Last minute cruise on Vantage Odessy

[RealCajunLady]

We will take our first river cruise in 36 days on Vantage Odessy going from Bucharest to Budapest. Booked yesterday because good friends are going. Reading about low water levels in area. What should we plan for if we are not able to travel on water? Baggage? All info would be helpful.

[sandyss]

We'll be on the cruise just before yours - going from Budapest to Bucharest. We have the same question about water levels.

 

Also, since we will be traveling through several different countries - all with different currencies, does anyone know if we can buy and sell the different currencies about our Vantage ship, or do we have to go to ATMs in the various countries in order to get cash?

[jacksonnh]

RCL - if the ship can't sail, you will be bussed. There is no way of knowing at this time. Water levels can change daily.

 

Sandy - you will get the best exchange rate at the atm's and they're easy to find.

[GiannaD]

We will take our first river cruise in 36 days on Vantage Odessy going from Bucharest to Budapest. Booked yesterday because good friends are going. Reading about low water levels in area. What should we plan for if we are not able to travel on water? Baggage? All info would be helpful.

 

We did Bucharest to Vienna on the Vantage River Odyssey in October 2011. The water levels on the lower Danube were very low and we spent two extra nights in Bucharest. We were bussed to the sights in Romania and then up river to meet the ship and do the sights in Bulgaria. Vantage did a great job rearranging our schedule. We missed one stop in Romania but were bussed to Sofia, Bulgaria which was not on the itinerary. That was an unanticipated surprise. Yes, we spent time on the bus(and there was some grumbling) but we got to see a lot that we could not have seen from the river. Vantage handled the arrangements seamlessly. We had some extra restaurant lunches with wine and local entertainment which we greatly enjoyed.

 

As stated above the water levels can change rapidly so there is no way to anticipate if your itinerary will change. Just relax and enjoy the trip.

 

You should pack the same as you do for the cruise. You need layers because in the fall the weather can go from quite warm to chilly and rainy. Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes.

 

The crew on the ship is marvelous and our program managers were wonderful.

 

You will find that the Eastern European countries on this trip are not very "touristy" and you will experience the post communist economic conditions in this area. As others have stated you will sail from the depressed areas to the splendor of Budapest which for me was preferable to the reverse itinerary.

 

This was our third European river cruise with Vantage and we would not hesitate to recommend them.

 

 

Enjoy your trip!

[RealCajunLady]

Thanks GiannaD - I love cruising because we can unpack once and not worry about luggage again - I was wondering if we would have to repack-unpack-repack - ugh. I trust the bussing would be handled well, but would we have to transfer our bags frequently. I am not 'in charge' for this trip so I intend to relax and enjoy as much as possible.

[GiannaD]

Thanks GiannaD - I love cruising because we can unpack once and not worry about luggage again - I was wondering if we would have to repack-unpack-repack - ugh. I trust the bussing would be handled well, but would we have to transfer our bags frequently. I am not 'in charge' for this trip so I intend to relax and enjoy as much as possible.

 

Relaxing and enjoying is the way to go!

 

Packing and repacking was not a problem for us. We stayed three nights instead of one in the same hotel in Bucharest and then boarded the Odyssey for the remainder of the trip.

 

Vantage had called us about the change before we left the US so I just put the clothes for the first few days on the top layer of the suitcase and did not unpack the rest at the hotel. Vantage also told us to expect unusually warm weather at the start of the trip so I knew what to pack. It was nice to arrive at the ship and unpack for the remainder of the voyage. We were bussed from the hotel to the Black Sea and other sites, bussed to the ship, and then bussed from the ship to sites in Bulgaria before we set sail.

 

If you have any other questions let me know.

 

Enjoy the trip.

[GiannaD]

We'll be on the cruise just before yours - going from Budapest to Bucharest. We have the same question about water levels.

 

Also, since we will be traveling through several different countries - all with different currencies, does anyone know if we can buy and sell the different currencies about our Vantage ship, or do we have to go to ATMs in the various countries in order to get cash?

 

 

Don't worry too much about local currency. You can generally do OK with Euro and Dollars and a credit card. You will not have a lot of time for shopping or much time on your own. We used dollars for tips for the local guides and drivers which is acceptable because you won't have time to exchange currency at every stop or anticipate how much you will need. In Budapest I exchanged a small amount of cash for Forint but found that the street venders and shops were happy with Euro.

 

ATMs have the best rate but we always get some Euro in small denominations before we leave the US. We also make sure to have a lot of small denomination US bills for the tips. (See Vantage's guidelines for tipping.)

 

Your program managers will help you with the currency and you can exchange some US dollars on the ship.

[sandyss]

Don't worry too much about local currency. You can generally do OK with Euro and Dollars and a credit card. You will not have a lot of time for shopping or much time on your own. We used dollars for tips for the local guides and drivers which is acceptable because you won't have time to exchange currency at every stop or anticipate how much you will need. In Budapest I exchanged a small amount of cash for Forint but found that the street venders and shops were happy with Euro.

 

ATMs have the best rate but we always get some Euro in small denominations before we leave the US. We also make sure to have a lot of small denomination US bills for the tips. (See Vantage's guidelines for tipping.)

 

Your program managers will help you with the currency and you can exchange some US dollars on the ship.

 

Thanks for the info Gianna. I expect that we will need small amounts of cash in Budapest (for public transportation) and in Romania (for souvenirs). We won't have euros, since we start in Budapest. Hopefully we will be able to get small amounts of local currency for those two countries on board the ship. Otherwise, we will have to use ATMs for very small amounts of cash.

[RealCajunLady]

Great info, GiannaD - We are just beginning to get email and snail mail from Vantage. How did they notify you regarding weather? Did it just come through regular email or did you have to 'sign up' for some kind of special trip tracker?

[caviargal]

We'll be on the cruise just before yours - going from Budapest to Bucharest. We have the same question about water levels.

 

Also, since we will be traveling through several different countries - all with different currencies, does anyone know if we can buy and sell the different currencies about our Vantage ship, or do we have to go to ATMs in the various countries in order to get cash?

 

You will pay a premium to get local currency on the ship, as you would in a hotel. ATMs offer the best rate of exchange.

 

We were cruising last year when water levels were low. Our boat, AmaDante, was able to complete the cruise without issues but other lines were docking their boats and taking passengers on bus tours.

[sandyss]

You will pay a premium to get local currency on the ship, as you would in a hotel. ATMs offer the best rate of exchange.

 

Thanks caviargal. Our feeling is that IF we can get small amounts of various currencies on board - i.e. $30 - $50 worth - it will be worth the premium since we won't have to pay ATM fees. Since we plan to use our credit cards (with no conversion fees) as much as possible, we will just need very small amounts of cash in the various countries that we will visit.

[GiannaD]

Great info, GiannaD - We are just beginning to get email and snail mail from Vantage. How did they notify you regarding weather? Did it just come through regular email or did you have to 'sign up' for some kind of special trip tracker?

 

You will get lots of mail from Vantage because they are a direct marketing company and do not use travel agents.

 

Our notification about the low water levels on the Danube came in a phone call from Vantage two days before departure. The main purpose was to alert us to expect two additional nights in Bucharest. The info about the unusually hot weather was added by the Vantage rep who called us. I don't know of any trip tracker.

 

I have been on four Vantage trips and they do not routinely notify guests about the weather. It is best to use one of the internet weather services shortly before departure. Even with that it is best to take layers and be prepared for sun and rain.