Canal archive

I’ve never traveled with Viking but I doubt you would have any need of insect repellent at this time of year unless an excursion went anywhere near a swamp, which I wouldn’t think they would. Only once on a river cruise were we warned to keep the screen down on our balcony and that was much later in the year.

Someone has realised that river cruise vessels need to be a lot larger to hold all of these extra river cruisers which of coarse also means the entrance to rivers has to be larger and consequently the rivers so soon there will be no room for the land. Oh dear! 

To visit Neuschwanstein Castle you have to purchase a tour ticket and these cannot be reserved everyone has to do the guided tour oh and no photography. Just saying!

I’m pretty sure it’s a bit like trying for Mont San Michel from a Seine cruise a long drive ‘an ohhh there it is’ and a long drive back. If, and I’m not saying it is your idea of sightseeing then go for it. I see river cruising apart from the sheer enjoyment of it as an opportunity to see areas of Europe you might not see by road as an opportunity to feel the country’s. I know it’s difficult to fit everything in and your a long way away and may never have the opportunity to return but enjoy what is available in full so that your memories will be so much more valuable. 

Welcome Irenen first look through the headings above lots of info there check the headings of the threads some a fascinating reading and some give a day to day account of a cruise. As an Australian I’m surprised your TA did not suggest Scenic or Emerald, Aussie companies but then I’m a fan. Wherever you look will cause maybe slight confusion as each company has its pro’s and con’s. Try a website called River Cruise Adviser they have comparison charts. Enjoy your research look on it as part of your holiday not a drag. So enjoy and hopefully welcome to the river cruising fraternity.

Notamermaid we are going to look into adding to your name such as Detective or Holmes’s super reasoning.

Living less than 15 minutes from Bath we definitely try our best not to visit during the summer.

C***********P what an absolutely brilliant way of putting it! 
Especially as Barcelona is such a wonderful city one of my cities of the world.

sjde wow that’s fighting talk as my darling Aunt (a naturalised Canadian) said to me once she was now a Canadian first and a North American second. The same as in the U.K. for instance I’m a Brit/British but I’m also English I have friends who are Scots, Welsh and Irish, Chanel Islanders, Cornish,  Shetland’s but all Brits a small area, compact and bijou but perfectly formed! I suspect North Americans or Americans  originate from many countries especially Europe and still refer to their family heritage, as only First Nations or other indigenous peoples can truly say they are American/North American. 
I mean no harm to anyone my Aunt and Uncle were very proud to have been permitted to emigrate from the U.K. (United Kingdom) and become Canadian citizens, crikey I nearly did.

Yes Nippy Sweetie apart from our age it’s the reason we sold our place in Scotland we purchased 35 years ago it was (and still is to a certain extent) a joy to drive around discovering some of the most beautiful parts of the world but now it can sometimes be to much of a hassle, but as I said age does not make a vast difference.

Its becoming more and more difficult to get away from - the herd.

It would give the expression used by U.K. canal enthusiasts just a little more credence ‘breasting up’. 
Companies naming so far we seem to go for the realms of Norse Gods or Faye’s, European Royalty, Gems, so there must be more threads to be used.

Our vibes are certainly with you, 🤞

Of course but only after we’ve consumed the contents!

There you go your bit of bling no probs but please I beg no knee high socks, See it’s ingrained!

Did you see this report? Just a week or so ago.
 

Thousands rally in Spain's Canary Islands against mass tourism https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68865755

I’ve heard that if you’ve got the cash you can do anything or if you have to ask you can’t afford it!

Well apart from that I have an inbuilt dislike of open toed sandals and I’m pretty sure of the reason ‘my dad’. Being a Navy man and having served in some of the hotter parts of this earth they used to wear I think they were called undress whites - white shorts, white shirt, white knee high socks and open toed sandals, my dear father carried on this tradition after leaving the navy at home in during summer much to his supposedly hip teenage daughter horror  well it was the 60’s. I loved him regardless.

Walk wear yeah those who wear completely inappropriate footwear, maybe not kitten or any other heels but shoes with no ankle support. I’ve seen it and listened to the complaints. Of course it’s either the cruise companies fault or heaven forbid the local towns.

I may not have traveled on Viking but I have several friends who have but read my input again you might then understand it.
Plus I couldn’t be bothered whether your wearing Gucci or Armani wear what you want as of course style is always the way to go and the more effortless the better.

pontac why would you and why would anyone need to?

The fashion police are somewhat easy to recognise, they refuse to wear decent walk ware so complain about cobbles, they whisper behind their hands to their equally usually unfashionable friends because they think they are fashionable but in a lot of cases they’re really not. Also if you tested them, they wouldn’t know there Gucci from there Armani. Most of all the jealousy vibe rolls off them, you can feel it ‘how do you look so relaxed and put together’? Remember they’ve primped in front of a mirror for ages to perfect their awfully imperfect look.

In other words go for it don’t worry it’s the last thing you need to do it’s your holiday definitely not theirs. Enjoy!

Most companies are more than happy to know if anything has happened outside of the norm. The actual company because they can then see a gap, if any, in their H & S training and the Insurance Company so that they are aware of the training necessity, the lack of which could impact on themselves. 
Keep well, in my experience foot bones are usually left to heal themselves, having played sport level badminton in my youth I know to my cost but that was quite a few years ago things have most probably changed. Fingers crossed.

Very good friends both businesses and personal of ours went to Austria on holiday the few days spent together in Vienna were extremely enlightening he soon after the war was injured so got enrolled to be an officers driver in Vienna for some reason (that we never found out) he could speak and understand various European languages. People forget this was a divided city he showed us how to see this by the architecture and in some cases the pockmarked walls - if you do a coach tour you will see what I mean. Look out for the starkness of what was the communist section. As we stood watching our other halves on the big (ferris) wheel, both of us being not that happy with heights a man taped him on the shoulder - very Third Man - it was someone he hadn’t seen for many many years, my friend was not a demonstrative person very upright British but there were tears an hugs between a Brit and German men at least forty years ago it still moves me remembering.

In France in my late teens touring we stopped to ask for directions and I was spat at by an elderly lady, this was seen by a Gendarme and he apologised to us and said she had been a collaborator. It has always been interesting chatting to young east European Scouts from ex communist countries some of their stories make your hair curl. Although some of the most interesting has been chatting about family war experiences with my husband’s German work colleagues.

You might note that Scenic vessels are amongst the shallowest drafted of river cruise ships.

I think they should be made aware then at least you would feel you had done your best without making an enormous fuss. Best wishes.