twototravel

@bob brown We were booked on the Pearl Mist to cruise the St Lawrence River but it got cancelled due to Canada being closed for Covid. They transferred our money to ACL and we cruised with them instead. The ship has recently been renovated which is good because the reviews about the interior were not so good. Their Canada itinerary still appeals to us but the trip is very pricey.

Does anyone know why Gate 1 will not be using the Monarch Empress river cruise ship in 2024? Based on their posted cruises for 2024, the last date for this ship is a cruise departing 16 Dec 2023 out of Frankfurt with no departures in 2024. This has been their premier ship for several years. All I could find were sailings for the Baroness and the Queen. I'm not looking to book, but curious. We are on the Empress for B2B cruises ending on the 16th.

Check out Gate 1 river cruises. They do several Christmas market cruises on different rivers, but they all occur in late Nov/early Dec.

@caradara Any of the optional excursions you would recommend? We have been to Budapest before, so we were thinking of doing the thermal spas. Is there time to do the included tour plus an optional, or do you have to choose one or the other?

We just booked this river cruise with Viking for 2025. Looking at reviews it appears the Rinda is one of their older ships. Anyone have recent experience with this ship or route? The cruise route looks great, hitting Romania and Bucharest which was of special interest to us.

@JordanF Laura (if the same person) was our activities director on the Empress several weeks ago. She said she was moving to another ship; maybe yours?

@JoyMBee Check out Gate 1 cruises. They too add additional days at the beginning and end of cruises. We have b2b river cruises booked for Dec. Only fear is that the rivers may be too high. We just got back from a Rhine cruise it was close, but had no issues. All depends on weather. Viking, one of the costlier ships, has many ships in Europe and if there was ever an issue with the river, they can easily move you to a different ship on the other side of the impassable bridge.

@Thompsam

All, we are in Lake Como now. Our guide said reason for change was due to hotel availability only. There is construction but it doesn’t affect tours.

@notamermaid We have B2B Xmas cruises booked for December - Vienna to Regensburg then Regensburg to Frankfurt on the Danube and then Main rivers. Any thoughts on possible river issues that time of year?

@saku We embark on the Empress on 14 May from Basel heading to Amsterdam, where it appears you will then get on the ship.

During our time on the Odyssey back in Feb 2023 we had an extra day at sea and a snorkeling excursion cancelled due to rough seas. The crew felt it was too dangerous for the passengers to try to get on and off the zodiacs.

@Dennis_USA Check out Gate One's Rhine river cruises. I think you will find most river cruises do the same 7 day cruise Basel - Amsterdam with very similar excursions. Whether they include city stayovers before or after and the amenities on the boat will differ slightly.

@notamermaid In addition to shipping, wouldn't this affect river cruise ships too? The Basel - Amsterdam route is very popular. Do you think the protests will last more than a day or two?

@jeandugan The August 2017 date is the date you joined cruise critic.

That’s probably why our hotel was changed. We were originally booked at the Hotel Metropole Suisse and now our reservation shows the Barchetta Excelsior. Although basically located around the same spot on the lake, the new hotel is a couple blocks back.

@sfm629 I'm surprised you don't have a cabin number. When Vantage rescheduled you to this cruise they didn't assign you a cabin? Have you checked your online account? Since you are 19 days out, you should definitely already have your air booked. I would call them for sure, and just wait it out until someone answers. Their website does have an online chat function but I have had poor experiences with the agents that respond...they don't seem to know any current info.

We've done two ACL cruises in the US, both while covid was still around. We thought the ships were fine, although their decor seemed a bit dated. However, they are currently (and have already) introduced brand new ships that I hear are fantastic. You will find the cabins and balconies bigger on these ships and the crew are all American, which could be good or bad. On our two cruises, both were short staffed and their were supply issues. It's very easy for unhappy crew to just walk off the ship since they are in the US. Passengers are older, I would say generally over 65 and most over 75. Their prices are high, but you are paying for USA cruising, USA crew, and bigger cabins.

@Thompsam I think we may be on the same trip - 16 Day Rhine River Cruise with Italian Lakes. Swiss Alps, Brugge and Paris. We leave 9 May. Our departure date is still going to Lake Como. We were originally switched from Como to Lake Maggiore, but then switched back to Como, albeit a different hotel. I heard from a Gate 1 rep that there were issues getting boats on Como due to construction. I think our departure is the only one still going to Como. On the plus side, I've heard wonderful things about Maggiore and Baveno so I think you will still have a wonderful trip. Besides, this is only a couple days out of the entire itinerary.

Anyone currently cruising the Rhine? We will be on Gate One's Monarch Empress next month sailing from Basel to Amsterdam. Hoping since it is early in the season that there won't be any river issues.

No self service laundry. If you are a Presidents club member you get $20 free laundry. Some guests have unlimited free laundry with their cabin. Our cruise has 102 passengers. Does not feel crowded. Restaurant staff continues to shine. Food has been the highlight of the trip. We had another day of activities cancelled due to high swells- crew felt using zodiacs was too dangerous. We are hearing this route, this time of year will not be offered again due to all the sea issues. Needless to say a lot of passengers are unhappy and have been very vocal. Next cruise for this ship should be better- no tendering; all docking at ports. games and quizzes are usually offered at least once a day. Very lame prizes…such as Vantage deck of cards, Vantage pens. They do give out free drink coupons at times. Before the port talk and dinner, crew walk around in the lounge with free Hors d’Oeuvres. Very tasty. Tonight is our farewell dinner.

No self service laundry. If you are a Presidents club member you get $20 free laundry. Some guests have unlimited free laundry with their cabin. Our cruise has 102 passengers. Does not feel crowded. Restaurant staff continues to shine. Food has been the highlight of the trip. We had another day of activities cancelled due to high swells- crew felt using zodiacs was too dangerous. We are hearing this route, this time of year will not be offered again due to all the sea issues. Needless to say a lot of passengers are unhappy and have been very vocal. Next cruise for this ship should be better- no tendering; all docking at ports. games and quizzes are usually offered at least once a day. Very lame prizes…such as Vantage deck of cards, Vantage pens. They do give out free drink coupons at times. Before the port talk and dinner, crew walk around in the lounge with free Hors d’Oeuvres. Very tasty. Tonight is our farewell dinner. We will have lobster!

@souschef Each cabin has its own thermostat. Works great. More changes to itinerary. For example, we were supposed to go on a horse cart tour today, not happening. Didn’t get the pedicab ride either that was programmed for yesterday. Felt sorry for all of them waiting for us at the dock. The crew says changes are made due to sea conditions so they are condensing our time at ports. P.S. This is my first voyage on Odyssey.

I created a Live from Vantage Ocean Odyssey post a few days ago under other Cruise Lines. When I go to the forum listing I don’t see it. I was only able to find it again by using the back function. Can you tell me if it actually posted?

@deec @Willin @souschef On the ship now.