Silversea Expeditions are Spectacular!

After many cruise vacations in Europe (mostly Mediterranean), we wanted to see what all the buzz over Adventure Travel was.  Our favorite cruise line, Silversea, launched their new Expedition Cruise division a year ago so a vacation with Silversea Expeditions was an easy choice for us.

Still, we had to decide what kind of adventure sounded good. After combing through the itineraries, we settled upon "The Jungles & Rain Forests" of Panama and Costa Rica. And, in retrospect, we made a perfect decision! The experience was spectacular!

In mid-October, we boarded the Silver Explorer in Colon, Panama for our passage through the Panama Canal from the Caribbean side to the Pacific side where we would spend the next 7 days venturing into the jungles, reefs and rain forests of Panama and Costa Rica. For our entire week, the ship would anchor offshore in small bays and we would go ashore ashore via Zodiacs.

Our first excursion was into the Darien Jungle... by far, the most exotic experience of our whole trip! Our Zodiacs took us far up the Chucunaque River to an Embera tribal village that is only visited by a handful of small expedition groups each year. Because this journey can only be made during high tide, we couldn’t venture out until mid-afternoon... which meant that our Zodiac ride back to the ship was after dark in a tropical downpour and fairly rough seas. We were soaked - but that seemed to be perfectly fitting for a tropical jungle adventure! (Being soaked isn’t so bad when it’s 83 degrees!) On this evening, we particularly enjoyed our cocktail hour and our gourmet dinner!

We spent the ensuing days hiking through various rain forests where we were treated to up-close views of dozens of species of tropical birds including the colorful Macaws and Toucans. We were particularly fascinated with the 3 species of monkeys that we encountered - Spider, Capuchin and Howler Monkeys.  

The best part of traveling is to meet people who lead unbelievably different lives. In addition to visiting that remote tribal village, we spent a couple fascinating hours with a woman who runs an animal rescue facility deep within a Costa Rican rainforest. Adding to our visit, an injured sloth was brought in while we were there. 

As mentioned above, elegant cocktail hours and gourmet dinners are especially enjoyable after being “hosed down” in the mud room upon returning to the ship from the day’s expedition! (I exaggerate - slightly!) Having enjoyed the luxury of traditional Silversea cruises in the past, we wondered how the ruggedness of exploration cruising would mesh with the elegance for which Silversea is known. No problem!!!! The two elements complimented one-another perfectly. Nice job, Silversea!

We’ll definitely do another expedition trip in the future.

Happy Traveling!

Dick

Travel Experts? Really?

Occasionally, I read one of those ubiquitous "Travel Tips" articles that pop up on a daily basis - just to get a few laughs.

Most of them belabor the obvious and seem to show that they think their readers are about 4 years old! Today's case in point: "Ten Tips for Smoother Trips" imparts such wisdom as:

• Park with your car's nose out.
• Don't pack urgent items in your checked luggage.
• Have your hotel contact information with you.
• If you travel to a given foreign country frequently, keep your leftover currency on hand for future visits.
• Don't forget to tip Skycaps. They depend on tips to make their living.
• Remember your flight number.

Think I'm making this up or embellishing it? Well, I'm not - sadly!

These people actually get paid for writing this crap!

Happy Traveling!

Dick

Cruising Europe - by Ocean or River

Hi Everyone,
With the terrific popularity of seeing Europe via Cruise Ship - both Ocean and River cruising-  I thought I would blab on the differences between the two cruise modes. As a veteran of many Ocean Cruises in Europe, I enjoyed my first River Cruise last year... so here's my 2-cents worth:

Strong Points for River Cruising:

• Smaller ships carrying 100 to 140 passengers promotes a more intimate ambiance and a more personal interaction with crew.
• Beautiful scenery while on the move. River ships are cruising during the day whereas ocean ships sail during the night.
• River cruise stops are typically small towns and villages - and the ships dock right in the middle of town so you can walk to most of the attractions.

Strong Points for Ocean Cruising:

• Larger ships provide more creature comforts and more options for lounging (cocktail hours and late evening lounging), dining, entertainment, spas & fitness, etc.
• Full days in port and glorious days at sea. More like a floating resort.
• Cruise ports are typically at large cities with greater variety of attractions and activities.

See what I mean about "different"? 

In actuality, river cruising is better compared to driving through Europe or a Motorcoach Vacation. A terrific alternative to the hassles of driving or riding the highways of Europe vs sitting back and taking in the scenic wonders from rivers rather than highways. And, you are relieved of having to change hotels every couple days - and all the hassles that entails.

Bottom line is that there are two types of travelers to whom we strongly recommend river cruising:

1. People like us who have seen all there is to see of ocean ports.
2. People who ordinarily would wear themselves out with an arduous driving excursion through Europe. (Here's hint: Virtually all the big Tour Companies in Europe are opening up River Cruise product - either their own ships or in a marketing agreement with an existing cruise company.)

As with all forms of vacations, choosing the right line and the right itinerary are the make or break factors in having a memorable vacation. Find a Travel Professional that knows their stuff!

Cheers,

Dick