Viking "Rhine Getaway" departure time?

[Lori Dobson]

For all of you that have already been on the Viking "Rhine Getaway", Amesterdam to Basel, do you remember what time the ship sailed from Amsterdam the first day? I am trying to plan some activites in Amsterdam... of which any good suggestions are welcome!

Thanks in advance!:D

[ddartist]

Hi Lori, We're booked on the Amsterdam to Basel, on Viking's Rinda, 6/15/13. Since it will be similar to your cruise, do you have any suggestions?

[Lori Dobson]

Hi Lori, We're booked on the Amsterdam to Basel, on Viking's Rinda, 6/15/13. Since it will be similar to your cruise, do you have any suggestions?

 

 

Tons! LOL - but it would be easier to know what you are looking for - do you have any specific questions?:D

[trish1c]

I was just looking at the Viking Website. All it said was that your room would be ready by 3:00 p.m. I even checked the website of the on-line TA I usually use but that didn't have sailaway times for any ports.

[Lori Dobson]

Trish, the website is pretty accurate - the rooms aren't usually available until about that time - but hopefully you will be out and about exploring Amsterdam! Just be sure to take what you will think you need to walk around the city in your carryon - extra sweater, whatever. Viking has umbrellas if the weather is rainy. If you need a port idea, I've got a great one for Amsterdam - a wine and chesse tasting - lte me know if you are interested.

You are in Amsterdam until late - 11:30 or so, I think I recall - many of the ports have late departures so you have plent of time to explore on your own after the official tours.

Let me know if you have specific questions on the ports or anything else - it's a great, GREAT cruise and Viking really does an awesome job there - I can't tell you how much fun we had! :D

[IrishKathy]

Lori,

 

We will be taking this cruise in October. I would love your wine and cheese port suggestion for Amsterdam. Thanks

 

Kathy

[Lori Dobson]

Kathy,

You will love the cruise - so many great ports! Amsterdam is a very walkable city - here is the link to the cheese shop where we did our wine and cheese tasting:

http://www.wijngaardkaas.nl/en/proeflokaal/

 

This shop, although a bit difficult to find, is only a 15 minute easy walk from where you are docked. Just make sure to get GOOD directions from them to get there. The folks on the ship were not much help with this - on our cruise, we were with 2 friends and they missed it entirely because they could not find the shop. Reserve it ahead of time so you can pick the time slot you want - it takes an hour or so to do, very interesting and informative, especially about how different wines taste with different cheeses.

If you want more food advice, I went to a place there that has absolutely incredible pancakes - not like ours but one, big, thin, crepe-like pancake. It's a tiny shop, only 4 tables, but OH!!! SO worth going to - heaven on a plate.

Have an incredible cruise!:D

[M&T]

I would love any information you have on arrival and departure times at ports. We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam, but I am it is similar. Thanks.

[Paulinda]

We did Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon a few years ago. We arrived in Amsterdam on a Sunday morning. We were escourted to the ship around 3PM after our afternoon briefing. On Monday we did an included canal tour that lasted until 10 am at which point we could walk back to the ship for lunch. Along the way to the ship we did some window shopping. After lunch around 1:30 pm we began the cruise to Koln.

 

Viking may have similar time frames as I recall we were playing tag with one of their ships. If so you would have some opportunity to plan some events on Sunday evening or skip any Monday morning tours and plan your own.

 

Some of the arrangements you could plan on your own could be a visit to the Anne Frank house or the Van Gogh or Rembrandt Mueseums.

 

Have fun planning. It's a wonderful cruise to Basel.

[Lori Dobson]

I would love any information you have on arrival and departure times at ports. We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam, but I am it is similar. Thanks.

 

 

I don't want to give you specific times as it is the opposite route but as you said, I am sure it is similar - what I will say is we docked early every morning and most ports, left in the evening - after midnight in one case - and almost always had PLENTY of time to go out and about on our own, after the scheduled tour ended.

It's a wonderful cruise - I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! :D

[Bet & Peg]

We'll be on the Viking Basel to Amsterdam cruise in early December - look forward to the Rhine River and also the Christmas Markets!

 

We're arriving 2 days pre-cruise in Basel. Any information anyone has about Basel will be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

As for Amsterdam - it IS a fabulous city - left on two cruises from there! A great restaurant, plus fun eating!, is Indrapura - an Indonesian Rice Table - sharing about 20 small dishes of food! Reachable via many tram lines. Especially fun if there's a group!

Indrapura Indonesisch restaurant Indrapura Amsterdam

[Lori Dobson]

We'll be on the Viking Basel to Amsterdam cruise in early December - look forward to the Rhine River and also the Christmas Markets!

 

We're arriving 2 days pre-cruise in Basel. Any information anyone has about Basel will be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

As for Amsterdam - it IS a fabulous city - left on two cruises from there! A great restaurant, plus fun eating!, is Indrapura - an Indonesian Rice Table - sharing about 20 small dishes of food! Reachable via many tram lines. Especially fun if there's a group!

Indrapura Indonesisch restaurant Indrapura Amsterdam

 

 

If you are still looking for lodging, we stayed at a great B&B right at the end of the bridge and a 5 minute cab ride from the pier where the ship docks - let me know!

The city is lovely, very walkable but also has a wonderful tram and bus service that take you anywhere you want. Loads of great restaraunts - several Christmas markets, including a huge one right in the center of town. Do a river walk and a ride on the river taxi - neat expereince! There is a paper factory (which sounds boring but is really a very cool experience). There are several lovely churches to go through also.

One piece of advice - save your money and buy your christmas market items in Germany - the markets in Basil were charging 2-3 times more, for the same items! Unless you find something you absolutely HAVE to have, wait until Germany and France. Just eat at and enjoy the markets! (FANTASTIC brats!) :D

[M&T]

Fotopeg, please come back after your trip and share. We plan to do a Christmas market in the future. Also, any information on port times is appreciated. I know it will vary. Thanks.

 

Lori, I'd like to know more about the B&B. Do they have a website? Cost? Is it near the red light district? I am assuming it is not. Did you stay in Basel and Amsterdam? We plan to stay one night in Basel and four in Amsterdam. We are going in late March early April. We should get to Amsterdam for peak tulip time.

[Lori Dobson]

Lori, I'd like to know more about the B&B. Do they have a website? Cost? Is it near the red light district? I am assuming it is not. Did you stay in Basel and Amsterdam? We plan to stay one night in Basel and four in Amsterdam. We are going in late March early April. We should get to Amsterdam for peak tulip time.

 

 

I'm so sorry - maybe I wasn't clear - this B&B is in Basel, not Amsterdam! We flew directly to Amsterdam and boarded the ship, so we did not find our own lodging there. In any case, if you are interested in the Basel B&B, just put in B&B Sabine, Basel Switzerland and you can find her website and Tripadvisor reviews. Hope that helps - anything else I can answer , please ask! :)

[Lori Dobson]

Oh, and the cost was roughly $160 for 1 night's stay - cheap for Switzerland!

[Bet & Peg]

Lori ~ Thank you SO much for the BB info and also your CM advice!!!! We haven't booked yet and this looks very good! Is the across the river from the Christmas Markets?? Just beginning to "get into" our December trip with research - its a very busy year!

 

I appreciate your hints about buying in Germany and France!! Anything else I'd really appreciate! We'll be inBasel 2 nights, so any restautant suggestion? Basel river taxi?? Does it operate in winter??

[M&T]

Thanks Lori. We will be staying one night pre-cruise.

[Lori Dobson]

Lori ~ Thank you SO much for the BB info and also your CM advice!!!! We haven't booked yet and this looks very good! Is the across the river from the Christmas Markets?? Just beginning to "get into" our December trip with research - its a very busy year!

 

I appreciate your hints about buying in Germany and France!! Anything else I'd really appreciate! We'll be inBasel 2 nights, so any restautant suggestion? Basel river taxi?? Does it operate in winter??

 

 

Hmmmm... Restaurants in Basel.... We ate at the Christmas markets so I'm not a good source for ideas here - sorry! Try trip advisor, click restaurants and type in Basel Switzerland... Or you can ask Sabine if you decide to stay there - she is full of good info! The Chritsmas markets are a 15 minute leisurely walk or a 2 minute tram ride - the big one is in the heart of town but there is a smaller one right by the huge Dom (cathedral) - this one had lovely, long icicle lights strung in the trees, gorgeos at night! Just don't be surprised at the prices at the markets or anything else in Switzerland - very expensive and they don't bargain much at the markets like they do in Germany.

 

General tips - waterproof, comfy shoes are a BIG help - dress in layers, helps with the cold, pack light - dress on the ship is very casual, leave the cocktail dress at home! I took some bubble wrap with me - each Market has their own unique mug for gluewine - we brought home 9 of them and all made it ok thanks to the wrap! If you don't care for wine, they serve hot chocolate too (with amaretto if you like - yummy!) If you are in the Market for a cuckoo clock, the souvenir shops in Cologne (which has several Fantastic markets, a huge Dom and a chocolate factory, all within a short walk of the ship!) are good for price but the factory they bus you to in the Black Forest has a HUGE selection at good prices - make sure to try the black forest cake, VERY good!

[Lori Dobson]

There is a Wonderful little shop in Rudesheim in the Drosselgasse - it's on the right, by the Schloss- that has fabulous wooden Christmas ornaments at GREAT prices - I got a beautifully made, painted candle nativity spinner for about $10 and it's over a foot tall!

 

There are SO many things I can tell you - if anyone has any more questions, please let me know - it is A Wonderful cruise - our 2nd with Viking, we just love them!

[M&T]

You are getting me sooooooo excited. We don't go until the end of March 2014 arriving in Amsterdam for peak tulips. Then, we will do the Christmas markets in 2015 or 16. I will keep all of this information. Thanks.

[Bet & Peg]

Lori ~ your suggestions are FABULOUS!!! Keep them coming!!! I agree with M&T - I'm getting sooooooo excited also!!!

 

I did get waterproof boots with good soles and warm fuzzy insides! And big enough to be able to wear socks! I also picked up some turtlenecks I can layer under tops/shirts and have some cuddl duds - tops and leggings! Hoping that will help with layering and keeping warm! (now just watch, early December will be warm in Europe!!)

 

But how do/did you pack light??? I know no fancy clothes (last River Cruise was very casual!) but with layers how did you do it???? Share your "secret" with us!!!!!

[Lori Dobson]

Lori ~ your suggestions are FABULOUS!!! Keep them coming!!! I agree with M&T - I'm getting sooooooo excited also!!!

 

I did get waterproof boots with good soles and warm fuzzy insides! And big enough to be able to wear socks! I also picked up some turtlenecks I can layer under tops/shirts and have some cuddl duds - tops and leggings! Hoping that will help with layering and keeping warm! (now just watch, early December will be warm in Europe!!)

 

But how do/did you pack light??? I know no fancy clothes (last River Cruise was very casual!) but with layers how did you do it???? Share your "secret" with us!!!!!

 

Lol - no secret to it - I only took two pairs of pants - 1 pair of jeans, on pair of khaki type pants - and about 6 thin long-sleeve shirts and sweaters that I wore in different combinations. I wasn't concerned about being fashionable or wearing the same thing twice - I was more concerned with the wonderful places we were seeing and getting the most history, sights and of course, shopping!

 

Another tip - take a light bag with you - I had one of the reusable grocery store cloth bags. They are light, take up no room and you can put all your purchases in one bag when you are out buying at the Markets! If you can, see the Dom Christmas Market at night - a thousand mini lights make up a "roof" over the whole thing, the Dom hulking in the background... Incredible! also, consider a Scottievest - it's a vest that has a billion pockets to store everything - I was all over Europe with NO purse to lug around or possibly leave somewhere by accident, everything (passport, wallet, camera, lipstick, etc) was in the pockets.

[Bet & Peg]

WOW - 2 pair of pants! Don't know if I could cut it that close! 6 long-sleeve tops for under shirts/sweaters sounds doable - although someone suggested no sweaters since they take up so much packing room. Will have to watch the temperature closely and decide last minute!

 

Little tote bag I usually tke - got one years ago from "Santa" and always take it - one that folds into itself and great for sticking in a pocket!

 

Have a small across the body purse I've been using for past few years. Has about 4 pockets for passport, $, etc. plus main one that, if neeeded, can just hold my ever-present camera. But vest sounds like a good idea for DH, just fear he might spend all day trying to find which pocket he put which things! Looks like the one you have also provides warmth - will look into it.

 

I know I'm a pest, but how many bags did you take?

You sailed from Basel, correct? Where did you fly into?

Was the water taxi running in the winter?

 

Thanks SO much!!!

[Lori Dobson]

You are NOT a pest at all - I really enjoy talking about the trip!

 

We sailed from Amsterdam, flew into that airport - we did a three day Switzerlad extension on our own - disembarked the ship in Basel and spent a night there, took the train to Lucerne and overnighted, then took the train to Zurich for the afternoon before taking the train back to Basel for the night before our departure the next morning.

 

The water taxi does operate in the winter! It dosen't take you far - just from one side of the river to another - but since it is attached to a cable and uses only the rivers current to get you across, it's kind of a neat experience.

 

I used packing cubes and the three sweaters I took, when folded right with the shirts, didn't take up much room at all. I only had the shoes I had on, good, waterproof black Merrell's. I also had a warm, down and fiber filled, waist- length

water resistant coat with a hood. A bit bulky but crushable and not very heavy. I had only 1 large suitcase with me - only half full on the way out, full of Goodies on the way back! I think I had 10 pounds of chocolate

alone! I also packed a frame backpack inside the suitcase outbound - on the return, some of my purchases were in that

and since I didn't have a purse, that was my carry on. When my husbands large bag was overweight on the return, I took a few things out of it and had room for them in the backpack -

avoided the $100 overweight fee!

 

I really love the Scottievest - my husband liked it so much, we got one for him too - and you are right, it was one of my

"layers"! :)

[M&T]

I have a scottie vest too. I wear it on the plane even to warm climants because I can put my itouch and so many things that I don't have to carry a purse. I am thinking of getting a lightweight rolling backpack. I have a rolling carry on, but I think the backpack will be easier when we are on trains and ferries.