In the News!
Oct 16, 2018
Naturetours Re-imagines the Sailing Experience on Motor Yacht Tucano
Line Undertakes Significant Refit to Increase Comfort and Enhance Sustainable Features
“We are so excited to have passengers experience our refreshed motor yacht as well as our newly designed expedition offerings,” said Mark Baker. “We know that each passenger may have their own desires and level of ability in exploring the Amazon and want to make the experience as authentic and tailored to each guest as possible.”
JAMESTOWN, RI, October 4, 2018 - Naturetours.com, a small ship expedition company that sails further in to the Amazon than any other line, is re-launching its signature vessel, the Motor Yacht Tucano, after an extensive refit that greatly enhances the accommodations and public spaces while being true to its mission of being one of the most sustainable ships at sea. The company is also rolling out a re-imagined excursion program to better allow passengers to customize their exploration of the Amazon.
The Motor Yacht Tucano, an 18-passenger expedition ship, underwent a four-week refit at a shipyard in Manaus, Brazil, where it homeports. Naturetours.com CEO Mark Baker wanted to enhance the passenger experience to make it more comfortable and elegant. To do so, he orchestrated a full rebuilding of the main salon and dining room as well as replacing walls of windows with glass panels that open and glide into pockets, retaining the abundant interior light while also staying true to the company’s mission of sustainability. The staterooms were fully refinished and redecorated with new fixtures and furniture, yielding a feeling of a classic yacht with polished brass and highly varnished solid wood panels. New artwork, many original pieces commissioned for the vessel, were placed in the passenger cabins. Stateroom amenities were upgraded to L’Occitane toiletries. The linens were replaced with 700-thread-count Egyptian cotton woven by Brazil’s premier luxury manufacturer, Artelassé.
The Motor Yacht Tucano is one of the most sustainable expedition ships, with a significant portion of the energy used on board generated by solar panels. Solar energy is used to heat water for showers, refrigeration in the galley, to make ice, and to power the ship's launches. Naturtours.com recently received the Latin American Travel Association Achievement Award for the most sustainable tour operator. The company also recently eliminated all plastic onboard and now provides guests with complimentary, reusable aluminum water bottles that can be refilled at onboard receptacles.
Beyond the infrastructure enhancements, the expedition cruise experience was reimaged. Understanding that travelers have different interests and abilities, Baker and his team revised the offerings to allow travelers to choose different ways to experience the rainforest. Passengers can now choose either a leisurely expedition pace focused on the observations of the naturalist guides, or they can embark on a more rigorous intensive nature excursion with hikes deep into the forest and kayak explorations in remote rainforest streams. They can also vary which type of excursions they embark on each day. With more options to choose from, travelers can customize their Amazon expedition.
“We are so excited to have passengers experience our refreshed motor yacht as well as our newly designed expedition offerings,” said Mark Baker. “We know that each passenger may have their own desires and level of ability in exploring the Amazon and want to make the experience as authentic and tailored to each guest as possible.”
The cruises of Naturetours.com go farther and deeper into the rainforest than any other cruise vessel - anywhere in the Amazon. The voyages explore deep into a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in the least inhabited major river system in all the Amazon Basin, the Rio Negro --- and out there, among the greatest collection of flora and fauna in the world, it's just the passengers and guides. The area where guests explore has one of the most varied environments of any place in the entire Amazon. There is high forest with towering trees, mysterious flooded forests that stretch for miles upon miles of dark still water, there are grasslands where crocodiles rest in the day, and at a certain times of year, there are beautiful deserted beaches stretching as far as the eye can see. This is one of the most beautiful parts of all the Amazon.
Naturetours.com runs four-night “Amazon Odyssey” and six-night “Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon” sailings on the Motor Yacht Tucano round-trip from Manaus, Brazil year-round. The nine outside staterooms offer fivelarge double, two single, and two double-berth rooms. For more information or to book a sailing, visit www.naturetours.com.