Avalon Blue Danube Discovery

[SBDriver]

Hello all.

 

We are considering booking this cruise, and are wondering how much time you actually spend docked at the various ports?

 

It looks like you get most of the day in Vienna, but for Durnstein/Melk, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremburg, it appears you get there late afternoon and are on your way in the evening.

 

Would you skip the ship dinner and spend precious time on shore, or am I misunderstanding something? If we do decide to do this, we'd like to make the most of our time.

 

Thanks for any help and advise you can give.

[Rivermike]

Hello all.

 

We are considering booking this cruise, and are wondering how much time you actually spend docked at the various ports?

 

It looks like you get most of the day in Vienna, but for Durnstein/Melk, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremburg, it appears you get there late afternoon and are on your way in the evening.

 

Would you skip the ship dinner and spend precious time on shore, or am I misunderstanding something? If we do decide to do this, we'd like to make the most of our time.

 

Thanks for any help and advise you can give.

 

The time for river cruises are never designated because arrival and departure times are based on the tides/amount or traffic and visability.

 

Although Melk is magnificent the trip there along the Washau valley is beautiful. You only need half aday in Melk. In Nuremberg you will probably have the choice of shore excursion: Ancient or modern. The modern covers the Hitler period and you will see the War trial location-Zepelin fields and a great museum. Durnstien to me is one of the best villages. You may see the organ concert and walk the village streets. Do buy some of the Apricot preserve or liquor. Remember a cruise is not an in depth vacation. Many people return for in depth visits.

[usavvy2]

Hello all.

 

We are considering booking this cruise, and are wondering how much time you actually spend docked at the various ports?

 

It looks like you get most of the day in Vienna, but for Durnstein/Melk, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremburg, it appears you get there late afternoon and are on your way in the evening.

 

Would you skip the ship dinner and spend precious time on shore, or am I misunderstanding something? If we do decide to do this, we'd like to make the most of our time.

 

Thanks for any help and advise you can give.

 

just returned from that trip aboard the Tapestry in October.

Durnstein in the morning; Melk in the afternoon. Durnstein charming village but very small so sufficient time for the walking tour plus seeing some of the charm on your own. Melk allowed time for the visit to the Melk Abbey - if you're the last tour, you have to wait for the other groups to get thru the same # of rooms (we had 4 groups so we waited for the other 3 groups to get to room #4 so we could go inside room #1). We barely had time for a health break after the tour but those on tour #1 had some time for the gift shop etc. then back to the ship.

 

In Vienna, you can take the underground into city center the night you arrive, take the 1/2 day included tour, then stay in town and take the underground back to the ship if you'd like.

 

In Regensburg, just jump off the ship and you're in town. Time to eat lunch at the oldest sausage kitchen in town plus roam around the town a bit!

 

In Nuremberg we arrived 3 hours behind schedule due to low water (11am instead of 8am). We did the 1/2 day included tour and had the option to return on the 430 or 530pm bus. We chose the latter time and had time to walk around the bridges, buy some gingerbread, and eat some (more) sausages.

 

Of course, you'll be staying in Budapest and Prague for a few days so you'll have plenty of time in those cities to get an indepth feel for them.

[usavvy2]

btw, you might be interested in reading this thread about Avalon.

[SBDriver]

Thanks usavvy2, that's the kind of info I was looking for. Sounds like there's time for the important stuff (especially the sausages and gingerbread!!)

 

I'll check out that link later today.