Norwegian in Africa?

[pjhootch]

Does anyone have experience on Norwegian on an African cruise?  I am wondering if there are opportunities to do one day game drives at some of the SA ports.  I was wanting to do a basic African Safari trip- but it is a lot of organizing, planning and research.   Suddenly realized a cruise might be a type of compromise that would also perhaps account for my husband’s age of low 70’s.  

[terry&mike]

Yes, you can do one day game drives from several cruise ports in South Africa. If you look for sailing itineraries that visit the ports of Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Durban, Richards Bay, Port Elizabeth, those will give you some options for day safari touring. Your ship will have excursions, or you can book private excursions. 

[cashmeremypuppydog]

16 hours ago, pjhootch said:

 I am wondering if there are opportunities to do one day game drives at some of the SA ports.  I was wanting to do a basic African Safari trip- but it is a lot of organizing, planning and research.   Suddenly realized a cruise might be a type of compromise that would also perhaps account for my husband’s age of low 70’s.  

Good morning,

I thought I would share with you our story. We cruise when convenient but would rather discover an area in depth. When it came to Africa, I did not even think of a cruise…

1st trip: Uganda (trekking gorillas in the wild)  and Tanzania (safari in the Serengeti). I booked our 2 tours directly with tour operators located in these 2 countries. Not much planning from me except the flights + Zanzibar as I wanted to book it myself. This was Jan-Feb 2020

 

Feb-March 2023

We brought friends with us and we visited again Uganda & Tanzania. Then, 4 went home (one of them being our 84 y.o. neighbour who is in great shape) and 4 kept travelling. We flew to Johannesburg (4 nights), Victoria Falls (4 nights), Chobe, Botswana( 4 nights) and finally Cape Town (11 nights).

 

If your dream is seeing wildlife (safari), please, please, do a proper safari. South Africa is not “the best place” but instead pick Tanzania or Botswana (but VERY expensive). I have nothing to gain by advising you…

 

Since our return, hubby and I and 2 other couples from USA (we have never met) have helped Jeff, our guide/driver in Tanzania to start his own business. He now owns his stretched LandCruiser… If you do a safari, NEVER be more than 4 in a stretched LandCruiser…

 

If you have questions, you can send me an email at chantalanddennis at icloud dot com

By the way, hubby is 75 y.o. 

 

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

[cashmeremypuppydog]

Terry&Mike,

Thank you. I hope you enjoy my humble website… 

 

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

[cashmeremypuppydog]

I just started watching your packing video. I am sure I will learn something even do we visited more than 90 countries… My big problem is cruising AND doing pre-post tours.

In Oct-Nov, we are doing a tour with Gate1 in India & Nepal (including a safari in Chitwan) and then our first cruise with SilverSea from Dubai. I will be obliged to bring “fancy” shoes only for the 9-night SS cruise. We will be gone for 6 weeks so I need to do a lot of washing in my room at night but still I would never be able to do a carry on. I WISH but I am not at that level!

Great job!

[terry&mike]

I agree with Chantal above, that safari and touring by land is also the better option for the best in game viewing experiences.  

We have traveled in the past by land to Botswana (great game viewing), Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (more for the wine than the wildlife). We are headed in Feb/March 2024 by land to Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for more wildlife viewing and safari (and then like Chantal, on to Zanzibar, and other locations).

 

But as you asked about the possibilities of game viewing as day visits from cruise ship ports, and mentioned it may be a good "compromise" for you, I responded to that question as it does provide an option for you and your husband to get a bit of safari, while staying on a ship, as well as see some other destinations.

 

You mentioned NCL, but you may also want to look at some other lines as well. We are booked on an April 2025 Singapore to Cape Town itinerary on Oceania Nautica that has wildlife/game viewing options in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South African ports, etc. Lots to consider. 

[terry&mike]

2 minutes ago, cashmeremypuppydog said:

I just started watching your packing video. I am sure I will learn something even do we visited more than 90 countries… My big problem is cruising AND doing pre-post tours.

In Oct-Nov, we are doing a tour with Gate1 in India & Nepal (including a safari in Chitwan) and then our first cruise with SilverSea from Dubai. I will be obliged to bring “fancy” shoes only for the 9-night SS cruise. We will be gone for 6 weeks so I need to do a lot of washing in my room at night but still I would never be able to do a carry on. I WISH but I am not at that level!

Great job!

Oh wow, I forgot that packing link was still around. I should probably take it down, as I imagine its outdated - it was done pre-Covid. 

 

I think our travel styles must be very similar to yours. We often do pre and post travel around cruises as well, and like some of the same travel companies as you. I usually start with a single booking of a tour or cruise a long way off, and then just keep adding to it until I get a trip I really like.

For example, we depart Monday and fly to Milan, and Lake Como. Then train down to Rome to meet some friends for a couple of days, and then we'll all board Azamara Onward and sail Rome to Venice. Mike and I will then fly down to Bari, Italy where we will join a Gate 1 tour of the Puglia region. After that, we will fly to Hamburg, and board the Queen Mary 2, and sail a 9 night transatlantic that brings us back to the U.S. Like you, we had to pack for everything from an 8 mile hike to full formalwear for QM2. And no, we did not make it in our carry on size only luggage for this trip! We each have a 30" rolling duffle style bag on this journey. 

Our trip we depart on in late February will also be a packing challenge, as we'll be gone 9.5 weeks. We'll start in Rwanda, go gorilla and chimp trekking in Uganda, then join a safari tour in Kenya and Tanzania. Fly to Zanzibar for a few beach days. Then up to Antalya, Turkey for a 2 week stay in an Airbnb we've rented. Next, we'll fly on to Krakow, Poland, and make our way through several towns in Poland via train, ending over in Berlin. Another flight to Amsterdam, where we'll join some friends, and then do a bike and barge trip through the Netherlands for tulip time. Home at the end of April. I want the minimum luggage possible, as it's lots of train travel, but we may need a range of items for the differing activities; my brain is working on it. 

 

Happy travels to you - I love your amazing plans and your embracing of great journeys!

[pjhootch]

51 minutes ago, cashmeremypuppydog said:

Good morning,

I thought I would share with you our story. We cruise when convenient but would rather discover an area in depth. When it came to Africa, I did not even think of a cruise…

1st trip: Uganda (trekking gorillas in the wild)  and Tanzania (safari in the Serengeti). I booked our 2 tours directly with tour operators located in these 2 countries. Not much planning from me except the flights + Zanzibar as I wanted to book it myself. This was Jan-Feb 2020

 

Feb-March 2023

We brought friends with us and we visited again Uganda & Tanzania. Then, 4 went home (one of them being our 84 y.o. neighbour who is in great shape) and 4 kept travelling. We flew to Johannesburg (4 nights), Victoria Falls (4 nights), Chobe, Botswana( 4 nights) and finally Cape Town (11 nights).

 

If your dream is seeing wildlife (safari), please, please, do a proper safari. South Africa is not “the best place” but instead pick Tanzania or Botswana (but VERY expensive). I have nothing to gain by advising you…

 

Since our return, hubby and I and 2 other couples from USA (we have never met) have helped Jeff, our guide/driver in Tanzania to start his own business. He now owns his stretched LandCruiser… If you do a safari, NEVER be more than 4 in a stretched LandCruiser…

 

If you have questions, you can send me an email at chantalanddennis at icloud dot com

By the way, hubby is 75 y.o. 

 

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

 

  Thank you for the information.  I have spent some time,  pre and post covid, sorting through information and trying to find tours or packages that would work for us- and be within our budget.  The information overload is high.  It is simply impossible to figure out what is what from reading because many reviews aren't trustworthy.   I really hadn't considered a cruise until quite recently.   I think the best option would be to plan my own land safari type trip- BUT- I am still working full time and have time constraints and budget constraints.   My husband is in good shape.  I am less so, but very mobile and can climb ladders and walk and that sort of thing.  Won't be jogging or hiking up a mountain, that is for sure.   Of course, I am looking at 2 years away, and thus, the cruise idea popped up.  Never know what 2 years from now may bring, health wise.

[terry&mike]

42 minutes ago, cashmeremypuppydog said:

Terry&Mike,

Thank you. I hope you enjoy my humble website… 

 

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

Just finished checking it out - what a wonderful resource! Excellent. Lots of good content, and helpful tips.

To the OP on this thread, once you book your cruise or land safari, Chantal's site has some excellent information and packing tips you'll want to check out. 

[pjhootch]

29 minutes ago, terry&mike said:

I agree with Chantal above, that safari and touring by land is also the better option for the best in game viewing experiences.  

We have traveled in the past by land to Botswana (great game viewing), Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (more for the wine than the wildlife). We are headed in Feb/March 2024 by land to Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania for more wildlife viewing and safari (and then like Chantal, on to Zanzibar, and other locations).

 

But as you asked about the possibilities of game viewing as day visits from cruise ship ports, and mentioned it may be a good "compromise" for you, I responded to that question as it does provide an option for you and your husband to get a bit of safari, while staying on a ship, as well as see some other destinations.

 

You mentioned NCL, but you may also want to look at some other lines as well. We are booked on an April 2025 Singapore to Cape Town itinerary on Oceania Nautica that has wildlife/game viewing options in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, South African ports, etc. Lots to consider. 

 

Thank you for the details.  I definitely would prefer to not day tour from a cruise ship. 🙂  I am definitely thinking of it as a compromise as opposed to not managing to do any game viewing at all.  On the other hand, after making the effort to get to Africa from the U.S. Midwest, it seems kind of silly to spend most of the time on a cruise ship instead of actually in Africa.  Just as when I was looking for guides and lodges, it didn't really appeal to me to stay in huge, luxury lodges either.  I can do that at home if I want that experience.  I don't want to sleep on the ground either ...   maybe something in between.

 

I appreciate the clarity.  

[terry&mike]

29 minutes ago, pjhootch said:

 

Thank you for the details.  I definitely would prefer to not day tour from a cruise ship. 🙂  I am definitely thinking of it as a compromise as opposed to not managing to do any game viewing at all.  On the other hand, after making the effort to get to Africa from the U.S. Midwest, it seems kind of silly to spend most of the time on a cruise ship instead of actually in Africa.  Just as when I was looking for guides and lodges, it didn't really appeal to me to stay in huge, luxury lodges either.  I can do that at home if I want that experience.  I don't want to sleep on the ground either ...   maybe something in between.

 

I appreciate the clarity.  

I think you should look at a tour company such as Gate 1 Travel, and look at some of their land tours in Kenya & Tanzania, or in Botswana. They are a solid middle of the road company, offering very good value, with stays in comfortable accomodations, and accompanied by professional tour guides. 

[pjhootch]

I think you should look at a tour company such as Gate 1 Travel, and look at some of their land tours in Kenya & Tanzania, or in Botswana. They are a solid middle of the road company, offering very good value, with stays in comfortable accomodations, and accompanied by professional tour guides. 

 

Thank you for that.  I will take look there.  That pretty much sums up what I am looking for. Middle of the road and organized by professionals.  We are experienced travelers, but not to Africa.  My usual method of buying a plane ticket and hitting the ground with a map and few solid plans, won't serve us well for this type of trip.  If I could take months off from work and wander- things might be different.  But taking three weeks or so will be the most I can manage for a couple of years.

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by pjhootch

[cashmeremypuppydog]

4 hours ago, pjhootch said:

I think you should look at a tour company such as Gate 1 Travel, and look at some of their land tours in Kenya & Tanzania, or in Botswana. They are a solid middle of the road company, offering very good value, with stays in comfortable accomodations, and accompanied by professional tour guides. 

 

Thank you for that.  I will take look there.  That pretty much sums up what I am looking for. Middle of the road and organized by professionals.  We are experienced travelers, but not to Africa.  My usual method of buying a plane ticket and hitting the ground with a map and few solid plans, won't serve us well for this type of trip.  If I could take months off from work and wander- things might be different.  But taking three weeks or so will be the most I can manage for a couple of years.

 

Please, email me and I will try to help you as much as I can. I have lots of documents (PDFs) I created…

In 2020, I bought directly with tour operators in Uganda & Tanzania as it is WAY cheaper that way (no middle man). From Canada, where I live, EVERYTHING is more expensive than USA. It was the only way we could offered a safari. To give you a rough idea, Tanzania is about US$400/day/person mid-luxury. I don’t know what is luxury but I surely did not need it with a king size bed, chandelier and hot water in the middle of the Serengeti. We were 2 couples in a stretched LandCruiser.

When you want to go will dictate where you will be in the Serengeti. February, for example, is when the wildebeests & zebras have their babies in the S/E portion of the Serengeti.

 

I attended a travel presentation from a lady that only sells trips to Africa. She said Kenya has done a way better job at marketing than Tanzania. They sell way more trips even though the Serengeti is 95% in Tanzania. I thought it was very interesting. 
 

Please, email me and we can talk…

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

 

[cashmeremypuppydog]

5 hours ago, terry&mike said:

I think our travel styles must be very similar to yours. We often do pre and post travel around cruises as well, and like some of the same travel companies as you. I usually start with a single booking of a tour or cruise a long way off, and then just keep adding to it until I get a trip I really like.

For example, we depart Monday and fly to Milan, and Lake Como. Then train down to Rome to meet some friends for a couple of days, and then we'll all board Azamara Onward and sail Rome to Venice. Mike and I will then fly down to Bari, Italy where we will join a Gate 1 tour of the Puglia region. After that, we will fly to Hamburg, and board the Queen Mary 2, and sail a 9 night transatlantic that brings us back to the U.S. Like you, we had to pack for everything from an 8 mile hike to full formalwear for QM2. And no, we did not make it in our carry on size only luggage for this trip! We each have a 30" rolling duffle style bag on this journey. 

Our trip we depart on in late February will also be a packing challenge, as we'll be gone 9.5 weeks. We'll start in Rwanda, go gorilla and chimp trekking in Uganda, then join a safari tour in Kenya and Tanzania. Fly to Zanzibar for a few beach days. Then up to Antalya, Turkey for a 2 week stay in an Airbnb we've rented. Next, we'll fly on to Krakow, Poland, and make our way through several towns in Poland via train, ending over in Berlin. Another flight to Amsterdam, where we'll join some friends, and then do a bike and barge trip through the Netherlands for tulip time. Home at the end of April. I want the minimum luggage possible, as it's lots of train travel, but we may need a range of items for the differing activities; my brain is working on it. 

 

Happy travels to you - I love your amazing plans and your embracing of great journeys!

We do travel a lot like you and DH. We usually do not go back to the same place but because of Covid, my heart was hurting in Feb 2021 when I created my website and decided to go back to Uganda & Tanzania to create jobs for our drivers. We were helping them during Covid but I knew I could do more… Actually, our 2nd trip to Tanzania was even better than the 1st time. If you can, go hunting with the Bushmen. It was our favourite day!

The first time, we stayed 8 days but 2nd time, 10 days (only in Tanzania). We did not bother going back to Zanzibar.. Instead, we flew south as mentioned above.

Your upcoming trips sound amazing. Enjoy to the fullest! 

Chantal

Lover of Africa 🦍🦏🦛🐘🦓🦒🦁🐒

 

[Heartfelttraveler]

On 8/25/2023 at 5:31 PM, pjhootch said:

Does anyone have experience on Norwegian on an African cruise?  I am wondering if there are opportunities to do one day game drives at some of the SA ports.  I was wanting to do a basic African Safari trip- but it is a lot of organizing, planning and research.   Suddenly realized a cruise might be a type of compromise that would also perhaps account for my husband’s age of low 70’s.  

We have booked a 12-night South Africa cruise with Azamara in December 2024.  The Pursuit is a smaller ship with about 650 passengers.  We have booked game drives for most of the port stops.  We have also booked (on our own with another couple) post cruise three nights in Victoria Falls, one night Johannesburg, three nights in Kruger NP, and the last night in Johannesburg.  Azamara has some fantastic pricing on their 2023/2024 South Africa season.  We have chosen to stay in South Africa because we are all over 65 and do not want to get the Yellow Fever vaccination, which is not recommended for people over 65.