IBoarding the Amalucia (Mary Curry)n addition to a menu of excursions off the ship, there's no shortage of things to do onboard. We were blessed to have AMA's original wellness host, Tiago, leading wellness activities all throughout the day. From morning stretches and yoga to afternoon walks along the deck, Zumba classes and even line dancing, Tiago made sure that the plentiful food we enjoyed didn't adversely impact our waistlines. Wellness hosts are now standard on most of the AMA ships.
For travelers who prefer to stay active on their own, there's also a spacious gym with various equipment options and a small heated pool. Even at the end of November we were able to enjoy the pool. Getting ready to swim on Amalucia (Mary Curry)Pool on Amalucia (Mary Curry)
In the evenings, AMA offered a disco night, trivia, and talented local musicians that would come aboard for the evening. Rooms are also equipped with a television that has a select of programs, navigational information, movies and music.
In addition to entertainment and exercise, the Amalucia also has an outstanding crew. Within the first day or two, the bartender had our drink order memorized and would drop it off at our table as we sat down. The waiters, room cleaners, and reception staff were all incredible as well. With the addition of the holidays, they were even more busy as we watched them decorate for Christmas throughout our cruise. Every time we would return from a shore excursion, a new decoration had been added to increase the festive atmosphere onboard. Christmas Tree on Amalucia (Mary Curry)
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.
