Viking Rhine Getaway - Our photo intensive review on the Viking Ingvi, Summer 2014

[Mcc84]

I can see pictures up until "waving to the Uniworld" cruisers. Then it says the the pictures have been moved or deleted by the user.

 

I am really enjoying your report. I start on the reverse of this same cruise September 13th!

 

 

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[cruisinskier]

I can see pictures up until "waving to the Uniworld" cruisers. Then it says the the pictures have been moved or deleted by the user.

 

I am really enjoying your report. I start on the reverse of this same cruise September 13th!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Technical issues...let me see if I can get resolved. Any change now?

[Stratheden]

No problems here.

 

Beautiful photos, thank you.

[cruisinskier]

No problems here.

 

Beautiful photos, thank you.

 

Thanks Strath! Hopefully all is fixed for everyone....may have been my user error trying to "organize" files as only a perpetual planner would.....now that I have "un-organized" it appears to work. :confused: ;) :rolleyes: :eek:

[cruisinskier]

I am going to assume the issues with the photos is resolved and keep going....so we have arrived in Rudesheim, what a lovely little town. Exactly what you would think a German town should be!

 

 

 

There was what appeared to be a high school band playing....they were very good!

 

 

[cruisinskier]

We made our way to the cable car as we wanted to do that before it closed. http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/discover-ruedesheim/cable-car/

 

 

Great views of vineyards from above

 

 

 

 

The Germania monument

 

 

[cruisinskier]

The two Viking boats way off in the distance. We had docked a fair bit out of town...in the other direction!

 

 

 

A rainbow...and yes it did start to rain about then!!

 

 

Once we were off the cable car, we went into the Christmas Store which is basically next door.

 

 

They also had a tourist train. All of those doing the optional dinner tonight were on-board the train to go to their secret destination....

 

[cruisinskier]

we ended up staying in town for dinner this night so no Viking dinner menu to share with you. We ate in the Weingarten at the Lindenwirt. Dinner was great and live music to accompany it (accordion player to start followed by a local group singing American classics....kinda funny in a way).

 

Head down this small alleyway for a great selection of restaurants (the optional German dinner was across the street)

 

 

 

 

 

We had fantastic schnitzel!!!

 

Edited August 19, 2014 by cruisinskier

[cruisinskier]

There is a bell tower that rings on the hour

 

 

And has ornamental people that move

 

 

Apparently Herbie the Love Bug has moved to Rudesheim!

 

 

[nana541]

Starting at Post 193 ( and last 2 pics from post 192) until post 205.... Post 205 I can see ...

 

I am on the CC app, are you also posting this blog elsewhere??

 

Ok if I go to the regular CC site I can now see the pics, I couldn't before ;)

 

 

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Edited August 19, 2014 by nana541

[cruisinskier]

Next we headed back to the boat and onto the Gullveig which we had to pass through to get to the Ingvi.

 

 

The two boats side by side

 

 

There was a glass blwer as entertainment that night. We went briefly but it was not overly exciting so I left (my wife stayed for a while).

 

One final tip, for those who like to stay up late and read, the cabin has a small reading light on both sides of the bed. That's all for tonight folks!!

 

[banditoo]

Looks like you got your castle quota in! Great shots. I can see all the pictures, unless of course there are ones I can't see :confused:...but I don't see any messages about any being blocked. :)

[cruisinskier]

Starting at Post 193 ( and last 2 pics from post 192) until post 205.... Post 205 I can see ...

 

I am on the CC app, are you also posting this blog elsewhere??

 

Ok if I go to the regular CC site I can now see the pics, I couldn't before ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Nana, are you saying you cannot see photos between post 192 and 204? Others had said it seemed to be fine?? I am not posting anywhere else but using Photobucket as my "host". All of the middle Rhine photos can be viewed here for anyone having trouble: http://s1182.photobucket.com/user/cruisinskier/library/Koblenz%20Marksburg%20Rhine%20Castles%20and%20Rudesheim?sort=2&page=1

[cruisinskier]

Looks like you got your castle quota in! Great shots. I can see all the pictures, unless of course there are ones I can't see :confused:...but I don't see any messages about any being blocked. :)

 

Thanks Betty!! Now can we play "name that Castle" :D ;) I think all the technical issues are resolved...at least I hope so! Thanks for following along!

Jerry

[jpalbny]

Great review and pictures! You had much nicer weather in Cologne (and a lot more time) than we did - we will have to go back as it looks like you had a great time there! And a little envious that you got to spend the evening in Rudesheim, which looks like a really fun town. We were there in the morning and it was quiet; probably, they were all sleeping off their debauchery from the previous evening...

 

One note - you posted the picture of the face in Cologne and mentioned that you couldn't remember the story behind it. I recognize it from our trip earlier this year, and will share with you that our guide told us the following story about it:

 

Here is a little political commentary... The person living in the house in the left-hand picture faced the Rathaus, across the square. He didn't agree with local government, so he erected this statue, expressing his opinion. The local officials responded with the clock on the right, which stuck out its tongue...

 

 

Thanks for doing this review. I can see all of the pictures without a problem. Looking forward to the rest, and reliving our cruise.

Edited August 19, 2014 by jpalbny

[cruisinskier]

Great review and pictures! You had much nicer weather in Cologne (and a lot more time) than we did - we will have to go back as it looks like you had a great time there! And a little envious that you got to spend the evening in Rudesheim, which looks like a really fun town. We were there in the morning and it was quiet; probably, they were all sleeping off their debauchery from the previous evening...

 

One note - you posted the picture of the face in Cologne and mentioned that you couldn't remember the story behind it. I recognize it from our trip earlier this year, and will share with you that our guide told us the following story about it:

 

 

 

Thanks for doing this review. I can see all of the pictures without a problem. Looking forward to the rest, and reliving our cruise.

 

Thanks!! And now that you post the story of the face here, I remember reading that in your review as I followed along with your 'tape delay".

Jerry

[banditoo]

Great review and pictures! You had much nicer weather in Cologne (and a lot more time) than we did - we will have to go back as it looks like you had a great time there! And a little envious that you got to spend the evening in Rudesheim, which looks like a really fun town. We were there in the morning and it was quiet; probably, they were all sleeping off their debauchery from the previous evening...

 

One note - you posted the picture of the face in Cologne and mentioned that you couldn't remember the story behind it. I recognize it from our trip earlier this year, and will share with you that our guide told us the following story about it:

 

 

 

Thanks for doing this review. I can see all of the pictures without a problem. Looking forward to the rest, and reliving our cruise.

What a great story about the statues!

[jimsohio]

Hi rothbury and thanks for sticking with us! From where the Ingvi was docked, it was roughly a 10 minute walk to the Amsterdam Central train station. From there, it is a 10-15 minute walk to Dam Square (not that far but always a heavy pedestrian area...and some road / tram construction has this area very congested right now). Turn right and a 10 minute walk will have you at the Anne Frank House. A quick search on Google maps showed it as 1.6 km from the train station to Anne Frank House via Dam Square.

 

Overall we found Amsterdam to be a very walkable city with most major attractions close if you are centrally located. And the tram system is great (and there is a subway depending upon where you are trying to get to). But watch out for those bikes....the cyclists rule in this town!! Take care of that knee and I am sure you will be fine.

 

Apologies for not getting on in the past few days, but I will chime in here. Our hotel concierge (Marriott on the Leidseplain) told us about 24-hour tram tickets that were $7.50 euro. We purchased them, walked our tails off Thursday morning, then used for the 24 hours leading up to getting to the dock. We had info that there was a $14.00 one that include airport buses, but we arrived too early to buy that. It worked out better anyway with the $4 bus fare and using that pass.

 

We walked with two duffels and rolling bag from station to dock in 10 minutes. Not great sidewalks there, but doable.

[nana541]

Nana, are you saying you cannot see photos between post 192 and 204? Others had said it seemed to be fine?? I am not posting anywhere else but using Photobucket as my "host". All of the middle Rhine photos can be viewed here for anyone having trouble: http://s1182.photobucket.com/user/cruisinskier/library/Koblenz%20Marksburg%20Rhine%20Castles%20and%20Rudesheim?sort=2&page=1

 

 

Yep :( in the CC App

 

Update : can now see all pics on the regular CC website... :-)

 

 

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Edited August 19, 2014 by nana541

[banditoo]

Starting at Post 193 ( and last 2 pics from post 192) until post 205.... Post 205 I can see ...

 

I am on the CC app, are you also posting this blog elsewhere??

 

Ok if I go to the regular CC site I can now see the pics, I couldn't before ;)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

There aren't any pictures from 199-204.

[nana541]

There aren't any pictures from 199-204.

 

 

Are you in the CC app??? I reset and still it does not work but going to the main website I can now see pictures.

 

 

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[banditoo]

Are you in the CC app??? I reset and still it does not work but going to the main website I can now see pictures.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Nana

I am using a PC, not the CC app. Posts 199-204 are only discussion; no photos. A number of those posts are from other members so I don't believe there would be pictures in those posts.

[Bet & Peg]

Jerry ~ once again Thanks for letting us re-live our trip! And thanks for letting us see Rudesheim in the daylight!!! Last December when we docked - about 4:30pm - it was just getting dark! Of course the CMS & lights did make it magical, but also required our attention to walking!! It was a beautiful little town!!!

 

And your Middle Rhine photos are fabulous!!! For us it was really special cruising through that area since we had stayed overnight at the Schonburg Castle Hotel on a land trip a few years before! Great seeing it from the river!!

 

Really enjoying your trip!!!

[StudentoftheWorld]

We booked a cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette going out of Amsterdam, and wanted to maximize our time in Europe so we add our first-ever river cruise. We are doing the Basal to Amsterdam Rhine Getaway with Viking (on the Kvasir). I have enjoyed your review and photos. I, too, am one who enjoys the planning part so I know all of my options ahead of time. I especially appreciate the dailies and menus (stuff you can’t find on Viking’s website). However, I still have questions, so here goes:

 

I find myself intrigued more by the First Course than the Main or Always Available courses. (Maybe that is because, unlike Strathenden, I enjoy mushrooms.) My first question is: Were you able to order more than one first course (or dessert course, or whatever course) if you wanted to? We tend to eat small plates (like First Courses in place of the Main Course).

 

In one of your photos of the room, it looked like there was a USB port available with the outlets. Do you remember if that is so?

 

Am I correct in assuming that the Optional Excursions were the only ones you had to pay for, but Shore Excursions (listed on the Dailies) were free?

 

Lastly, is it easy to get a beverage anytime you need one? We drink lots of water, soda on occasion, and cocktails after our meals while on vacation. I can do without soda and cocktails, especially knowing that wine is available with dinner. But is water easily accessible? Should I plan on bringing a water bottle to fill up?

 

Thanks again for all the information you’ve passed along so far, cruisinskier. And I appreciate your time in answering my very specific questions.

[travelfirst]

I have been on four Viking river cruises and never had one problem. I was on the Rhine Getaway in November.

 

You can order as much food as you like.

 

Wine and beer are included with lunch and dinner and you can buy drinks at other times. They have champagne out at breakfast for those that want it.

 

There is a free excursion each day but if you want to choose something different you will pay for it.

 

You each get a bottle of water in your room every day and I am sure they will give you more if you ask. Usually when you are leaving on a tour they have bottles of water out there.