Amazon Cruise

We are considering and Amazon Cruise or a South American/Antarctica Crise and we are wondering which month would be the best for each of these? And maybe your second and third choice in case the first month will not work for us?

We are considering and Amazon Cruise or a South American/Antarctica Crise and we are wondering which month would be the best for each of these? And maybe your second and third choice in case the first month will not work for us?

For an Amazon cruise , search which cruise lines do it . Holland America usually does one in November of each year.

They are the only one mainstream cruise lines do it as this time.

Antarctica is usually part of a South America cruise. You'll have to search who is doing them.

Hollland is also doing the Antarctic/South America as well. November would be a great time for us to the the Amazon. We met some people who had done the Amazon with Holland America this past February, but that is not a good month for us. Thanks

We have done the Amazon twice, once in November, once in early March. The water level is higher in March, and it rains more. I thought November was much better.

The Antarctic is best around January, which is the peak of their summer.

We did the Amazon once in January (2010) and were grateful since the water levels had been too low for some of the excursions on the cruises in December. We did an LA to Rio cruise this past early December to early January and the weather was fine (of course it varied form 110 in Rio to the 40s in Tierra del Fuego).

If you can spare two months, the Grand South America & Antarctica cruise, leaving at the beginning of January, is a great one. It is round trip from Ft Lauderdale, goes through the Panama Canal & circumnavigates all of South America. A really great experience.

For an Amazon cruise , search which cruise lines do it . Holland America usually does one in November of each year.

 

They are the only one mainstream cruise lines do it as this time.

 

Antarctica is usually part of a South America cruise. You'll have to search who is doing them.

Oceania does a 25 day cruise with about 5-6 days on the Amazon including an overnight in Manaus. Goes Miami to Miami starting in early November on Sirena (<700 passengers). We just booked it for this year (2017) and it is almost sold out. This would be a considerable step up in quality from HAL. But remember that OCeania pricing includes airfare (or air credit) plus beverages, specialty restaurants, internet and choice of excursions or alcohol or OBC, which can often "bottom line" at the same cost as HAL or Celebrity.

Oceania also just announced its early 2019 itineraries and there is a "round the cape" cruise from Rio to Lima in February (about 23 days) also on Sirena. It will fill up very quickly.

Whatever you do, note that US citizens will need a Brazil visa for either of these itineraries. The visa has a "reciprocity fee" of $150-$200.

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Whatever you do, note that US citizens will need a Brazil visa for either of these itineraries. The visa has a "reciprocity fee" of $150-$200.

 

 

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The current Brazilian visa fee for US citizens is $160 per person when obtained directly from the Consulate. That cost can increase astronomically if a visa service is involved. The visa is good for 10 years (even if your US passport expires in the interim).

Canadians also require a visa. The cost is about $350 CDN.

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The current Brazilian visa fee for US citizens is $160 per person when obtained directly from the Consulate. That cost can increase astronomically if a visa service is involved. The visa is good for 10 years (even if your US passport expires in the interim).

Technically, there is no "visa" fee for US citizens. The $160 is a "reciprocity" fee, which we may assume will be lifted if and when we stop charging their citizens a fee.

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Technically, there is no "visa" fee for US citizens. The $160 is a "reciprocity" fee, which we may assume will be lifted if and when we stop charging their citizens a fee.

 

 

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You have your South American countries confused.

Argentina had a reciprocity fee for US citizens until 14 months ago (suspended in March 2016 and dropped officially in August 2016) of $160 and called it just that. You paid for it on line and they issued a receipt that you had to print off. It was good for 10 years.

Brazil most definitely requires a visa and while you must fill out the info on-line (it is extensive and requires attaching supporting documentation) you then need to appear at a consulate or use a visa service (check your appropriate consulate for instructions since they vary) to submit your documentation and have an interview. This is similar to the process a Brazilian citizen goes through to obtain a US visa. A (very pretty) Brazilian VISTO/VISA is then added to an entire page of your passport.

You have your South American countries confused.

 

Argentina had a reciprocity fee for US citizens until 14 months ago (suspended in March 2016 and dropped officially in August 2016) of $160 and called it just that. You paid for it on line and they issued a receipt that you had to print off. It was good for 10 years.

 

Brazil most definitely requires a visa and while you must fill out the info on-line (it is extensive and requires attaching supporting documentation) you then need to appear at a consulate or use a visa service (check your appropriate consulate for instructions since they vary) to submit your documentation and have an interview. This is similar to the process a Brazilian citizen goes through to obtain a US visa. A (very pretty) Brazilian VISTO/VISA is then added to an entire page of your passport.

No confusion. SF Brazilian consulate website specifically refers to the $160 as a "reciprocity" fee (rather than a Visa fee) that is required for US citizens. It was waived during the Olympics.

We've got two cruises coming up in 2018-19 with Multiple Brazilian ports including the coast and the Amazon.

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No confusion. SF Brazilian consulate website specifically refers to the $160 as a "reciprocity" fee (rather than a Visa fee) that is required for US citizens. It was waived during the Olympics.

We've got two cruises coming up in 2018-19 with Multiple Brazilian ports including the coast and the Amazon.

 

 

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One learns when dealing with the various Brazilian Consulates (and for those doing this for the first time, you are assigned a consulate based on the state you live in) that each has slightly different websites and requirements although on both the Miami (my current consulate), DC (where my first visa was issued) and the SF consulate all the instructions - including the info about the Olympics waiver which still appears on the Miami an SF web sites - are for a tourist visa.

There is lots of good current info each summer and fall (in anticipation of the winter SA cruise season) on the visa process at the various Brazilian Consulates on the South American Ports of Call forum. As I said, requirements can differ according to the Consulate (for example, Miami requires proof of funds - you need to show a bank account statement or credit cards with high limits and low balances - but some other Consulates do not; Miami doesn't offer appointment times for the interview while others do and still others may not require an interview) so I caution anyone planning a cruise that includes ports in Brazil to familiarize yourself with the visa process in advance. I know some passengers decided to disembark in Buenos Aires instead of continuing on the Rio because of the visa requirements and cost.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from visiting Brazil because we loved our Amazon cruise in 2010 and the 5 days we spent in Brazil (2 days in Rio, 3 days in Iguassu Falls) this past January. Given that we still have 9 1/2 years left on our visas, we will definitely visit again.

We got new Brazilian visas last fall. When we got them in 2007 it was quick and easy, but they were only good for 5 years. Last fall we applied on November 1 and didn't receive or visas until December 20. It seems that the San Francisco consulate was having a work slow down. They are very picky about the photos as well. We submitted the same ones used on our passports and several other visas and they were rejected. I submitted new ones electronically six times that first week before the got one they liked. Some people on our cruise waited too long and didn't get theirs back in time before the cruise (February 2) or got them just days before embarkation. One couple joined the cruise a week late because they were waiting for the passports and visas to be delivered.

In other words, give yourself plenty of time, apply early. On the plus side, they are now good for 10 years.

Just curious. Just Brazil still require those getting visas to have yellow fever shots? When we lived in Brazil, admittedly many years ago, we had to have up to date yellow fever shots. Also, there is currently a yellow fever outbreak in parts of Brazil, so that fact does make me wonder what the requirement currently is.

We did an Amazon cruise with Oceania's ship Regatta in November. Although we loved the cruise and the ship, this is not a 'narrow river jungle cruise'. The Amazon is wide and serves as a highway for local transportation. Bring binoculars. It's still a great cruise on an ocean going ship. Azamara had a ship in Manaus at the same time, but I don't know whether they still do this cruise. The water was low in November at the end of the dry season. No mosquitos!

Later we wanted a more intensive jungle experience and booked the Napo Wildlife Center Lodge in Ecuador. Great experience! If you are interested, I can write more about it.

Just curious. Just Brazil still require those getting visas to have yellow fever shots? When we lived in Brazil, admittedly many years ago, we had to have up to date yellow fever shots. Also, there is currently a yellow fever outbreak in parts of Brazil, so that fact does make me wonder what the requirement currently is.

There was no requirement last fall/winter. On our 2010 Amazon cruise it was required for all passengers since the ship had stopped at Devil's Island, Guiana prior to arriving in Brazil. At that time (don't know if it is still the case) Guiana was on the list of countries with yellow fever.

The cruise line said that yellow fever shots (or waivers) were required on our February 2017 cruise. However, the cruise line did not check for the shot records when we embarked, nor did the Brazilian authorities when we reached Brazil, even though we had stopped at Devils Island. On the way back we were delayed 1 1/2 hours at St Lucia because we had been to Brazil. After much argument between the port authorities and the cruise line attorneys in Seattle, those that had yellow fever shot records were allowed ashore. Those that didn't, or only had the waiver, had to stay on board. There were a lot of unhappy people, including the captain.

By the way, WHO now considers yellow fever shots to be good for your lifetime, rather than ten years as before.

J-M-F-, what an interesting and frustrating experience with the yellow fever shots situation! We had yellow fever shots fifty years ago but unfortunately we haven't kept the records to prove it. It is good to know you now only need them once, but I don't know how to prove we did.