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On our August SeaDream visit to Mykonos we were very lucky the only other ship in port that day was the Wind Surf!

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Was this in effect in May?  If so, we (and most people) did not tip guides and drivers!!!  I did not see this in any info we received.

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"Remember that you’ll likely be used to the weather more so than a person who lives in Florida for instance." Deb922

This is what we thought years ago (we live in NH).  We had looked at the temperatures on the Rhine and they were comparable to our temps, but is a damp cold that feels colder!!!  All the suggestions are great, I use cashmere lined leather gloves and smart wool socks.  Dress in layers.  One Christmas Market cruise I did not need a heavy coat!

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Just off the River Queen in May, Miele washer and dryer. 9 cruises with Uniworld all have had a laundry.  I do not know about the ships they run under U.

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Uniworld has excellent self service laundry with excellent instructions!

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The trains are great!!!  When we have luggage we get a first class ticket (easier to watch your luggage for safety reasons).

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On our recent cruise Uniworld gave us a black and white map of the Rhine, with the castles marked on our recent cruise. I might be able to find it and scan it.

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Another problem might be the rafting of ships. On our recent cruise in early May (not peak season) there was a lot of walking up to the sun deck over to the next ship and then down.

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It is supposed to be San Basilio Cruise Terminal.

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If Piet is your cruise director you will have a great time. We were on the RQ in May.

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Zucchini noodles tossed in vinegar from Doktorenhof in Germany and grilled chicken for dinner tonight!

"This will be my first time on Tauck so I'm anxious to see how it compares".

Roz,

After 9 Uniworld cruises I look forward to hearing about Tauck.

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Our travel agent recommended Uniworld for our first Christmas Market (we are foodies) they were great!  Still cruising with Uniworld just completed a Castles on the Rhine.

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I may be the odd on here, I have been on Christmas Market trips on the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers.  Each have a different feel but I agree with notamermaid the Main was my favorite, more charming stops. I love Rothenburg ob her Tauber it is magical at Christmastime we included a 2 night stay on or way to Nuremberg for our second Christmas Market trip ending in Vienna.

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I saw Keukenhof in 2011 mid April, the suggested date by a Dutch colleague of my husband. I went again this year before a Castles Along the Rhine cruise.  I was on my on and saw the gardens on May 6th, I thought the tulips were better in early May, no hyacinths or a few other flowers but some of the shrubs were blooming!  The gardens at Keukenhof are planted to remain beautiful the entire time they are open (closed May 15).  Very weather dependent!  Before mid April most of what you will see blooming is hyacinths, daffodils and early tulips.

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We were able to check our ships (Uniworld) docking info before we left our hotel in Leiden.

It is very easy to exit the back of Central Station and drag your luggage to the ship (as long as the ship is docked there).  I do not think we had to cross a street, sidewalks all the way and very few "Homicidal cyclists".

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Keukenhof yesterday before our Rhine River cruise.  It was spectacular again maybe better than when I saw it mid April on a Tulips and Windmill cruise!

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6 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Beautiful but oh the dead heading - or don’t they bother.

They do deadhead I was there in mid April 2011 and it was the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen!  All I could think about was all the work!!!  I will see it again in early May this year.

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I could not do this, I am more into cookies.  My Christmas decoration for DHMC Children's Hospital, I am behind I should make one next year!

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We will be on Uniworld's River Queen doing the Castles on the Rhine.  We sailed on this ship years ago before an update.

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1 hour ago, MsCrystalina said:

I am going on my third Uniworld cruise next month.  I find their decor much to my taste.  From the pics of Viking and some others- they look like a dormitory room or a Holiday Inn of years past.

The service has been excellent, food and front desk exceptional.  On ocean cruises Crystal was my favorite and I find the food and atmosphere on Uniworld comparable to Crystal. 

I’m going on my 9th Uniworld cruise in a few weeks and I agree with MsCrystalina! I enjoy the decor while in Europe but not what I have in my home.

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On 4/11/2022 at 9:13 AM, Coral said:

I ended up cancelling my Med cruise due to medical reasons 😞 . Disappointed as I had a great itinerary, great price and great upgrade.....

Coral,

I hope you are cruising again soon!

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7 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Where are you staying in Leiden, Second seating? We are thinking of a Dutch holiday there.

Golden Tulip Inn close to Central Station when we arrive and depart to Amsterdam to catch the ship.  Everything appears to be walkable.  Not a fancy hotel but good for what we need. I will make my second trip to Keukenhof Gardens and a first trip to a bulb farm (my husband goes to museums)!!!  Also from Leiden it is a quick trip to one of my favorite museums in Den Haag.

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12 hours ago, Gopherpharm said:

For anyone arriving in AMS in the near future, everything was very simple for us in terms of covid restrictions. We uploaded our vaccine cards and health declaration forms to the United app and after that, only our passports were checked at both ORD and AMS. No one has asked to see any other documents at all. 

Thank you for the info!  We arrive in early May flying into Schiphol but staying in Leiden before the cruise starts (we have been to Amsterdam many times)!  Have a great trip!!!

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