claypot77

Wasn't me! Never been to Budapest :(

Sorry about that, Jazzbeau! Looked at the wrong name... it was Papa B Me. :)

We missed the Nutcracker in Budapest last time by one day. We will be watching the options for either Budapest or Prague for next year.

 

Bubbulz, do you mind giving me a heads-up once you find the info is available? I'll be looking periodically starting in January, so I'll be sure to let you know know if I find something, too. Thanks!!:D

One of my wish list items to do while in Europe is to see the Nutcracker Ballet. Really my only options are Prague or Budapest and it depends on their schedules so I guess I really don't have a choice... but anyone have experience with either? I haven't looked into it too seriously yet, so I'm not even sure if either city will be performing it Dec. 2018.

Sooo... I was just re-reading this thread and had forgotten that Jazzbeau mentioned they went to the Nutcracker in Budapest. Anyone have any experience seeing it in Prague?

Thanks!!

Thanks, Jazzbeau and Bubbulz! :D

It's official!! I put my deposit down today on the 2018 AMAWaterways Iconic Christmas market cruise from Nuremberg to Budapest!! So excited!!

I'm almost equally excited about getting the Solo Supplement waived completely on a French Balcony room and saving $1,900!!

I don't what that would mean. We booked AMA through a TA and had no problem going on their website and booking the Limited Edition tours before our voyage. What other changes would you be making?

Hi Jazzbeau! Since this is my first cruise, I didn't have any specific situations in mind, but was concerned that if I needed to cancel or had questions throughout the process that I wouldn't be able to speak to them directly. I just didn't like the feeling of not having the option to talk to them if I needed to. I'd rather go to the source directly than work thru a "middle-man/woman". Just my personal preference and since this is my first time going thru the process I like the idea of having full control and learning as I go. When I spoke with the TA, she was very nice but as we talked I noticed that everything she shared I already knew from this wonderful website and from my own research, plus I like being able to do all the bookings. Basically it just comes down to I'm a bit OCD about planning.;)

Hello Claypot77,

 

May I please ask, did you book directly with AMA or through a travel agent?

 

Thank you!

Brian

Hi Brian, I booked directly w/ AMA. I considered going thru a travel agent and even spoke with one, who was very nice and I may use her for other aspects of the trip; however, I found out that if you book thru a travel agent then the TA has to be the one to talk to AMA every time. They told me I wouldn't be able to call in and make any changes if needed. It's safe to say I'm a planner and I like to be involved in every step of the process, so I didn't like the idea that I wouldn't be able to communicate and make changes directly with AMA. Enjoy your cruise! :D

Welcome to Cruisecritic! I'm relatively new as well and tomorrow I will be putting my deposit on my first river cruise for December 2018, so I don't think it's too early to book for October 2018. Depending on the cabin level and cruise itinerary, they may sell out quickly. I'm doing a Danube Christmas market cruise on AMAwaterways and when I called last week to put a hold on a French balcony room, there were only a few left on the floor I wanted. I'm glad I decided to book sooner than later. :D

Have fun planning! This site has a wealth of information that I've found very helpful!

Thanks, gnome12, jpalbny & Bubbulz, for the train info! I've already created links for future use. This is going to make the trip an adventure as I've never traveled by train overseas by myself before. My last, and only, experience was traveling on the Trans-Siberian Railroad in 1995 as a teenager with a group there to work on an orphanage. I'm sure this is going to be an equally exciting adventure. :D

That's a great idea, Bubbulz, about locking the luggage together!! I was trying to figure out how to keep an eye on my separate bags and how to pack so that I only have a carry-on and suitcase, but then I'll also have my camera gear & purse. I think I'm going to have to pack very mindfully for this trip since I'll be taking so many different forms of transportation. LOL! Good thing I have a year and a half to plan. :)

Wow! I go away for a few days due to traveling and come back to a wealth of information and helpful suggestions!! Thanks everyone for the great advice!

Xmaser, SecondSeating, Caviargirl, & Bubbulz... thanks for the tips on train travel. You helped make up my mind about going the 1st class ticket route. Any suggestions of how to find the cheapest tickets ahead of time? Or is it better to wait and purchase them at the station? I will be sure to check out Rick Steve's train travel tips. I recently found an article on SoloTravelerWorld website about safety on the trains and what to watch for and what not to do that was really helpful.

I've added the Green Room to my to-do list in Dresden as it seems to be a must-see across the board. That was also a great point about not wasting time with traveling btw Dresden and Prague so it looks like I'll be stopping overnight in Dresden to spend more time and see as much as I can in a short time.

papa B me and Bubbulz.... I also agree that one of the great things about CC is getting to read advice from so many different perspectives. I feel like it gives me a much fuller, rounder picture of a place or experience. One of the things I love to do while traveling, and try to make it a priority, is to slow down and be aware of the culture and people around me. I always feel like I'm walking a fine line btw seeing the "must see" sights that all tour books talk about vs. living in the moment and taking time to appreciate the similarities and differences of the people and place I'm visiting. I use to be a History teacher so I love learning about the past of an area and how it led and impacted the present and then getting to experience it as I travel.

Any other thoughts, ideas, suggestions... I'm all ears.

Xmaser, funny you mentioned Dresden... after reading about Hanover, I decided that just going thru it on train and getting to see the area will be enough for me. Time is so limited that even staying overnight in Hanover threw off the rest of the stops. I was trying to decide last night if I should plan to stay a day or two in Dresden and then go on to Prague or use Prague as a jumping off place and do day-trips from it to Dresden and surrounding. I've heard how beautiful Dresden markets are at night so I was hesitant to just do a day trip. The train from Amsterdam to Prague goes thru Dresden so either option is easily do-able. Thoughts?

Also, just thought of this... are trains safe for single women travelers in Europe? I'm assuming they are, but after you mentioned concerns about Prague I started to wonder.

Bubbulz, I'm thinking while I'm in Amsterdam next year that I want to do the Canal tour but at night to see the Light festival. During the day, I'm planning on going to Anne Frank's House, Monet's Museum, and Rembrandt's Museum. Does that sound like I'm squeezing too much in for just 2 days w/ jet lag figured in?

WOW! Thanks, Bubbulz and xmaser, for all the GREAT information!! I'm definitely taking notes! Looks like I'm going to end up on the AMAWaterways Iconic Christmas cruise next year so I'll miss out on Bratislava but the other stops are the same. I'm really looking forward to Budapest so I loved the tips above! At this point in the planning, I'm going to be flying in to Amsterdam and stay a few days, then take the train to Hannover as my great-great-grandparents came to America from Hannover and I've always wanted to visit. After a day or so there, I'm going to take the train to Prague for a few more days before taking the train to Nuremberg to connect up with the ship. So excited and am LOVING all the planning and dreaming in preparation for my European Christmas adventure. Thanks for y'alls help!!

Uniworld just announced new solo traveller deals for 2018. Check whether your desired cruise is included.

Yeah, I was so excited when I got the email this afternoon, but after reading thru the list 3 times (just to make sure I didn't miss it), I had to accept the fact that they didn't include any of their Christmas Market Cruises in the deal.. :loudcry:

Thanks, SuiteTraveler and Bubbulz, for the feedback! :)

I really do like UniWorld's ports a bit better, but I keep going back to price. UniWorld, for a solo traveler, Class 3 room is going to be about $4500, since there is a single supplement. For a very similar itinerary on AMAwaterways, class BB (similar to Class 3, I think) the cost is only about $2400 as they are waiving the supplement. I do really prefer the character of UniWorld's ships, but not at $2,000 more. I had posted the question as I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some major difference that would make it worth the extra money, but it doesn't seem like there is. Until I can find a travel buddy, looks like UniWorld will have to wait for the next trip.

For the last year and a half I was definite I wanted to go on UniWorld's Danube Christmas Market Cruise in Dec. 2018, but I recently started looking at AMAwaterways as they seem to be a bit better priced for the solo traveler. Has anyone gone on cruises for both companies? If so, besides the ship decor, what were the major differences? I'm having a hard time choosing btw them as both itineraries are similar... it may just come down to cost, but I wanted to see if y'all had any insight to help me decide. Thanks!

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to reply!! Y'all provided a wealth of ideas and resources for me to go thru... I love this part of the process, all the research and planning. :D Thanks again for all the great suggestions and advice!!

I am planning on going on the Uniworld Danube Holiday Market Cruise on Dec. 16, 2018 as a solo traveler. This will be my first river cruise and I am very excited about the Christmas markets and getting to travel on the Danube thru Europe. I am not one to do the cruise organized tours, but prefer to plan my own adventures. With the ocean cruises there are usually posts about each port and all the activities available, however, I haven't found that on here for the river ports.

The cruise will be stopping in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Krems, Melk, Linz, & Passau. I'd love to hear ideas/ suggestions for all the ports, although in Linz I already have a general itenerary as I will be traveling to Oberndorf during the day in Linz since it will be the 200th anniversary of the first time Silent Night was sung. I appreciate any advice you can share. Thanks!!

Thank you for sharing your pictures! I have really enjoyed reading about your adventures and getting to see glimpses in the photo. I'm planning for my dream vacation Dec.2018 on a Danube Christmas market river cruise on Uniworld. It will be the 200th anniversary of the Christmas hymn "Silent Night" so I'm planning a special trip out to Oberndorf, about 1.5 hours from Linz, Austria, when the cruise stops there for the day as that is where the song was first sung. Can't wait, but seeing the photos is making the wait a bit easier.

Thanks Chinita for the advice and for helping get this back up on the front page! I'll definitely go check out Trip Advisor for ideas on photo tours. [emoji106]🏻[emoji1]

We will be sailing on the RCCL Liberty of the Seas which docks in Falmouth on Sept. 8th. Neither my mom nor I are particularly fond of vegging on the beach as we will be doing that in Cozumel. I have read about the many suggestions of places to go, but they all include getting in the water. What I would really like to do is hire a private guide or small group guide that takes you around the island beyond the touristy port. My hobby is photography and I would love to be able to find the local, hidden beautiful nature spots that aren't on the tours. I would also like to be able to visit local/village markets that would allow us to purchase unique crafts locally made and with 100% of the purchase price going back to the local artist.

Has anyone taken a similar tour during their times in Jamaica? Suggestions of tour guides? I would love to hear any tips, ideas, suggestions, etc that you have along these lines!!

Thanks for your help in advance!! :D

Michelle

Thanks for posting all the helpful info! I was on the fence as to whether it was worth the price but after reading the comments I've decided to splurge and pay the extra to visit with the manatees. My question is on timing of the activity and amount of time it will take to get back to the ship...

I will be on RCCL Liberty of the Seas in Cozumel on Sept. 6, 2016. I looked on the Port schedule and it looks like we will be docked at the TMM Int.'l port. I'm thinking I would like to do this last since I won't want to go into town or shop after being sandy and wet. If I sign up for the 2pm time slot, will I be back to the ship with time to spare if we are scheduled to leave at 4pm? Or am I cutting it too close?

Thanks!!

Michelle

Thank you for posting the link for the Christmas market dates! Very helpful for future planning purposes!

Thanks H2Otstr, Hydrokitty, and deec for the feedback! You all voiced similar thoughts to my own and it was helpful to hear the confirmations of what you had observed about solo travelers on your past cruises.

At this point it doesn't look like Vantage offers the Christmas Market itinerary I'm looking for, but am going to keep checking their website from time to time. If anything, I think the TravelMates would just be a nice way of getting to know fellow travelers on the cruise beforehand, kind of like what CC helps facilitate already.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post!

Hi all!

It's been awhile since anyone posted on here but I thought I'd ask my question here first before creating a new thread on the the main forum.

After reading many comments about Vantage, I decided to add it to the list of companies I'm looking into and was surprised to find they have a program called TravelMates to help solo travelers possible find cruise buddies, or even roommates for the cruise. The idea is intriguing, however, I don't think I'd be brave enough to room with someone I "meet" through it but it would be nice to find other solo travelers that want to do a group cruise or something. I've searched and searched on CC but can't seem to find any previous posts/questions/reviews regarding the service. I would really like to hear from someone that has tried it out on past cruises.

Here is the excerpt from Vantage's website:

"If you love to travel but prefer not to go solo, look to TravelMates. Vantage's free service, exclusively for MyPortfolio users, is an online community where you can connect with like-minded people who share your love for discovery."

Thanks!!

Michelle