Just Back from Danube on River Beatrice

[editor@cruisecritic]

Er, I'm embarassed to say I am not sure. I'll get the microscope out, LOL, but the name of the ship does sound familiar.

 

Carolyn

 

So, am I right?

 

steamboats

[editor@cruisecritic]

LOL, I did the exact thing! Was fascinated by the boats. In fact, when we were at Melk, I skipped the tour of the abbey, borrowed one of River Beatrice's bikes, and rode over a nearby bridge and down the river to Emmersdorf so I could -- photograph ships from the other side :)

 

Carolyn

 

 

Carolyn,

 

I doubt you have seen pretty much all of the river cruise ships on the Danube river :D! I´m still trying to list them all up. I saw lots of them in Budapest in my week there. And I still missed some ships there. I drove my collegues crazy by saying, sorry, but I have to go down to the river to take some more cruise ship photos :D.

 

steamboats

[dobie]

Thank you for your replies. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we are just in the initial stages of planning for our trip. I have so many brochures!! Most of them 2009, but I am having a ball looking and trying to decide what we want to do. The River Beatrice sounds wonderful, as does the dress code. It would be nice for my husband to not have to lug a sport coat overseas.

 

I've never been on a "bus" tour...we have always booked small vans for 6 or so of us. With 30 or so of you in a bus, was it still enjoyable? I assume there was no flexibility and you were told how long to spend where...is that correct? Did you have time to just do things by yourselves? I am not a shopper so if I was to dropped off somewhere to shop I don't think I'd enjoy that very much! Carolyn, the bike thing sounds like something we would love to do.

 

In the interest of saving money we were thinking of booking the lowest category cabin. DId you see any of those cabins? They seem as though they are the same size with just half of a window. What do you think?

 

So far this river cruise thing sounds fantastic. We've been on probably close to 40 "big ship" cruises and the river sounds like it would be so much fun and so different!

 

Thanks again!!

[MrsDave]

Thank you for your replies. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we are just in the initial stages of planning for our trip. I have so many brochures!! Most of them 2009, but I am having a ball looking and trying to decide what we want to do. The River Beatrice sounds wonderful, as does the dress code. It would be nice for my husband to not have to lug a sport coat overseas.

 

I've never been on a "bus" tour...we have always booked small vans for 6 or so of us. With 30 or so of you in a bus, was it still enjoyable? I assume there was no flexibility and you were told how long to spend where...is that correct? Did you have time to just do things by yourselves? I am not a shopper so if I was to dropped off somewhere to shop I don't think I'd enjoy that very much! Carolyn, the bike thing sounds like something we would love to do.

 

In the interest of saving money we were thinking of booking the lowest category cabin. DId you see any of those cabins? They seem as though they are the same size with just half of a window. What do you think?

 

So far this river cruise thing sounds fantastic. We've been on probably close to 40 "big ship" cruises and the river sounds like it would be so much fun and so different!

 

Thanks again!!

 

 

Dobie,

I hope I can answer your questions..

On a River Cruise..there is always Option A, Option B and sometimes C as well.

While the walking tours (included) are organized..there is still plenty of time on your own. If you don't want to participate in the guided tour...you will be given your options...I didn't buy very many things and really only shopped once in Vienna and a couple of times in Budapest since I was there for the extension.

I did have the chance to see the lower cabin category...I think you can manage it...the real difference is the half window as you have already surmised...the point is..you don't spend a whole lot of time in the room...and you still have a window...unlike the big ships which have total inside cabins.

Let me know if you need more info!

Tina

[steamboats]

Er, I'm embarassed to say I am not sure. I'll get the microscope out, LOL, but the name of the ship does sound familiar.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

With my digital camera I started to take pix just as notes. So I take a photo of a sign, name just to remember what and where I took the following pix :D. I wasn´t able to read the names of the ships on the other side of the river in Budapest. So I took a photo of the bow section and then zoomed in on my camera display. Worked pretty well :). The AMA ships do look alike and it´s pretty hard to say whether there´s a new ship docking the next day or still the one of yesterday.

 

steamboats

[MVPinBoynton]

Carolyn,

 

With my digital camera I started to take pix just as notes. So I take a photo of a sign, name just to remember what and where I took the following pix :D. I wasn´t able to read the names of the ships on the other side of the river in Budapest. So I took a photo of the bow section and then zoomed in on my camera display. Worked pretty well :). The AMA ships do look alike and it´s pretty hard to say whether there´s a new ship docking the next day or still the one of yesterday.

 

steamboats

 

I do the same thing. It works great!

[dobie]

Thanks!

[ddean52]

Carolyn,

 

With my digital camera I started to take pix just as notes. So I take a photo of a sign, name just to remember what and where I took the following pix :D. I wasn´t able to read the names of the ships on the other side of the river in Budapest. So I took a photo of the bow section and then zoomed in on my camera display. Worked pretty well :). The AMA ships do look alike and it´s pretty hard to say whether there´s a new ship docking the next day or still the one of yesterday.

 

steamboats

 

I do the same thing!!!! I thought i was alone!!!!!!!!!

[basso]

We cruised on the River Discovery from Amsterdam to Constanta, Romania in August/September 2007. It was one of three Vantage river cruise ships at the time and was launched in the Spring of 2007. I am pretty sure that ship is now the River Beatrice. I have seen the specifications and deck plans and they look identical. I am sure Uniworld has changed to luxurious furnishings and maybe even haute cuisine, but it was a fine ship when we made our 25-day cruise. We had cabin number 408.

[SuiteTraveler]

Carolyn,

We are interested in the River Beatrice Christmas cruise - but only category 1 or 2 are available no mini-suites :(. How small are these cabins? Are they similar to a balcony on a regular cruise ship or even smaller? I know the bathroom is similar to any shower only bathroom on any big cruise ship.

[aneka]

Carolyn,

Where did the River Beatrice dock in Budapest? Was it on the Buda or the Pest side and if you remember the approximate area of the river. We are booked for Sept 2010 (Budapest to Passau) and trying to decide where to stay in Budapest before the cruise. We would like to be convenient to the docking area.

 

Thanks,

Annette

[schaitberger]

Your website is fantastic. Great information and great photos. We are considering AMA Waterways and your info made it much easier.

 

Thanks you for putting together such a wonderful website. May I ask wher home is for the two of you?

 

Joe Schaitberger

Atlanta, Georgia USA

[dobie]

Mike, my husband printed out your entire review and pics at work (he works in a copy shop so it was free).....all over 400 pages of it! We both loved it and are very seriously considering doing the same route you did. Thank you for all of your work!

[MVPinBoynton]

dobie,

Thank you so much. I am so glad you enjoyed it and that it has helped in your cruise planning. 400 pages!! Wow, that is a lot. I didn't think it would take that many; but the photos just don't print out the same way on individual sheets. You will love a Danube cruise. The ports are just wonderful and I think AMA did just a wonderful job.

 

schaitberger,

If you were referring to Carol and I, we live in Boynton Beach, FL; which is where we get our CC name from. It is about 50 miles north of Miami and 30 miles north of Ft. Lauderdale. Cruising capital of the world! :)