wandb

Can someone fill me in on why Brilliance of the Seas is not Cruising till mid December?

Is the first cruise after the pandemic a positive (no COVID germs from preceding cruisers) or negative (are the “kinks” out? Is the crew well trained?)

Is there a possibility the cruise would be cancelled?  Or the ports changed?

Thanks for any insight you can give. 

Also, please tell me how to find the ship’s excursions for a particular cruise?  Every time I think I’ve found it, only private tours and private companies pop up. Our cabin is held only till later today, and I can’t seem to find what excursions are available. Hopefully there is one to the Mayan ruins. 

5 hours ago, midwestchick said:

Sounds interesting. Do you have any other tips to offer?  
We’re very familiar with the Mississippi River since part of it is less than an hour from us.  We’re doing a long road trip in October along the Great River Road. It’s a beautiful drive no matter which state you’re driving in 

The River Road trip sounds wonderful. I'd love to do that. 
As for tips on the cruise---

We loved everything!  We knew going in that it would not be like an ocean cruise so we did not miss all the 'bells and whistles' that some cruisers expect. We found AQSC to be professional efficient, and friendly, from the entire crew on board to the staff at the hotel to the HOHO bus drivers. 
We took advantage of all the free HOHO excursions and found them to be interesting and informative. I especially enjoyed touring the house and grounds of Nottaway Plantation, but every home that we had time to tour was great. 
The Flood Museum in Greenville and the River Museum with Tugboat tour in Vicksburg were great. 
At every stop we met warm, wonderful folks who were proud of their towns and happy to have us there. 
 

On board, be sure to do the Chef's tour of the galley. You will be amazed at all they do in such limited space. The Riverlorian's talks were interesting, as was the Csptain's talk. We enjoyed exploring the boat and imagining ourselves on the boat in Victorian times. The decor is beautiful, but we are happy for "modern updates"!

Not sure if they still have the "snack area" post Covid, but it was a favorite with everyone. Self serve warm homemade cookies and other snacks as well as specialty coffees and teas available  24/7 ! What a treat!  
 

if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. I'll help if I can, or someone here will know the answers. 

Great!  Which cruise?

Thank you JP and Chris for taking us along on this wonderful cruise!  I've enjoyed every post and loved all the pictures. Would love to see one of the main dining room with you two in it--all dressed up for a night out!

Do you possibly have a link to your amazing review of your river cruise when you visited Budapest?  If I remember correctly you were on the Uniworld Beatrice?

Thanks!

3 hours ago, midwestchick said:

Thank you. That title is river cruise roll calls.  That’s what I needed. I kept looking for American cruise line.

Remember that American Cruise Line and American Queen Steamboat Company are two completely separate lines. 

I hope I did not mislead anyone!  You are correct about AQ's dress code on line now. Our cruise was 4 or 5 years ago, and I may be remembering codes from that time. I'm sure jeans would be fine; everyone was dressed for comfort. 

Wow!!  I feel like I’ve discovered hidden treasure!  I just found this blog and I’m thrilled to be following your adventures again. It’s been too long since we’ve been able to experience (in spirit!) all the wonderful ports you visit, but also the great excursions and hikes you two undertake!  

I see that your cruise ends tomorrow. 🙁.   Hope you have another one planned for us to follow along with. 

Love all all the pictures!

Barb

Praying for you and all the medical staff there. May they quickly find the cause and solutions. 

Thanks for both reviews. Very informative!

Just discovered this thread and have enjoyed reading it from start to finish!

Looking forward to even more of your journey. 

We are also interested in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We are booked on the American Queen Countess in June from Pittsburg (the start of their expedition where their riverboat was built and picked up by Clark—-and where many of their crew was recruited) ending in Louisville. We hope to do the Louisville to St Louis leg next, after which we will book the Empress for the Clarksville to Vancouver part of their journey. 

Our posts crossed in cyberspace!  So prayers for all on our care lists, and shout outs for all who are celebrating!

Good morning!

 I am surely remembering all of those who died on 9/11 and their families, as well as those who died in the 20 years of aftermath. 

It does seem that lately “no news really IS good news”!

I’ve never been to Rhodes, Greece, so I’m really looking forward to pictures.

Thanks for our Daily Report! 

Thank you for the excellent video review. We are looking forward to our June cruise on the Countess. We were originally scheduled for the Duchess, but COVID changed all that. Your video makes me excited to experience the Countess!

Kazu, I just love your sense of humor!!!

Have a great day everyone. 

Good morning, all!  Thanks for the Daily.   Love the “Days”!  I think all of us could think of someone whose heart we could touch today.   💖.  What a great idea!

On 8/26/2021 at 4:25 PM, kpgibbs said:

I go to East Texas some.  I love to see the trees.  Something we are lacking.  But one thing about living in Amarillo, if your dog runs away, you can watch him for at least two miles.  

😁😂

Thank you, CrusinCadie. You are right---The 1927 Flood Museum is in Greenville, MS. It is one of the stops on the HOHO bus tour. 
 

A quick story about our experience there---As we arrived at the museum, we saw several people leaving the museum, not in a very good mood!  We heard them talking about "that dark and dingy place, who would want to spend 2 minutes there?"  They had walked in, turned around, and walked out again!!!  But we decided to stay and see what we could see. WOW!  The museum is housed in a very old building---one of the oldest remaining in the town. It may have seemed dim (thanks to the constant streaming of an excellent short video---one of the most informative videos I've ever seen. Very few people know of the history of this area on the Mississippi.) The exhibits were also wonderful, and highlighted a life and a time that most of us away from this area know very little about. 
 

I think the people we encountered on their way out of the museum must have been looking for the glitz and glamour of the casinos. As for us,  this is one of the most memorable stops we have ever visited. 
 

One recommendation while you are in Memphis is to eat at the historic Blues City Cafe. We loved the food (ribs and all the trimmings) and the fun atmosphere. 
 

Enjoy your cruises!!

Barb

On 8/19/2021 at 3:48 PM, kpgibbs said:

I am from Amarillo.  

i grew up midway between Houston and San Antonio, so we are like another state from you!  My DH's college roommate was from Amarillo, and he never could get used to all the trees in central and south TX!

14 hours ago, Frncie said:

I am curious about the Flood Museum. Which port?

 

I did a search and discovered there are many flood museums! Pennsylvania, Idaho, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, just to name a few! It does sound interesting. How can we find it?

This was on one of the stops from Memphis to NO. I'll dig out my info from that cruise and post it here as soon as I find it. 

Another non Facebook cruiser!  Thanks for posting here on CC. 
 

Ill be following, wishing I were on board!

I have loved following along as you have reviewed your week.

Happy Anniversary to you both!!

Have a safe trip home. 

6 hours ago, kpgibbs said:

Thank you wandb.  Sounds very interesting.  I really didn't know what to expect when it came to scenery.  I am actually fine with that.  For me, it's all about being able to travel again and having the fellowship with my family and others.

 

I live in Texas and my brother lives in St Louis.  So we don't get to see each other very much.  

What area of TX are you from?  I'm from TX and even though I moved away many years ago---I'm still from TX!!!  Once a Texan, always a Texan!

Today’s destination has been on my bucket list for years. Can’t wait to see everyone’s photos!

I'm also looking forward to a review. I'd love to compare the post-pandemic cruises to those from before. 
 

What date are you cruising?