nancyevans

There is a lot more to Salzburg than the Sound of Music or Mozart.  Visit the city's website for more information.  Helbrunn Palace with it's trick fountains is really unique; take the funicular up to the fortress; there is also a nearby cable car so you can go up for a great view; palaces, churches.  

1 hour ago, SpringBreakMom said:

Thanks for the input, especially on the tours! Scenic does sound great.  We are just trying to decide if the price difference is worth it to us.  

 

To decide if it is worth it, you really have to do a table with all the included amenities and what you will pay extra for:

Airfare

transport to and from the ship

expense of extra tours you really want to do

laundry 

cocktails/alcohol

soft drinks

tips to crew

tips to drivers and guides 

extras provided: Scenic sundowners, concerts

Insurance if cruise can’t continue

After you do a thorough analysis, Scenic may not be any more expensive than “cheaper” cruises with add on expenses.

I've sailed on Emerald once and on Scenic twice.  Scenic had the better food but I really did like the Emerald Dawn with its little swimming pool and the big open balcony.  Also, we had a great tour director on Emerald but that was just luck. As mentioned before, a lot has to do with the chef.

2 hours ago, jeb_bud said:

On our Gems of the Danube cruIse with Scenic we owed about $20 for laundry. As I recall we got some gelato and I paid to get into a museum during a free afternoon. Everything else was included in our fare. 

 

That’s two Christmas Market cruises in a row for you isn’t it Nancy?  You’re making me think about suggesting one to Mona. 

Yes, last year was Emerald from Nuremberg to Amsterdam via the Mainz. Loved the towns and cities on the route. GREAT cruise director but so so food.

This Year is on Scenic from Basel to Amsterdam. Some familiar places but lots new, too. 

I agree with doverboy's description of Scenic with a few additions. A bag of laundry is included for even the lower level cabins.

The mini bar in the room is restocked daily so there was cold diet coke waiting when we got back to the room.  And we were taken to the airport and escorted to our check-in counter.

Like Jebbud, when we took our first Scenic cruise in 2015 we compared it to Viking and Scenic came out cheaper.  For returning cruisers there is a discount.  For our upcoming 2019 Christmas market cruise with Scenic there was also a discount since we paid in full before a certain date.  This cruise includes airfare and, with all the amenities, it would be hard to beat the price.

On ‎1‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 1:53 PM, lenetere said:

I have a cruise with Emerald, coming in 3 months.  It's our first river cruise, although we've cruised ocean cruises quite a lot.  One of the things that's so very different for me is the scant information available on the website.  There's a reference to pre-sailing documentation being sent to us.  About how far in advance would we receive it?  Also, for an ocean cruise we have access to online pre-booking of excursions.  Will we have any access to excursions online?  Will all that information arrive with the documentation?  

 

I do have a TA, but she's not getting the information quickly enough to suit me (gee, aren't I the only customer she has?  LOL).  I appreciate your willingness to answer questions!

 

Lene

Your info will arrive a few weeks in advance of your departure date.  Check the zippers, etc. on your backpack.  If they don't work, call for another one to be sent.  If you booked with a TA you documents  may go directly to them. 

 You already should have chosen the first couple of tours on the Emerald website.  Go to the Trip Personalizer section and input your booking number and fill in the information.

The first river cruise we went on, the TA did not do this for us and we only found out about when I called her and asked about booking tours.  Since then, we've directly booked our three other river cruises.   We got a great bargain on our 2019 Christmas market cruise with Emerald.  Given the nature of river cruising, we don't find that booking with a TA really added any value.

Booked Scenic from Basel to Amsterdam for December 2019.  

“To each his own .” is really true. On our second Scenic cruise we were a group of 8 , all in the lower level. We all enjoyed ourselves and asked the hotel manager if there was a cabin in an upper deck that we could see. He graciously offered to show us an unoccupied cabin. The five of us who saw all agreed that we were happy with the lower deck and didn’t think that the added expense of an upper cabin was worth it.

I've been on two Scenic cruises (2015 and 2016) and one Emerald (2017).

Scenic includes the following not included by Emerald:

1. No charge for minibar items

2. Cocktails, alcohol includes whenever the bar is open

3. One bag of laundry per cabin

4. Evening sundowner (Beer, adult beverage at a scenic location)

5. All tours included.

Emerald:

1. Cabins are very similar in style to Scenic

2.  Has small poor which seemed to be used frequently.  The pool area is very nice.

3.  Beer, wine with meals

4.  Tour in each port but there are optional tours you pay extra for.

5.  Food on Emerald was good but not nearly as good as that on Scenic.

Our Emerald cruise director was the best of the three directors that we had.

IMO, look carefully at your itinerary and determine what Scenic includes that Emerald does not include and if the difference is worth it.

On my first Scenic cruise I mentioned that the included alcohol wasn't that important to me but one person stated that it was to them. Their bar bill on their last ocean cruise had been $500.

We got a great bargain and booked a Scenic Christmas Market cruise for 2019 but would happily cruise with Emerald again.

Another vote for the Budapest Marriott especially if you get Executive Lounge access. The Executive Lounge has great food and a big terrace with tables and a view of the Chain Bridge and Castle hill.

The gardens at the Rikjsmuseum were full of tulips when we visited lasted year. There is also a fun fountain in the garden where you can stand in the middle as the water plays around you.

If you go to the Rikjsmuseum, download their app which will give you a great tour through the museum.

What towns are you visiting?

I've sailed with Scenic and Emerald. All gratuities, including those for drivers and guides, are included.

Airport transfers are also included if you are arriving and departing the day of the cruise even if you did not book airfare with them.

We booked our first river cruise on Viking for June 2018. We initially booked the cheapest cabin with no view. In discussing this cruise with friends and coworkers, every person I spoke to who had taken this cruise said they were glad they booked a balcony. Partly for the ability to sit out on the deck but also because the rooms are bigger. Yes it was a few thousand more but I sucked it up and figured I was already going to be spending $13,000

so what's a few more.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

In a lower level cabin, we had the same excursions, the same meals (except for one specialty dining experience). There are some other things we didn't get i.e. meals served in the cabin.

Keep in mind that ships can also be "rafted". There are so many ships that they sometime have to tie up side by side. So people with a balcony may only see the side of another ship.

I didn't spend any where near $13,000 for my cruise.

Please look at a variety of companies not just the ones commonly advertised. And thoroughly read the descriptions so that you understand what tours,port charges, airport transfer costs, tips and services are included in the price. There can be a lot of extras tacked on the brochure cost so a trip can end up costing more than you anticipate. If you are analytic, a spreadsheet is a good idea. A trip that first appears to be cheaper that another one, can actually end up costing more.

Here's a link to the review I wrote about the Christmas Market cruise I took on Emerald Dawn. The passengers were mainly from Australia, Canada, the U. K. and the U.S. Ages ranged from about 11 upwards. There were two families onboard with children from about 11-16. Several people we met were single travelers. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=602672

Rain in Cologne this morning but stopped by noon.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

At Boppard right now. Snow is stopping but it is overcast. Snowed this morning in Rudesheim but lots of people were out.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks, Joe.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I see rivers and ships but don’t know what to do with info.

Do you have a link?

http://www.marinetraffic.com

I find it easier to use in my PC rather than my phone.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Try looking at the website Marine Traffic

Sent from my iPhone using Forums to see if there is blockage on the Main. Put in a port like Wurzberg and then look at the map. The ships on the river show up.

400? Who has time for all that!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

With some planning, it is easy to visit on your own. Check Trip Advisor, too.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

In choosing a river cruise company there is a lot that you have to factor in to determine which lines' amenities suit you and fit your budget. I am a "value for the money" traveler who usually travels independently (no long fully escorted tours) I've done two cruises with all inclusive Scenic and have been quite happy with the price I paid and the amenities and services provided. For me, research prior to booking paid off. There are some cruise companies where my research leads me to think that there is no way the priced being charged is worth the product provided.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just google "Cologne Christmas market" to find the official site online. Same for another city . There are markets in more than one place in Cologne.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Many crew members (depending on the line they work for) do not have a lot of free time to go do their banking. Banking hours are not like they are in the US. And because they are constantly sailing from country to country they do not have a 'home branch' ,so they are penalized with bank fees and for foreign exchange rates.

 

 

 

It's too bad some cruise companies do not make it easier for their staff and crew and let the guests know the use of € is preferred in Europe.

 

 

 

RB

It does seem that getting tips in local currency would be easier for the crew. I have read that Viking's target market is senior Americans. Maybe Viking thinks it is easier to explain tipping in dollars to their passengers. IMO with the availability of ATMs and the knowledge that tips are expected, informed passengers could be able to come up with the local currency.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums