ural guy

Recap: Physical ship very nice; pretty much everything else average to well below standard. Redtravel- thanks for posting this, sorry to hear about your less than stellar experience. I've never seen a river cruise crew just gossiping with dirty dishes piling up and plates going out cold. The Restaurant Managers just wouldn't tolerate it. I'd love to know how they made that bus trip so long, sounds miserable. Did the Dailey handout show a stop at a Plantation or Battlefield that was missed (not too many cathedrals or castles to see in Dixie)? Vantage was 4 months from bankruptcy, and they had us in a great hotel in Prague. Breakfast was amazing, the orange juice machine putting it over the top. Then on the ship, we had chicken nuggets for the Captain's welcome the first night. Viking can do better.

I was watching this travel show (great series, narrated by Bill Nighy) on the Mosel just after reading this thread. The scene in Bernkastel, the town looked pretty busy, not sure if a river boat was docked. For some of the wine towns, probably enough is enough. Maybe they sell a lot more ice creams and coffee than I realize, but I would think that people driving buy a lot more wine, stay overnight, etc. If those people stay away at all due to the increase in river visitors, not a good outcome. Notamermaid, I do vaguely remember the small diesel running, Vantage had the second dining lounge above the engine and the small seating area was basically unusable with smell. Definitely a tricky balance. We were fortunate that when we docked, we stayed overnight. I doubt Vantage was doing it with any regards to the town coffers, but it is a nice idea. On this cruise,it was a misty/foggy November evening, perfect atmosphere. But I don't think much money was spent in town, Vantage skewed to an older crowd. Found a quiet wine bar and listened to 'The Blue Danube' on the radio. Got the barman to chuckle when I said it was the wrong river. Wandered back to ship happy. On the way back to the Rhine, we stopped in the afternoon, a Carnival festival was starting, the place was jam packed, we got to see the parade to start the day, music, lots of costumes. The town has a lot going for it.

Hi- Enjoying reading this report. Just wondering, how many passport pages does a cruise like this use up?

CDN- I'm pretty sure my daughter saw the incident you're talking about, was it the the front right table? That should have never happened, those were some entitled people. A mother/daughter couple was told the same thing; they were looking forward to sitting at a 4 top, hoping another couple would join them so they could chit-chat, and that group ran them off. The mother/daughter kinda hung out by themselves the rest of the trip. We were told that if you wanted an Aquavit table, to put something on it after 1800. It was my spouse/daughter/bf and we sat up front left 4 top maybe 5 or 6 nights out of 9. The Captain sitting in the lounge, yes, my spouse thought it was his spouse joining him for New Years. It was nice to see them. That may have been the same night that a couple that was usually at a 2 top found it occupied, and wound up slipping some $ to be able to sit in the lounge. They spoke to both the waiter and the dining room manager. I didn't see the big deal in them wanting to sit there. To me, that the Aquavit Lounge meals take almost as long as the MDR is the issue I'd like to see Viking address. If going back to a served buffet gets you in and out quicker, I'd be happy.

Same on our last Viking cruise, the same people in the same tables in the Aquavit lounge. One night a regular, two person couple found their table taken. They talked to both waiter and his supervisor so they could sit and be served in the main lounge area. Money was exchanged, everyone seemed happy. I understand your husband's hearing issues...there are so many different conversations going on in the MDR, with the low ceiling I can't distinguish words and fail to follow conversations. So I smile and nod, and try to get a table in the lounge.

JP- Thanks. That's what initially caught my eye, the 4 hr flight from Boston. If not that, then the TAP flights with the optional to build in several days layovers. I have flown TAP out of Lisbon, and I wondered why the flight was listed for 3 hours. About an hour was the bus ride from gate, boarding, and then waiting it turns out. We were stationed on Oahu for three years, so less crowded and rustic are both good! Glad to hear you had a good time...at least Chris had qualified medical care, on call 24/7....

Azores are a place I've been looking at. You enjoyed yourself? I've read that the terrain is a bit Hawaii like. Did you fly TAP? Lastly, did you just visit the one island? Thanks. Flowers and trees blooming after even a mild NorthEast winter are a huge morale boost, glad you got a fix in!

CDN- The Gate One Monarch Queen was tied up next to us in Amsterdam before the start of the Viking cruise we shared. She is the old Vantage River Voyager, who we sailed on twice. We were very happy with the ship and liked the French Balcony cabin layout. They were listed as only 17 sq ft larger than a Viking aquarium class, but having the closet in a different spot made the place feel much larger. Looking through the windows, I could see they kept the old Jazz motif, even had the jukebox (I did prefer Viking having a piano player). One big difference in layout, is that Viking has the second dining area, the Aquavit lounge, up front. On the Queen, it is at the rear of the ship (Captain's Club then). So Viking has the better view. Vantage had a grill just outside the seating area, and about 2/3 of the meals they had something fresh grilled. No idea how Gate One will run it, but Viking taking at least 90 minutes every night in the lounge for dinner, with the same menu as MDR, was a letdown. Vantage, you could be done quickly if you wanted, as they maintained a simpler buffet menu and the grill post Covid. We're on Riviera in October, if a deal came up I'd book a Gate One cruise.

Where we are, we had crocuses coming up, and I got several motorcycle rides in the first week of March, which is a never before event. This is a week ago in Willstatt Germany, across the Rhine from Strasbourg. I was told spring is 3 weeks early by many people, lucky me. And two Black Forest towns, Bad Krozingen And Gegenbach. I get home to a half foot of snow on the ground, and then another 8" 4 days ago, with temperatures down to 12f. And now it has melted again, after two days in the 50's and sun. Very crazy weather.

Glad the flight part worked out. Leaving the airport is easy, it was just the city station that was daunting. Tram up top, with the big trains down a few levels threw my brain at first. Passport control, then grab your bags and go through customs into main hall, you'll see signs for the train station. Follow those. The ticket machines have a language button....here's a guide, although it is pretty straight forward. 2nd class ticket is fine, tap and pay worked well throughout trip. Trains are frequent, pick the one with the shortest transit time. I've ridden trains in Europe a bit, and I still get nervous, and verified with another passenger that this was the correct train (it continues past Hauptbanhof so Zurich hbf wasn't the train name). Where are you headed to from city station? https://lostinswitzerland.com/train-ticket-sbb-machine/

Last week I flew American RT from Watertown NY to Zurich, 1 connection in Philadelphia. It couldn't have been smoother. I booked the flights a month prior and got a great price, and layflat seat on the way over, premium economy on the way back...but it was March. 15 minute train ride to city, roughly $8 usd. Main train station in Zurich is a mass of people, 470,000 passengers a day. 4 levels, includes a layer of shops. Construction outside added to the chaos. Very efficient place.

Crossed the Rhine at the bridge 20km's downstream from Strasbourg, I'm not sure if this is just the bridge name or also the lock set there. Pont de Gambsheim. Anyway, this lock is having work done. This would be a spot we could add to our tour spot, a UNESCO World Heritage site, 30 years back added as the first to focus on industrial sites, Volklinger Iron Works. Over 17,000 people worked here, it was only closed in 1986. You get a workout, lots of walking and catwalk steps. Amazing the scale of the place. They had a movie festival that you also walked through, huge screens showing old movies are hung between steam engines that powered the plants. The movie posters were lots of fun, the different color pallets used over the years.

Last night, the placement of the lights so the green roof pops, great job. While I was standing there, a couple turned the corner and this view drew a gasp, it is that stunning. You get nice little glimpses of the Cathedral throughout town.

Metz and Roman history, wow! Museum of La Cour d'Or, was founded in 1839, and during a 1930's expansion they found Roman baths. They incorporated that into the museum, to include graves they found as well. Creepy seeing 7 skeltons under very clean glass in the floor. Their collection is impressive, from old lead coffins (empty?), to altars, mosaic tiles...I just wandered in and was blown away. Free admission. Yes, I was able to see the Cathedral stained glass, what a magnificent structure. 300 years to build. and the train station. and a repurposed phone booth. A great walkable city, not too big, not too small.

When Vantage took us to Trier, we missed the museum, but visited both the Roman Amphitheater and also the Imperial Baths. The bath complex was huge and you wander through halls and various passages. No idea they were so large. I'm on the Moselle now, in Metz. A very nice city as well. Flowers are trees are starting to bloom. Lorraine region is nice countryside to explore.