Research like crazy

Another vote for a credit card which doesn't charge conversion fee. Just got my last statement, some of my charges converted to under $5.00. AAA visa, which is free, Chase United, Costco visa and brokerage account cards come to mind.

Strange. I looked online for info on my AAA visa and it either didn't mention no transaction fee or stated it did. My Costco visa did mention foreign transaction fees, but it has great trip interruption/cancellation benefits. My travel agent told me about the Amazon Visa having no foreign transaction fees, so I got that one and the bonus they were offering which paid for some travel accessories.

We took this extension following our AMA Rhine cruise, and despite lots of people saying that ship extensions are overly costly we felt it was money well spent.

I was just going to ask this question. I was just contacted by the TA who had made a mistake in telling me where we were starting from so the extension would be at the beginning. I wonder if we really need 4 days beforehand or if we should just come in 2 or even 3 days earlier? I do like the idea of being part of the group, but for 4 people this is a big chunk of change on top of the already big chunk of change.

Any opinions on the land tour below? I'm looking at day 9 Lucerne and cobblestone streets and I start to have doubts about my mom handling uneven surfaces. We have got in the habit of her always holding on to my arm when we are walking together. She still gets out on her own with or without her walker with a seat. $1680 extra for each person.

DAY 8

BASEL, SWITZERLAND – DISEMBARKATION – LUCERNE

Disembark after breakfast for a city tour of cosmopolitan Basel. A longtime center for banking, commerce and trade, Basel’s glorious past is still evident in its medieval Town Hall and exquisite old homes. After free time for lunch on your own, depart for postcard-perfect lakeside city of Lucerne. You will visit the Lion Monument en route, a dramatic sculpture that honors the Swiss Guards who once protected the French kings. Arrive in Lucerne mid-afternoon and check into your hotel. (B)

DAY 9

LUCERNE

After breakfast, enjoy a walking tour of this medieval gem. You will see some of the city’s lovely cobblestone streets, monuments, fountains, public squares, covered bridges and colorful frescoed buildings. The afternoon offers free time to shop for Swiss-made watches, knives and delicious chocolates. (B)

DAY 10

LUCERNE – ZURICH

This morning, take a leisurely cruise across the tranquil waters of Lake Lucerne to Vitznau, here you will board a motor coach for a scenic drive through the countryside, passing Alpine Lakes and small villages. You will stop in one, Brunnen, where you will have a chance to explore and try local cuisine. Later arrive in Zurich, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day at your leisure. (B)

DAY 11

ZURICH

Your morning city tour of Switzerland’s largest city, Zurich, includes Grossmünster Abbey (which offers exceptional views of Zurich), St. Peter (which boasts the world’s largest church clock face), Old Town, Town Hall and Fraumünster Abbey, home to five world-famous Chagall windows. The afternoon and evening are free for you to explore the town on your own. (B)

DAY 12

DEPART ZURICH

After breakfast, bid farewell to Switzerland and prepare for your return flight home. (B)

Thank you all again for this wealth of information. I started a search for a travel agent Wednesday; found a name mentioned on an older post on trip advisor and she was the third person I called and left a voice mail for and she called within a few hours after 7 pm. She recently completed a AMA cruise. We talked after I got home from work yesterday and had two conversations way after the usual 5 pm quitting time which you just can't get with AAA. This is a bit of weight off of my shoulders. Right now I have two rooms on hold for a Rhine cruise. I will talk with her later today about insurance and air. I will see what I come up with also. Still need to decide if we will add some land days.

My mom said she was getting excited after I told her I had two cabins on hold. I reserved the cheapest they had for my dh and I which is on the piano deck. I hope there isn't engine noise down there; I read somewhere about someone having a horrible time sleeping, but I don't think it was AMA.

Thank you recent posters. I will consider all of these recommendations.

Wow, I am most thankful for all of the quick responses. I am not going to worry about getting back to the AAA rep. to make this decision before 2 pm. I want to research some stop overs on the East Coast as suggested and perhaps doing the Rhine instead. I am also thinking about looking for a real travel agent as I was not happy this rep. did not ask about availability on all of the Danube cruises even though I told him my only issue was my vacation time.

Can anyone else chime in on the Rhine and how enjoyable that would be from the room if my mom is not up to walking?

And to answer someone's question; I have a passport burning a hole in my pocket that I really want to use. My husband and I endured hours at the post office with screaming, unattended kids and then I had to arrange for the other two people in my party to get theirs at local libraries. It is also very rare for me to have 3 weeks off in a row. It may never happen again until I retire.

I just returned from an AMA Danube cruise. My suggestions would be: book at least economy comfort for the longest portion of the flight and request assistance for changing planes. One of the ladies in our group had a recent hip replacement and the airlines were most accommodating. She says she will always request assistance when she has to change planes. AMA is most accommodating also. We had a lady in a wheelchair on our trip and AMA took wonderful care of her. They also have the gentle tours walking tours which we also used. These tours provided more transportation than the other tours. We flew San Antonio to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Amsterdam, and Amsterdam to Budapest. Good connections without long layovers but plenty of time to change planes. Hope some of this info is helpful to you......

Yes, helpful. Thank you. Until my mom's sister died last year I took her every year to Alabama and we always utilize the wheelchair assistance.

Is there a particular reason your mom does t want an ocean cruise? They can be way more relaxing than a river cruise. A nice cruise to Alaska is ran easy and short flight from Los Angeles area and most Alaska cruises go through the inside passage which translates to very calm waters. Plus, the scenery is amazing.

 

 

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My mom has her ideas and at 81 she doesn't have to explain to anyone, lol. I'm sure Norovirus is one reason. She is a retired RN. Her sister has done many cruises and has tried to get her to come along with no avail. My husband also expressed disinterest in ocean cruises in the past as he has had some real fun times on the oceans in the fishing business.

A few questions. What originating and terminating cities on the cruise? Are you originating in LAX? Why the Danube? I have cruised the Danube in 4 separate years, but the Rhine is closer and arguably more scenic. What month are you planning? I find it more pleasant walking in cooler months, and it is generally less expensive.

 

I assume that your mother is relatively mobile. River cruises are NOT easy for people with mobility issues. I love river cruises but they are not cheap and they are not for everyone. Good luck with your planning.

 

Thom

It's all started with the article I read about the Danube cruise. The thing that clinched it for me was the ability for her to experience it from her room if she wasn't up to an excursion. I don't have anything against the Rhine. My husband actually wanted to explore that area as he didn't get the chance to when he visited Europe some 20 years ago.

Would you say the experience on the Rhine could be enjoyed from the right room also?

Also, we are originating from Los Angeles. For the 3 cruises presented to me we are looking at Prague or Budapest. And my vacation time is coming up quick at the end of July and first 16 days of August. Yes, we are doing this at the last minute, but it wasn't real to me until we had all secured our passports.

..... Hopefully, you are working with a river cruise specialist.

Thank you so much for your recommendations which I am printing out. I am not working with a river cruise specialist; I walked into my local Automobile Club agency and have talked to one man in the travel department.

I'm sure there are recommendations for cruise specialists in the stickies somewhere. I have already jotted down travel insurance info from here and an airline search engine which is so awesome!

Yeah, I did not like how he only got prices for one cruise and the other I had mentioned was sold out. He had to call back because I pointed out to him there were half a dozen cruises on the Danube. I am getting more annoyed thinking about it.

I would seriously consider an alternative to doing a river cruise. We are taking our fifth river cruise this August and I have my doubts. We are both in early 70's healthy and active but the traveling is exhausting. The airports alone are such a hassle.. We purchased an excellent travel insurance and we have been on trips where people had major medical issues... Being a daughter worrying the entire time about your mom would be a difficult for me.. Just my two cents!

Thank you. That is just one of the reasons the river cruise sounded like a great alternative as the review I read made it sound like a person could easily enjoy the scenery, sounds and smells just by opening their sliding door. I anticipate my mother doing some excursions, but I can also imagine there could be days she might not be up to it.

Should we assume that you are starting in LA?

 

Just a guess based on the LA Times mention...

Yes, LAX or an airport around Orange or Los Angeles County.

I am supposed to make a decision tomorrow between 3 Danube cruises with Ama Waterways. I came home from the AAA office and started looking at possible airfares to see if that would impact my decision on the cruise and now reality is setting in and I'm wondering if it would be just too much/risky to have my 81 yr old mom on an 11 hour flight.

This idea of a river cruise all started after my mom was told she probably had a cancerous spot on her spine in addition to her managed leukemia. I told her we needed to check some things off her bucket list, but my husband cast some doubt on her ability to handle a land vacation with lots of walking. I read an article in the LA times about a Danube river cruise and had my mom who is adamant about avoiding ocean cruises read it and much to my surprise she thought it sounded like fun. (She later told me that the spot is not as suspicious for cancer.)

Ok, now I have nervously told my story and need to make some decisions tomorrow on this expensive venture I suggested to my mom. This will be the first time for my daughter and I to be out of the U.S. and I admit I am nervous, especially when I see one flight stopping in Moscow and wondering what else will be going on in the world. There are so many places I would like to see and I am wondering if there is a stop along the way to either Budapest or Prague that others have made and suggest to make that long flight more manageable?

Thanks in advance.