Fantastic - the reason we went was it seemed the best way to see some of the amazon and we were right. Fred Olsen staff are brilliant and i would consider going back, but be aware, it’s targeted at an older, very British market. Lectures were great - if you have a chance to see Jeff Clarke speak, take it. He’s just so enthusiastic about wildlife, it’s catching, and you learn so much.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
It was all very professional. If I have any issues the only one I can think of is that the port in Bridgetown wasn’t all that clearly signposted, but that’s about it.
Ship Experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The main dining room was well laid out and spacious. The cafe was very pleasant. We didn’t use the speciality restaurants.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We were at the gym almost every day, which we enjoyed. We also went to the lectures - very good in the main - two shows and a couple of quizzes . The entertainment was very much aimed at older people - this is Fred.olsens target market so can’t complain, and it did make us feel young in comparison!
Entertainment
3 out of 5
I had my nails done while there, and was pleased with the result. However, when I first entered the spa, and also when I made the booking, I thought this must be the most unfriendly spa I’ve ever been in. I was seated with no conversation, waited for a while, and frankly felt as though I was an irritation, but perhaps this was me being over sensitive. The girl who did my nails was friendly and chatty, but I couldn’t quite shake the slightly uneasy feeling that I was out of place.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Apart from the spa, the staff were lovely, and couldn’t do enough for us.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
It is a lovely ship
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Comfortable bed, more storage than I thought there would be - ample for our 14 days - and tv with a good channel selection plus films.
Ship Tip
Don’t do the amazon cruise if you are not a good sailor. The ship is flat bottomed - the larger ships would not be able to cruise the river - but when it comes to the ocean, it moved around a lot, and all the well travelled cruisers on the ship said this was the worst they’d been on in terms of movement apart from an Antarctic cruise in a force 10 gale. They have changed the itinerary now so instead of Barbados to Manaus and back, it’s now 2 cruises - one from Manaus to Barbados, and another from Barbados to Manaus, both 14 days, so there are just 3 sea days on each cruise rather than 6.
Didn’t want to leave. Spent 2 days in the eco lodge - saw so much, it was great. Visited the indigenous tribe who were lovely. Held a caiman, trekked through the jungle, fished for piranha......great. Be aware, you need to be fit for this tour. Early morning starts and a lot of pushing through undergrowth.
We went on a discover South Tobago tour - and were taken to the airport and golf course! Fort George was interesting but we didn’t have enough time there. Guide was lovely but there’s just not much to see.
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