Great Experience on Gate One Monarch Princess!!

[Wingman2010]

I will post a full review but thought I'd just share the highlights here for those Gate One river cruise customers that are thirsty for info.

 

The ship- is in great condition. Gate One must have done some renovating because this doesn't look like a ten year old ship.  Very clean everywhere and cabins were very comfortable.  Those that like it cold in the cabins will love the a/c system!!  

 

The crew- is very accommodating. Every member we came in contact with was very courteous and helpful. A huge plus were the Cruise Director (Soma) and the Entertainment Director (Armin).  These two young guys were a key ingredient on our trip.  Like a straight man and his sidekick, they will keep everything running smoothly and keep you laughing at the same time. The restaurant staff does a good job of remembering your preferences and are easily approachable when they forget.

 

The food- obviously very subjective but we had no issues with the options offered (and one of our travel mates is a vegetarian).  I would put the taste and quality very slightly above the large sea cruise lines like RCCL and Celebrity.  The wine offered at dinner is actually rotated each night (one white and one red) and it definitely flows freely.

 

The itinerary- was Danube: Budapest to Regensburg.  We had no low water issues.

 

Summary: Gate One delivers a great river cruise experience at an attractive price. We would not hesitate to river cruise with them again.   

 

Feel free to ask any questions!!

[4774Papa]

11 hours ago, Wingman2010 said:

I will post a full review but thought I'd just share the highlights here for those Gate One river cruise customers that are thirsty for info.

 

The ship- is in great condition. Gate One must have done some renovating because this doesn't look like a ten year old ship.  Very clean everywhere and cabins were very comfortable.  Those that like it cold in the cabins will love the a/c system!!  

 

The crew- is very accommodating. Every member we came in contact with was very courteous and helpful. A huge plus were the Cruise Director (Soma) and the Entertainment Director (Armin).  These two young guys were a key ingredient on our trip.  Like a straight man and his sidekick, they will keep everything running smoothly and keep you laughing at the same time. The restaurant staff does a good job of remembering your preferences and are easily approachable when they forget.

 

The food- obviously very subjective but we had no issues with the options offered (and one of our travel mates is a vegetarian).  I would put the taste and quality very slightly above the large sea cruise lines like RCCL and Celebrity.  The wine offered at dinner is actually rotated each night (one white and one red) and it definitely flows freely.

 

The itinerary- was Danube: Budapest to Regensburg.  We had no low water issues.

 

Summary: Gate One delivers a great river cruise experience at an attractive price. We would not hesitate to river cruise with them again.   

 

Feel free to ask any questions!!

We have been looking at Gate 1 more, due to their low prices.  Wish they had a Nile River cruise.

[dogs4fun]

We cruised the Danube with Gate 1 last year and were very pleased with the level of service. Happy to hear that you also enjoyed you cruise. Prices can't be beat IMHO.

[npcl]

We have sailed with Gate1 and consider them to be the best value out there.  We found them to be as good as Viking (some minor differences such as Viking being more Americanized food, Gate1 having better food quality and more European dishes) at a lower price point. Especially if you get on their mailing list and catch one of their sales.

[Roz]

I'm pleased to see all these good reports on Gate 1.

 

Roz

Edited August 16, 2019 by Roz

[Coral]

Gate 1 seems to be getting pretty good reviews the past few years. Thanks for the report.

[cfarer]

Hi!

Just came across your discussion and could not help but make a contribution!

 

Gate1 does have Nile cruises!

https://www.gate1travel.com/africa/egypt

 

My husband and I had a wonderful 16 day river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest July 2019. No low water issues either.

The Monarch Governess was in exceptional condition as it too is 10 years old. Our first time experience with Gate1 was so terrific, we plan to look to them first when looking for future travels. Highly recommend Gate1!

[Coral]

I personally don't think 10 years is old for a ship.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

I personally don't think 10 years is old for a ship.

 

Ocean cruise ships have a useful life of more than 20 years (e.g. Celebrity is pouring millions into renovations to keep sailing their 2000-ish 'Millennium Class') – and they have to deal with salt water and a 52-week schedule. River ships sail in fresh water and have a nice vacation every winter.  So why would they be old at only 10 years?

[TravelerThom]

US Navy aircraft carriers go in harms way far more than either river or ocean cruise vessels. They have a projected lifetime of 50 years, although they do have a 4 year(!) scheduled mid-life Refueling & Complex Overhaul (RCOH). Of course they are no doubt build to more rigorous standards than River Cruise boats. 

[Wingman2010]

My "old" comment in reference to the ship certainly did not intimate that it was beyond it's useful life. That being said, interior furnishings can look pretty dogeared after ten years without attention. Ocean cruise ships go into some sort of drydock every few years to upgrade carpets, etc.   So there was some concern that Gate One put this ship into service needing some renovating....