Tag Archives | Selene

 The Caribbean and Home

 

After our stop at Devils Island, Seabourn Quest headed north to Barbados, the first stop on the Caribbean segment of our Grand Americas voyage.

 

March 18 – At Sea enroute Barbados

 

Sunday, March 19, 2023 – Barbados

 

After a day at sea, the ship docked in Barbados, joined by three other cruise ships, including one new cruise ship looking like a large blue yacht, the Ritz Carlton Evrima.  Just as in many of the ports where we dock, the ports also handle commercial cargo, so we are often bussed to a terminal at the port entrance where we meet up with our shore excursions or shuttles to the town center.  Patrick and one other couple hired a taxi and drove to the northern end of the island, about 25 KM away, to St. Nicholas Abbey, a sugar mill and rum distillery that has been in existence for 350 years.  The Jacobean era mansion dating to the 1600’s is well preserved and the main floor is restored as a museum period piece with traditional furniture.

 

The windmill (and later steam) powered sugar mill utilized slave labor until the British abolished slavery in 1833, but evidence suggests the freed African slaves were still treated like slaves until the mid 1880’s, a dark side of Barbados history.

 

We tasted the rum produced by the distillery but decided that even the least expensive bottle of 5 year old rum was not worth it at $70 per bottle.

 

Following our tour, the driver took the beach route back to Bridgetown, past massive villas, most gated.  We passed the one belong to Rihanna, the singer, who is a native of Barbados and revered by the in habitants.  There is even a Rihanna street, located where she grew up in a poor community in Bridgetown.

 

Today is Sunday, so most shops in Bridgetown were closed, so after the beach drive we headed to Carlisle Bay and the beach.  The admission fee was $10, which gave you a shared umbrella and a beach chair.  After the drive and tour of St. Nicholas Abbey we were a little hungry, so ordered fried flying fish and coconuts spiked with rum and then had a brief swim in the warm waters before returning to the ship, which departed at 1700, for our next stop, Martinique.

 

Monday, March 20, 2023 – Martinique

 

Seabourn Quest docked at the French island of Martinique shortly after 0800, with rain and brisk winds threatening the snorkeling expedition planned for that day.  While we were waiting to go ashore, and massive P&O ship, the ARVIA, new in 2022, docked alongside us.  The ship held 6,000 passengers and 1,800 crew and provided shade all day, towering over Seabourn Quest.

 

Twenty five of us headed down the dock and boarded the snorkeling boat.  We headed across the harbor to the “Bat Cave”, our first stop.  The weather cooperated and the sun provided good visibility to see a number of colorful fish.  After one hour we moved to another location and anchored in front of a beach where we swam above massive sea turtles feeding on the vegetation on the bottom, about 12 feet below us.  The weather remained sunny, but the brisk winds gave us a wet ride back to the ship, but the rum punch and other rum drinks took off the edge, since we were wet anyway.

Seabourn Quest had a ABBA themed Sail Away party on the pool deck and the passengers on the ARVIA participated, waving and dancing on their balconies along with us.  There were more of them just on that side than the entire number of passengers on our ship.  When we departed they were still singing and dancing along with us.

 

March 21, 2023 – St. Johns, Antigua

 

Our arrival into St. Johns was delayed by one hour, since we were the last and smallest of five cruise ships docked in the harbor.  Nonetheless, most shore excursions were only slightly delayed, including our kayak and snorkeling excursion to the windy west side of the island.  The kayaks were all sit upon doubles and the paddle was in the mangrove swamps.  We paddled upwind first, but only saw a few thinks, like conchs in the shallow water near the mangroves.  After a one hour paddle we stopped at a stingray feeding station and saw the large stingrays swimming below us, before heading to Bird Island, a nature preserve, where we snorkeled in very warm water around coral formations in surprisingly good shape.  Returning to the pier we had time for a brief shoreside walk before the ship sailed at 1700.

 

March 22, 2023 – Carambola Beach, St. Kitts

 

Seabourn Quest arrived off Carambola Beach at 0900 and anchored a few thousand feet from the jetty and tender dock.  Seabourn had reserved the Carambola Beach Club for the entire day and spent much of the morning shuttling supplies ashore for the BBQ and beach celebration, including their signature “Caviar in the Surf” event.  The caviar was served from a paddle board in chest deep water and the caviar was delivered from the ship by the Captain driving a Zodiac right to the beach.  Many of us walked into the water for our caviar, and the waiters were also in the water pouring champagne into chilled  glasses.  A large tent housed tables for the meal, which featured BBQ (broiled) spiny lobsters and all the side dishes, including burgers, sausages, salads, etc.  The setting was informal, lats of bare feet and swimsuits as we enjoyed the food and company.  By 1630, we had returned to the ship, the beach was restored and we headed for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Thursday, March 23, 2020 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

As sunrise approached, Seabourn Quest approached the harbor entrance, passing beneath the imposing mass of Castillo San Felipe del Morro “El Morro”, the citadel protecting the harbor entrance to the natural harbor.  The ship docked at the foot of old San Juan, so it was walking distance to both fortress San Cristobal and El Morro, as well as the colorful streets of the old town, with many restaurants and shops.  The ship docked shortly after 0800.

The old town was crowded with visitors, especially since a large cruise ship with 6,000 passengers docked a few minutes after we arrived.

 

Disembarking was delayed for a 100% immigration check of all passengers and all crew.  We not allowed back on the ship until 100% of the passengers had been cleared.  That process took until 1000, when we allowed back on board after waiting in a large drafty terminal until the process finished.  Following that, the ship had a US Public Health inspection and a USCG safety inspection, with crew drills which took until 1330 to complete.  Meanwhile, guest services, like restaurants were either closed or had limited services.

 

At 1700, Seabourn Quest sailed out of the harbor and set a course for Miami, 2 sea days away, passing north of Cuba and east of the Bahamas.

 

The evening culminated with a special “Route 66” celebration for the 163 passengers on board for the entire voyage.  The dinner was typical diner food, with burgers, lobster rolls, pulled pork sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads and desserts.  The crew was lined up on both sides as we entered, all dressed in 50’s and 60’s costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

 The Caribbean and Home

 

After our stop at Devils Island, Seabourn Quest headed north to Barbados, the first stop on the Caribbean segment of our Grand Americas voyage.

 

March 18 – At Sea enroute Barbados

 

Sunday, March 19, 2023 – Barbados

 

After a day at sea, the ship docked in Barbados, joined by three other cruise ships, including one new cruise ship looking like a large blue yacht, the Ritz Carlton Evrima.  Just as in many of the ports where we dock, the ports also handle commercial cargo, so we are often bussed to a terminal at the port entrance where we meet up with our shore excursions or shuttles to the town center.  Patrick and one other couple hired a taxi and drove to the northern end of the island, about 25 KM away, to St. Nicholas Abbey, a sugar mill and rum distillery that has been in existence for 350 years.  The Jacobean era mansion dating to the 1600’s is well preserved and the main floor is restored as a museum period piece with traditional furniture.

 

The windmill (and later steam) powered sugar mill utilized slave labor until the British abolished slavery in 1833, but evidence suggests the freed African slaves were still treated like slaves until the mid 1880’s, a dark side of Barbados history.

 

We tasted the rum produced by the distillery but decided that even the least expensive bottle of 5 year old rum was not worth it at $70 per bottle.

 

Following our tour, the driver took the beach route back to Bridgetown, past massive villas, most gated.  We passed the one belong to Rihanna, the singer, who is a native of Barbados and revered by the in habitants.  There is even a Rihanna street, located where she grew up in a poor community in Bridgetown.

 

Today is Sunday, so most shops in Bridgetown were closed, so after the beach drive we headed to Carlisle Bay and the beach.  The admission fee was $10, which gave you a shared umbrella and a beach chair.  After the drive and tour of St. Nicholas Abbey we were a little hungry, so ordered fried flying fish and coconuts spiked with rum and then had a brief swim in the warm waters before returning to the ship, which departed at 1700, for our next stop, Martinique.

 

Monday, March 20, 2023 – Martinique

 

Seabourn Quest docked at the French island of Martinique shortly after 0800, with rain and brisk winds threatening the snorkeling expedition planned for that day.  While we were waiting to go ashore, and massive P&O ship, the ARVIA, new in 2022, docked alongside us.  The ship held 6,000 passengers and 1,800 crew and provided shade all day, towering over Seabourn Quest.

 

Twenty five of us headed down the dock and boarded the snorkeling boat.  We headed across the harbor to the “Bat Cave”, our first stop.  The weather cooperated and the sun provided good visibility to see a number of colorful fish.  After one hour we moved to another location and anchored in front of a beach where we swam above massive sea turtles feeding on the vegetation on the bottom, about 12 feet below us.  The weather remained sunny, but the brisk winds gave us a wet ride back to the ship, but the rum punch and other rum drinks took off the edge, since we were wet anyway.

Seabourn Quest had a ABBA themed Sail Away party on the pool deck and the passengers on the ARVIA participated, waving and dancing on their balconies along with us.  There were more of them just on that side than the entire number of passengers on our ship.  When we departed they were still singing and dancing along with us.

 

March 21, 2023 – St. Johns, Antigua

 

Our arrival into St. Johns was delayed by one hour, since we were the last and smallest of five cruise ships docked in the harbor.  Nonetheless, most shore excursions were only slightly delayed, including our kayak and snorkeling excursion to the windy west side of the island.  The kayaks were all sit upon doubles and the paddle was in the mangrove swamps.  We paddled upwind first, but only saw a few thinks, like conchs in the shallow water near the mangroves.  After a one hour paddle we stopped at a stingray feeding station and saw the large stingrays swimming below us, before heading to Bird Island, a nature preserve, where we snorkeled in very warm water around coral formations in surprisingly good shape.  Returning to the pier we had time for a brief shoreside walk before the ship sailed at 1700.

 

March 22, 2023 – Carambola Beach, St. Kitts

 

Seabourn Quest arrived off Carambola Beach at 0900 and anchored a few thousand feet from the jetty and tender dock.  Seabourn had reserved the Carambola Beach Club for the entire day and spent much of the morning shuttling supplies ashore for the BBQ and beach celebration, including their signature “Caviar in the Surf” event.  The caviar was served from a paddle board in chest deep water and the caviar was delivered from the ship by the Captain driving a Zodiac right to the beach.  Many of us walked into the water for our caviar, and the waiters were also in the water pouring champagne into chilled  glasses.  A large tent housed tables for the meal, which featured BBQ (broiled) spiny lobsters and all the side dishes, including burgers, sausages, salads, etc.  The setting was informal, lats of bare feet and swimsuits as we enjoyed the food and company.  By 1630, we had returned to the ship, the beach was restored and we headed for San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

Thursday, March 23, 2020 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

As sunrise approached, Seabourn Quest approached the harbor entrance, passing beneath the imposing mass of Castillo San Felipe del Morro “El Morro”, the citadel protecting the harbor entrance to the natural harbor.  The ship docked at the foot of old San Juan, so it was walking distance to both fortress San Cristobal and El Morro, as well as the colorful streets of the old town, with many restaurants and shops.  The ship docked shortly after 0800.

The old town was crowded with visitors, especially since a large cruise ship with 6,000 passengers docked a few minutes after we arrived.

 

Disembarking was delayed for a 100% immigration check of all passengers and all crew.  We not allowed back on the ship until 100% of the passengers had been cleared.  That process took until 1000, when we allowed back on board after waiting in a large drafty terminal until the process finished.  Following that, the ship had a US Public Health inspection and a USCG safety inspection, with crew drills which took until 1330 to complete.  Meanwhile, guest services, like restaurants were either closed or had limited services.

 

At 1700, Seabourn Quest sailed out of the harbor and set a course for Miami, 2 sea days away, passing north of Cuba and east of the Bahamas.

 

The evening culminated with a special “Route 66” celebration for the 163 passengers on board for the entire voyage.  The dinner was typical diner food, with burgers, lobster rolls, pulled pork sandwiches, potato and macaroni salads and desserts.  The crew was lined up on both sides as we entered, all dressed in 50’s and 60’s costumes.

 

 

 

 

 

 March 16, 2023 – Cruising the North Atlantic towards Devils Island

 

By 0500 we had crossed the Barre Norte and altered course to the north towards the Salvation or Safety Islands (Iles du Salut), the location in French Guiana of the infamous Devils Island penal colony.  The Salvation Islands lie offshore from Kourous, close to the European Space Agency’s spaceport.  We would be close enough to see a launch if one were scheduled, but sadly, none are.

March 17, 2023 – Devils Island, French Guiana

 

Devils Island was a French penal colony which remained in use from 1852-1952.  It is located some 10 NM offshore from Kourous.  More than 56,000 prisoners, mostly male were imprisoned over the course of it’s existence, with more than 90% dying.  The prison actually was on three islands, Ile Royale which was the administrative center and where most prisoners were located, Ile Sainte Joseph, where the solitary confinement cells were located, and Devils Island (Ile du Diable), where the most known inmate, Frenchman Albert Dreyfus, wrongly accused of treason, spent 4 years in solitary confinement.  Very few people escaped, since the island group, known as “The Salvation Islands” or Iles du Salut, has treacherous currents and the waters are shark infested.  In addition, all trees were cut down to prevent prisoners from making rafts.  Prisoners who died were thrown into the sea to ensure the sharks remained close to the islands.  The cemetery contains only guards and their families.  The 1973 and 2017 films “Papillon” dramatized the story of one successful escapee, whose story is now being questioned, since French Archives, recently opened, do not show he was ever on Devils Island.

 

Today the trees have regrown and Ile Royale boasts a hotel located in the former administrative center and campground on the main square.  There is ferry service to the mainland.  No visitors are allowed on Devils Island, but we will take zodiacs to Ile Sainte Joseph and tenders to Ile Royale.  Ile Royale is better preserved and restored, with extensive signage explaining what is still present.  The island has a large church and a post office, only for residents.  There are two swimming areas constructed by the prisoners, one for guards and one for prisoners.  People were swimming in both and camping in some of the buildings, with hammocks covered with netting slung from the ceilings.  Viewing the partially restored cells, including those on death row was sobering.  The guillotine that was used for executions has been removed.

 

One of the solitary confinement cells on Ile Royale

Grim solitary confinement

Prisoners swimming area – Ile Royale

Soiltary Confinement house for Albert Dreyfus on Ile du Diable

Ile Saint Joseph is in a natural state of decay, with trees growing up through the buildings and the 150 solitary confinement cells.  Many of the cells only had bars for a roof, so the prisoners were exposed to the elements all the time.  In another few decades, it will be difficult to even see the crumbling ruins underneath the tropical vegetation.  There is a small group of buildings still used by the French military and off limits to the public.

 March 16, 2023 – Cruising the North Atlantic towards Devils Island

 

By 0500 we had crossed the Barre Norte and altered course to the north towards the Salvation or Safety Islands (Iles du Salut), the location in French Guiana of the infamous Devils Island penal colony.  The Salvation Islands lie offshore from Kourous, close to the European Space Agency’s spaceport.  We would be close enough to see a launch if one were scheduled, but sadly, none are.

March 17, 2023 – Devils Island, French Guiana

 

Devils Island was a French penal colony which remained in use from 1852-1952.  It is located some 10 NM offshore from Kourous.  More than 56,000 prisoners, mostly male were imprisoned over the course of it’s existence, with more than 90% dying.  The prison actually was on three islands, Ile Royale which was the administrative center and where most prisoners were located, Ile Sainte Joseph, where the solitary confinement cells were located, and Devils Island (Ile du Diable), where the most known inmate, Frenchman Albert Dreyfus, wrongly accused of treason, spent 4 years in solitary confinement.  Very few people escaped, since the island group, known as “The Salvation Islands” or Iles du Salut, has treacherous currents and the waters are shark infested.  In addition, all trees were cut down to prevent prisoners from making rafts.  Prisoners who died were thrown into the sea to ensure the sharks remained close to the islands.  The cemetery contains only guards and their families.  The 1973 and 2017 films “Papillon” dramatized the story of one successful escapee, whose story is now being questioned, since French Archives, recently opened, do not show he was ever on Devils Island.

 

Today the trees have regrown and Ile Royale boasts a hotel located in the former administrative center and campground on the main square.  There is ferry service to the mainland.  No visitors are allowed on Devils Island, but we will take zodiacs to Ile Sainte Joseph and tenders to Ile Royale.  Ile Royale is better preserved and restored, with extensive signage explaining what is still present.  The island has a large church and a post office, only for residents.  There are two swimming areas constructed by the prisoners, one for guards and one for prisoners.  People were swimming in both and camping in some of the buildings, with hammocks covered with netting slung from the ceilings.  Viewing the partially restored cells, including those on death row was sobering.  The guillotine that was used for executions has been removed.

 

One of the solitary confinement cells on Ile Royale

Grim solitary confinement

Prisoners swimming area – Ile Royale

Soiltary Confinement house for Albert Dreyfus on Ile du Diable

Ile Saint Joseph is in a natural state of decay, with trees growing up through the buildings and the 150 solitary confinement cells.  Many of the cells only had bars for a roof, so the prisoners were exposed to the elements all the time.  In another few decades, it will be difficult to even see the crumbling ruins underneath the tropical vegetation.  There is a small group of buildings still used by the French military and off limits to the public.

 March 13, 2023 – Boca dos Botos and Parantins

 

Seabourn Quest steamed overnight and anchored at 0730 in front of a elementary school and a small tributary leading miles inland to a lake.  The current was running at 4-5 knots, so the loading platform had a wake where the vertical supports entered the water.  This stop was for zodiac tours only, and six zodiacs proceeded up the narrow tributary, where the current was from the Amazon River into the lake.  There was a fair amount of development, with cattle, horses, and some cultivation such as Acai palms, passion fruit, bananas, and Brazil nuts.  The Brazil nut trees are protected and cannot be legally cut down.

 

There was abundant bird life and we could hear, but not see Howler Monkeys.  Sharp eyes from our expedition leader spotted a Sloth, and then another zodiac spotted a second Sloth.  After several hours we returned to the ship for the second wave of zodiac tours.

Boca dos Botos tributary

By 1200 the tours were finished and the ship weighed anchor and headed 10 NM further downstream to the small city of Paratins.  The city provided two vessels used as tenders and guests went ashore for a variety of activities.  The city was small, with several churches, and a convention center.  Paratins sits on an island and is only accessible by air or water.  Paratins is home the the annual Boi Bumba Festival, the second largest celebration in Brazil behind Rio’s Carnival.  Guests were greeted dockside by local Boy Scouts.  A special production of the Boi Bumba festival was held in the afternoon at the convention center.  By 1730 the last tender trip arrived back at the ship and we had a caviar sail away party on the pool deck as the ship headed for the next destination.

 

Sculpture honoring Black African presence in the Amazon 

Typical Cafe in Paratins

March 14, 2023 – Alter de Chao, Brazil

 

The ship approached the anchorage in pre-dawn darkness and anchored about one mile from the beach at the resort community of Alter de Chao, some 35 KM from Santarem, up the Tapajos River.  After a brief delay clearing the ship, Patrick proceeded ashore with 25 other guests in 3 zodiacs for a wet landing on a white sand beach, followed by a hike through the savannah into a nature preserve, culminating in a scramble up a very steep switchback trail to the top of Serra Piroco.  At the summit is a iron cross placed by local Jesuits, where mass is often celebrated.  We looked for wildlife, but the hot sun kept them out of sight.

 View of Alter De Chao from Serra Piroco

Returning to the beach area, we were able to swim in the warm waters of the Rio Tapajos before returning to the ship.  The ships tenders went to the main town, also with beaches.  During the dry season, people can walk from Alter de Chao to the spit where the zodiacs landed, but during the wet season, much of the spit is flooded, with the bars and restaurants partially under water.  Later in the afternoon one of the ship’s tenders had a severe engine failure with a minor fire due to a piston failure.  That tender will be out of service for tendering until the engine is repaired or replaced, but remains safe as a lifeboat.  There are three other tenders and a total of 12 zodiacs for shore excursions as we proceed out of the Amazon River.  Alter do Chao is our last port in Brazil and the Amazon River.  Most of the 163 passengers booked for full Grand Voyage gathered on the bow with the crew for a photo shoot and cocktail party as the ship weighed anchor and headed past Santarem towards the mouth of the river.  Later that evening the rain started, heavy at times and continued overnight.

 

March 15, 2023 – Cruising the Amazon

 

Rain and fog continued overnight, with the foghorn periodically sounding.  This is a sea day, with lectures about upcoming stops filling the day.  Of particular interest was the lecture on Devils Island, our next stop.  

 

As we proceeded further downstream, with occasional heavy rain showers we took our last looks at the flooded rainforests lining the banks of the river.  About 1730 the Amazon River pilots departed near the city of Macapa and after midnight Seabourn Quest approached the shallow Barre Norte, or north bar of the Amazon River.

 

 

 March 13, 2023 – Boca dos Botos and Parantins

 

Seabourn Quest steamed overnight and anchored at 0730 in front of a elementary school and a small tributary leading miles inland to a lake.  The current was running at 4-5 knots, so the loading platform had a wake where the vertical supports entered the water.  This stop was for zodiac tours only, and six zodiacs proceeded up the narrow tributary, where the current was from the Amazon River into the lake.  There was a fair amount of development, with cattle, horses, and some cultivation such as Acai palms, passion fruit, bananas, and Brazil nuts.  The Brazil nut trees are protected and cannot be legally cut down.

 

There was abundant bird life and we could hear, but not see Howler Monkeys.  Sharp eyes from our expedition leader spotted a Sloth, and then another zodiac spotted a second Sloth.  After several hours we returned to the ship for the second wave of zodiac tours.

Boca dos Botos tributary

By 1200 the tours were finished and the ship weighed anchor and headed 10 NM further downstream to the small city of Paratins.  The city provided two vessels used as tenders and guests went ashore for a variety of activities.  The city was small, with several churches, and a convention center.  Paratins sits on an island and is only accessible by air or water.  Paratins is home the the annual Boi Bumba Festival, the second largest celebration in Brazil behind Rio’s Carnival.  Guests were greeted dockside by local Boy Scouts.  A special production of the Boi Bumba festival was held in the afternoon at the convention center.  By 1730 the last tender trip arrived back at the ship and we had a caviar sail away party on the pool deck as the ship headed for the next destination.

 

Sculpture honoring Black African presence in the Amazon 

Typical Cafe in Paratins

March 14, 2023 – Alter de Chao, Brazil

 

The ship approached the anchorage in pre-dawn darkness and anchored about one mile from the beach at the resort community of Alter de Chao, some 35 KM from Santarem, up the Tapajos River.  After a brief delay clearing the ship, Patrick proceeded ashore with 25 other guests in 3 zodiacs for a wet landing on a white sand beach, followed by a hike through the savannah into a nature preserve, culminating in a scramble up a very steep switchback trail to the top of Serra Piroco.  At the summit is a iron cross placed by local Jesuits, where mass is often celebrated.  We looked for wildlife, but the hot sun kept them out of sight.

 View of Alter De Chao from Serra Piroco

Returning to the beach area, we were able to swim in the warm waters of the Rio Tapajos before returning to the ship.  The ships tenders went to the main town, also with beaches.  During the dry season, people can walk from Alter de Chao to the spit where the zodiacs landed, but during the wet season, much of the spit is flooded, with the bars and restaurants partially under water.  Later in the afternoon one of the ship’s tenders had a severe engine failure with a minor fire due to a piston failure.  That tender will be out of service for tendering until the engine is repaired or replaced, but remains safe as a lifeboat.  There are three other tenders and a total of 12 zodiacs for shore excursions as we proceed out of the Amazon River.  Alter do Chao is our last port in Brazil and the Amazon River.  Most of the 163 passengers booked for full Grand Voyage gathered on the bow with the crew for a photo shoot and cocktail party as the ship weighed anchor and headed past Santarem towards the mouth of the river.  Later that evening the rain started, heavy at times and continued overnight.

 

March 15, 2023 – Cruising the Amazon

 

Rain and fog continued overnight, with the foghorn periodically sounding.  This is a sea day, with lectures about upcoming stops filling the day.  Of particular interest was the lecture on Devils Island, our next stop.  

 

As we proceeded further downstream, with occasional heavy rain showers we took our last looks at the flooded rainforests lining the banks of the river.  About 1730 the Amazon River pilots departed near the city of Macapa and after midnight Seabourn Quest approached the shallow Barre Norte, or north bar of the Amazon River.

 

 

 Brazil Part 3 – Life at Sea on Seabourn Quest in the Amazon River

 

March 7, 2023 – Crossing the Amazon River Bar

 

At 1200 today Seabourn Quest nosed across the Barra Norte, or North Bar of the Amazon River.  We are now north of the equator.  The bar stretches some 40-50 miles in depth and hundreds of miles in length before the buoyed channel begins and we are in the Amazon River itself.  By about 1800 we had passed the two entrance buoys and began the 450 NM trip to Santarem, our first stop.  The water has changed to a muddy brown color and we are cautioned to conserve water because the ship cannot make water in the river silt.  So, short showers, don’t let the water run while brushing teeth, use towels more than once, etc.  Even the whirlpool tubs are on shortened hours.

 

It is the rainy season still, so the ship encountered many showers, some torrential, and that may continue for our entire trip.

 

Our days at sea are more relaxed, with later breakfasts, art classes, up to four lectures per day on the history, flora and fauna of the Amazon, various contest activities like Team Trivia, and of course, pool time in between rain showers.  There is entertainment in the evenings, with both guest entertainers and the ships entertainment staff with various show productions.

 

Patrick has a routine of walking on deck 9 for three miles in the morning before breakfast and then 3 more miles after lunch in the afternoon.

 

We eat most meals at the Patio Grill on the pool deck, where one can get almost anything for breakfast, always a different grilled fish for lunch and an eclectic al fresco dinner in the evening.  We sometimes eat at the The Grill by Thomas Keller, a 1950’s chophouse recreation, but the menu is always the same and fairly limited.  The main restaurant has a lot of choices every evening, but a more formal (and slower) service.  The casual venue is the Colonnade, which we seldom visit since it has a very limited set  dinner menu or a buffet which we avoid.

 

March 8, 2023 – Cruising the lower Amazon River

Overnight Seabourn Quest continued at a fairly slow speed of 8-9 knots until we reached the pilot station at Macapa, some 150 NM upriver.  The sun rose about 0615 and the pilots boarded at 0700.  The ship picked up speed, now at 15+ knots as we continued upriver to our first destination, Santarem, where the ship will anchor and there will be a variety of shore excursion options.  Patrick & Miriam will do a zodiac tour up a tributary near Ponta Negra, and Patrick will do a kayak tour in the same general area.  During the day we passed south of the equator are are now back in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

The expedition team is out on the stern on deck 7 for four hours per day, pointing out wildlife and interesting shore items.  The water level is high, and many of the trees are flooded with the rainy season floods in the Amazon.  There is an amazing number of small settlements or single houses on stilts along both sides of the river, serviced by a large number of small craft.  The ship’s course, following deep water passes as close as 2000 feet from shore, so the views are good.

 

We have seen mostly vultures, yellow beaked terns and egrets, a few swallows and several species of large butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies.  At the speed we are traveling, not many small insects like mosquitos can keep up, however we later learned some can!

 

As the day progressed, rain squalls developed and periodically the ship was inundated with warm rain.  As the sun set, we had occasional lightning, but surprisingly, could not hear thunder.  Our dinner tonight was on the Patio Grill and we were joined by a number of insects attracted to the light, including some looking like crickets, landing in our hair and on the table, but not on the food.  It was definitely a unique experience to be thundering along at 15 knots in the dark, up the Amazon, having an open air dinner (but under cover) with occasional rain showers and a variety of flying harmless insects.  As darkness fully settled in, the horizon was punctuated by the lights of small communities all around the horizon which were not even visible during daylight hours.

 

March 9, 2023 – Santarem, Brazil

 

The ship anchored off the city of Santarem, home to 500,000 people and a major transshipment point for goods like soybeans coming down the Tapacjo River, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon.  The Amazon has more than 1400 named tributaries and at least that many unnamed ones.

 

The zodiac and kayak tours were good, with many sighting of the freshwater pink dolphins, many birds and the giant Victoria Amazonica water lily.  The tours included kayaking through the flooded forest and pushing the zodiacs through the grasses and hyacinths clogging the waterways.  We saw how many of the locals live in houses built on stilts above the expected high water during flood season when the river is some 30 meters higher and miles wider than during the dry season.

 

Iguana in the trees

The ship being chased by young man in a long tail boat

March 10, 2023 – Lake Canacari, Brazil

 

After cruising up the Amazon overnight, at 1430 we anchored off of Lake Canacari, which is connected to the main river by a man made canal.  The zodiacs were launched and we headed up the canal to the lake, looking for birds.  Instead we found a cayman, small, but with a big splash.  There were still more  birds and the giant lily’s once again.  By the time the  zodiac tours were finished, the sun was setting and the last zodiacs came back in the dark.

 

Local Fisherman

Victoria Amazonica Water Lily

Glittering Throated Emerald Hummingbird feeding

Black Ibis

Red Capped Cardinal

Jacana

Pirahna

Heron

Overnight we had thunderstorms and heavy rains.

 

March 11, 2023, – Manaus, Brazil

 

Manaus is the furthest point we will go by ship in the Amazon.  Manaus is actually on the Rio Negro and has a populations of 2.5 million.  There is a lot of manufacturing in Manaus, including Harley Davidson, Honda and Electrolux, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, etc, as well as refineries.

 

In the early morning hours we passed by the “meeting of the waters”, and then anchored in front of the city center.  The meeting of the waters is where the Rio Negro meets with the Amazon and the tea colored water of the Rio Negro eventually mixes with the main Amazon river.   The cruise terminal pontoon is out of service since one section sank in the fall.

 

We had arranged a private speedboat tour since all the Seabourn Ventures tours were not allowed to operate by the Brazilian authorities.  Our tour went to the same flooded forests as the Ventures tours and it was great.

 

We are here overnight and Patrick has a Pink Dolphin encounter in the morning.  Pink Dolphins are a freshwater dolphin unique to the Amazon basin.

March 12, 2023 – Manaus, Brazil

 

All too early the alarm sounded and it was time to prepare for the Pink Dolphin Encounter.  The location is some 65 KM up the Rio Negro from Manaus and took 90 minutes by high speed boat to reach the floating house where the encounter takes place.  The rain was torrential, but the water was warmer than the air.  We put on life jackets and stepped down onto a platform about four feet below the water surface.  The dolphins came up, rubbed against our legs and pushed against us, and performed for us when fed with fish.  We were allowed to touch them, except for the “melon” on the head which contains their sonar.  The water has limited visibility, so their eyes are very small.  The adults are pink and the youngsters are mostly gray.

 

We stopped at a local village a few miles away and shopped for local handicrafts before returning to the ship.

 

At 1730 Seabourn Quest weighed anchor and headed back downstream to our next destination.

 

 

 Brazil Part 3 – Life at Sea on Seabourn Quest in the Amazon River

 

March 7, 2023 – Crossing the Amazon River Bar

 

At 1200 today Seabourn Quest nosed across the Barra Norte, or North Bar of the Amazon River.  We are now north of the equator.  The bar stretches some 40-50 miles in depth and hundreds of miles in length before the buoyed channel begins and we are in the Amazon River itself.  By about 1800 we had passed the two entrance buoys and began the 450 NM trip to Santarem, our first stop.  The water has changed to a muddy brown color and we are cautioned to conserve water because the ship cannot make water in the river silt.  So, short showers, don’t let the water run while brushing teeth, use towels more than once, etc.  Even the whirlpool tubs are on shortened hours.

 

It is the rainy season still, so the ship encountered many showers, some torrential, and that may continue for our entire trip.

 

Our days at sea are more relaxed, with later breakfasts, art classes, up to four lectures per day on the history, flora and fauna of the Amazon, various contest activities like Team Trivia, and of course, pool time in between rain showers.  There is entertainment in the evenings, with both guest entertainers and the ships entertainment staff with various show productions.

 

Patrick has a routine of walking on deck 9 for three miles in the morning before breakfast and then 3 more miles after lunch in the afternoon.

 

We eat most meals at the Patio Grill on the pool deck, where one can get almost anything for breakfast, always a different grilled fish for lunch and an eclectic al fresco dinner in the evening.  We sometimes eat at the The Grill by Thomas Keller, a 1950’s chophouse recreation, but the menu is always the same and fairly limited.  The main restaurant has a lot of choices every evening, but a more formal (and slower) service.  The casual venue is the Colonnade, which we seldom visit since it has a very limited set  dinner menu or a buffet which we avoid.

 

March 8, 2023 – Cruising the lower Amazon River

Overnight Seabourn Quest continued at a fairly slow speed of 8-9 knots until we reached the pilot station at Macapa, some 150 NM upriver.  The sun rose about 0615 and the pilots boarded at 0700.  The ship picked up speed, now at 15+ knots as we continued upriver to our first destination, Santarem, where the ship will anchor and there will be a variety of shore excursion options.  Patrick & Miriam will do a zodiac tour up a tributary near Ponta Negra, and Patrick will do a kayak tour in the same general area.  During the day we passed south of the equator are are now back in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

The expedition team is out on the stern on deck 7 for four hours per day, pointing out wildlife and interesting shore items.  The water level is high, and many of the trees are flooded with the rainy season floods in the Amazon.  There is an amazing number of small settlements or single houses on stilts along both sides of the river, serviced by a large number of small craft.  The ship’s course, following deep water passes as close as 2000 feet from shore, so the views are good.

 

We have seen mostly vultures, yellow beaked terns and egrets, a few swallows and several species of large butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies.  At the speed we are traveling, not many small insects like mosquitos can keep up, however we later learned some can!

 

As the day progressed, rain squalls developed and periodically the ship was inundated with warm rain.  As the sun set, we had occasional lightning, but surprisingly, could not hear thunder.  Our dinner tonight was on the Patio Grill and we were joined by a number of insects attracted to the light, including some looking like crickets, landing in our hair and on the table, but not on the food.  It was definitely a unique experience to be thundering along at 15 knots in the dark, up the Amazon, having an open air dinner (but under cover) with occasional rain showers and a variety of flying harmless insects.  As darkness fully settled in, the horizon was punctuated by the lights of small communities all around the horizon which were not even visible during daylight hours.

 

March 9, 2023 – Santarem, Brazil

 

The ship anchored off the city of Santarem, home to 500,000 people and a major transshipment point for goods like soybeans coming down the Tapacjo River, one of the major tributaries of the Amazon.  The Amazon has more than 1400 named tributaries and at least that many unnamed ones.

 

The zodiac and kayak tours were good, with many sighting of the freshwater pink dolphins, many birds and the giant Victoria Amazonica water lily.  The tours included kayaking through the flooded forest and pushing the zodiacs through the grasses and hyacinths clogging the waterways.  We saw how many of the locals live in houses built on stilts above the expected high water during flood season when the river is some 30 meters higher and miles wider than during the dry season.

 

Iguana in the trees

The ship being chased by young man in a long tail boat

March 10, 2023 – Lake Canacari, Brazil

 

After cruising up the Amazon overnight, at 1430 we anchored off of Lake Canacari, which is connected to the main river by a man made canal.  The zodiacs were launched and we headed up the canal to the lake, looking for birds.  Instead we found a cayman, small, but with a big splash.  There were still more  birds and the giant lily’s once again.  By the time the  zodiac tours were finished, the sun was setting and the last zodiacs came back in the dark.

 

Local Fisherman

Victoria Amazonica Water Lily

Glittering Throated Emerald Hummingbird feeding

Black Ibis

Red Capped Cardinal

Jacana

Pirahna

Heron

Overnight we had thunderstorms and heavy rains.

 

March 11, 2023, – Manaus, Brazil

 

Manaus is the furthest point we will go by ship in the Amazon.  Manaus is actually on the Rio Negro and has a populations of 2.5 million.  There is a lot of manufacturing in Manaus, including Harley Davidson, Honda and Electrolux, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, etc, as well as refineries.

 

In the early morning hours we passed by the “meeting of the waters”, and then anchored in front of the city center.  The meeting of the waters is where the Rio Negro meets with the Amazon and the tea colored water of the Rio Negro eventually mixes with the main Amazon river.   The cruise terminal pontoon is out of service since one section sank in the fall.

 

We had arranged a private speedboat tour since all the Seabourn Ventures tours were not allowed to operate by the Brazilian authorities.  Our tour went to the same flooded forests as the Ventures tours and it was great.

 

We are here overnight and Patrick has a Pink Dolphin encounter in the morning.  Pink Dolphins are a freshwater dolphin unique to the Amazon basin.

March 12, 2023 – Manaus, Brazil

 

All too early the alarm sounded and it was time to prepare for the Pink Dolphin Encounter.  The location is some 65 KM up the Rio Negro from Manaus and took 90 minutes by high speed boat to reach the floating house where the encounter takes place.  The rain was torrential, but the water was warmer than the air.  We put on life jackets and stepped down onto a platform about four feet below the water surface.  The dolphins came up, rubbed against our legs and pushed against us, and performed for us when fed with fish.  We were allowed to touch them, except for the “melon” on the head which contains their sonar.  The water has limited visibility, so their eyes are very small.  The adults are pink and the youngsters are mostly gray.

 

We stopped at a local village a few miles away and shopped for local handicrafts before returning to the ship.

 

At 1730 Seabourn Quest weighed anchor and headed back downstream to our next destination.

 

 

 Brazil Part 2 – Recife and Natal, Brazil

 

March 3, 2023 – Recife

 

After 2 days at sea we arrived at Recife, one of the ports we had been at in 2008.  Many guests went to the colonial town of Olinda, which Miriam had visited on that earlier visit.  Olinda sits on a hill some 9 KM from Recife, which sits at sea level with one of the longest urban beaches in the world.  We had planned to spend some time on the beach, but the transfers to the beach we cancelled due to safety and congestion concerns by the shoreside tour operator.  By the time the ship docked the temperature and humidity were both out of sight.

 

Instead, Patrick rode the shuttle into the Casa da Cultura in the old city where many handicrafts were for sale.  Walking around the immediate neighborhood with many abandoned buildings, crumbling sidewalks, and with many shops selling home goods like appliances and mattresses, stepping around homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and being accosted by panhandlers, Patrick decided to just return to the ship.

 

Interior of Casa da Cultura

An actual phone booth in ceramic hat

Recife is known for dolls

Typical street scene

Some of the homeless sleeping on the sidewalks

Colonial era theater

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023 – Natal, Brazil

 

Natal was named after the Portuguese word for Christmas on December 25, 1599 and is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a state in Northeastern Brazil.  It is known for massive sand dunes, and dozens of sandy, white beaches stretching more than 9 KM from north to south.

 

We arrived at the pilot station about 0630 and negotiated the narrow entrance to the small port, passing under a large suspension bridge across the river.  On the southern side of the channel was the star shaped Fortaleza dos Reis Magos.  The fortress was built in 1598 to protect the area from French pirates and during Brazil’s colonial period was one of the most important defensive barriers in Brazil.  For more than 300 years it was used as military quarters, administration and even as a prison.  It is built in the water and is accessible via a pedestrian path.  The name come from the statues of the Biblical Magi at the fort entrance.

 

Local fishing boats

High tide at the beach

The courtesy shuttle dropped us at a local handicraft market across the street from one of the city beaches, called Yak beach.  We had intended to walk around town but were advised to stay out on the beach side as the interior roads were not considered safe for tourists.

The beaches were a mix of tidal pools protected by a coral reef and sections open to the surf.  The surf was fairly high, the wind brisk and the temperatures HOT, but the wind did moderate the high temperatures.  At high tide the beach nearly disappears and the vendor carts struggled in the wet sand at water’s edge.

 

Natal is also home to the worlds largest cashew tree, covering 8,000 square meters and producing more than 60,000 cashews per year.  The tree is believed to be at least 1,000 years old and is roughly the size of 70 normal cashew trees.  Since the tree is located more than 18 miles from the ship and a lengthy taxi ride, we did not get a chance to actually see the tree.

 

Seabourn Quest departed Natal for the three day 1000 NM journey to the entrance of the Amazon.  We should cross the bar into the Amazon about noon on the third day.  The entrance has to be carefully timed as March is known for the strength of a tidal bore known as a pororoca, which can be surfed for miles, or can be destructive as it travels at 10-15 knots for up to 300 miles upstream.

 

 

 Brazil Part 2 – Recife and Natal, Brazil

 

March 3, 2023 – Recife

 

After 2 days at sea we arrived at Recife, one of the ports we had been at in 2008.  Many guests went to the colonial town of Olinda, which Miriam had visited on that earlier visit.  Olinda sits on a hill some 9 KM from Recife, which sits at sea level with one of the longest urban beaches in the world.  We had planned to spend some time on the beach, but the transfers to the beach we cancelled due to safety and congestion concerns by the shoreside tour operator.  By the time the ship docked the temperature and humidity were both out of sight.

 

Instead, Patrick rode the shuttle into the Casa da Cultura in the old city where many handicrafts were for sale.  Walking around the immediate neighborhood with many abandoned buildings, crumbling sidewalks, and with many shops selling home goods like appliances and mattresses, stepping around homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and being accosted by panhandlers, Patrick decided to just return to the ship.

 

Interior of Casa da Cultura

An actual phone booth in ceramic hat

Recife is known for dolls

Typical street scene

Some of the homeless sleeping on the sidewalks

Colonial era theater

 

Saturday, March 4, 2023 – Natal, Brazil

 

Natal was named after the Portuguese word for Christmas on December 25, 1599 and is the capital city of Rio Grande do Norte, a state in Northeastern Brazil.  It is known for massive sand dunes, and dozens of sandy, white beaches stretching more than 9 KM from north to south.

 

We arrived at the pilot station about 0630 and negotiated the narrow entrance to the small port, passing under a large suspension bridge across the river.  On the southern side of the channel was the star shaped Fortaleza dos Reis Magos.  The fortress was built in 1598 to protect the area from French pirates and during Brazil’s colonial period was one of the most important defensive barriers in Brazil.  For more than 300 years it was used as military quarters, administration and even as a prison.  It is built in the water and is accessible via a pedestrian path.  The name come from the statues of the Biblical Magi at the fort entrance.

 

Local fishing boats

High tide at the beach

The courtesy shuttle dropped us at a local handicraft market across the street from one of the city beaches, called Yak beach.  We had intended to walk around town but were advised to stay out on the beach side as the interior roads were not considered safe for tourists.

The beaches were a mix of tidal pools protected by a coral reef and sections open to the surf.  The surf was fairly high, the wind brisk and the temperatures HOT, but the wind did moderate the high temperatures.  At high tide the beach nearly disappears and the vendor carts struggled in the wet sand at water’s edge.

 

Natal is also home to the worlds largest cashew tree, covering 8,000 square meters and producing more than 60,000 cashews per year.  The tree is believed to be at least 1,000 years old and is roughly the size of 70 normal cashew trees.  Since the tree is located more than 18 miles from the ship and a lengthy taxi ride, we did not get a chance to actually see the tree.

 

Seabourn Quest departed Natal for the three day 1000 NM journey to the entrance of the Amazon.  We should cross the bar into the Amazon about noon on the third day.  The entrance has to be carefully timed as March is known for the strength of a tidal bore known as a pororoca, which can be surfed for miles, or can be destructive as it travels at 10-15 knots for up to 300 miles upstream.