Rebel54

Yes, that's where the advance planning bug gets me. I want a Royal cabin on this trip so I didn't want to wait until they were all filled up. Hopeful that it will all be wonderful.

Avalon got me again. Second out of 3 cruises with them that got cancelled on me. I was scheduled for the June/July 2024 Germany to Romania and they pulled the ship to move it to the Rhine. Now I'm on the August itinerary. They did give me a credit and found me a better promotion so all in all ended up saving $2000 on the trip. Now I just have to pray that the water gods are nice during Aug 2024.

I'm taking my daughter on the Danube for a "girls" cruise in 2024. Germany to Romania, Prague and Translyvania. I can't wait. We have such a great time traveling together. This will be her first time back to Europe since she was a child when we lived in Munich/Bad Aibling, Germany. This will be my 7th trip to Prague. Check out the Honest Guide and the Real Prague guide on YouTube. Lots of great suggestions for Prague. Try to get out early one morning in Prague...like at sunrise early. You will get to enjoy places like the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square without the crowds. A great food tour is "Taste of Prague". They have a website you can book at and they give you a digital book and map of great places to eat. The farther you get from the tourist areas, the more reasonably priced the food is. Don't miss the Jewish Quarter. Enjoy 🙂

I hope you will share some of your experiences. We are doing Germany to the Black Sea next year. I wish it was sooner. Until then I live vicariously through others 🙂

I like to sign up for the extra excursions as soon as I am able because I want to pay for them before I leave and not have an additional bill on my trip. I also want to make sure that I am able to get the ones I want. If they cancel Avalon has been pretty good about refunds so I don't worry about that too much

Windfarmer, I think that is something you need to call Avalon about but I would not risk having the wrong visa myself. We did the same cruise with Avalon a few years ago and I seem to remember them stressing that you make sure you get everything squared away.

I set up a Klarna account so I can convert to local currency through that. Plan to use my US card as a backup.

Me too. I am forcing myself to take a carry on only on our next trip which will be 20 days on the Danube...gotta pack smart 🙂

Looking at this video: Looks like there are tables that can handle 10. I would think when you check on board you can let the staff know you are a group and would like to be seated together.

When we were in Prague last time we did Taste of Prague food tour https://www.tasteofprague.com/ Great combo of tour and food tasting. I highly recommend it.

I asked someone when they were live on a cruise this week if you could use bluetooth earbuds with the whisper. If you have one of these (or similar) you can: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQZBMXD4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details She had one and tested it out.

When we did Mekong they were very strict. I remember some of my shipmates having to pay over $100 because their bags were too heavy for some of the in country flights.

When we did ours we had 3 suitcases between the two of us. Hubby is a big guy, has to work out and we had need for some nice outfits for Paris so we traveled with a bit more than we should have. They weren't happy when we checked brought our stuff for the bus in the am to head to the ship but it was what it was. After that we didn't hear anything. I had a small, under seat bag too. Not a lot of space on the boat for storage but we were fine. On my upcoming 3 week trip I plan to do a roller carry on and under seat weekend bag. Last time going to Prague my bag got left in Paris and I was without anything for almost 2 days...and it took me going back to the airport to find it. Ugh...frustrating.

I saw everything from smart casual to fancy to shorts and a polo. Never saw anyone turned away. You dress how you are comfortable and enjoy yourself.

We are staying here in Prague before our cruise....there is an elevator. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/820954?source_impression_id=p3_1677939464_%2BTNYTADcu4S2c%2F80

I remember using eVisa to enter Vietnam at the airport. When we were on the Avalon boat, they took care of the visa's we needed when crossing borders. It's been a while since we went. I seem to recall that the cruise line "recommended" I use a company for my eVisa but it wasn't mandatory.

I'm doing Germany to the Black Sea in June 2024 with Avalon. I originally was looking at August but due to being worried about water I moved to June. I prefer Avalon because I can book way in advance but don't have to pay until a few months before the cruise. I'd rather lose my small deposit than have to fight over a good chunk of money. This will be my 3rd cruise with them and I really enjoy their product.

I was just looking at my numbers and saw I have a bit of Viking in me....I was pretty excited 🙂

@notamermaid I love that castle. One of my favorite. I remember pushing my daughter in her stroller while prego with my son. By the time we got up there I thought I was going in labor. I would love to see it again one day.

I do tell people to think very hard before they spit in that tube.....your life can turn into a Jerry Springer episode over night.

I have a LOT of exploring to do 🙂 I can't wait to start.

My mother is from a long line of Mennonites....her ancestors came from Russia and Prussia to Germany and then on to the US. Given that they had to live in groups that were not allowed to socialize with the locals when they were on the run for religious freedom....there may be a few branches on that side that are a little straighter than one would like.

Very interesting. I will get there one day in the near future. My ancestry search started in an effort to help my mother who was adopted at birth, locate her family. She's had a series of strokes and I wanted to make sure she had some of that info before it was too late. Trying to help her, I opened a whole can of worms that she wasn't expecting. Not sure if it's memory damage from the stroke or she's just not wanting to admit that she knew all along....but she was "genuinely" shocked when I told her. I don't think she would have been as willing to take the test had she known/remembered but who knows. My father (the one that raised me) comes from a long line of Native American and Irish. I had NO native American and a small amount of Irish....Clue one. Clue two..he didn't show up as my relative in the list of family and he did a test too. A little digging later I now have two dads and a half sister that I never knew about.

LOL I was a Vietnam baby. Marine on the way to his tour in Nam. Met my mom when she apparently was on a break from my "dad". A couple ancestry.com tests later at the age of 51 (me) and everything changes. I'm not shocked, mad or upset. It is what it is and explains a lot. Sounds like you have your own story to tell CPT.

I do plan to visit one day. Trying to convince my father to go with me but he's a bit wary of traveling because of the "world situation" with extremists and terror plots. Me, I don't let that stuff stop me. I refuse to be held back because of fear. I do want to get there before I am too old to enjoy going.