Princess Europe Cruisetours

My wife and I are planning on taking a Princess cruise land tour in May 2017, aboard the Regal Princess. The land tour portion of the cruise is nine days (i.e., it's really seven actual touring days) from Budapest, Hungary to Berlin, Germany before taking a two-hour ferry crossing to Gedser, Denmark to board the ship in Copenhagen. We've cruised with Princess on previous occasions, but never done one of their land tours. There's tons of reviews regarding Princess Alaska land tours, but zilch on European land tours.

So, has anyone been on a Princess European land tour and are they worth the prices? Seems most meals are even included, but not all. I called Princess reservations to get an idea of what types of hotels they book (i.e., three vs. four star and are they located miles away from the center of the city, which cheaper land tour companies typically use to keep costs down), but the information was only available for those with booked reservations... very strange. Any insight would certainly be appreciated. Here's the land tour itinerary:

Budapest, Hungary (Thursday, May 25th)

Transfer to your hotel for check in. This evening join your tour director and meet your fellow travelers for a welcome briefing at your hotel. Then enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D)

Budapest, Hungary (Friday, May 26th)

Following breakfast, a local guide explains the history and sights of the liveliest and most cosmopolitan metropolis of Eastern Europe. See elegant Andrassy Avenue, the Thermal Baths, and the world?s second largest Jewish Synagogue. From the lacy lookout towers of Fisherman?s Bastion, enjoy a panoramic view of the sprawling city, home to more than one-fifth of the Hungarian population. Then, visit 13th-century Matthias Coronation Church and Heroes? Square. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (B)

Budapest, Hungary (Saturday, May 27th)

After breakfast, depart Budapest and travel by coach to Vienna. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Today?s sightseeing takes you on the famous Ringstrasse. Drive past the Parliament, the Opera House, Hofburg Palace and City Hall en route to Schoenbrunn Palace for a guided visit. Arrive at your hotel late afternoon for check in. After dinner on your own, tonight?s highlight is a classical concert celebrating the music that made Vienna famous. (B,L)

Vienna, Austria (Sunday, May 28th)

Enjoy a free day in Vienna. You may choose to join our optional excursion to Vienna Woods or spend the day on your own exploring some of the city's highlights. We'd suggest the world class Fine Arts Museum, Treasury, Habsburg Burial Vault, Spanish Riding School or the Composer's Cemetery, just to name a few! (B)

Vienna, Austria (Monday, May 29th)

Depart Vienna and drive to Altenburg, the site of an ancient medieval abbey. Continue to historic Rosenburg Castle where you learn about the ancient art of falconry. Enjoy lunch in the town of Rosenburg before continuing to Prague. (B,L)

Prague, Czech Republic (Tuesday, May 30th)

Morning sightseeing with a local guide reveals why Prague is considered one of Europe?s most attractive capitals. See 1,000-year-old Hradcany Castle Grounds, the former residence of Bohemian kings; St. Vitus Cathedral; the Old Town; the Jewish ghetto; and the Astronomical Clock, once the envy of all Europe. (B)

Prague, Czech Republic (Wednesday, May 31st)

Drive north into the area that used to belong to the ?other part? of Germany. Stop in Dresden, the former capital of Saxony. Badly damaged by Allied bombing in February 1945, the city has since been restored to its baroque splendor. Have lunch and relax with some free time before a city orientation where you?ll love the architecture of the Zwinger Palace and Semper Opera. Continue on to Berlin with a late afternoon arrival. (B,L)

Berlin, Germany (Thursday, June 1st)

Sightseeing with a local guide in the once-divided metropolis includes the Ku-Damm, the restored Reichstag, monumental Brandenburg Gate, Charlottenburg Palace, the 210-foot Victory Column in the vast Tiergarten Park, and a visit to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. Drive along Unter Den Linden Boulevard, pass the German State Opera House and, of course, stop for pictures at Checkpoint Charlie. The afternoon is free and an optional excursion to historic Potsdam is available. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at one of Berlin?s fine restaurants. (B,D)

Berlin, Germany (Friday, June 2nd)

After breakfast, drive north to Rostock for the two-hour ferry crossing to Gedser. Upon arrival in Copenhagen transfer to your ship for a late afternoon embarkation. (B)

Thanks and look forward to any insight!:)

I can't speak directly to the Europe cruise tour but we have been on 3 land tours with Princess and highly recommend them. We have done Alaska (6 days from Fairbanks to Whittier), Canada/NE (6 day tour Toronto to Quebec) and South America (6 day Lima to Machu Picchu to Valparasio Chile). All hotels were 1st rate IMHO as well as the tour companies they contract with. The Machu Picchu tour involved flights, coaches, and trains that went very smoothly! We had a short 2 hour layover from Lima to Santiago where they put us in the concierge lounge with food included for the wait. People will say you would be able to do it cheaper on your own, but for us it was so much easier and I'm not sure we could have done it better.

t&atravel:

Thanks so much for the insight, much appreciate.

We have not done this particular one but last year did the land tour prior to doing a British Isles cruise on Royal Princess. Like you I was searching prior to the trip for any info. There wasn't much out there.

If I could describe it in one word that word whould be OUTSTANDING!

It exceeded our expectations in all aspects. We have travelled in Europe prior to other cruises on our own and were a bit skeptical about an organized tour there.

The hotels were 4-5 star, the including meals were fabulous, the tour guide was friendly, the days of seeing the sights were marvelous and it was all organized extremely well. I would not hesitate to book another land tour in Europe.

Can I answer any specific questions you may have?

Sorry I do not have info for your specific tour, however, we have signed up for the Princess Classic Italy Tour beginning 7/31/2016. We received hotel information about a week or two after payment in full. The Venice and Rome hotels are centrally located (THE BONVECCHIATI HOTEL and THE MARRIOTT GRAND HOTEL FLORA respectively). The Florence hotel I am not so sure of - it appears to be further away from everything (THE STARHOTEL TUSCANY). All of the hotels appear to have very good reviews, but since this is my first trip abroad I can only base it on reviews.

The tour operator is ALOSCHI/BASSANI which also appears to be rated well. I realize that we are probably paying more than we would DIY, but I am working tons of hours and find the convenience of someone else handling the logistics to be worth it. There also appears to be a good balance of scheduled tours and time by yourselves in each city.

I also found very little about the land tours and will write something up after our trip if people are interested.

I just went back and reread your post.

Regarding companies... The land tour company that Princess used for our land tour prior to the British Isles cruise was Globus. The tour guide confirmed that she worked for Globus as well. As I said in post above... The whole thing was OUTSTANDING!

I just went back and reread your post.

 

Regarding companies... The land tour company that Princess used for our land tour prior to the British Isles cruise was Globus. The tour guide confirmed that she worked for Globus as well. As I said in post above... The whole thing was OUTSTANDING!

All hotels were very centrally located.

whatcruiseisnext;

Really appreciate the feedback! So far it look as if Princess does a really nice job with their land tours, other than Alaska. Your insight was very helpful, thanks.

Loribo;

Thanks for the information and insight, much appreciate! I also agree that it would be cheaper to DIY for a land tour, but the convenience of having someone else do all the planning is worth the extra cost, at least for us. From some of other responses, looks as if Princess really does a nice job with their land tours, other than Alaska. Again, thanks for the information. :-)

We took this land tour last year. I believe the tour operator was Globus. Look up their similar tour on the internet and you can get additional insight into activities.

Here is where we stayed and a few notes:

The Budapest Marriott Hotel has all rooms facing the Danube. Be sure and get up early in the morning while the river is still calm for a spectacular view Buda reflected in the river. It's a pleasant walk along the esplanade to just past the chain bridge. From there to the Parliament Building the sidewalk is more narrow.

The Vienna Hilton is across the street from the Stadtpark; great place to wander. Be certain to take a look at the Johann Strauss statue.

The Intercontinental Prague is a short walk through the Jewish Quarter to the old town square. There was an optional luncheon cruise on the Vltava (Moldau) River which was a great way to see other parts of the city. A couple of blocks from the hotel is a Belgian Beer Restaurant "Les Moules" which has great seafood.

Sofitel Berlin Kurfürstendamm is just around the corner from Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Shop; great place to visit even if you don't buy a thing.

The tour has ample free time to sight see or you can take optional additional excursion. Remember to take it easy and don't try to do everything. For the tour most of your luggage will stay on board the bus, so pack your necessities into something small and easy to handle. Our bus had onboard internet access using WiFi.

Enjoy! We had a great time.

George

George:

Thanks for the information and great suggestions, very much appreciated!

Manny

Another option would be to take a River Cruise from Budapest to Prague (they bus you the last bit since Prague isn't on the Danube), then fly to Copenhagen (intra-Europe flights are very cheap). The river ship is your "hotel" for the week, with all the benefits of unpacking once and knowing the layout, and all meals and tours are included in the price. There are many good River Cruise lines so you can probably find an itinerary that fits your schedule, and since Cruise Line land tours are priced so high a river cruise won't seem that expensive! If this sounds interesting, come over to the River Cruising board for lots more advice.

Alaska is great, i am a simple man and i love al that i can see....... the visual is great......being deaf means i see more than anyone....:)

The river cruise in a wonderful IDEA, we did one after a cruise and enjoyed it.

It means very little time in a bus and more time seeing the sites

The river cruise in a wonderful IDEA, we did one after a cruise and enjoyed it.

It means very little time in a bus and more time seeing the sites

AND...it includes all your food. ;)

The river cruise in a wonderful IDEA, we did one after a cruise and enjoyed it.

It means very little time in a bus and more time seeing the sites

AND...it includes all your food. ;)

AND drink :D

We took this land tour last year. I believe the tour operator was Globus. Look up their similar tour on the internet and you can get additional insight into activities.

 

Here is where we stayed and a few notes:

 

The Budapest Marriott Hotel has all rooms facing the Danube. Be sure and get up early in the morning while the river is still calm for a spectacular view Buda reflected in the river. It's a pleasant walk along the esplanade to just past the chain bridge. From there to the Parliament Building the sidewalk is more narrow.

 

The Vienna Hilton is across the street from the Stadtpark; great place to wander. Be certain to take a look at the Johann Strauss statue.

 

The Intercontinental Prague is a short walk through the Jewish Quarter to the old town square. There was an optional luncheon cruise on the Vltava (Moldau) River which was a great way to see other parts of the city. A couple of blocks from the hotel is a Belgian Beer Restaurant "Les Moules" which has great seafood.

 

Sofitel Berlin Kurfürstendamm is just around the corner from Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Shop; great place to visit even if you don't buy a thing.

 

The tour has ample free time to sight see or you can take optional additional excursion. Remember to take it easy and don't try to do everything. For the tour most of your luggage will stay on board the bus, so pack your necessities into something small and easy to handle. Our bus had onboard internet access using WiFi.

 

Enjoy! We had a great time.

George

Hi, George,

I am so glad I found this thread. My husband and I booked this package for May 2017 and I had been looking for information on this package. Can you tell me where can I find information on the optional excursions? I like to check them out ahead of time to decide which ones I want to book. I called princess but didn't get anything from the rep. Thanks.

Sharon

Loribo,

We are thinking about booking the land portion of the Italy (Venice, Florence and Rome) trip and Princess doesn't say what is covered in that trip. How did you like your trip? Any suggestions on things to see and do? Did they plan most of the activities or is what you are paying for the hotels and commutes between the cities with time for passengers to plan their own activities?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Margo-Cruisebaby27