laverendrye

A superficial article at best. Strictly speaking only two of the cities are actually on the Danube, but I can understand that Prague is a popular terminus, and Bucharest to a lesser extent, for Danube cruises. What I can't understand is why the entry for Munich should be illustrated by a photo of Neuschwanstein Castle, which is nowhere near either Munich or the Danube. Are the Frauenkirche or Rathaus, for example, not picturesque enough?

I don't know what Viking charges in Amsterdam for transfers but I expect it is around $60 per person, a ridiculous cost. I did cruise with Viking from St. Petersburg to Moscow and my TA managed to negotiate free transfers so you might try that. Normally transfers are free with Viking only if you book your air through them, unlike other lines such as Uniworld.

The train is a very inexpensive way to travel from Central Station to Schiphol and they are very frequent. If you want to take a taxi, expect to spend about €50.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and experiences!! Definately a challenge for me; took a closer look at the day by day. We will be in Amsterdam for about 4 days prior, and then plan on staying in Zurich for another 4 (all on our own). IF I'm comparing them correctly; a main difference I can see is Ama docks overnight in AMS with Day 2 still there and then splitting Day 3 between Cologne and Koblenz. Uniworld departs AMS on Day 1 and then uses a day each for Cologne and Koblenz. And yes, excursions a bit differently.

 

Does anyone know if either has the opportunity to visit a port in the evening? When they say cruising overnight, does that mean dinnertime or bedtime? (Hope that makes sense)

 

My concern on "stuffiness" did refer to decor and was afraid it would be more reserved. Definately can see that's not the case!

As you will be spending 4 days in Amsterdam before the cruise, I think the Uniworld itinerary is the better option. You will have more time in Koblenz for organized excursions and will also spend time ashore in Boppard, a delightful wine town which is much less touristy than Rüdesheim. Each cruise spends half a day in Cologne so there's not much difference there.

Regarding departure times, you should expect most to be at around dinner time for overnight cruises. My Uniworld Rhine cruise also included the Moselle, and was from Basel to Amsterdam, so my experience was slightly different. There were two evenings when the ship didn't depart until about 10PM (Boppard and Speyer) and two overnight stays on the Moselle. The only daytime cruising on the Rhine was the famous Middle Rhine gorge between Rüdesheim and Koblenz where many of the famous castles are located.

Regarding using the ship as a "hotel" on Day in Amsterdam with AMA, of course you can do that--the excursions are not compulsory.

If you haven't done so, for greater details on the Uniworld cruise, check the Cruise Companion for that cruise. You can find it under the "booked Already" menu.

I don't know where people seem to have got the idea that Uniworld cruises are "stuffy". I have now done five with Uniworld and I certainly wouldn't characterize them that way. Nearly everyone I encountered on these cruises seemed to enjoy themselves and have a great time aboard and on the excursions. Perhaps the "no shorts at dinner" rule might seem stuffy to some, but it is a rule I welcome.

I haven't cruised with AMA yet but everything I have read leads me to believe that it is comparable with Uniworld in terms of service, amenities and atmosphere. I have cruised on Viking, but wouldn't put it in the same class as these two.

I wouldn't be concerned about the Uniworld cruise ending in Breisach instead of Basel. The river isn't very interesting between these two points, and in any case the ship sails at night. Those cruises which end in Basel don't have any city excursions unless you wish to purchase a post-cruise extension for Basel and Lucerne.

Breisach is about an hour or less from the Basel Mulhouse airport, so if you are not continuing your travels after the cruise, your transfer will be no problem.

If you wish to visit Basel on your own after the cruise, I would take the ship's transfer to Basel-Mulhouse airport, and a taxi into town from there.

I have no problems talking him into travelling, but he wants to do it in warmer temps. I guess growing up where winters average -25 to -40C, we think that is normal winter temps, and so not ideal travel temps. I will just have to work on him that your winters are so much warmer. I would love to go to the car museums as well, but I think if we make it to them, it will be in warmer weather.

 

Best time to wander our forests in the snow is early Spring, especially when you are at a Sugar bush....:)

Average winter temperatures of -25 to -40C? Wow! Where did you grow up, Iqaluit, Tuktoyaktuk, Pangnirtung or some place as cold as these?

calteacher,

 

lavendereye was on the Uniworld River Queen a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. I do not know if she has posted anything in the review section.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2353480 post #57.

 

notamermaid

I have sailed on the River Queen twice in the past year, in April from Antwerp to Amsterdam and in September from Basel to Amsterdam. I think that it's a fine ship and Uniworld is my choice of river cruise lines. I certainly don't think that it would be a mistake to choose Uniworld for a river cruise.

I'll be happy to answer any particular question about the ship or the Legendary Rhine and Moselle cruise.

BTW, I am a he, not a she. My screen name is derived from the great explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye.

The lower castle is Hohenschwangau.

 

FWIW "the internet" says that the Magic Kingdom and Toyko Disneyland have Cinderella's Castle, Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland have Sleeping Beauty's Castle and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris has Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant (which would translate as Sleeping Beauty's Castle). I never considered that they had differing names.

Both Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland and Cinderella Castle at WDW were designed by one of Disney's top artists, Herbert Ryman. Sleeping Beauty castle was largely inspired by Neuschwanstein, and it in turn inspired Ryman when he designed the much larger Cinderella Castle. However he also drew on many other sources as a comparison of the two will show. These included Versailles, Chateaux Chambord and Chaumont, and the Tyn Church in Prague.

I can't remember which town had the mayor greet us and take us to his family winery where his elderly parents ran around serving us plonk while we had to endure some family home movies. Okay, it might not have been that bad, but it is not something I would want to experience again. :D

I remember this excursion quite differently. We went from Cochem to the nearby town of Ediger-Eiler where we were indeed met by the mayor in mediaeval robes, accompanied by a woman, similarly dressed who turned out to be the owner of a local vineyard. We proceeded through the town to the church where we heard a short organ concert and then to the winery. No home movies, no elderly parents, and the wine was certainly not plonk (but obviously we also weren't served a Trockenbeerenauslese either). The tasting was led by the vineyard owner. The mayor, who has a good voice, sang for us, accompanied by an accordionist. All in all I thought it was a charming afternoon, and most of my fellow passengers seemed to think the same.

However, "à chacun son goût", or as they say in Germany, "Jedem Narr gefällt sei' Kapp!"

It looks like a very luxurious ship, but I also think that it is a very expensive way to visit India. Two years ago I toured India for 3 weeks for about one third the cost of this 13 day trip. It covered the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, Jaipur), Varanasi and Mumbai, and included a private car and driver, private guides, 3 internal flights and comfortable accommodation (though not at the 5-star level). This was booked through an Indian company and was tailored to our particular desires, including choice of accommodation in each city (5-star hotels were available if desired).

As much as I like Uniworld, i don't think I would take this cruise if I were returning to India.

Well I guess I won't do,the windmills tour.. Thx for update. This will be our third Uniworld River Cruise and it's a last minute booking due to a great deal... We have never cruised for 13 days but Uniworld through Travelzoo had a promotion 50% discount but only certain dates. Two departures one in August the other in Npvember. We have a year of anticipation and planning. Appreciate all your help...

The itinerary was not bad, it was the guide, who I am sure will never be engaged by Uniworld again. It was a trip through the oldest polders in the Netherlands (17th Century), a stop at a cheese producer, and then a couple of hours at Zanse Schans, a historical village where there is a collection of some of the remaining industrial windmills that used to fill this area. it's interesting, but quite touristy. The open air museums at Enkhuisen and Arnhem are vastly better, but too far for an afternoon trip from Amsterdam.

The alternative to the tour is a free afternoon in Amsterdam--had I not been staying on for a couple of days after the cruise, I would have done that.

One other comment on the Basel-Amsterdam cruise. On the last afternoon in Amsterdam I took the optional Polders and Windmills tour (€49). In essence, it was a shambles and the guide incompetent. It was well below the standard I expect of Uniworld, and I complained about it. I was not alone for that evening the Cruise Director apologized for the tour, and everyone on it was given an immediate €20 cash refund. Everyone I spoke with about it was well satisfied with that quick and appropriate response.

I have read itinerary and there a few excurisions that we have taken but there are other optional tours to chose from. Question... We have stateroom category 3 ..large picture window. Rm 205 .. We usually book a French balcony but noticed all the staterooms except for suites are same square footage. Are the rooms small.? Last year we cruised on the Avalon Creativity 170 sq feet rooms River Queen 151 sq.feet.. We had a fabulous entertainer on Avalon played and sang in lounge each night. Is there some sort of entertainment each night?Also did you do the vinegar excursion? We liked it but we will not do a repeat this cruise. Favorite memory?.. Thx.

I have cruised twice on the River Queen, once on the Main Deck (200) and once on the Danube Deck (300) and the staterooms are identical. Those on the Rhine deck (400) have larger windows, while those on the Moselle Deck (100) have small windows at the top. Otherwise, except for the four suites, all staterooms are the same. I wouldn't call them roomy, but are well equipped and laid out and more than adequate in size. For river cruises, I never see the need for a balcony, (perhaps a French balcony for fresh air) because so much travel is at night, and on the Rhine and Moselle at least, ships are rafted at nearly every port or your cabin is next to the jetty wall. For the scenic stretches on both rivers, you want to be on the sun deck as the sights are constantly on both sides of the ship.

The River Queen had a very good pianist/singer who entertained in the lounge every cocktail hour and evening. As well there were three special live music events with local musicians, all very good.

I didn't take the Vinegar Estate tour, but opted for a walking tour of Speyer, a city I had not previously visited. I was glad I did so for it is a very interesting historic city. As for highlights, I certainly enjoyed Trier and Strasbourg, a city I know very well and which is my favourite city in France (Paris perhaps excepted). I really enjoyed sitting on the sun deck for the afternoon cruising on the Moselle from Trier to Bernkastel--it was a perfect sunny, warm fall day. Unfortunately, the similar afternoon on the Rhine from Rüdesheim to Boppard was chilly and overcast, but enjoyable nonetheless. I think my least favourite stop was Rüdesheim, which I have visited before, although the Mechanical Instrument Museum was fun and the cable car to the Germania monument was interesting and an escape from the hordes crowding the village on a Sunday morning.

I have just returned from this cruise on the River Queen (Basel-Amsterdam 14-26 September). This was my seventh river cruise and fifth with Uniworld, and it was superb in every respect--food, accommodation, service, tours. I'd be happy to answer any specific questions on the cruise.

You will find some overlap with the Castles along the Rhine cruise you have taken but the Moselle is in my opinion even more picturesque than the Rhine and Trier is a gem of a city. I think you will enjoy it.

Thank you Chris,

 

 

 

lavendereye,

 

I would normally not do this as it is not so interesting in general but here it is, the weather report, perhaps you recognize yourself or a fellow passenger ("oh, look that's Jeff from _ !") :). Press play on the photo, then on the time bar go to 26:28, first is Koblenz, then Trier: http://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=4db4cdf0-802c-11e6-aaed-0026b975e0ea

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

Thanks for that video, notamermaid. I was very likely in that photo but of course one couldn't make out individuals at that distance. I think that the River Queen with its retro styling was the most elegant of the many cruise ships I saw on this trip.

Our overnight visit to Trier was delightful and the trip that afternoon from Trier to Bernkastel was marked by sunny and warm weather which made for fine viewing of that picturesque stretch of the river. In fact the fine weather continued all the way to Amsterdam where we disembarked on 26 September.

For me Trier was one of the highlights of the cruise, partly because of its history and as it was also a city which I had not previously visited.

This was my fifth cruise with Uniworld and I continue to be impressed by their high standards in every way.

Yesterday's local news showed as part of their "weather in our region" video feature a few seconds of the Trier embankment and passengers rejoining the Uniworld "River Queen" over a Viking River Cruises landing stage! It appears that the traditional "I have been here first" at Rhine and Danube ports extents to the Moselle (I have mentioned the historical business connection between KD and Viking a few times).

 

 

 

Anyway, what a lovely ship in retro design she is. I would love to sail on her.

 

 

 

For those that have been to the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues in particular here is a nice short video clip to remind you of your trip. For those who have not been, well you might want to consider the Moselle for a land trip or river cruise after this :). Made by Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcasting house:

 

 

 

Enjoy.

 

 

 

notamermaid

I'm on board the River Queen. We left Trier yesterday afternoon and sailed to Bernkastel on a beautiful sunny day and the Moselle was at its best. We departed Bernkastel late this afternoon and are en route to Koblenz which we will reach late tonight.

The River Queen is indeed an elegant ship and in my opinion the most beautiful of those that sail the Rhine and Moselle.

Thanks for the clip.

I'm on board the Uniworld River Queen, currently berthed in Strasbourg. I'm happy to say that our voyage from Basel over the past two days was entirely uneventful from a nautical point of view.

If you can get a ticket for the VSO at the Musikverein, go by all means. The Strauss/Mozart concerts tend to be schmalz for the tourists, pleasant enough, but how many times does one want to hear the Blue Danube Waltz and Eine Kleine Nachtmusik?

If your ship is berthed at the Reichsbrücke pier where most cruise ships are, you can take the U1 line from Karlsplatz to the nearest stop (Vorgartenstrasse) only a couple of blocks away from the pier. If you are concerned about walking that distance after dark, take a taxi from the Musikverein. It should not be all that expensive.

If you are berthed in Nussdorf, it is some distance from the city centre. I think you can take a long tram ride there or the S Bahn, but I'm not familiar with the details. Perhaps someone who has done so can advise, or perhaps your cruise company will have arranged a shuttle for those interested in exploring Vienna on their own. A taxi might be your best choice at night, but I don't know what the cost might be.

For a one day trip without a car, I think your best bet would be the scenic Train de Charlevoix which runs along the river. Go to Baie Saint Paul, wander around this interesting and attractive town, have lunch there and return to Quebec City.

http://reseaucharlevoix.com/english/

APT is an Australian travel company whose European river cruises are on AMA ships. In 2005, APT became a co-owner of AMA.

For comments on this board about their European cruises, one should look for AMA.

I agree with martincath. Three days is not too much for Quebec City and it will allow you the opportunity for an excursion to one or more of the nearby attractions such as Montmorency Falls and the Ile d'Orléans. A day trip to Montréal would be rushed. Best save it for another time.

BTW Via Rail is not the only passenger rail company in Canada by any means, but it is certainly the only one offering service between Québec City and Montréal.

I can't imagine that Viking would not provide you with a meal, no matter how late you arrive if you are coming to the ship on a Viking transfer from the airport. If, for some reason, you are not offered a meal, I would certainly see the Cruise Director and ask for one.

I have seen the Cruise Companion but unfortunately no times are listed. Having only taken ocean cruises, I am not used to the fact that there are no departure and arrival times for the whole itinerary provided well in advance. It would be helpful for my trip planning to at least know when I should board the ship in Brussels and when to depart in Amsterdam.

In most cases, passengers are met at the airport and transferred directly to the ship, and on disembarkation are transported to the airport on a schedule depending on their flight departure time.

However, as you have indicated you will be staying in Brussels for two days beforehand and in Amsterdam for two days after the cruise, you must make your way to the ship on your own and depart by your own means. It's very flexible, however. As the Cruise Companion notes, you should try to arrive at the ship any time after 3PM. As the ship stays in Brussels that night, you don't have to worry about missing it with a late arrival. On departure in Amsterdam you can leave at your leisure, but you will likely have to vacate your cabin by 8AM or 9AM at the very latest. The ship will arrange a taxi for you when you want to leave.

One thing you should know about buying wine at a grocery or convenience store (dėpanneur) is that most of the wine, while not exactly plonk, is of a lower quality than you can find at an SAQ outlet. Much is imported in bulk and bottled by or for the SAQ.

It's too bad that the SAQ no longer has a store within the walls of the old city, but the last one was closed some years ago because the SAQ declared it to be unprofitable.

On Viking now. Most people are very casual daytime and evening. Even at the Captain's dinner, many people wore shorts. There were a few people that have dressed up. They looked nice. However, they looked out of place. cruise does not have any dress restrictions. Wear whatever you like. Casual attire is it. Keep it simple and clean. Leave fancy clothing home. Bring jeans, shorts, tee shirts, etc. a good pair of walking shoes and a hat is a must. Tours involve lots of walking.

So it's not like dinner at Downton Abbey? I am shocked, shocked, I tell you!