Second seating

We are about to book the Uniworld France Cruise from Arles to Lyon April 2024, this itinerary looks very interesting.  This is combined with a Cooking vacation for me.  No river cruise this year a Windstar starting in Bordeaux and December trip to the Netherlands and Belgium!

Second seating

bubblz,

Have a wonderful time, my friend and I did this cruise mid April 2012. I love the Netherlands and Belgium and have been there many times.  My husband has colleagues there and taught a short course at Tilburg University for a 5 year period.  The weather can be wet and nippy!

Second seating

Sorry you missed Keukenhof, it is beautiful!!!

Second seating

8 hours ago, Badger Dad said:

Just back from a month’s cruise down under and wasn’t logging into Cruise Critic.  Look for the Star Legend May 4 Barcelona-Bordeaux-Amsterdam thread.  A number of us are doing the B2B cruise option.  In any case, you may have seen that Windstar is now offering an excursion to Mont St. Michel.

Thank you, we were checking the excursions and have already signed up!  It is an early start but hopefully we will beat the crowds.

Second seating

Long time Uniworld customer and for ocean sailing we are very happy with the Windstar product.  We tried SeaDream last year but in my opinion food is better on Windstar!

Second seating

Thank you everyone!!!  " No English and we have no French but I had written out the hotel name and address and gave it to him" caradara we have done this for years, the BEST suggestion!!!

Second seating

Fellow travelers,

Arriving in the Bordeaux airport in May, should we get a taxi or arrange a car service?

Thank you,

Second seating

(not a River cruise Windstar)

We had a Tahiti sailing on the Wind Surf (I think), it was a sailing ship and a very rough crossing to the Tuamotus Islands. Rough seas on a Baltic cruise on the Star Breeze before the lengthening,  A basic cruise in Tahiti should be fine.

Second seating

We started river cruising when I was 54 on Uniworld, and we were not the youngest but close.  The older cruisers are mostly well traveled and very interesting.  River cruising is very different than ocean cruising, very port intensive. Many river cruises later they are move active now!

Second seating

Very easy to get from Munich to Nuremberg by train!

Second seating

Windstar has changed port times in St. Malo, so there will be no ship tours to Mont St. Michel.  This was one of the reasons we booked this trip!  Can anyone recommend a private company to do a 5 - 6 hour trip?  I really do not care about the inside of the church but really want to see the architecture.

Thank you,

Second seating

I am sorry you did not get to see Dresden at night!!!

Second seating

Yes we have not been to Lübeck or Bremen, but I would love Lübeck!  Marzipan is one of my favorite things including this cookie I created from an accidentally putting marzipan in the mixing bowl instead of almond paste. Now known as the Coconut Accident!

Second seating

Second seating

I loved the You Tube on Christmas markets, we have been to five of the markets!

Second seating

pappa B me,

Enjoy your cruise, it has great stops I have been to in the past, just not in Dec.  We were in the Netherlands in Dec. one year pre cruise (work for spouse at Tilburg University) planning to travel to Maastricht but it snowed!  The trains in the Netherlands have issues when it snows a few inches!!!  I have been to Maastricht years ago in the summer, fantastic!

Second seating

Roz,

What was the Christmas Market in Bruges like?  We are planning a DIY trip in December to some of our favorite spots in the Netherlands and Belgium. I have been to every place during the spring, summer or fall except Ghent.

Thanks,

Second seating

Windstar Bordeaux to Amsterdam, a few places we have seen before and some great new places!!!  We were scheduled to do this is in 2022 and Windstar cancelled it.

Second seating

4 hours ago, Roz said:

I'm concerned about walking long distances in waterproof footwear.  Does that type of boot or shoe offer enough foot support, and will I get blisters?  What kind of stores sell waterproof footwear?

Roz,

I have picky feet with a high arch and need support, I have used Dansko waterproof lace up ankle boots on many Christmas Market cruises and trips.  I think Keen are cheaper but do not fit my feet.

This recipe called for a small amount of instant coffee and was so good!

For Canal archive and any other Englanders! I made gluten free Sticky Toffee Pudding from a GBBO winner's book.  It was fantastic, I have made caramel sauce before but it had been a while!

Hot Chocolate is excellent as is the Kinderpunsch (non alcoholic Gluhwein).

Second seating

We flew BA Business Class this summer Boston to Venice -Athens to Boston with no problems other than long layovers in Heathrow (nice clubs)!

Second seating 

This is one of my favorite places that ships to the US:

http://erzgebirgepalace.com

Leipzig has excellent Christmas Market and we loved our trip to Seiffen to see nutcrackers being made!

Second seating

3 hours ago, loriva said:

DH and I have been to the Christmas market in Munich on land trips before, but it will be our first time doing a Christmas market cruise.  We'll be on the Viking Astrild starting on 16 December with two days on our own in Hamburg before and then three in Berlin.  We're excited to visit the city where The Beatles honed their performance skills and it will be the first time visiting Berlin since reunification for me and first time ever for DH.

 

There is not much out there on the Christmas markets on the Elbe sailings, so would love to hear any tips from @frenchhorn(an instrument both DH and I played in school orchestras!)

 

And, as always, thanks to @notamermaidfor starting this thread and all the great information!

The Dresden Christmas Market is one of my favorites!  This was a land trip for us not a river cruise. The markets in Berlin are wonderful, Have a great time!

Second seating

Last week here now it is raining leaves!