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Braemar-Tenerife, Senegal, Gambia and Cape Verde Isles review and practical info.


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Romance of Senegal and Gambia. Fred Olsen. Braemar. February 9th 2014

Firstly, let me say that we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the ports of call. I am a compulsive note taker and, although the information is only from my personal experience, I am recording it in this review in the hope that you may find some of it useful. My intention is to give practical information rather than a blow by blow account of what we did.

The Itinerary: Tenerife, Dakar (Senegal), Banjul (Gambia), Praia (Santiago Island – Cape Verde Isles), Mindelo (St. Vincent Island - Cape Verde Isles), Tenerife. This was an 11 day cruise.

Background

My husband and I are keen cruisers (35 cruises so far) and we cruise for destination rather than cruise line. We are from the Midlands in the UK and are in our mid 60s. My husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobility problems and can’t walk long distances anymore. This restricts my adventurous nature somewhat.

This was our 3rd Fred Olsen Cruise but the first on Braemar and our first ‘fly-cruise’ with them.

Flights

We flew Monarch Airlines from Manchester to Tenerife South. This was a scheduled flight but others on the cruise flew with Jet2 on F.O. chartered flights.

Parking

We used the JetParks 2 Car Park which we booked on the internet through Cheap.co.uk. The parking zone was easy to find, just off the M56 motorway, and close to the airport.

The busses ran every 10-15 minutes and stopped at all 3 terminals. The journey time was approximately 10 minutes.

Manchester Airport.

Our flight left from Terminal 2.

There was a F.O. representative by the check in desk.

You need to put your F.O. luggage labels on your cases before checking in.

The check in was very quick as there was no queue 3hrs before the flight (5.15am)

Mobility Assistance: as I have mobility problems which mean I am very slow at walking long distances and find difficulty in standing for long, I pre-booked the assistance. The wheel chair was ready for me at the ‘Assistance desk’ close to the check-in area. There was a staff member available to push me but my lovely husband chose to do it instead.

We were able to use the ‘Priority lane’ to clear security.

Once through security we used the Escape Lounge – (£15pp and open at 05.00.) there is a comfortable seating area and food is included in the entrance fee - Toast and preserves, Danish pastries, bacon & sausage baps (very nice), biscuits, tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer etc and juice. There are newspapers and free wifi too.

Monarch Airlines

The plane was an Airbus 321 with rows of 3 seats either side of the isle.

It was basic but the seats were reasonably comfortable and the leg room was fine for me and just about Ok for my taller husband.

There was no entertainment or included food and drink but there was a reasonable selection of hot and cold snacks available although I thought they were expensive. We had brought a few sandwiches from home as we knew we would not be on board the ship until late afternoon.

Tenerife Airport.

We were bussed from the plane to the terminal.

Our passports were given a cursory check.

The cases arrived quickly and there were free trolleys available.

Transfer and Cruise Check-In.

Once outside in the concourse there were F.O. representatives directing passengers to the busses.

There were toilets in the concourse. It was worth going as the transfer time is 60 minutes plus the check-in time at the cruise terminal.

We were given a ticket with a bus number and we took our luggage to the bus and had it stowed in the baggage compartment.

The journey to the ship took 1 hour and it was good to see the changing countryside as we travelled north.

 

Ship’s check-in

Braemar was docked on the land side of the harbour which is quite large and horseshoe shaped. Thomson Celebration and Aida Blu were also docked there but on the other arm of the pier.

A tent is used as the check-in point.

There were some refreshments and toilets available.

We had to complete a health questionnaire - 1 per cabin with all people named.

Our picture was taken and cruise card issued.

Our Passports were retained by the ship’s personnel and receipts were given for future collection after our stop in Gambia.

It was great to see that the use of the Hand sanitizer liquid was enforced at the boarding point.

There were crew members by security machine on deck 2 where we boarded to help with finding our cabin and it was great to be able to access it immediately.

We learned later that we could scan our cruise cards ourselves when leaving and returning to the ship although we were always observed by an officer.

All bags etc go through the scanning machine upon entry and alcoholic drinks were retained for collection at the end of the holiday.

The Ship.

Braemar is the smallest ship at 24,000 tonnes that we have sailed on since the 1990s and I was a little apprehensive as to whether it would feel cramped and if there would be enough room for the activities. I have to say how wrong I was to be worried as I really liked the size and never felt confined.

There are 485 cabins (a few are designated single cabins) and 929 passengers, the majority of which were British with a few other nationalities – Swedes and Norwegians in particular. There are 370 crew members who originate from many different countries. The majority that we spoke to were from the Philippines and India nd all were charming and helpful..

 

Ship's Facilities.

Deck 8.

There are 2 small swimming pools and 2 Jacuzzis plus plenty of very comfortable chairs and tables along with sun loungers. There are changing rooms and toilet facilities including a disabled toilet.

The Pool Bar serves drinks and hot pub grub style snacks - very nice soup, fish and chips, burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, chicken and pies. There is always ice cream for dessert.

The Grampian Restaurant has the same menu as the larger Thistle Restaurant but the venue is smaller and more intimate.

The Observatory Lounge has good views forward and a pianist often plays music there.

Suite cabins.

There is a small outside deck area at the back.

Deck 7.

The Fitness centre is a reasonable size with step machines, tread mills, weights, running machines, rowing machines etc.

There are Cabins and the Bridge

There is a small outside deck area at the back.

Deck 6.

The Palms Cafe buffet restaurant is here and it has an outdoor seating area with a small bar. I loved the fact that the tables have table cloths and are set properly for all meals. You are shown to a seat and can request to share a table or to eat alone.

I found the Buffet offered a good variety of hot and cold dishes and all the food that I had was of reasonable to good quality. There is a definite British feel to the food (hot puddings with custard, real bacon, baked beans, pies etc.) with some continental touches.

There are cabins and toilet facilities too on deck 6.

Deck 5.

The Neptune Lounge has the main shows and a small dance floor. There are regular sessions of ballroom, Latin and sequence music played before and after each show. The 4 dance hosts, who also teach the dance classes, are available to dance with single passengers or those whose partners are unable to dance. The seating is a mixture of bucket seats and banquette seating with small tables.

My personal opinion is that the entertainment was extremely good considering the restrictions posed by the small performing area. There were 3 production shows plus shows by a male singer, a comedian and a magician. I particularly enjoyed the comedian who obviously knew his audience and performed accordingly.

This venue is also used for the lectures and for film shows.

The Internet Room has several computers. You pay for wifi and internet connection by the minute and there are packages available. I was impressed with the free daily ‘appliance trouble shooting’ service that was offered and I made use of it when I had some problems with doing things on my I-pad.

There is a large Library area with reasonable selection of fiction, non-fiction and reference books, board games and jig-saw puzzles. There are comfortable seats and tables. There is an internet copy of the ‘Daily Mail’ produced each day and copies are available in the library.

The Card Room has proper card tables.

Gambling. There are 2 gaming tables but no slot machines. There are regular bingo sessions.

The Morning Light Pub has comfortable seating and musical entertainment in the evenings.

Shops. There is a general store which sells a variety of goods including duty free drinks and cigarettes, a jewellery shop plus the photo shop and gallery.

The Future Cruise Sales Desk and Shore Excursion Desk are on deck 5 too. The Tour advisors were very pro-active in making sure that people did not book inappropriate tours as the transport in Senegal and Gambia was not always suitable for passengers with mobility difficulties and some tours involved climbing in and out of boats on beaches or were in cramped vehicles.

The Reception desk was manned 24 hours a day.

The Coral Lounge is the second show lounge and hosted cabaret shows, bingo, quiz games and many other activities. The seating is a mixture of bucket seats and banquette seating with small tables.

There are toilet facilities including a disabled toilet.

Deck 4.

This deck has a large number of Cabins plus the Thistle Restaurant. It is the larger dining venue but I was in the Grampian Restaurant so never went in the Thistle so I can’t comment on the ambience. There is also a vestibule space that is used for the darts and bowling competitions.

Deck 3.

Deck 3 is mainly cabins but also has The Crafts Room and The Spa. I didn’t use either of these so I can’t comment.

Deck 2.

Deck 2 houses cabins, The Medical Centre, The Main Gangway/Tender Exit and The Laundrette. I didn’t use the Medical facilities so I can’t comment. The exit has the baggage and cruise card scanners and 2 lifts plus a staircase.

The Laundrette. There are 8 front loading washing machines and 8 tumble driers. A wash is £2 (tokens from reception) and includes detergent which is automatically dispensed into the machine. The driers are free. There are 2 ironing boards and irons which are free to use.

Food

I know that ‘food’ is a very subjective issue. My DH and I ate breakfast and lunch in the Palm’s Buffet and dinner was first sitting in the Grampian Restaurant. We enjoyed the vast majority of the dishes we chose and found, for us, the overall quality was good. There was always a fair variety of options and items could be mixed and matched in the MDR. I’m not keen on mushrooms so often had them substituted for a different item and this was done without fuss. One of our table mates had a food allergy and was able to discuss her requirements with the waiter for the following day’s meals. Bar staff members were also made aware of her problem so when she ordered a particular drink it came with her preferred substitute.

Muster Drill.

All the muster stations are on deck 5 inside but you need to get there early for a seat. You need to take your life jacket but only put it on after the demonstration. A role call is taken. You then all follow MS leader outside to your lifeboat in single file with your hand on the shoulder of the person in front.

The whole operation was carried out in a very quiet and orderly fashion.

 

The All Inclusive Option.

This is sometimes included in the cruise fare as a booking incentive but can be purchased for £10.00pp per day. Every adult in the cabin must purchase the package which does have restrictions but you get a 50% discount on premium drinks. The package includes House wines, some beers, spirits, soft drinks, juice and water by the glass.

 

Entertainment.

A variety of activities including port lectures.....not shopping talks...., general lectures, crafts, dance lessons, bingo, quizzes, films, sporting activities, demonstrations etc.

The production shows are fairly standard but the group are very hard working and the music is geared to the overall demographic of the passengers.

I thought the entertainments team were extremely good, knew their audience and provided a balanced range of activities.

 

Cabin 6076 -Superior Twin – View Outside Obstructed – Deck 6.

The cabin was situated mid ship on Deck 6 with a picture window. The restricted view was actually not too restricted – just the ends of 2 lifeboats plus a stanchion but we still had a fairly good view.

· I’m going to list the amenities:

2 single beds + 2pull down bunks.

2 small bedside tables, each with 2 drawers.

Room under beds to store cases.

Duvet + 2 pillows on each bed.

Interactive TV with access to account, room service, excursion bookings, pay films etc. the channels included Sky Sports, Sky and BBC News, 1 film and 1 entertainment channel.

Bucket chair.

Dressing table with chair and 3 deep drawers and 1 small drawer.

Mirror.

Tissues.

Pad and pen.

Map book and port information on desk.

Pre-booked tour tickets + Information about your allocated restaurant, sitting time and table details.

A copy of the ‘Daily News’ sheet.

2 pool towels.

Kettle with tea and coffee (regular and decaffeinated), milk, sugar, creamer, mugs, 2 tumblers and spoons.

Plugs - need adapters.

Hair drier.

3 shelves.

Bottled water to purchase.

4 wardrobes with 10 hangers each.

Air conditioning.

Bathroom

soap dispensers for basin and shower.

2 bath and 2 hand towels, bath mat and 2 face cloths.

2 drinking glasses.

Reasonably sized shower stall.

Good water supply

Muster station on deck 5.

There were NO TOILETRIES, NO ICE BUCKET (ice can be ordered from room Service) and NO INROOM SAFE in this cabin. Some cabins do have a safe. Security boxes are available at reception.

I found the cabin to be of a reasonable size and comfortable. Our Stewardess was unobtrusive and efficient.

The Weather

We sailed at the beginning of February when the North Atlantic and UK were being battered by very bad storms and, although we did not experience the extreme cold and wet conditions created by the storm system, we did suffer from a strong northerly wind for the full 11 days. This caused the seas to be quite rough most of the time and extremely rough on 1 night after leaving the Cape Verde Islands. It was pleasantly hot and sunny in the Ports and it was possible to sunbathe on the ship in sheltered areas except for the last 2 sea days. Braemar battled the strong winds and sea-swell when returning to Tenerife and we were 2 hours late docking because of the slow progress.

Ports of Call.

Once again, these are only my own personal opinions, but I will try to incorporate practical information too. As I have mobility issues, my DH and I usually do ship’s shore excursions and we sometimes do different ones as he is far more active than me and loves trips that include walking and wildlife areas. On this occasion we also did ‘our own thing in St Cruz and Mindelo.

Ship's Tours - General Info.

Your pre-booked tours have tickets in you cabin when you embark.

The Meeting times and meeting venue (either the Neptune or Coral Lounge) are given in the 'Daily Times' the night before.

There is bottled water for sale at meeting points for £1 per small bottle. You could also purchase bottled soft drinks and juices but they were more expensive.

You are given a bus number sticker at the meeting point which is stuck on your tour ticket.

Currency.

Tenerife - Euros

Senegal - Senegal Francs

Gambia - Delasis

Cape Verde Islands – Cape Verde Escud

Most vendors and some shops will take € and US$. They will accept Euro coins but you may be asked to swap their Euro coins for notes (5€ is the lowest denomination note) as it is difficult to change coins at the bank.

Many vendors have no real concept of the exchange rates for their local currency so it makes sense to check the rates on board so you know what you are bargaining for. I ask prices in local currency first before swapping to €s or US$

 

Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Tenerife Port Area.

This is a fairly large industrial port with a horseshoe shaped pier.

We docked on main road side close to the ferry terminal building. There were probably shops, toilets and cafés inside the ferry terminal building (we didn’t go inside) and there was a small souvenir shop and duty free shop by the lift to the promenade. This lift and a ramp were roughly 200m from ship and they gave you access to the promenade.

This is a wide tree lined area beside a busy main road. There are seats along the promenade which seemed to be used by locals as a pleasant place to stroll. There are bus stops for the local public transport system and also 'stop 2' of the HOHO bus route.

Across the road are several cafés and the ones we saw were advertising free wifi.

 

The St. Cruz Hop On, Hop Off Bus

As we have been to Tenerife several times before, we decided not to do an excursion but chose to explore Santa Cruz. I think the town is relatively easy to walk around as it isn't too big but my mobility difficulties meant that long walks are not an option so the HOHO bus was the perfect solution.

We were able to purchase the tickets at the ship's reception desk for £13.99pp which gave us unlimited journeys for 24 hours. Tickets can be purchased on the busses or at the terminal main stop in the Plaza de Espana........a 10 minute walk from the port.

There are 5 busses that run at approximately 15 minute intervals from 10.00 - 18.00. There were also HOHO Bus representatives who spoke good English at the exit to the promenade to sell tickets. They were asking people to walk to the main terminal but the young lady phoned ahead so I could get on at the port stop as I am mobility challenged.

The circuit takes about an hour so we rode the full distance first and then repeated the trip and got off and on at the places that attracted us most.

The park was very pleasant with lots of cafés, pretty fountains and paths through beautiful gardens, a small 'tourist train' and toilets.

There is a huge Carrefour supermarket with a shopping mall which has branches of C&A, Primark etc.

The old market area was interesting and the central area had a very Spanish feel.

There is a tram that runs to the town of La Laguna which has been designated a World Heritage Centre.

I thought Santa Cruz was a pleasant city and I think we got a much better overview of the area using the bus and listening to the commentary than by just walking around the centre. I would have liked to have got off at more places but we had to be back on board for our muster drill.

 

West Africa.

My husband and I have travelled to many parts of the world so we specifically chose this cruise so we could see a little of Western Africa. We were very aware that these 2 countries are still in the early stages of developing a tourist industry and we know that people show us the best they have and that the local people are usually very proud of their heritage. We did our research so we were not shocked by the conditions or the lack of facilities but i know a lot of our fellow passengers were.

Dakar, Senegal. General Information

Braemar docked at 07.30 and the ship cleared at 08.25 so independent travellers could disembark. Guests needed to be on board 19.15 and the ship departed at 20.00.

The ship's tour groups met in either the Neptune or Coral lounge. Details of the times and place were printed on the front page of the previous evening's 'Daily Times'.

The City centre is approx 1.5km from dock and a Shuttle bus ran from 09.15 to 17.30 on a continuous loop - £5pp tickets from reception for unlimited use.

Dakar is a huge industrial port and there were Taxis on the dock side near the gangway. There was also a small souvenir market on the dock side where you need to haggle. The currency is CFA (Senegalese Franc but the € and US$ are widely accepted in souvenir shops. However, I did find that vendors appeared to have very little concept of the conversion rates and initially quoted ridiculously high prices for goods if I was offering dollars or Euros. I went armed with the current exchange rate in writing which I then showed to the vendor during the haggling process.

The official Language is French and I found my very 'school girl' language skills proved to be quite useful.

There were some WARNINGS in the 'Daily Times'. The Medical advice is to wear trousers, socks and long sleeved tops + insect repellent and not to buy water from street vendors. I was not aware of many insects and had no problem with bites but I did use the repellent quite liberally.

There was a warning about the danger of pick pockets so the advice was to keep valuables well guarded and also the fact that we would will be hassled by beggars and traders.

The Senegal post office had a small stall selling cards and stamps just inside the ship by the gangway. Postcards were €1 for 2 cards and stamps were €2. The Post Office official will post them.

My Tour -Sightseeing Tour Of Dakar (4hrs) £40pp

I chose this tour as I have mobility problems and the Excursion information indicated that all the other tours used transport that included vehicles with high steps or needed some climbing/jumping ability plus included a lot of walking over rough terrain so I left those to the more agile passengers. I also felt safe as a single traveller among my fellow passengers and there was a FO crew member with us throughout.

We met in the Neptune Lounge at 13.40 and were on the bus at 14.00. The bus was old but had working air conditioning. The microphone didn't work so we struggled to hear the guide initially but he eventually found and used a megaphone, much to everyone’s amusement!

Dakar is a big bustling busy city but relatively poor by Western European standards. The road surfaces are poor so the ride was bumpy.

We were shown the best that Dakar has to offer which, again, is not a lot if compared with some other countries. There were a couple of photo stops and there were souvenir sellers but they seemed quite respectful.

There was a 40 minute stop at a restaurant where there was the opportunity to watch the 'sand painting' artist and to purchase pictures. A beer/soft drink was included here and there were toilet facilities.

The other stops (10 minutes each) were at the Presidential Palace and the Monument of the African Renaissance (a huge statue at the top of one of the only 2 hills in Dakar).

The tour included driving past the palace, through the University grounds, through the street market, past the cathedral and mosque, along past Independence Square and then along the coast road to see the coastline.

We couldn't go to the market as there was nowhere to park so we were back at the ship at 17.30.

 

Was it worth it? That's a difficult question to answer but I’m glad that I got a chance to see something of Senegal although I would have loved to have seen more of the countryside. On reflection, I would also say yes because I think many people would find it quite intimidating to walk round the city centre. Don't get me wrong, the people seemed polite and pleasant but the roads were extremely busy and the pavements were really crowded. There didn't appear to be many of the types of shops that we are used to either. I also think you would have needed to have done a lot of research to know the best places to visit. I'm also not sure how much English the taxi drivers would speak.

My DH's Tour - Saloum Islands (8hrs -£90pp)

My lovely husband is very fit and agile and also a keen bird watcher and photographer so this tour really suited him. The group met in the Neptune Lounge at 07.50and were off the ship at 8.20. Their bus was air conditioned. They had 2 guides that took turns to give information and both spoke good English.

It was a 2.5 hour drive to the river through interesting countryside .......villages, farm land and forested areas. There was a 10 min toilet stop at petrol station.....squat plate toilets!

My DH said that it was a very bumpy ride once the bus was off the main road.

When the group reached the lake area they were divided into groups to go on the small canoe type boats which held approx 14 passengers.

They had to climb in and out of the boat without aid as there were no steps from the beach. The boat ride was approx 45mins.

When the group arrived at the Island there was a choice of riding to the village by ox cart or doing a 10 min walk. Lunch was at the Island Eco-lodge and consisted of Spring rolls, fish in light curry sauce, rice, salad and crepes. My DH said the food was very tasty and good quality. Everyone was given a bottle of water at lunch.

After the meal people had some free time to look round the island and there were quite a few different species of bird and other forms of wildlife..

The tour continued with a 50 minute ride to the 'shell village' where a local guide explained the history of the area. The group left the village at 16.45 and returned to the ship by a different route for part of the journey. They were back on board at 19.00

My DH said that he thoroughly enjoyed the tour as it gave him an insight into the history and geography of Senegal.

 

Banjul, Gambia. General Information

Braemar docked just after 08.00 and was cleared for disembarkation at 08.40 the ‘All aboard’ time was 17.15 and the ship departed at 18.00

Banjul is an industrial port but not as big as the port in Dakar. There are nice views across to a small beach from where the small local ferries leave.

There was no shuttle bus service into Banjul.

It is approximately 2 km into the town centre through an area of very poor housing. I think Banjul could be even more of a culture shock than Dakar. IMHO walking into town would be a real challenge to the senses and sensibilities of someone who is used to more sophisticated urban surroundings.

I didn't see any taxis on the dock side but they may have been hidden by the tour busses. There were a few taxis at the port gate 400m from the ship.

There was 1 person holding up a passenger's name so I assume that was for a pre-arranged private tour.

I spoke to a couple who walked in to town and they were approached by several locals who offered to show them the sights. They said that they should have negotiated a price immediately with one of them which may have prevented the pestering.

There didn't seem to be a lot to see in the town centre.

Our Tour -'Lazy Day Cruise' (7hrs - £65pp)

My husband and I chose this tour because it was the only one deemed suitable for people with mobility issues but it also gave DH an opportunity to do some bird photography.

We met in the Neptune Lounge at 08.30 and were on the coach by 08.50. Our Coach was quite old but it had working air conditioning and a working microphone. The guide spoke good English and had a great sense of humour. We drove through the centre of Banjul and he pointed out the few sights that were worth looking at before continuing for a further 15 minutes through the suburbs to the boat dock. The journey took about 30 minutes.

There was a short walk over rough ground to the jetties to board the boats which were a bit tricky to get on but there were plenty of helping hands. Each double-decker boat carried about 20 passengers plus 5 crew members including the guide.

The top deck was open with some garden chairs, lounging mats and a small covered area to give shade. The lower deck had bench seats around the exterior sides of the boat with some cushions. There was a small kitchen where the lady crew members were preparing the refreshments and the lunch. Lunch consisted of shepherd’s pie, fish, salad, rice, French bread and fresh fruit ( mango, oranges and bananas)

The toilet was a proper flushing one and there was toilet paper + a wash basin with soap.

Cups of tea/coffee + 1 beer or 1 soft drink we're complimentary. There was also a complementary glass of sparkling wine or orange juice at lunch.

Some boats had sets of binoculars and bird books for passenger use (ours didn't which was annoying as we could have brought our own)

We sailed in a loose convoy along the river. It was lined with just mangrove trees so the scenery was rather monotonous. There were several species of birds to spot including storks, kingfishers, ibis, bee-eaters and rollers but not much else.

Our boat did stop in mid river for 30 minutes so people could swim but the ladder was a bit rickety. Some boats pulled onto a beach so people could paddle or walk.

It was a very pleasant day and those passengers with a keen interest in the bird life had a great time. Personally, I found it a bit tedious towards the end but the alternative tours were not suitable for people with mobility problems. At least I got to see a bit of Gambia!

 

Cape Verde Islands. General Information

The main language of the Cape Verde Islands is Creole but the official language is Portuguese. Many people did speak some English.

Most shops were closed for siesta from 12.00-15.00 but vendors, souvenir shops and cafes remained open.

We were very aware that Islands are still in the early stages of developing a tourist industry and we know that people show us the best they have and that the local people are usually very proud of their heritage.

We also knew that the tour transport would probably be in mini busses.

Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde. General Information

Braemar docked at 08.00 and the ship was cleared for disembarkation at 08.30. The ‘All Aboard’ time was 17.15 and we sailed at 18.00.

The distance from the dock to the town centre is approximately 2km from the dock and a Shuttle bus ran from 09.00 to 17.00 on a continuous loop - £5pp tickets from reception for unlimited use.

The nearest beaches to the port are Prainea and Kebra Canela and are approx 3km from the ship.

It was 400m to the port gate through the industrial dock and Taxis were available outside the port gate.

There were Market stalls along the road side from the port gate towards the town.

Our Ship's Tour - Island Discovery.(7hrs - £55pp)

We chose this tour because it gave us an overview of the whole island.

We met in the Neptune Lounge at 08.25 and were on the bus by 08.50

All the transport was in mini busses which were quite comfortable but had no air conditioning or PA system. Our guide spoke loudly and in excellent English. She had a great sense of humour and also seemed to know the type of information that we all wanted to know.

The drive took us through the outskirts of Praia (didn't seem much to look at but we didn’t see the centre) and then up into the mountains. I was surprised at how dramatic the landscape was and there was also very green and lush vegetation in the volcanic crater.

 

Our first stop was 15 minutes at the ‘grog’ (sp?) distillery where we had the chance to see the process of producing the local ‘fire water’. I didn’t taste it but I heard the comment that it was a bit like paraffin! No doubt that it is an acquired taste. The distillery was a small farm building and very rustic. It reminded me of pictures I had seen of ‘boot-leg’ whiskey manufacture in 19th century USA.

The next stop was the Botanical Gardens. These are quite small but have many beautiful trees and flowering plants. The gardens are situated on the side of a mountain so the cobble stones paths are fairly steeply sloped with some steps up the hill sides. This caused some difficulty for people like me with mobility problems but I thought it was worth the effort to go part of the way.

There was 1 male and 1 female toilet which were usable if desperate.

 

We travelled through some magnificent volcanic scenery to the town of Assomada where we had a 25 minute stop. We were able to use the toilets at a bakery/cafe which sold fabulous cakes.......no obligation to buy. The toilets were clean. There was a colourful local market near by where we had a little time to view.

 

The journey continued through the crater and over the mountain pass to the small seaside town of Tarrafel where we had a 90 minute stop.

Unfortunately, our bus broke down at the top of the volcano. The driver managed to get it going eventually but it had to come down the mountain in second gear. They were hoping to get it mended while we had dinner but as the bus company couldn’t do the repair in time so the passengers all had to be shared between the other mini busses. We were forced to sit on the small pull down bucket seats which were very uncomfortable for the 2 hour return journey. IMHO this situation would have been better handled if the F.O. crew representative had actually informed the ship of our plight. They could have arranged for either another coach to be sent out or for taxis to be hired to return us to the ship. I did complain to the Tour desk officers and received the offer of a bottle of wine. As I don’t drink and we were AI anyway, I declined and was finally given some F.O. points to redeem at the shop.

 

During this stop we had the included lunch at a pleasant restaurant. The tables were on an open terrace with shaded areas and overlooked a gorgeous beach and small harbour.

The lunch was a buffet and consisted of fish, chicken, hot bean stew, potatoes, rice, chips and salad followed by fresh fruit. There were bottles of water on each table and beer and soft drinks to purchase.

The restaurant had a second terrace overlooking the beach which was a very pleasant place to sit in the shade and watch the beach and the waves. Many people took the opportunity to swim, walk on the beach and look at the fishing boats returning with their catch. The local people were selling the fish.......a very colourful sight!

The toilet facilities were ok.

The journey back to the ship was by a different route and a lot of the roads were cobbled so it was bumpy.

It took 2.25 hours to get back to the ship with only 2 photo stops so not much time to stretch our legs.

 

Was it worth it? I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the beautiful scenery and realise that the islands are quite under developed so there are not many sights, other than scenery, to visit. Some people may find it a bit disappointing.

 

Mindelo, St. Vincent Island, Cape Verde. General Information.

Braemar docked at 08.00 and the ship was cleared for disembarkation at 08.30. The ‘All Aboard’ time was 17.15 and we sailed at 18.00.

The town centre is approx 1.5 km from the port and there was a shuttle bus that ran from 09.00 until 17.00 and dropped off at the Eagle monument by the Marina. It was £5 pp for unlimited journeys

Taxis were available at the port gate.

Shops close for lunch from 13.00 to 15.00

The nearest beach is Laginha Beach which was 15 minutess walk from the port.

It is an industrial port.

The tour busses were on the dock side.

The walk to the town was along a promenade once you are out of the dock.

There is a small beach by the Marina.

Mindelo.

We had decided not to do a tour in Mindelo and chose to just walk around the town.

We had extreme difficulty docking because there was a ship in our berth and strong winds prevented us from using the other one. The ship that was wrongly docked eventually moved and we finally tied up at 09.30. The captain kept us informed and did warn us that we may not make it in because of the strong head winds so we were aware of the situation. The timings of the ship's tours was quickly rearranged and they opened a restaurant early so people could eat lunch before their trip.

We were in Mindelo on a Saturday so that may have a bearing on what was open. I thought the town was much more attractive than Praia with a real Portuguese feel to the buildings and a more 'finished' feel.

The Marina area is under development and there are a few shops including an information centre and some cafés with toilets. Coffee was €1.

The pavement surface of the promenade area is very uneven.

There is a 3 storey castle type structure that you can climb (I don't know if there is a charge) and it looked as if you would get good views over the bay. There was a small fish market by the tower.

If you cross the road directly by the tower and walk up the street you come to a market square with a number of stalls selling all manner of items....fruit, vegetables, clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery , souvenirs etc. Euros were accepted but you need to haggle.

To the left of the market square is a road that will take you to the church square where there is a small department store as well as the church. If you continue to walk parallel to the sea front you come to a street that appeared to be the main thoroughfare with some shops and cafés.

There were many street vendors but none were persistent when we said a polite 'no thank you'.

The island is volcanic and the mountains were visible from the port. They gave a very dramatic back drop to the town.

I thought it was a lovely place to visit and will attract more tourists as the redevelopments continue.

 

I spoke to our table mates who had done the Mindelo Highlights and Catfish Bay Tour. They said that Catfish Beach was beautiful and had 2 cafés with toilet facilities. They also enjoyed the local folk dance performance.

Disembarkation procedure.

I was very impressed with the disembarkation procedure as it cut out the scramble at the airport because everything was done either on board (charter flights) or at the dock side cruise terminal (scheduled flights) and you do not see your luggage again until your flight destination airport.

People on charter flights have to hand their flight tickets to reception early in the cruise and these are returned along with luggage labels and departure information towards the end of the cruise.

Those of us on scheduled flights as part of the holiday package got luggage labels + detailed information on the procedure 2 nights before departure.

Cases were to be out between 21.00 and 02.00

Cabins were to be vacated by 09.00.

We were asked to wait in a lounge area until our luggage tag colour and number was called.

Disembarkation is by flight number.

You identify you luggage in the cruise terminal.

All check-in was done at the quay-side cruise terminal and the luggage was then transported straight to the airport in a sealed container lorry where it is loaded onto the aircraft. This was a very efficient service.

Charter flight passengers have their seat allocation and boarding passes given to them 2 days before disembarking.

Scheduled flight passengers get their seats allocated and are given the boarding passes at the cruise terminal check-in.

The queue was quite slow moving at check-in so there was a fairly long wait on the bus until it was full before we left for the airport.

Tenerife Airport departures.

We were told to go straight to security when we disembarked from the bus. The queue at security was very long as there were a lot of flights departing that afternoon but it moved fairly quickly.

There are toilet facilities, shops and cafes in the departure areas but a distinct lack of seating by the ‘gates’.

Final thoughts

We had a wonderful time and will definitely sail on Braemar again if the itinerary is appropriate. Yes – we could have found faults but there was nothing so awful that it would put me off. In fact we really like the British feel of the ship and the older crowd meant we were mostly among like-minded people who had good manners. We enjoyed the ports because we had a fair idea of what to expect although I know that there were a few passengers who were not prepared for the poverty and lack of facilities in some places.

All in all..........a great experience!

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for the info. Can you please tell me what theme nights there were on this cruise.

 

When we did the cruise, there was a British theme night, a Rock and Roll night and a Tropical night. The rock and roll night was fun with lots of plastic DA wigs:D

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Thank-you so much of sharing your experience. I will be cruising the same ship in 22 March. As a first time solo traveller on cruise, I am a bit worry and also very looking forward to it.

May I ask you do british passport need to apply any visa for excursion?

Currency is what I am still not sure. Is the ship pricing in Euro?

 

Thank-you

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Thank-you so much of sharing your experience. I will be cruising the same ship in 22 March. As a first time solo traveller on cruise, I am a bit worry and also very looking forward to it.

May I ask you do british passport need to apply any visa for excursion?

Currency is what I am still not sure. Is the ship pricing in Euro?

 

Thank-you

 

As already posted by dancourt - on board currency is in £s.

 

You do not need to get visas for any of the ports. When you check in to the ship they retain your passport which is then returned to you after the ship's visits to Dakar and Banjul. The local authorities check the passports and we found an 'entry card' for Gambia when we got our passports back.

 

I do hope you enjoy your time on Braemar. There were many solo travellers and everyone that I spoke to was having a great time.

Edited by soccerref
Senior moment missed word
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Hello - we would appreciate any advice on where we can find some lovely beaches on our shore visits . Could we rely on guides / taxis on the harbour on arrival at each location.

 

I'm sorry that I can't help you with beaches as we're not 'beach people'. Hopefully there will be people out there with the knowledge you require.

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Great review! Just found this site 4 days before departure!!

 

Travelling solo and would be interested in linking up with any fellow passages thinking of independent trips.

 

Travelling from Cornwall and counting the days!

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  • 3 months later...

Hi Phogan, I'm glad you found it helpful.

 

At one time it used to take me weeks to transpose all my notes into a coherent review but now that I have an Ipad I write segments on the 'messages' app as I go along and then email them to my computer for editing.........a doddle! The wonders of modern technology.

 

Have a wonderful trip.

SR

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Very good information. We have been considering a Fred cruise to the Cape Verde Islands, so good to know how you got on. My OH and myself have a similar profile as you and yours, so was useful to know how accessible you found it.

 

The cruise we may go on doesn't include West Africa, which I have already visited and didn't particularly like. However, we may decide to go somewhere totally different.

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What a super review, really enjoyed reading it gave us some things to think about. Good also to read a review from the Midlands, we are Proud Northerners and note that most of the posts seem to be from Southerners! We have cruised on Balmoral and Bodicca both excellent ships though we prefer Balmoral as she is larger. How did Breamar handle the rough seas, i believe that she is 'flat bottomed?'

 

So glad that you enjoyed 'Fred' and the good mannered passengers. Us golden oldies are the best.

 

Regards

Travelingman52

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  • 1 month later...

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