LIVE! - Avalon Romantic Rhine

[*Miss G*]

23 hours ago, mimmy52 said:

Looking forward to more. River cruise trip reports are my favorite.

 

16 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Following and enjoying, thanks!

 

17 hours ago, Daisi said:

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

Thanks for coming along, Mimmy, TMLA, and Daisi!

[*Miss G*]

DAY 4

EMBARKATION DAY!

 

It is a cool and damp day.  We know that because our taxi driver had no idea where to take us and has dropped us off about a half mile from our ship.  Why is it that not one single cab, in the four we have taken, knows where to go?  It’s a mystery.

 

We lug our bags along the river — in the rain — and are greeted by…. no one.  We look around.  There’s the ramp.  There’s the Avalon sign.  There’s the Imagery II.  Okay.  I guess this is a DIY trip.  We lug our bags up the steps, across the ramp, and onto the ship.  Still no one.  Down another set of stairs.  Hmm.  Looks like there’s some very steep steal steps now.  My sister leaves me with the bags while she heads down to find help.  Another confused cab driver drives by.

 

After a bit, Merry comes upstairs and instructs me to leave the bags and come in out of the rain.  Confused cab driver drives over to ask if he’s in the right place to pick someone up.  I head downstairs to the reception area and a completely different reception.  The staff on this ship are lovely.  We are directed to the lounge for a light lunch while they bring our wet bags to the room.

 

Following lunch, we check in at the desk and are handed off to a lovely young man who takes our coats and handbags and leads us to our room.  And what a lovely room it is!  Since it was a bit of a mess with our bags and things, I will take some pics once it’s tidy again.  For now, here is the bathroom.  The round blue light on the wall is a reflection of the makeup mirror.

 

 

And here comes the Rundfahrt Sightseeing boat!  As you can see, we are docked in a commercial area.

 

 

This little guy keeps swimming by.  He is quick!

 

[Canal archive]

Elegant lines of the sightseeing boat but the bird is a real cutie. Like your reports thank you.

[travelholics]

Thank you so much for doing this, we will e following along as we would love to take a river cruise. Bon voyage

 

[notamermaid]

Thank you for letting us take part in your adventure so much. Despite having been to Frankfurt quite a few times I have never been on an excursion boat around there or seen one sailing. I know of the Primus-Linie. Hmm, I should put that in the Main thread.

 

So the Osthafen is as commercial as I expected. I guess the odds that a taxi driver has been to Osthafen for the river cruise ships is still limited in number. Should get better with more ships docking there. I see that there is a tram line serving the area. But with luggage I would take a taxi from the main station for convenience.

 

Anyway, hope dinner is tasty and you have a good night's sleep.

 

notamermaid

 

[*Miss G*]

20 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Elegant lines of the sightseeing boat but the bird is a real cutie. Like your reports thank you.

 

19 hours ago, travelholics said:

Thank you so much for doing this, we will e following along as we would love to take a river cruise. Bon voyage

 

 

Thank you for reading along, @Canal archive and @travelholics!

[*Miss G*]

DAY 5 (Continued)

 

I know I said it was Day 4 but I was wrong.  It is actually Day 5.

 

At 6:00pm we are required to attend the Safety Briefing.  The Captain introduces himself and hands things off to Valentin, our Cruise Director.  

 

Valentin begins with the life jacket demonstration.  “Hug your life jackets as you jump into the water or they will knock you unconscious and you will miss the opportunity to blow your whistle.  Also, the staff will be annoyed if we have to come and rescue you.”

 

““If you are not back by All Aboard time we will take 15 seconds to discuss what to do —  “Well, we could stay…” — and then we will leave.  We know you are adults and realize this is your choice not to be here.””  Same goes for excursions.  “If you are not here at excursion time we will assume that is your choice and we will be on our way.”  I really like Valentin.

 

Next, Valentin introduces the rest of the ship staff and they tell a little bit about themselves.  Champagne is passed and we have a toast.  We are also served hot hors d'oeuvres.

 

Following the excursion chat we move to the dining room.  My spinach pumpkin salad is outstanding.  Baby leek soup is also nice.  We both have the salmon trout.  Delicious.  The wine is free-flowing because it is included.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by *Miss G*

[ural guy]

Miss G-  Hope you enjoy your cruise.  Good eye on detail...if you enjoy quality shingle work, you'll have a great trip.  Travel is about the small things to me, and Europe has so much 'nifty' architecture.  Always look up!, the tour guide says for a reason, so many neat decorative touches.

[Canal archive]

Excellent advise ural guy a long past (sad to say) friend of ours filmed everywhere he went but always forgot to switch off his camera he put together a film of - Pavements of Europe - quite a fun evening game.

[*Miss G*]

DAY 6

Rüdesheim

 

Today we are in Riesling wine country.  My room service coffee comes with warmed cream.  Wow.  Now that’s attention to detail.  We peek out the window and see we are next to another river boat.  No idea, yet, whether we are walking through theirs or they are walking through ours.  I hope it’s a competitor and we get to see what their ship’s like.

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by *Miss G*

[*Miss G*]

Following breakfast we head out for our tours.  We pass through the AMA Lucia.  The staff on that ship are just as lovely as the staff on ours, as is what we can see of their ship.  

 

 

We hop on the choo-choo train to the top of the town.  Here we disembark to visit the Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum.  We really enjoyed it!

 

 

 

The museum is housed in a former knight’s castle.  Here are a couple of pics of the architecture inside.

 

 

 

We do a bit of shopping and then it’s off for coffee and brandy and an informative chat!

 

[canadianbear]

@*Miss G* been following along (just I’m quiet, lol).  Enjoying the photos.  The CD sounds like a funny person, especially about the life jackets & if not showing up on time!  

[*Miss G*]

Here is what it looks and sounds like to sit in your room with the sliding window open.

 

 

 

 

Our super comfy beds which face the sliding window.

 

 

And the first lock as we leave Frankfurt at sunset.

 

 

[canadianbear]

I forgot to mention about your warm cream with coffee, very nice!  And the choo-choo train looks neat.  
 

What a lovely room and so peaceful with your slider open too.  I’m living vicariously through you as I’ll never get to do this.  (I know, never say never, but…) 

[*Miss G*]

4 hours ago, ural guy said:

Miss G-  Hope you enjoy your cruise.  Good eye on detail...if you enjoy quality shingle work, you'll have a great trip.  Travel is about the small things to me, and Europe has so much 'nifty' architecture.  Always look up!, the tour guide says for a reason, so many neat decorative touches.

 

Our trip has been absolutely fabulous.  And “Always look up” is such a great phrase!

 

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Excellent advise ural guy a long past (sad to say) friend of ours filmed everywhere he went but always forgot to switch off his camera he put together a film of - Pavements of Europe - quite a fun evening game.

 

That is too funny.  That sounds like my kind of fun!

 

36 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

I forgot to mention about your warm cream with coffee, very nice!  And the choo-choo train looks neat.  
 

What a lovely room and so peaceful with your slider open too.  I’m living vicariously through you as I’ll never get to do this.  (I know, never say never, but…) 

 

It’s funny but whenever I say never, it always happens!  I hope it happens for you too.

[*Miss G*]

Scenes from a walk around Rüdesheim.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by *Miss G*

[Canal archive]

Rudesheimer coffee is not to be missed.

[need2travel1]

Enjoying following along, thanks for taking the time to post!

[*Miss G*]

We return to the ship at All Aboard time and lunch.  Then we grab our blankets and head upstairs to sit on the Skydeck as we sail the Rhine Gorge and listen to the informative commentary.  A member of the staff circulates with glasses of brandy to keep us warm.  So many castles!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2022 by *Miss G*

[canadianbear]

5 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

We return to the ship at All Aboard time and lunch.  Then we grab our blankets and head upstairs to sit on the Skydeck as we sail the Rhine Gorge and listened to the informative commentary.  A member of the staff circulates with glasses of brandy to keep us warm.  So many castles!!

 

 

Wow….this sounds more amazing every hour!!  Brandy. Lol.  Nice!  

[*Miss G*]

Coming around the S turn at Loreley.

 

 

 

[*Miss G*]

This castle is in the middle of the river and is shaped like a ship so the river can move easily around it.  It was built there so the owner could collect “taxes”.

 

[*Miss G*]

Back inside, we head to Afternoon Tea.  Suddenly, we are in Koblenz!!  Good thing, too.  We need to walk off those sandwiches and cake.  We walk around the statue and end up on the Moselle River side.  The statue commemorates Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, who fought in the Crusades with Richard the Lion Heart.  The statue marks the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Rivers.

 

 

 

[*Miss G*]

Scenes around Koblenz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Daisi]

We loved the Mechanical Museum, and yes, I also looked up and got some great shots of the ceiling.:)

 

Sounds as if you are having a great time, we did the Rhine a few years ago, so it's nice to relive memories.