librarylady19

Thanks so much to notamermaid and those posting information on the Rhine situation. I agree we should be mindful of the broader impact of drought and water levels on the rivers. ‘We are booked in Viking Mani, Amsterdam to Basel departing 11/30, so have been following along with this thread. We received an email from Viking a few days ago alerting us to a likely ship swap. ‘This will be our first river cruise and first time in Germany. While it is disappointing that things may not go exactly as planned, that is always a likelihood when traveling. We are looking forward to the onboard experience and especially visiting the Christmas markets, both of which should not be adversely affected.

Nice of you to post. Thanks! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I called Viking and since my flights are already ticketed , they referred me to Lufthansa. PE would be $290 pp one way - not sure if I’ll do that; as you mentioned, there are other opportunities to upgrade before the flight. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks f0r the additional information. I should have been more specific in my question. Is Viking’s charge to upgrade to premium economy the same as the airline’s? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I opted to pay the $50 pp fee to ensure we had seats on the only non stop from Chicago to Amsterdam for our first river cruise in late Nov. and was happy with the experience. I did not upgrade to premium economy at that time. Is Vikings price the same as the airlines or do they offer a discount? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

The food certainly since delicious. Any photos?

Thanks - nice to be back. We have been doing more "land trips" and also been on RCCL but are looking forward to our return to X in Feb. Haven't been on Silhouette yet so should be great.

Jealous!!!!

I'm another huge Rick Steves fan, swear by his guide books and have heard him speak in Chicago several times. I Particularly enjoyed the drunken ramblings late night on the upper deck[emoji3] which he videoed. However, after years of looking down on cruisers (not real travelers, etc.) I think Rick is now seeing the benefits of cruise travel and is backpedaling somewhat. Rick is a very shrewd businessman and I'm sure he sees the huge potential in embracing the cruise crowd (he even mentions CC on his blog). Personally I switch back and forth between land and cruise trips In Europe and see the benefits of both. No need to pick one over the other, just different ways to travel and see the world. Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks for the offer! Will be following this thread as we are on the 10/13 cruise!

We had two wonderful dinners in Amsterdam. De Reiger - best lamb ever! In Jordan Restaurant Blauw for reistaffel (Indonesian)

Ghent is NOT a mini Bruges! First of all, it is a much larger town with more than 200,000 residents )with a university, thriving business community as well as excellent shopping. Dining and sightseeing. Yes, there are canals (hence the comparison to Bruges I suppose) it also boasts a cathedral, churches and other historical attractions. While I love Bruges it is a disneyfied town in many ways and Ghent is a place where Belgians live and work that can also be enjoyed by tourists.

I personally would not spend a week solely in Amsterdam with so many other countries - in particular Belgium _ a convenient train ride away. We spent 3 nights in Amsterdam which seemed sufficient to cover the highlights. Read Rick Steve's for great suggestions - Anne Frank House Prebooking essential Van Gogh museum RIjks Museum Royal Palace Canal boat tour Reypenauer cheese tasting Bols experience All were easily fit into 3 days, as well as most of one day taken up with Keukenhoff gardens (not recommended on a Saturday in tulip season:()

Great, thanks. Have not been on Celebrity for a few years and Silhouette was one of the ships we hadn't sailed.

Your review and your photos are fantastic! I'm following along with interest as we are visiting Copenhagen in August, Oslo in October and planning a Silhouette Caribbean cruise for next spring. How does the ship compare to other S Class ships in your opinion?