Cruising Up The Amazon River

Any advice on this possibility including stops? Thank you.

This is something you want to book on your own, in Brazil? Where do you want to go? If from, say, Belem to Manaus, or vice versa (I doubt you'd want roundtrip), I've heard the scenery can get monotonous and, more importantly, the boats can vary widely in size and type of accommodatins. Most have hammocks on open decks, and perhaps a few small (not necessarily air conditoned) cabins. Bottom line: be very careful about the ship(s) you book. If you're just looking for something shorter, such as a 2-3 day trip out of Manaus, your options will be different. There are some upscale tours, as well as local boats. I'd work through a travel agency. Or at least start out looking at a guide book such as Lonely Planet or Rough Guide and then post your question (with as many specifics in mind as possible, including locations and dates, and comfort level you're looking for) on LP's forum Thorn Tree. If you want to stop at multiple places on your own, you'd likely be catching local boats (i.e., hammocks at best). You won't find upscale cruise ships taking you from place to place as you like. A few major cruise lines, such as Princess, have cruises up the Amazon, as part of larger cruises. Ships not the larger ones, so not sure how comfortable they'd be on the long, oceangoing legs (e.g., Belem to Florida). There are several eco-lodges around Manaus. I've been to both Belem and Manaus but not on any cruise on the Amazon. My mother and a friend took a 2 or 3 day tour out of Manaus that included an eco-lodge and a couple of days on a ship, but I don't remember the details, and she passed away several years ago.

I do recommend that you do not take the boats from Manaus to Belem or vice versa. They are not safe and there are lots of accidents.

There is a spanish cruise from Iberostar that seems very up scale. We are planning to take it next February (2011). After that I will include a review about it here in CC.

I agree with Fattony that a TA would be the best choice.

I'm looking at the Oceania Cruise (Miami to Miami) March 19 that includes 7 days on the Amazon.

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/findcruise/caribbean/reg110319/default.aspx

My husband, mother and I did part of that itinerary as part of a Circle South America cruise in 2008. Below is a link to our trip blog with information and photos about our cruise, port experiences, etc. Debbie

http://circle-south-america-2008-aboard.blogspot.com/2008/02/day-42-february-14-2008-at-sea.html

You might like to look at the HAL M/V Prinsendam, this ship has a long itinery but I think you can also only do a part of it.

If you are up to trying a German cruise line you might also like to look at www.aida.de, they do a cruise from Mallorca to Manaus (October 2010 21 days I can't wait) and then a Caribbean Cruise from Manaus to the Dominican Republic. Good luck anyway and I hope you have a great time if you go.

Husband I did the Amazon last year for our ruby wedding - did an escorted tour (globus) beginning at Miami. Miami to Rio - Igasu Falls - Manaus .1 week on Iberostar Grand Amazon - small cruise ship with only 70 cabins -2 / 3 trips daily from the ship on small boats - it exceeded our expectations !:) Food excellent and the guides were superb and so knowledgeable

I'm looking at the Oceania Cruise (Miami to Miami) March 19 that includes 7 days on the Amazon.

 

http://www.oceaniacruises.com/findcruise/caribbean/reg110319/default.aspx

The Holland America Veendam cruise Rio to Florida is in March with same Amazon ports. It is good.

We did a cruise from Lisbon to Buenos Aires including up the Amazon to Manaus in 2005/2006 (christmas day on the Amazon) on MV Discovery.The highlight of the Amazon part was a ship organized show at Parintins called Boi Bumba. It cost $100 for an hour show but was well worth it. Google Boi Bumba for more information about it's origins. The Meeting of the Waters is something to behold,at Santarem and Manaus. At Boca da Valeria the ship had to repair the jetty before we could land!

You can research HAL`s Veendam sailing 3/18/2011 which stops at several ports in the Amazon.

Princess will also have Manaus-Ft Lauderdale and return Dec 2010 and Jan 2011.

Enjoy!!!

Wife and I are scheduled on an october cruise with Azamara, San Juan-Manaus. I'm interested in what other people have experienced on cruises on mid-sized ships on the Amazon. What's worth doing ashore? How's the heat, the bugs? How close to the shore do ships of this size (700 passengers) typically sail between ports? Do many people do the more strenuous shore excursions? Indianapolis travelers.

I may be in a minority of one here, but I'm afraid I found the Amazon boring - the only part of an east coast S.A. cruise that did nothing for me.

This on mv Discovery (about 550pax), same ship as Prerel but January this year.

I do get bored very easily on days at sea. And the first day of "cruising the Amazon" was no different to a day at sea, except that the water was brown and we could see the shore in the distance on one side. The second day we were much closer to the shore, but it was just forest, virtually no sign of life. And virtually no river traffic.

Our ship only went as far as Santarem (moored 2 nights, tendered)

Grubby & unspectacular but interesting town. We took a day cruise, about a dozen of us on a boat capable of carrying about 25, hired at the pier, don't remember the cost but about 30% of ship's similar tour (surprise, surprise :rolleyes:), saw the wedding-of-the-waters, dolphins, eagles, etc, up-river & along a creek to a small homestead, they insisted on cooking us fresh chicken (excellent) & the local lads caught piranha. 2nd day hired a van at the pier, a walk thro a sanitised part of the rainforest (incredibly boring unless you're into trees & insects) then about 10 miles to a super beach. Enjoyed my time in Santarem.

But then the boring sail back down the Amazon. And several sea days either side of the Amazon - except for a day on Devils Island - much more my scene.

Ships pools & jacuzzis were drained for the entire time in the Amazon (govt's o.t.t. contamination precautions).

Huge moths & other insects on deck at night, doors to open decks were kept closed but not locked. A few were still aboard 2 or 3 days later.

The river beyond Santarem up to Manaus may well have been more interesting, but Santarem was far enough for me.

The size of the Amazon is spectacular. But makes the trip remarkably unspectacular.

Just MHO.

JB :)

The Holland America Veendam cruise Rio to Florida is in March with same Amazon ports. It is good.

They are not doing this in 2013 are they?

We are interested in the Amazon for 2013, but Azamara is not doing this cruise in 2013 and neither is the Veendam/HAL per the FCC onboard Maasdam last week. HAL is only doing the 28 day round trip from FLL, which is too long for us.

 

Ships pools & jacuzzis were drained for the entire time in the Amazon (govt's o.t.t. contamination precautions).

 

JB :)

Interesting

They are not doing this in 2013 are they?

 

We are interested in the Amazon for 2013, but Azamara is not doing this cruise in 2013 and neither is the Veendam/HAL per the FCC onboard Maasdam last week. HAL is only doing the 28 day round trip from FLL, which is too long for us.

No, note I posted in May 2010 and I was referring to March 2011.

HAL Prinsendam is going in Nov. 2011 and 2012. Schedule for 2013 not available yet. That is the 28 day round trip you refer to?

Princess may be doing one ways between Florida and Manaus, the furthest cruise ships go in the Amazon. They were doing 14 day one way trips. I can't imagine going only to Santarem.

We are doing the Oceania cruise referred to above in October 2011. We chose it because it does different ports on the way in to Manaus and out.

For preliminary information, the non-fiction book "1491" has an interesting chapter on the Santarem area.

For a different Amazon experience, you need to take a local cruise much, much further up than Santarem or Manaus.

We did a cruise of the Amazon River in 2000 with International Expeditions (www.ietravel.com) on a 30 passenger boat called La Termalina. This river boat was custom made for the Amazon and was pretty comfortable though certainly not a luxery cruise. Excursions and wildlife spotting with inceredible guides in small boats, hikes and visits to Ranger Stations and Villages made this probably the number 1 trip of my lifetime. It is a tough trip with physical demands on the walks/excursions. Malaria meds were required as were yellow fever vacination. Most of the folks on this trip were into photography, birds, ecotravel, and not into ocean cruising. This cruise lets you go deep into the rainforest and far from the tourist crowds. Check it out and see if this is a cruise you would like. Very different from Celebrity and others who go only a small ways into the mouth of the Amazon River.

Check out Oceania Regatta in March,2013 doing from Rio to Miami including up the Amazon to Manaus,also doing Devil's Island. 21 Days

They are not doing this in 2013 are they?

 

We are interested in the Amazon for 2013, but Azamara is not doing this cruise in 2013 and neither is the Veendam/HAL per the FCC onboard Maasdam last week. HAL is only doing the 28 day round trip from FLL, which is too long for us.

We are planning on the Regatta cruise in march 2013 so will be interested in this board.

We are planning on the Regatta cruise in march 2013 so will be interested in this board.

Are you booked? There is no board yet!

Billie

Are you booked? There is no board yet!

 

Billie

We are booked. How do "boards" get started?

The Maasdam is also doing this itinerary, return trip from FLL including Rio for Carnivale, or just one way from Rio to FLL.