pontac

Yes, I tried Viking which led me to the OPTUS site. TUI are a big European company offering all sorts of holidays and now they have added river cruising.

Highlight the wanted passage and click on quote,viz Then type your response then do again for the next quote OTLO VR Systeme GmbH Schweriner Straße 56 18069 Rostock GERMANY It's most unlikely to be a company owned by Scenic as it also tracks other cruise companies, see for example www.overip.de/tui. Enjoy your cruise; please do report back here how it was and how your individual sightseeing worked out

Scenic (and others) would love to be specific with timing, but it's just not possible. There can be delays because of congestion at locks, maybe only one arch of a bridge is navigable so only one boat at a time can go through, low or high water can play havoc with cruises, and when the boat gets to a destination, as @Canal archive says, unless the cruise line owns its own mooring then where to moor is not decided by the captain, but by the harbour master. On my Rhine Mosel cruise in April this year a promised optional evening Wine & Music excursion at Winningen for 20:30 - 22:00 could not be reached until after 22:00 because the boat was delayed so long at a lock. All this makes a pre-planned excursion with a third-party problematic, but if you're flexible and prepared to get a taxi on the day when you arrive then OK, just make certain you know when time to be back on board because they won't wait for you. There are a great number of river cruise line competing for your money. If you don't intend going on the included excursions then (like @Canal archive) I wonder why you intend paying Scenic for excursions, because Scenic include a choice of excursions in their price that others don't and charge extra for as optional. My report on my Basel (Rhine) - Trier (Mosel) trip might be of interest, there's a link in my signature below

Scenic's website says (In FAQ) What is my luggage allowance? A.You are entitled to carry one suitcase per person with the total sum of its length, width and height not exceeding 76 x 53 x 28cm (30 x 21 x 11in), and a maximum weight not exceeding 20kg (airline dependent). Overweight or oversize items will not be carried. However, some ships may permit additional baggage at your cost. Personal and valuable items such as make-up, cameras, medication or money/currency should be carried in a separate travel bag. For the flight to Siem Reap, baggage allowance depends on the airline chosen by Scenic. When you have flight details you can check the airline website to see what their baggage allowance is

Thankyou @Sleep7 I can't answer @dreamercruise 's question because all the cruises booked from the UK include flights and transfers in the price.

A straw bale hangs from London's Millennium Bridge as part of an "ancient tradition" to warn passing boats of work on the capital's Thames crossings. The ancient Port of London Thames by-law is triggered when abseilers work under the arches of bridges, reducing space to pass. Here's the picture. Note the link won't work because there are full-stops between the u and the k and after the k that should not be there. The correct link is https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-67157348

That's true, also rather than take a trip such as Cities of Light or buy an extension which involve long cross-country journeys to get to/from the boat we can take a short flight to and from the city for a vacation there. But if one is taking a long and expensive flight from the USA (or Australia) then it make sense to factor in other sights - after all, the plane trip costs the same whether the outward/inward legs are one week or one month apart. Luckily we don't have to worry about laundry either

I would like to have had more time on the Mosel. We chose to miss the included tour of Trier so we could sit on the sundeck and admire the scenery as the boat cruised towards Trier. We didn't have enough time in Bernkastel. A friend had recommended the Vinotek but that didn't open in time for us before the boat departed and unfortunately the next door wine museum was temporarily closed. And the old town is so picturesque. I could have spent all day in Bernkastel. I can see the attraction of Cities of Light, but I don't fancy it myself, not only two nights in a hotel at both ends but long coach rides from the city to boat and boat to city. I like to fly in and go straight to the boat, unpack once and at the end of the cruise, pack and fly straight home.

It was on the Rhine & Moselle* Discovery cruise from Basel to Trier that I did on Hild in April this year. *I know it should be Mosel but that's how Viking title the cruise.

Where was the booking made? If in the USA then the company that took the booking probably was a US company, albeit ultimately owned by Scenic. Have a look at the T&Cs. I am in UK and cannot access Scenic's USA site, but the UK site says ' We, Scenic Tours (UK) Ltd, 4 Piccadilly Place, Manchester, UK, M1 3BN company number 05770868 are responsible for the performance of your holiday contract subject to your chosen products full booking conditions. Thus the UK has UK specific booking conditions. I suspect the Scenic company that you booked with in the USA is a USA registered company and has USA specific booking conditions. If I am correct your contract is with them and you can proceed with your actions on getting recourse.

Yes. Help yourself, colour maps are on the reception desk by door ready for when you depart the boat.

The Viking Mississippi boat is built especially for that river. The two cabin grades on those cruises that state they are wheelchair accessible are French Balcony Stateroom (FB) and Explorer Suite (ES) room 300 only. From the Viking FAQ When you make your reservation, please advise us of any disability that will require special attention while sailing on a Viking cruise and provide a completed Fit to Travel Form along with a physician’s letter. Should you have any medical, physical or other special needs, check the fleet information on our website to gain an understanding of the layout of any particular ship and contact a Viking Expert at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) directly with additional questions and to obtain a copy of our policy statement. I suggest that a call to that number will give definitive information. (The FAQ on wheelchairs seems relevant to European cruises.)

It depends. It depends on where and when you go, it depends on how many passengers there are. On hot days extra tables are set up in the open on the bow. If there are groups on board they'll sit together, if more than six in a group then they'll take one of the large tables, freeing smaller tables There are two 2-person tables in the Aquavit lounge, but if they are taken you can often find a table that is set for more people that is empty and which you can have to yourself. I suggest coming into the dining room 15 minutes late when others have found seats and seeing what is free. If one of the big tables has a couple sitting at one end then you can sit at the other end and effectively be on your own. But if, for whatever reason, you have to share a smaller table, there's no requirement to speak. It's polite to introduce yourself but you have no obligation to entertain. A small correction to @dd57. The Aquavit used to be a buffet at lunchtime but on my two 2023 cruises they were waiter serve and the same menu as the main restaurant.

You can wear casual ALL of the time. Long trousers and long sleeve shirts are plenty good. There's no formal nights, no speciality restaurants. This is what is on the Viking River Tours FAQ What is the dress code? During the day, dress is casual including shorts (if the season is warm), slacks or jeans and comfortable shoes for walking tours. There are no “formal nights” in the evening; recommended evening dress is “elegant casual.” For ladies, this may include a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; and for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional. Some shore excursions visit religious sites that require modesty of dress. To avoid being denied entry, we recommend men wear long pants and refrain from sleeveless shirts; and for women, clothing that covers the knees and tops that are not sleeveless or too revealing. Note the words 'recommended' and 'may'. It's your holiday, wear what you're comfortable in. The indoor public areas are airconditioned I've been on 12 Viking River cruise. Having been retired now some years I like to have an excuse to dress up with a shirt, tie and jacket at dinner, but I'm in the minority. It doesn't bother me what others wear and to be frank I don't notice. (Except on one cruise where a chap wore a filthy baseball cap indoors at every meal)

I Googled as you did, and I see what I think you saw Viking was not able to moor the ship at a pier in Arles, so they utilized a mooring location on the river 15 kilometers north of Arles. This is a 2015 trip report, but I couldn't see what month it took place. Unfortunately it's a fact of life that circumstances can change plans on any river cruise. The author didn't say why Viking couldn't use their normal Arles mooring. But Arles is the normal mooring and that's where we moored in August and where @lkear moored on the current cruise. Have a great cruise; I'm sure you will. Lovely scenery, historic towns and super wines. I'd go again like a shot!

@revswife See also the Viking Daily* for Wednesday 05:00 - Cast off - Viking Delling leaves Avignon for Arles 08:00 - Welcome to Arles - Viking Delling arrives in Arles 6PM - Cast off - Viking Delling leaves Arles for Avignon I don't know where you read that the boat moors 15 km north of Arles; I did this cruise the other direction in 2015 and we also moored at Arles then. *Viking Daily is a four page newssheet with details of what's happening the next day that is placed in your room every night. Also on the Viking App.

Sorry I missed this. Yes, the included Arles walking tour starts from the boat and, as I said in my post above, in the afternoon we strolled back into the town. Viking starts in Avignon then sails downriver to Arles where it moors, then sails back upriver to Avignon. I asked the Programme Director why the cruise didn't start at Arles. His reply was that Viking had an office in Avignon and that it was a lot easier to take passengers' cases to/from the boat from Avignon. It's true that at Arles there's a long ramp down to the mooring. See

I took this cruise in 2016; the only optional tour we took was the Strauss & Mozart concert and we loved it. As you've not been on a river cruise before I suggest you take note of @franski's comments re the risks of pre-booking private tours. You're in the hands of the gods of locks and water levels. Plus the harbour master decides where the boat will dock.

Hi Bud & Eva I trust you noted Point 4 in the last paragraph of my first post in this thread. Whether the Silver Package is worth paying for is a fine judgement call. Some spend a large part of the journey at the bar downing cocktails and spirits. For them, it'll be worth it. If - like us - you only drink wine then one has to balance the cost of the package against the fact you get unlimited pours of house wines at lunch and dinner and that there's no corkage on wines you bring with you and buy in wineries and wineshops along the way. The cost of the drinks package varies with the cruise and length of cruise, and a further complication is by pre-buying one pays in one's home currency but the wines on the list are in Euros. I have been in the Ontario wine region several times and was very impressed with Cabernet Franc there and also enjoyed the best Chardonnay I've ever had. And as for ice wine.........🤩

Hi @pauls I don't think so on this cruise or any of them: I counted 14 choices at lunch and 16 for dinner. The lunch menu is one page and includes the lunchtime 'always available' choices. The dinner menu is two pages, with the 'always available' choices on the left facing the choice of dishes for that night. You can pick from any of them, for example you might have a starter from the main menu, a main course from the always available menu and a dessert from the Regional Specialities. Also if you choose a main course but don't fancy the sides you can choose to have something else instead. The Day 1 menu had a New York strip steak accompanied by tagliatelle; the person who had it told me they'd thought that was a weird match and chose fries. Since the dinner time 'always available' menu is the same every night I only showed it once, on the Day 1 post here

That's a great way to taste a great number of wines and learn about them. I'm in a tasting group in a similar community - the University of the Third Age - and the 10 of us take in turns each month to host a tasting. I've discovered some super wines from others choices. One of our group presented an Italian wine made from a variety completely new to me - Gaglioppo - super!! I've bought several since, it's really beautiful and I'd never had it if it wasn't for the tasting group. I'm hosting the next tasting in October with Austrian wines as the subject.

We too love New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, Mrs P's favourite winery there is Villa Maria and we have a bottle of their Private Bin most weeks. As you can see, Viking have no NZ SB, but for something similar try Morwald SB from Austria and Chateau Suduirat Blanc Sec from Bordeaux (mostly SB). And don't forget Champagne; we had several lunches accompanied with glasses of Champagne. (In Europe, unlike the USA, the name Champagne legally refers only to the traditionally made sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France.) But you have a great opportunity to try wines new to you. If you don't like it, tell the waiter and ask for something different. We liked Horst Sauer Sylvaner from Germany (Sylvaner is the grape variety which I think is not so commonly found in the USA). For the reds, we enjoyed most the two Croze-Hermitage found 2nd & 3rd from bottom on the local reds, with Maison les Alexandrins being our favourite. They are very local, from the vineyards you'll pass on your cruise. But try whatever takes your fancy. Remember that you like NZ SB now but you didn't know it until you tasted it. There may be a new favourite on the wine list, just waiting to be tasted. Do come back here after your cruise to tell us what your favourites were.

October will have different weather than August. I think you'll really enjoy it. Most river cruisers are repeat cruisers, but we all have to make that initial cruise. We would never have taken the first if not cajoled by our closest friends to join them. That was 13 river cruises ago. 🙂 It's a long time in the future, but I hope you'll report back here on your experience.

Thanks I didn't rant. I stated what happened, how it didn't match the description, that I thought it overpriced, and proposed an amount I thought it worth, and requested a refund of the difference. Viking were more generous.

This is a great question. I have been pondering it since first reading a couple of hours ago. Apologies for the rambling answer; if it’s too long or too boring just read the last paragraph. First I suppose is that I don’t know because I don’t know how I would be if I was un-knowing about wine. I started learning because I knew nothing about wine and didn’t know what to pick when presented with a wine-list when taking a girl out. There was a time that I thought I knew it all. But I didn’t and I never will because wine encompasses such a wide range of areas. But it is a hobby and an interest. It has taken me to places I wouldn’t otherwise have gone, and I’ve met people I otherwise wouldn’t have met. I drink wine with dinner and enjoy it. I don’t score, just drink and enjoy. But these are wines I have bought, so I’ve bought wines that I – and Mrs P – will enjoy. There are some varieties Mrs P will not drink so I don’t buy them; there are some that don’t give me pleasure so I don’t buy them. But we’ve learned our likes and dislikes over the years. And tastes change. The wines we drink today are not the same as when we started, or ten years ago. I have been in judging teams at wine competitions, and then you have to score wines. In those it’s not a matter of whether you personally like them but whether they are a good example of their type, fault free and have that something extra. At competitions and tastings one is having a taste of wine and spitting it out. But at home you accompany it with a meal, you see the wine develop over the time the bottle is been open. Here I – and I think everyone – makes a subconscious judgement on a three point scale 1 = don’t buy again, 2 = possible, may buy again, 3 = wow, I must get some more of this. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, most wine is meant to be enjoyed with food. I am not critiquing my dinner wine to see whether it rates 85 or 86 points, I am enjoying it. My wine knowledge means in restaurants I know what to pick that will suit the food and our palates. If a wine is faulty then I have the confidence to reject it – although this is nearly always unpleasant. (You mention that in the 1960’s many wines had flaws – so true. Wine drinkers today are so lucky that bad wines have vanished even at the cheapest prices because supermarket and other buyers will not stock them, grape growers use better methods, and winemakers are better skilled. There’s a risk with any wine with a cork closure, but cork makers have reduced the incidence of that happening from the 5-6% that it was to 1-2%. Still too high, but much better.) I am still learning about wine, and I realise I’ve forgotten a lot of what I once knew, for example one time I could list all the wine regions of Germany. I can’t now, but then I drink little German wine nowadays. My main interests now are grape varieties, labelling and wine laws. Many years ago I went to Houston, Texas on business. My host took me one evening to the Astrodome to see a baseball match. I had never seen one, I don’t know the rules, I didn’t know the teams or the players. Would I have enjoyed the match more if I knew the rules, if I knew the teams or if I knew the players various skills or would such knowledge spoil the game?