A walk to the port after breakfast to find the Andrea. Overnight several very large cruise ships had arrived so she was a little hard to locate but eventually , there she was and after a quick consultation with the Hotel Manager, we were able to return to the hotel and collect our suitcases and return to the ship and leave them on board until sailing time. Lunch at a small outdoor cafe near the town hall with a brass band playing , made the perfect end to to very pleasant days in Cadiz.
Sailing time was listed as 4.00pm but we were able to board at 3.00pm to find our suitcases in our cabins. Very pleased with the cabins and their facilities and so pleased that we took two cabins as there was no "Single Supplement" on this Repositioning Cruise. Afternoon tea at 4.30 where we met the other passengers including the three who had been at the hotel in Cadiz. The Andrea has a capacity of 103 passengers but only 23 on this trip. I am so pleased that we had the extra days in Cadiz as several of the passengers had flown directly into Seville from their home ports and their luggage hadn't made the connection. This is always a worry on a cruise and I would alwayd recommend arriving at least 24 hours prior to sailing. Sailed at 6.00pm
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.