JerseyGem

  We're on the Xpedition in February and will be following your posts! Thanks for doing this! 

Thanks for taking the time to post about your adventure.  I hope all continues to go well for you.  We are on the Xpedition in February and love all your posts.  Thanks!

Thanks for posting.  We are on the Xpedition in February.  I know the ship board activities will be different, but I appreciate your information about Quito and the Galapagos in general.  Your pictures are gorgeous!

44 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

Got an email from TA today saying our ship will not be ScenicJade now but Scenic Jewel.

 

Cruise starts 6th Sept.

Am currently in lounge at Singapore airport on route to London.

Safe travels and enjoy the cruise!  

We've taken many GCT river cruises (and OAT trips and small ship cruises).  We did both  their Christmas Market cruises on the Rhine and on the Danube, but before Covid.  We loved both of them.  Yes, they're not as fancy as the more  upscale lines, but they focus more on "people to people" activities.  This will include going to local churches for Christmas choral events, home-hosted meals as well as going to the Christmas Markets at each stop.  

Dinner always had three options (meat, poultry, fish) usually with a vegetarian option.  If you have any food issues, let them know, and the chef will speak with you each night to set up the next night's meal.  Of course, you'll have a soup, salad, side dishes, dessert, etc. I am somewhat picky but always found something I liked.   Included wine selections vary in quality, but you do have the option to purchase more "upscale" wines if you wish.  

We had actually planned on doing a Christmas Market cruise (a repeat) this coming December, so we recently looked at all their options.  However, we decided to  do one of their Egypt trips in December  instead.  The world has too many places to visit! 

Read the "Stickies" at the top of this Forum (New to River Cruising, What to Expect, River Cruise Lines, etc.); you'll find a wealth of information.  You already have an area in mind ( Germany and Austria rather than The Netherlands or France, etc.); the next decisions will be how long, which line, what time of year.  Some lines have 7 or 8 day cruises, but many are longer. Obviously you'll see more on longer cruises, but your schedule may not allow that.

And then there's price.  We are retired on a fixed income, so we go with one of the less expensive lines.  But while I do recommend them, several times I've suggested that friends go on other lines because I know they want a more upscale experience.   Finding a travel agent who specializes in River Cruises can help you narrow down the choices.

Good luck!  Planning is half the fun of cruising.  Lynn

  The smoke from the smoking area on deck 5 will probably have more of an impact on your balcony than the area on 14. We were in 8682 and could sometimes smell smoke from the deck 5 smoking area, especially when people were smoking right outside that covered area.  

14 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

Question: need to book flights from Boston to London.  Looking for a nonstop if possible.

 

  How is British Air?  Decent, avoid at all costs, or no better or worse than anyone else?

BA from Boston to London (Heathrow) is OK.  We usually spring for Premium Economy since most flights are overnight (PE or Business, etc. will give you more comfort for sleeping).  

If you had said that you needed to change planes at London/Heathrow (to go elsewhere in Europe), I would have recommended avoiding Heathrow.  It is a huge airport, and it can be confusing to find another terminal. . 

dacf:  Welcome to the River Cruising area of CruiseCritic!  Since you're in Vienna for the wedding, trying out a river cruise afterwards is a great idea. You will have an interesting view of several countries on your daily visits along the way.   First, please read Host Jazzbeau's  "stickies" at the top of this forum, especially the one about "New to River Cruising" and "water levels' (there may be one to help you sort through the various companies that offer river cruises).  

Your selection will mostly depend on what line (or ship) has a starting cruise in Vienna a few days after the wedding.  As for nightlife- there won't be a casino, a theater, etc. but most lines offer something at night.  Maybe a local show, a lecture or discussion about the area.  Or learn a new card game with fellow travelers.  Hubby and I love to go up to the top deck to read while we enjoy the passing scenery (since most lines will sail to the next city each evening).

You are correct that a Med cruise will be too hot in early August! 

Have fun planning your cruise.  Come back with all your questions.  Lynn

It might depend on the ship, but last December on the Anthem OTS,  milkshakes at Johnny Rockets were included in the Refreshment package. 

We have also used SAS - several times.  It's not a private shuttle; they will drive around to fill their vans (airports, local hotels, etc.) before actually delivering you to the port (or to the airport).   Also, they do not have car seats for kids nor can you use them (kids will need to be held).  Other than those few minor issues, the shuttle worked out well.  

Enjoy your first cruise- hopefully the "cruise bug" will bite and you'll take many more.  Before I cruise on a new (to me) ship, I look over (even study) the deck plans so I won't be so disoriented once I board.    For Alaska itself, pack a pair of gloves and a warm hat.  When you approach a glacier, the air temp will drop.   We were one of the few who could stay out on the open decks for the whole visit.  Others (shorts and flip-flops) were too cold.  

Have fun!

We have visited both Sitka and Ketchikan  on a HAL cruise.   Since the main difference is those two cities, I recommend the cruise going to  Sitka.  Both are small towns, but Sitka has historic significance plus is in a lovely setting.  Ketchikan is a tourist trap.  A lot of gift shops (overpriced and made in China), plus the locals were not as welcoming as in other parts of Alaska.  

If you do end up in Ketchikan, plan a shore excursion that takes you out of town.  We did a float plane trip inland for great scenery.  

49 minutes ago, TFree said:

Lynn:

 

Would you mind explaining what you mean in saying that the August 2023 sailing was "outside of X's package?"  ......

Tom & Judy

Hi Tom and Judy- I should have been clearer.  The current package is 20% off the base fair plus either air from the USA or a set amount ($750?) in lieu of the air.  But the air has to be able to be ticketed when you initially  book.   They won't ticket more than one year out, so I can't book for August 2023 now and qualify for the air perk.  I really want X to do all the air for me in case something goes wrong getting there (weather delays, etc.).  We have two more overseas trips booked for this year, and the air arrangements (paid and ticketed) keep changing due to issues within the airlines (supposedly related to staffing issues due to Covid).  Frustrating!   Lynn

Thanks for all the excellent advice.  We'll check out the blogs and website links.  I think we've narrowed it down to the Xpedition with Celebrity's  10 day package, probably the Southern Loop.  We're still debating which month because we read so many different opinions, and the prices are so varied throughout the year.  We had settled on August 2023, only to discover that it was outside of X's package!  Back to the drawing board.  

Thanks again, Lynn

DH & I are trying to decipher  all the assorted offerings for cruising the Galapagos with Celebrity in 2023.  Northern Loop, Southern Loop, Inner Loop, Outer Loop????   Adding Quito?   And then, which ship?  I am leaning towards their smaller ships (the Xpedition or Xploration), which means choosing between Northern and Southern Loops.  I am also leaning towards their packages which I think includes a hotel in Quito (maybe before and after the actual cruise?) plus would include transfers (I think).  

Part of my problem is negotiating their website (I'll get used to it), but I could really use some advice from those who have used Celebrity for Galapagos cruises.  I did a search and read some reviews (all so positive), but so far I can't find anything that indicates the "Plus and Minus"  for each Loop or ship.

We will want to snorkel whenever possible (so I want warm water!) and hike to see the unique wildlife.   We don't need evening entertainment or fancy accommodations.  

Thank you, Lynn

14 hours ago, loge23 said:

.....................

Boppard is indeed one of the most beautiful stops along the Rhine.

It's at a point called the Boppard Loop, where the Rhine takes a oxbow. As our local friend and guide notamermaid said, do take the chair lift up to the top of the mountain. There's a terrific view from there. It's been a long time for us, but when we were last there, there was a small cafe up there serving sandwich boards and refreshments. Take a table and pinch yourself - you're in one of the most beautiful spots on the Rhine! ......

If the chair lift is not operating (or you're thrifty, like we are), there was a short, somewhat steep,  trail up to the viewing point from where the river ships dock.  We hiked up the trail, enjoyed the view (with a beer), and walked down the access road (not scenic).   A lovely area and view.  

16 hours ago, Gopherpharm said:

Thanks @notamermaid! We leave for Amsterdam tomorrow. 

Have a wonderful cruise!  

If you are traveling with someone else, I suggest cross-packing in case one suitcase goes on a different vacation.  If you don't want to completely cross-pack (half in each), a packing cube with one day's worth of clothes is easy enough to transfer  to your travel partner's suitcase.  Waylaid suitcases will eventually catch up with you, but in the meantime, having one complete outfit in the other person's suitcase is priceless. (We flew to Vienna; my suitcase took a detour to Venice). 

We also try to have at least one day of clothing in our carry-on, in case both suitcases are delayed.  In this case, the airline will probably give you a toiletries kit but obviously no clothes.  

.    

We had a very interesting visit to The Red Star Line Museum while docked in Antwerp.  This is the link to the English website:  https://www.redstarline.be/en

Both CPTtrips and I have ancestors who came to the USA via ships from Europe, although none left from Antwerp.  The museum was still worth touring for a few hours.  It's within walking distance of the area where most of the river ships dock.  

Lynn

12 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

......., Tallinn (also a concert added in the evening) ..........

If you're interested in Estonian history, i suggest watching the documentary The Singing Revolution (2006) on one of the many TV channels (we found it on Kanopy, which is somehow through our local library system).   It's a great overview of Estonia's "non-violent fight" for independence in 1991.   While in Tallinn, you will probably be taken to the large, outdoor concert arena.

Even more interesting in light of what's happening in Ukraine.

15 hours ago, notamermaid said:

 

You could get to Remagen by train from Cologne or Bonn, or even Koblenz, if you wanted to see the museum. It is small but for history buffs a fascinating museum.

 

 

 

I agree that this is doable even if you speak very limited German.  When we stopped in Bonn, we asked our morning tour guide to let us know when (on the tour) we were closest to the Bonn train station.  We left the tour group, bought round trip tickets to Remagen and walked along the river to the remains of the towers and the museum.  Small, but interesting.  We had time for lunch in Remagen, then the train ride back to Bonn.  From the train station, walk towards the river to find your ship.  We were back before dinner.  

I recommend Marksburg Castle unless you have significant mobility issues.  Since it is an original castle (not a restoration with "improvements" for ease-of-use), you will find narrow, uneven stairwells and very uneven walking surfaces.  But the castle is worth all of this if you can manage.  Talk to your tour director before hand if you think it might be too much of a challenge. 

We  cruise with both RCL and NCL. We usually use one of the many on-line TA's but find that fewer "deals" are offered for RCL cruises than for NCL cruises.  And lately we've had issues with our RCL cruises (FCC, etc.) that are frustrating to resolve because the TA is the middleman.  I like Jasukkie's idea of having an amount in mind- whether to go with the TA to save $XXX or to deal directly with RCL. 

Once onboard, you can  book WWRY and Spectras Cabaret (and any comedians, magicians, etc.) by dialing 2323 on any house phone.  Much easier for those of us who were challenged by the app.