GATE1 MS Bolero 03/02/06 ROLL CALL

[budddawn]

Is anyone going to join us for this 14 day cruise ?????????

[joek]

Looks like you're on the first Bolero cruise in 2007. We're booked on it for an April 13th cruise in Holland. Look forward to your review of your trip.

[budddawn]

JOEK, I will do so, if I can remember.

[budddawn]

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE & ALL

[budddawn]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY

[joek]

Right back to you....Bud and Dawn ? Looks like everyone is recovering from New Years Eve.

 

I take it that you are on the March 2007 cruise, right? As I said, we're on the April 14th cruise, 7 day Amsterdam round trip. We booked through a local travel agent here in Tamarac, Florida, have to pay our balance in 2 weeks, and hopefully then will get some information from Gate 1. From what I gather in these forums, River Cruises are a new venture for Gate 1. I have not seen any reports from anyone. We took land tours with them many years ago and were completely satisfied.

 

We booked our own air, we from Miami to Amsterdam and my son and DIL from NY, we arrive the day before and stay at a hotel near the DAM Square.

[budddawn]

Hi Joe;

We just got home from 11 days on the NCL Dawn to find our DSL down. We're on very very slow dial up now, so will write more later

[remydiva]

Hi Joek: I'm thinking of the Apr 7 MS Bolero 7 day cruise.

I'm so confused with all the similar cruises but this seems like the biggest cabin at a pretty good buck for what you see and do. How much research did you do before you booked?

[budddawn]

Does anyone know if men have to wear jackets to dinner ?

[DeniceRG]

We took Gate 1's Viktoria last December, and the men did not wear jackets ... it was very casual. Hope this helps.

 

Denice

[budddawn]

DENICE: Thank you for your reply, my luggage will now be lighter.

[joek]

remydiva,

 

Sorry for the delay in posting, we just returned from a Regal Princess cruise. I do a lot of research in both ocean and now, river cruising. We've only been on two Grand Circle river cruises, Provence cruise and Russia Waterways cruise.

 

GCT Holland in Bloom cruise included 3 days in Belgium, I think, which we didn't want, Gate 1 has just the 7 day cruise, and we're staying in Amsterdam first on our own. I gather that Gate 1 has just recently started River cruising, but from reading the forums, the Bolero is a fairly new ship run by a German line, and will be leased by Gate 1, catering to English speaking travelers.

 

We have traveled with Gate 1 on land tours and they were excellent.

[budddawn]

JOEK;

I just purchased Rick Steves 2007 Amsterdam guide & I think that it is excellent.

[Billiken]

We'll be on Bolero - Danube in mid-March(17th?). This will be our first river cruise and we're looking forward to it. First time booking with Gate 1 too. We usually do our cruising with Celebrity (17 cruises) so the comparisom should be interesting.

[DeniceRG]

It's very hard to compare ocean and river cruises ... I would suggest you don't even try. It would be like comparing apples to potatoes. They are both edible, but that's where the comparison stops. River and Ocean cruises are both on water, but that's where that comparison stops. Just enjoy the river cruise for what it is ....

 

I've been on probably near to 100 cruises, and just did my first river cruise last December. My traveling companion was an ex-cruise director. Not once did you hear us comparing the two experiences ... and he loved the river cruise as much as I did.

 

Think of this a first for you ... and I'm sure you will thoroughly enjoy it!

 

Denice

[joek]

Billiken and budddawn,

 

You'll be on the Bolero before my April 13th cruise. Hope that you will post your observations.

[budddawn]

Billiken : To bad that you will be getting on the Bolero just when we will be getting off, as we won't be able to give you a heads up about anything. Hope that we both have a great cruise.

[budddawn]

Well, we're off. We leave for the airport in about 45 minutes, will post again after we get back home on the 17th.

[joek]

Wish you both a good trip.

 

Billiken...when did you get your documents from Gate 1? We haven't gotten one word from them as yet.

 

Joe

[Billiken]

Gate1 travel sends the travel documents to you via e-mail about 2-3 weeks before the cruise date. I called them about 3 weeks prior to my cruise date when I didn't get them via snail mail, buy when I checked my e-mail, there they were. The documents contained all my airline e-tickets, and vochers for all transportation, hotel, excursions and the cruise. They also contained a very detailed itinery. I was impressed! Again. his is my first cruise with Gate1 and so far, it looks like we're off to a good start.

Hope this helps...

[joek]

Sure does. We travel with GCT quite a bit and they flood us with mailings. We used Gate 1 back in ancient times (10 years maybe) and I seem to recall that we got documents at the last minute.

 

Thanks....and have a great trip. Look forward to reading your comments when you return home.

 

Esther and Joe

[mediaman]

Hi everyone;

As a reminder, I am on the Gate1 Bolero: River Cruise (Rhine, Main & Danube Rivers) leaving Amsterdam the end of April (I think the 27th or 28th). It looks as if other CC members are travelling around me or on another ship? I'm just checking to see if I missed a post or there are late bookers. My information is that this cruise is sold out.