Home from Crystal Ravel: thoughts and impressions

[J80crew]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:19 PM, natk35 said:

Thank you for this detailed description.  We are scheduled on the end of October sailing.  This was very helpful.  Can anyone who has been on this boat tell me more about what type of clothing was worn to dinners etc.?  It says crystal casual.  I was planning on packing slacks, sweaters etc since the weather will be cool.

I think you’ll be fine.  My husband wore a jacket, no tie, to dinner each night and I wore a dress and heels, but we were a little dressier than most.  (We have so few occasions to get dressed up!)  Generally, men wore slacks and a collared shirt, and women wore dresses or pants and a nice top. No jeans, t shirts, sweatshirts, flip-flops, shorts, etc.  More jackets on the concert night. 

[loriva]

1 hour ago, J80crew said:

LORIVA:  We received luggage tags and our cruise tickets in the mail about a week before embarkation. 

 

Thanks again.  I hope our documents arrive on time as we are flying out six days before our cruise.

 

Another question, please.  Do you recall where Ravel docked in its stops?  Was it easy (allowed?) to get off the ship and into Budapest?  (I've read river boats dock near the Chain Bridge--which I believe is closed for renovations.)  The shorex excursions for Vienna mention a 45-minute drive from the ship--although other information I found says river boats dock at Reichsbrücke, which appears to be a couple of miles from central Vienna.  Since our excursion ends at 1pm, we were hoping we could stay in town, visit the interior of the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) as the excursion seems to be only a panorama tour, and then walk or take public transit back to the Ravel.  What about other stops--was it easy to get into town?

 

Thanks!

[Coral]

When I was own Crystal - the ship docked near St. Francis of Assisi Church and near Prater amusement park in Vienna.

 

They also ran shuttles into town and back. It was close to town. Taxis were not that expensive to get into town.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Coral

[loriva]

44 minutes ago, Coral said:

When I was own Crystal - the ship docked near St. Francis of Assisi Church and near Prater amusement park in Vienna.

 

They also ran shuttles into town and back. It was close to town. Taxis were not that expensive to get into town.

 

Thanks, Coral.  Per Google Maps, that looks like the same area I mentioned--Reichsbrücke.

 

And that brings up another question for J80crew--any shuttles?

[J80crew]

On 9/29/2021 at 8:37 AM, loriva said:

 

Thanks, Coral.  Per Google Maps, that looks like the same area I mentioned--Reichsbrücke.

 

And that brings up another question for J80crew--any shuttles?

There were always shuttles to and from the centers unless the pier was close enough to walk into town. We explored on our own several times, either following a tour or instead of one, and never had to taxi back to the ship. When we boarded Ravel in Budapest, it was docked further from the city; but following our evening cruise, we tied up at the center. In Vienna we were docked at the Hilton Hotel marina. We did the city tour in the morning, but after lunch we walked to the Prater, a large city amusement park recommended by one of the Ravel staff. It was a disappointment. 

[loriva]

Thanks, again, J80crew.  That location in Vienna is slightly different from what I'd found in researching.  Knowing there is a shuttle, however, I can stop trying to figure out all the U-bahn or tram stops to return to the ship.  We are planning on staying in the center of Vienna after that morning city tour as it sounds like it is a panorama tour only--you see the exterior of the Imperial Palace, for example, but do not visit the Imperial Apartments, Treasury, etc.  I remember visiting the Prater decades ago when I was a student backpacking my way around Europe.  I liked the huge ferris wheel, but don't recall anything else.

[Coral]

6 hours ago, loriva said:

Thanks, again, J80crew.  That location in Vienna is slightly different from what I'd found in researching.  Knowing there is a shuttle, however, I can stop trying to figure out all the U-bahn or tram stops to return to the ship.  We are planning on staying in the center of Vienna after that morning city tour as it sounds like it is a panorama tour only--you see the exterior of the Imperial Palace, for example, but do not visit the Imperial Apartments, Treasury, etc.  I remember visiting the Prater decades ago when I was a student backpacking my way around Europe.  I liked the huge ferris wheel, but don't recall anything else.

We did a Vienna highlights tour with Crystal. It was mostly a walking tour and we ended up at St. Stephen's Cathedral. Some left the tour at that point and found their way back. I think I stayed with the tour.

 

I also remember there being shuttles in several ports. They had great maps at the front area and also times in which the shuttles would run.

 

We embarked in Vienna. I asked for docking info and this is what they sent me:

Vienna Docking Info.pdf

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by Coral

[loriva]

11 hours ago, Coral said:

We did a Vienna highlights tour with Crystal. It was mostly a walking tour and we ended up at St. Stephen's Cathedral. Some left the tour at that point and found their way back. I think I stayed with the tour.

 

I also remember there being shuttles in several ports. They had great maps at the front area and also times in which the shuttles would run.

 

We embarked in Vienna. I asked for docking info and this is what they sent me:

Vienna Docking Info.pdfUnavailable

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the info, Coral.  Unfortunately, the attachment will not open.