advice needed pls first time cruiser

My husband and I are considering our first cruise: Viking River cruise, Grand European Tour, 14 days, Amsterdam to Budapest-mid November. I would greatly appreciate ANY and ALL advice :)on this cruise and also advice on the weather there mid-Nov to early Dec and how that would affect our river travel trip. Obviously no upper deck in the sun sitting....:confused:

Our first river cruise was this very same cruise and I know you will love these ports. I cannot speak to the time of year that you are looking at but hopefully others can provide that information.

Thanks so much. I hope someone can help us further.

Can't speak to your specific cruise but, in general, we found Viking river cruises more casual ... for instance, not all the men wore jackets to dinner. Some wore a dress shirt with a tie, some a nice golf-type shirt w/ collar.

I forgot to mention that you will find elsewhere on this board a collection of postings that I made while we were on this cruise on Viking Njord beginning on June 9, 2012, I included in it some pass forward tips that might prove helpful to you since you will be on the same itinerary.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!!

The weather is anyone's guess.... Could be anything from light jackets to winter coats. Take layers - plus mitts, hats and warm socks. Have an extra pair of shoes as well - as you could have rain, or snow.

If your cruise does not end until early December, you will hit some of the Christmas markets. This is a magical time of year. Lots of excitement, great food and drink --> and some great shopping....

The days will be shorter (obviously) so you might find that a balcony (french or otherwise) wouldn't be much of a benefit. However, this is something that you will need to figure out for yourself.

Enjoy the planning!!

Fran

We'll be doing the Budapest to Amsterdam with Viking in October-November and will be posting as we go (with the blessings of the Internet gods and some dumb luck) so we'll try to give up-to-date weather/river info for that time frame. It's getting closer and we can't wait.

Thanks so much for posting that notice! I will look forward to your postings from onboard. Will you be on the Idun then? As a first timer, I would really appreciate knowing what little extras to pack that would make the trip easier, or ANY tips you might have for smooth sailing. Thanks!

You will have a good time. Helpful tips I've found on these boards include: a bottle opener and small plastic bags for taking treats (cookies, pastry) back to your cabin, a hood or good head scarf or hat for rain and a small umbrella if you get tired of carrying the boats large ones. I always load up on camera batteries and memory cards since I go through lots of them daily. After all, it's a scenic trip. Also, I took a pair of ballet slipper type shoes for back on the boat after a day of walking. My feet appreciated the change and they looked nice for dinner and worked for slippers. I always travel with extra assorted zip lock bags for dirty/wet items, for coraling all those pretty brochures and postcards, etc. I also take a little bit of foam or padding for breakables coming home.

I'm sure that you have your own packing system but we pack light - one 22" wheelie and a carry-on (with wheels this trip) apiece. I pack a small, empty duffelbag in my suitcase to use as a laundry bag while traveling and then have a spare bag coming home if we need it. It's sturdy enough to use as checked baggage so it has it's own luggage tag. We try to travel light as we do our own pre and post traveling and it often includes train and/or bus where you handle your own luggage. This trip will be challenging packing with variable winter weather. I'll try to remember to comment on it when we are traveling.

Be sure to take time to talk to the room attendants and servers and other staff as they really do try to be helpful if there is anything they can do. We had great folks on the Idun in April. They all have interesting stories and they appreciate being recognized just as we all do. Laundry service is fast and good. We send out shirts & slacks but do our own undies & socks. I also take a lightweight Rick Steves travel towel or two for wringing out the laundry. That way we still have dry towels for ourselves & they dry fast. I "think" there was a clothesline but I always have one with us so I can't guarantee.

And, have fun at those famous Christmas markets. We'll just miss them so you will have to tell us all about them.

Dear Riversanddale, Thanks so very much for taking the time to post those details for me! I took notes on it all. And again, I look forward to reading all about your trip just before ours! I will definately post details from our Christmas Market trip as well.

Dear Worldtraveler,

We cruised from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2010. We had a book called "Castles Along the Rhine" which had pictures and descriptions of the castles you will pass. It is available on Amazon.com.

The story and pictures are on our website

Dont worry about sunbathing on deck- just wrap up warm and take in all the views. It shouldnt be that cold that you cant sit out at least some of the time.

Just to add our recommendation for the book on castles that Talisker92 talks about. We saw her recommendation on one of the other topics, ordered it from Amazon and it came last week. She was spot on and it is even better than we expected with LOTS of color pictures and info. I'm sure we won't get those great sunny views in November (we can hope though) so we'll have the ones from the booklet to add to our album. And it will be handy for identifying what we saw because I always know at the time that I'll remember - NOT - or I lose the paper I wrote it on or can't remember which note went with each photo/location. It's just another little tidbit that adds to the excitement beforehand because we are already enjoying it.

J I'm sure we won't get those great sunny views in November (we can hope though) so we'll have the ones from the booklet to add to our album. And it will be handy for identifying what we saw because I always know at the time that I'll remember - NOT - or I lose the paper I wrote it on or can't remember which note went with each photo/location.

We had wonderful, mostly sunny weather last November (mid to late) and spent a lot of time on deck enjoying the scenery. We are in Europe again this November (arrive on 18th) and have fingers crossed for more of the same. Either way, fall and winter are wonderful in Europe. Fewer crowds, less river traffic and if you time it right, the wonderful Advent markets are open.

Thanks for the double recommendation of the book Castles on the Rhine! I ordered from Amazon.

Talisker92 thanks, too, for the offer to take a look at your website. Wow! Lots to read and see there. Your husband did a great job! Thanks for it all.

We have been living in the extreme southeast of Germany (not too far from the river Danube between Regensburg and Passau) over 6 years now and in our experience the weather the second half of november/ beginning of December can really be less than optimum. (in fact we close our hotel for 4 weeks, mid Nov - mid Dec, due to lack of demand, hikers gone and no skiing yet)

Your cruise is at the very end of autumn (leaves already down from the trees) with the first flurries of snow potentially coming in. You might get a few sunny days but do not expect the sun to have any power. The advice to dress warmly and in layers is a good one. There are plenty of sights, cultural and natural, that can be enjoyed regardless of weather as long as you stay warm and dry.

Enjoy yourselves!

I think you will love river cruising. It's very relaxing, and the cruise director takes care of just about everything!

I would take some lightweight long johns and a fleece jacket or sweater as well as the usual warm clothing.

In Amsterdam be sure to take the canal cruise(s). It's a great way to get an overview of the city. Also if you want to see the Anne Frank Museum, be sure to make reservations ahead of time.

We did the AMA Budapest to Nuremberg part of your cruise, and it was awesome. I believe you will love the towns along the way. Durnstein and Bratislava were favorites. In Bratislava we toured the old town and would have thought that was it. We later discovered there was a large modern mall within walking distance.

I could go on forever about Budapest (try to spend a few days there if possible), but I will just mention that it's a great place for souvenirs. You can shop along Vaci Utca and at the Central Market.

We traveled light on the way over which left room for souvenirs in our luggage.

Hi, for general first time river cruise advice, check out this story on Cruise Critic: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=18

Weather: Probably rather brisk, short days, but not brutally cold. We did a Christmas markets cruise (mid-December) last year and loved the weather, cold enough to feel festive, not too cold to enjoy being outside. But we didn't spend any time on the outside deck.

Happy to respond to any other questions you don't get an answer for....

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

My husband and I are considering our first cruise: Viking River cruise, Grand European Tour, 14 days, Amsterdam to Budapest-mid November. I would greatly appreciate ANY and ALL advice :)on this cruise and also advice on the weather there mid-Nov to early Dec and how that would affect our river travel trip. Obviously no upper deck in the sun sitting....:confused:

My husband and I are considering our first cruise: Viking River cruise, Grand European Tour, 14 days, Amsterdam to Budapest-mid November. I would greatly appreciate ANY and ALL advice :)on this cruise and also advice on the weather there mid-Nov to early Dec and how that would affect our river travel trip. Obviously no upper deck in the sun sitting....:confused:

We took the Viking Grand European Tour Budapest to Amsterdam on the Prestige August 26. This was our first river cruise after taking many ocean cruises. What a wonderful experience! Viking took such good care of us. I cannot rave enough about this trip. In the 14 days on the ship, we only had a rainy day in Passau. Everyone was casual..only a few men wore jackets; the women mostly wore dress pants and pretty blouses or jackets. I cannot speak about the weather in Nov., but ours was just great with some cool mornings & sunny warm days. I used a light jacket at times, but was happy wearing a fleece also. I will try to write a review of our trip and will be happy to answer any of your questions.

Regardless of the weather, I know we will have a great time! We are getting very excited! I keep adding to my list of things to take along like to make the trip comfortable and feel prepared for anything. So if you think of something you forgot or something you took that was invaluable to you, those would be good tips. Otherwise, it's just fun hearing about all that went on between Budapest and Amsterdam on the ship and off! Were you a couple who didn't know anyone on the ship beforehand? Did you easily find tablemates for dinner etc??

We knew no one beforehand, but met another couple on the transfer bus from the Amsterdam airport. We chatted along the way, ended up taking the "shake off the jet lag" walking tour and we became fast friends. We advised the concierge desk that we wanted to be partnered on tours as a foursome and they readily noted that, so that we were always on the same bus and walking group.

For packing, as already noted, layers are a must. I have some low-top hiking boots that I found very comfortable for walking and good also for warmth. They are lightweight, and I could stuff a lot in each shoe, so they didn't add a lot to my luggage overall. Although both my husband and I had coats with hoods, we both also had lightweight, packable hats that many days we wore under the hoods, or I wore hoodies as well under my jacket, with the hood up. Another thing we both found very useful were the gloves that look like mittens but are a hybrid. The mitten top pops off and folds back to reveal fingerless gloves. The ones we have are Isotoner and they are great for taking photos or for when you want to pop into a shop but not hassle with taking off your gloves to make a purchase (not to mention forgetting them on a counter!).

Wow! Mittens and hats in late August? Well, we will certainly pack layers, mittens and hats. I will take a look at the stores here for the mittens/gloves you mentioned. All great tips! Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.

Sorry for the confusion. We were on the Idun this past April and the weather was quite chilly. :)

We took the Viking Grand European Tour Budapest to Amsterdam on the Prestige August 26. . . I will try to write a review of our trip and will be happy to answer any of your questions.

Hi. We sail with Viking in this direction next month. We'd love to hear what and when optional tours are available. Were they half day - full day? Morning or afternoon? Was anything included in Budapest other than the bus tour of town? We got caught off guard last trip when they offered optional tours that weren't on the mailed/published itinerary and we had already made other plans. We also have to pace ourselves so we find the info great ahead of time.

We'd love hearing from anyone which tours on this itinerary were favorite - don't miss opportunities and which might be skipped if necessary. On two cruises we've really enjoyed them all except Keukenhof in the wet and wind and cold in early April. We've also been very fortunate and had great guides with Viking on both trips.

Viking Prestige--We took the following optional tours:

1. Vienna-afternoon visit to farmers market with chef--the only cost was for the subway tickets--lots of fun

2. Vienna-evening Mozart & Strauss concert--very enjoyable & we got to sit in the first row

3. Wurzberg-Romantic Road to Rothenburg--started late morning and we didn't get back to ship until almost dinner time--a wonderful day with scenic ride thru the countryside

4. Cologne- DH did the Beer Culture pub crawl--he said it was fun, but disorganized. It was Friday night and the pubs were very crowded, too

I did a review of our trip and am waiting to see if it is published. If not, I will post it here.

I truly can say that we did not experience the negative problems that Arthur from a previous thread. He should have been with us. Older crowd, but all active and always on time. People seem to watch out for each other, too.