racknlube

4 hours ago, patbrown said:

Booked on Expression in October. Are there any retractable clotheslines in the bathroom such as those on

ocean cruise lines?  Trying to pack light...

We are on the Imagery 11 and there is a short clothesline in the shower. I have used it every day!

43 minutes ago, Horsedds said:

We venture out early alone on the first morning armed with a map!!  We found both synagogues and morning minyan was just beginning at the Chabad. My husband was welcomed there and was able to say Kaddish for his mother, whose family was originally from Odessa. It was a big high spot in the trip for us!!

My dad was originally from around Odessa, and that's why we did that cruise. What a special Kaddish for your husband to recite for his mom...so nice.

We are doing the Danube on August 14, Budapest to Prague with Avalon. We have our fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for decent water level along the way.

Sure wish I had had all these great posts before our Odessa to Kiev cruise last July! Lots of helpful info here about excursions, money, food, etc. We enjoyed our Ukrainian cruise and Viking. We even had our own Shabbat service aboard the Sineus!

We were in Ukraine last year, about this time, and did our tips in leftover Ukrainian currency plus American money. You can also add tips to your credit card on your account with Viking.

Enjoy Ukraine. It is definitely a unique part of our world!

On 4/17/2019 at 3:19 PM, Flamencacha said:

I fell in love with Budapest and it’s rich history.  

I want to recommend a restaurant I ate at twice. https://www.google.es/search?q=macesz+bistro&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-es&client=safari#fid=0x4741dc69b6afdc4d:0x4660edc90c3ae78b&fpstate=luuv&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipM89LGNcUbpDLrLAmKqTxUXuAakess1NxldNAx_&viewerState=ga

 

Its in the old Jewish quarter and has a mix of Hebrew and Hungarian Food.  Portion sizes are  Large.  Food is made fresh.  

 

I love hurgarían  wines.  Very crispy Rose’s I took an optional tour of a few vineyards in the country side.  

 

If you like like antiques I ran across a gem 

Fordova Antikvitás behind the Opera House 

Budapest, Hajós u. 18, 1065, Hungary. 

 

Enjoy your time there. I did. 

Thank you for your recommendations. We are looking forward to experiencing both Budapest and Prague, as well as the Danube, and the people on the ship. 

We are booked on the Blue Danube and Jewish Heritage cruise beginning August 13 on the Imagery 11, and have extended our Budapest and Prague days before and after the cruise. Has anyone else been on this cruise to recommend certain excursions or sites to see? Is anyone else booked for this cruise?

On 9/2/2018 at 2:47 PM, Happy explorer said:

Thank you to all those posting reviews and comments. They are very helpful. Still not too sure whether to book the opera in advance or to go on the meal out in Odessa

The Odessa Opera House is beautiful...definitely  worth seeing!

July was a great month weather-wise to be in this area...not sure about other months. Enjoy your cruise!

We have signed up to do this cruise. Is anyone else here on the same cruise?

We have done one Viking ocean and one Viking river and thought we'd try Avalon.

We did this cruise July 16 from Kiev to Odessa, and I would recommend taking it this way rather than from Odessa to Kiev. Odessa is the grandest city on the voyage, and a nice way to finish the trip.

My husband's family and my dad are from this part of the world, and we wanted to experience what was once their world. Being Jewish, this trip was depressing because of all the atrocities done to Jews and others in that area, plus the cities between Kiev and Odessa are very depressed and still building their way back from the devastation of 70 years ago.

The Odessa opera house was so impressive, but the show we saw did not sit well with most attendees. We saw “Queen Forever”, a band who sounded like Queen. They started the performance 45 minutes late due to technical problems, and the first 30 minutes were poor due to those problems. The band was very loud, and many of our group left way before the concert was over.

This was our first Viking cruise. We thought the ship and the crew were marvelous. Everything was immaculate, all events were on time, buses were on time, and the tour guides were so knowledgeable.

As for the food, soups were marvelous and the best part of the cuisine. There were some regional foods each day, but not many and the menu did not offer much variety. The wait staff were so pleasant, and the house wines were nice and plentiful.

There was little or no entertainment in the evening aside from the talks about the next port. We did have some historical lectures from Michael, our cruise director.

We met such nice people onboard. The many who were repeat Viking customers rated this cruise much lower than we did as first time cruisers. They cited the boat, food, and ports among other items not being up to the previous Viking standards. Not having anything to compare this to, we thoroughly enjoyed the boat and staff.

Viking is an impressive company, and we intend to cruise with them again.

thank you.

We just signed up for this cruise this week, and would like to meet others who are on this cruise. Also, looking for some savvy cruisers who have been to Cuba. Questions about money exchange, credit cards, ability to walk around by ourselves without a group, etc.

Jess, hope to meet you aboard ship!

Yes, we were booked 2 years ago for this cruise, but Viking canceled it due to the troubles in Ukraine with Mr Putin. Then my husband got sick, but is so much better now, so we are going!

Have you cruised in the Ukraine or Russia before?

Ok, thanks for the advice. We look forward to discovering this interesting part of our world.

We are looking forward to traveling in the old Soviet bloc. We consider it a challenge to make people smile, but will the employees get in trouble if they do smile?

Yes, the newly renovated rooms look nothing like the old ones. The old ones were functional and cozy and small. Now it's like a 5 star hotel!

This is our first Viking cruise, first river cruise, and first time in this area. Has anyone been on this cruise? What advice can you give us before we leave?

Will do. Thanks.

if you have been on this cruise recently or in the past, any advice you could give newbies would be appreciated.:D

We are going on our first Viking cruise beginning July 15 from Kiev to Odessa and are really looking forward to the experience. We will be on the Sineus, and reading all these entries is interesting. Any and all information is appreciated.

I think the shuttle can carry 12 passengers plus luggage - you'll be fine. Plus they leave every hour or half hour to take people to the port. They are very accommodating.

We (6 of us) just returned from a Princess cruise out of Ft Lauderdale. We stayed at the Sleep Inn in Dania Beach, and it was all we needed. Free shuttle from the Ft Lauderdale airport (call the hotel to tell them you are at the airport), free shuttle to the pier, and parking for your car for a week. We paid around $72 for a room with no parking, and $112 for a room with parking. The staff is super nice, there is a Walgreen's next door, and a Mexican restaurant. Not real sure what else is close by...also free breakfast, and coffee 24/7, and free internet - what's not to like?