need2travel1

BeesKate,  

Thank you!  It's a new line for us & short notice too.  I'm trying to learn as much as I can but it's starting to feel like a daunting task!

Hub & I are considering Amawaterways "Impressions of the Seine" for late July this year on the AmaDante.  This would be our 5th River Cruise (all Uniworld-loved all of them, the only reason we aren't sailing w/ them this year is that the itinerary/date we were interested in is booked).  Having never traveled with Ama before we're interested in any & all info/opinions on this cruise & the company overall.  Also interested in what their Covid protocal is onboard.  We're excited already & haven't even booked yet.  Details please-the good. bad & ugly.  

Thanks in advance!!

Whoo Hoo!!  My husband wants to go on the Uniworld website this weekend & poke around.  Fingers crossed!

We've done 4 Uniworld cruises & are booked on our first Tauck river cruise in July.  I wish we had known just how addicting they are!

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

If you set the bar that high, you'll never travel again.

We all have valid reasons for going ahead with travel vs postponing trips.  There is no reason to be insulting.  

We have a Rhone River cruise booked for July 2022 & have recently started wondering if we should move it to 2023.  Thankfully we still have months until our final payment is due but if the past is any indication of the future we probably will be rescheduling it.  Having to test before flying home is a deal breaker for us (don't want to risk testing positive & having to quarantine somewhere in France).  

Our first river cruise was 7 nights Paris to Normandy on Uniworld w/ one pre night at a hotel.  Time & money constraints were the only reasons we didn't do a longer trip.  I know the maxim is to go for at least two weeks to get your money's worth but not everyone can swing that.  

What river/itinerary are you interested in?  Have you looked into the different lines & their various offerings?  If you have an idea of what you want to do/see that might help you figure out if you want a long/short cruise.  

Have fun w/ your research!  

It really has veered off topic!  I'm interested in reviews of Tauck on the Rhone as well as we are booked with them for next summer.  Any info on the ship, crew, food, ports-anything would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Hopefully the rest of your trip goes a bit more smoothly!  Enjoy yourselves & keep us posted.

Hi Summerclouds,

We've never done a Viking river cruise but have done four with Uniworld.  We always come in a day or two early & tour around on our own. 

If Viking works like Uniworld you'll be given the ships phone number in with your final documents.  On Embarkation day we ask the front desk at our hotel to call the ship for us & doublecheck where exactly its docked.  We then have the bellman get us a cab & he tells the cab driver where the ship is.  Having them do it cuts down on any language barrier we'd face since unfortunately English is the only language we speak. 

Upon arrival at the dock crew members are there to take all the luggage.  All you have to do is relax & start enjoying your vacation.   

As I said, this is how Uniworld does it but I'm sure Viking does things somewhat along the same lines.

Hope this helps!  

Hi Lotusgirl22,

Your trip sounds terrific!  I'm glad you had a great time.  

We took our first river cruise back in 2014-I was 43 & my husband was 47.  We've done four total (all w/ Uniworld) & have another booked for next summer w/ Tauck.  We've been on the lower end of the age spectrum but that never bothered us at all.  In fact, prior to river cruising we had done 9 land tours w/ Tauck.  On our first one I was 35 & my husband was 38.  Our two favorite people on that trip were both in their 80's.  

  You're all on the same trip because you want to see/experience the same things.  Book the trip you want to take & don't worry about how old the other passengers will be.   Remember-age is just a number!!  

Loving the pics & updates!  Have fun!!

Hi Dodgerdoug,

Sounds like you had a great time on your trip, welcome back!  I can't wait for ours next summer.  

When I pack for a trip w/ multiple hotel stays I use a mix of cubes & large ziploc bags. I like ziploc bags in case the TSA has to go thru a bag they can see what's there & aren't touching my actual clothes. I'm an over packer so we have a carryon each & a suitcase each but I cross pack every bag-half mine, half my husbands things in each in case a bag gets lost along the way.  The first 4 days for each of us are in the 2 carry-ons, The rest are divided between the two suitcases.  As the trip goes on I move the clean clothes to the carry-ons so by the last hotel I have nothing but dirty laundry in the suitcases & we're just using the two carry-ons for everything.  

Have a great trip!  Please post a review when you get back.

Boblerm, Thanks for the reminder!

And Maryogreen, thank you for your fantastic blog!  I'm taking a few notes for our trip to Paris next year.

Hi SML123,

We booked a car service from Zurich to Basel thru the hotel we were staying at in Basel.  I emailed them about a week before our trip & the Hotel (Hotel le Trois Rois) set it up for us.  It wasn't cheap but it was really convenient.  The driver met us just outside baggage claim, took our suitcases & led us to the car.  About an hour later we were at the hotel in Basel.  Couldn't be easier & was worth every penny.

Sleep7,

Thank you soooo much for taking us along on your vacation!  We've cruised w/ Uniworld before & have a Tauck booked for next year but now you have me looking into AMA for 2023.  Loved your review & pictures!

As fellow New Yorkers (well Long Island) a BIG thank you to your husband for everything he's done for the past year & a half.  

Thanks again & welcome home!!

Hey Dodgerdoug,

That's terrific, so glad it's a go for you!!  Please give a review here when you get back.

The Spain & Portugal trip looks really cool-we have our eye on it for 2023.  It's either that or a redo of Uniworld's Milan & Venice trip.  So many choices so little time & money....

Hi Roz,

I'm sorry you had to reschedule your trip but peace of mind is worth more than anything else.  Now you can relax & look toward next year even though it seems a long way away.  We had a Tauck river cruise scheduled for July 2020-moved to 2021-then moved again to 2022 & I'm hoping we are able to take that one.  I say hoping because all the testing logistics & the possibility of not being able to get home due to testing positive over there are deal breakers for both my husband & myself.  

Huge kudos to everyone still travelling to Europe but I'm just hoping things are a bit easier by next Summer!

Hey dodgerdoug,

I hope your trip is a go!  Everything with travel is so up in the air right now it's enough to make your head spin. Please let us know if it's a go, I've got my fingers crossed for you.   

Tauck really did inspire loyalty in us-our river cruise w/ them for next year was supposed to take place this summer (they canceled our departure) & we booked that after a canceled 2020 land trip w/ them.  We've done 4 river cruises (all w/ Uniworld) but we're finally able to give Tauck a try on the river.

Hi dodgerdoug,

Are you taking Tauck's Savoring France or French Escapade in October? We are booked on French Escapade next Summer but it was a tough decision as they both sound great.  

Swamom,

We've never done a Tauck river cruise either but agree with you-their land tours are fantastic!  We've done nine-they're just as addicting as river cruises.  

We stayed at the Hotel Les Trois Rois in 2019.  It wasn't cheap but was very nice & well appointed as well as right on the Rhine.  We had a water view room w/ a balcony & enjoyed sitting out & watching the locals swimming & floating in the river.  We had dinner at the hotel restaurant & it was delicious.

Thanks for sharing, glad you had a good time!   How was the ship?  We did this trip in 2017 (it was the River Countess then) so haven't been on the Venezia.  

Anthonyy7,

Please post a review when you return.  Enjoy your first river cruise!  I say first because they are addicting-we said we'd try one & we've now done four w/ another booked for next summer.