The boom in river cruising is well documented, seeing an average annual passenger increase of ten percent year on year since 2009, but their appeal versus ocean-going cruises perhaps a little less column time.
As demand for mass package tourism on well-trodden paths diminishes in the wake of the pandemic, travelers are beginning to see the appeal of private escapes to one of the most remarkable and remote destinations on the planet – the Amazon Rainforest.
The boom in river cruising is well documented, seeing an average annual passenger increase of ten percent year on year since 2009, but their appeal versus ocean-going cruises perhaps a little less column time.
Certainly the thought of having an entire cruise liner for just you and your family or friends won’t have crossed your mind (unless you were writing a movie script), but what if you were to take that concept to a smaller scale? Shrink the ocean to a river and swap a liner for a boutique floating hotel? What was once fiction now becomes a tangible addition to your vacation bucket list.
Charter benefits
Charter cruises offer families and groups of friends the privacy of an entire boat, the undivided attention of a dedicated crew, and greater flexibility in terms of travel dates and itinerary customization. There are also the added benefits of significant cost savings, and – what some may consider to be priceless – you eliminate the risk of noisy and obnoxious fellow guests who you don’t see eye to eye with and aren’t forced to eat with or socialize with them.
Now the question becomes more not if, but where you should take your private cruise, and your options will narrow as you consider if you want luxury suites, gourmet cuisine, the chance to spot wildlife and seek adventure, embrace culture or just escape from the modern world. Many travelers may be searching for some or all of these things, and the ability to check not just one but all of these requirements is in no small part a contributory factor for the Amazon River’s gaining popularity as a cruise expedition destination.
Size matters
An average ocean liner has a passenger capacity of around 3,000 guests, in comparison to 150 guests for the bigger European river cruise ships, and just 26 passengers on average on the Amazon. With fewer guests the crew-to-passenger ratio can often broach 1:1, meaning better customer service for travelers and smaller groups per guide for more enriching and enjoyable excursions. For a private charter of an Amazon cruise, it is not unheard of for the crew on board to even outnumber the guests.
Due to their size, cruise liners typically have to limit themselves to existing ports and visiting attractions might involve a lengthy journey from the port to a destination. In contrast, expedition river cruises by their very nature mean you are already in situ. Most vessels have dedicated observation decks and their cabins often feature private balconies and panoramic windows to afford travelers great views of the destination from the comfort of their beds.
Smaller river vessels have the benefit of being able to dock right in the heart of villages, allowing guests remarkable insights into the way of life of indigenous communities in the Amazon and seamless exploration of the region. If a ship is too large to navigate certain tributaries, you can always utilize smaller boats called skiffs with shallow drafts designed to access the most remote sections of the rainforest to observe wildlife and explore wild terrain.
Unrivaled biodiversity
Home to 30 percent of the world's species, the Amazon is a natural habitat for more plants and animals than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet, its biodiversity perhaps matched only by the richness of the cultural heritage of the indigenous groups who reside there.
Because river cruises have fewer passengers and are more regionally focused, vessels are more easily able to procure fresh, local produce and tailor their menus to be more regionally inspired than on large-ship cruises. The Amazon is no exception, the proverbial pantry of Mother Nature providing a wealth of exotic fruits and ingredients found nowhere else on earth. Many of the more luxurious Amazon River cruises have curated menus courtesy of celebrity consulting chefs, many of whom own some of the top-rated restaurants in South America.
River travel is the main mode of transport in the Amazon Rainforest and provides the best means by which to explore it. The Peruvian Amazon is considered the most easily accessible and has the largest selection of small luxury riverboats most suitable for private charter.
One such vessel is the Delfin I, the only Relais & Chateaux vessel sailing the Amazon River. With just 4 cabins, this intimate, luxury riverboat gives you the chance to explore Peru’s remote Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve in the country’s Loreto province in a remarkable standard of accommodation.
Amazonian logistics
Amazon River cruises are available in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil, and all three countries have now reopened their borders to international tourism without quarantine restrictions, subject to varying entry requirements and biosafety protocols.
The pandemic looks set to put greater emphasis on travel consultants, and when considering vacations in such remote and exotic locations it is recommended you discuss your travel arrangements with destination experts such as Rainforest Cruises who specialize in expedition cruises in the Amazon region to provide impartial advice on the country, vessel and itinerary that best suits your budgets and needs, and to keep you abridged of the latest health regulations and plan your trip in the safest way possible.
