Briny

The Vantage Explorations website's FAQ section has information about how they will handle credits from Vantage World Travel passengers.  

https://vantagexplorations.com/frequently-asked-questions/

We just checked in to the Mercure Hotel in Strasbourg on day 11 of our 12 day river cruise on the Tauck Inspire . . .following a two hour drive from our last docking in Gernsheim.

We had to leave the ship early since we cannot continue on to Basel. We end the "cruise" tomorrow in Lucerne after a three hour drive from here. All the good hotels in Basel are booked, so Tauck will put us up at The Palace, which should be a good finish to what has been a disappointing trip.

Tauck has done everything they can to make things as right as possible, but the weather and the river levels have played havoc with our journey. Reports we hear are that all the river ships are experiencing similar problems, many of them (like us) unable to enter the Moselle and others stuck in the upper Rhine.

Passengers seem to be quite accepting of the situation and are in good spirits. Tauck has been amazing in their ability to make alternative arrangement. Still, we are ready to head back home.

Will be on the Amacerto in the fall and wondering if there is anyplace on the boat to get a cup of coffee prior to breakfast in the dining room. Have cruised with Tauck and they had a small casual cafe in the act of the boat.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

When we were on the Amacerto about 18 months ago there were two self-service coffee stations: one near the entrance to the lounge and the other (less well utilized) in the aft restaurant, The Chef's Table. The machines make espresso-based drinks like cappuccino and Americano. We used them quite often. ;)

I would be very interested in hearing your comparison of AMA and Tauck for river cruising. We have booked a Tauck Rhine and Moselle tour for next summer. We were very favorably impressed with AMA and hope that Tauck will be at least as good if not better. (We would have booked AMA again if they offered a Rhine cruise that also included the Moselle ports.)

Smooth sailing.

Mike

FuelScience - Thank you for your insights and tips. We have never been to Amsterdam before (except to change planes) and I can't imagine not spending some time there before the cruise. Very interesting information on the Open Air Museum. It sounds like a place we would greatly enjoy visiting. I really appreciate your making the effort to check train schedules and to post the websites. :)

Hydrokitty and cp556 -- Thank you so much for the information. Not having a daily espresso (or several) would be a real deal-breaker for us.:)

We are trying to decide between the Vantage and Tauck offerings. We love to travel with Tauck, but of course they are considerably more expensive than just about everybody. And perhaps the extra cost in this case is not justifiable if Vantage lives up to its excellent reputation.

There is one problem that I'm really having trouble with: the Vantage website says that their Rhine and Moselle cruise in 2016 starts/ends in Arnhem and avoids Amsterdam completely. They don't even offer a pre/post optional tour of Amsterdam, which seems odd to me. I suppose we could make independent arrangements for a short stay in Amsterdam, pre- or post-cruise, but doing so does shrink the price difference with Tauck.

Again, thanks for the coffee information. I could not find anything about it on the Vantage website. I knew the good people on CC would have the answer!:)

We are considering a 2016 river cruise on Vantage. Could someone please tell us if there are self-service coffee machines onboard where we can get an espresso-based coffee like an americano or cappuccino at any time? We are looking at a Rhine/Moselle cruise I and I believe that the ship will be the River Splendor. Thanks.

Gayle - Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question about the fitness center and for the useful information overall. Glad you had an enjoyable trip with AMA.

Gayle - Thank you for your day-by-day discussion of your cruise activities. We are taking the same ship, same cruise next June with a local group. It will be our first river cruise and we have heard good things about AMA. We appreciate your taking the time to post your reports.

Can you please tell me if there is any weightlifting equipment in the fitness center. All the photos I have seen show a couple of pieces of cardio equipment (elliptical, stationary bike) but no dumbbells or weight benches. I don't expect too much on such a small vessel, but I'm hoping to get in at least one workout or two while onboard. :)

Thanks. And happy travels.