CruiseIreland

Beautiful fountains and monument...

I neglected to post photos of our unguided walk from City Ring Hotel on our final day in Budapest. Our first target was the Dohany St. Synagogue. Then the riverbank towards the Parliament Building and then beer and hide from the fierce heat before seeking out and finding excellent pizza. Pics;

Final thoughts: A bit delayed but you know how it goes, you're away for 2 weeks so some catching up is required when you get home! I'll summarise our views by category: Pre-cruise stay: Our trip with Gate 1 included 3 nights in Prague. This was in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. This is a fine hotel which is reasonably well located, about 20 minutes walk from Old Town Square. Great staff and the breakfast was excellent. Included was a coach and walking tour of Prague on one morning. River Ship We were on the Monarch Queen, formerly the River Voyager (the schematic on the corridor wall is the original 'Voyager' schematic). Ship was clean and well maintained. Our room was a French Balcony which was nice. Food The food on the ship was excellent. Fresh omelette made to order at breakfast and a fresh pasta dish was often made to order at lunch. Dinner was served to the table except for one night when it was a buffet. Two nights were 6 courses and the others 5. All excellent food! Very stylishly presented and seconds offered most nights. Wine and beer were included at dinner only and always 3 pours, more if you asked. Excursions Every port had an included, free, walking tour and coach also. These tours were very good but, mostly, started early such as 8.30am. Optional tours happened in the afternoons and one evening. We didn't take any but, by all accounts, they were very good. Staff Almost every cruise trip report remarks that the staff were terrific but, in this case, it is absolutely true. They got to know our names and preferences. They were always helpful. Really impressed us. The Cruise Director was Georgina, from Budapest, and she was very informative and efficient. Activity Director was Nico, from Italy, a very entertaining and funny guy. Entertainment This is an aspect that didn't impress us. Only on the first and last night did they bring entertainer(s) onboard. Each other night, the hard working Nico ran quizzes and one night Karaoke. He did his best but the passengers did not turn up except for the Operetta night. I'm not sure Gate 1 could do much about this. Fellow cruisers The other passengers were predominantly North Americans, most US and many Canadian, 3 Egyptians and we 2 Irish. Many in the older age group, 65+, but a few in the 50s and a few younger who were travelling with family. We became friendly with and shared most meals and some excursions with an older couple from the USA, M and P. P's story is amazing. Born in Vienna just before WW2, to a Jewish couple, they fled Austria for Belgium. However, the situation became worse and they handed P into the care of the nuns in a convent. The nuns hid P and other children throughout the war and, after the war, P was adopted by a New York family. He knew nothing of his parents' fates until many years later when he found out, throught a lawyer who researched the origins of Jewish children adopted in America, that his mother had been put on a train to Auschwitz. Apparently, the train was attacked and she saw an opportunity to jump from the train. Sadly, it was moving too fast and she was killed. P never found out what became of his father. Such an amazing and sad story. This was P's first time in Vienna since he left as a baby! Now 85, he still skis and is an instructor too! Overall Thoughts We considered this to be the best of our 12 cruises, 11 ocean and this 1 river cruise. I selected Gate 1 on the basis of affordability and it surpassed our expectations. We are already looking for the next cruise but it will have to 2025 and not many are listed yet. Thanks for following along, it's encouraging to have comments and likes along the way! All the best! Any questions? Ken

We use a card called Revolut. It is a debit card that you can load from your bank account and purchase many different currencies within the card. Then, when you spend in one of the countries, it automatically debits your balance held in that country. I don't know if it's available to North Americans but there must be an equivalent available to you. We just returned from a 12 day trip which covered Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. For all of these, we used card payments widely except for Prague where we stayed for 4 days and drew out a small amount of cash for toilets etc. Any remaining cash, we used for part payment of a final meal in Prague. We never needed cash in Slovakia Germany, Austria or Hungary but if toilet is needed, there's always a McD's or any bar for the price of a coffee. Using non-local currency such as Euro or USD will get you a bad exchange rate. Ken

@bundtkate. I really appreciated you taking the time to share your experience of your first river cruise. It is YOUR experience and valid. We just got back, tonight, from our first river cruise, on Gate 1, and we loved it but many of your issues resonate with us. We're aged 59 and 62 and were not the youngest on the cruise but close to youngest. That was not an issue. I highly recommend Gate 1 and I will be posting our final update on the live thread here. Ken

Well, we were welcomed home by a kiss wetter than that of a Spanish soccer chief! Torrential rain and temperatures half of what we had in Budapest but we are happy to be home. I will do the recap tomorrow, probably! Ken

Our accommodation for last night was the City Hotel Ring. I'll admit that I didn't do much research on it until we were about to disembark the ship. Then, the doubts began to creep in. Reviews were not great. It is an uninspiring facde on a busy street not far from the Parliament buildings and the Margrid Bridge. However, staff are friendly and, most importantly, our room was available at 10am! Ice cold aircon, spacious room, very quiet. One drawback is that the elevator only commences on the 1st floor, so we had to drag our cases up the wide stone steps. Not a real problem but something to bear in mind. The reception and breakfast room are in one building while bedrooms are spread across 2 buildings. Our room was in the adjoining building with external walkway around a central courtyard. While I might not book it again, I have no real complaints.

Well, it transpires that the aforementioned statue is about 300m from our hotel, so we walked up and paid our respects before dinner; Dinner was Caprese Salad and Pizza Otto e Funghi, accompanied by a bottle of Hungarian Sauvignon Blanc. All excellent! Pics; Caprese Salad and bread starter Excellent pizza A couple of drinks in the Tarpa bar which was showing Chelsea v Luton. Up early for flight tomorrow. It has been shocking hot here 35/36°, giving 37° tomorrow. I will regret saying this but I'm looking forward to more temperate weather in Ireland. After we get home, I will post final thoughts and photos. Thanks for following along! Ken

Our final day: We took the included bus/walking tour. This began with a drive across the river to the Buda side and our guide pointed out sights of interest and the bus stopped for a minute or so to enable photos of the Parliament Building from inside the coach. This was not a great idea as the sun had risen in that direction so the Parliament was in shadow. We crossed back to the Pest side and got stuck in traffic due to the World Athletics Championships staging the 35km walking race. This may have impacted on the time available as the guide seemed to rush the walking tour, to the point that a couple of shipmates asked her to slow down. The tour ended at the synagogue which we only viewed from outside. Back on the bus and delivered back to the ship a whole hour ahead of time! A few passengers were grumbling over lunch. Some pics: Statue of Liberty Danubius Statue of Sisi, one of the ruling family, much loved in Budapest - had a bridge named after her rather than Chuck Norris!! Dohany St. Synagogue, where our tour ended yesterday. We went back today. After lunch, we went to see the Whale building which, our guide informed us, was used as NASA headquarters in the movie The Martian. As I liked the movie, we walked the few minutes from the ship. Very disappointing, seems to be an army exhibition or recruitment centre. We walked on the the Central Market which is a lively indoor shopping area, followed by the pedestrian Street where we had a beer. Last night's dinner was nice but nothing special. There was an Operetta show after dinner, very good classical music and singers. Many passengers had very early checkouts and flights so the ship quietened down very quickly. Check out and disembarkation on Friday morning. Ken

We have an extra night because of flights. Intend to photograph the Parliament building and, hopefully, visit the Dohany Synagogue which we saw briefly this morning. Any suggestions for a must see other than these? Ken

Celebration dinner was a six course affair. Stand out was the filet of beef. There was the parade of the baked alaska, followed by the parade of housekeeping, catering and bar staff. Good atmosphere and fun. We were offered second helpings most nights but only last night did I accept. Some food pics: Turkey Carpaccio ( it was cooked) Cream of Mushroom Soup Shrimp with Saffron Risotto Beef filet, photo doesn't do it justice Baked Alaska Entertainment was a game called Majority Rules, a quiz where the correct answer is the answer submitted by the most teams. Great fun and a bit risqué. The Activity host, Nico, is great fun and works hard to generate an atmosphere of fun, and succeeds. The Cruise line provided a complimentary drink to all in the lounge, wine, beer or soft drink. Great fun. Last night we passed through the deepest lock of our trip, with a drop of 59 feet. We were accompanied by our shadow this week, Viking Mimir. Interesting experience. A couple of pics; can't upload videos. We will arrive at Budapest about 8am. Arrival will be narrated by our Cruise Director, Georgina, who's from Budapest. We will have a tour of Budapest in the morning. Ken

Last night's entertainment was a multimedia quiz, followed by Karaoke. Small crowd as many were out at the concert. We were due a lie in this morning as the ship was not due in Bratislava until 11am. However, our Cruise Director wanted someone from each stateroom to attend the meeting at 9.30am about disembarkation on Friday. Today's walking tour of Bratislava commenced at 11am. Very pretty town and the tour guide was very informative. Some pics; St. Martin's Church with Holocaust memorial in foreground. St. Martin gives his cloak to a beggar Altar in St. Martin's Remains of St. Reparatus in the Church of the Annunciation. Old Town Hall Back street- much dereliction in the back streets, Fixer Uppers galore. Alley view to Castle These are just a few views. Beautiful town. Worth a visit. Yesterday evening, during dinner, we moved the ship as we were rafted to another and we would be leaving first today. I took a video which I will post when I get home, as the WiFi is not strong enough here. More tomorrow as we arrive in Budapest. Tonight is lavish Farewell Dinner, a night early! Ken

Vienna: Another early start as we were scheduled to leave on the guided tour at 8.30am. This tour is included in the cruise fare. Very good guide who narrated our 30 min drive into the city, pointing out buildings of interest and, importantly, the pick up point for the return to the ship and the later shuttle stop, which are one and the same Schwedenplatz. We had an interesting 45 minute walking tour, narrated by our guide on the 'Whisper' devices. These work well. Only thing is there is only one earpiece on the cord. If you prefer to have sound in both ears, you can bring standard headphones with a jack. A few pics: Lippanzanner stallion on way to work St. Stepan's Cathedral We finished up with and obligatory cake and coffee. Sluka coffee and cake shop recommended by our guide, very nice! A couple of things to note about Vienna: it's huge and there is so much to see so a guide is very useful. Second, it is very hot at the moment, so it's difficult to see a lot. It's definitely worth a return visit. We decided not to do the optional tour to the Schonnbrun Palace nor the evening recital at the Hofburg, both very popular with our shipmates. Dinner tonight was a buffet to enable to concert goers to get away. Pics: Grey mullet and creme of onion soup,

That explains the decor! Very musical, even the carpets!

@ural guy.we're melting here. Giving 95 for Vienna tomorrow. Is that the Cotton Club Lounge? No mention of any grub there. In fact, having seen the sign on the corridor today, I asked the Cruise Director about it. She had to ask the receptionist so it's not a feature this cruise.

Today's lunch was a Bavarian theme: suckling pig, shank of veal and sausage featured. As there were no tours ashore, there was quite a queue for the lunch. Rather loud Bavarian music was piped into the dining room. We sailed at 1pm and Georgina, the Cruise Director, gave a commentary from the sundeck as we sailed through the Wachau Valley. Some photos: Arrived at beautiful Durnstein View back up the river Street View More street Vienna tomorrow. Ken

Melk: We docked overnight at Melk and assembled for the, included, guided tour to Melk Abbey. Short bus ride and we were issued with entrance tickets and we were divided into 4 groups, colour coded according to the bus we opted for before we left the ship. Our guide was excellent and we were led through rooms of the Palace wing, the library formal room and we were then free to experience the church and the gardens. There are several WCs available, free of charge. No photos are allowed inside so I will post a few external pics. Entrance to the Abbey 1718 over the gate Inner courtyard (Prelate's courtyard) View of the Church from the walls We were free to take a bus back to the ship or walk down, which we did. Easy enough walk but lots of uneven steps. View of Abbey from Melk street Melk Street Turret house in Melk street We will move on to Durnstein at 1pm and will have an opportunity to explore there on our own. Ken

We sailed from Passau to Schlogen, not Aschach, and waited about an hour for the Salzburg busses. Sailing since and expecting to be in Melk in the morning. Tonight's dinner was excellent. Pics here; Appetiser: Chicken Avocado Tartare Clear potato essence: Chinese cabbage, Udon noodles and mushrooms Asparagus cream soup with creme fraiche Filet of Seabream, water cress radish salad, tarragon lemon sauce, asparagus, artichoke, herb new potato. Braised beef, gravy and red cabbage, potato dumpling Tiramisiu, wild berries, Bailey's sauce Fresh, sliced fruit of the season. All very good. Entertainment was a Trivia Challenge. Tough, especially the Logo round. We came third. Good turnout, about 50, but they pretty much all cleared out by 10pm. To the top deck to watch Linz as we passed through at about 10.15. Very pretty. Early start to Melk Abbey, 8.30am. Ken

We left Passau at 1pm and sailed to Aschach, Austria, to rendezvous with the coaches from the Salzburg. On the way, we had to lower the bridgehouse and canopies on the sundeck due to a low bridge entering the lock at Jochenstein. Video won't load but I'll try when I get home. Ken

Passau: What a beautiful town. We woke up to find that Viking Mimir had tied up next to us overnight. Access was across the sundeck as was our gangway to the Quay. We left at 9am for the included walking tour. Very good and interesting. St. Stephen's Cathedral is huge but there was lot of scaffolding inside and Mass was going on so no pics, unfortunately. Some pics of Passau:

Lovely sail to Passau. Bit of a queue at the lock, so we docked, temporarily, upstream from the lock and the coaches from Regensburg were diverted to that location. Night shot of Passau from the ship Dinner was less lavish than first night but, nevertheless, excellent. Caprese Salad Tenderloin of Pork - excellent. Not pictured, Wild Garlic soup and Vegetable Consommé, Nougat Parfait and Fresh Fruit plate. Wine was good and three pours each night 👏. Entertainment last night was 'Guess which song will attract the most dancers. DW did the estimates and I wrote them down. To our surprise and delight, we won a bottle of win and a box of pralines. 😋😋😋 Attendance at the entertainment is poor so far, only about 20 last night.

Greetings from Vilshofen! We decided to forego the tour to Regensburg in favour of a lie in and relaxing day on ship. However, we were wakened by the lovely Cruise Director, Georgina, over the PA, marshalling the tour group at 8.45. It was then that we realised that breakfast ends at 9 so we scrambled to the dining room and just made it. After breakfast, we decided to explore Vilshofen, which didn't take too long, in fairness. Very nice, neat little town. We walked uphill towards the monastery. It's quite a climb in this heat. Near the monastery, there's a pretty, plain little church and cemetery. Pic of little church: Pics of monastery. Very plain inside. Back in Vilshofen, we visited the town church, mu h more ornate. Pics here: Sailed from Vilshofen at 2.15 en route to Passau to meet our shipmates from the Regensburg tour. More later. So far, we are impressed by Gate 1 and Monarch Queen. Crew are lovely. Ken

Day 5: Fitful night's sleep and 6.30 am alarm. Everyone out and on coach by 8.20 so we left on time. Guide commentary most of the way to 1st comfort break. The Cruise Director broke the news that we would be embarking the ship at Vilshofen rather than Regensburg. Many groans but good news is that Gate 1 will bus anyone interested to Regensburg tomorrow and stump up €15 pp for lunch. I think we might skip the excursion and spend a day on the ship. We stopped after 30 minutes or so for a comfort break and arrived at Pilsen at 10.15am. There was a 45 minute walking tour of Pilsen which is beautiful. Church of St. Bartholemew, Pilsen Square in Pilsen Then free time and meet again at 12.50. Another comfort break later, we finally arrived at Vilshofen and our ship. Embarkation was very quick, no scanners or questionnaires, just passports and off we went. Ship looks very nice. Monarch Queen Shower French Balcony Bed After introductory meeting with CD and many staff, dinner was a lavish affair, 3 starters served to us and then a choice of New Zealand lamb, John Dory and a veggie option. Wine was served freely. Entertainment after was a very talented guitarist who was billed as 'rock and roll'. He was very good but only played for about 50 minutes, maximum. Not sure how the entertainment is going to pan out. More tomorrow. Ken

Just to pick up from last night. For our last night in Prague, I resolved to try Czech Goulash. DW is not into heavy meat dish so we compromised with LaScala Italian restaurant beside Tyn Church and just off the Old Town Square. I chose the goulash with bread dumplings while DW opted for Spaghetti Al Gamberi, prawns with chili, olive oil and garlic, freshh Spaghetti and parmesan. She loved it. The Goulash was just ok, braised beef that was quite tender but the bread 'dumplings' seemed to be just sliced white bread, served cold. The onions were quite undercooked and seemed to have been lobbed into the dish late on. The prawns: Goulash Not a bad meal but we both felt that the dishes/plates were sitting out or just too cold as they cooled quite quickly. Noticeably very busy around Old Town Square. Back to hotel to pack for early rise for transfer to the ship. Loved Prague.

Diverting to Vilshofen rather than Regensburg for embarkation due to low river levels.