laverendrye

Hello!

 

 

 

We are considering taking our very first Viking river cruise Thanksgiving week 2019. My first question is...would we use our balcony that late in November if we were cruising Germany?

 

 

 

We recently took our very first cruise on Holland America and enjoyed our balcony very much but that was Alaska in June.

 

 

 

Many thanks.

You will not get much use, if any at all, from a balcony on a Rhine cruise, especially in late November. As others have mentioned, it will be chilly if not downright cold (with the possibility of cold rain or even snow) and there is a good possibility that your view will be impeded by a pier or another ship when moored.

There are other reasons as well. The Rhine is not particularly scenic, EXCEPT for the spectacular Rhine Gorge (roughly between Bingen and Koblenz with its dozens of castles and steep hillsides. For that part of the cruise you will definitely want to be up on the top deck where you can see the scenery on both sides of the river. (Yes, it will be cold up top but the crew will provide blankets and hot drinks—at least on my Uniworld cruise they did).

For most Rhine cruises, most travel is at night except for the Rhine Gorge, and the ship is moored during the day for excursions to towns and villages along the way. And at the end of November at that latitude, the days are short—it will generally be light between 8AM and 4:30 PM, and for most of that time you will be off on excursions.

I would save the extra money from a balcony for other most useful things.

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The Discover Card is not issued in Canada so there are very few merchants that will accept it. Most of these are in the larger cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. You can use it at ATMs for cash at the major banks but if you plan to use a credit card for purchases you should get a MasterCard or Visa, both of which are universally accepted throughout the country.

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I’ve just finished a Douro cruise with Emerald and had also travelled the Douro with Uniworld six years ago. I’ve been a fan of Uniworld for some time and have cruised often with them.

I thought that Emerald was certainly equal to Uniworld in quality in almost every respect and the equivalent Uniworld cruise this month was several thousand dollars more expensive. The only significant difference I could see is that bar drinks are included on Uniworld. However Emerald was very generous with beer and wine at lunch and dinner (and drinks were on the house in the lounge one evening).

I thought that Uniworld was superior in the quality of its excursions and two optional paid Emerald excursions were included with Uniworld (this was before the days of the all-inclusive Uniworld cruises).

The passengers were largely British, Canadian and Australia. Americans may have been from 10 to 15 % of the complement.

I was favourably impressed with Emerald and would certainly sail with them again, especially as Uniworld seems to be getting more expensive and cutting down on perks for return customers.

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I’m in the international departures at Trudeau and just had a quick bite at UBar. You will be happy to know that poutine is on the menu. It’s served with smoked meat and mushrooms so you get two hits in one. Too heavy for me though.

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In Bordeaux I can recommend the Hotel Majestic. It’s centrally located on a quiet street close to the Opera. The central pedestrian area is nearby and it is very close to two of the tram lines. The service was friendly and the rooms quite comfortable and roomy.

In Porto, I’ll be staying this Friday night at the Ribeira do Porto Hotel before joining the Emerald Radiance on Saturday. It’s just steps from the riverfront. I’ll report back on the hotel shortly.

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laverendrye,

 

I just checked out that page you gave me. THAT is the information I have been searching for. Thanks

 

But there doesn't seem to be any restaurant that serves Poutine

Don’t worry about the poutine. There are times for it, but just before a long trans-Atlantic flight is, in my opinion, not one of them. All that heavy, fatty, greasy food sitting in the stomach? No way.

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The above information is not correct. Air Canada will check your baggage through from Fort Lauderdale to Rome and you will not need to transfer it in Montréal. You will, however, go through Canadian Border Services on entry from the US before proceeding to international departures. Here is the official Air Canada information on transiting Trudeau Airport in Montréal.

https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/home/fly/at-the-airport/airport-information/montreal-airport/us-int.html

I’m surprised that the AC agent was not aware of this.

There are several restaurants and snack bars inside International Departures. Here’s a listing from the Airport Website.

https://www.admtl.com/en/shopping/restaurants/departure/restricted-area-international

If you want more than just a snack, I’d recommend the Auberge Saint-Gabriel. I haven’t tried it at the airport but I know the original in Old Montréal.

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I cruised the Douro almost 6 years ago (November 2012) and enjoyed it very much. I’m returning next week with friends who have not been on the Douro before and am certainly looking forward to my return.

Last time the ship was the Douro Spirit, chartered with crew by Uniworld from Douro Azul, as are most cruise ships on the Douro. (At the end of that season it went to Viking and Uniworld chartered the Queen Isabel which it still uses).

Emerald and its parent Scenic, on the other hand, own their own ships. We’ll be on the Emerald Radiance, launched last year, which seems similar to Emerald ships on other European rivers except smaller to fit the many locks on the Douro. When I booked last year the price was significantly lower than a similar Uniworld cruise. Emerald is almost all-inclusive with main exception being bar charges and a couple of optional excursions. I have been a great fan of Uniworld in the past (5 cruises) so I’ll be very interested to compare the two.

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I was last in Prague five years ago and very much enjoyed the church concerts. I attended several, both noon-hour and late afternoon or early evening. I found no need to buy in advance. The thing I liked about these concerts was the varied repertoire, unlike concerts in many other cities where it seems that the only works on offer are The Four Seasons, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and the like.

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In Montréal, if you are a garden lover, you simply cannot miss the Montréal Botanical Garden. It is huge and you can easily spend a day visiting its various gardens. Plan at least half a day there. It is easily reached by the Métro.

http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/gardens-and-greenhouses

In Québec you could visit the historic gardens at the park of Bois-du Coulonge. It’s in the western part of the city in the borough of Sainte-Foy.

https://www.quebecregion.com/en/businesses/attractions/historic-sites/parc-du-bois-de-coulonge/

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"Our one complaint is that we did not have an earlier transferto Basel. We would have loved to get into Basel in time to do Vikings walking tour."

 

 

 

Don't fret. Basel was the least interesting tour & town ever visited on our Viking tours. A business town, nothing at all like Lucerne.

What is interesting to one person may be dull as dishwater to another. Opinions vary.

Of course, Basel doesn’t have the spectacular scenery of mountains and lake that Lucerne does, but I have found Basel a historic and picturesque city, especially the old quarter along the Rhine. Ages ago I lived for several years a hour’s drive away and often visited, but had not been there for a long time

Recently I spent an day in Basel walking around the old quarter rediscovering the city before my Uniworld cruise. I found it fascinating and spent some time at the mediaeval Rathaus, the Minster (former cathedral) and the superb Kunstmuseum among other sights. In fact, there was so much that interested me that I didn’t get to my ship until nearly 6PM—I had to phone to let them know I was on my way.

I have travelled much in Europe over the last 55 years, and while I would not put Basel in the top rank of places to see, I would never consider it a boring business city—such as perhaps Frankfurt. I enjoyed it much more than some other stops on my cruise such as Koblenz and the ultra-kitschy Rüdesheim. But as the saying goes, “A chacun son goût”.

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I’ve taken 7 river cruises, mostly with Uniworld but also a couple with Viking and there was never a need to book excursions in advance. I don’t even think that there was an option to do so. However I’m taking one on the Douro with Emerald next month and some weeks ago had to choose whether or not to take two added cost excursions and book them before the cruise.

I’m wondering if my experience with Uniworld and Viking was the exception and that there is a need to book excursions in advance with other cruise lines such as AMA and Avalon as discussed above.

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Hey Lenny....tell us what to do at Chateau Frontenac!! Any other suggestions for Quebec will be appreciated!

What to do at the Château Frontenac?? It’s a hotel, albeit a posh historic one. I suppose you could dine in one of its restaurants or have a drink in one of its bars. I understand there are guided tours of the hotel as well. There are so many good restaurants and bars in Québec that I don’t think that the Château is an essential part of a visit.

Simply stroll around the historic old city, within the walls of the Lower and Upper Town. Take a ride in a calèche (horse-drawn carriage). Visit La Citadelle and watch the Changing of the Guard by Le Royal 22e Régiment. Take in one of the museums. There are lots of further suggestions here:

https://www.quebecregion.com/en/

Enjoy this wonderful city.

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I know the area well, having lived for several years not far from Freiburg, and have visited it, Colmar, Riquewihr and also Heidelberg many times. I recently took a Uniworld Rhine-Moselle cruise, revisiting Riquewihr and seeing Speyer for the first time.

Freiburg is a lovely city and it would not disappoint you, but it is similar to Strasbourg though on a smaller scale. I think I would opt for the Colmar-Riquewihr tour. Colmar is a very attractive small city with picturesque canals and the mediaeval masterpiece Issenheim Altarpiece. Riquewihr is a very small and important wine-making village which has become a huge tourist attraction, for the very good reason that it has retained its fortifications and 16th century buildings.

If you haven’t visited Heidelberg before, I would choose it over Speyer. The ruined castle and the picturesque old quarter along the Neckar are worth seeing. If you have, then Speyer is certainly worth a visit as an ancient imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. Even though I am not an engineer, I enjoyed visiting the Technical Museum which includes some very large aircraft up to a 747 mounted on a tower. You can climb up and even walk out on a wing.

I looked at the AMA site, but it gives no details of the two excursions but as Got2cruise mentioned, you should have ample opportunity to ask the cruise director before booking.

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If you loved your Viking cruise(s) and would happily travel with them again, the question is what are you looking for from another cruise line that might be better than Viking? And why Avalon?

The answers to these questions will help others to give you useful suggestions.

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I usually buy European rail tickets through Trainline which I find easy to use and I prefer it to the various national rail websites. As jpalbany recommends, the earlier you buy, the cheaper the fare. Often the very cheapest are snapped up as soon as they become available. Here’s the website:

 

http://www.trainline.eu

 

Gare Montparnasse is very large but in my experience not difficult to use. There’s a good guide to it on The Man in Seat 61 website, an excellent and comprehensive guide to rail travel in Europe. Here’s the page on Gare Montparnasse:

 

https://www.seat61.com/stations/paris-gare-montparnasse.htm

 

Enjoy your trip

 

 

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A further thought. The Man in Seat 61 has a very good summary of buying rail tickets in Europe and if you put in your origin, ie Paris, it will give specific suggestions for France, including a very good table on the pros and cons of various websites for purchasing.

https://www.seat61.com/Europe-train-tickets.htm#Important_tips

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I usually buy European rail tickets through Trainline which I find easy to use and I prefer it to the various national rail websites. As jpalbany recommends, the earlier you buy, the cheaper the fare. Often the very cheapest are snapped up as soon as they become available. Here’s the website:

http://www.trainline.eu

Gare Montparnasse is very large but in my experience not difficult to use. There’s a good guide to it on The Man in Seat 61 website, an excellent and comprehensive guide to rail travel in Europe. Here’s the page on Gare Montparnasse:

https://www.seat61.com/stations/paris-gare-montparnasse.htm

Enjoy your trip

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I think that I get it. You are not on the Moselle, Rhine and Main cruise, you are on a Rhine cruise. The excursion runs from Koblenz, and takes you up the Moselle for the extra long morning. It is your only chance to see the scenery of the Moselle, but not from the water. Presumably, you are bused to Cochem, do a walking tour there and see the Castle and the views, before returning to the ship for the afternoon trip through the Rhine Gorge. (At least if you are doing Amsterdam to Basel and not vice versa.) Now you have to decide if it is worth $85. I don't think you need to decide in advance; I'm sure that you can wait and talk to the cruise director for more information and assistance in making your decision.

The tour to Cochem is certainly the better one in my opinion but whether it is worth $85 is for you to decide. Unfortunately you will have to decide before the cruise. That at least is my experience with optional excursions on my upcoming Emerald cruise on the Douro.

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We have not received specific info on disembarking yet but the following is a description of the excursion which is six hours long:

 

 

 

"See the castle and old medieval town so steeped in romance that they stood at the center of the German Romantic movement. You will join your guide for a drive to Heidelberg, several miles up the Neckar River. The town sits on a narrow passage of the river at one end of the graceful Old Bridge. You will ascend to the majestic Heidelberg Castle, which has long inspired writers as varied as Johann von Goethe and Mark Twain. Originally built during the early 13th century, it was the residence of the Palatinate monarchy through the 18th century. Descend into the Altstadt, or Old Town, for a walking tour toward the turreted Heidelberg University. Founded in 1386, it is Germany’s oldest. You can see the school’s tower in which unruly boys were incarcerated for misdeeds, and the Red Ox tavern in which they boasted to their mates about their imprisonment."

 

 

 

Based on the info you all have provided we will probably go to Heidelberg since it will be a once in a lifetime experience.

 

Thanks to all!

 

 

 

 

I think you have made the right choice. I have visited Heidelberg many times over the years and it is certainly worth seeing at least once. The stretch of the Rhine you will miss on the boat has little to offer as it not very scenic at all.

Having said that, Speyer is a very interesting historic city founded by the Romans and an important Imperial City of the Holy Roman Emperor. The Technik Museum is outstanding and includes a Boeing 747 perched on a tower about 20 metres above the ground. You can climb the tower and walk through the aircraft and out on one of its wings.

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Why flying Brussels Airlines / BMI Regional - might be better flying Lufthansa - more connections and safer.

 

 

Sure - but flight after the TA from CPH to NUE for a river cruise

Lufthansa may have more connections than Brussels Airlines and BMI Regional but their safety ratings are identical and in any case Brussels Airlines is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa.

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I think you will be fine with these arrangements although I wouldn’t want much less than 2 hours to connect from an international to internal Schengen flight at Frankfurt. It’s an airport I know well. From Basel airport it’s less than 20 minutes to where most ships berth.

As an alternative you might want to check out a flight from your home airport to connect with a trans-Atlantic flight direct to Zurich to take advantage of the ship transfer.

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I definitely favour #1. The Moselle is very scenic all the way from Koblenz to Trier and the towns are very charming. The Rhine Gorge with its castles is spectacular but otherwise the Rhine is not terribly pretty at all.

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I suppose I qualify as a Uniworld veteran as I have taken five river cruises with them (Yangtze, Istanbul to Vienna, Douro, Antwerp to Amsterdam and Basel to Amsterdam.). The Yangtze cruise is not really relevant as it was only a short part of a longer Uniworld China tour and it was not a Uniworld ship.

 

Here are a few of

 

 

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It seems that I can’t edit this so here is the replacement:

I suppose I qualify as a Uniworld veteran as I have taken five river cruises with them (Yangtze, Istanbul to Vienna, Douro, Antwerp to Amsterdam and Basel to Amsterdam.). The Yangtze cruise is not really relevant as it was only a short part of a longer Uniworld China tour and it was not a Uniworld ship.

Here are a few of my observations regarding your questions.

Dress: People dress comfortably and at dinner “smart casual” would be the rule. I can’t say I have ever seen shorts at dinner and jeans haven’t been very common in my experience. I’m a bit of an outlier because I usually travel with a blazer or sports coat and often wear it at dinner because I feel comfortable in one. I’ll put on a tie on more “formal” occasions, but I’m in the minority.

Boarding times: You can usually board at any time and the ship will store your bags, but usually the cabin won’t be ready until mid-afternoon. You are welcome to eat lunch (or even breakfast if you are really early). Transfers from the airport are directly to the ship so you might arrive quite early depending on your flight arrival time. I usually arrive a day or two before the cruise.

Tours: I have found in general that the excursions are excellent and the guides very knowledgeable and engaging. The headsets make following a tour very easy. There is always a variety of included tours and “Gentle Walking” tours for those who prefer or require a more leisurely pace. The are also optional tours at extra cost, but I my experience these have often been cancelled for lack of interest. I like the “Do as the Locals Do” walking tours for great insights into cities and towns. Don’t worry about signing up for tours before the cruise. On the first night aboard the Cruise Director will present an overview of all the tours with times for signing up.

Entertainment and Lectures. These arevery low key compared to ocean cruises. There is usually a pianist/vocalist I. The lounge every evening and there will be local musicians and dancers brought aboard at stops along the way. They are usually very good indeed. There’s not much time for lectures as most days are spent ashore, but often there will be a cooking lesson or two in the afternoon.

One final observation. On most Uniworld cruises I have taken the ship travels at night and is berthed during the day, often “rafted” with other ships. A balcony is therefore usually not necessary. When the ship travels through very scenic stretches such as the Rhine Gorge, the Moselle, the Iron Gates on the Danube for example, it will be in daytime, but the best place to take In the scenery will be on the top deck. An exception is the Douro where the ships do not travel at night (also in Russia, which I did with Viking, and the Yangtze).

I’ve always enjoyed cruising with Uniworld. They are getting a bit pricey now, but still are good value for what they offer.

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I went in early November a few years ago and the weather was fine. I think October would be ideal.

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On our cruise we had one guy that wore t-shirts and shorts to every meal. No one bothered him.

Yes I'm sure that no one bothered him, but I'm equally sure that his dress likely bothered more than a few people. But maybe not, as I've never cruised on Avalon.