O and the Amazon—opinions?

[kreastman]

Curious about anyone's experiences on one of O's Amazon cruises. A friend cruised the Amazon on HAL and said it was one of his favorites (and he's been on nearly all of HAL's itineraries). If you've been there on O, how did you like it? Would you recommend it to others? Pros and cons? Thanks for your advice.

[sammiedawg]

We did Rio to Miami three years ago and it was one of the best trips of our lives. Oceania had several lecturers on board including a brilliant Brazilian expert, Dr. Don Klein. He was so impressive and presented about fifteen lectures on culture, history, geography. It was like a mini college course on all things Brazil. He still works for O, I just saw his name in a brochure.

We had an active roll call with numerous private tours going on.

 

I have been on Holland America but not for this itinerary. Oceania is so much better for food, accommodations and overall experience. HAL will be less expensive. They've cut back greatly on quality but they have long time loyalists who insist they are better than anyone else.

[Jancruz]

Loved the Amazon cruise..so interesting would do it again in a minute as you learn so much..

Jancruz1

[Twiga]

My husband and I just took the 23-day Miami to Miami Amazon cruise (November 29 - December 22) on the Regatta. It was fantastic! I highly recommend it. We had six days on the Amazon River with four ports. Santarem, Parintins and Boca da Valeria were great places to visit. Manaus we could have done without, but I did enjoy visiting the Opera House. We had 11 sea days. We really had fun onboard on the sea days. The guest lecturer, Sandy Cares, was excellent. She was very interesting, funny, and informative on topics related to our cruise. The food was terrific! The wait staff and wine stewards were the best I've ever experienced. This was my 6th Oceania cruise, all of which were excellent. I think the 23 days allowed us to get to know the staff better and enjoy their friendship. It was a fun cruise! I hope you decide to book it.

[Mura]

I find these comments interesting since we booked the first Amazon cruise way back when but then had to cancel. Not long after that friends from another cruise took the same one we had booked (maybe a year later) and were very disappointed.

 

It sounds like things have changed and maybe we should reconsider. We've always avoided this cruise from the negative comments from our friends.

 

Mura

[bitob]

I find these comments interesting since we booked the first Amazon cruise way back when but then had to cancel. Not long after that friends from another cruise took the same one we had booked (maybe a year later) and were very disappointed.

 

 

 

It sounds like things have changed and maybe we should reconsider. We've always avoided this cruise from the negative comments from our friends.

 

 

 

Mura

 

 

Plus 1

We also heard some fairly negative feedback about the itinerary. May have to reconsider

 

 

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[possumpete]

We sailed RIo to Miami 2 years ago and were disappointed but maybe our expectations were too high? The Amazon is a huge river with not much to see and we now hope to visit from the Western end to see some of the 'jungle' which we had hoped to see on Oceania.our 5 ports were very average. We had 2 ports switched which caused a bit of bother!!! Excursions can only take you a very short distance inland. Wildlife sightings were very very few. No complaints about the cruise - the usual great Oceania.

[Queen of DaNile]

We have friends currently on the Amazon, although on a Cunard ship. They LOVE formal nights, ballroom dancing and days of playing bridge-to each his own! They are reporting that the ports are abysmal and the photos they are posting support that. We would much rather be on an O ship for any itinerary but would have to think long and hard about this one.

[bitob]

We sailed RIo to Miami 2 years ago and were disappointed but maybe our expectations were too high? The Amazon is a huge river with not much to see and we now hope to visit from the Western end to see some of the 'jungle' which we had hoped to see on Oceania.our 5 ports were very average. We had 2 ports switched which caused a bit of bother!!! Excursions can only take you a very short distance inland. Wildlife sightings were very very few. No complaints about the cruise - the usual great Oceania.

 

 

Your post sums up what we have heard from friends

 

 

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[susiesan]

An Amazon cruise is on my bucket list but I'd be inclined to go on one of the very small river ships based in Peru or Brazil or Ecuador to do a cruise like this, one of these kind of ships:

 

https://www.rainforestcruises.com/peru-amazon-tours?gclid=Cj0KEQiAiMHEBRC034nx2ImB1J0BEiQA-r7ctkkzOJxvi77r2rE5cby1Zv0YMmt3AqkDKtIXZro7kboaAuDV8P8HAQ

 

The problem with O's Amazon cruises for me is they are too long, 21 days RT from Miami. Until I retire I don't have 3 weeks to take a vacation at one time.

[Paulchili]

An Amazon cruise is on my bucket list but I'd be inclined to go on one of the very small river ships based in Peru or Brazil or Ecuador to do a cruise like this, one of these kind of ships:

 

https://www.rainforestcruises.com/peru-amazon-tours?gclid=Cj0KEQiAiMHEBRC034nx2ImB1J0BEiQA-r7ctkkzOJxvi77r2rE5cby1Zv0YMmt3AqkDKtIXZro7kboaAuDV8P8HAQ

 

The problem with O's Amazon cruises for me is they are too long, 21 days RT from Miami. Until I retire I don't have 3 weeks to take a vacation at one time.

 

FWIW, a few years ago we took a Princess cruise on one of their R ships from Manaus to Miami - thus cutting the trip length in half.

I am not sure if they or anyone else is still offering this itinerary.

[susiesan]

FWIW, a few years ago we took a Princess cruise on one of their R ships from Manaus to Miami - thus cutting the trip length in half.

I am not sure if they or anyone else is still offering this itinerary.

 

Not that I can find. If this kind of cruise existed for the Amazon I might consider it. When I was on a Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos cruise 5 years ago there was talk of that ship being permanently moved to the Amazon for exploration type cruises and a new ship brought in for the Galapagos trips. It never happened.

[Paulchili]

Not that I can find. If this kind of cruise existed for the Amazon I might consider it. When I was on a Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos cruise 5 years ago there was talk of that ship being permanently moved to the Amazon for exploration type cruises and a new ship brought in for the Galapagos trips. It never happened.

 

Funny you should say that as we did the Amazon cruise after the Celebrity Xpedition in Galapagos. Flew from Peru to Manaus and did the Princess cruise after Galapagos. Seemed like a good time to combine the two.

Edited January 31, 2017 by Paulchili

[ORV]

Not that I can find. If this kind of cruise existed for the Amazon I might consider it. When I was on a Celebrity Xpedition Galapagos cruise 5 years ago there was talk of that ship being permanently moved to the Amazon for exploration type cruises and a new ship brought in for the Galapagos trips. It never happened.

 

Celebrity has recently purchased a couple of smaller expedition type ships to go with the one they've had for a while. I think one is 48 passenger and the other 16. It will open up more options for them. I'm not sure what itineraries they are going to do.

[Twiga]

We sailed very close to the shore along the Amazon River.

 

 

This photo shows how close we were. (I've never attached photos before, so I don't know how this will turn out.) Most of our sailing was along beautiful jungles like this. The weather was good, very hot at times, and only one short bit of rain in Manaus. There were no bugs, no mosquitoes. The Boi Bumba carnival-type show in Parintins was fantastic. Not to be missed. The children at Boca da Valeria were delightful.

 

Here is a photo of my husband with several of the girls who walked with him to the village. The ship donated goods and clothes. I took school supplies, which the children loved! It was probably the best port experience I've ever had. I love Oceania and I loved this cruise. As I said before, I highly recommend it.

[Queen of DaNile]

We sailed very close to the shore along the Amazon River.

 

[ATTACH]402922[/ATTACH]

 

This photo shows how close we were. (I've never attached photos before, so I don't know how this will turn out.) Most of our sailing was along beautiful jungles like this. The weather was good, very hot at times, and only one short bit of rain in Manaus. There were no bugs, no mosquitoes. The Boi Bumba carnival-type show in Parintins was fantastic. Not to be missed. The children at Boca da Valeria were delightful.

[ATTACH]402923[/ATTACH]

 

Here is a photo of my husband with several of the girls who walked with him to the village. The ship donated goods and clothes. I took school supplies, which the children loved! It was probably the best port experience I've ever had. I love Oceania and I loved this cruise. As I said before, I highly recommend it.

 

Thanks for sharing a different perspective.

[BBWC]

We did the Amazon this past November. It was on Regent, but same stops. I agree that there is not much to see there, the cities are nothing to look at. Note that Manaus is dangerous to do on your own, several people were mugged, including crew members. I am still kind of glad I did, though, just so I was able to see the Amazon. Would never consider doing it another time, though.

 

I have a very different take on Boca de Valeria, though, the fake 'native village'. It was pretty bad to see all the wild animals on display just for the tourists especially when you know that they will not survive this. The children hang onto you, for sure, but it was a good way to get rid of some evening turndown chocolates. I think everyone we saw walked around for maybe 10 minutes at most and then headed back to the tender.

 

Another note for anyone considering this trip in November. There is smoke everywhere as the local people burn the fields to clear them before the rainy season and the next growing season. The smoke gets everywhere on the ship, including your cabin. I have never been so happy to be out to open seas again and breathe some fresh air. This is just a warning to someone with any respiratory issues - I suggest you do not go at that time of year.

 

 

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[bitob]

Thanks

Actually the photos convinced me not to do the amazon cruise. Does not appeal to me at all

 

 

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[possumpete]

While I had read warnings of Manaus and am a VERY cautious person, 4 of us walked to the Teatro and did a very interesting tour. We wore no jewellery or other obvious valuables and never felt threatened BUT did hear of 1 ugly incident where someone left their mobile on a cafe table while they paid the bill and had it snatched. Other than this tour the rest of what we saw was not worth venturing out!! The worst thing about Boca de Valeria was the guys standing next to the kids with all these 'local' wildlife with a huge wad of $US - everything came with a price. And a lot of these kids wanted way too much or rejected what you offered?? It is a regular port for cruise ships in the area so not unique. Our version of the Parinitins show was a very expensive waste of time. Sadly we thought this would be better than similar in Rio so missed out there. We really did enjoy our 21 day cruise ( we are happily retired) just expected more in the Amazon. Needed to research more before maybe but not a lot out there when we booked even in CC. We have only just started cruising and it is all about the destinations for us which I am sure makes a difference to our expectations compared to a lot of people- one of the reasons we enjoy Oceania- meeting many like minded passengers!

[Mura]

When we were going to take this cruise in 2005 it was Manaus to Barbados (14 days) and I was looking forward to Manaus since I'm an opera fan. But I was dissuaded by our friends perception of the ports as being disappointing when the did the cruise a year or two later.

 

Further they were very unhappy with Oceania's non-response to their complaints (not only about the itinerary) -- they always booked at least a Vista -- and have not cruised with Oceania since. I can't judge whether they reaction was justified or not since I wasn't there, but it does sound like their disappointment with the ports was not uncommon.

 

But seeing that a number of people continue to voice the same disappointment, I doubt we will do this itinerary either. We were willing to reconsider it at first.

 

Possumpete, I wouldn't leave a cell phone on a table in New York City, let alone in Manaus!

 

Mura

[possumpete]

Passengers were at the table but distracted!!! Us Aussies lead a protected life at home!! Well, up until now??Which is why I read CC and TA avidly!Can't wait to visit NY in July before we head to Iceland on Insignia!!guess the real problem is there are not many ports to choose from and the Amazon river itself doesn't have a lot to offer at this end. And 25% tax on everything on the ship while we were in Brazilian waters made it even worse!!,

[Mura]

I forgot about that tax! It didn't exist when we were considering the cruise ...

 

Be happy to meet up when you are in NYC if possible. Maybe for dinner? Also happy to make touring suggestions. Don't ask me about hotels! I live here so I really don't know what to recommend on that end.

 

Mura

[Twiga]

If my first photo of the Regatta sailing along the jungles of the Amazon is not to your liking, then an Amazon cruise is not for you. If you are expecting fancy ports with lots of upscale things to do, then an Amazon cruise is definitely not for you. The Amazon is a relaxing, slow-paced, back to nature, peaceful cruise. I loved sitting on the veranda or at the back of the Terrace Cafe just watching the jungle go by, with the occasional house, boat, tributary, or person waving to us.

 

The ports are not like ports in the Caribbean or elsewhere, but they are fascinating for the nature, the wild life and the people. Everyone likes different things, so if this does not appeal to you, then skip the Amazon. If you want something truly amazing and different, this cruise is it. However, BBWC brought up a good point. There was a lot of smoke the first two days on the Amazon River. It did come onboard and into the cabins. That is the only negative I can think of about this cruise. I loved the Captain stopping on the Equator so we could take pictures standing in two hemispheres at once. On the way back the Captain did "wheelies" as he called it (sailing in circles) on the equator. The Captain even made a video with a drone showing the ship on the equator. It was a lot of fun.

 

No one in Boca da Valeria ever asked us for money. We gave dollar bills to the children who escorted us and to the children who posed for pictures. Since Boca da Valeria is a tender port with no excursions, we saved at least $100 each for the price of an excursion. So it was easy to give $20 - $30 to see a beautiful child smile, talk to us, and show us the village. We spent close to two hours there. It was a wonderful experience.

[Julise67]

We sailed very close to the shore along the Amazon River.

 

 

 

[ATTACH]402922[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

This photo shows how close we were. (I've never attached photos before, so I don't know how this will turn out.) Most of our sailing was along beautiful jungles like this. The weather was good, very hot at times, and only one short bit of rain in Manaus. There were no bugs, no mosquitoes. The Boi Bumba carnival-type show in Parintins was fantastic. Not to be missed. The children at Boca da Valeria were delightful.

 

[ATTACH]402923[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

Here is a photo of my husband with several of the girls who walked with him to the village. The ship donated goods and clothes. I took school supplies, which the children loved! It was probably the best port experience I've ever had. I love Oceania and I loved this cruise. As I said before, I highly recommend it.

 

 

What time of year did you go to the Amazon?

 

 

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[Starlaker]

"If you are expecting fancy ports with lots of upscale things to do, then an Amazon cruise is definitely not for you. The Amazon is a relaxing, slow-paced, back to nature, peaceful cruise. I loved sitting on the veranda or at the back of the Terrace Cafe just watching the jungle go by, with the occasional house, boat, tributary, or person waving to us.

 

Twiga, you said exactly what I was going to say. We did this cruise round tip from Miami 11/27/10 - 12/21/10 and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We saw some smoke in the distance at the first part of the river, but none of the smoke reached the river. The towns are mostly primitive, but that was what we found so interesting. Watching them load the boats in Manaus was fascinating. Our first day in Manaus we went back the River Negra on a private tour with three other couples. We saw lots of wildlife - toucans, monkeys, caimen, pink dolphins, and lots of birds and butterflies. We stopped at a village along the river and went to their school. We all took gifts for the school - pens, pencils, paper, toothbrushes, soccer balls, etc. The second day we took a cab to the Opera House. The square was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the opera house was magnificent. We then went to the market and saw some really gnarly fish laying out for sale. So very interesting. In Santarem we went in to town on our own and took a small boat out in the river to see the meeting of the waters and then rode around a marsh where we saw lots of different water birds. We also enjoyed wandering through the shops in town. We didn't go to the show in Parintins because it was so hot and we didn't want to be with the huge crowd that goes there for the show. Instead we hired a bike cab to take us around town. There is a very interesting church and cemetery there. I didn't enjoy Boca de Valeria as much. It was interesting to see a native village and see their homes, but all the children wanting to take your hand or have their picture taken with their pets (for $) bothered me somewhat. I understand that on ship days, families bring their children in from all the surrounding villages. I certainly don't begrudge them the opportunity to make some money as it is a very poor area.

 

As Twiga said, this is a very relaxing cruise with the opportunity to see some lovely scenery and experience an entirely different culture. P.S. If you stop at Devil's Island, be sure to take lots of water. I have never been so hot in my entire life. Don't know how those prisoners survived. Many didn't.