In August, I set out to Lisbon to embark on my very first cruise on the small Harmony V yacht. Having traveled more independently in the past, I was interested to see how the cruise experience might compare to my previous travel experiences. I had certain expectations for the cruise and below I will outline some of my expectations for the cruise versus what I actually experienced onboard.
-Expectation: A more mature and less active crowd.
-Reality: I am in my 20’s and I was expecting to be one of the youngest passengers on this cruise. I was surprised to see a diverse range of ages on board! There were also people from different countries on board like England, New Zealand, Italy, Greece, the UK and the United States. Many people on board had cruised with Variety Cruises before, which tells you how awesome these cruises are! Tour guide and tour bus (Jane Packer)
-Expectation: Being herded around in large tour groups on big tour buses.
-Reality: Our excursion groups were only around 8–10 people on average, all led by local English-speaking guides.They were all super knowledgeable and fun. As someone who doesn’t participate in organized tours often, I found these excursions to be really informative and enriching to my experience.
-Expectation: A stuffy experience where I would have to dress up for meals.
-Reality: I was happy that the cruise was quite relaxed. The crew and other passengers really made you feel like you were at home and a part of the on-board family. The dress on board was casual. Think sundresses or khakis. It is hot in Spain and Portugal so being comfortable is most important.
Cocktails with the captain (Jane Packer)
I had a wonderful experience on board! Keep reading to learn more about the Harmony V and some of the ports we visited while on the cruise.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
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
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
