hihandycap

Do you know of a TA that might rebate some of the commission for booking southern African game tours?

Do you or anyone else know the dress code for Scenic's Vienna Enrich option: "Breathe in the opulence and luxury of Palais Liechtenstein while enjoying a glass of fine Austrian Sekt. Then be enthralled by an enchanting private Viennese evening concert featuring the timeless music of Strauss and Mozart." We would prefer to use our "green?" alternative to backpacks for this but only if business casual attire is acceptable.

"Any suggestions?" Try to check out Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg, and Triol from a local library. It has about 30 pages on Bratislava and a half dozen or so on Schönbrunn Palace. If you dock in Vienna, Bratislava is about an hour in each direction by coach. Bratislava is a more viable option if you overnight in Vienna and otherwise have time to see Vienna's other attractions.

Our documents show the downstream one --"bummer!" We're arriving from Bratislava and staying one night on the Pest side, since it's closer to the train station and Christmas markets. There doesn't appear to be a good public transit route to the downstream Buda boarding location, so we'll probably see if Bolt is a better option than a taxi. So far, we are disappointed with Scenic--"free choice" has become actually "No Choice" for us. When we went to the Trip Personalizer two months before sail date, Schönbrunn Palace was fully booked, and we chose Szentendre since we had spent three days in Budapest, two years ago before boarding an Emerald cruise to Bucharest. When we got our documents, they showed us on the Budapest guided tour--another bummer! We were planning to select the Ceský Krumlov option from Brandstatt, but now wouldn't be surprised if it also is not available when Scenic allows us to choose. {This probably sounds like whining, but we just expected better "customer care" after three very enjoyable Emerald cruises.}

Never mind on docking location. (Received email of documents last evening which shows: 1117 Budapest Henryk Slawik rakpart, approximately 250metres north from Rákoczi Bridge

Thanks for the review. We board the Amber in Budapest on 28Nov23 towards Nuremberg. Do you know if the Amber always docks in Buda or Pest or if it varies? Scenic's Schönbrunn tour was full by the time we checked. Is it worth do it on our own (using Rick Steve's commentary)? What did your fellow passengers say if anything about the Belvedere Museum Scenic tour?

Also, our experience plus Portugal offers good values in almost every type of travel expense. If time/budget permits, consider several days in Porto/Vila Nova de Gaia and some time on Madeira.

Our 2 cents (pence): Shop, shop, shop Pick the itinerary/river first, the time of year next, and then the cruise line. Long lead times before booking allows taking advantage of periodic "flash" sales and similar discounts/specials. Consider doing pre/post-cruise DIY land tours to supplement/ extend the venues you will visit.

Take (blessed) chalk (of any colour) and mark on the lintel of your front door 20 + C + M + B + 23 saying: The three Wise Men, C Caspar, M Melchior, B and Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son who became human 20 two thousand 23 and twenty-three years ago. ++ May Christ bless our home ++ and remain with us throughout the new year. Amen. ( A part of church history is the custom of blessing homes at the New Year. A family would hold a short service of prayer to ask God’s blessing on their dwellings and on all who live, work with and visit them. In this way, we invite Jesus to be a “guest” in our home, a listener to each conversation, a guide for troubled times, and a blessing in times of thanksgiving. “Chalking the door” or the door step may be used as a way to celebrate and literally “mark” the occasion. In the Old Testament the Israelites were told to mark their doors with the blood of the lamb on the night of the Passover to ensure that the angel of death would pass them by. Deuteronomy 6: 9 says that we shall “write [the words of God] on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, … and you shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.” Chalk is made of the substance of the earth and is used by teachers to instruct and by children to play. As the image of the chalk fades, we will remember the sign we have made and transfer it to our hearts and our habits.

We did the Douro on Emerald in early Nov, 2022. Good value/mild weather with occasional rain. Highlights were Salamanca and Emerald Plus' dinner with a classical music ensemble in a winery's restaurant amid the aging casks. Emerald used three affable on-board guides and same bus drivers the entire trip--but we met different local guides at the various port calls who provided the local commentary. If you have time, well worth a few days pre/post cruise in Porto/Vila de Nova Gaia (directly across the river). Used Rick Steves for planning and DIY attraction/dining suggestions. Take a look at Porto Card price/discounts. Spent a very enjoyable week post-cruise on Madeira --1/2 in/around Funchal--1/2 in Ponto Moniz with rental car (had 1st scuba lesson at age 77 in Ponto Moniz' tidal pool and aquarium tanks-excellent instructor). Portuguese are friendly, laid back and great hosts.

We were recently on an Emerald 7-night Douro cruise (29 Oct-5 Nov. 2022). Arrived early the day before to a dreary, rainy day in Porto/Gaia. Next two days had intermittent showers and partially sunny. Weather during the rest of the cruise was pleasant and sunny, albeit with occasional brief showers. Emerald used the same three buses & driver that followed the boat up & down the river. The on-board heads were locked. We had ~20-30-minute rest stop in both directions at a restaurant & bar about 2/3rds of the way on the ~2-hour ride to Salamanca. (FWIW: The weather was pleasant during our week-long DIY extension on Madeira (highly recommend going there if you have time.)

Yes, (JoAnn & Bob--north of Houston). We just returned from an enjoyable Emerald cruise on the Douro and are starting to plan pre-cruise DIY tours in Israel and, hopefully, Petra & Wadi Rum. We would greatly appreciate advice from anyone who has crossed the border at Eilat and any recommendations for value-oriented tour operators in the Holy Land. (We had hoped to depart a combined Israel/Jordan tour after Wadi Rum at Wadi Araba, but it sounds like that may be too complex).

"This is definitely not the case, I’m not sure how you are looking for booking these ..." "Different strokes for ...." We generally reserve the cruise/DIY land extensions about a year in advance to take advantage of early bird savings--occasionally ~6 months later if flash sales offer exceptional value. We then begin monitoring the air pricing (both in miles and using credit cards), and usually commit for "economy" seats several months before travelling internationally, depending on the pricing trends. We also include in our "miles vs CCs" calculations the airport taxes and fees that are in addition to the miles (which likely have a bigger weight for economy seats compared to business class). We depart shortly for an Emerald cruise on the Douro with an extension on Madeira. Because of our exchange about different experiences, out of curiosity we re-checked our arrangements, comparing pricing using United Mileage's Plus miles, Sapphire' Ultimate Reward points, and credit cards. To illustrate, our planning has been to return from Madeira to Porto on 11 Nov. TAP (TransAirPortugal) is a Star Alliance partner that operates daily multiple non-stops between FNC and OPO and one-stops through Lisbon. We used 11,696 Sapphire points on 22Sep to pay the $146.20 for 2 one-way non-stop tickets. {One-way because EasyJet had a better non-stop schedule between OPO & FNC). United's Mileage Plus' awards site for 11Nov now shows NO seats available. (TAP's site shows economy seats on two non-stops available for purchase.) For 12 Nov, United's awards site shows only Business Class seats [55,000 miles + $37.60 for 2 tickets]; for 10 Nov. there are non-stop economy seats available, but only on red-eyes [departing midnight or 04:30 am--17,600 miles + $37.60/2 tickets] The lodging and rental car options through Chase's travel desk also appear to provide superior values compared to using United's award miles for the identical arrangements. We do not have "Premier" status and tend to use individual bookings for flexibility rather than "bundling" different components of a trip. Our disappointment with Chase has been its breadth of associations with the more value/discount-oriented operators like the short hop no-frills airlines, rental car company aggregators like AutoEurope, short term rentals such as BnBs or offerings on the newer booking apps, etc. We are not asserting our anecdotal experiences are more representative than yours, but they definitely have been different. Since most of the travel industry tends to use dynamic pricing, much depends on the timing of, and the amount of time spent, shopping/comparing. Enjoy your travels.

We have had generally the opposite experience, having used what are now United Mileage Plus miles out of IAH since working in the '80s in South America and accruing Eastern miles--(Lorenzo combined Eastern's routes/assets with the old TransTexas/Texas Air as part of Continental which in turn subsequently merged with United). In our experience, Mileage Plus offers relatively few "mileage" seats on international routes even through Star Alliance airlines; and, when we do the calculation comparing buying tickets using credit cards versus using miles, rarely are the miles valued at or above $0.01/mile. We do transfer unused Sapphire points to Mileage Plus when the cards expire (it takes four years on the sidelines to be re-eligible for the new Sapphire card bonuses.) Chase's United Explorer card is a reasonable alternative in the interim years with decent travel insurance and lesser new card bonuses.

We use a Chase Sapphire card to make pre-travel reservations, mainly because of the travel insurance benefits plus lack of forex mark-ups but have been disappointed when trying to use the points earned. Even though the points are worth ~$1.25 when booking through Chase's travel desk, the value-oriented options for air (EasyJet, Ryan Air e.g.); lodging (small 3*/4*single-site local owners); and rental cars (local operators with good reviews) are generally not available. We'd rather spend less per trip and take more trips. Because the options that are available seem to be marked-up 25%+, we often end up using websites like Agoda and AutoEurope. FWIW, we have never tried to book a river or ocean cruise using points. Having used Cruis#Comp#t# multiple times, we have found several responsive TAs that provide competent services, consistent with their forgoing part of their commissions to provide fare discounts and/or OBCs. YMMV

Several suggestions: -pre-book earliest Parliament tour for one of your mornings -use Rick Steves for planning (don't miss one of the ruin bars & Central Market) -consider a 48/72-hour Budapest card (even though Lukács Thermal Baths are free with card, Széchenyi is a memorable experience.) Enjoy (we sure did).

At the turn of the century, we rented a car in Zurich and drove around Germany/Austria and to Prague and back. (All LHD modern highways). If your group would consider a rental vehicle {which allows flexibility on En-route diversions}, you might consider contacting AutoEurope (an intermediary that has favorable arrangements with most international rental car companies). International drivers' permits used to be a one-day visit to AAA and a modest fee [~$15]. There were minor issues with insurances, but a good international travel CC should cover the CDW issue. Check with your domestic auto policy insurer and CC about liability coverages internationally--most rental car companies include CGL exposures at modest levels and supplemental protection is available. The cross-border drop charge may be prohibitive, but worth an inquiry.

Yes (but on Scenic's value brand, Emerald--on a late October '22 Douro cruise (i.e. still time left before the " guaranteed 60 days before sailing to re-book penalty free" option expired.) Result: cabin upgrade plus FCC (which we then used on a BOGO 2023 Azzurra Red Sea/Nile/Suez itinerary). Our impression is that because the promotions only apply to the upper-end cabins, it is not as attractive as it first appears on new bookings for us hoi polloi who tend to book steerage berths.

We just booked an "11 day" cruise on Emerald's yacht Azzurra, using Scenic/Emerald's BOGO promotion. It sails from Aqaba, Jordan to Limassol, Cyprus, transiting the Red Sea, Nile, and Suez Canal. It includes a Felucca cruise and an excursion to Luxor and the pyramids, but is a bit light on Egypt's traditional venues. (Having worked two years half a century ago in Abu Dhabi, not that bothered by missing Cairo.) As you have mentioned, planning and the anticipation it stimulates is part of the allure of international travel. We are now pre-occupied trying to figure out the optimal pre-cruise tour packages in Israel [Biblical venues] and Jordan [Petra & Wadi Rum], let alone the intricacies of a DIY border crossing at Eilat-Aqaba. The native Israeli & Jordanian operators seem to offer better values than the traditional North American/European tour operators. We had to cancel an Azzurra cruise that circumnavigated the Black Sea because of Vladimir. Hopefully, the jihadists will not mess this trip up. (COVID or low/high river levels--What me worry?)

We also found the Budapest to Bucharest itinerary on Emerald last October to be a fascinating learning experience about the region's history (both during the Middle Ages and the post WWII era.) Growing up in the USA during the Cold War, our "world" geography and history courses had considerable content about western Europe, but the "eastern bloc" was rarely mentioned and hence an enigma to us. Both Budapest (using Rick Steves) and Bucharest are striking venues, well worth extra days pre/post cruise. We scheduled a small group tour to Transylvania, which became exclusive to us because of Covid. Our guide, who was a generation or so younger than us, and having experienced as a child both communism and Ceausescu's oppression, had no use for those in the naive generation behind him that apparently pines for the return of socialism. After multiple ocean cruises that visited many western European ports throughout the Med, Adriatic, Aegean, North and Baltic Seas and job-related travel to major capitals, we felt fortunate for having selected the B to B itinerary for our initial river cruise. Emerald's local guides were uniformly excellent, and the small group in-home luncheon with local Serbian hostesses probably the highlight. Although we had watched "Behind Enemy Lines" when it was released, we were largely oblivious of the human suffering and turmoil caused by Tito's failure to "succession plan." The stops between Budapest and Bucharest are a much different experience than castles and cathedrals on other itineraries but one that can't help but make you grateful for your good fortune

As a plan B, stop by the Barcelo in central Pest Barceló Budapest | Hotel in Terézváros, Budapest (barcelo.com). which Emarald frequently uses for pre/post cruise extensions. PS We found the Budapest card to be a bargain for DIYers.

Somewhat like the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest?

We did too, once we learned CS does not charge foreign conversion fees on ATM withdrawals and also credits back ATM use fees. CS also credited back an attempted ATM withdrawal that we cancelled in FRA's in-transit terminal, but that the German bank network had charged anyway even though it had not dispensed any Euros. (The machine was out of receipt paper, so we had no proof other than a withdrawal of the exact same amount from a more reputable bank network's ATM by a nearby gate shortly afterwards, and our prompt filing of a dispute when both amounts appeared on our account--which is easy to check using the "interwebs." Chase Sapphire offers good travel credit cards -- no conversion fees and among the best "free" travel insurance benefits. (No 1st year fee on Sapphire Preferred and attractive new card incentives.)

The river ports do not have the infrastructure in place to run carry-ons through x-ray scanners. (Neither here nor there, but we were on an ocean cruise that overnighted in Tianjin (the port) closest to Peking. The cruise line used the port's security scanners that were set up BEFORE the duty-free shops. The "spirits" shop ran almost out of inventory.

Thanks. That would be enough for our purposes. Anyone know if Emerald also does that?