29 Day Amazon cruise

Would like to know how people liked the Amazon cruise on the Prinsendam ship. How much is there to see. Pro's and Con's please. Thank you. The cruise leaves from FLL coming back to FLL in Nov.

check on cruisecritic.com home page and look for S America and Amazon cruise reviewed. A small ship is needed for the Amazon. As the ship goes further up the river heat and humidity seem to increase as well as bugs and rain. People seemed to be satisfied with what they experience as they know this is the Amazon and its environment. This is not for a cruiser who wants to sit on the ship or bask on the deck. It is an adventure. I would not do it because humidity really gets to me and it seems a/c breakdowns happen often. Check the reviews those cruisers will tell all!

The Prinsendam was refitted with new AC earlier this year in drydock, so it should be "Amazon ready".

The Brazilian visa is an issue for us as we get closer to making a decision on booking.

We did an Amazon cruise last year and it was fantastic. It is different as the sites are the river, it's people and the natural beauty. You look for things like pink dolphin, rain forests, flood plains and sloths.

The Brazilian visa is easy to get and its good for ten years.

We were recently signed up for this cruise but ran into the high cost Brazilian visa and contradictory yellow fever shot requirements.

All the sudden the costs for this cruise went up several hundred dollars each. Just could not get it all organized before departure time. Don't wait too long to make your decision -some reports on the Brazil visa site claimed it was taking them 24 days to get your passport back.

Check out the roll call for this cruise - there is a good group going and they can help you with more info about the shots and visas.

We did the Amazon cruise last fall on the Maasdam. It was an excellent cruise, the sights along the river, the sun sets, sun rise. I spent a lot of time on deck watching the sights, be sure that you get out on deck, Manaus was a great over night stop & the ships excursion to an Indian village was the high light. The Brazilian visa was expensive but we used a service & had no problem. Enjoy your cruise.

Allan

We did an Amazon cruise last year and it was fantastic. It is different as the sites are the river, it's people and the natural beauty. You look for things like pink dolphin, rain forests, flood plains and sloths.

 

The Brazilian visa is easy to get and its good for ten years.

Bolding is mine. We have one in an old passport. Good for 10 years but our passports weren't back then. We were told(by Brazil) that it was only as good as our passport. Interesting.

Bolding is mine. We have one in an old passport. Good for 10 years but our passports weren't back then. We were told(by Brazil) that it was only as good as our passport. Interesting.

I was told, when I got my first Brazil visa, that all I had to do was use the old passport with the valid visa, along with the new, valid passport.

I know we are different countries, but I would expect the rule to be the same from Brazil's point of view.

My first Brazil visa was back in '02 (issued in late '01 for use '02). Could things have changed from when you got yours?

From the Brazil Consulate General in Los Angeles website:

If your Brazilian visa is still valid and your passport expires, you can get a new passport (from the authorities of your country) and carry both the new (valid) passport and the old one (with the visa) when you travel to Brazil.

From the Brazil Consulate General in Los Angeles website:

 

If your Brazilian visa is still valid and your passport expires, you can get a new passport (from the authorities of your country) and carry both the new (valid) passport and the old one (with the visa) when you travel to Brazil.

That was what I understood as well.

As to visa costs, yes they are not cheap, we just spent $1,000 to get two China and two India visas for the WC. As with the Brazilian, they are good for ten years and the cost is not going to stop me from going while I can.

We did a similar Amazon cruise in 2005 on the Veendam. I remember walking on the outside decks in the morning looking at all the moths and insects that had been attracted to the ship's lights during the night and were still there. An enjoyable cruise, but I wouldn't do it now. I am guessing that the Amazon river and jungle area is the world epicenter for Zika mosquitoes and do not want to expose myself or DW to that virus.

I was told, when I got my first Brazil visa, that all I had to do was use the old passport with the valid visa, along with the new, valid passport.

I know we are different countries, but I would expect the rule to be the same from Brazil's point of view.

 

My first Brazil visa was back in '02 (issued in late '01 for use '02). Could things have changed from when you got yours?

Thanks - I wasn't told this - will check :). Still have the old passport :)

We did this cruise on the Prinsendam in November 2014 and loved it. A big plus was that no port was repeated, so we saw a variety of places. Yes it was humid. Join the roll call because they are probably organising private tours at a fraction of the cost of HAL. Private tours we did (and loved) included 2 into the Amazon jungle near Santarem (one going up the river and the second on the way back) and a very long tour at Manaus where we saw wild pink dolphins and touched the different coloured water at the meeting of the waters - the temperature difference is surprising. That last tour also did a lot more in the 6 or 8 hours it lasted.

We hadn't been to any of the ports before - not sure if this is true for you. There was such a variety in the ports.

The only cons I can think of are the humidity and the extra cost associated with a small ship.

It is a different feel knowing you are on board with the same people for the whole cruise, as there are no segments. There were a lot of enrichment activities. I'm still reading books recommended by one of the lecturers.

Michelle.

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Thanks - I wasn't told this - will check :). Still have the old passport :)

kazu, you should check and come along!!! :D

FWIW to all, it took all of 13 days for my visa to be returned to me in my passport. I know of another one that took 23 days. So it does vary but we still are over 80 days out, so there's plenty of time yet.

OP, come look at our roll call. We have a few private tours planned and are trying to get others going. We have lots of ports throughout the Caribbean and the famed "Devil's Island" too. We have a nice group and would welcome more! :)

Also, hi MissShelllly!

We did it 2015 and it was great

Also, hi MissShelllly!

Hello to you too Rich. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Michelle.

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DH and I did this cruise Nov 2015...loved that it was R/T. Ended up thinking the Prinsendam is now my favorite ship. Small and easy to get around. Lots to do. Our favorite spot was the aft pool which was salt water.

The ports were interesting and places we'd never been before. Saw pink dolphins, fished for piranhas, saw the sights. The opera house in Manaus is a Must See. If you've ever been in Texas or Florida in the summer, the humidity is about the same and it's hot but manageable.

We got our visa and yellow fever shots, no problems with either (and DH is 70 and our travel nurse said he was okay to get it). We missed Devil's Island thru no fault of the cruise line or captain.

Biggest drawbacks...the air was unbreathable for several days up river due to the combination of wood and coal smoke. If you've seen reports about China's air pollution you'll understand. People were given face masks to catch the larger particles and almost everyone had some upper respiratory discomfort. So thick you couldn't see across the river.

2nd drawback...when you are on the river there are water restrictions as the ship cannot draw in the river water to create fresh water as they do in the ocean through desalination. We never ran out of water to drink or shower, but no laundry and they did ask that you conserve.

3rd drawback...they were in the 10th year of drought and the river levels were low (hard to believe with all the water that is around you) and some of the things we wanted to see like the giant water lilies and the lake were non-existent because of this.

Otherwise a great trip and we were really happy we did it. Oh and to take a picture of the sloths that the children are holding will cost you a dollar or two. I didn't pay because I felt we were helping to exploit both the children and the sloths, but they both very cute!

Hope this helps you decide.

Rachel

We went in 2014 and loved it. Since it is a longer cruise on a smaller ship, there is an atmosphere of intimacy that develops that I have never felt on the larger ships. My favorite thing was to just sit and watch the water. About 3 days before we reached the Amazon, the ocean changed from that deep, clean blue color to a brilliant green. At the mouth, all of a sudden the clarity disappeared, and the water changed to coffee with cream brown. There are many places along the river where tributaries flow in, and you will see many spots where there is a definite line with the brown water on one side, and clear water on the other.

They also did a great Equator crossing ceremony on the way home.

The trip was relaxing and serene.

I also loved visiting Devil's Island. It was not at all as I imagined it.

This was an amazing cruise....we did it in 2012 when it was 23 days. The river was down 100 feet, so we didn't see the giant water lilies. The village of Boca da Valeria was a high point and I will never forget my interaction with a woman and her garden and home (I have looked at recent pictures people have posted, and her house on stilts is still there.) I know groups frown on giving money for pictures to the children with animals as exploitive, but it is a way for them to earn extra income. I spoke with the local teacher and left money in the school donation box. The large black beetles that are attracted to the ship lights and littered the decks in the morning were incredible.

Sailing out of Santarem at night while there was a major Church festival, with twinkling light on the water was a beautiful experience. We found memorable moments everywhere.

The Brazil Visa requirements vary by country...the US pays more, but it is good for 10 years, whether the passport has expired or not.

We would love to do this cruise again...fare are attractive right now, but family concerns prevent it at this time.:(

Enjoy the experience!

Karen

LOVED the Amazon cruise!!! Second best to the Antarctic.

Bugs, moths, beetles, a cricket and a bat -- and that was just on the outside areas of the ship!

Boto (pink dolphins), Opera House in Manaus, piranha, Boca de Valeria village, downpours in Parintins, Meeting of the Waters, heat, humidity! An adventure!

Worth every dollar, ever hassle with Visas. A great cruise you will not forget.

Found this a very interesting thread, and somewhat confusing.

We applied and received our Visa in 2008, and it was valid for five years (had to look it up to be certain). It was for a series of cruises circumnavigating South America. Perhaps the law has changed? We think the hassle and costs of obtaining the visa was well worth it, since it made the cruise up the Amazon to Manaus possible. The Amazon cruise (in 2010) is still one of our all-time favorite cruises.

Yes the humidity and heat can be very oppressive (especially on Devil's Island), but the overall experience is unique. One thing (among many) that amazed me was that we did not see any mosquitoes. When I mentioned that to one of the guides, he explained that we were there in the "dry" season. He said if we returned a few months later, we could almost walk across the river on a thick mat of the critters. We have never felt a need to test that statement any further.

The many outstanding observations that have been mentioned have allowed us to re-live many fantastic memories. Thank You, one and all, for that. Fortunately, we were able to see the giant water lilies. We had to hike to the lake instead of using canoes, because of low water levels, even then. The guide did point out high water marks on some rubber trees, that demonstrated just how high the waters rise during the rainy season (30-40 feet), in that region.

Oh well, back to present dat realities ...

NRayH

Found this a very interesting thread, and somewhat confusing.

 

We applied and received our Visa in 2008, and it was valid for five years (had to look it up to be certain). It was for a series of cruises circumnavigating South America. Perhaps the law has changed? We think the hassle and costs of obtaining the visa was well worth it, since it made the cruise up the Amazon to Manaus possible. (SNIP)

NRayH

Hi Ray, just to set the record straight, I just last month obtained my tourist visa for Brazil for the Prinsendam Amazon Explorer cruise for 2016 and it is indeed good for 10 years now. Evidently, that has changed since you obtained yours.

Glad you so enjoyed your cruise. :)

Hi Ray, just to set the record straight, I just last month obtained my tourist visa for Brazil for the Prinsendam Amazon Explorer cruise for 2016 and it is indeed good for 10 years now. Evidently, that has changed since you obtained yours.

 

Glad you so enjoyed your cruise. :)

I did not mean to sound as if I was disputing anyone's postings. The duration just seemed longer than I remembered (memory, unfortunately, not one of my stronger traits these days). In this case my memory was correct. :cool:

I realize things, like visa restrictions, can, and do, change.

NRayH

I did not mean to sound as if I was disputing anyone's postings. The duration just seemed longer than I remembered (memory, unfortunately, not one of my stronger traits these days). In this case my memory was correct. :cool:

I realize things, like visa restrictions, can, and do, change.

 

NRayH

I fully understand how memory likes to play tricks on us! My own memory's sense of humor seems to be increasing by the week. :D

I only wanted to say that, for whatever reason, US tourist visas to Brazil are now good for 10 years, in contrast to just 8 years ago. What did you pay back then for the visa, if I may ask? They cost US$160 (plus processing fees, etc.) to Brazil now.

I fully understand how memory likes to play tricks on us! My own memory's sense of humor seems to be increasing by the week. :D

 

I only wanted to say that, for whatever reason, US tourist visas to Brazil are now good for 10 years, in contrast to just 8 years ago. What did you pay back then for the visa, if I may ask? They cost US$160 (plus processing fees, etc.) to Brazil now.

Hi Rich,

According to what I have in my cruise file, it appears as though we paid $130.00 (each), and there was an additional FedEx charge -- if you wanted the passports returned that way, instead of making an additional visit to the Brazilian Consul's office. We chose that option, but do not have a record of what that actually cost, probably $10-15 (2008). Gee ,if we had gotten a ten year visa, it would still be valid. Oh well, we did get to use it three times.

Hope you enjoy the trip as much as we did. Of course, we were very fortunate to have Captain Albert (when he was still a working stiff), and had a very nice dinner with he and his lovely wife. A wonderfully cordial couple.

NRayH