review-gct prague and the blue danube

[burtshell]

my wife and i were on the gct rhapsody cruise tour,august 13-27.

spent 3 nights in a hotel in prague,then 7 nights on the ship. we included the post 3 nights in budapest.

 

we are 68 and 67 years old and are retired n.y.c. school teachers living in florida.

 

cruising has been a favorite form of vacation and we have about 40+ cruises under our belt.

this cruise was our first river cruise.

 

gct booked our air from miami, using delta code-share partners. we flew air france from mia to paris and then czech air to prague.

we were met in the prague airport by a rep. from gct in the baggage area. after getting our luggage we were once more greeted by one of the 3 tour directors who escorted us to van that took us to the "don giovanni" hoitel in prague.

upon arriving in the hotel we received our keys and were told that there would be a short walking tour around the hotel .

luggage arrived in the room rather quickly.

we went on the walking tour with another tour director who took us to the subway station,about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. he explained the ticketing system and the stations to go to in town and return to the hotel. there is a atm machine in the subway station.

the hotel is a very modern looking building but the area around it is not conducive for walking.

during our stay in prague there were included tours and optional tours.

we had free time to explore the "jewish section" of the city and right around the corner from the hotel isa an old jewish cemetery.

 

everyone on the cruise tour was in the hotel. this was included in the price.

we were divided into three groups. red,yellow and blue. our group was red. this group consisted of the post 3 days in budapest.

 

i will ramble on, so if you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

from prague you are bussed to linz,austria where the ship is docked. on the way there is an optional tour in "cesky krumlov" we did not take it and the people who did were very disappointed.

 

now the ship

 

we are used to the "regular cruise ships" so i was kind of disappointed with some of the things on our ship.

food.

the dinner menu was very limited.

the portions were quite small.

the maitre'd was great and he was able to change a few items everyday for my wife who does not eat meat or fried food.

the waiters did not encourage you to ask for seconds or portions for the table to share.

wine was served every night(free)

the breakfast buffet had an omlette station where you can get fried eggs or egg whites.

no lox or herring.

the lunch buffet was very good.

 

every night at 6:45 there was a port talk for 15 minutes.

this was an informational meeting to discuss the next days events.

at 7pm the dinner was served.

dress was very casual. did not see one sports jacket.

you sit with anyone you want to. this is a way to meet people who are not in your color grouping.

people on a river cruise (in my opinion)are more worldly then your average cruiser.

following dinner you go to the lounge and there is some kind of show. nothing to get excited about. the show ends about 9:30 and everyone went back to their cabin.

there is nothing to do at night. not even a piano player in the lounge.

 

i am writing too much.

any questions just ask.

we will not go on another river cruise.

the cost for this cruise was quite expensive.

3 nights in prague.

7 days on the boat.

this was about double the price that we are spending on our next european cruise which is for 15 days in a balcony cabin.

 

they made a big deal when we were cruising the wachau valley. maybe i am too jaded but to me it was not interesting.

what was very nice was the entrance to budapest at night.

take care

burtshell

[rogerdawhip]

I am sorry you did not enjoy your river cruise. A river cruise is entirely different from a large cruise ship. I have been on both many times and enjoy each for what they offer.

[frac]

We took this cruise in May and June and have a totally different opinion to Burtshell. Our only complaint (other than the long flight) was the location of the hotel. We took the tour of Cesky Krumlov and thought it was a delightful place. A Medieval town that has never been shelled or bombed was refreshing and it was very attractive.

 

As for the food, I don't eat fish, but had little trouble finding something from the dinner menu that interested me. As for the portions, everyone we ate with was pleased that they were smaller. The food was good and well presented. We were on the Aria and found all the staff and crew to be helpful and very willing to help in any way they could.

 

The entertainment in the evening is naturally different from the big ships, but for the most part was interesting and varied and you could always go up to the Sundeck. We enjoyed the scenery and the little villages that we passed.

 

 

We have already booked another cruise for next spring - Amsterdam to Vienna.

 

I'm sorry that you were unhappy with the experience.

 

Pat & Larry

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

We taking our first river cruise with Vantage. We have gone on many ocean cruises and love them. After reading your post; I am wondering if we made a mistake in choosing river cruising. I hope it will not be boring! We are going from Budapest to Amsterdam. This cruise is just as expensive as the ocean cruises we have taken which always was a mini-suite with balcony. My husband loves to eat. Can you get extra portions if you ask? I think I am stressing about this cruise too much. First the water levels and now wondering about the food and being bored. Yikes!

[burtshell]

judy,

the dinner menu was as follows on grand circle traveL:

1-one appetizer sometimes cold or hot. you were able to get a salad instead of the appetizer,but that was your only choice in that course.

2-soup(which was very good) but you had no choice

3-entrees-there were only 2 choices-usually beef and fish,sometimes a vegetarian or chicken dish but salmon and chicken breast were always available. the entrees came with vegetables.

4-dessert-sometimes one item or a choice of two.-usually ice cream or cheese or fruit.

 

i never saw anyone ask for more, other then vegetables which my wife asked for.

 

i do not understand why anyone would be happy to be served small portions. i am not a big eater but i really thought that gct was under the impression that presentation was more important then quantity.

 

if you want a "nosh" at 10 PM there is no place to go.

 

i found that most of the "cruisers" on the river cruise we were on never cruised on a princess,holland america or ncl.

for me- give me the large ships,shows,casino,buffets,library and lounges to listen to piano players.

true,it was nice getting to know almost everyone on the ship but for my dollar it wasn't worth it.

why did most of the people go to their cabins at 9:30?

that's it for now, please fire away with any thing that you would like me to respond.

take care

burtshell

[sccruzzer]

:)

judy,

the dinner menu was as follows on grand circle traveL:

1-one appetizer sometimes cold or hot. you were able to get a salad instead of the appetizer,but that was your only choice in that course.

2-soup(which was very good) but you had no choice

3-entrees-there were only 2 choices-usually beef and fish,sometimes a vegetarian or chicken dish but salmon and chicken breast were always available. the entrees came with vegetables.

4-dessert-sometimes one item or a choice of two.-usually ice cream or cheese or fruit.

 

i never saw anyone ask for more, other then vegetables which my wife asked for.

 

i do not understand why anyone would be happy to be served small portions. i am not a big eater but i really thought that gct was under the impression that presentation was more important then quantity.

 

if you want a "nosh" at 10 PM there is no place to go.

 

i found that most of the "cruisers" on the river cruise we were on never cruised on a princess,holland america or ncl.

for me- give me the large ships,shows,casino,buffets,library and lounges to listen to piano players.

true,it was nice getting to know almost everyone on the ship but for my dollar it wasn't worth it.

why did most of the people go to their cabins at 9:30?

that's it for now, please fire away with any thing that you would like me to respond.

take care

burtshell

 

Hi, I too have a few questions...so you are saying after dinner, there is not any other snaks to eat before your breakfast in the am. ...Midnight snack or something.:rolleyes: Also are you allowed to bring food (pastries etc you may find in a bakery..) or sodas on the ship? Thanks for any input.:) oh one other thing, if I bring a coffee insulation cup, can i fill it with coffee/hot choch and take back to my cabin?

[jowahe]

Burtshell: Thanks for your input re river cruising. I'm sure many others will share your impressions and newbees should be forewarned about the differences between river and ocean cruising.

 

Personally, I enjoy both. I leave next month on a 14-day Princess cruise and am booked on another GCT river cruise next spring -- my 4th with GCT, but different itineraries.

 

I have found the food served by GCT to be well prepared and over the length of the cruise, of great variety. I never went away hungry and enjoyed the complimentary wine with dinner--I never get that on the mid-level ocean cruises that I take. I tend to overeat on the ocean cruises where food is non-stop.

 

What to do after 9:30 pm?? Sometimes if the boat is docked, I'll take a walk around the little village we're in. There's usually lots of locals out and about. There may be a pub nearby, too. If staying on board, I'll read, write in my journal, sort my digital pictures, watch TV (CNN, travelogs, etc.), and prepare for the next day's activities. I've usually found a few convivial types at the lounge bar long after the evening's enterainment has ended -- somtimes including crew members and program managers. If the weather is nice, sitting up on the sun (moon?) deck is pleasant especially when cruising along the river.

 

I agree ocean cruises and river cruises are different types of vacations and require different expectations. I also agree with the sage who said that "Those who say there's no place like home, have never been on a cruise."

[burtshell]

sccruzzer,

here are some answers to your questions.

there is nothing to eat on the ship after your dinner.

you can bring anything onboard re:food or drink.

no one stops to check your bags when you board everyday.

there is a coffee machine on the rhapsody that makes regular coffee,cappachino(sp) demi-tasse and hot water for tea. the tea bags were on the counter near the machine.

feel free to ask anything re:the rhapsody.

burtshell

[jdrblue]

Judy - I'm sure you are seeing that there is a difference between the ocean crusie and river cruise. We have been on 10 ocean cruises including HAL (2), Princess (2), NCL (2), RCCL, Cunard, Carnival, and Celebrity. We leave in about 10 days for a 15 day cruise on Oceania. We have been on two GCT river cruises. Christmas Markets Along the Rhine in a 150 passenger ship and Burgundy, Provence and the Cote d'Azur on a 46 passenger ship. The river ships have much smaller crews but the service is very good. The bars aren't open nearly the hours as the big cruise ships. A lot of people bring their own. The same is true of the restaurants. They are only open at meal times. Of course there are no casinos, swimming pools, art auctions, bingo, etc. and the nightly entertainment is limited. If you look at the ship as the destination, then maybe river cruising isn't for you.

 

We look at the ports as the destination. The river ships will take you to ports that the ocean ships can't. You still have the advantage of unpacking once and sleeping in the same bed each night. As mentioned previously, you may overnight in some places or stay late into the evening. This gives you a chance to see the towns at night, dine ashore or visit a local pub. The river ships often dock right in the center of the city so you can walk to many attractions.

 

My experience is that the river cruisers are very well traveled and a little older. They are not a party all night group but the people are generally fun and interesting. That said, I've never had more fun than a night on the town in Rudesheim, Germany with our river boat bunch.

 

You don't have sea days on river cruises so there isn't the need for so much on board entertainment. You will do some cruising during the day but you are passing picturesque towns, castles, villas and transiting locks. Most days you are tied up in a city and off the ship.

 

We are planning both an ocean cruise and a river cruise in '07. We are considering Amadeus, not that we didn't like GCT, but I think the cabins are larger on Amadeus and they have an itinerary we like. We enjoy both type of cruise but they are different experiences.

[pacmom]

Judy,

 

Don't stress out about the food. The portions are more than adequate---very European, not humongous portions like we have here in the States. Breakfast and lunch are buffets. Dinner is the only plated meal. On occasion, I have gotten 2 appetizers because I couldn't make a choice. The cruise we were on this summer had a cheese table at dinner and a choice of desserts. There was always a meat, a fish and a vegetarian main course except for the farewell dinner which was prime rib. You will experience a very smooth cruise and some beautiful scenery. Even if there are 3 or 4 other boats in the same port at the same time, you are only looking at about 500 instead of 5000+ people. Back on food, you can always bring a snack on board. It's fun to try some of the snacks and candies from the various ports. You can also bring wine to drink on the sun deck or in your room. Just pack lightly, dress in layers and above all relax and enjoy a truly different style o cruising. Travel safely Pat

[lobsterlover]

So happy to find a post by someone who has done the trip I am doing with GCT on Oct. 1. Sorry I have so many questions. We are taking both the pre trip in Prague and post in Transylvania. Interested in details of the extras you signed up for on the trip, and whether you felt they were worth taking. Expect we will be taking most of the trips unless really bad review, as we are not ones to venture out on our own in a land where we can't speak the language. Read about so much pickpocketing in Prague. Did you find this to be a concern? Did you find it too dangerous to venture out of the hotel in Prague at night for dinner? Do you have a good restaurant recommendation there? And in Budapest? I was hoping we would be closer to the center of town. How did your home visit go, and what type of gifts were given to the hostess? Not much interested in the food served as the joy of experiencing new places is the reason we chose a river trip.

 

This is our second river trip. Our first was also with GCT 2 years ago. We did the "Great Rivers of Europe" and so enjoyed all the small towns we stopped at along the way. Been on 15 Ocean cruises, but this trip rated very close to the top of all trips. Also had a great time in Rudesheim. Loved the Rudesheim coffee we got at a cafe. It was real entertainment to watch it prepared.

 

Really getting excited now about the up coming trip. So happy I'd put in more happy faces, but I can't figure out how to put them anywhere but at the beginning.

 

Carolyn

[lobsterlover]

Really sorry to hear you were unhappy with your riverboat cruise, but yes, they are very different from Ocean cruises. My husband and I have been on 15 Ocean cruises, with 16th coming up in November. However, I know he would never be happy on a riverboat cruise so I travel with a friend and it works well. Riverboat cruising is definitely not for everyone.

 

I'm sure your European cruise will be more enjoyable for you. My husband did do that one with me on the old Noordam. Have fun.

 

Carolyn

[steamboats]

I can only speak for our river cruise (Deilmann´s Mozart) and food was first class and plenty (up to 9 courses for dinner). Next to breakfast, lunch and dinner there was an afternoon tea, late night snack and fresh fruit (all over the day). There was no free coffee/tea except for breakfast / dinner.

 

We had a daily evening entertainment and the three piece band played dance music for the afternoon tea and after dinner.

 

Why do people prefer to go to bed at 9:30pm?? I think that´s an easy question. Many of the shore tours are walking tours, some are strenous and most of the passengers are 55+. So they are simply tired after a long day visiting the town. There´s no sea day to relax. Usually you have to get up early to go on the shore tours.

 

steamboats

[hobse]

It has been said many times that a river cruise is not like an ocean cruise and there is too much information available for anyone to expect that it would be. The different reviews just shows that each person's experience can be different and each ship/cruise can be different.

 

The food on our Uniworld cruise was plentiful. Dinner was always a choice of 3 entrees, plus appetizer, salad, soup, and desert choices. In fact, the waiters practically insisted that you order all courses. They thought it a bit strange if you did not want them all. The portions were good. There was always fruit around the ship, cookies, free tea/coffee/hot chocolate. On at least 3 nights, second portions were brought around, usually on the meat entree. You also could always order a steak or chicken breast. Some people had that plus the regular entree.

 

We had a regular entertainer every night (Dino, I think) who played different music that could be danced to (slow and fast). Another 2 or 3 nights outside entertainers were brought on board. Some people went to bed right after dinner (which usually lasted until 9-9:30), and some people went to the lounge for after dinner drinks, dancing, socializing. Maybe we just had more of a "party" group on ship (albeit "older"). We even laughed when we saw some of these people doing tequila shooters before or after dinner. The bar always had snacks available like nuts and chips for free. The bartenders were a lot of fun to joke with, entertainment in themselves.

 

Anything can be brought on board, snacks and beverage. Many people had happy hour in their rooms, and many in the lounge. Yes, we could take coffee/tea back to our rooms.

 

We really enjoyed our Uniworld river cruise and felt we had a good value. We will compare our Uniworld experience with an upcoming Avalon trip.

[sccruzzer]

Hi Hobse, You said you will be going on an Avalon Tour. I am interested which ship, and where you are going & when? We too are going on an Avalon, the Tranquility, but not til next Dec. 07. I would love to hear your report when you return regarding everything..food, service etc....:)

Thanks

[burtshell]

hi carolyn,

my wife and i were from "downstate' brooklyn,then long island and now florida.

i will try to answer some of your questions.

A-we took 2 optional tours:

1- musical vienna-strauss and mozart-great show

2- schoenbrunn palace also in vienna. this was on a sunday so we were able to get in without a problem even though the lines were quite long.

my wife and i like to do things on our own so the other tours did not interest us.

B-there were a few people on our tour who were victims of pickpocketers. our tour leaders kept on telling the group to be very careful in prague. if you are from a large major city in the U.S. you should not have a problem. i wear a vest with zippered pockets and my wife wears a money bvelt under her sweater or blouse.

just use common sense when you are in a crowd and you will be alright.

C- prague restaurants. there are no restaurants near the hotel (don giovanni). the first night we took the subway one stop "flora station" walked across the street to the "crazy daisey" restaurant. your tour guides should be able to give you more information.

the 2nd night the tour took us to a "beer hall" we had chicken breast with a beverage. this was included in our tour. the food was not good.

the third night in prague we ate in the hotel at their buffet.

we toured in the morning with gct and then in the afternoon we spent touring the "jewish section" of prague. we finished around 5:30 so we weren't hugry enough to eat in town. took the train back to our hotel and refreshed ourselves and the ate in the buffet with another couple.

D- budapest restaurants-none near the hotel,you can eat in the hotel if you want but i would eat in town. can't recommend any restaurants in budapest.

E-home visit. this was my favorite day which was spent in touring bratislavia in the morning and then the group went by bus to moravsky svaty. we were split up in groups of ten and spent an enjoyable afternoon in the home of a local couple. did not notice any gifts brought by our group. but the guide mentioned that we should take the host's address and mail them a thank you note.

hope this helps you in your planning

burtshell

[pacmom]

Hobse,

 

We are confirmed Uniworld cruisers, but are looking at Avalon for their Russian cruise. Hopefully, the new boat will be finished by then. Would be interested to hear which of their cruises you have picked. We have also planned to take Viking's Berlin-Prague trip--no other Eng. speaking only company does this trip. Safe travels. Pat

[hobse]

pacmom & sccruzzer,

 

Our Avalon cruise will be the Romantic Rhine, Basel-Amsterdam, 11/5/06, on the Tapestry. We would definitely take another Uniworld cruise, but the schedule for this Avalon trip worked better for us. With all of the good reviews of Avalon it will be interesting to compare the two.

[pacmom]

Hobse,

 

Thanks for the info---hope you post a review when you return. That is also one that interests us. Pat

[frac]

Hi Carolyn

[frac]

Hi Carolyn,

We ate at the Don Giovanni in Prague partly because we were tired from the flight and tours and partly the location. The food was fine - just don't order the hamburger. It is a Ham Burger! Strange tasting. We rode the subway back from town one day and it was fine -crowded at first and we hung onto purses and wallets. The escalator at the entrances were almost an amusement park attraction and the guys wanted to back and ride them again!

We took the Sychrov Castle tour and it was very interesting. There was an organ concert and singer and they were great. The dinner was chicken (of course) and 2 glasses of free beer. If you don't drink beer order it anyway because someone at the table will want it.

WE took the Cesky Krumlov tour on the way to the boat and loved it. It is a small medieval town and fortress and has never been shelled or bombed, so it is in pristine condition. Lunch was chicken and free beer again. We stopped overnite one time in Durnstein which is a tiny little place. There are wine shops and souvenir shops, nice people and a wonderful view! There is a little outdoor pub at the dockside that we enjoyed.

In Vienna we skipped the Schonbrun as we had been there before. It is a wonderful place and worth seeing. Our tour was on a Sun. and we couldn't go into St. Stephen's, but it's worth going back to after the ship's tour. They run a shutle into town and if you are in good shape you can walk in. It's an easy city to walk in - most european cities are - and the guide will give you a good map with everything marked. Most viennese speak English, especially young people.

The 2 home-hosted lunches were neat. The first lady spoke German and one of the men in our group had some, so we had a translator. The second= in Osijek, Croatia was even better. The lady ate with us, had a schoolgirl/translator and also spoke a little English. She also had a photo album of the was damage.

Budapest is a delight. After you finish the included tour go down the street a way and ride the funicular back to Castle Hill and tour St Matthias Church and the area again.

Belgrade was interesting and I hope you get to visit St. Sava cathedal. It was not finished when we were there.

In Ruse, BUlgaria we took the tour to VelikoTarnov and Arbanassi. We enjoyed it and thought it was worth it. It is a long bus ride.

Constanta is fascinationg. There are Roman ruins that are ancient. We had a wonderful local guide named Vlad and he was really knowledgeable.

The only disappointing tour was Bucharest. We were there in 1979 and there were some things that they could have taken us to that would have been more interesting.

Be sure you have sunscreen, a hat, a sweater for evenings, and casual clothes. I changed into a glittery top for the "gala" evenings and my husband put on slacks. Other than that most people wore what they had worn for the day. I wore slacks or Capris and Larry wore shorts. We had bought 3 pairs with an extra pocket that was zippered so he carried his wallet there and I carry a "wallet on a string" so we were safe from pick-pockets and I know of no one on our cruise who had a problem. We ran into gypsies in several places and you have to really be careful I'm sorry to say. They followed, tried to distract us etc. Our program director was a tiny thing - about 5 foot, maybe 90# and she ran off 3 teens that were circling us and in other places very quietly wove warnings into her talks. Don't be afraid, just be aware.

Do enjoy the trip and be open to new experiences. When you get back if you are interested in the background of the breakup of Yugoslavia I will recommend a book.

I know this is long, but I wish I had had more info before we went. Don't be afraid to explore on your own.

 

Pat

[sccruzzer]

pacmom & sccruzzer,

 

Our Avalon cruise will be the Romantic Rhine, Basel-Amsterdam, 11/5/06, on the Tapestry. We would definitely take another Uniworld cruise, but the schedule for this Avalon trip worked better for us. With all of the good reviews of Avalon it will be interesting to compare the two.

 

Hi Hobse, Definetly looking forward to your Review when you return. The River cruise Itenerary sounds wonderful. Hope you have a great time.

 

Happy Sailing,:)

Brigitte

[lobsterlover]

Thank you so much for all of your helpful information. I've scribbled many notes from this board....I will have to get them all organized in a notebook to take with me. You all have been great with sharing your experiences. Knowing those little tips that you don't get from the catalogue and travel docs really help to make the trip more pleasurable.

 

L.L.

[Judyumcer@aol.com]

jdrblue, You are going to love your Oceania cruise. We went last fall from Barcelona to Istanbul. The ship is beautiful and the beds are the most comfortable we ever had on any cruise (including Radisson, Seven Seas Voyager). You get down comforters and pillows. The food is wonderful in every restaurant. Make reservations ASAP for the speciality restaurants. We are looking forward to the river cruise and I will write my impressions as soon as we get back around the first week of October. WE chose Vantage because another couple we met on Oceania highly recommended them. Since we live in Las Vegas, casinos do not interest us and entertainment is not why we go to Europe. We want to see the villages, palaces and castles. We are both in our 50's, work full time in the medical field and need some time to relax, so this might be just what we need. We will go out on our own. We usually get a private guide or go on our own when we take the ocean cruises too. Had a wonderful guide in St. Petersberg, Russia and Moscow. Also, a great girl in Istanbul. We did do alot of sightseeing on our own in Istanbul too. This will be different and who knows? maybe a one time thing or we will really like it and want to take more. However, I do not think they are inexpensive compared to the ocean cruises. We leave 9/11/06. Just received our documents in the mail yesterday. Plenty of time before we leave as I asked them to make sure we got them early. Thanx, Judy