badtwin

Thanks for answer to the OBC and gratuities question.  Believe me, DH "does the math" when we book cruises and that is why we rarely book a cruise with "free" add-ons - they are rarely worth as much the difference for a cruise alone without the extras. 

For example, we are looking at a Venice to Monte Carlo cruise in September.  At the cabin levels we are considering the difference with air fare and O Life compared to the cruise alone is about $1200 pp.   From Spokane Washington, we are probably going to pay at least $900 pp (and likely more) to book our own air.  So this may be one of those rare occasions it would pencil out.  Since we tour on our own (the covid gods willing) and eat lunches in port when possible and drink a little wine at dinner, the OBC tends to be the best options for us, but agree it would not be for a lot of others. 

Thanks again

Possibly slightly off topic and or answered above.  But I can't figure how to search on these boards effectively.

We are considering our first Oceania cruise in part because of a generous on board credit offer.  Are there any limitations on the use of such credit?  I believe it is part of an o life promotion with "free" airfare and a choice of one of the other benefits.  I have seen some lines that don't let you use some types of on board credit for gratuities for example. 

Thank you

Another slipper comment.  I have no idea what kind of slipper Viking offers.  My husband and I took slippers that were more of a house shoe if you know what I mean, (mine were hard-soled felt, his more of a moccasin) and wore them to breakfast and to shuffle up for the first cup of coffee from  the machines or to the lounge when we were just cruising.   It was nice to have something comfortable but entirely presentable.  Don't worry, we wore real shoes to dinner.

6 hours ago, Coral said:

What temps are you having? Cold is sort of relative depending on where people are from.

 

Just did a search and it looks to be 48-50 F. 

It was 37 when we left the ship yesterday but a few degrees warmer today.  The wind and frequent stops on tours make it feel colder. And we have had lots of rain. Not comp!ain'ing as we narrowly avoided a ship swap.

We are currently on a Viking Cruise in Germany and it was cold today.  Just a reminder to check your forecasts. We are very happy we brought gloves. A warm hat would have been nice. We are doing okay with layers, but lots of older cruisers are complaining about the cold.  Be sure you bring enough warm items as well as rain protection.

On Viking Grand European leaving Wurzburg this evening. We were told tonight most likely no ship change. Much happiness.  Will post it that changes.

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Already raining in Germany both along the Rhine and the Danube! Will need to see how much is coming down in the next 48 hours and where.

It sounds as if you feel well informed by Viking, that is nice to read.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

Let me join with those who have expressed thanks to Notamermaid and the others who have contributed so much an so often the river level forums.  I have followed them with great interest ever since we booked our cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest 6 or so months ago.   We leave from Amsterdam on September 29, so are not unhappy to hear there is rain although sorry for those who are there now.   I will hope for more - but only at night.  And hope for enough rain over the next several weeks for all the cruisers to come.

Thanks again for keeping us all posted on developments.  I will raise a glass to you as we cruise up the Rhine - but maybe not the proposed cocktail - not a whiskey drinker.

I am trying not to worry about that which I can do nothing.    

I appreciate this post although it is a little late for us.  We take our first Viking river cruise in 50 days.  Before we booked, we were seriously considering booking a second  Mediterranean cruise on HAL.  Then we got a Viking brochure in the mail with pricing we had never seen before for one of our bucket list cruises - the Grand European.  I did a ton of research comparing ocean to river cruises and we felt we could accept those differences but I have to say I never really considered comparing the river cruise lines.  I guess we watch too much Masterpiece Mystery on PBS and have seen too many ads.   I was not really aware there were so many options. 

That said, I a still happy with our choice.  Bikes would have been nice but we have located a few possibilities for rentals along the way.   We plan to buy local snacks and wines in Amsterdam to fill the fridge for those times food is not offered.   We rarely use exercise rooms on cruises as we focus on walking when traveling.  We will miss a hot tub though.  

So I don't consider this post "Viking bashing" as much as useful information to those who are trying to decide among options and to be aware that there are other river cruise lines - they just don't advertise as much on American  TV.   Thanks to the OP

Thank you for that response.  Really excited to hear this is a possibility. I think we are going to get registered with one of the bike rental companies and load the app and then wait and see how the weather looks (I was thinking more of rain but good reminder about the wind) and see how we feel by that point in the cruise.  I really don't want to skip the Abbey tour in Melk so we will have already done some walking.

We are doing a Viking cruise with stops on the Danube of Melk in the morning  and Krems in the afternoon.   The ship takes about 2 hours, but has a 3-4 stop in Krems.  The bike path is supposedly around 24 miles and mostly downhill. 

Would it be possible for us to bike on our own between ports?  I know it is "possible" to rent bikes and ride one way.  I was more wondering if Viking lets you skip sections of the cruise to travel on your own and if anyone else ever tired such a thing.  

Any advice would be appreciated.  

Thank goodness he at least had the robe!

I am reminded when I first raised the idea of cruising, DH was hesitant because of the dress code.  He wore a suit and tie to work five days a week and did not want to "dress up" on his vacation.   We started with a Caribbean cruise and a more relaxed line.  Two cruises ago, he bought a tux just to wear on cruise formal night.   Turns out we both enjoy the routine of returning from a day seeing the sights, showering and dressing for dinner on our cruises.    I will miss formal night on our upcoming river cruise but it will sure cut down on the luggage.  

We don't usually shop cruises so far in advance, but over eighteen months ago I found a HAL itinerary I really liked - a 13 night Mediterranean that included two stops in Malta and one in Ravenna Italy that were of particular interest.    While we were still watching and waiting for the right deal, one of the Malta stops got changed to  Naples which was disappointing.  Then we booked something else  and I quit watching but the other day got a price notice from a website that will not be named and had to check it out and noticed that Ravenna was gone from the itinerary.  I checked and Ravenna was gone from the two or three HAL cruises we had been considering.  Needless to say we are much relieved we had booked the other cruise as the most important port (to us) were no longer included.

My question is if this is a frequent issue with HAL (or any other lines you know) or is it just a quirk on the route I was considering.  As I said, we don't usually look for a cruise that far ahead of time, so maybe it is more common than I know.  I can understand when weather conditions make it impossible to visit a port while on the cruise, but I never really considered that a cruise I booked could change quite that much after booking.

Thanks for your insights.

We had been planning our second HAL cruise for several months after absolutely loving our first experience.   Then we got an offer for a river cruise (an amazing offer admittedly) and started really comparing the pricing -  drinks, tours, transfers etc.  Then I found this discussion when I asked about   how the food compared.   I can't say that the thought of the extra charge for another entree was the deciding factor, but it said something about the HAL experience I didn't like.   We cruise for the ports, not all the  on-board glitz.  We like to come back to the ship after a day in port, shower and dress up, and enjoy dinner in the MDR.    I pay enough for my wine - I shouldn't have to pay extra for food in the basic venues.

So HAL, if you are reading this, you lost two cruisers who are fast approaching the age where two cruises a year will be likely.   I will be watching this topic to see if we try HAL again or return to Celebrity.

Will my DH feel out of place with blazer on Viking?  He was going to take one in case the dining room was chilly.  Not a sweater guy and sweatshirt or fleece pullover seems too casual.  

DH and I booked our first river cruise yesterday. Viking Grand European, Amsterdam to Budapest September 29.  

I was looking at the roll calls and was confused - seemed like all the same cruise were on a single thread, regardless of departure.  This does not seem efficient.  Am I missing something?

I have read a lot of this topic but admit I skipped a few pages in the middle so I hope this is not redundant.  My concern about this policy is less about being charged for an extra entree (which I will admit to ordering on occasion) and more about whether this is just a test run at up-charging for other things in the MDR.   If they find they can get away with charging extra for the second serving, then maybe they start charging for the first serving of the better entrees, or even have one side of the menu available at an extra charge.   It is one thing to offer specialty restaurants or even special parts of the ship to those willing to pay more.  It is quite another to charge in the MDR.  

I would also mention if anyone at HAL is "listening" (since my two efforts to email you on your miserable webpage went down in flames) that my DH and I, recent HAL converts and close to retirement travelers, had been planning a HAL cruise this fall and have pretty much decided to go with another line.  Not because of this food issue per se,  but more because of what it reflects in terms of customer service.

Thanks to everyone.  Our main focus picking cruises is usually itinerary and timing and have had some "interesting" food experiences. (MSC and Costa come to mind )   We don't necessarily mind a different dining experience (except for  NCL - never again)  as long as we have factored it into the decision.   This all helps a lot.

DH and I have been watching the price on a couple of HAL Mediterranean cruises, having really enjoyed our first HAL cruise a year ago.   We just got a brochure for Viking River cruises with some fairly competitive pricing and are adding one of those to our "watching list."  I searched these boards and I can't find much discussion of Viking River food.  I don't think we are food snobs and really enjoy the MDR on both HAL and Celebrity.  We both like large slabs of red cow - prime rib and steaks - which seem plentiful on both big lines.  Can anyone tell me about how the food on Viking River cruises would compare?    I suspect it will be good but worry their effort to incorporate regional specialties may be at the expense of american style beef.

Our first cruise was on Costa Magica in 2009, so things could have changed a bit.  We enjoyed it and would cruise Costa again for the right price and itinerary.  What has been said is true - some language issues, food is more Italian based, the ship decor is flamboyant, and lots of cigarette smoke.  And there is a definite "cultural difference" that seems rude by American standards.    

For the on-board cruise experience, we much prefer Celebrity or HAL.  As someone once described it to us, they are "noticeably nicer."    The food is more upscale, the staff was better, and there was much less smoking.  (And no or fewer speedos.)

It really comes down to what is more important to you - the ports or particular aspects of the on-board experience.  If you love all those nice touches you get with HAL, Costa may be disappointing.   If you want a decent floating hotel, Costa would probably be okay.

We have been on a few cruises to Europe now and I always view topics like these as reminders to be aware and not be stupid, but not as a suggestion we must travel in fear. This one is for Barcelona but it could be Rome or Athens or any number of other cities. Many Americans live in towns that do not have the type of crowds that encourage pickpockets and other street crime (probably smaller towns all over the word can claim the same) and we need a reminder to protect ourselves and our belongings by taking reasonable precautions. As tourists, we are attractive targets because we probably are carrying too much cash and too many credit cards and we are distracted by the sights and sounds we are enjoying. No need to be fearful but there is a need to be aware and act accordingly.

We walked the Mediterranean steps and just to be clear, they were more like the Mediterranean Goat Path in a lot of places. There was also quite a bit of brush along the way. An actual run would be difficult in some parts and downright dangerous in a few but if you do a lot of rugged trail running, in might be an option for parts. The views were wonderful and you got away from a lot of the crowds.

My recollection is that Lisbon has a lot of different travel cards and options and it really depends on what other things you might want to do and see. There are lots of websites out there that can explain the difference in detail. Some passes include tourist attractions or a percentage discount on admission The public transportation system has its own cards. One thing to know is that all public transport is cheaper if you pay with some kind of card, as opposed to cash when boarding. We were there for one day and settled for a day pass which allowed unlimited travel on subway, buses and trolleys. It was around 6 euro and was worth it just so we didn't have to think about it. They also have a card you load for per trip travel (called zapping I think) but we didn't want to do the math and limit ourselves if we changed our minds. You purchase the cards at a vending machine which was easy to use once we found one at a subway station.

Short answer - I would get some sort of pass, but can't tell you which one would best fit all your plans.

This is a very easy town to see alone if you are reasonably mobile. In addition to venues mentioned by campolady, I would also suggest the Civil War museum if that sort of thing interests you. The entrance is at the base of the big outside elevator and the museum is located in the tunnels in which the the city residents took refuge during bombings. Not a big museum - no more than an hour as I recall.

We also saved a few euros buying a pass for several venues at once. I think this is mentioned in Tom's port guide.

Not sure if it was Barcelona or another Spanish port, but on our cruise in May, we met a very well-traveled couple who take all the precautions. Nevertheless, she reported that while on a bus, she looked down just in time to see a woman with her hand in her husband's ZIPPERED front pocket. Our friend grabbed the pick-pocket's arm and scared her away. Moral - even zipper pockets are not safe in a crowd. Use a safety pin or keep your own hand on your own wallet at all times in those situations. As an added precaution, when my husband and I are sight-seeing, we try to keep him on my left - that way I block access to his right front pocket and he is on the side I carry my cross-body bag if I am using it that day.

I believe the schedule was posted somewhere. For each stop, the driver made it clear when the bus would be heading out again. I don't recall exactly, but we had plenty of time to go look at the rocks and other items at the first stop so it was maybe an hour (?) and then time to walk to the standing stones and take some pictures.

I noticed someone mentioned the lines. We got an early tender and high tailed it to the bus station so we were maybe third or fourth in line, but the line got long quickly and I don't know if they add buses to serve everyone or if the later people were just out of luck.