Travel R

Hit a mine and went onto serving on another ship. The greatest generation! My grandfather saw action in Italy and a great grandfather served in the Pacific theater. My dad luckily served between wars. When the Bay of Pigs incident began his platoon was sent to an undisclosed location - at full alert and in full gear for a few days. [Missed my chance to cruise there when it was open to US cruise ships.9-

Nuremberg has played its part several times in history beginning in the Middle Ages. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing. Sound like amazing visits. [When I hear of Richard the Lionheart, my thoughts turn towards Arthurian lore.]

The heat finally broke for us in my area of the US (NY/NJ). It was 71 degrees (21/22 C) when I went out to walk the dog this morning. It was like I was back in Alaska. Stay cool!

If most people on river cruises are like this lot, I think I am going to enjoy it (no matter which river we chose or on whatever line we decide to sail). This thread has veered back and forth from cruising, to history, to art. Besides getting some fantastic and useful information from some very knowledgeable individuals for our forthcoming river cruise, it has been an enjoyable discussion thus far. I think I am beginning to look forward to the conversation as much as the destinations!

Thanks again for your insight. If we go to Europe, it's going to be during late August due to our travelling partner's schedules (obviously very close friends). As mentioned, we have been in different parts of Europe during the summer - it has been hot, but bearable on our vacations. However, my DW was in London a few weeks ago, and she found it unbearable for the first time, even for the short one-block walk from her hotel to the office (as have colleagues in the UK I speak to - I never realized that most do not have air conditioners).

Thank you, and I appreciate the feedback. I believe that Skagway is on your itinerary - which is one of the ports I have heard many great things about it (If, no when, we get back to Alaska, I am going to try to make sure Skagway is one of the ports we visit). You are also on a beautiful ship. I hope you enjoy (and sure you will).

Sometimes the history of how different works of art have come to settle in different location is just as fascinating as the art itself. For instance, it was Van Gogh's sister-in-law that was instrumental in his posthumous fame due to how she marketed him and to where she sold the paintings. The US National Gallery of Art contains 20-somthing Master artworks that were purchased from the Hermitage (when the Russian govt needed money) - and those works of art were confiscated or purchased much earlier from throughout Europe. There are many, many other similar stories. It is interesting that the Kroller-Muller has more paintings than the Van Gogh Museum (I did not know that - thank you), although for other masters, the Rijksmuseum a short walk away. I personally enjoy the abstract artists. My favorite being Picasso - and seeing the Guernica in person was one of my major highlight when visiting Madrid. Although Barcelona is the more visited city (the Gaudi architecture is amazing), Madrid is a great city to visit and includes the Golden Triangle of art museums (where you will also find Van Gogh in at least one).

That is one of the museums I have not yet visited. It will be on my radar the next time we visit Paris. Those are sometimes the best adventures! Most of the articles point to the Danube and Rhine as being the most popular in Europe. Budapest is a draw for sailing the Danube, but for me Amsterdam is as much of a contender for the Rhine. I think for most of us travelling is addicting. I will admit that we love ocean cruising, but adding river cruising to the mix of land-based and ocean cruise vacations would be welcomed. That must have been awesome - thanks for sharing. Thank you very much for your thoughts and experiences in these different ports!

That must have been an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing. Growing up in NYC, I've been fortunate to have seen Starry Night many times. When I was a young kid with the family and/or school trips where I did not care very much for it (being honest here). Back then I loved the Medieval and Egyptian collections. As I grew older, I began appreciating art for what it was. [Even in undergrad, one of the assignments for my intro to art appreciation class, we were required to visit the MoMA (and other museums) and take notes or answer questions on many of the works of the Masters.]

Thank you for your suggestions and thoughts. The American perspective of history is interesting, everything in Europe is historical to us. For instance, there is an old Revolutionary War cemetery adjacent to the train I take into NYC. 250 years ago is old history to me - that's not even a fraction of time to the many of the sites in Europe.

Wow!!!! I have done some research into a Holy Land/Middle East vacation. Many do provide "add ons" for Petra.

INDEX FOR THE REVIEW Since this is a long review of then CC pages (over 200 Posts), to make it easier to find specific information, I have created the below index. The link goes to the page, but I have included the specific post # where the information appears. [I know I can link to the exact post, but that would require a significant more time to do so.] Please note, I will continue to come back to this thread over the next few weeks, so please feel free to ask any additional questions (there are still a few weeks left to the Alaskan cruise season). A link to the index will appear in my signature, so at least I can find it in the future. However, I know when I post my last word, as this thread moves further back in the forum, it will fade into obscurity. [Yes, I still would like to post the Compass. So this review is technically not over. It' ain't over till there's a mint on the pillow.] Activities, Ships [Post #184] · Includes: Bingo, Trivia, Name That Toon, Lounge Entertainers, Art Auction, Pool & Pool Area, Spa, Cinema, Meet & Greet, Sports Activities, etc. Allergies [Post # 90] American Dream Mall [Post #73] Boarding · General [Post #11] · Boarding Process [Post #75] Cabin · General [Post #11] · Balcony [Post #100] · Relaxation [Post #196] · Shampoo, Conditioner, & Body Wash [Post #188] · Shower [Post #100] · Stateroom, Details [Post #100] Check-In Check-in [Post #75] Compass [Post #124] COVID · General [Post #11] · ArrriveCAN [Post #24] · COVID Testing [Post #24] · Ship’s Protocols and Cleanliness [Post #124] Cruising · Alaskan Cruises vs. Other Cruises [Post #148] · Enjoyment of this cruise [Post #11] Dining · [See Food] Drink Packages [Post #184] Entertainment · General [Post #11] · Bar/Lounge Entertainers [Post #184] · Enrichment Talks [Post #163] · Evening Entertainment [Post #210] o Including: Welcome Show, Comedy Show, Impersonators, Movies, Hush Party, Karaoke, Disco, Casino, Capt’s Talk, Production Shows, Farewell Show Exercising [Post #90] Food and Dining · General [Post #11] · Coffee [Post #79] · Coffee, Premium [Post #124] · Breakfast: MDR, Windjammer, Room Service, and Park Café [Post #108] · Dinner: MDR [Post #203] · Drink Packages [Post #184] · Formal Night [Post #203] · Lunch: MDR, Windjammer, Park Café, Mean Queen (Sitka) [Post #177] · MyTime Dining [Post #203] o General [Post #11] · Park Café [Post # 90] Formal Night [Post #203] Hubbard Glacier · General [Post #72] · Detailed Report [Post #163] Inside Passage [Post #163] Introduction [Post #2] Internet, Cell Phone Signal, and WiFi [Post #124] Juneau [Post #142] · Includes: Whale Watching Excursion and Walk in Juneau Ketchikan [Post #155] · Includes: Shopping in Ketchikan, Driving Jeeps Off-road, Canoeing, Nature Walk Mendenhall Glacier [Post #163] · General [Post #163] Northern Lights [Post #11] Packing · General [Post #24] · For an Alaskan Cruise [Post #118] Ports · General [Post #11] · Sitka [See Sitka] · Juneau [See Juneau] · Ketchikan [See Ketchikan] Pre-Cruise · Air2Sea [Post #58] · ArriveCAN [Post #24] · COVID[See COVID] · Check-in [Post #75] · Flights, Cancellation [Post #58] · Flights, To Montreal [Post #63] · General [Post #24] · Montreal Layover [Post #67] · Packing [See Packing] · Royal App [Post #124] · Shuttle Transfer Check-in [Post #75] · Vancouver, Arrival [See Vancouver] Post Cruise · Disembark [Post #215] · Return Flight Home (“The Sprint”) [Post #222] · Tipping [Post #215] Royal App [Post #124] Serenade of the Seas · General [Post #11] · Boarding [See Boarding] · Cabin [See Cabin] · Casino, Hours [Post #30] · Capacity [Post #11] · Compass [Post #124] · Dining [See Food and Dining] · Elevator Incident [Post #75] · Elevators [Post #124] · Entertainment [See Entertainment] · Exercising [See Exercising] · Food [See Food and Dining] · Helipad [Post #124] · Internet [See Internet] · Navigating around [Post #124] · Outward Facing [Post #124] · Park Café [See Food and Dining] · Photographer, Ship [Post #124] · Royal App [Post #124] · Royal Shops [Post #124] · Running / Jogging [See Exercising] · Ship Services [Post #124] · Staffing [Post #11] · Stateroom [See Cabin] · TV, Ship [Post #79, and Post #124] Sitka [Post #137] · Includes: DIY Tour (with map); Harrigan Hall, Sitka Historical Museum, Russian Bishop’s House, Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka National Historic Park, Raptor Center, Lunch, [Fortress of the Bear], Return to Ship Summary and Conclusion [Post #229] Sunsets [Post #210] Table of Contents [Post #16] Teenagers [Post #196] Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glacier · General [Post #72] · Detailed report [Post #163] Vancouver · Arrival [Post #74] · Hotel [Post #215] · Sites of Vancouver [Post #215] o Including: Steam Clock, Police Museum, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden, and Dinner Weather, Alaska [Post # 11] Whale Watching [Post #142] Wildlife, Alaska · General [Post #11] · Raptor Center [Bald Eagles, Owls, etc.] [Post #137] · Whale Watching Excursion (incl. bears, porpoise, and sea lion] [Post #142] Young Adults [Post #196] As I have been told in the past, the Index is a great idea. However, it seems like a lot of work for the three people that are going to actually use it.

This thread went off topic really fast

"Even in the darkness the smallest star will shine" The Chinese Gardens were in this grungy lookin alley-way, which I would not enter if it was dark. Interesting you mentioned them looking closed - we actually thought the same thing. There is a very faded sign on the gate notifying people that the entrance is inside. [Not sure if they are trying to stay low key intentionally or not.] However, we did see two people that looked like tourists leaving the area so we made our way inside. The interior was such a contrast once we made our way inside. My pre-vacation idea was to go for some dim sum if we were hungry. I did not spy upon anywhere I would have felt comfortable taking my family to dine. It is a shame, because in some small way I am contributing to its further decline. [Note: From further reading, the community (and restaurants) have been leaving this area and reemerging in the Richmond suburb of Vancouver.] If you ever get another chance to visit Vancouver again, I would highly recommend the Gardens, if they are still there. Although there were a few people walking around (and a private class on trimming trees being conducted a side room), I am not sure how someplace like that survives. [But maybe take cab.]

An African cruise sounds absolutely amazing, but maybe somewhere in the future. Although, as I think I had mentioned, a Nile River cruise is within the realm of possibilities in the not so far future. As a planner and someone that enjoys researching, I am enjoying this part of the decision process. I am just hoping that everyone (my DW and friends) are reading all the (or at least some) of the material that I am sending them. I sent them a bunch of info on the different rivers (and will consolidate and send them the recent posted above). I also sent them a few articles and videos on the differences (in addition to what I learned in this thread).

Thank you for the breakdowns - I will be sharing with my DW and friends!

Thank you for all the information and your experiences. My DW and myself have been to Paris before, our friends have not and there are still a few places we have not seen (Paris Disneyland, although not exactly in Paris), and would want to revisit (e.g., Louvre).

For the past 20+ years, our "big" vacations, especially across the pond have been in the end of June/early July or at the end of August so as not to interfere with school. We are used to it. Travelling to Europe during the summer, that is. Not the heat.

One of our travelling companions can only travel during the last two weeks of August, so we will be limited in choosing themes - but I have seen a few (for 2022 and 2023) during that time period as being marketed as romantic, scenic, or historical for the various rivers. There will also be four of us, so our interests are also going to vary (although the romantic would be a common theme - it will be their 30th Anniversary and our 28th (but technically celebrating our 25th from 2021). I wonder if there are any 7-8 day cruises on the Moselle during our window to travel. I will take a look. Porto (one of the departing ports for the Douro) is a beautiful city with some amazing architecture - you will enjoy!

@texasstar If I may ask - what did you not enjoy about the Rhone? Thank you

Very good to know - thank you. For most of my life I never really drank coffee, then over the last few years I have grown to have a cup each morning. I've already created a chart with the ships that include (or do not include) fitness rooms, and as you had noted, most articles do reiterate that point. However, I have taken a look at photos from some of the ships, and for my purposes, all I need is a treadmill or a stationary bike. I have also made notes of which ships also provide bikes for borrow (and also include cycling tours). For most ports, I am sure the included tour is fine, but sometimes there may be particular attractions or things to do that are not included as part of those tours. I may seek them out -- our take the complementary in the AM, but find the 3rd Party operators for something in the PM. Thanks for the info. Seems like Tauck is the only line were a jacket is quasi-required. As mentioned, I have been on multi-day ocean cruises where almost every day was port-intensive. I guess by regimented, it is more from a planning perspective. For an ocean cruise, for each port I spend hours researching an excursion to take in an individual port - then can spend weeks talking to the family before we narrow down which tour we will be taking (and with which company (cruise line vs. 3rd Party) or do it ourselves). We usually take the MyTime dining option so we can chose the time to eat dinner (which I schedule around the time we arrive back from our excursion). Breakfasts and lunch can be at different times or different venues (sit down, buffet, cafe, room service) depending on what we are doing that day. Depending on the ship (the larger ones) the entertainment options also need to be scheduled/reserved. The planner in me feels "restrained." My wife may say that is a good thing - less for me to do and gives me more time to relax. Years ago we took an almost three week tour of Spain, Portugal (with Gibraltar and Morocco) via Glubus (by bus & day boat) [Avalon is a subsidiary]. I did absolutely no planning (except where to explore in Madrid for the few days prior to the tour). The time we awoke was mostly scheduled (if you wanted to eat), the day's itinerary was scheduled, including lunches and most dinners. There were a few nights where we were given "free times" for dinner and to explore out own during the evenings. My confession is that I enjoyed it, even without being able to plan very much. I am hoping this will be the same.

I had read about payment a year in advance (way different than most ocean cruises). Thank you for the info on scheduling tours. Very, very good to know - if I can get off the boat and do a little run around the port would be an awesome way to getting in a preview while getting in my exercise. I have been reading the posts in this forum very carefully to see what rivers are being affected (even read about the low levels back in 2018). Also looking as to how the different lines are dealing with them. Viking, from what I read, looks like it is doing best to move passengers around due to so many ships (although even they are having some issues). Other lines have newer flat-bottom craft. It's good to know now what we may be expecting. Gotcha! Definitely great advice. From early on, I have disregarded the commercial sites. The articles, especially the videos by fellow cruisers provide more of the the down and dirty - and some are entertaining as well.

I have had a number of arguments over the years about attire on the Royal Caribbean forum. I don't really care what other people wear, but as you said, don't openly disregard the rules (unless there is a good reason - e.g., airline losing your luggage). The cruise industry is not what it was a century ago, but at least some level of decorum should still remain.

The Rhone is one of the options - and Paris is full of history of its own (since we have been to most of the major sites in the City of Light, I would like to make it to Paris Disney this time; and the Egouts, which also have also always eluded us.). A lot of military history along those shores as well. I also have to consider what our friends are also interested in (which is something we will discuss when we soon meet again). For those that have sailed the Rhone and either (or both) the Danube and Rhine -- how does the Rhone stack up for (four) first time river cruisers?