Banya

On 11/24/2018 at 6:47 PM, tiller said:

I'll be on the American Duchess in April and have questions about the hop-on/hop-off. How frequently do the buses run? Are they every hour or half hour, for example? Are there are other stops you can visit besides the ones listed under "Included Excursions" on the website? Also, do they run the entire time we're in port?

So I just got back - the buses run every fifteen minutes. (Give or take.)  If you're fit enough, most of the locations are within walking distance of each other (with some exceptions).  They also have a map of where everything is so I made a plan the day before each stop.  For a few of them, I took the bus to the furthest spot and then walked back, checking things off on our way back to the trip.

5pm the day before, you'll go to the Purser's desk.  There is a kiosk there where you click what time you want to leave, plus the number of tickets.  Print those out and you're golden.  They let you know when the last bus runs each day and what time you absolutely need to be back on board.

There are paid excursions as well. I think you can find a list of those either through their website or through your travel agent.

10 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

I have had a couple of massages on the AQ and they were fine.  We had a bunch of OBC so I don't remember the cost, but spa services on ships/boats tend to be very pricey.  Maybe call the company to get prices.

I did!  believe it or not, they told me they'd have to contact the ship...

I'd like to surprise my mom with something in her cabin when she arrives. (It's her birthday)  My agency (vacations to go) sent me a list of things but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this? 

Flowers are either $75 or $100 - but there are no pictures showing you the flowers.  I don't really need to know what kinds (I'm sure they're seasonal) - but I want to know how much I'm getting for that amount of money.

Also, I could get a spa gift certificate.  They sent me a list of spa services on the cruise but again, there are no prices.  Has anyone done them?  Are they worth it?

10 hours ago, Ropa2 said:

are you going on the American Empress on 11/20 cruise?

No, the American Queen on 11/18.

Sounds great, LD!  We're getting excited.

Thanks so much!  I'll be sure to come back if I have any more questions!

Thanks for your answers, LDVinNC!  

One more: How does the hop on/hop off excursions work?  Do you get a map at the beginning of each port?  Do you have some sort of ID to get into the designated places for free?

Hi!

I'll be going for the first time - on the American Queen - this November, for my mom's 70th birthday. 

I was curious about the dress code for dinner?  Are Jeans and a Polo ok?

Also, I noticed there was a "cinema" on board...which after looking at a picture just looked like a room with a big tv...    Do they just show old dvds or what?  Are there a DVD players in the rooms?

Also...will there be anyone else there that aren't senior citizens? :)

One more: Alcohol - is it open bar or is that just during dinner?