Rolling Down to Rio Aboard Ivaran’s Americana

Cruise ships rarely call here at South America’s busiest port, even though it is only a two-hour drive from Sao Paulo, the continent’s largest city.

Freighters, however, are another thing.

Those of us aboard the Americana, Ivaran Line’s passenger-carrying cargo ship, had two days to explore the area while our vessel unloaded and loaded several hundred containers. Another two days were spent in Buenos Aires.

Unlike traditional freighters, which carry a maximum of 12 passengers, the year-old Americana was designed to carry up to 88 people in cruise-ship style and freighter informality. Because a doctor and nurse are on board, the line has no age limit for passengers, as most freighters do.

The Americana, however, is not suited for mobility-impaired passengers. It has no wheelchair-accessible cabins and, while elevators serve all the passenger decks, the long, steep gangway from the pier can be difficult to negotiate.

Most passengers on our trip had signed on for the 46-day round-trip sailing, although shorter segments can be booked.

The usual itinerary includes New York City, Charleston, S.C., or Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville and Miami southbound, and Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City northbound.

Ten ports of call in South America include Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Itajai or Paranagua, Ilheus or Salvador (Bahia), Santos and Fortaleza, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay.

With as many as nine days at sea between ports, the ambience on board takes on a long-cruise flavor.

In port, available shore excursions range from a $10 beach trip in Rio Grande do Sul to a $375 round-trip flight and overnight hotel stay at Iguacu Falls.

Unlike regular cruise ships, there is little in the way of organized shipboard activities, only an occasional after-dinner program of games or dancing to recorded music. Also, there are six slot machines aboard.

Meals are served in one sitting, with large buffet-style breakfasts and lunches, and sit-down dinners featuring a choice of two soups, three main dishes (one is always a steak with baked potato) and several desserts.

Pastries and baked goods are the kitchen’s forte, but as the galley is five decks below the passenger dining room, most of the hot dishes take a while to get served.

Housekeeping and service are outstanding. Friendly South American staffers, fluent in English, call passengers by name and learn each one’s drink preferences within a day or two. Norwegian officers are always around at meals and in the evenings to socialize, and the navigation bridge is open at all times to passengers.

The ship has a gift shop and a beauty shop as well as a masseuse, a sauna and a self-service launderette with ironing boards.

Standard double cabins measure 258 square feet and have king-size or twin beds, sofa and chair in a sitting area, two built-in desks with chairs, five closets and plenty of enclosed shelf space, a refrigerator and a mini-bar, a TV and VCR, a combination safe, a hair dryer, fresh fruit, fresh flowers and a welcome-aboard bottle of champagne.

Each bathroom has a tub/shower combination and bidet, as well as plenty of storage shelves in the mirrored medicine cabinets, plus a lavish gift-kit of toiletries.

Singles get a break on the Americana because the company has installed eight outside and 12 inside singles, which cost a flat rate with no surcharge. The average daily price for a single cabin is $141 for an inside and $165 for an outside. That is much lower than rates for comparable singles on most cruise ships.

Also, four cabins have private balconies, and there are two lavish owner’s suites. The former cost $200 per person a day, double occupancy, and the latter $274.

Because it is primarily a cargo vessel the Americana does not have stabilizers, so the ride, while not uncomfortable, is less smooth than on many cruise ships, with a little more vibration discernible in some parts of the ship.

The Americana is best for self-reliant people with good sea legs who don’t require constant entertainment and diversion, especially singles who want to avoid punishing surcharges and couples who want big, lavish cabins at moderate prices.

Because cargo scheduling takes priority, passengers must be flexible about departure and arrival dates and ports of call.

To get a copy of the Americana brochure, call Ivaran Lines toll-free at (800) 451-1639, or write to the line at One Exchange Plaza, New York 10006.

For more information on freighter travel in general, contact Freighter World Cruises at (818) 449-3106 or write to 180 S. Lake Ave., Suite 335, Pasadena, Calif. 91101.