Roundtrip Miami to Amazon River

[GOARMY]

Reference Pcardad's latest:  Yep, kinda a Brazilian version of the Russian "Potemkin Village" idea.  We were forewarned of the reality behind the facade' well-in-advance.  Did not venture off the ship.  Can't recall reviewing this "stop" with any fellow passengers who might have.   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by GOARMY
Edit text.

[marne-c]

On 2/1/2022 at 1:28 PM, GOARMY said:

We were on Navigator's May-June, 2017 Miami-Amazon River-Miami segment. 

 

While NOT a blog, I was enticed by other CCers planning a similar November, 2017 Mariner itinerary to make contemporaneous comments.  So--

 

Refer you to Mariner Roll Call history.  Go to Page 5.  Title:  "November 17th, 2017 Miami to Miami Radiant Amazon".  As to my comments:  those started on Page 3.  Following are on Pages 4 and 7. 

 

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience while on The Greatest River in the World!  Just took a lot of advance planning--medical-wise--beginning in the 6-8 months preceding boarding at Miami to be properly prepared for that experience. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

@GOARMY  First, let me say that as soon-to-be-first-time (in November) Regent cruiser, I have found your comments on this and other topics to be immensely helpful, not to mention exceptionally well written.

 

Second, I cannot find your oft-referenced historical roll-call titled "November 17th, 2017 Miami to Miami Radiant Amazon".  It seems that CC does not keep (or more accurately, does not allow searches to reach) roll-calls before 2020.  

 

However, in reading through your past posts -- yes, I've become a stalker -- I've found a couple of threads which show links to pre-2020 roll calls, and those links do work.  (Example here.)  

 

So a request:  If you have a working, saved link to your 2017 roll-call thread, please post it.  

 

Many thanks!

 

--Marne

Edited May 21, 2022 by marne-c

[GOARMY]

marne-c:

 

I am at a loss on how to proceed--technically--to meet your kind request.  Problem is--I surmise--I don't (have not) ever created a "Blog" on anything related to CC postings regarding cruise segments while still-on such; or later, for historical reference.   

 

Have been able to access that particular 2017 "Radiant Amazon" Mariner Roll Call several times over the years on other occasions when prompted by requests similar to yours.  But, that access has been simply by being logged into my particular CC account.  

 

Perhaps another Poster--OR:

 

the EVER-Omniscient SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR who does lurk from time-to-time keeping us all in-line might be able to assist me. 

 

Standing by for guidance. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

   

Edited May 21, 2022 by GOARMY
Context

[CJANDH]

On 2/1/2022 at 2:12 PM, mrlevin said:

I am taking this trip mariner December 2023.  With two category upgrade this is cheaper than mariner next month; great deal. I don’t like South America so itinerary fantastic; Caribbean and Amazon only; no other South American ports. 

We are waitlisted for a Mariner Suite on this cruise in December 2023. Anyone on the Board thinking of cancelling???  🤪

[bccolaman]

3 hours ago, CJANDH said:

We are waitlisted for a Mariner Suite on this cruise in December 2023. Anyone on the Board thinking of cancelling???  🤪

We are waitlisted for PH and wondering the same! 😂

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well it's such a long way off, this cruise.  I think you both have a good chance, but  be patient.  Presumably you both have paid a deposit for the waitlist?

Edited May 21, 2022 by Wendy The Wanderer

[bccolaman]

2 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Well it's such a long way off, this cruise.  I think you both have a good chance, but  be patient.  Presumably you both have paid a deposit for the waitlist?

We do!

[marne-c]

20 hours ago, GOARMY said:

marne-c:  I am at a loss on how to proceed--technically--to meet your kind request.  Problem is--I surmise--I don't (have not) ever created a "Blog" on anything related to CC postings regarding cruise segments while still-on such; or later, for historical reference.   

(snip...)

 

@GOARMY  Thank you for your kind reply.

 

In preparing for my cruises over the past 17-ish years, I have created bookmark folders on my browser for each cruise.  I save links to the cruise line's login, possible and booked ShoreEx providers, useful articles on our destinations, and of course the Roll-Call thread for the cruise.  I use all of these bookmarks incessantly before a cruise.  Then, after the cruise, I move the cruise-bookmark folder to an archive.  Then for future cruises to similar destinations, I go back to these archived bookmark folders to remember helpful bits of information.

 

Anyway, I was hoping you did something similar, and that you simply could go back to your saved bookmark to the 2017 Amazon cruise Roll-Call thread and post that link here.  If you didn't save that link in your bookmarks, then the matter is ended.

 

But I will continue to follow your posts.  You have waaaaaay more experience than I on RSSC, and can cogently explain much I don't know, but should.

 

--Marne 

[Maxmann65]

On 2/3/2022 at 3:51 PM, GOARMY said:

Reference Pcardad's latest:  Yep, kinda a Brazilian version of the Russian "Potemkin Village" idea.  We were forewarned of the reality behind the facade' well-in-advance.  Did not venture off the ship.  Can't recall reviewing this "stop" with any fellow passengers who might have.   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

I was on the Christmas/New Years 2019 Rio to Miami cruise and wish I had not ventured to Boca da Valeria. You are mobbed by children grabbing your arms as soon as you get off the tender. For a depressed area many have the latest cell phones. Lots of stuff for sale that you can find at other stops. There was wildlife either in cages or tied up with the exception of the baby/young sloths. I was told by a Mariner officer that this is a required stop for all cruise ships that travel the Amazon. 

[cwn]

This is our experience at Boca Do Valeria we were on the Mariner on a March Circle South America Grand Voyage.....    
Dick is up at 6:30AM even though it appears to be still dark. A look outside shows that it is light but that it is pouring rain. We are moving very slowly and soon drop anchor. Carolyn is up at her usual time and we go to breakfast about 9AM. Out of the dining room window we can see a tender waiting to enter the creek that, evidently, leads to the village we are to visit this morning. The writeup we are given says this is a small village whose life is hunting and fishing. Terry Breen has repeatedly told us that we will not see any "Indians" along the Amazon as all the indigenous people (Indians) live very secluded lives and are in parts of the Amazon Rain Forest far removed from the Amazon River. So, our writeup starts out by telling us this is an "Indian" village. Is they is or is they ain’t? Well actually they are river people. A group of people who are a mixture of Indigenous, Portuguese and Black and are very proud of their heritage.

The rain appears to be letting up by the time breakfast is over so we prepare to go ashore and head for the tender dock. We luck out and walk right on one and off we go. We have to wait for the one docking spot to clear and while doing so some of the lucky ones, Carolyn included, get to see the famous pink dolphin of the Amazon River. Carolyn confirms that it is "Bubble Gum" pink.

Once ashore, we are greeted by a swarm of children all expecting to be given something; anything! We are sad that we did not know of this opportunity or we would have brought more of the Silly Bandz bracelets (no candy, bad teeth) like the ones we took to Fanning Island last September. Fortunately, the kids move on once they realize we have nothing for them and we begin our walk through the red, sandy mud between the huts. The portion of the village that we can see consists of 20-30 open air shacks, a school room (The ship staff is in the process of unloading some donated supplies to the school.) and a simple church.

The school and the church are concrete but everything else is of rough cut lumber and driftwood. Small skiffs, canoes and a few larger boats line the muddy shore. Some of the boats are offering rides farer up the stream. Some people are taking the boatmen up and we heard later most enjoyed the short ride into the jungle. We walk the length of the village and are cordially greeted but the language barrier is very high. The people are, to us, clearly not "Indian." The children are generally handsome with clear signs of their Portuguese and Black African background. One teenage girl, standing in and "Indian" costume of multi-colored feathers, is quite pretty and beginning to blossom. Some of the children have various animals to show us also. Carolyn buys a small wooden boat. It is a carved, stylized, replica of the local river boats we have been seeing. This goes for $12US. She also buys four, multi-colored dolls made of circles of cloth for her Christmas tree ornament collection. These cost 10 reals or $6.67. 

The people seem healthy but what a limited life they live even though most really don't live in here. There is electricity but it must come from a local generator and we do not much evidence of wiring in the homes/shacks. It is limited to a few right in the middle of the village street/muddy trail lights, the school and the church. However there is a satellite dish sitting in the middle of the village. All travel to and from here has to be by boat. It is probably a nicer place when the river is not 18 feet higher than normal but for now it is just a muddy strip of land beside the huge river. We understand from the crew that there is more to the village on top of the hill but we do not make the trek, but others do. We catch the tender back to the ship, change our muddy shoes and go to the observation lounge to watch our progress on up the river toward Manaus.

It was a short visit, but we found it interesting and glad we made the effort.

[DaveFr]

On 5/21/2022 at 9:56 AM, marne-c said:

@GOARMY  First, let me say that as soon-to-be-first-time (in November) Regent cruiser, I have found your comments on this and other topics to be immensely helpful, not to mention exceptionally well written.

 

Second, I cannot find your oft-referenced historical roll-call titled "November 17th, 2017 Miami to Miami Radiant Amazon".  It seems that CC does not keep (or more accurately, does not allow searches to reach) roll-calls before 2020.  

 

However, in reading through your past posts -- yes, I've become a stalker -- I've found a couple of threads which show links to pre-2020 roll calls, and those links do work.  (Example here.)  

 

So a request:  If you have a working, saved link to your 2017 roll-call thread, please post it.  

 

Many thanks!

 

--Marne

Marne, here’s the link to the rollcall thread you are looking for: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2385119-november-17-2017-mariner-miami-to-miami-radiant-amazon/

 

I also found a live blog for the cruise. The link is: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2474070-live-to-and-from-the-amazon-1117-12122017/

 

I found the threads on GOARMY’s history page. Click on his name in a post to get to his history page, then click on the link to see his activity, and finally, click on “Posts“ in the left-hand column on the page. This will bring up 43 pages of posts going back to June 2015. Using the dates of the first and last posts on each page, I was able to quickly zero in on page 38 which contained the threads.

 

Dave

[GOARMY]

DaveFr:

 

You are a Lifeline!  Many thanks, and a BIG ARMY HORRA! for your assistance.  The next time we share a cruise segment (for me, Mariner, Oct 3d at L.A.; Navigator, NYC B/t/B, May-June, 2023; Sept. 20, 2023, Explorer, Vancouver, B.C to Tokyo.)  Drinks are on me!

 

marne-c--:

 

Please do not feel obligated to plough-through all my old stuff.  But, reference "THE RIVER" entries, enjoy.  If you have any follow-up questions, let me know.  

 

Take care, all.

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[marne-c]

3 hours ago, DaveFr said:

Marne, here’s the link to the rollcall thread you are looking for: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2385119-november-17-2017-mariner-miami-to-miami-radiant-amazon/

I also found a live blog for the cruise. The link is: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2474070-live-to-and-from-the-amazon-1117-12122017/

(Snip)

Using the dates of the first and last posts on each page, I was able to quickly zero in on page 38 which contained the threads.

(Snip)

 

@DaveFr  Wow, MANY thanks for both of these links, AND for the elegant way you searched through @GOARMY's history!  I was just blundering through.  Now I know how to laser-in on a date range to find the gold.

 

Tomorrow I'll start reading through the roll cal and blog.  Huzzah!

 

--Marne

 

 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

Thanks for the hint Dave F. (I had decided I was going to search "Boi Bumba" on the whole forum to find Go_Army's and our posts! Would have been much harder!)

Here is the Roll Call for the November 2018 Amazon Cruise (I will add mj_holiday's post cruise review also)
 

 And here is the post-cruise thread started by mj_holiday
 

 

 

Please feel free to ask questions.  I think it was my favorite cruise!

Edited May 23, 2022 by 2012_Alaska_bound
updated info

[CJANDH]

On 5/21/2022 at 6:22 PM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Presumably you both have paid a deposit for the waitlist?

We paid $100 to get on the waitlist. Is that the deposit you mentioned? Or can we improve our chances by paying more?

[labonnevie]

Generally to be put on Regent’s priority waitlist, you are required to put a $1000 per cabin deposit down. Then you jump ahead of those that have not put $1000 down. 

[bccolaman]

2 hours ago, CJANDH said:

We paid $100 to get on the waitlist. Is that the deposit you mentioned? Or can we improve our chances by paying more?

We are fully deposited in another category.

[mnocket]

I just started reading the 2017 threads.  One thing that surprised me right off the bat was the discussion of Visas for travel to Brazil.  I'm guessing things have changed as my quick research indicates that Brazil does not currently require Visas for Visitors?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[DaveFr]

21 minutes ago, mnocket said:

I just started reading the 2017 threads.  One thing that surprised me right off the bat was the discussion of Visas for travel to Brazil.  I'm guessing things have changed as my quick research indicates that Brazil does not currently require Visas for Visitors?  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct. US citizens don’t need a tourist visa for stays up to 90 days.

 

Dave

[fdnycruiser]

No visa anymore for Brazil makes for a nice saving. I was on the Mariner in the fall of 2017 , Miami to Miami via the Amazon. Quite a different but amazing experience than being at sea. Because of the Zika virus that year, the fare was an exceptional value too.