hbscouter

On 4/2/2022 at 7:08 AM, Nanner said:

We will be aboard the American Empress from Vancouver to Clarkston at the beginning of August.  I was wondering where the boat docks, or how we get ashore, as the cruise ship pier appears to be only for the bigger cruise ships.  There's no listing regarding where the Empress is located.  We will no doubt spend the morning exploring along the riverfront, but I'd like some idea of where our trek will begin.

We are on the Empress right now (spending extra time in Richland as the current is too high to get to Clarkston). The dock in Vancouver is right in the revitalizing Riverfront Park (about 8 short blocks straight down from the hotel). We easily walked down there to check out the wine bars and new hotels/condos under construction.

On 5/28/2022 at 7:29 PM, GMaIna said:

Although we are experienced ocean and river cruisers, we've never been on a river cruise in the USA. We're thinking about doing an American Queen Columbia and Snake River cruise in October. Does this cruise line allow smoking? If so, how can I find out where the smoking areas are? I've had my veranda rendered unusable by smoke coming from nearby locations on other cruises and would like to avoid that if it's an issue.

We are on the American Empress right now. They allow smoking in some area (I'm not sure where up on top), but I haven't smelled smoke yet (thank goodness). Absolutely no smoking on the balconies. Yay! FYI last night they had to cancel Clarkston (we're Portland to Clarkston) due to high current on the Snake.

Four days and counting until we leave for Castles Along the Rhine! Sorry I’ve been MIA for so long, but life happened. I appreciate all the information everyone else has shared, even though I’ve been lurking. After the cruise I will post a review and will answer any questions you may have.

We are flying from Southern CA direct to London Thursday, spend the night, and then connect to Amsterdam. We arrive in Amsterdam early Saturday so we have at least a full day to explore. It’s not much time, but enough for a stroll through the Red Light District, tour the Anne Frank museum, wander canals, and appreciate the city.

We leave on the Antoinette on Sunday June 30th. After the cruise, we are spending five nights in Switzerland. It will be a whirlwind time with one night in Bern, two in Lauterbrunnen, ending with one each in Lucerne and Zurich.

My packing is almost done, but after looking at the weather channel, I need my rain gear! I guess the rain gear from Boy Scout National Jamboree will come in handy!

School finally got out on Friday, so I am catching up. We were on Uniworld's Paris-Normandy last summer: fantastic blend of history and art. On formal nights, my husband wore a sport coat, dress shirt, and khakis: no tie. There was an almost even mix of suits and jackets sans ties. Some wore just a dress shirt and pants while others added a tie. My husband was comfortable as he was right in the middle. On regular nights he wore khakis and a golf shirt. I hope this helps.

My husband and I are looking at the Castles in June or July 2013. I'm a teacher so we can only do summer. The early book option is also getting us to plan early. I can't wait to go. Our son is going to help us as he just finished a semester in Germany. We went on Uniworld's Paris/Normandy last summer and are hooked.