Di Princess

You probably should get your thread title changed so people have a clue what you are asking about.

Correct! The title should read: MPS ROTTERDAM with Shearings

TREASURES OF THE RHINE. :rolleyes:

Don't forget to look at http://www.seatguru.com to select your seats. It tells you which are the better seats. You need to know what Type aircraft you have (which your airline can tell you, or you can see it on their website). ;)

Oh, Jane. So sorry about your dinner. OMG, how can you have a bad meal in Italy? :confused:

You should have sent it back, refused to pay, and left the terrible restaurant, as well as telling your B&B Host how horrible the food is and that she should never, ever, recommend these "Friend's restaurants" again! :eek:

Rita Wilson is my Cruise Air Specialist at Viking and she is very knowledgeable. ;)

This number is the Air number: 877-523-0580.

I paid the $50 per person fee to choose my own airline & flights. We fly end of November; however, since I paid for my air in March of 2014, I soon had my flights and was able to choose my seats and food.

I was ticketed February 2015. :D

Your Viking Air Agent will give you your PNR (Pax Number Record) and that is what you will enter on your airline's website, not your Viking Reservation number.

Winter Silks has silk long underwear (tops and bottoms) in 3 different weights: light, medium, and heavy. I have both long-sleeve tops and bottoms in Heavy:

http://wintersilks.blair.com/catalog/search.jsp?count=99&i=1&intl=n&is=Y&keyword=women+long+johns&q=women+long+johns&q1=Heavy&rank=rank18&store=3&x1=warmth_factor

I also love Hot Chillys Womens Pepperskins Bottom at Sports Chalet:

http://www.sportchalet.com/product/hot+chillys+womens+pepperskins+bottom+-+black.do?green=9b1e5f800-cfe7-b3753-fe9c-c14f0ad91ca2

Hi, Jane,

Thank you for your blog. I love your writing. I am so sorry that Budapest and the train to Venice was such a Zoo! :eek:

I, too, love the train because, also as a little girl (when we wore our wool suit, hat, gloves, and patent leather Mary Janes & purse) we rode the Super Chief (with beds) from L.A. > Albuquerque and then bus to Aztec, New Mexico to visit my Mum's parents.

That was really a tiny room. I wonder if the First Class would be a better option. :confused: I would rather fly. BTW, how long was the train ride?

I know you will love Venice. I have been there 3 times but I would love to go back durning Carnival, rent the costumes, and attend the parties. ;)

Just wear wrinkled clothes. Nobody cares! :eek:

I don't even iron at home so why would I waste my time on a cruise? :confused:

Did you ever try the spray Wrinkle Release? Works Great! ;)

The Viking shorex will cost more. I found this:

http://www.viator.com/Prague-attractions/Terezin-Concentration-Camp-Theresienstadt/d462-a3217

$34 - Terezin Concentration Camp Day Tour Including Admission to Ghetto Museum And Magdeburg Barracks

Join this 7.5-hour day tour to the former concentration camp and GESTAPO prison of Terezin, a sleepy town in the Bohemian countryside just an hour outside of Prague. Learn about Czech-Jewish history, World War II and the Holocaust. Visit the former concentration camp and GESTAPO prison of Terezin and see its monuments, memorials and museums. Learn about Czech-Jewish history, World War II and the Holocaust. Find hidden traces of Terezin's dark past and learn about present-day attitudes, Terezin's history and more. Visit the Ghetto Museum and Magdeburg Barracks and much more

Enjoy a round-trip ticket from/to Prague on public transport. Meet your guide at a central location in the city, from where your tour starts and visit Terezín's monuments, memorials and museums in a 7.5-hour day tour from Prague. Find hidden traces of Terezin's dark past while learning about present-day attitudes of the site. Hear about Terezin's historical background from your guide, its times as a Habsburg Empire garrison town, the visit of the Red Cross and the story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and her children's paintings.

Included in your tour is a round-trip ticket for public transport from Prague to Terezin and back, The Ghetto Museum and Magdeburg Barracks (admission included), The Columbarium, Jewish Prayer Room, The Crematorium, SS Camp Headquarters, GESTAPO prison cells, the seat of the Council of Elders, the Jewish dormitories and the Austrian Fortress.

$48 - Terezin Concentration Camp Day Tour from Prague:

Embark on an educational and historical experience at Terezin Concentration Camp on this coach tour from Prague. After being turned into a Jewish ghetto during World War II, thousands of Jewish people and other prisoners died in this Terezin camp. Your professional guide will escort you around the entire complex of the former concentration camp, and provide you with informative narration, authentic memories, anecdotes and chilling experiences from Terezin's grim history. Visit Terezin, one the largest concentration camps in the Czech Republic. Take a fully narrated tour with an expert guide. Explore the Terezin Memorial, the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic

Retrace the story of Jewish prisoners during **** rule in World War II. This special tour will transport you back to the 1940s and give you a detailed overview of life in the Terezin Concentration Camp. Terezin, initially founded in 1780 to protect Prague from attacks, was converted into a Jewish ghetto during **** occupation in World War II. Walk the grounds with your expert guide and hear chilling stories and facts about the day-to-day lives of prisoners there. Visit the Terezin Memorial, the only institution of its kind in the Czech Republic. This memorial commemorates the thousands of victims of the tyrannical **** rule, and promotes research and educational activities. Experience the tragic symbol of suffering during the Holocaust during this unique, educational and eye-opening tour.

Terezín Concentration Camp (Theresienstadt)

Terezín started life as a fortress town, built to protect Bohemia from Prussian attacks. But it's more familiar in the public imagination as Theresienstadt, the so-called 'Paradise Camp' used by the ****s as a transit camp during WWII. It was at the Terezín Concentration Camp that many of the victims of the Holocaust were held while they awaited the journey to Auschwitz and Treblinka. Terezín was used as a show camp by the SS to dupe foreign observers into thinking that all was well. But all was far from well. Although there were no mass exterminations, no gas chambers, prisoners were worked and punished without mercy, and many thousands died here. The camp is now a memorial to the people who suffered in it. There is a museum devoted to its history and collections of the prisoners' art works, letters, photographs and memoirs.

In the U.S.A., Crew and Officers must be paid High United States wages. :eek:

The Sailors from the Philippines and Eastern Europe do not expect, nor do they get the high U.S. wages. But we do have more handicapped accommodations here. ;)

Hi, Jo,

I ordered it from Amazon (I think it was used; however, in perfect condition). It was only $7 USD, including shipping.

I shall do a search for more. I believe that I read on the Canadian "Cuba Cruise" website a list of books they recommend. Thanks! :D

I am reading:

Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution

June 9, 2009 by T. J. English

To underworld kingpins Meyer Lansky and Charles "Lucky" Luciano, Cuba was the greatest hope for the future of American organized crime in the post-Prohibition years. In the 1950s, the Mob—with the corrupt, repressive government of brutal Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in its pocket—owned Havana's biggest luxury hotels and casinos, launching an unprecedented tourism boom complete with the most lavish entertainment, top-drawer celebrities, gorgeous women, and gambling galore. But Mob dreams collided with those of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and others who would lead an uprising of the country's disenfranchised against Batista's hated government and its foreign partners—an epic cultural battle that bestselling author T. J. English captures here in all its sexy, decadent, ugly glory.

Biography: T.J. English is a noted journalist, screenwriter, and author of the New York Times bestsellers Havana Nocturne and Paddy Whacked, as well as The Westies, a national bestseller, and Born to Kill, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. He has written for Esquire, Playboy, and New York magazine, among other publications. His screenwriting credits include episodes for the television crime dramas NYPD Blue and Homicide, for which he was awarded the Humanitas Prize. He lives in New York City.

I am loving this book, true and so full of history. What else would be good to read before my trip? :confused:

Today on the radio it was announced that there will be direct flights from L.A. to Cuba; however, I would think that there would be a stop in Miami. Sorry, I didn't catch which airline.

I am booked for an 8-day land tour with KFI-640 radio at the end of March and the air is from LAX > MIA and then a Charter flight to Habana. ;)

On Holland America, 75% of passengers were in bed by 7:30. The staff was thrilled when our group showed up at the lounge around 9 PM. It was pretty deserted.

I love any kind of dancing at any time of the day: Ballroom, Jazz, Country-Western, and now I am trying to learn Japanese Dancing. It is very beautiful, done in a circle with both men & women, using fans and bamboo drumsticks. ;)

Kind of like Bernie Saunders vs. The Donald. :rolleyes:

Dinner again very well done. Did notice that most guests only doing one item from the first course list. I know hat if they had the menu marked first, second and entreé there would be more doing so. Perhaps a way Viking is able to hold down costs. More later, muster nearing.

Hi, Biker,

We are really enjoying cruising along with you! Could you please explain this about the menu? As it is written, it is confusing. Thanks! ;)

"We would have bought a bottle of the liqueur had we been able to bring it home."

I love liqueur. ;)

Why are you not able to bring it home? :confused:

I have an 8-day land trip booked for March 2016. I just bought an expensive Time Cuba magazine for $14 USD. Ralphs grocery store only had one so I bought it because everything is very current. Fascinating reading. ;)

There are lots of ideas for places to eat, museums, dancing & entertainment, jazz clubs, etc. I hope you can find this magazine. :D

I paid $997 for late November to fly LAX > AMS > PRA and return from FRA > CDG > LAX. This price includes taxes, transfers, $50 to customize, and commission. I booked a year ago February with Viking.

I have nearly always (after 40 ocean cruises) found that open jaw flights are priced well with the cruise lines. ;)

My Rhine Heart of Germany cruise is now $400 per person more and my Balcony category is sold out. Have you checked with your cruise line air? :confused:

Made the decision - gonna get some sleep

Good Boy! ;)

My Mother always said, "I can sleep when I'm dead." However, she always went to bed with the chickens (7:30 PM). :eek:

Really unbelievable that people will spend $1000's and then stiff the crew a few $100. Hard to understand, thanks Fran!

I didn't know that Canadians were such Cheapskates! (Not all of them) :eek:

I really like that old-fashioned alarm clock suggestion. The ice water would certainly wake me up.

Mike, dear, it is 15 against zero. You had better vote yourself. NOBODY wants to stay up all night. ;)

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/emirates-losing-its-midas-touch/

Emirates is widely regarded as one of the world’s best airlines, but one member believes the standard of on-board service has plummeted recently. Inedible meals in business class, a broken seat in first class, and disinterested customer service are just the beginning of this member’s long list of unfortunate experiences with Emirates Airlines. On one recent flight, this member was served an undercooked meal in business class. Instead of rectifying the problem, the crew refused to provide another meal. Furthermore, this member’s requests to speak to the purser went unanswered. Other members report mixed experiences with Emirates. Some concur that customer service levels are on the decline, with one member describing the service on a recent flight as “rude” and “disorganised”. Others have had very positive experiences where the on-board service has been faultless. Some members hypothesize that the airline is growing too quickly for its own good. They believe that this is resulting in lower quality control and greater inconsistencies in service levels. Some members are also unimpressed with the airline’s seat quality in economy and business class. Our members believe the airline is not keeping up as other airlines race to make improvements to their planes. Flights on the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft are a particularly tight squeeze as Emirates crams ten economy seats per row onto these aircraft. Other airlines, like Singapore Airlines and British Airways, only fit nine. This leads to narrower seats and less space on Emirates. Our members advise choosing Emirates A380 flights where possible to ensure more space and comfort.

The I.T. Guys & Gals (from India) have all quit and gone over to work for Uniworld for more money. ;)

I know, eh? Wonder from what point to what point. :confused:

Burbank to LAX. :eek:

Dear Mike,

My Darling GranDaughter (Baby Jen) just turned 24 and, like her Grama, is a Night Owl. Just today, she started Orientation week at Loyola-Stritch School of Medicine, where she will study for 4 years to be a Neurosurgeon. She drinks a lot of Starbucks. :D

I read a lot of stuff on the internet and, since my Mum died of Alzheimers, I take a lot of vitamins, minerals, and herbs (but no Rx) as well as eating well and I do Tai Chi, Yoga, ballroom dancing, and ping-pong every week.

The point is: Your Brain needs to sleep (as well as your muscles, heart, and all parts of your body). Jen's Mum is a dentist and never gets enough sleep but plays tennis 5 times a week. ;)

You may not notice it now; however, lack of sleep will take its toll on your poor body. You want to get Old fast? Don't sleep enough. My Mum always said, "I can sleep when I'm dead." Right. :eek:

But I want to feel good now. I start packing about 2 weeks before my trip and then repack about 3 times to eliminate unneeded things because I tend to overpack. It works for me. When flying to Europe from LAX, I like to leave about 4:30 PM. I wish I could sleep on the plane. I have no trouble sleeping on the return; however, flying to my trip, I am far too excited to sleep.

Now go to bed and stay as sweet & young as you should be. ;)