laverendrye

My Mekong cruise with Viking was 6 years ago, but I imagine that not much has changed. In all hotels breakfast was included. Lunch arrangements were on our own. We were in Saigon two nights and the first night was on our own, the second was an included welcome dinner at a restaurant. In Siem Reap the first night was a buffet dinner with dance performance at the hotel and the next two nights were included dinners at local restaurants. The day of departure to Hanoi was an included late lunch in lieu of dinner as we did not arrive in Hanoi until somewhat late in the evening. The farewell dinner the last night in Hanoi was included. I took the Ha Long Bay extension and all breakfasts and one lunch (aboard the cruise) were included. Dinners were on our own.

Looking at a river cruise for 2019 and the 2 for 1 deal with the cheap air through Viking is a great price. It expires at the end of January (next week) but we can't book anything this early due to my sister's 2019 schedule being a bit up in the air until later this year. I am a bit worried this deal only comes around once a year at this time and it would be too late to book a 2019 Romantic Rhine for the date we need in the category we want if we have to wait another year for the same deal.

 

 

 

I am VERY new to looking into river cruises (have only seriously considered it over the past month), so I am unfamiliar with the trends of the sales. Can anyone help shed some light on how often this deal comes around? Or, at the very least, will the price actually double once the deal is over? If so, then Viking would seem to be way more expensive than other river lines. We are also looking at AMA and Avalon, and regardless we need to book during the best deal as this vacation is nearly double the cost of any other vacation we have ever taken as it is. We're splurging due to my parents celebrating their 50 year anniversary and are very excited to do this since we have limited vacation funds (this will be my first time even flying across the ocean to finally see countries other than Canada, Mexico, Caribbean islands and I will be 47/48 years old when we take this trip).

 

 

 

Any information on how to get the best bang for your buck when planning a Rhine River cruise while still maintaining a nice experience would be greatly appreciated. I have been reading through the river cruise threads like crazy, but there are a lot fewer posts here than for ocean cruises, so I am soliciting further specific information with a new thread. Thank you so much - love the resource of Cruise Critic as it has helped immensely with our last three or four cruises.

Viking’s 2 for 1 deal is the regular price and it is always available. One drawback with Viking is that unless you can negotiate otherwise the full price is due shortly after booking no matter how far in advance you book. Most other lines require a small deposit on booking with the balance due 90 days before the cruise.

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According to her Instagram postings the cruise was part of a three week European holiday which commenced on the 13 November 2017.

 

They flew into Berlin, and stayed at Das Stue hotel.

 

Under the name of Alison M, she has left a review on tripadvisor.

 

They then drove to Prague, and stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel.

 

Train to Vienna: The Ritz-Carlton.

 

Flew to Budapest: Four Seasons Gresham Palace.

 

Flew to Munich: Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski.

 

Joined Viking Var in Nuremberg.

 

After cruise:

 

Brussels: Hotel Amigo

 

Finally, Amsterdam: Hotel Conservatorium.

 

 

 

An impressive list of hotels.

With a collection of 5-Star+ hotels like that, what on earth were they doing on Viking? Surely they were meant to travel on Crystal.

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Oops, yes I see. But if for reasons for reasons of poetic rhyme and meter you want to call Nancy your brother, you still have to call her "mon frère."

Surely you meant to write, "Au contraire, mon frère."

I took a Douro cruise with Uniworld a few years ago, and am returning next May to cruise with Emerald. It's true that Port is featured on these cruises because the Douro is its home and it is one of the great wines of the world. However, you are not the only one who doesn't care for Port and even though a different Port was served to conclude every dinner on my Uniworld cruise, it is only one of many wines produced in Portugal and you will certainly be able to enjoy them both on ship and ashore. There were often people at the table who declined the glass of port, and I and others were only too happy to enjoy their glasses.

Having said that, you will very likely be unable to find wines labelled Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, or ones that even contain wine from those grapes. Portugal grows about 250 varieties of grapes and nearly all of them are native to that country. There are a few imports grown in Portugal such as Alicante Bouschet and Aragones (i.e. Tempranillo), but most of the grapes are not found outside of Portugal.

Moreover, wines in Portugal are not generally sold under the name of the grape but rather by the area in which they originate. DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada) are from about 30 specific geographic areas and have regulations on which grapes may be used. It's the equivlent of the French Appellation Controlée. There are also regionally labelled wines (Vinho Regional) from the 14 wine regions of the country.

There are many fine dry red Portuguese wines, if that is what you prefer, and you need only ask the staff on board for their recommendations. The Douro Region makes some very good dry red wines, for example, as does the Dão. Keep an open mind and you will discover many excellent new wines. You might even get to enjoy port when tasting it in its home.

It's an alert, not a warning. See below for the difference and the text of the alert issued on 16 November:

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html

I can't say for certain, but I imagine that the ship's purser would exchange currency for the crew members.

While on the subject of tipping, I have never understood why for a day or half-day excursion the bus driver expects a tip. Perhaps for a week or two week trip with the same driver who handles the luggage, but not for a short excursion.

Interesting...what sort of tour is offered for the Lorelei Rock? We sailed past it and one of our tour guides offered commentary as we did so (and they played a Gershwin arrangement of the song as we drifted by LOL)

Not an arrangement of the classic Lorelei song at all, but a new song by George and Ira Gershwin from their 1933 musical "Pardon My English" telling the old story in their inimitable fashion. Here's a great version by Renée Fleming with the Staatskapelle Dresden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA-6CQ-Uohw

Both properties are in the middle of the action, but in different parts of the city.

 

Hotel 71 is an easy 5-minute walk to the cruise terminal, in Lower Town. The Marriott is in Upper Town, just outside the city walls but literally facing one of the main gates, so convenient for exploring. However, you would need to take a taxi to the cruise port - shouldn't be too expensive considering the short distance.

 

I'd probably save the money and stay at the Marriott.

I agree. The Marriott is right at Place d'Youville and very convenient to the Upper Town. No need to stay inside the walls, especially if the price is right.

In Halifax if you can get to Luninburg It has far more to do than Peggy's cove. It is a UN Heritage site I think it is 20 min past Peggy's cove, but well worth the extra time.

I agree. Lunenburg is well worth visiting and much more interesting than Peggy's Cove, but it seems that everyone wants to see Peggy's Cove, and judging by the fleets of tour buses there, they do.

Uniworld does use the Univox device for its guided tours, but I can't recall whether or not the earpiece is connected with a standard 3.5mm pin or if it is a custom connection. I suggest you get in touch with Uniworld and ask, and if it is a custom connection, ask if they can do a connection for your earphones.

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On many European rivers, most of the cruising is done at night, so that the passengers can spend the day touring the towns and villages along the river. Exceptions are made for particularly scenic stretches such as the Rhine gorge between Main and Koblenz, the Wachau Valley on the Danube in Austria and the Iron Gates on the Danube between Romania and Serbia. The Moselle Valley between Koblenz and Trier is spectacularly scenic and most river cruises cover all of that stretch during the day. In my opinion, the Douro equals the Moselle in beauty and cruise ships on that river may only travel by day, so there is lots of opportunity to sit and admire the scenery as the ship travels up and down the river.

Outside Europe, I have taken river cruises on the Mekong and Yangtze. The attractions of a Mekong cruise are largely on shore, but the Three Gorges cruise on the Yangtze is indeed spectacular and much of the cruise is done in the daytime. But China is a long way to travel and most Yangtze cruises are only 3 or 4 days as part of a longer land itinerary.

My recommendation for your father would be either a combined Rhine/Moselle cruise or the Douro. I have done each with Uniworld and I thoroughly recommend that line.

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Fran, I have run into a few ATMs now which do the exact same thing that you describe for credit cards. The practice seems to be expanding.

 

The ATM will offer you the option to be charged in dollars, and will quote you an amount in dollars which equates to a poor exchange rate. Decline it, and process the charge in local currency, as you do for a credit card.

 

The first time it happened to me in Budapest I was half asleep and didn't notice because I was not expecting it. So I got a bit hosed on the exchange rate. In Prague it happened too, but I was looking out for it and didn't get suckered twice.

 

I have never seen this happen at an ATM in France, Germany, Italy, or other places we've been in the past few years. It may still be relatively rare, or maybe it's more prevalent in Eastern Europe.

I have also noticed this in Hungary and the Czech Republic. To add insult to injury, they offered the choice of local currency (forints or korunas) or to charge me in US dollars even though my debit card is from a Canadian bank. This means that had I chosen dollars, I would have got a bad exchange rate on local to USD and then another charge by my own bank for USD to CAD. You really do have to be careful.

OK, I went to the Air Canada website, and they want $15 or $30 to pick a seat. You've got to be kidding me! Called my TA and she confirmed this. I can wait until the 24 hr check in and take what's left for free.

 

If I do that, does it make me more likely to be bumped in the event of an overbooked situation? I'm just appalled by this whole deal. I thought I was purchasing a seat, not the opportunity to bid on a seat for an extra fee.

 

Roz

 

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Air Canada charges for seat selection prior to check-in only for its least expensive fare class, which is obviously what Uniworld has chosen for you. (AC has five different economy fare classes. In addition, Uniworld is probably using "net" or wholesale fares to keep their costs down). However, as Mark T noted, I wouldn't be concerned about being bumped.

Most cruise lines provide transfers to the airport and schedule your departure from the ship in good time for your flight. Do you want to make your own arrangements?

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Canada's Ministry of Transport has imposed a temporary maximum speed of 10 kts on ships over 20m in the western Gulf of St. Lawrence because of the extraordinarily high number of dead right whales which have appeared this summer, many of them showing trauma from a blow. This will affect commercial shipping, including cruise ships, many of which travel at 17 to 20 Kts, and could affect cruise line schedules. The limit will likely be lifted after the right whales migrate south in September and October.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/whale-deaths-gulf-temporary-measures-fisheries-transport-1.4242512

Saint John is on the Bay of Fundy. You will be sailing on it to get there and you will have great views of it from your ship. What more precisely does she want to see?

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Uniworld used to offer upgrades to members of its River Heritage Club (repeat travellers), and I received one on all of my trips after the first one (including two in 2016). However it appears that this perk has now been dropped, likely because of the increasing popularity of river cruising.

I took a Mekong cruise (Viking) in late March and early April and it was quite hot and humid, particularly as we got into April. This was in fact the last cruise of the season as the summer heat really begins in April. I had had a few days in Bangkok before starting the cruise so I was reasonably acclimatized by the time we started and didn't find it unbearable. The cabins and dining room on the boat were air conditioned, but most people spent much of their leisure time aboard on the top deck under a canopy where it was quite pleasant. The complimentary 222 beer (ba-ba-ba in Vietnamese) helped quite a bit! There was no pool as this was in the days before the really fancy riverboats appeared.

I brought and recommend good walking shoes, and certainly not flip-flops. While there were a number of tours on various types of pedi-cabs and even ox-carts, there was still a lot of walking, often on muddy streets and paths, as well in urban streets (HCMC/Saigon, Phnom-Penh, and Hanoi). As on most ships, we left shoes for the crew on returning to the ship for leaning, so you could certainly use sandals when aboard. As well, you must remove shoes on entering temples, and we seemed to visit quite a few.

If you have not yet booked your cruise, I would recommend starting in HCMC and ending in Hanoi, as the weather in the north was distinctly cooler than in the south and Cambodia and was quite pleasant. The southern weather just kept getting hotter and hotter. I can't recall the exact temperatures but they were certainly in the 40 to 45C range.

"We try not to talk when on public transportation or on street- instant giveaway that you are American tourists! Shhhh."

That seems a bit extreme. Pickpockets can recognize a tourist (i.e. a mark), American or other, whether they are talking or not.

acwmom and jpalbany - thanks for the info.

 

The "problem;)" becomes so many wonderful choices. The vinegar excursion looks like so much fun and unusual. Heidelberg of course would be wonderful - and has anybody been to the Technic museum in Speyer?

 

I look forward to planning this cruise for next year.

I have taken 5 river cruises with Uniworld and can never recall that tours could be booked in advance. There was never a problem signing up while on board, except that on a few occasions there were not enough takers for a particular tour and it was cancelled.

In Speyer, many chose the vinegar tasting tour (included) to a village outside of Speyer and seemed to enjoy it. I took the walking tour of Speyer and found it very interesting indeed. We walked directly from the ship through a park into town. As it was a Saturday morning in September, the entire main street (Maximilianstrasse) from the Cathedral to the town gate was occupied by a fall fair with all sorts of food and other merchants. I stayed on after the tour to explore. I skipped the optional (i.e. with a charge of €60, I think) to Heidelberg as I had been there quite a few times over the years, and spent the afternoon at the Technical Museum. This is a huge and fascinating museum, with exhibits both indoors and out of vintage cars and other vehicles, locomotives, aircraft, some small ships (including a submarine) and many other items including a collection of working mechanical organs. The highlight is a Boeing 747 which towers over the museum. You can climb up the tower and enter the aircraft and even walk out on the wing. As I recall, the museum was about a 20 minute walk from where the ship was berthed. This was my first visit to Speyer and I really enjoyed the entire day.

Nearly all Douro River cruises begin and end in Porto and stop at different ports going upstream and downstream. However many companies begin their cruise-tours with a few days in Lisbon before embarking in Porto. I think that with some companies including Emerald you can opt for the cruise only portion.

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So does the potential danger of a terrorist using a lap top computer as a bomb outweigh the potential danger of having perhaps several hundred laptops with lithium batteries stowed in the cargo hold?

http://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/problem-with-stowing-lithium-ion-batteries-on-planes/?loginMethod=auto

"Must apologize, I called York Minster a cathedral yesterday. Had forgotten."

No need to apologize. York Minister is in fact a cathedral, officially "The Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of St. Peter in York" and is the seat of the Archbishop of York. It's a bit confusing as not all minsters are cathedrals and most cathedrals are not minsters, but York Minster is certainly the common name of that cathedral.