pontac

As I wrote on another thread about my Scenic cruise I find it funny how the things adopted for 'greenness' reasons by companies are the ones that save them money. One of the things I liked about Scenic was how they included and arranged for a chauffeur car to take you to/from the airport. No more though. They stopped that for all but those who've advanced up their multiple loyalty tiers of frequent passengers. That was a major attraction for me. I did get a backpack from my August cruise with them and my long time hand baggage fell apart so I used the backpack as my hand baggage on a long haul trip I took last month. It seems well constructed - there's even an RFID pocket. And I'll be taking it on our Viking cruise in a couple of weeks. But the large Scenic branding was a bit much, so here's what my bag looks like:-

1) All the ones I have been on a representative of the winery, sometimes it's the owner, conducts the tour and gives the tastings. 2) How many tasting depends on the tour. Only you can judge whether a wine is good for you, but the really world class wines don't take visitors who come by bus. However, some highly rated wineries do take cruise groups. Viking have dinner with wine at Ch Kirwan, the 3rd Growth winery in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux. If you get on the right bus with Scenic you go to Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, and taste their 1st Growth Sauternes wine. It really depends on the cruise. @2012_Alaska_bound has just reported on an AMA wine cruise in Bordeaux on this forum, perhaps he'll answer your questions.

@2012_Alaska_bound - First I'd like to thank you for your report. I know how much effort is needed to produce one. But a report on a wine cruise without mention by names of the wines offered or wineries visited? I've now taken two Bordeaux cruises on two different lines - I chose a different company for the second not because I was unhappy with the first, far from it. I just thought the second company would go different wineries. My first wine love is Bordeaux and I'd go there on another cruise, but I'd like to know which wineries I would visit, and ditto on the wines poured on board. I'd be grateful if you would say which wineries you visited and name some of the wines served on board

There are no locks on the Bordeaux cruise area. I was told that the usual docking area in Pauillac is out of use currently - I don't know for how long, I was told this on my cruise in August. Ships are mooring at Fort Medoc, just a bit up-river. Fort Medoc is an old castle, but not one with stone ramparts and there was a fair with sheepdog trials when we were there, but it's in countryside, not a town with restaurants and shops like Pauillac.

Apologies - I thought - with the pix and related discussion, you were talking about the new lifting bridge. Re Scenic Diamond - I was on it in August, as per my sig and trip report

Correction: as you can see, the key card doesn't have your room number on it. Anyone finding your card won't know which door it opens.

The lifting bridge has a lot of clearance when not raised, is easily passed by a river boat which is constrained by much older bridges. I wonder what rivers it cruises? Not the Garonne/Gironde/Dordogne obviously because the 'Napoleon' bridge has to be passed to go inland, and river boats wait for low tide

You are unlikely to need to phone the ship, but if you do, you'll have the telephone number with you. When you first board you'll be given your room key. This is a plastic credit-card sized key card that you tap on the pad next to the door handle to unlock the door. You also use it on the screen at reception to indicate you've left the boat and the again when you come back to register you are back on board. The card is personalised, with your name and room number. It also has the name of the boat and its telephone number. Viking has your phone number on the Guest Information form. You can check/update this form in My Viking Journey. Boat movements and their times are shown on the Viking Daily news sheet placed on your bed each evening. That also has the port for the next night. If exploring on your own it's wise to check with reception whether there are any changes. In the above instance the included tour of Speyer left the boat around 08:30 and walked into town, but the boat moved down river at 08:45. At the end of sightseeing there were coaches to take us down river to join the boat at Worms. This was made clear in the previous night's news sheet. If one wanted to explore on ones own one only needed to ask the location and time where to join the coach. But this sort of move is not that common. However, every river cruise can differ depending on water depth and availability of lock places. If the boat is not due to move along the river yet it's not where it was when you left it then, if there is another boat in its place check that your boat may be tied to it on the other side (known on this board as 'rafting', the boat due to leave the mooring first usually take the outer position when rafting.). Otherwise the boat will have moved to a new mooring close to where it was. Captains are sometimes instructed by the harbour master to move position. That happened once to us after being out in the evening. As we returned to the boat we saw it cast off and move down the river. We followed on the bank and it moored at another jetty, to our great relief. Apparently people in houses by our original mooring had complained about the cruise boats making too much noise, so the captain was instructed to move. I have been on 10 cruises with Viking and never had to phone the boat. At each port there are colour maps to take at reception. They will help you navigate the streets on towns you explore. If totally lost, head downhill. The river will be at the lowest point.

Do you man a Scenic Ocean cruise ship?

Here you are

That's good to hear. 🙂

No tie or jacket and you're all dressy? Time for a change of husband perhaps?

Well, I can only speak of Scenic and Viking but I found Viking's cabin design superior to Scenic, both in the same class and both same size.

There are so many cruise lines, so many rivers. Which line, which cruise? You don't say where you are, but if you are in the USA look at the American Wine Society website. They organise an annual river cruise with a wine experts, plus often a winery owner and have a very wine focused tour. The boat is operated by a regular cruise company

Regardless of what others are wearing, I like to dress for the evening and I wear a proper shirt with a tie and jacket (and just to head-off ribald comments long trousers also). All the passengers are, at last, smart casual. Of course, that's on Viking, obviously they attract a classier clientele. 😁

Your content has been approved Hi pontac, Your post in a topic was approved Posted in Attire reality Well I did write 'river cruise boat'. I don't understand the second I don't think it was mine, but your use in the section of your post that I quoted. Unfortunately the message from CC Central doesn't give the reason the post raised flags, or which word was approved

@Host Jazzbeau thanks, I guess you had to approve my earlier post that quoted your post that contained a certain word ... It's all getting a bit met*, isn't it? * pick a letter of the alphabet, any letter you like, but the first is correct. 🙂

I agree with you, but..... American hotels have them weighted and even better some have magnets in the hem that affix the bottom of the curtain to the side of the bath tub. But without magnets or weights as the hot water from the shower heats the air around you it rises and cooler air rushed in to take its place wrapping the curtain around ones body..

Funny coincidence - Mrs Pontac asked me over breakfast when the final payment for our August cruise with Viking is due. It's 10 weeks before start of the cruise, on 6 June for cruise starting 15 August. I can't see them getting any bookings in the UK if they demanded full payment as early as they appear to in the USA

Well I did write 'river cruise boat'. I don't understand the second part of the sentence, unless it's referring to a half glass closure on a bath with a shower attachment. If Americans cannot help flooding the bathroom floor then I suppose it shows European sophistication 😁 Good one !! Regarding the use of 'enclosed', maybe it has a different meaning in the US but I understand 'enclosed' as meaning surrounded or closed off on all sides. The showers on AMA definitely do not have glass walls on all sides, as one is the hull of the ship. If that was glass then passers-by would be able to see @Kristal Blade and @Ihsail at their ablutions

😁 I know you clever lot can decode what I would have written if the keen Cruise Critic robot didn't asterisk out words it finds offensive. But should one find carp swimming around without limitations in the spacious glass-enclosed* shower then the boat is probably sinking, and pausing only to take ones spa quality toiletries, make one's way up to the sundeck in one's plush terry robe to await rescue. *means it's got a glass door, like every other river cruise boat. As I said, carp. Cynic? Moi?

You can do more than just revel. You can rejuvenate without limitations when you step into their shower. 🙄 Someone gets paid to write this carp You’ll also step into a spacious glass-enclosed shower, giving you the freedom to rejuvenate without limitations

With Ama you're going to get more than 'plush'. (unless you are cruising in Africa where you get none, or Vietnam & Cambodia where it's just 'bathrobe and slippers). The website photo of the Ama AA cabin shows a bathrobe on the bed, but there's no mention of it in the listed amenities, but hidden away in the FAQs is this: Europe: Each stateroom is equipped with a hair dryer, plush terry bathrobes, slippers and a safe. Your bathroom offers a magnifying mirror and spa-quality toiletries including soaps, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. Vietnam & Cambodia: Each stateroom is equipped with a hair dryer, bathrobes, slippers and a safe. Your bathroom offers toiletries including soaps, body wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. So, not just plush but plush terry! Enjoy your cruise.

@Kristal Blade there are so many cruise companies, and they have different ships for different routes, so if you want a definitive answer from this forum you need to tell us. But if you're on a Viking Longship AA cabin then you don't get a robe in your stateroom, instead you get "plush robes & slippers" 😁

The word 'exclusive' here is meaningless. Theoretically it's available to everyone on board. (In actuality it's open only to the first 10 people on that cruise who book the session.) Note that guests are encouraged to sample, not that that Scenic will supply them.