newbie to river cruising

we sail on the viking ship Idi the end of june...amsterdamn to basel. our first river cruise in celebration of our 50th anniversary....are there umbrellas in each cabin? or should i pack mini ones for hubby and i? we plan to take waterproof rain jackets as well.

hopefully insurance against many rainy days!

we sail on the viking ship Idi the end of june...amsterdamn to basel. our first river cruise in celebration of our 50th anniversary....are there umbrellas in each cabin? or should i pack mini ones for hubby and i? we plan to take waterproof rain jackets as well.

 

hopefully insurance against many rainy days!

If they aren't in your cabin, then they will be available as you disembark, however, they are golf umbrellas. I love them because, unlike my little folding umbrellas, my backside stays dry.

I found a picture on line:

The other nice thing about Viking big reds is that when you get back to the ship the umbrella goes away. No wet umbrella dripping in your cabin although a regular umbrella can dry off in your shower.

The other nice thing about Viking big reds is that when you get back to the ship the umbrella goes away. No wet umbrella dripping in your cabin although a regular umbrella can dry off in your shower.

Agreed!!!

My advice? Take a jacket with a hood and leave the umbrellas on the boat. They are pokey, block views of others, tie up one of your hands, and are a general nuisance.

My advice? Take a jacket with a hood and leave the umbrellas on the boat. They are pokey, block views of others, tie up one of your hands, and are a general nuisance.

I pretty much agree with this. I wear a Goretex jacket with a hood. It is lightweight and breathes. If it is cool you can wear layers under. I, also, wear water resistant pants and Goretex or water resistant shoes. We walked around Budapest in the rain a few years ago for about 7 hours dressed like this, got splashed by a car from a puddle and we stayed comfortable the entire time. I prefer when it doesn’t rain. :halo:

JC

If Viking supplies a good umbrella, definitely plan on using it. Not sure how things are in Amsterdam in June, but we were there in October and got thoroughly drenched in rain and wind the first day before the cruise started. Our portable umbrellas that we brought along totally self-destructed - wound up throwing them away in the trash while walking the streets. Then stopped into a shop to buy new ones. I hate walking around on any tour or trip in the rain. For one thing, I always worry about my cameras getting wet - even though they are in a case.

I pretty much agree with this. I wear a Goretex jacket with a hood. It is lightweight and breathes. If it is cool you can wear layers under. I, also, wear water resistant pants and Goretex or water resistant shoes. We walked around Budapest in the rain a few years ago for about 7 hours dressed like this, got splashed by a car from a puddle and we stayed comfortable the entire time. I prefer when it doesn’t rain. :halo:

 

JC

Yes, but a hooded jacket doesn't keep my camera dry, thus an umbrella on really wet days.

My advice? Take a jacket with a hood and leave the umbrellas on the boat. They are pokey, block views of others, tie up one of your hands, and are a general nuisance.

I mostly just use my Indiana Jones sun hat (Tilley hat) as an umbrella but do occasionally use the Viking umbrella in downpours. Your points are well taken.

They can be dangerous & intrusive to others. Maintain situational awareness!

I mostly just use my Indiana Jones sun hat (Tilley hat) as an umbrella but do occasionally use the Viking umbrella in downpours. Your points are well taken.

They can be dangerous & intrusive to others. Maintain situational awareness!

I too love my Tilley as a rain hat, especially since I wear glasses that need to be kept dry.

I have difficulty juggling a camera and an umbrella so prefer rain gear rather than an umbrella.

I have difficulty juggling a camera and an umbrella so prefer rain gear rather than an umbrella.

I have an umbrella bearer.;) Solves the juggling problem. Keeps the equipment dry but does lower the daily quota.

I'm always amazed on any trip at how many people don't even carry cameras in a case. One time we did an airboat ride in the everglades and a storm came up. Got soaked head to toe by the time we got back to the hotel (as in just-came-out-of-the-shower type of being wet). Everything we had with us was saturated and had to sit out for hours in the room to dry (did not have umbrellas with unfortunately). Were it not for my pretty thickly-padded case, I can't imagine that both my cameras would not have sustained damage.

From my reading river cruises are very different from your regular ocean cruises. I was wondering do you have to throw out drinks and food when boarding the boat? If I see a french pastry shop there is a good chance I am going to buy some goodies ;-)

From my reading river cruises are very different from your regular ocean cruises. I was wondering do you have to throw out drinks and food when boarding the boat? If I see a french pastry shop there is a good chance I am going to buy some goodies ;-)

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I like to have all bases covered, so I bring a mini-folding umbrella to carry on days that look like it might rain, and would use the big Viking umbrella in heavy rain.

I wear a rain hat with a stampede strap if it looks like the rain will be serious. I dislike umbrellas, particularly in groups or crowds. They drip on other people; people tend to not be aware of where the poky ends are (look out!); they block views for other people; they are a nuisance to store when they are wet.

We use ponchos... fit over any day pack, and also keep cameras dry....We will use umbrella's if it's really heavy rain, but my husband is well used to "shading" my camera with his poncho (nice that I'm short) while I shoot my pics.