ON the Amadagio!

[TataTom]

Yes, if you do not want wine with dinner, you may have beer instead. On my cruise the beer on tap was Becks.

[Buckland]

We spoke with the Maitr'd, William, and he told us that he negotiated with the owners for a larger wine budget - in fact he got them to double it! We make our own wine (not bad for plonk) but we can spot a good wine when we taste it. My wife's brother is a collector and her cousin is a Soumalier - I think that's how you spell it - and we have had the pleasure of tasting some very expensive wines. The ones we had at dinner were among the finest we have ever had. At every sitting we have had to put our hands over our glasses as we had reached our wine limit. They were indeed very generous with thier passengers. I'd do it again in a New York Second!

 

Buck

[RayB]

Helen and I are booked on the Amadagio Sailing from Budapest on June 2, 2007. Buck I have read your posting with interest. We live in Ocoee, Florida but have booked with Capt Sandy's out of Stittsville, ON. We will be cruising with our friends from DunRobin to Europe.

 

We appreciate all the comments made on this thread and will adhere to all the good advices given.

 

Ray & Helen

[AliceS]

Ray and Helen,

 

We expect a report when you get back, or better yet, post onboard like Buck.

 

Tom is happy to hear that he won't have to drink wine with dinner. Beer will be better for him. He would have the included wine before nothing though.

 

 

I'm hoping that we can travel light. I really don't like to over pack and it sounds like we can be casual most of the time.

[Diane&4girls]

We will definitely overpack! No doubt!

 

I love fine wines as well, so I'm excited about the queality. At times, my onboard wine bill is more than my cruise costs!

[TataTom]

During our farewell dinner Saturday evening (which was very nice) we were given some of the statistical data of our two week cruise. I wish I had written it down, it was fascinating. The one thing that stuck in my mind was that we 133 guests had consumed 440+ bottles of wine during the cruise. That may be a new record.

[Buckland]

One morning we were talking with the Matr'd and he said we consumed 43 bottles of wine the night before. He said if anyone wanted another glass he'd have to open the one bottle that was on display at the entrance to the dining room. By the end of the cruise we too had consumed over 400 bottles. And they were all good too.

 

Buck

[Fleuve51]

We are from Montreal!

I so appreciated your review.

We have done over 35 cruises, but we will plan a similar river cruise-as you did.

It was so encouraging to read your review.

We plan to go from Amsterdamm to Budapest on the "Magnificent Europe' tour, leaving Aug 25th.

As we have never done a river cruise, any info would be greatly appreciated.

I even took note of the Cabin #203(?) as being very good.

Thanks,

Eileen

[Rockin' Robin]

My husband and I have recently taken an interest in river cruising. We want to try a small boat for our next cruise.

 

Based on the postings, we are concerned that we will be seeing church after church (also known as "more of the same thing, over and over again"). Please let me know about the variety of things to see off the boat.

 

Also, what is the "cruise not to miss" since there are so many to choose from?

 

By the way, I had a burger and fries at McDonalds across from the Spanish Steps in Rome 2 weeks ago and it was delicious. Sad to say, I was glad to see those Golden Arches.

 

 

Rockin' Robin

[Buckland]

Hi Fleuve,

We are from Ottawa and this was our first river cruise. We would do this again no problem! The ship is not a huge thing like the Star Princess. There was 140 passengers on our cruise - a full compliment less two that were originally with us, but had to back out at the last minute due to work concerns. With a ship this size you quickly get to know the other passengers. On the Star we met some great people at the beginning of the cruise and then never saw them again. On this ship you see just about everybody every day. We made some great new friends and we still keep in touch. Our cabin was 203 and it was just about perfect!

 

Hey Rockin' Robin (like the handle)

We did see a lot of churches and cathedrals and I have to admit that we did get a bit overwhelmed by the end, but it was mostly from the amount of information that we got. One can only take so much history. Going from Amsterdam to Budapest they got better and better and more elaborate. The Hoffburg winter resindence in Wursburg was absolutely breathtaking. You really gotta see this! What amazed me the most about our tours was learning about the amount of damage done during the war. Koblenz for example suffered 40 air raids and had almost 90% of the city demolished. Due to the heroic efforts of a lot of people everything has been restored. You will from time to time see some things that have been kept as it was during the war which is really sobering. We really loved this cruise and can hardly wait to do it again.

 

Buck

[Fleuve51]

We have been on the Star Princess& many other ships of that size.

We have recently done 2 Oceania cruises--650 passengers--and loved it. I think we will stick with oceania .

We will book our river cruise next week & ask for cabin #203, or close to it.

We want to try something different. We have done many bus tours((enough of that!) and over 35 cruises. We need a change.

Thanks for your help.

Do you know Montreal?

Eileen

[Buckland]

Hi Fleuve,

I like the size of the river ships, 150 passengers or less, and you get to watch the scenery all day too. I was out in the bow as we went through the first part of the Rhine Gorge - it was cold and overcast with a little bit of rain, just perfect for photographing ancient castle ruins.

 

I use to live in Montreal, in Point Aux Trembles. My father was in the army and was stationed there for three years.

 

Buck

[Fleuve51]

Hi Buck,

Thanks for all your advice.

We plan to book the river cruise for the fall of 2007.

Before that though, we are doing a 10 day oceania cruise to the caribbean ,leaving Jan2nd.

We do at least 3 to 4 cruises a year. We are anxious to try the river cruise ,as it will be a new experience.

we are almost neighbours!

Eileen

[AliceS]

We have another question. Is there a small refrigerator in the cabin on the ship? If not, what would we do with medication that needs refrigeration?

[Buckland]

Hi Alice,

 

Sorry, there is no refrigerator in the cabin, but I'm sure that they will be able to accommodate you. They seem to be willing to bend over backward in order to please the passengers. Someone is available 24 hrs/day so you should be able to access your medication about any time. I will, however, do some sleuthing to verify what I suspect.

 

Buck

[Diane&4girls]

AliceS,

I was about to ask about a refrigerator, too!

 

It seems funny that we were on the largest cruise ship in the world 3 weeks ago and are looking forward to sailing a river boat in 2 weeks. If we like it, this may be the start of something new. I'm eyeing the Artistry 18 day cruise for next August. I don't know if I could survive such a long trip, but I love the itinerary.

 

Fleuve,

We will most likely sail Oceania in the Summer of 2007. We have the Brilliance booked but after my first and last RCI Member's Cruise 3 weeks ago, I don't know if I could stand another. My girls have their eyes on the June 29th sailing of the Insignia. Before I make any changes, I'll let them book their camps first then schedule our cruise around those.

[Venturagirl]

We have another question. Is there a small refrigerator in the cabin on the ship? If not, what would we do with medication that needs refrigeration?

 

I travel with insulin and I often find myself in a hotel or other situation where I don't have refrigeration in the room.

 

On our 2 week river cruise this summer, the Viking Pride did not have refrigerators in the cabins. I could have stored my insulin in the kitchen refrigerator, but then I would have to bother a staff member at bedtime to retrieve it and put it back so I could do my injection each night. That seemed like too much hassle for me. (The kitchen staff were kind enough to freeze the blue ice that I use in my travel case to keep my insulin cool while flying.) So I did what I do in hotels -- I put my insulin in a ziplock baggie and kept it in the ice bucket covered with ice. I refilled the ice bucket twice a day myself from the self-service ice machine, just because I wanted to keep on top of it, but the housekeeper would have filled it for me at least once a day if I had asked her.

[Buckland]

Hi Venturagirl,

 

That's a great tip. I think from that standpoint, having a small refrigerator in the cabins would be great idea.

 

Buck

[Buckland]

I recently received an E-mail from someone who had a few questions. One of them, with my answer is here.

 

Q

As far as safety goes, did you feel secure sight seeing when you weren't in a group? I ask this because I recently watched a travel video that warned that purse snatching and pick pockets are a problem in Prague. I'm not going to Prague but wondered if it is a problem in other cities also.

 

A

We both felt very comfortable everywhere we went. The only place I felt a little less so was in Budapest, but not because of the cautions we received, but more I think because I was pretty tired by that time. Pick pockets are everywhere, but don't be alarmed - by everywhere I mean pretty much where there are a lot of tourists, and it's not surprizing, really. We were warned about pick pockets in England too. When on the tube we were told to find a spot and sit if you can, otherwise, stand with your back to the wall. At first we were a little uneasy, but that feeling went away pretty quickly. You just have to be a smart traveller. We wore clothing that had either Velcro pockets or zippers, or buttons to make them more secure. When travelling I always put our most valuable things, like passports and cash in a pouch and hang it around my neck and under my shirt. It's just common sense really, where ever you go don't make it easy for someon to grab something off you. My wife had a very small purse and carried only the minimum stuff. She also wore it over her head and not just over her shoulder. She kept the purse either in front of her or under her arm. But please don't feel uncomfortable about it - I would strongly recommend to do that in any really big city in the US or in Canada. Tourists are pretty obvious even when we don't want to be. While in Turkey last year we were inundated with street people trying to get us to buy their stuff. Soon it will just roll off your back.

 

Buck

[steamboats]

Buck,

 

You´re absolutely right! Use common sense. Don´t wear your purse just around the shoulder. Use a purse with a zipper and zip it. Don´t show your 5,000 bucks camera by hanging it around your neck...

 

We frequently get warnings here in Munich for the Octoberfest and for the Christmas Markets (it´s mainly organized groups coming from Eastern Europe for these "events").

 

I didn´t feel uncomfortable in Budapest. The main problem was the horrible traffic!! We crossed a street at a zebra crossing and my DD was near hit by a car in the second lane. So keep your eyes open and watch the traffic.

 

Let´s say it like this: In Europe pickpockets just take your money but don´t shoot or stab you!

 

steamboats

[AliceS]

We carry insulin, too. That's what prompted my question about refrigeration. We always find a way though. The little fridge on the cruise ship is great, but we have other methods.

 

I rarely carry anything and use my pockets for stuff. I let the big guy carry the cash and credit card. We don't carry much cash either. We've seen pick pockets everywhere, but have never been bothered. It's a good idea not to wear flashy jewelery out and about. That prompts another question. Is there an individual safe in the cabin?

[Buckland]

Hi Alice,

 

Yeah, there is a safe and it's pretty cool too. When you get to your cabin you'll find it open. You put your stuff in it and close it then you enter a code (we used a four digit code that was easy to remember) and the safe will lock. When you want to get your stuff, you simply re-enter the code and it will unlock. You can use a different code evey time you use it if you like although I wouldn't recommend it - I have a hard enough time remembering our "easy" one. It's not very big, but you can put in your jewelry and cash and stuff like that. It's nice to have so you dont' have to walk around with all your cash all the time. Besides, we used our credit card quite a bit. It's interesting to see how the charges are noted and how quickly they add up!

 

Buck

[TataTom]

I had purchased a money belt before we left, one of the silk ones that goes under your shirt. I never used it. I had only necessary essentials in my wallet, cash and bank cards, and kept the wallet in my right front pants pocket, usually with my hand on it if I were strolling around where people could brush against me. I never carried more than 100 euros, I used my credit card for larger purchases and ATM's for pocket cash. My wife carried a small purse with zippers and kept it around her neck. Neither of us were bothered.

 

Our tour guide in Bratislavia pointed out two pickpockets to us, and they looked like pickpockets, if that makes any sense. They are certainly out there, and there are enough tourists who have more money than brains to keep them occupied. Just use some common sense.

 

On our late night tour of the red light district in Amsterdam, one of our group was pickpocketed, or so we heard. It was a Japanese gentlemen from California. This was pickpocket heaven, crowded, tight, lots of unsavory fellows, and I don't think I ever took my hand out of my right pocket!

[Buckland]

There is lots to say about common sense. The only thing that went missing for us was our camera, which I left on the last plane home. I'm pretty sure it dissappear pretty quickly. I did get some communication from Air Canada so at least now I can claim it on my insurance.

 

Buck

[t460b00]

:confused: Does anyone have any information on Vantage? Has anybody used them? I don't know if they use their own ships for River Cruises or book with other cruise lines. Any help or comments would be much appreciated