The ship we were on is the Millennium. It is a catamaran, which is a double-hulled vessel. Because of the two hulls, the ship moves through the water very smoothly and except for an occasional choppy sea the ride was very nice.
There were 12 crewmembers on the millennium. The captain, the first mate, two engineers, two cooks and the rest were general deck hands. All spoke Spanish, and few spoke any English at all, but with Sam's help we all understood each other very well.
The food on the Millennium was magnificent. The chef and his helper were outstanding. Every meal was something new and delicious. I never heard one complaint the entire cruise. That really says something because when it comes to food somebody is always dissatisfied, but not on the Millennium.
Our daily routine was basically early to bed and early to rise. We would have our breakfast and then proceed to go on a hike or to go snorkeling. Most every afternoon was spent snorkeling off the Zodiacs.
Even though we snorkeled almost every day I will comment at this point about our adventures while snorkeling. The water was delightful, neither too cold nor too warm. The sea was always quite calm during our snorkeling adventures. Sam was always a part of the snorkeling routine. Not only did he swim with us, he also watched over us, pointed out the fish and other animals and made us always feel protected and at ease.
We witnessed hundreds of types of fish, seals, sharks, giant sea turtles, birds of every imaginable sort on our snorkeling trips. Most, if not all, of the guests aboard the Millennium stated that it was the best snorkeling they had ever experienced.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.