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Artistry cruise on the Danube


dsimon

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My wife and I just returned from the 12-day "Legendary Danube Cruise" on the MS Artistry offered by Avalon in association with Globus and Brendan Travel. This was our second river cruise. Last summer we cruised the Seine with another company. Put simply, we had a grand time on this trip and would certainly recommend the Danube cruise to others.

 

THE SHIP. As many of you may know, the MS Artistry is brand new, having been launched in May of 2004. It is a beautiful ship and a joy to ride. The cabins are very spacious with lots of storage space and the bathrooms are a dream as river cruising boats go. All have tiled floors, sinks with counter space and shelving below. The showers are glass enclosed. While we did not use them, the Artistry has a whirlpool and modest exercise center. The dining room and lounge are spacious and aesthetically first rate. A laundry service is available as well as two Internet stations. Both of these are a little pricey, however. The Internet connection runs 3 Euros per minute. It is considerably cheaper to seek out an Internet cafe on shore. There was one glitch in the cruise when four of the rooms on the lower deck had backed up bathrooms, but it was our understanding that the crew worked very quickly to clean things up and fix the problem. Most nights entertainment was provided in the lounge including a Bavarian folklore concert, a Jazz presentation, and Gypsy music.

 

THE CREW. We do not believe it is an understatement to say that most of the passengers fell in love with the crew. They were extremely hard working, enthusiastic and helpful. Our cruise director was absolutely superb. He was always well organized, helpful, and never got rattled.

 

THE ITINERARY. We flew into Prague on day one and were put up at the Marriott for three nights. The Marriott proved a very nice hotel in an excellent location, within easy walking distance to Old Town and Wenceslaus Square. We had a tour of the city included in the cruise package and took advantage of two optional tours, a "Behind the Scenes Prague Walking Tour" and a trip to Terezin, the Nazi prison and processing center for victims sent off to the concentration camps. We also attended the Prague Symphony concert of A. Dvorak at Smetana Hall in Municipal House. It is important to note here that a number of optional tours were available during the cruise. We took three and the total cost for the both of us ran around $340.

 

From Prague we traveled by bus to Nuremberg to board the Artistry. There was a tour of the city, including the Nazi rally site and the courthouse where the Nuremberg war crime trials were held. After leaving Nuremberg we headed down the Main-Danube Canal to Regensberg and had a side trip through the lovely Danube Gorge and the impressive Weltenburg Abbey.

 

The cruise then went to Passau and Linz in Austria. On that leg of the journey, an optional all day trip was available to Salzburg that we took advantage of and proved a real treat. In addition to a walking tour in the city, the cruise director had arranged for a grand luncheon at St. Peter's restaurant that was founded in 803! At the lunch we had a very nice concert. The Austrian countryside on this trip was beautiful.

 

We the continued down the Danube to Melk and the magnificent Benedictine Abbey and on to Vienna with a Strauss concert in the evening and a city tour the following morning. The short stay in Vienna was one of the few disappointments on the trip. Many passengers felt that more time should have been allotted to this magnificent city, perhaps cutting out one of the "minor" stops or dropping one cay from the Prague stay. To go to Vienna and not visit the Schonbrunn Palace, for instance, seemed strange indeed.

 

The cruise then continued on to Bratislava in Slovakia and concluded in Budapest, Hungary. In both places, very informative tours were included. One observation woth noting -- the cruise into the city of Budapest is really impressive.

 

FOOD. Breakfast and Lunch on the MS Artistry are buffet and provided considerable variety. I heard virtually no complaints on these two meals. The dinners were good, but not outstanding. There were generally two or three choices on appetizers, soups, main dishes and deserts.

 

Someone earlier asked on this forum about cruise boats doubling up at various ports along the river. It is true. We did it three thimes are various points. It is no big deal and is kind of fun to walk through and check out the lobby of another cruise boat. But that is it. Passengers from either boat are not allowed to wander around their counterpart's boat.

 

One final observation. We met a number of people who had some difficulty adjusting to river cruising after having been on multiple ocean going cruises. The two experiences are drastically different. Indeed, I think they perform different functions. For many, the major sea-going cruises are vacations unto themselves. Yes, they do go into ports and have tours and shop, but not as frequently as on river cruises. The shows, the multiple restaurants, swimming pools, children's activities, etc. are a huge part of the experience. By contrast, river cruising is enormously relaxing and low key. But on-board entertainment and activities are not the focus. For us, the most satisfying part of river crusing (other than the on-shore tours) is the ability to interact with fellow passengers. These are small ships with perhaps 100 to 150 passengers as opposed to 1500 to 3000 on major cruise ships. This small group format lends itself to a lot of "shared" experience and friendships quickly develop.

 

In summary, we loved this cruise. It was extremely informative and the MS Artistry is a beautiful and comfortable way to experience some of the most scenic and important sites in Central and Eastern Europe.

 

D. Simon

Madison, NJ

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Great review. We are very much looking forward to our Sept cruise which sounds like it should be a delightful experience. We are planning on taking the excursion to Salzburg. What was the approximate cost of this excursion?

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Am going on the Danube Cruise in OCt. Are any of the evenings "dress" i.e. do I need to bring a dressy outfit as on a the normal ocean cruise ? WHat is the attire at dinner? I have a bottom of the line cabin...any suggestions? Are robes in the room? It sounds like it will be cold in October! How many electric outlets are in the rooms? Any problems with getting ice? Is there a constant tea/coffee service on any of the decks? I will be in Prague for 5 days before the cruise...any suggestions. Will be at the Renaissance...I am traveling solo. Am very disappointed that Vienna visit is so short. Thanks. Juliedawg

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1. The Salzburg optional tour was $98 per person. It was the most expensive of the optionals but was an all day tour involving two hour transport both to and from Salzburg, walking tour of town and lunch with short concert. Was worth it.

 

2. I cannot emphasize enoungh that dress is informal for almost all dinners. For the most part, women wore what they wore on the day's tours - slacks and blouse, sandals or tennis shoes, sweaters if chilly, etc. This is in part because often times, there was not a lot of time between a return from an on shore excursion and the call to dinner. No one dressed like slobs, but getting "dressed -up" as on on a larger cruise, just was not part of the experience. Guys were informal as well. The Captain's fairwell dinner was the exception, but even here things were pretty casual. Some women wore dresses or skirt/blouse combinations and also dressed up for the concert in Vienna. A few guys had shirt and tie, but most were in slacks and nice shirt.

 

3. No robes.

 

4. I did not count the outlets in the cabins, but I do know there was one set near the head of the bed and another set on the wall behind the desk.

If using American appliances, curling iron, etc., be sure to bring a converter.

Hair dryers are included with the room.

 

5. Tea and coffee was always available on both decks of the central lounge area as well as water and ice tea. Every afternoon there was a "tea time" with coffee/tea and some pastries available.

 

6. We never had ice in our room, but I suspect you could get it if you wanted it. We just never asked. Also, every cabin has a minibar.

 

Hope this helps.

 

D. Simon

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Thank you so much for that wonderful review. I had been on the inaugural three day cruise in May, and I was soooo impressed. Everyone was wonderful, the ship beatiful, and I saw great potential. I have other trips planned before, but I have booked 8/11/05 - the Legendary Danube-- as you did, so the report was great.

 

Do you recall what side of the ship was docked most often? I am more interested on having a side on the "river side" rather than the dock.

 

Again, thanks for the wonderful report.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Your review was really helpful...thanks. We're going on this trip on Sept 2 (leave home on 8/31). It's really disappointing to here that the time in Vienna is so short.

Also, when I read my documents which just arrived, it looks as though we only go into two abbeys, even tho' the brochure and docs say "visit". I am reading this correctly?

Do we just drive or by? How long is the coach ride from Prague to Nuremberg/

Thanks again.

Hertzat

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It is true that we only formally visited two abbeys - the magnificent Weltenberg Abbey and extraordinary Benedictine Abbey in Melk. In both cases they were part of tours and we spent considerable time at both.

But it should also be noted that we visited a number of cathedrals and churches including the cathedral at Hradcany Castle in Prague (part of the walking tour of the castle), the cathedral in Regensberg, the marvelous church at Mondsee, Austria where part of the "Sound of Music" was shot, St. Martin's Cathedral in Vienna and the cathedral at Augustinerkirche also in Vienna, which was part of the walking tour. We did not go to Mathias Church in Budapest, but it would certainly be easy to visit during free time in that city.

 

On the guide situation, we found all our guides to be extremely informative. Some were truely extraordinary, particularly as they told us of their personal experiences during the change from the communist system to more democratic systems with the end of the Cold War.

 

As for the bus trip from Prague to Nuremberg, it took about 5 hours with a stop at about the mid-point.

 

Hope this helps.

 

D. Simon

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My husband and I will be taking this tour next May, and your review was the most informative I've found so far. Hopefully you'll be willing to answer a few more questons for me.

 

I am interested in Jewish history and culture. What did you think of Terezin? Was that an optional tour through Globus, or did you book it on your own? We definitely want to see Terezin, so any details you can provide will be appreciated.

 

Was the Jewish Cemetary in Prague (the one with 20,000 people buried in 12 layers) on the included tour?

 

Can you tell me a little more about the "Behinds the Scenes Prague Walking Tour"?

 

Any words of caution about being ripped off in Prague? What about padding the bill in the restaurants?

 

In Budapest, did you see the cemetery beside the Dohany St. Synagogue? It apparently has a mass grave with WWII victims. Did you go to the Communist Statue Park?

 

In hindsight, do you think it would have been better do some additional touring in Vienna on your own, rather than go to the concert?

 

What did you think of Bratislava?

 

Should my husband take a sport coat/blazer for the Captain's Farewell dinner?

I don't want him to be underdressed - though he doesn't care!

 

Does anybody wear jeans on the ship - either at breakfast or lunch, or just sitting around? What about jeans on the land tours?

 

We'll try to use our credit cards as much as possible, but when cash is necessary were you able to use euros in the Czech Replubic? Bratislava? Hungary?

 

I think the minimum purchase for the VAT is pretty high - but were you able to get any refunds? In the shops or at the airport (I assume, at Budapest)?

 

How was tipping handled on the ship? At the end? How much? Whom did you tip and could you do it in a lump sum? In euros (cash) or credit card? What about tipping the guides or drivers on shore?

 

My list of questions grew as I was typing it -- but I will be very grateful for any help you can provide. We're hicks from the hills of Virginia and this is our once-in-a-lifetime dream trip.

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Wow! I will try to answer as many questions as I can. Some answers will be more thorough than others.

 

1. The trip to Terezin was offered by the Artistry/Globus cruise director at the hotel in Prague. Several optional tours are posted on a lobby bulletin board. The trip out to Terezin left from the hotel and took about 45 minutes to reach with our guide giving us background the entire way. Once there, you will first visit a museum on the premises that will give you a lot of information including where Terezin fit into the network of camps and prison run by the Nazis. You will then be taken on a guided tour of the camp which is obviously pretty grim and very moving.

 

2. We did not visit the Jewish Cemetary in Prague.

 

3. The "Behind the Scenes" tour of Prague (I am not sure I even have the title right.) was a walking tour of the heart of Prague, the business district, Wencheslaus Square, Old Town, the Charles Bridge, etc. Our guide was superb and was very informative with regard to the varying architecture of the city and how it reflected different historical periods and values. Both of us really enjoyed this and felt that we learned a great deal.

 

4. We did not feel or have any indication of being "ripped off" in Prague. There were two things we were warned about, however, and are genuine concerns. The first has to do with the taxis which are known to rip off tourists. The tour guides and cruise director will tell you which taxi company to use if you need one. However, we were in Prague for nearly three days and did not need to use a taxi. Most of what you want to see is within walking distance. The second thing to be aware of are pickpockets and this is a very real concern. Do not carry a wallet in a back pocket. Get one of the passport folders that go around your neck. Women walking on the street with a bag over their shoulders should hold on to the bag. Tourists are particularly vulnerable when they get on and off public busses and on and off the underground if you ride it. We had a couple of people on the tour who did fall victim. You will be briefed on all this.

 

5. In Budapest we did not go the the Dohany St. Synagogue or the Communist Statue Park. In Prague, however, there is a Communist Regime Museum within walking distance of the hotel and we talked to several people on the tour who visited it during their free time and felt that it was worthwhile.

 

6. No, I definitely would not pass up the evening concert in Vienna. We loved it as did virtually every one else on our tour. It was delightful.

 

7. Bratislava was not the most spectacular of the cities but was interesting. As you know it is the capital of Slovakia, formerly part of the old Czechoslovakia. Of all the countries (cities) we visited, I think it was in the roughest shape economically, a hangover from the Communist days.

 

8. I have been on two river cruises now, one with Uniworld and this one with Globus/Avalon. I brought a sports coat on both and frankly, did not need it either time. In fact, I dragged it out for the Captain's dinner and within 10 minutes took it off and hung it on the back of my chair! Now, we did go to two concerts, one in Prague and the Vienna concert, and the cruise director said that, "You might want to dress-up a bit." Most people did, but dressing up in most cases for men consisted of nice slacks and a nice shirt. Once again, I took my sports coat and once again, put it over the back of my seat within minutes! As I said in one of my previous messages, most women brought at least one light weight dress or pants outfit for "dress-up" occassions, but leave the sequins at home.

 

9. There were people who wore jeans on tours , breakfast and lunch. My only thought is that if it is a bit warm, a lighter weight pant, e.g. khaki might be a little more comfortable. But jeans are OK.

 

10. In Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest, we did use a limited amount of local currency, particularly with small vendors. But that is no problem. There are numerous exchange booths around the city and the easiest way to get local currency is with an ATM card. Some of the larger gift stores will accept dollars and Euros, but not always. We fretted a bit about the currency problem before we left and once there it proved a non-issue.

 

11. Perhaps foolishly, we did not even bother with the VAT business.

 

12. Tipping for the crew and cruise director occur at the end of the cruise. All passengers are given envelopes in their rooms, one for the crew and one for the cruise director. The recommended amount for the crew was $10 per day per person or $20 a day for the two of us. For the cruise director I think it was $2 a day per person or $4 for the two of us. We also did a little extra tipping to the young lady who cleaned our room on the cruise as well as the bartender. For the tour guides, most people tipped $1 or $2 per tour depending on how much you liked the tour. I gave $5 on one tour because I thought the guide was sensational. A number of people also tipped the bus driver a dollar on the tours. These are, of course, rough guidelines.

 

Like you, we had a ton of questions before our trip and to be quite frank, most of them were answered when we got there. The cruise directors are very good and veritable fonts of knowledge. Put simply, there know their way around, can answer a lot of questions and are pretty good at solving problems. Relax and have a great time. I know you will enjoy it.

 

D. Simon

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I cannot tell you how grateful I am for you very prompt and detailed response to my many questions. I think your answers were as thorough as they could be, and they were all exactly what I was hoping to hear. While I'm sure each cruise is different, I now have enough basic information that I can stop fretting about stuff.

 

If you are not already employed in one of the helping professions, I hope you will consider a career change.

 

Again, many thanks.

 

Nan

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Thank you Nan and Simon. I am doing this cruise in OCt. You have answered a lot of my questions. I am staying at the Renaissance and will be in Prague for 5 days so will be doing sightseeing on my own. I want to do walking tours...in the past I have fouond Globus to be a bit pricey and crowded...any suggestions? Also any dining opportunities in Prague? I will be traveling solo. Thanks.

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Simon,

 

One last question...what exactly did you see in the Jewish Quarter in Prague? Did they take you into any of the old Synagogues or Jewish museaum. Thanks for all the time you spend answering everyone's questions. I guess this is the price you pay for being one of the first on new ship/itinerary.

 

Hertza

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Julie,

We took an Avalon Danube cruise on the Artistry's sister ship, the Symphony, in June and loved it. I can't say enough about the quality of the ship and the tours. All the standard rooms on the ship are the same-the only difference is the size of the window. We were on the bottom deck and had no problems. You won't spend that much time in your room anyway. It only cost 3 Euro per e-mail(not per minute) and incomming e-mails were free of charge.

As for walking tours in Prague: you will find loads of tours offered at street stalls on Na Prikope Street, a couple blocks from your hotel. Also, the hotel has a very good information desk in the lobby. However, we did our own tours using the Frommers Guide books, which had 4-5 good walking routes. One morning we wandered around the Jewish area(a ticket will get you in all the attractions in the Jewish Quarter). Another morning we wandered down Wencelas Square and took the side streets back. To see the Castle area, we took the tram #23 to Stravov Monastry, then walked down to the castle(visit The Loreto on the way). Another day we took a tram to the Little Quarter then walked back over Charles Bridge. Prague is a great walking city! We always felt safe.

For dining: just around the corner from the hotel is a wonderful restaurant called Na Porici. Most of our tour group ended up there. Just down the street the hotel is on, towards the Municipal House, is Celnice-we ate there a couple of times on their patio. Also, make sure you eat in one of the local pubs, such as U Medvidku or U Fleca.

I would suggest the Eyewitness Travel Guide for Prague. It will help you plan on what to see.

It's a great tour, I hope you enjoy.

Dennis U.

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unberwood---thanks.. am feeling good about the trip. I have traveled solo for many years but still feel a bit like I need to "overplan". AS for the Symphony, how was the food? I bought several t-shirts for gifts to guides, etc. Will be spending 5 days in Prague.... did you do any "day trips"? Any problems with petty theft? Anything I need to know about the ship? Did you do optional tours? NOrmally I prefer to book on my own. HOw about the concert in VIenna? Did you do an opera in Prague? Thanks.

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Julie,

The food on the Symphony was great. Breakfast and lunch were buffets, with many choices. Very good pastries. The cold soups at lunch, made with fruits and cream. were outstanding. The dinner portions were small, but tasty. The dessert tables at lunch and dinner were to die for. I live to eat, and to me the food on board was terrific. We did not do any day trips. We had been to Salzburg, so cruised and toured Passau instead. We did do the concert in Vienna and it was nice. We did not see any theater in Prague.

As far as petty theft, we had no problems. We use money belts, and keep a hand on our fanny packs. I usually carry a small bag with a shoulder strap to carry my camera, etc. I often walk in "non tourist" neighborhoods, back streets, etc., usually solo since my wife has to rest a lot, and have never had a problem.

Dennis U

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