World Cruise 2002 - Rio de Janerio to Ft. Lauderdale
In the aftermath of 9/11 much has changed,
including many cruise ship itineraries. Radisson,
which had planned the Inaugural World Cruise of
it's 490 passenger Seven Seas Navigator to go
through the Suez and Mediterranean, altered its
itinerary to go around the Cape of Good Hope
instead. As a result, in its later segments after
Cape Town, the ship was less than sold out, to put
it mildly. In March, they offered past Radisson
guests price concessions, a complementary pre-
cruise tour, low-cost business class air upgrades,
and perhaps most intriguing to us, an invitation to
join the shake-down cruise of Radisson's new Seven
Seas Voyager, scheduled to be completed in Genoa
next March, 2003. My wife Pat and I were
definitely interested!
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Since we had earlier booked the inaugural
transatlantic cruise of Holland American's
Prisendam (the former Royal Viking Sun) plus the
following two segments in Western Europe and the
Baltic (a total of 37 days), we didn't feel we
could take the full trip from Cape Town, including
a pre-cruise safari in South Africa. Instead, we
opted for the shorter 14 day Rio to Ft. Lauderdale
segment, preceded by the tour to Igua�u Falls.
According to Brazilian sources, Igua�u is the
world's largest waterfalls. Although tricky to get
to and see, the Falls are truly magnificent!
Igua�u is much larger than Niagara, and is said to
be taller than Angel Falls in Venezuela. The falls
are inland on the Argentina/Brazil border.
After a bit of a run-around concerning our flight
arrangements (resolved by a cooperative Radisson
air rep and our very competent agent, Vicki) we
arrived at the Tampa airport early, only to
discover the Delta flight scheduled to take us to
Atlanta to connect with their flight to Rio was
late. Initially the Delta agent (supervisor?) was
adamant there was no problem, until the earlier
flight to Atlanta, leaving from the gate next to
us, had closed up. Then she listened, looked at
our tickets, and realized the problem.
Eventually, after a big hassle, we were re-routed
on an American Airlines flight from Miami, but had
to reclaim our bags in Tampa, go through security
again, and have bags hand-searched, luckily by a
nice, helpful American Airlines porter/security
guard(?). And, with no two seats together; we were
assigned seats on either side of someone sitting in
the middle seat of a 2-3-2 business class row on a
Boeing 777. This turned out to be a ploy to get
the whole row to himself; when faced with reality,
he moved to an aisle seat, so my wife and I were
able to sit together, even if not in the most
desirable place.
Generally, we avoid domestic airlines for
international flights when possible, but I must
admit that the American Airlines "extra room"
tactic certainly gave us room to stretch out. And
their service was pretty good, too. Radisson had
flown us in business class on a Continental 777
from Newark to Rome in the fall of 2000, and we
found it to be very good as well, although the AA
flight had more leg room I think. In our opinion,
the Boeing 777 is superior to anything else flying
commercially today.
We had spoken with Radisson reps during the
rearrangement of flights, and sure enough, their
agent in Rio was expecting us. Things went quite
smoothly, and although the security for our bags in
notorious Rio seemed casual, everything arrived
promptly and safely. Radisson had booked us in the
LeMeridien Hotel, directly across Avenue Atl�ntica
from Copacobana Beach. Our room for that night was
available, without additional charge, upon check-in
about 10 AM. We were in a ocean-front room on the
36th floor, so high the people on the beach looked
like ants. So much for girl- (or boy-) watching.
After a quiet, security-conscious day and night in
Rio (we had an bad experience there earlier), we
flew next morning via San Paulo to the city of Foz
do Igua�u, where we were taken by bus to the Igua�u
Falls National Park. The flights, on Varig, the
Brazilian airline, were delightful. Attractive,
sharp, well-dressed and -groomed flight
attendants. Fast, cheerful service. Quick turn-
arounds in San Paulo. The stewardesses served
drinks and a snack on the forty-five minute flight
to San Paulo, and lunch and drinks on the one hour
flight from there to Foz do Igua�u! Ditto on the
return. Remember how nice air travel used to be in
the U.S.? How special it seemed? In Brazil, it
still is.
Viewing Igua�u Falls requires a lot of walking and
climbing, some of it challenging. The first day,
we went by bus, jeep and, after a treacherous climb
on steep, un-guarded stairs, zodiac boat up the
river right to the base of the falls, getting wet
but not soaked. Another, more daring group went
right under part of the falls, but it appeared they
were prepared, having stripped to the waist or to
bikini tops.
After a good meal and a long night in hard beds in
the Spanish Colonial style hotel in the park, the
next morning we crossed the Argentine border by
bus, where we caught two trains and then took a
hike to the catwalks which extend out over the
river 1100 meters to the very edge of the most
dramatic part of Igua�u Falls, the Devil's Throat.
This is a horseshoe shaped section which appeared
to be 300 or 400 yards across and perhaps half a
mile long. What a marvelous sight! On the way, we
passed the "ruins" of the old catwalk, which
collapsed a couple of years earlier. Ah, well.
That evening we dined in Paul Bocuse's restaurant
atop the hotel. A good meal, high but not
outrageously priced, but nothing spectacular. It
had a great view of the lights of Copacobana. This
time we had a ocean-front room on the 14th floor,
so we could actually see the people on the beach.
Lovely.
At the concierge's suggestion, we went to the Hippy
Market in Ipanema Sunday morning. Held in a park
several blocks in from the famous beach, this
weekly open air market specializes in local art,
crafts and jewelry, with clothing and souvenirs
also available. I got Pat a huge topaz and silver
necklace. We also bought a very nice modern
sculpture, as well as a couple of small limited-
edition prints, all exceptionally easy on the
pocketbook. We had a great time. If you're in Rio
on Sunday, don't miss it!
Back at the hotel, we just had time to collect the
luggage from our room and grab a drink before
catching the bus to the ship. Boarding a Radisson
ship is a delightful experience, you are welcomed
with a glass of Champagne, and the formalities are
handled quickly, efficiently and pleasantly. The
only downside here was that the passenger ship
terminal in Rio is a long building. They drop you
at one end, forcing you to walk quite a distance
carrying your hand luggage past yet another
gauntlet of hucksters for the inevitable jewelry
and other duty-free shops in order to reach the
greeting area and gangway. Once there, you're in
Radisson's friendly, competent hands, but till
then, you're on your own.
Because of our other cruise plans, we had asked for
the lowest cost cabin available. On Radisson's
Seven Seas ships, all suites are at least 300 sq.
ft., and most have balconies. In this case, we got
a suite on six deck, port side, without a balcony.
Instead, each morning we had seamen outside on a
walkway, hosing down and cleaning up. The first
morning, a passenger wandered back and forth, lost
we presume, but that happened only once. We
learned to close the drape before retiring.
Cabins on the Seven Seas Navigator are really
terrific; spacious, well-furnished and -equipped,
exceptionally comfortable. The baths are perhaps
the best afloat, with separate tub and shower and a
spacious vanity. We don't miss the double sinks
some folks favor, having consciously left them off
the plans of the last two houses we've built.
Everything else was there in abundance, especially
large, absorbent towels and bath-sheets and even
pool towels! Our cabin stewardess and her helper
were just delightful, cheerful, prompt, nice.
Actually, that goes for everyone on board the
Navigator. We've never been on a friendlier ship.
Or heard of one. The entire crew seems to go out
of their way to be nice, to greet you, to get
whatever you want or need. May sound exaggerated,
but isn't. Try it, you'll see.
Knowing passengers joining the ship may not have
had lunch, they kept the informal dining room on
ten deck, the Portofino, open late. Thoughtful!
Lunch was delicious, a nice buffet plus carving and
pasta stations, while out on deck, a grill offered
hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. On most days, there
were two grills outside during lunch, the second
with at least four or five choices, including a
grilled fish and some kind of steak. They also
offered fruit, cheese and other deserts. More than
enough; too much, really.
That first day our waitress seemed to have a large,
busy station, part of which was outside on deck,
but we didn't wait overly long for anything. We
soon learned to sit on the other side of the room,
in Ann Marie's area. She's a very efficient,
friendly English girl who seemed to anticipate our
needs after only a couple of days. Throughout the
cruise, service in all of the dining rooms was
excellent to outstanding.
After lunch and a couple of hours unpacking into
the very spacious cabin and walk-in closet, we
explored the ship. Then we were invited on deck
for Champagne, to watch as we sailed out of Rio de
Janeiro. It was dark, but the lights were a sight
themselves, and Sugar Loaf was silhouetted against
them. Then, to dinner. We put ourselves in the
hands of the Ma�tre D', Miki, asking him to put us
at "a large table with interesting people". On
this and every other evening that we didn't make
our own arrangements, Miki put us with people we
enjoyed. We sat with the Staff Captain the first
formal evening, and at the Captain's table twice
(the Captain wasn't there when we were -- we sat
there when we were with a large group, as it was
one of few tables for ten available). Whatever you
want, they tried to accommodate you. One night Pat
wasn't feeling up to snuff, so we ate in our suite
from the dining room menu. They served us in
courses as if we were in the Compass Rose
restaurant. Classy.
On Radisson ships, wine and drinks with dinner are
included; no extra charge. The sommelier and his
assistants knew their wine, but more important,
they quickly got to know their guests. That first
night, both the red and white wines served were
Burgundies. I much prefer Burgundy to a Bordeaux,
for example. The next night, the white was another
Burgundy, but the red was Bordeaux. Having had a
pleasant experience earlier on the Seven Seas
Mariner, I thought I'd try again, and see what
happened. I asked if any of the Burgundy they had
served the previous night was available. But of
course! Almost without delay, there it was. After
that, wherever we sat (remember, the main Compass
Rose restaurant holds almost 500 passengers when
the ship is full) here comes one of the wine
stewards asking if we were having the Burgundy
tonight? And several knew us by name. This
service is typical of what we experienced
throughout the cruise.
One night early on we had dinner with two couples
who were "circumnavigators" (i.e., had been on the
ship for the entire World Cruise). They were very
interesting, talking about the highlights (and the
few low spots as well) of the trip to date. One of
the men, a digital photography buff, was making an
album of the entire cruise, a marvel according to
the other couple. Although quite modest, he had
been a very senior IBM systems engineer, and had
been talked into teaching a three class digital
photography and photo album course. I told him I
had just bought a digital camera and was interested.
One of the drawbacks of cruising on a small ship
like the SS Navigator is that there are a limited
number of things to do, particularly on sea days,
so I welcomed this opportunity Unavoidably, I
arrived late for the first class, held in the Stars
Lounge outside the large Seven Seas show room. The
class was over-subscribed, but we pulled up more
chairs and everyone was accommodated. The class
itself was very interesting. Ron, the instructor,
was a good lecturer, exceptionally knowledgeable
about his topic.
For the second class, I arrived early to find Ron
with a projector, a table, and his own PC,
struggling to rearrange the chairs into a classroom
layout, so everyone could hear and see the screen.
I helped, as did a couple of other early arrivals.
The chairs were heavy and not easy to grab on to,
so it was difficult to move them. When I spoke to
Ron afterward, he said that after the first
classes, support for his efforts was basically
limited to announcing the class in the ship's daily
newspaper, and providing the projector and screen.
Later, I spoke with the officer who ran the
computer lab, but he seemed unable to help. When
pressed, he suggested I discuss it with the Cruise
Director or even the Hotel Director. So I did.
This resulted in only real negative in our cruise
on the Seven Seas Navigator. I've been a
bureaucrat myself, and have dealt with them for
much of my career. I know when I'm getting the run-
around or a brush-off. These guys didn't even try
to hide it. For the only time on board the
Navigator, I met with indifference and a defensive,
negative attitude. The hotel director explained
plans and implied he would get help for the room
set-up, but none appeared. Unfortunately for him,
the cruise director happened along when we were
breaking the room down the second time, and I
unloaded on him, but all I got were excuses and
B.S. This was out of character for the ship and,
in fact, for the whole Radisson line. There may
have been something I didn't understand or know
about going on, but it seemed to me here was an
opportunity to give passengers something useful and
desirable to do on a boring sea day, at little or
no cost, yet they ignored it at first, and derided
it when questioned head on. Certainly not typical
or helpful.
My wife and I had planned a cruise from (or to)
Australia and New Zealand, either on the Navigator
this fall or on the Mariner next winter, but our
experience this trip and on a longer cruise since
have caused us to re-think our plans. This cruise
was 13 days, calling at four ports: Salvidor de
Bahia and Fortaliza in Brazil, Bridgetown,
Barbados, and San Juan, PR on the way to Ft.
Lauderdale. That left nine sea days. We don't
play bridge, and are spoiled by our 45' lap pool at
home. The casino crew went out of their way to
drum up interest, running classes for neophytes
early on and blackjack tournaments later. We
enjoyed that. The library is pretty good, and
there are enough computers when the ship has 350+
guests. Just upgrade memory and fix the charge-
back software before the next long cruise, please.
There were some good speakers, particularly former
Attorney General and PA Governor Dick Thornburg
(although his wife cut off informal conversation
after the lecture, and little or no time was
provided for questions.) Prof. Michael Mendelsohn,
who talked on a variety of topics, was also quite
interesting. But that doesn't begin to fill up
nine days! Now think about expanding that to 45
days, with 19-22 at sea. Gives you something to
pause about, doesn't it. It has us, I'm afraid.
A few other observations: We never missed a meal,
and the food was good to excellent. Perhaps not as
good as the Signatures dining room on the Mariner,
maybe even not as good as the Mariner overall. We
both gained weight, not a lot but some. Pat wished
for more variety in the on-board shops. We met
quite a few very nice people. In fact, on every
Radisson ship we seem to meet nice people. As for
entertainment, the Peter Grey Terhune company are
attractive, talented, energetic, and they sing and
dance well. The concert pianist was excellent,
although we missed her first (best?) show,
unavoidably. Larry Hagman was on board and turned
out to be rather entertaining speaker, although I
never did care for either Dallas or I Dream of
Jeanie. All in all, for a smaller ship, we found
the entertainment surprisingly good.
The ports visited after Rio were less than
inspired, in our opinion. We would have liked to
cruise up the Amazon a way, or perhaps stop at
Devil's Island. We did go ashore in each of the
four ports, but took a tour only in Barbados. That
was sponsored by our travel agent's Voyager Club,
but we didn't think much of it. Of course, we've
seen a lot of islands. "Free" tours are often
worth just what you pay for them.
Next year the Mariner's World Cruise is scheduled
to skip Rio, going directly from Ascension Island
to Fortaleza. That certainly will be exciting!
(NOT!) We've compared Radisson's port selections
with some of its competitor's; in our opinion, we
find them sorely lacking. Who plans these trips,
anyway, the bookkeeping department? Of course, if
you don't like the itinerary, you don't have to go.
On this cruise, the hospitality and excellence of
the ship itself, the excursion to Igua�u, and the
time in Rio made the whole thing worthwhile for
us. Open single seating in the dining room is a
major plus. It puts a real handicap on Crystal,
which has two sittings for dinner. Seabourn and
Silversea use smaller ships, and you do pay for
their "all inclusive" approach. If you're not a
drinker, or don't use the included amenities,
you're paying for someone who is/does. Radisson
balances this well, we think: drinks with dinner
and an initial setup in your room are included, as
are non-alcoholic beverages. After that, you pay
for what you use. Works for us. All things
considered, we'll be aboard Radisson again, but
selectively.
Actually, we did book two future cruises while on
this one. The first is the inaugural cruise of the
new Seven Seas Voyager, which follows the shakedown
cruise we've been invited on. Not worth it to fly
to Europe for one week. We also booked a Montreal
to Palm Beach cruise on the Navigator for the Fall
of 2003, itinerary unseen. The initial details and
ports of call were just awful, but now that they've
made some real changes and expanded it to three
trips over 20 days, we've picked up our option. We
are looking forward Charleston and Savannah, but
will miss Newport. And a first, West Point.
Neat. And they listened to past passenger
comments, AMAZING!
We do like Radisson, we like it best, in fact, but
improvements are still needed in a couple of key
areas. Some of the annoyances would be quite easy
to fix, we feel. Like more interesting,
informative activities on sea days (al la Crystal),
and some more customer input and real thought given
to itinerary planning.
