Amazon Cruise - Water Shortage & other questions

[joanne1919]

We are considering a 26 night November 26, 2013 Prinsendam Fort Lauderdale to Manaus,Brazil roundtrip. We have never been on Holland America but mostly have questions about the Amazon portion of the trip. We have gone back through several years of reviews of this type of trip and it has been mentioned or alluded to several times that there were water shortages during the 8 days while on the Amazon River (no laundry, pools and hot tubs emptied prior to entering the river). Can anyone share their experience with pool usage,laundry, showers? After a humid day ashore it would be nice to go for a cool swim.

Also, on the Amazon what did you do in the ports that stand out in your mind? We are interested in birds, animals and some native life. We understand that the shoreline is deforested to a great extent but hope to go up some of the tributaries to see some of the forest and the bird life.

Thanks for any info you can pass along.

[JBWNJ]

Your ability to go up tributaries will depend on water levels in the river. We did the same trip two years ago and the water was low and we were unable to do some of our planned excursions. We are a local phone call away from you so let me know if you want more information.

Jim

[joanne1919]

Originally Posted by JBWNJ

Your ability to go up tributaries will depend on water levels in the river. We did the same trip two years ago and the water was low and we were unable to do some of our planned excursions. We are a local phone call away from you so let me know if you want more information.

Jim

Please contact us with your phone number and a good time to call as we would love to talk to you about this trip. Our email is: joanne1919@gmail.com

[Mitwif]

I would love to hear others experiences , as this cruise is near the top my my "must do" list. Water rationing may give me pause, though.

[serendipity1499]

We've done the Amazon twice..Once on HAL'S Prinsendam & once on Oceania's "Regatta" with our good Friends...We loved both trips..In fact we are doing the Prinsendam again around South America & Antarctica in Jan 2013 & will be going into the Amazon again..

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3]Yes, the Laundry was closed due to the fact none of the ships can use the Amazon water..I can't remember if the pools were closed though..Even though we were asked to conserve water, which we do in Fla too, we were able to take showers..We were Sailboaters & always had to conserve water while out on our boats..DH & our Friends, spent 5 months in our boats on one trip & only had 30 gal water tanks..We know how to conserve water...

I'm retired from the Intl Airline Business & have traveled all over the world..Both our Amazon trips were esciting & special..They were well worth the small inconveniences..It would be a shame not to go into an area just because a laundry or pool is closed for week because of a water shortage..

I sent a two part e-mail to another Cruise Critic Poster describing our HAL trip in 2007 & would be happy to send it to you too..

Just click on my name in my profile & e- mail me...

Perhaps my Friend will see this thread & post on it too..

Cheers...Betty

[rkacruiser]

On the old Royal Princess, I sailed on an Amazon cruise in 2004 and found it to be an interesting and unique cruise experience. I expected it to be "buggy" and it was not. We were asked to conserve water inasmuch as the engineers are not able to make fresh water while on the Amazon River, but there were not any shortages and pools remained open. Perhaps the most unusual shore excursion I have ever done was on this cruise: crocodile hunting at night. Floating up the small streams off the River, under the jungle canopy, with a full moon, hunting for these creatures. Being night, one could hear the sounds of the jungle which were different from when we did an excursion on these waters during the day. When the crocodiles were spotted, small ones, one of the guides would grab it and bring it into our boat. We could touch it, even hold it, if we wanted, while he would talk about the animal. Our boat caught three that night, if I remember correctly. (I was on a good boat; one of the others did not catch any.)

[Nutriosotoo]

The Amazon was one of the best cruises we have ever taken. A whole new and different culture(s) to learn about. On the Regatta (Oceania) we were asked to conserve water as much as we could but the pools and laundries were open. Apparently, the water is too silty for the ship to refine it for onboard usage. We did up our laundry before entering the river and then again after we got back out into the Atlantic. Showers were never in question but we did do "Navy" showers (quick rinse, shut off, soap up, turn back on and quick rinse off). I agree with the nighttime tour for animals. The best and you see and hear much more than in the daytime. We were asked to keep the drapes closed at night so that we wouldn't attract bugs. Didn't see many anyway. Do your Amazon cruise! It will give you some great experiences and memories. ----Penny

[jcrandle]

As to the water conservation issue, on our Prinsendam Amazon cruise, it was explained that the ship's desalination capability was reduced because of the silt suspended in the Amazon. We were also told that the A/C might be less effective because the water temperature (used to cool the heat exchangers) were higher than normal. We noticed no problems from this, but as a team player, I switched from Scotch and water to Scotch on the rocks so as not to impact others.

Even though the locals you will are are probably very different from those living further from the Amazon (which is, after all, the equivalent of a major interstate highway), interacting with them will still give you a dramatic sense of being in another world, rather than another country.

We would not trade our Prinsendam Amazon journey for any other cruise.

[Floridiana]

We did this cruise in November 2011 on Oceania's Regatta. There were no water restrictions and the pool was open. The river was low because we were still in the dry season. Luckily it had rained the week before which made all excursions into side arms possible.

The shores are NOT deforested. The deforested parts are in other areas of Amazonia. The only bugs I saw congregated around the outside lamps on deck. This may be different later in the wet season when the forests are submerged in water.

Although we enjoyed this cruise very much, we did not see many animals. We see more in our Florida backyard. I spent hours on our ship balcony watching the shore through binoculars where I saw the small villages of the local population and green parrots above the ship.

Manaus was my second South American city. Exciting and chaotic. We will return to South America in 2013. Unfortunately not on an Oceania ship. I got used to their level of service and excellent cuisine.

One more thing: On the Amazon River, we crossed the equator and the ship held an initiation rite for newbies who wished to participate. The crew took great care to prevent those pink smeared passengers from jumping into the pool. If they had, the pool would have had to be closed for sanitary reasons. On the river, the pool cannot be refilled. Maybe this happened to the person who wrote about a closed pool on the Amazon.

[RuthC]

Originally Posted by jcrandle

We noticed no problems from this, but as a team player, I switched from Scotch and water to Scotch on the rocks so as not to impact others.

You are a real trouper! But, wouldn't it have been better still to drink the scotch neat?
Maybe next time, eh?

[lorekauf]

Thanks to the OP for this thread and all that contributed. One day I'd love to do this cruise.

[JayS]

I was on this cruise in 2009. Make sure you have a Brazilian Visa before you board.

Originally Posted by joanne1919

We are considering a 26 night November 26, 2013 Prinsendam Fort Lauderdale to Manaus,Brazil roundtrip. We have never been on Holland America but mostly have questions about the Amazon portion of the trip. We have gone back through several years of reviews of this type of trip and it has been mentioned or alluded to several times that there were water shortages during the 8 days while on the Amazon River (no laundry, pools and hot tubs emptied prior to entering the river). Can anyone share their experience with pool usage,laundry, showers? After a humid day ashore it would be nice to go for a cool swim. I can't say about the pools, didn't have time. The first thing I did after coming aboard after a day ashore was to jump in the shower!. My shirts felt as damp as they come out of the washer. I had enough clean clothes before we entered the Amazon so I didn't worry about laundry. I didn't feel any problems about water.

Also, on the Amazon what did you do in the ports that stand out in your mind? We are interested in birds, animals and some native life. We understand that the shoreline is deforested to a great extent but hope to go up some of the tributaries to see some of the forest and the bird life. Don't believe everything you hear from the environmentalists.

Thanks for any info you can pass along.

In Manaus I used Rafael Tenorio of Amazon Riders for a on day tour.He showed us twice as much for half the cost as a HAL tour.
I went fishing for piranha twice but didn't see one. I did see some in an aquarium in Eilat, Israel.

[PathfinderEss]

Originally Posted by lorekauf

Thanks to the OP for this thread and all that contributed. One day I'd love to do this cruise.

Me too........

[serendipity1499]

Joanne...I sent you four e-mails..Thought my original was in two parts, but it actually was in three parts..Fourth e-mail was a copy of my post from 2011 about the differences I found between HAL & Oceania..Post 79

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1302011&page=4

Betty

[jcrandle]

Originally Posted by RuthC

You are a real trouper! But, wouldn't it have been better still to drink the scotch neat?
Maybe next time, eh?

While I'm a team player, I'm not the franchise player.