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We, too, went on the Rhine Getaway and had visited the castle. However, this time our Heidelberg schedule was different. First of all, the ship does not stop right at Heidelberg but then, it didn't last time either. It was supposed to stop briefly at Wertheim to discharge passengers for a bus ride to Heidelberg, and then go on to Freudenburg to meet the returning passengers. However - the Main River is a very busy river with A LOT of locks (on the Rhine Getaway I never saw the ship go through a lock as they seemed to occur mostly at night, but on the Main there seemed to be a multitude of locks which slowed passage considerably, especially since passenger ships have no preferential treatment as they do on the Rhine). So, our ship was late and we had to disembark at an earlier stop and the buses had to come to meet us for the two hour trip to Heidelberg, while the Alsvin went on to Freudenberg.

As I recall, the castle tour was the first thing we did during the Rhine Getaway. This time we first had a tour of the town of Heidelberg after which we gathered at the restaurant of the Hotel Ritter to have lunch with some students from the University. The student at our table was studying law and it was fascinating to learn of his experiences. Then after lunch there was free time to shop and explore before taking the funicular to the castle and its tour. After the tour we returned to the buses for an hour and a half bus ride to the ship.

I am not sure how much the initial lateness of the Alsvin had an effect on our schedule. I know the two hour trip to Heidelberg would have been shorter had we been able to reach the original port. That being said, we dock no where near Heidelberg so you would not be able to just leave the ship and explore.

You might be able to take the tour of the town, have lunch and just spend the remainder of your time in town as long as you made arrangements with your guide as to where and when to meet for the trip back to the Alsvin. Or you might want just to stay on the ship and enjoy a leisurely day. There were alway some passengers who did this at various ports.

I tried to include a picture of the Viking Daily but failed.

The following schedule all is dependent on the river traffic.

8:30-5:30 Shore Excursion to Heidelberg

9:00 Alsvin casts off for Freudenberg

12:00. Lunch for those on the ship

1:30. Arrival at Freudenberg

5:30. Back on Board from excursion

5:45. Cast off for Mainz

I hope you have a wonderful cruise! The one piece of advice I might give you is to do the things that you enjoy, not necessarily the things that you think that you should do. Prague, and especially Paris, have so much to offer and if you try to do everything, you will exhaust yourself. In looking back, I think that we enjoyed the river cruise the most. It was so relaxing and refreshing. After a morning or afternoon having a tour of a new place, it was like coming back home to return to the calmness of the ship. The crew of the Alsvin and especially the Program Director, Bojan Bozic, were above anything that we could have wished for. Enjoy your cruise!

As far as tours that I would particularly recommend. In Wurzburg there was a choice between the included tour of the Bishop's Residenz with a walking tour of Wurzburg and an optional tour of Rothenberg ob der Tauber ending with the tour of the Bishop's Residenz but no Wurzburg. We opted for the optional tour and it was our favorite. There was a bus ride on the Romantic Road to the fairy tale town of Rothemberg ob der Tauber. We had a walking tour of the town, then free time with some suggestions for activities and then an included lunch at a lovely restaurant. On the way back, we visited the Bishop's Residenz before returning to the ship. From what I heard, the included tour of Wurzburg was also very good. The choice is yours.

The included tour of Heidelberg was excellent also. The castle, though mostly in ruins, is lovely and the tour of the town was very interesting. We had been to Heidelberg on a previous cruise and enjoyed it, but this time lunch with college students in an old hotel was included and added a lot to the experience.

We also enjoyed the Gutenberg Museum and demonstration in the included Mainz tour and we took a cable car ride in Rudesheim which afforded wonderful views of the area. We did this on our own as there was no official tour in Rudesheim and we were there quite a while.

Rosieo - Do not be concerned about the optional excursions being all filled up. Since you are leaving on your cruise in a short time, Viking has probably closed the excursion applications that can be done online. They do that about 10 days before. Once you arrive at your starting point in Prague, you probably will be able to book the optional excursion, Prague By Night, if you want. However, if you have OBC and want to use it for the optional excursions, you must wait until you board the Alsvin to use it. We found a signup sheet for the excursions in our room. Take the sheet to the desk and you will be signed up

In regard to the bus rides to and from the ship. What can I say. They are bus rides but on rather comfortable buses. The ride from Prague is divided a bit; the first part to Nurnberg is about four hours, but they do stop at a huge rest stop halfway there. The bus driver is required to make a stop and passengers can use the facilities (please note that there is a bathroom on the bus, tiny but useful) and shop for whatever. Once in Nurnberg, we were brought to the city center where we were free to wander, enjoy the market, and to have lunch for about an hour and a half. Then there is a bus tour (just what we wanted, more bus, but at least there are distractions). We did disembark at Hitler's parade grounds for a presentation by our guide. Then it was back to the bus for an hour trip to Bamberg and the Alsvin.

The ride from Trier to Paris - I am not entirely sure about the length of this trip. We did stop partway to visit the impressive American cemetery in Luxembourg. It was just outside the capital where we took a walking tour with a guide which was interesting. We then reboarded the bus for our trip to the Meridien Etoile. This trip seemed shorter, but it was several hours.

In regard to OBC - be aware that this credit can only be used onboard and not in the originating city for optional excursions. We began our trip in Prague, so (not being onboard yet) we could not use OBC for the optional Prague by Night tour, but paid for it on the shore excursion website. Once on board the Alsvin, however, we could use the OBC for any shore excursion thereafter, even those in Paris.

Viking is very explicit about how OBC can be used: optional excursions made while on the ship, drinks apart from those included with lunch or dinner, laundry and purchases from the very limited gift nook.

Gratuities cannot be paid with OBC.

As far as the tours in Paris - Yes, there is an overview tour on a bus on the morning after your arrival. We toured around and only got off the bus at Notre Dame and at the Eiffel Tower. It was Sunday, so there was no tour as such inside Norte Dame as Mass was going on, but we were able to walk around and admire the beautiful cathedral. Then there was a bit of free time, then back to the bus for the rest of the city tour and a 10 minute photo stop a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower but with a great view. Then we went back to the hotel and I am not certain, but we got there somewhere around noon, so the rest of the day is yours.

There are actually quite a few optional tours in Paris:

THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES - this optional tour was given from 2:00-6:00 after the city tour and cost 149 euros per person. We did not take this tour, but those who did said Versailles was quite impressive and ornate and on that weekend day it was very crowded as well as very warm since Paris was experiencing a heatwave.

MONTMARTE HILL - Given from 2:15-5:45, this optional tour costs 49 euros. I did this tour later on in our stay, as we did the Paris extension, but I am sure it is the same. We took a bus to the base of the hill and after walking up the hill a few blocks, we took a finicular to the steps of Sacre-Coeur which we explored. The view of Paris from the top of the hill was incredible as it is the second highest point in the area. Then our guide toured us around the bohemian area where artists and writers frequented cafes and lived. We stopped for a treat of pastry and a drink, before going back down the hill and the bus and more touring of the city. This was a very nice tour and our guide was excellent, but it was not one of my favorites just because there were more interesting tours earlier on in the trip.

PARIS CABARET WITH DINNER - Transfer to the Paradis Latin in the Latin Quarter where you have front row reserved seats. After a Chateaubriand dinner, there is a very complete revue with acrobats,masked dancers, ballets and the can- can. The cost is 219 euros per person and the time is from 7:30-11:30. We did not do this tour, so I have no idea how it was.

These are the tours available for those who did not take the post cruise extension. There were five optional tours given for those who did stay longer.

We just got back from the Cities of Light tour and we started in Prague, so it must be confessed that we had more energy than we had at the end of our trip. As I recall, the sightseeing tour of Prague began on the bus with a panoramic view of Prague which went to the Castle. We exited the bus and were divided into groups with a tour guide and those wonderful Quietvox devices that allow you to hear everything he says. The tour of the castle included St. Vitus Cathedral and the castle grounds, but not the gardens. After the tour we returned to the bus for the trip back down the hill where the castle is located. We then followed our guide for a tour which included Charles Bridge and Old Town Square and its astronomical clock. The tour then went on through the Jewish Quarter, back to the Prague Hilton. We opted to stay downtown and to have lunch in a restaurant that our guide recommended- Restaurace Mincovna right on the square. It was a great choice and I got to try the beef with cream sauce and cranberries which is a Prague specialty. It was excellent.

I don't remember being too tired after our walking but comfy shoes, like my Sketchers, are a must. The streets in all of our stops were cobblestone, making any sort of heel treacherous. Also, on the Prague tour, as long as you knew how to get back to the Hilton, you could stop for a beer or coffee and then just go your own way - easy to do if you just followed the river. This was not true on other stops of the cruise, however, there was most always an "Easy Option" tour in which most everything was covered but at a slower pace.

If anyone else has a question, I would be glad to answer if I can.