things very highly for the sights, nature, unique experiences, etc.

 

What other questions, info needs do you have? Happy to share more.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 159,081 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[drron29]

Still all here for me.

[TLCOhio]

Still all here for me.

 

Appreciate this follow-up and confirmation from our friend from wonderful Australia. I am planning in the next week or so to do a full review/analysis of your trip report. Check back on this post/thread!! I am sure to have a few added questions to raise, info interests to get satisfied, etc.

 

THANKS for your help and interest! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 79,986 views for this fun posting.

[TLCOhio]

For drron29, I noticed that you are going to be doing this summer "our" Silver Cloud for an exciting 17-day adventure from charming Copenhagen up the Norway coast, doing the top of Europe, etc.

 

As noted below, we did much of that super scenic territory in July 2010. That included stops at Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Tromso and Honningsvag (North Cape) in Norway. Your cruise has two stops in Russia, plus other ports we did not visit. Unfortunately, you won't be stopping at the great Lofoten Islands. Let me know if you have any questions for any of these Norway ports. Lots of details and visuals on Bergen, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Tromso and Honningsvag (North Cape) are on the live/blog connected below.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 159,298 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

Just got done doing all of the great pages and pages of the pictures and reports from Ron or drron29 about your 2012 Amazon adventure. Wonderful!! Lots of interesting details, visuals, etc. Plus, so much food!! Probably gained ten pounds just seeing all of your food pictures. Appreciate those efforts in doing these reports. Wonderful insights. Really helps in considering our port/tour options, my photographic strategies, etc.

 

Upcoming for both the Silver Whisper later this year and us on the Silver Cloud early in 2015, we will not be doing the stop in Belem/Brazil, nor navigating the Breves Narrows. Our two cruises will go to Macapa, then Santarem and Boca da Valeria. After two nights in Manaus, we will do Parintins and Alter do Chao as we exit from the Amazon area.

 

Compared to past cruises in Europe and Australia/New Zealand, we will see more "challenges" with poverty and local conditions. Your reports helps us to prepare better for those "realities" of life. Will have more questions after I have more fully digesting what I have reviewed and copied onto my computer file for our trip from your details.

 

The added comments from Champlain and Skeezics of La Jolla, CA were also very helpful.

 

Keep it coming!! Sounds like you had a great group of international travelers along, including some key "regulars" from these Cruise Critic boards.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 42,792 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[TLCOhio]

From reading these various and excellent reports, my biggest area of questions centers around Manaus as the hub of this whole Amazon region. Among my interests to know more are:

 

1. Is the “Meeting of the Waters” about four miles from Manaus, where the Rio Solimões meets the Rio Negro to become the Amazon, really that good to merit a ship tour out there? Will we be seeing waters coming together at any other locations on the Silver Cloud?

 

2. The Teatro Amazonas or Opera House seems nice, but we have seen many such buildings in visiting 22 countries in Europe, etc. How high does this tour rank compared to seeing the nature/jungle wonders of this area?

 

3. Is there that much to see, photograph in the river port near Manaus where we will be docked. Is it an unforgettable spectacle? Many colorful boats there? Or, just an average port setting?

 

4. Or, are the real attractions with the surrounding forests, rain forests and tributaries? We want to see more of the nature and natural wonders. How close and great are those types of settings?

 

5. Nothing shows on the Silversea website for an overnight tour or trip. We will be there in Manaus for two full days. Is an "overnight" trip worth considering and/or possible to get a better "feel" for the rain forest, jungle, natural settings? Do you remember if such an overnight trip was offered by Silversea?

 

I am looking at some private tour options In Manaus. Through Amazon Eco Adventures, they get the highest marks and excellent ratings from users on TripAdvisor. Will contract them and see their ideas, options, suggestions, costs, etc. Anybody use a private provider here in this town/areas?

 

Appreciate any tips, reactions, suggestions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 24,417 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

[57 varieties]

TLCOHIO, here goes:

1. The Meeting of the Waters is visible on at least three other occasions but the one approaching Manaus is the most marked and lasts several miles downstream. We did not go on the small boat trip to see it and were happy with what was to be seen from the S Cloud.

2. The Teatro Amazonas is impressive as much for where it is as what it is. 1,000 miles up the river and built at a time when man power did the work. Also the opulence which shows how successful the rubber barons were until the Far East started producing rubber more cheaply. We thoroughly enjoyed the city tour which included an hour or so at the Theatre and gave me a chance to purchase a ticket for an orchestral performance later that evening which I absolutely would recommend.

3. Manaus is not a wealthy city. There is poverty and dirt and yes, some local fishing activity and many, many ferries. We only saw the City on a coach tour and we did not wander alone.

4./5. I went on a full day trip upstream to see forest and pink dolphins but we didn't see much wildlife other than that. I understand you need to go very deep into the forest to see that so maybe an overnight stay would achieve that. I was not aware of anybody staying off the ship overnight on our cruise.

[TLCOhio]

TLCOHIO, here goes:

1. The Meeting of the Waters is visible on at least three other occasions but the one approaching Manaus is the most marked and lasts several miles downstream. We did not go on the small boat trip to see it and were happy with what was to be seen from the S Cloud.

2. The Teatro Amazonas is impressive as much for where it is as what it is. 1,000 miles up the river and built at a time when man power did the work. Also the opulence which shows how successful the rubber barons were until the Far East started producing rubber more cheaply. We thoroughly enjoyed the city tour which included an hour or so at the Theatre and gave me a chance to purchase a ticket for an orchestral performance later that evening which I absolutely would recommend.

3. Manaus is not a wealthy city. There is poverty and dirt and yes, some local fishing activity and many, many ferries. We only saw the City on a coach tour and we did not wander alone.

4./5. I went on a full day trip upstream to see forest and pink dolphins but we didn't see much wildlife other than that. I understand you need to go very deep into the forest to see that so maybe an overnight stay would achieve that. I was not aware of anybody staying off the ship overnight on our cruise.

 

Appreciate these excellent details and insights from our friend in London. Very helpful!!!

 

I did hear back this morning for private tour options for nearby to Manaus. Through Amazon Eco Adventures, they got the highest marks and excellent ratings from users on TripAdvisor. Their options for the two different days seem very good and with better pricing/value than tours through Silversea. With this company, it would be very small group and/or almost private. That arrangement allows us more time/opportunities to have "conversations" with the guide/local, not just listening to a script being played back to us. Plus, be able to adjust the schedule to better fit our interests, take lots of pictures, etc.

 

Keep the good info and experiences coming. Look forward to hearing from others. Fun doing this future research and planning!! And getting this sharing from others.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 159,687 views. Nice to be hitting this high of a level for viewership. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[mjnvoyager]

I read your account of the Amazon Cruise with interest as we did it a couple of years ago. It got more and more familiar and I realised it was the same cruise. I think I even have a picture of you taking photos from where we were sitting on deck watching the Crossing of the Equator ceremony. Yes it was great experience that you have brought back to life and I would heartily recommend it to anyone thinking about it. The Breves were indeed outstanding. The staff and crew were lovely and David Lawton a great CD.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[fudge]

Thanks for taking the time to post your wonderful time on your cruise. We are booked for the same cruise this year departing November. I will be writing a daily blog, but I am challenged when it comes to taking photographs let alone down loading them!!

 

Great insight into what awaits us, not long now!!! :)

[Emtbsam]

Be prepared for very, very hot humid weather.

 

The jungle survival tour from Silversea was one of the high points of the trip. The meeting of the waters tour is not necessary since you will see if from the ship unless you want to see it close up. Our guide had two jars with water from each river. It was interesting to see the difference. The opera house is well worth the visit, especially as a previous poster said, if you want to buy tickets to a concert.

 

The trip through the Breves Narrows on the Cloud was spectacular.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip.

[drron29]

An overnight trip from Manaus may get some more wildlife but it would be with a little luck.The area around Manaus has been pretty much disturbed so the best wildlife viewing is really in the headquarters of the Amazon.We had been to the Napo lodge in Ecuador some years before after a Galapagos cruise.I really would think that is a better option.

 

My trip report was done before I could post Photos but the description is here-

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/trip-reports-and-trip-photos/from-broken-hill-amazon-jungle-13855.html

 

The Amazon starts at post 31.