Roll Call: May 11th AMA Blue Danube Discovery

[doreen22]

I feel for all the travellers who have their flights disrupted because of the volcano in Iceland. Apparently the disruptions may continue depending on the volcanic activity:(. I am sure glad we are not leaving for 3.5 weeks.

 

Susan

[SBDriver]

Between volcanoes, threats of airline strikes, and low river levels, this could be one interesting vacation!!! I try not to worry about the things out of our control, but it still creeps into the back of my brain. Fingers crossed it all works out.

[doreen22]

I know what you mean, the union that refuels the planes at Vancouver Airport has served strike notice, who knows what disruptions that will cause:(.

I am going to check my insurance this weekend to see what it covers, just in case. Apparently some policies cover these kinds of disruptions, but some don't.

I should know what mine covers, but I don't:(

Fingers and toes crossed:)

 

Susan

[SBDriver]

Good idea about checking the policy. I'll put that on the "to do" list. The one that gets longer as the time gets shorter!:eek:

[doreen22]

Our documents have arrived at our TA's....she will deliver them early next week:).

 

Susan

[KCcruisin07]

I have been concerned for all the people who have/had flights now that may be affected by the volcano too. I hope this clears up for them soon. I agree that with all the disruptions this year this could be one memorable trip.

We have our e-docs too. My husband got his suitcase out, but then he always is the early bird type.:) I put a number of tops in a different closet.

Fingers and toes crossed!

Kathy

[KCcruisin07]

We're leaving for London in 13 days. Time is really flying now.:D

[doreen22]

We're leaving for London in 13 days. Time is really flying now.:D

 

Hi,

 

With all the chaos with air travel, and empathizing with all the travellers stranded , missing their holidays etc. my excitement level seems to have diminished considerably.

However, now that things are starting to return to normal I am sure it will quickly return:). I am one of those people that like to start packing weeks ahead, so I have everything laid out in the spare room. (The unpacking ususally takes me weeks too:D).

We finally got our packet from our TA, AMA definitely does a good job with it.

We leave on May 10th.. so 19 sleeps for us, we are on a "red eye" and I am a nervous flyer even without all this volcano stuff, so I will definitely be glad when we have safely arrived in Budapest!

Susan

[SBDriver]

Susan, what do you mean by "packet?" All we got was an e-mail with cruise documents to print off.

We leave on the 11th (it's our 30th anniversary on the 10th!!) and are also on a red eye, with a connection in London. Hope to be in Budapest shortly after noon on the 12th. Fingers crossed we have no more glitches.

 

Wendy

[doreen22]

Hi Wendy,

 

We got a bunch of stuff in a blue pouch, I haven't looked at in depth, and I am at work but here's what I remember:

 

-nice looking luggage tags

-a small book with maps/descriptions etc. of each of our stops that says Prague on the cover

-a small book on the Danube

-a pamphlet type thing with descriptions of our intinerary and excursion

options.

- that's all I remember at the moment but I think there was a bit more...

Maybe yours is in the mail to you?

Susan

[SBDriver]

Susan, was the package from AMA, but delivered to your TA? Perhaps ours is in the mail. I'll give it a couple of days, and then contact our TA if we don't get one.

 

Does anyone else out there know if we should be expecting this package in the mail if we booked with an on-line TA?

 

Wendy

[KCcruisin07]

Wendy,

We haven't received our packet yet either. I think it goes to the TA, then to us regardless. Hope it arrives soon! I also take forever to unpack-maybe it is about letting go of the trip!

Like you with everything else going on, the BA strike and then the volcanic ash, I have been afraid to get my hopes up, but I just looked and realized how much time has gone by. Fingers xxd. :)

[doreen22]

Susan, was the package from AMA, but delivered to your TA? Perhaps ours is in the mail. I'll give it a couple of days, and then contact our TA if we don't get one.

 

Does anyone else out there know if we should be expecting this package in the mail if we booked with an on-line TA?

 

Wendy

 

 

Hi Wendy,

The package was from AMA & delivered to our TA, hopefully yours is in the mail... but even if it isn't I wouldn't worry about it.. I would have rather have saved $50.00 and given up the packet and I know you saved much more:D. When we (hopefully) meet up on the trip I would like to get more info re your on-line TA.

 

Have you (and Kathy) given much thought to optional excursions? I see there are 2 offered in Budapest and I am thinking we will likely go on the Puszta one. DH doesn't seem to be much help with these decisions, especially if I avoid discussing cost:D.

 

Not long now!

 

Susan

[SBDriver]

Hi Susan.

 

We hadn't given much thought to Budapest excursions at all. I have researched the baths, and if we do decide to go there, we will do it on our own. It looks pretty straightforward to get there, and more economical as well. I think there is so much to see in Budapest that we'll be busy morning till night, especially since we don't arrive until the afternoon of the 12th. I'm regretting not going in a day earlier, but the thought honestly didn't cross my mind when we booked.

 

We're debating Schonnbrun Palace in Vienna, but again, from my research it looks fairly easy to get to on your own, and a lot cheaper than what AMA wants for the excursion.

 

The only excursion that looks like it is on par price wise with other tour companies is the Terezen excursion in Prague. That is one we are seriously considering. I have not researched getting there on our own. I'm sure it's possible, but I'm running out of research time!!! There's so much still to be done around the house, and my job is starting to get busy, not to mention I need the all important hair cut (and colour) before we go! lol.

 

Three weeks today we will be on board the Amalegro! Fingers crossed no more volcanoes decide to erupt.

 

Wendy

[doreen22]

Hi Wendy,

I know what you mean.. I had no idea there was so much to see in Budapest, we are arriving one day early but that still won't give as much time as we will need, as we have to change hotels etc.

I think we will do Terezen ,S. Palace, Vienna concert (dh not thrilled about this one:))...and the Puszta with AMA. I am starting to get excited again....we also are really busy at work, and I am already starting to lose my concentration with still 2 weeks to go...I got my hair coloured this week though, so one thing off "the list!

I had better smarten up and sign off this site and get back to work:)

Susan

[KCcruisin07]

Hi, Wendy and Susan,

I have done research into Budapest and Prague, but haven't seen the excursions and prices. (Where are they?:rolleyes:) I think there's a lot we can do on our own there.

I would like to see Schonbrunn Palace probably on our own if that is less. I am thinking seriously about the optional Salzburg trip. My neighbor said we would see the Alps that way, and then there's: The Sound of Music tour.

I think my DH will want to avoid the Vienna Concert. Also he does not want to take a sport coat,:cool: so I doubt we will do that.

Do you have your flight plans/know what you are doing about transfers yet? We arrive the 11th, I think at 10:15, (I don't think this coincides with your plans), and we are taking an early flight, I think 8 a.m. on British Air from Prague on the 24th.

And I am having my hair colored next week. I am even going for highlights this time.:D

And the UPS man just brought more walking shoes (but I have to return one pair that didn't fit)...I love to travel! (My fingers are crossed that things go ok!)

[SBDriver]

Hi Kathy,

 

Here is a link to the AMA excursions:

http://www.amawaterways.com/reservations.asp?page=tvlres_info&dest=europe

 

There is other info on that page as well. Our flight lands in Budapest around 12.30 pm on the 12th. We plan on taking Zona taxi to our hotel (from research on Trip Advisor). Our flight back from Prague on the 24th is with British Airways at 12.15 pm. We haven't booked transfers yet, as I read somewhere on this board that AMA helps you with that at the end of the trip.

 

We don't plan on doing the Vienna concert. It's not our thing. We have also decided that we would rather not do the Salzburg tour. The scenery looks so lovely in that section of the Danube, we don't want to miss it. My husband discovered that the Beer Festival is on in Prague while we are there, so we are hoping to try that for a couple of hours one evening!!

 

Too much to do, too little time!

[doreen22]

We actually are more into beer festivals than Vienna concerts and we definitely will check into that too:).

We land in Budapest about 7PM on the 11th...I was planning to reserve the shuttle from the airport...I got the info re the shuttle from these boards, but at the moment I can't quite put my hands on it:rolleyes:. I can't believe how much info I have printed out on Budapest & Prague- I fear I am on information overload!

We fly out about 10am on the 24th....to save a few $ we go to Paris than back to Amsterdam before flying to Vancouver:(...I don't want to even think about that flight though.

[SBDriver]

I can't believe how much info I have printed out on Budapest & Prague- I fear I am on information overload!

 

I know exactly how you feel. My head is spinning. A month from now it will all be over!:eek: Don't want to think about that yet.

 

We could have taken an earlier flight on our way home, but I decided I didn't want to get up at the crack of dawn and head for the airport bright and early on our last day. I may regret that when I have to get up on Tuesday and head back to work!!:rolleyes:

[KCcruisin07]

Wendy, thanks for the link about the trip excursions. I will have to look at it later...have to go to an HOA meeting in an hour. I think we will reserve Zona too. Are you going with the driver John recommended? I believe we will reserve a shuttle from the hotel in Prague to the airport. There are a couple that sound good.

Guess we will check out the Beer Festival too. I know my DH will want to go on some loong hikes. He hikes for a few hours a day, and I know he will be antsy if he doesn't exercise.

Susan, you are almost doing the opposite of what we are doing. We are going to London and Paris on the way to Budapest. Have you been to Paris and Amsterdam before? Which airline are you taking?

[doreen22]

Wendy, thanks for the link about the trip excursions. I will have to look at it later...have to go to an HOA meeting in an hour. I think we will reserve Zona too. Are you going with the driver John recommended? I believe we will reserve a shuttle from the hotel in Prague to the airport. There are a couple that sound good.

Guess we will check out the Beer Festival too. I know my DH will want to go on some loong hikes. He hikes for a few hours a day, and I know he will be antsy if he doesn't exercise.

Susan, you are almost doing the opposite of what we are doing. We are going to London and Paris on the way to Budapest. Have you been to Paris and Amsterdam before? Which airline are you taking?

 

Hi Kathy,

We are flying KLM/Air France and have never been to Europe before, unfortunately all we will see of Paris is the airport.

We are looking forward to doing lots of walking on this vacation. I don't seem to have lost the weight I gained on our last holiday in November, and I really don't want to gain another 5 pounds. But I am sure looking forward to the different menus as well as the free wine/beer with dinner.

We are usually beer drinkers but I will have to sample the wine too:D.

 

S.

[MVPinBoynton]

Have a great time on your cruise. It is a wonderful experience indeed.

[SBDriver]

Thanks, MVP.

 

After looking at your photo journal I feel like I've already been! It's amazing.

I'm sure the real thing will be a sight to behold.

 

Wendy

[scranger]

We're doing the same cruise on the Amacello on 5/17, with a few days in Prague at the end, and thought I'd share historical weather info for any given day in May:

 

Budapest: 53-73o F., 25% chance of rain

Bratislava: 49-69o F., 35% chance of rain

Vienna: 49-67o F., 25% chance of rain

Dürnstein-Melk: 49-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Linz: 48-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Regensburg: 46-67o F., 31% chance of rain

Nuremberg: 45-66o F., 23% chance of rain

Prague: 45-64o F., 25% chance of rain

 

Hope this helps.

[doreen22]

Have a great time on your cruise. It is a wonderful experience indeed.

 

Thanks Mike,

 

It was partially due to your reviews/photos that we are even on this cruise, as they swayed me in favour of AMA and this particular itinerary:).

 

Susan