Vantage River Cruising Roll Call- any destinations

[CruiseDirections]

Thank-you so much robthens for setting up the Vantage River Cruise Roll Call. We are taking the 11/10/10 Castles Along The Rhine And Danube embarking in Amsterdam. This is our very first river cruise although we've been lusting for one for several years. Although it will be cold, we couldn't resist the great price (as opposed to the more desirable weather prices;)). I guess they give the date of the cruise as the day you fly across the pond. We will be taking the 2 night post trip extension in Budapest.

 

We are seriously considering this cruise for next September and very interested in anyone who has done it on Vantage. I hope you will write a trip report. Does anyone know if wine is included at dinner and if not, can you purchase it in the ports for use on the ship?

 

Nancy

[Tom47]

We are seriously considering this cruise for next September and very interested in anyone who has done it on Vantage. I hope you will write a trip report. Does anyone know if wine is included at dinner and if not, can you purchase it in the ports for use on the ship?

 

Nancy

Wine is available for purchase on the ship by glass. If you bring your own, there is a corkage fee.

Tom:)

[robthens]

We are down to 7 days until we fly the bird over the big pond - Vantage's Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Not packed yet but piles of stuff all over the 2nd bedroom. Will have a report when I get my head together upon return. Stopping in Transylvania first to visit with my old relative, The Count. Willard

 

Have a Great trip. We know you will!

[robthens]

We are seriously considering this cruise for next September and very interested in anyone who has done it on Vantage. I hope you will write a trip report. Does anyone know if wine is included at dinner and if not, can you purchase it in the ports for use on the ship?

 

Nancy

 

Wine is available for purchase on the ship by glass. If you bring your own, there is a corkage fee.

Tom:)

 

Wine has been included with dinner on the last 3 Vantage trips we have taken.

[CruiseDirections]

Wine has been included with dinner on the last 3 Vantage trips we have taken.

 

Thank you for your quick reply, I am looking forward to tasting some local German wines and celebrating my birthday in Cologne on October 1st of next year. Would the leaves be turning in October?, it would be so beautiful along the river with all the castles.

 

Nancy

[Hydrokitty]

Wine has been included with dinner on the last 3 Vantage trips we have taken.

 

I have to find out which Vantage trips you've been on! I've had wine on every Vantage trip (4), but had to pay for it except for the captain's welcome and farewell dinners. It's not real expensive, but it's far from free! You can either buy a glass every night or buy a bottle that they put your name and room number on and bring it out whenever you want it. You can also buy it on shore but they charge about 5E corkage fee.

[Hydrokitty]

We are down to 7 days until we fly the bird over the big pond - Vantage's Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Not packed yet but piles of stuff all over the 2nd bedroom. Will have a report when I get my head together upon return. Stopping in Transylvania first to visit with my old relative, The Count. Willard

 

 

Have a wonderful trip, Willard. We just booked the new clipper ship in Costa Rica for Feb. Can't wait.

[robthens]

I have to find out which Vantage trips you've been on! I've had wine on every Vantage trip (4), but had to pay for it except for the captain's welcome and farewell dinners. It's not real expensive, but it's far from free! You can either buy a glass every night or buy a bottle that they put your name and room number on and bring it out whenever you want it. You can also buy it on shore but they charge about 5E corkage fee.

 

The wine (red/white) was served on only 2 (not 3) Vantage trips......Russian Waterways & China. Actually in China, we also had the option of beer or regular coke.

 

On the Russian Waterways, our Vantage tour included a stop at the local grocery/liquor store. Most everyone brought back wine, beer, Vodka (regular...honey...pepper), cola,etc. totally acceptable. We had a "tiny" fridge in the regular size cabin.

 

We are so ready to go on our trip in December. It was 107 today & our A/C went out this weekend. Thankfully, it was fixed today.

[robthens]

VANTAGE ROLL CALL UPDATE

Looks like this is what has been posted:

 

Eastern Europe & Black Sea

NPPHOTOG 8-30-2010

VELOCITYGUY 10-1-2010

JOYBUG 10 1-2010

 

Canadian Maritimes RAYANDJEAN 10-2010

 

Danube Odyssey CARHUT 11-2-2010

 

Castles Along the Rhine & Danube LINDYPC 11-10-2010

 

Christmas Markits Along the Danube ROBTHENS 12-9-2010

 

Christmas & New Years on Rhine & Danube JAYRAY 12-19-2010

 

Windmills of Holland & Belgium RAYANDJEAN 4-2011

Grand European IRWILR 6-4-2011

French Waterways RAYANDJEAN 9-2011

 

NELLY2 (not sure which trip you are on and date)

 

[CruiseDirections]

Please add us to the roll call, I booked Castles of the Rhine and Danube sailing from Amsterdam to Budapest on 9/28/11. I am glad I called today as this cruise is almost sold out! I was able to get the last cabin in our category choice so it is good that I didn't wait any longer, Steve at Vantage said that this is their most popular trip.

 

This will be our first trip with Vantage, but we have been on Mediterranean, Baltic, British Isle/Transatlantic, and Greek Island cruises. It will be our 40th cruise altogether and have been on ships as small as 78 passengers up to 3000+. We are really looking forward to Vantage, I looked at all of the competition but our cousin had a very enjoyable cruise with Vantage and it seems to have a big fan club with lots of repeat customers.

 

Hope to meet other cruisers on this itinerary before our trip.

 

Nancy & Steve

[Nelly2]

We'll be taking the Eastern Europe and the Black Sea river cruise in October 2010.

 

One thing we're concerned about is the constant change in currencies. Can anyone provide information on this. It seems as if nearly each country has it's own currency.

 

Thanks.

[Nelly2]

We'll be taking the Eastern Europe & Black Sea going from Bucharest to Budapest. I believe the boat sales Oct. 11 or so.

 

Janelle & Harvey

[robthens]

Vantage Roll Call update

 

Eastern Europe & Black Sea

npphotog 8-30-2010

velocityguy 10-1-2010

joybug 10-1-2010

nelly2 10-11-2010

 

Canadian Maritimes rayandjean 10-2010

 

Danube Odyssey Carhut 11-2-2010

 

Castles Along the Rhine &Danube lindypc 11-10-2010

 

Christmas Markits Along the Danube robthens 12-9-2010

 

Christmas & New Years on Rhine & Danube jayray 12-19-2010

 

Windmills of Holland & Belgium rayandjean 4-2011

 

Gramd European irwinlr 6-4-2011

 

French Waterways rayandjean 9-2011

 

Castles on the Rhine & Danube CruiseDirections 9-28-2011

[robthens]

We'll be taking the Eastern Europe and the Black Sea river cruise in October 2010.

 

One thing we're concerned about is the constant change in currencies. Can anyone provide information on this. It seems as if nearly each country has it's own currency.

 

Thanks.

 

The currency changes were somewhat of a planning challenge.

I type out a currency conversion table and tape it to the back of a small "credit card" size calculator. At each city, we estimate what $ we will need and use a bank ATM. Any left over money goes to our project manager as part of his/her tip.

 

I also take $100 in "new condition" $1 dollar bills. It is amazing that they are so widely accepted.

 

Hope this helps.

[buffetking]

We are down to 7 days until we fly the bird over the big pond - Vantage's Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Not packed yet but piles of stuff all over the 2nd bedroom. Will have a report when I get my head together upon return. Stopping in Transylvania first to visit with my old relative, The Count. Willard

 

I am writing this in past tense since I just saw that you leave today (maybe you're on your way already). I can relate to piles of stuff everywhere and not packed yet, we have 12 days before we leave. Hope it was a blast, let us know all the details. And especially, all about Translyvania and your visit with the Count.

[buffetking]

We are down to 7 days until we fly the bird over the big pond - Vantage's Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Not packed yet but piles of stuff all over the 2nd bedroom. Will have a report when I get my head together upon return. Stopping in Transylvania first to visit with my old relative, The Count. Willard

 

I am writing this in past tense since I saw that you are leaving today (you are probably already on your trip). Hope that it was a BLAST! Let us know all the details. Especially, about Transylvania and your visit with the Count. I can relate to piles all over, since we leave in 12 days. We will start our cruise in Budapest.

[buffetking]

We depart 9/10/10. Anyone else doing this itinerary?

[robthens]

Vantage Roll Call update

 

Eastern Europe & Black Sea

npphotog 8-30-2010

velocityguy 10-1-2010

joybug 10-1-2010

nelly2 10-11-2010

 

Canadian Maritimes rayandjean 10-2010

 

Danube Odyssey Carhut 11-2-2010

 

Castles Along the Rhine &Danube lindypc 11-10-2010

 

Christmas Markits Along the Danube robthens 12-9-2010

 

Christmas & New Years on Rhine & Danube jayray 12-19-2010

 

Windmills of Holland & Belgium rayandjean 4-2011

 

Gramd European irwinlr 6-4-2011

 

French Waterways rayandjean 9-2011

 

Castles on the Rhine & Danube

buffetking 9-10-2010

CruiseDirections 9-28-2011

[robthens]

Vantage Cruisers please feel free to update or correct my roll-call post.

 

Eastern Europe cruisers........I highly recommend you read the "Historian" b4 you take your trip!

 

xxxooo robthens

[cp556]

We had planned a transatlantic cruise and didn't book with our friends for a Vantage cruise in December. We then cancelled the transatlantic, and are now on a Vantage "waitlist".

 

Anyone have positive experience with such a waitlist? We've paid our deposit, indicated three categories we'd prefer, and now we wait. I am calling them at least once a week to check, since I read that the waitlists aren't always managed as tightly as they might be.

 

I'd appreciate anyone's input, because now we really want to go with our friends. Of course, we snoozed, so we may deserve to lose ...

 

Thanks

Carol

[robthens]

Hope I'm not making everyone nuts with my updates. I did organize this a little better.

 

Vantage Roll Call update

 

Eastern Europe & Black Sea

npphotog 8-30-2010

velocityguy 10-1-2010

joybug 10-1-2010

nelly2 10-11-2010

 

Canadian Maritimes rayandjean 10-2010

 

Danube Odyssey Carhut 11-2-2010

 

Castles Along the Rhine &Danube

buffetking 9-10-2010

lindypc 11-10-2010

CruiseDirections 9-28-2011

 

Christmas Markits Along the Danube robthens 12-9-2010

 

Christmas & New Years on Rhine & Danube jayray 12-19-2010

 

Windmills of Holland & Belgium rayandjean 4-2011

 

Grand European irwinlr 6-4-2011

 

French Waterways rayandjean 9-2011

[buffetking]

Hello everyone.

 

Our cruise will be on the Vantage m/s River Explorer.

Just wondering if there is enough room in the cabin to stow full sized luggage ?

 

Also, We were thinking about arranging a private tour during our 2 day pre-cruise stay in Budapest. And maybe a private tour in Vienna. Any suggestions on tour companies or local guides?

 

Thanks,

Dan

[thunderbird56]

Hello everyone.

 

Our cruise will be on the Vantage m/s River Explorer.

Just wondering if there is enough room in the cabin to stow full sized luggage ?

 

Also, We were thinking about arranging a private tour during our 2 day pre-cruise stay in Budapest. And maybe a private tour in Vienna. Any suggestions on tour companies or local guides?

 

Thanks,

Dan

 

Dan: We were on the Explorer in July. Wonderful experience. There is plenty of room under the bed to stow full-size luggage. Not sure where it goes in the cabins with fold-down beds, but we were traveling with friends who were in those cabins and they never mentioned any problems stowing the luggage. /Dennis

[mental]

Thank-you so much robthens for setting up the Vantage River Cruise Roll Call. We are taking the 11/10/10 Castles Along The Rhine And Danube embarking in Amsterdam. This is our very first river cruise although we've been lusting for one for several years. Although it will be cold, we couldn't resist the great price (as opposed to the more desirable weather prices;)). I guess they give the date of the cruise as the day you fly across the pond. We will be taking the 2 night post trip extension in Budapest.

 

A group of us just signed up for the same cruise you are taking, but leaving on aug. 14th of 2011. I would love to hear all your comments about the trip once you get back! We can't wait to go, none of us has done a river cruise yet, but have lots of experience on regular ships. In fact, our group is doing a TA this fall on the Celbrity Eclipse, and are really looking forward to it, but even more so to the Vantage cruise. Look forward to your reprot on your return.

[mental]

Hope I'm not making everyone nuts with my updates. I did organize this a little better.

 

Vantage Roll Call update

 

Eastern Europe & Black Sea

npphotog 8-30-2010

velocityguy 10-1-2010

joybug 10-1-2010

nelly2 10-11-2010

 

Canadian Maritimes rayandjean 10-2010

 

Danube Odyssey Carhut 11-2-2010

 

Castles Along the Rhine &Danube

buffetking 9-10-2010

lindypc 11-10-2010

CruiseDirections 9-28-2011

 

Christmas Markits Along the Danube robthens 12-9-2010

 

Christmas & New Years on Rhine & Danube jayray 12-19-2010

 

Windmills of Holland & Belgium rayandjean 4-2011

 

Grand European irwinlr 6-4-2011

 

French Waterways rayandjean 9-2011

 

Hi, we are new to this link. Please add us (Bob & Dusty) to the above tour on 8/14/11. thanks