texasstar

When we were on the cruise, several years ago, it was on the evening we left Santorini and it was one of the highlights of the trip. It was such a beautiful location for the event.

Don't be nervous about sitting with other people at dinner. You will meet some lovely people this way and probably leave the cruise with them as friends.

We were on an AmaSonata Danube cruise last June. Gratuities were around $210 and liquor and bar tips were around $120. You can use your credit card to pay if you like. Of course it may vary based on what you drink. With wine and beer covered at lunch and dinner, it probably won't amount to much.

Windstar is a great way to see the Greek Islands. We were on the Windstar in 2010 and it was a wonderful experience. There were only about 150 people aboard. There is nothing better than having a B-B-Q on deck while of the coast of Santorini!

Thank you for your reply. Do you have a favorite hotel in the area?

We are planning a 9 day pre-river cruise trip starting in Nice. We will stay 3 days in the area and then pick- up a rental car in Nice. Is the Nice Gare station the best place to pick- up the car since we will not be at the airport? We have not finalized hotel plans yet, but will be somewhere in the Nice area or Villefranche-sur-Mer.

Which ever cruise you decide on....do not wait too long to book. We tried to book a Sept. 2015 cruise on AmaWaterways last week on the Rhone, and all Sept. cruises were booked. Don't know if you have looked at AmaWaterways, but we were very pleased with them.

You will have a wonderful time. We just did this cruise in June. The boat is beautiful, the crew very attentive and you will probably feel right at home with the passengers. We started in Budapest with 3 days prior. Make sure you get advance tickets to do the Parliment tour. It is amazing. We walked everywhere. St. Stephan's cathedral, the Opera , and the market are also things you should see. We also went the Szecheni baths, at the recommendation in the Rick Steves book. It was neat to see. The old guys were playing chess in the pool, just like on the TV show. I am not sure it was worth the cost though to do that. The first night you are on the boat, they will take you on an illumination tour of Budapest. It is beautiful at night.

Prague, again you can walk everywhere. Just watching all the people in the Old Square, seeing the Astronomical clock, the Prague castle, Wenslas square, the Charles Bridge with all the artists will keep you intrigued. The Old Town Hilton that AMA uses is very nice and very close to everything. We went to a concert that is about 1 block from the hotel. The Cafe Imperial that is highly recommended is also about 1 block away.

Have a great trip.

If you have not booked your cruise yet....Windstar is a wonderful way to see the Greek Islands and Istanbul.

We went on a Windstar cruise from Istanbul to Athens several years ago. It was wonderful. I would highly recommend this route.

We are considering renting a car "post cruise" and driving though the hill country of Provence. How difficult and stressful would that be for a "non-French" speaking person?

We did not go to the Vienna Concert, but those that did enjoyed it. We did go to a concert in Prague at a venue that was close to the Old Town Hilton. We enjoyed it and it was 1/2 the price of the Vienna concert. It was only about 1 hour long.

Just returned from a Danube river cruise aboard the AmaSonata. Just want to let those that have trips planned on AmaSonata, that they are in for a treat! It is a beautiful boat, the excursions and and entertainment on board were delightful, and the food was beautifully presented!

Any tips on airport transportation in Budapest and Prague?