SAGA Gems of Andalusia Spanish and Portuguese waterways

Anyone been on this trip?

Starts Seville Spain, cruises down Guadalquivir river to Cadiz and then along coast and up Guadiana river in Portugal to Alcoutim before heading back.

I'm looking at it as somewhere new....

This SAGA trip is on CroisiEurope's MS La Belle de Cadix, so you might also look for reviews of the regular Croisi version [although we don't get too much on them either, sorry]

Thanks, Jazzbeau..

I did a search and found some 2015 hits, including one from PacMom who was going to take that tour in October. As I can't see how to PM her, I've posted on a thread she started about 2019 trips.

I'm hoping she'll respond

Again, thanks for that vital info...

Well my detailed message is floating in cyberspace. Will attempt it again this afternoon. This is a trip for those who can walk and climb and handle bus trips of up to 2 hours. It is a wonderful trip. We took this trip with Road Scholar. If you can take the trip with them--own guide, own tours, all inclusive.

Thanks for your speedy reply, PacMom

I'd really like to read your report. Walking no problem, not so keen on 2hr coach trips, as 2 there and 2 back = 4 hours.

Croisi (& thus Saga) are fullt inclusive of meals and drinks and some sightseeing trips

I don't know what Roadscholar is, but I assume its a US company. Since I am not in USA it's not an option.

As I see it I can book with Saga (which is a travel company for those 50+ with whom we've been on several holidays) or book direct with CroisiEurope. Saga cost includes airtravel, Croisi do not.

One thing that puts me off Croisi I've found today reading in the Croisi Q&A on this forum is that they take bookings from and encourage children. We've only been on Viking river cruises up to now which are adults only and we don't fancy the prospect of kiddies running up and down corridors,,,,

Good morning, Our trip on the Belle Cadiz was very good. It was our third river cruise with Road Scholar on a Croisi ship. We were a group of about 20 with our own guide and tours.

Cannot tell about the ship tours because we had our own. Cabins were about the same size as on most river cruises, no balconies. There was a real lack of storage space in our cabin, biggest complaint of trip. Cabin stewards were wonderful, cabin kept very clean.

Food. Biggest adjustment for Americans is the food service. Breakfast is buffet style with an omelet station and some days pancakes cooked to order. Lunch and dinner were plated single entree meals. Meals posted early in the day, so if you had a real problem with an entree you were able to talk with the chef about substitutes. There was usually enough food on your plate that you did not go hungry. For those most part meal time was the only time food was available.

Bar. Bar was open all day and evening. The bar was where you could get coffee and tea and anything else you wanted to drink. There were bottles of water to take on tours. They offered the most wonderful olives during the pre dinner time, also bar snacks.

the Boat. Very small, slow elevator. Stairs seemed to be spirally, always used 2 hands.

Large lounge very light with large windows. There was a small lounge aft that we used for our lectures and a lovely veranda off that.

Announcements. All made in the languages of the guests on board. We did meet 2 couples from Odessa who were very glad the announcements were in English.

Someone once said it isn't lost, it is somewhere. Click one more time and here is the message I thought was lost. Will stop here to give you time to digest this and happy to answer any questions. Pat

We have been on 3 Croisi trips, no children on any. We do tend to travel ***** the shoulder seasons. Know their Douro trip in the summer has children on it.. Personally I would book with Saga. We have booked directly with Croisi for their Berlin to Amsterdam trip for next year. We will be traveling by ourselves. Pat

Thanks, again PacMom.

As a fussy eater I don't like the lack of meal choice with Croisi but would accept it for the tour.....

But yesterday we got yet another brochure from Viking with even better deals than the ones which expired on 31 July and Mrs P instructed me this morning to book Passage to Eastern Europe which I have done, so the Saga/Croisi trip will have to wait.

(I am not keen on the booked tour because it has two hotel nights at the start in Budapest and one at the end in Bucharest - I prefer to unpack and pack once).

This will be our eighth consecutive Viking river trip......

Might I suggest packing cubes to solve the packing/unpacking dilemma. They make it much easier to find something without making a mess of your suitcase.

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Might I suggest packing cubes to solve the packing/unpacking dilemma. They make it much easier to find something without making a mess of your suitcase.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Not a term I've come across. What are packing cubes?

Items like this

You separate your clothes either by type of by outfits, and instead of rifling through the entire suitcase, you pull out other items grouped together, find what you are looking for, and put the other cubes back in the suitcase and you are done. It lets you find things easily, and repacking only takes a few minutes if you put things back in the cubes as you finish with them.

You find them on Amazon or any travel store.

Many thanks. I've found several brands of packing cubes on Amazon (tho' not Evatex). Sounds like a great idea.