Sailing From Caribbean to Brazil — It’s a Long Way to Antarctica

Days 5-9, 2026 Grand World Voyage

Thursday to Monday, Jan. 8-12, 2026; Barbados and Belem, Brazil.

Despite being distinctly (at least to my eyes) not on the Amazon River, Belém, Brazil, is considered by many to be the gateway to the Amazon. I’m guessing it achieves that distinction because the Pará River is part of the Amazon Basin. With a metropolitan area of about 2.5 million, Belém is the second largest city in the area.

We tendered from our anchorage to shore in Icoaraci, about 13 miles from Belém’s city center, to which many passengers took the complimentary 45-minute shuttle. Elaine and I had been to the city’s famous sites, including its giant market, in 2020, so we stayed in Icoaraci to explore the waterfront.

Boats of all sizes and conditions lined the mud banks of the Pará around the pier. Small trees growing from the decks of one indicated it hadn’t sailed in a long time. Vultures and egrets waded through the gentle waves. Vendors cooked on the sidewalk, and at least one dog wished he were free to check out the food.

Our ultimate objective was the Feira de Artesanato do Paracuri, a ceramics market. Each small booth featured bowls, cups and decorative ceramics with differing patterns and materials. I chatted briefly with a young vendor who wanted to practice his English. He proudly pointed out a small cup he himself had made and said he was learning from his grandfather. I regretted later that I didn’t take our picture; I usually avoid taking photographs in shops when I am obviously not buying. And ceramics don’t fit my rule to only buy something I would pack for a cruise. Moving on, I sat on a curb in the shade to sketch a church.

On Sunday we crossed the Equator, and King Neptune joined his court for the maritime rite of passage for “pollywogs” who cross the equator for the first time and become “shellbacks.” But first, the crew members must “kiss the fish.” It’s always fun.

Two days earlier, we missed our planned stop at Devil’s Island, French Guyana. Its small guesthouse was closed due to water problems, so the required pilot could not spend the night there in order to guide us in the next morning. Elaine was disappointed, as she planned to swim in what’s called the convict’s pool. I had looked forward to returning to sketch, but remembered from previous visits in 2020, 2023 and 2024 that it is very hot and humid, with slippery paths and steps. So much so that the ship’s medical team had set up a station on shore to attend to passengers who fell ill in the heat or literally fell and needed a wheelchair to return to the tenders.

At our first port of call in Bridgetown, Barbados, I only visited the dozen or so shops in the port terminal. Sadly, none had the large bags of Maltesers that I have scored there in the past. They did have Christmas items, but not on sale.

Three other ships joined us (that will be rare going forward around the world). Barbados is a beautiful island, especially if you travel through the interior to the rugged east coast, where waves arrive after crossing the Atlantic from Africa.

When I returned to the ship, the Welcome Home banner greeted us. It’s normally reserved for the grand voyages, so I was surprised to see it out earlier over the holidays. Perhaps they were practicing.

Oi Brasil!, a troupe of cultural ambassadors, has joined us to lead multiple activities each sea day, starting with Latin aerobics and Brazilian rhythms. Their leaders give lectures on the country, its history and geography. They also lead crafts, give samba lessons and teach capoeira, a Brazilian martial art with elements of dance.

I haven’t joined the watercolor class yet. There were perhaps 60 people at the first introductory session in a room that seats 25. Instructor Ann-Maree is new to the world cruise (she taught on last year’s pole-to-pole), so I hope to join the group in a few weeks when the enthusiasm dies down a bit. It’s always good to learn from a new instructor. But I don’t want to take a seat from someone new, as I do have my own supplies and look forward to sea day afternoons painting my port sketches.