The ever increasing popularity of river cruising

[notamermaid]

Lackadaisical - now that is a word I have not read or heard in a while. 😁 

To argue against the stereotype: Imagine me at work with mask on, guy approaches me with question about procedure and talks to me in German. It takes me two sentences to realise he is not a native speaker. It turns out he is from England. I put on a beaming smile behind my mask and am almost ready to hug the man as 1. he is my first English tourist in five months and 2. his German is very good!

 

To argue with the stereotype: I am in the bakery at the Calais Tunnel terminal, guy speaking English is served by a curt and unsmiling assistant. I approach her speaking flawed French and she treats me with much courtesy (it was late in the day I give her that).

 

Talking of languages: when I post something in German, it is stuff I hope will be satisfactorily translated with the help of Google translate. I have heard "Deeple" is better but do not know how it works.

 

I have long been a friend of extending the river cruising horizon by exploring smaller tributaries and canals of Europe it is just that the facilities for making English language guests happy are often not there (neither for German language speakers in most countries). For now, we seem to be sailing almost among ourselves, but this is obviously not sustainable beyond half a season.

 

I hope Riviera Travel can get back into business in September and TUI can have their successful launch finally at the end of November.

 

As for business as usual - I cannot see that happening by March 2021 when the new season starts in Europe.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

My husband worked for a German Company for many years eventually reaching a position where it was thought politic for him to learn German, much to his and I must admit my astonishment he achieved what he called restaurant  German, by six weeks one to one and then by telephone. His colligues  In Germany were not told of his new skill, they discovered it at a very large exhibition in London there reaction was interesting to say the least. CA

[Daisi]

I grew up speaking Quebecoise and English in the house, and although I have lost a good protion of my French (I was classified as bilingual when working), I still have enough to get by...in Quebec!  We had a great time with our CD on our Rhine cruise, she was from Belgium, and did not like my French!  I met some very pleasant people in the places we stopped at in France, but it was very hard to remember not to use my "slang".  I can read Dutch, and am learning German for interest, butI do try to get the important phrases down if visiting a foreign country.......being Canadian, that's "sorry", "excuse me" and "2 beers please"! 🙂

 

[Canal archive]

Driving to Spain we used to overnight at a super hotel in Vienne just south of Lyon our eldest daughter had started learning French at school so the concierge took it on himself to correct her French much to the horror of her French teacher. In later life my daughter maintains that the concierge was right. 
Daisi, between us we can order most drinks in most languages. My husband maintains that one of the best martinis he has ever had was in a hotel near the pier in Vancouver, although the river cruise bar staff quickly learn how he likes it mixed. CA

[MightyQuinn]

1 hour ago, Daisi said:

I grew up speaking Quebecoise and English in the house, and although I have lost a good protion of my French (I was classified as bilingual when working), I still have enough to get by...in Quebec!  We had a great time with our CD on our Rhine cruise, she was from Belgium, and did not like my French! 

 

Many years ago we did a cycling tour in the Loire Valley.  I remember stopping at a little cafe and speaking Canadian French with locals.  After a little while, they said in amusement "why don't we both just speak English". 

[Canal archive]

My mother had an apartment in Spain and usually spent the winter there and was home for the summer so we used it for summer holidays. She had this brilliant idea of both of us learning Spanish. I wish I could remember more now. Our tutor was lovely and his claim to fame happened on his way to Madrid to learn Spanish he hitchhiked and just before the Spanish border was picked up by a priest who was also on his way to Madrid their only common language was Latin a supposedly dead language. CA

[gnome12]

 
Many years ago we did a cycling tour in the Loire Valley.  I remember stopping at a little cafe and speaking Canadian French with locals.  After a little while, they said in amusement "why don't we both just speak English". 

I on the other hand have cycled often in France and did reasonably well with my French. Maybe because I have a reasonable accent. Joual on the other hand (québécois French) is unintelligible to a French speaker from France.


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[sharkster77]

@Daisi, I grew up in New England the grandson of Quebecois immigrants.  We spoke French in the home--I learned English by watching cartoons!  My French is at the point that I can read and understand French decently but conversing is difficult.

 

In Strasbourg I ordered macrons in French on two occasions, and the clerk answered me in English both times!  Nevertheless, when I told my almost-90 yr old mother this story, she was happy to hear that at least I tried!

 

Reminds me of the quote that is normally used to describe Americans and Brits:  Two nations separated by a common language!

Edited September 3, 2020 by sharkster77

[JerseyGem]

Many years ago, DH and I were driving through Switzerland staying in small "Bed and Breakfasts."   At one, we struggled in our poor French to make the arrangements but finally asked if she spoke German (asked this in French).  Since we were living in Germany at that time, our German, though not good, was much better than our French.  We and the proprietor struggled in German to complete the arrangements until it came time to show our ID's.  Out came our USA passports;  the proprietor started laughing and said- in English- "I'm from Chicago!"  It turned out that her French might have been better than ours but she knew minimal German.  We could have accomplished everything very quickly if we had just started with English. 

[Daisi]

15 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

Reminds me of the quote that is normally used to describe Americans and Brits:  Two nations separated by a common language!

 

Yep, and a Canadian speaks like an American (Mum instead of Mom etc), but spells like a Brit.  With a bit of French thrown in just for fun. 🙂

 

[sharkster77]

17 minutes ago, Daisi said:

 

Yep, and a Canadian speaks like an American (Mum instead of Mom etc), but spells like a Brit.  With a bit of French thrown in just for fun. 🙂

 

The RI city I grew up in used to be nicknamed "Little Canada" due to the huge # of immigrants from Quebec.   It was common back then to have a sentence begin in French, transition to English, and end back in French.

[Daisi]

9 minutes ago, sharkster77 said:

The RI city I grew up in used to be nicknamed "Little Canada" due to the huge # of immigrants from Quebec.   It was common back then to have a sentence begin in French, transition to English, and end back in French.

 

I bet you had a lot of "useful" French words in there as well...:)  

[Canal archive]

I used to Service Team at an international Scout camp site, listening to the youngsters from all over the world chat to each other was fascinating they never seemed to have problems understanding each other, not like their leaders. 
I was once told (most probably by a German lad) that there were no German swear words, true or not! CA

[notamermaid]

45 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

I was once told (most probably by a German lad) that there were no German swear words, true or not! CA

No German swear words!? I can prove otherwise, just listen to me next time I stub my toe, or the computer at work does not do what I want it to do. 😀 

 

notamermaid

 

P.S. What fun this conversation is! Who cares it is not about the thread title topic anymore. I wil try and get it back on track some time or other... not just yet.

Edited September 4, 2020 by notamermaid
Added info

[sharkster77]

3 hours ago, Daisi said:

 

I bet you had a lot of "useful" French words in there as well...:)  

Yes, we could curse in both languages!  Still can!

[ginnyks]

Yes, we could curse in both languages!  Still can!

I can certainly relate to that!! While teaching some 13 year olds 20 years ago I heard a choice German phrase out of the mouth of a ‘little angel’...I took him out to the hallway and said that I did not want to hear that and he was quiet shocked and told me that his grandfather said it frequently. I told him that I knew what it meant from my Opa and it wasn’t to be said in school. I heard a few other phrases from my childhood that I knew my high school German teachers would not appreciate ! I ( raised outside of Philadelphia )had 2 Grossvatern(one from what was East Prussia and the other from the Schwartzwald) along with ‘Aunties and Unks ‘ whose family had been in Nova Scotia for many generations. Now thanks to my late in-laws I can even understand a little Yiddish! (They forgot I understood some German) . What a mishmash !


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[sharkster77]

@ginnyks, at my first teaching job 40+ years ago I taught at a school in a neighborhood that was populated by many Italo-Americans.  A middle school boy was frustrated for some reason and screamed something at me in Italian.  I did not know what it meant, but the tone was certainly disrespectful so I referred him for discipline.  My principal did not know what it meant either, parents insisted it meant nothing (says them), but he was suspended for a day regardless for his extreme disrespect evident from the tone of his utterance.

 

Found out years later that what was said is apparently a word that one uses, in Italian, to avoid using an actual vulgar word. 

Akin to uttering "sugar" or "fudge" in English, I suppose.  Very, very, very happy to be retired from education!

[notamermaid]

CLIA have had a virtual meeting. Here is the optimistic outlook for 2021 of three European companies that have already returned to the rivers: A-Rosa, Amadeus River Cruises and CroisiEurope.

 

https://www.cruisetradenews.com/river-cruise-positive-2021-booking-picture/

 

Interesting to read also how many of their ships are already back in operation.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Delivery of two more Viking ships. The Viking Skaga and the Viking Fjorgyn have been handed over officially to Viking by Neptun Werft: https://www.neptunwerft.de/de/presse/presse_detail/neptun_werft_liefert_weitere_flusskreuzfahrtschiffe_ab.jsp

There does not seem to be an English press release (yet).

 

Both ships have been designed for sailing the river Seine.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Companies are of course already planning for 2022 and some customers seem to prefer to travel not next year but are looking further ahead. Two more companies have opened bookings for 2022.

 

Riviera Travel: https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/390513/riviera-travel-launches-popular-2022-river-cruises-early

and

APT (in the UK, not sure if open to other countries): https://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/390789/apt-unveils-2022-european-river-cruise-programme

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Sisters travelling together to France

 

The two ships Amakristina and Amadante (I know they are not officially sisters, but look like older and younger sister there sitting side by side on the ro-ro carrier to me) have travelled to France to their new temporary homes and rivers they will sail on: https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/amawaterways-ships-on-the-move.html

 

A long journey, much longer for the Amakristina, of course. The Amadante is already signalling on the Seine.

 

I will somewhat miss seeing the Amakristina on the Rhine.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by notamermaid
Grammar

[Canal archive]

Would you believe it Viking has continued advertising quite extensively throughout two lockdowns, there’s confidence for you. CA

[notamermaid]

Confidence and I dare say necessity for cash flow (in pure business terms, not implying Viking is in crisis), i.e. keeping yourself in people's ears and eyes and brains so they book well ahead, who knows, it could even win over customers from the oceans. But in this case I would say all companies are in the same position and it makes sense to keep advertising. It is just that Viking's strategy is (or seems to stay) more aggressive than others in my opinion. Where did you see the recent ads? UK free-TV? I do not recall ever seeing many over the last five years, but then perhaps I just do not watch the right channels when I am in England.

 

Creating demand through a longing for travel probably works well during a lock down - not sure if I agree with doing that from a let us say moral kind of standpoint. I work in marketing but I do not agree with everything marketing people (including my boss) come up with.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Viking are - quite literally - preparing the ground for their cruises on the Mississippi in 2022. They will dock in Vicksburg: https://www.vicksburgpost.com/2020/11/16/future-riverfront-redevelopment-has-its-first-partner-with-viking-cruise-lines/

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The ship spotters on Binnenschifferforum are as busy as ever and now the very new Emerald Luna has got her page. The first photos from the Netherlands: https://www.binnenschifferforum.de/showthread.php?104145-Emerald-Luna-FGKS&p=409922#post409922

 

notamermaid