pontac

Trouble is, one soon runs out of European rivers. We're doing rivers we've done before, either different cruises or different cruise lines, both with the intention of having different excursions. I really enjoyed our cruise two years ago along the Mosel(le) which was uncrowded, had pretty villages and great scenery. Unfortunately the Mosel stretch was quite short and the cruise started in Basel and went down the Rhine. All the same we saw things we hadn't before and felt no guilt about missing excursions to places we'd been before. If you're interested in wine then try Bordeaux; if you're interested in wine, history and scenery try the Rhone Lyon>Avignon. We've done that twice now, both directions, attractive scenery, ancient towns. We've not been on the Asian cruises, looking at the brochures there seems to be a lot of flying when you get there. Toying with the idea of cruising on the USA rivers.

That was my point. Scenic annoy me with their hyperbole. The only time we asked our cabin attendant to get us anything is was a coffee after we'd seen the very long queue at the only customer coffee machine. We thought the cabin attendant would be able to get us a coffee quicker. Alas not. Encouraged by @Canal archive though, I will be asking the cabin attendant for several things at the start of the cruise I take next month and will relate my experience back in my trip report.

River cruise line boats in Europe are not made or equipped in North America, though. Different countries have different sizes which is what, regrettably, I didn't make clear.

As a wine drinker, I'd say it's a trifle uninformative 😁

Well, it depends on what your definition of a butler is. Scenic advertises butler service to guests, but I don't think Lord Grantham would recognise it as butler service. It's a member of staff who supplies a limited range of services to every cabin on that deck. This picture of what the 'butler' does is in @1of4 s trip report Going Live on Scenic "Chef's Culinary Adventure of Belgium and the Netherlands with Lynn Crawford and Lora Kirk" And there was an advertisement for a deeply discounted cruise with APT that said some cabins had the services of a 'Private Butler', though it didn't say what cabins or what the butler would de.

I looked into bed sizes some time ago. I could not find a standard size across bed manufacturers. The only consensus was that Queen size beds are larger than double sized beds and smaller than King size beds.

With Emerald when you buy their most expensive drinks package (Platinum) you can choose wines from the wine list that cost up to €25, and get Prosecco by the glass. On Scenic you don't have to buy a drinks package as drinks are included, and you can have Champagne. Also if you like a breakfast Bucks Fizz or Mimosa you're out of luck with Emerald as no alcoholic drinks are served before 10am, whereas Scenic have a couple of bottles of Champagne on self pour at their breakfast buffet. But if you don't drink or don't want Champagne this differention doesn't matter.

Australia08 visited the baths on her current trip, read her report and if you have questions ask her as she is posting very day on the cruise underway now.

No, there's not. Like other cruise lines, in order to make the boat as big as possible and yet to fit under low bridges everything on the top deck can be collapsed and the wheelhouse can be lowered. However, you can be served drinks on the top deck by waiting staff. The side view identifies the position of restaurant and bar. Yes, a plan of each floor would be useful. I don't know if you have this video on your site, but on the UK site there is a video of the Scenic Jasper - which is a sister ship to Amber - which shows the top deck and people being served drinks there. This is a link to the video https://www.scenic.co.uk/river/river-experience/ship-experience/our-ships-europe?wvideo=cccst0gtf8

The only point I have been making in this thread is to ignore luxury/budget labels and decide what is wanted. Anything included by a cruise line that is not on the want list is a cost to the cruise line that is reflected in the passenger fare, so why pay for what is not wanted? Of course, sometimes discount offers give one the opportunity to book a cruise that offers more cheaper then one that offers less.

It's a choice one takes but it's a fact that when you book an excursion you cannot also go on the other excursions running at the same time. They have a cost - the guide at least, maybe coaches, admittance fees .....

This is plain rude. And shows you didn't read what I wrote.

While it is true that passengers may choose form any excursion at no extra cost, it's converse is that passengers are are paying for excursions they don't want to go on - or can't go on. Riviera didn't include any alcohol, but in their 2024 & 2025 itineraries they are including their 'superior drinks package', though on reading what's included it seems like house wines with lunch and dinner. Cruise lines change their offerings, not only their itineraries and excursions but also what is included. Two years ago Scenic gave out a rather nice backpack and supplied chauffer car to/from airport. Not now. Post pandemic Viking included their Silver Spirits drinks package, not from 2025. Many people now reading CC will be thinking about booking a 2025 cruise. Read carefully what is included because the trip reports and reviews you read here are talking about pre-2025 cruises which may not be the same. Look at the date on CC featured articles; ones I have read are quite incorrect with what happens now.

Who decides which is a budget line? The lists I've seen have every line that doesn't claim to be luxury or super-luxury as budget. For me, the only criteria of budget is cost - as per the word budget- but then it becomes a minefield as to what is included and what is not - and even more importantly whether you want what is included. For instance, if you don't drink alcohol then the inclusion of 'fine' wines is not a luxury to you, and you'd be better off not paying for other peoples drinks. I've got some upcoming Scenic cruises. They claim they're 'ultra-luxury', I'm blowed if I understand what that actually means. Having cruised with them before I rate them less luxurious than Viking which make no claims to be luxurious. And again, some of these 'luxury' lines have sales where they deeply discount the price of their cruises. I say, ignore these labels, take with a very large pinch of salt the lines' own trumpet-blowing, and decide what you want then find the line that offers it at the lowest cost. Anything extra they offer is something you don't want and will be paying for.

If you search the forum for 'Venice' you get result, these may be of interest: I’m on board Uniworld SS Venezia - Page 2 - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2890372-uniworld-venice If you're thinking of cruising with Uniworld the posts mention a one day bus trip from Milan to Venice with a stop in Verona and lunch at a winery in Valpollicella The map of the journey for MILAN, VENICE & THE JEWELS OF VENETO is But if you don't fancy a long bus ride - and I sympathise - one can book just the cruise element, i.e. start at Venice. I thought Uniworld were the only operators in this area, but perhaps you're talking about another?

No-one can meet you in baggage claim, they'll have to be in arrivals after you pass through customs.

That's good. Serbia is not in the EU, and Croatia, Romania & Slovakia are, but Croatia and Romania activated Schengen after I was there. So perhaps since the cruise ends in Romania and the excursion to Serbia is less then a day it doesn't count

No wonder you are confused. The UK Emerald FAQs doesn't say they are no allowed on boards. The warn that there may be 'limitations' on board and that bathroom doors may not be wide enough for some wheelchairs. From the website (FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions - Emerald Cruises) Do your Star-Ships and luxury yachts provide mobility/wheelchair access? We welcome passengers with medical conditions or disabilities and can provide mobility provision when notified in writing prior to boarding. However, please be aware that there may be limitations on board and during excursions. In addition, standard suites and bathrooms have significant thresholds and cabin doors which limit access, meaning they may not be wide enough to allow access to many wheelchairs. Please speak to a member of our team about your requirements prior to booking. You don't say which Christmas Markets cruise you are taking; Emerald show Christmas Markets of Europe and Christmas Markets on the Danube for 2024 - (no 2025 on the website) but only two Christmas markets are mentioned in the itineraries. A concern not mentioned is the time of year. The nights are long and the weather cold. There may be snow, sleet and ice or rain. @1of4 stumbled on wet stairs coming down from the sundeck and broke bones on a recent cruise - Going Live on Scenic "Chef's Culinary Adventure of Belgium and the Netherlands with Lynn Crawford and Lora Kirk" - Page 10 - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community And that was daytime. I was rafted (tied to) a boat on our cruise last month, we had to go down their sundeck stairs that were wet, steep, narrow and metal. There was only one hand rail and we were advised to go down backwards. I stayed on board in the afternoon because I didn't want to risk those stairs again. I'd hate to do them in the dark or when icy. Can you switch to a summer cruise?

I posted this on Wednesday Regarding tables for two on Viking: there are two in the Aquavit Lounge and they tend to go to those who get there early. Whether you get a table to yourself depends on how crowded the boat is, how many people are dining off boat and the time of year. We have been the only couple on a table for six and last year on the Rhone in August table for four were set up on the open prow and since most passengers preferred air-conditioning inside several couple has tables to themselves. Scenic has more tables for two in the main restaurant but they are so close together they don't feel like separate tables. Eight tables for two were also set up in the lounge We had this table for four on the prow to ourselves on the Rhone last August.

Thanks for asking that @LFS517. I meant to ask to ask the same question for the same reasons.

I recall a large official building by the waterside with the name Mohacs on it where we had to moor in the afternoon and line up on board to show our passports as we were leaving Hungary. Did you have to do same? This was in 2019 on Viking's Passage to Eastern Europe cruise from Budapest to Bucharest. The Viking people told us that coming back they reached this place after midnight - the time 3am resonates - so everyone had to be got out of bed for it. Which is the reason I didn't want to do Capitals of Eastern Europe starting in Bucharest.....

You've fallen foul again of CC automated censor; next time try jumbling up the 4 letters ,e.g Mazi or *azi or aziN 😉

Mebbe it's different in Germany, but on the dot com website in UK YouTube positively encourages links Select Share and you get Select copy and you can then paste that link https://youtu.be/-Ps9RKuN0BY?si=e3wsNBSWbt3dVpM0

Viking serve dinner between 7 - 9 pm; on board entertainment starts at 9pm Funnily enough I have posted about this in the last couple of days:- This is so because passengers go directly to the dining room after the Programme Manager's port talk and because they want first pick of the tables - and after a hard day's sightseeing - they're hungry. I think 7pm is a late time to dine for many North Americans but for us 1pm and 7pm are the times we dine at home. Later arrivals are served. Latest time we got to the table was 8:30pm, not ideal but forced on us, but we have been later than 7pm. Regarding tables for two on Viking: there are two in the Aquavit Lounge and they tend to go to those who get there early. Whether you get a table to yourself depends on how crowded the boat is, how many people are dining off boat and the time of year. We have been the only couple on a table for six and last year on the Rhone in August table for four were set up on the open prow and since most passengers preferred air-conditioning inside several couple has tables to themselves. Scenic has more tables for two in the main restaurant but they are so close together they don't feel like separate tables

This is so because passengers go directly to the dining room after the Programme Manager's port talk and because they want first pick of the tables - and after a hard day's sightseeing - they're hungry. I think 7pm is a late time to dine for many North Americans but for us1pm and 7pm are the times we dine at home. Later arrivals are served. Latest time we got to the table was 8:30pm, not ideal but forced on us, but we have been alter then 7pm.