Opinions on optional tours

[Realtor at Sea]

I am running out of time to research past posts. My husband and I are taking the Avalon Imagery Magnificent Europe Tour. Optional tours are:

 

1) Weltenburg Abbey/Danube Gorge,

2) Salzburg - Mozart's Sound of Music,

3) Visit to Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna,

4) Royal Waltz Concert in Vienna,

5) Bratislava - Schlosshof Castle.

 

We'll be in Amsterdam for several days, so did not list those tours.

 

Any opinions on the above would be appreciated. CCer's are the best!!!

 

Thanks,

Sandy

[webfoot]

We loved the Weltenberg Abbey/Danube Gorge. We had a nice day and the gorge is beautiful .. and the Abbey Chapel is wonderful. And we also like the beer and pretzel ....

 

We did not go to Salzburg but those who went loved it.

 

We had gone through the Schonbrunn Castle ourselves several years ago. It is a magnificent structure. The gardens were so beautiful.

 

We didn't go to the concert but those who did enjoyed it. It was one night that most of the men wore sport coats and the women dressed nicely.

 

The Schlosshof Castle was not offerd when we were in Bratislava .. but I would have loved to see it.

[Realtor at Sea]

Thanks for answering so quickly. Instead of Salzburg, I would love to visit

Cesky Krumlov, but according to our booklet it is not being offered. Everyone raves about that trip!

[Kellie Poodle]

We did the Schoenbrun Palace on our Budapest to Amsterdam Uniworld cruise. We had been in Paris a few days earlier and it made Versailles look like a dump.

[KCcruisin07]

I am running out of time to research past posts. My husband and I are taking the Avalon Imagery Magnificent Europe Tour. Optional tours are:

 

1) Weltenburg Abbey/Danube Gorge,

2) Salzburg - Mozart's Sound of Music,

3) Visit to Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna,

4) Royal Waltz Concert in Vienna,

5) Bratislava - Schlosshof Castle.

 

We'll be in Amsterdam for several days, so did not list those tours.

 

Any opinions on the above would be appreciated. CCer's are the best!!!

 

Thanks,

Sandy

 

We were on Amalegro, so we had a slightly different itinerary.

I would have taken the Salzburg tour, but it had rained a lot and rain was forecast, so I did not go.

We went to the Schonbrunn Palace on our own after the morning tour, and it was wonderful.

We didn't go to the concert in Vienna.

I had minimal expectations for Bratislava, but we loved it. One part the guide points out is the crowns placed in the walkway between the palace and St. Martin's Cathedral, where coronations were held. I think it would be interesting to see the palace.

[janina]

Thanks for answering so quickly. Instead of Salzburg, I would love to visit

Cesky Krumlov, but according to our booklet it is not being offered. Everyone raves about that trip!

Don't miss Salzburg. It is a wonderful city...Old Town is fantastic. The grill work on the shops the fountain, castle, brick sidewalks, mozarts house... Just wondering the streets, brings you back in time. I've been 3 times, and would still go back. Oh and don't forget the Streudel!!!!!!!!!

[caviargal]

I love Salzburg - it is one of my favorite cities in Europe. We would choose to head there on our own for a visit but the SOM tour is a nice intro.

[caviargal]

I love Salzburg - it is one of my favorite cities in Europe. We would choose to head there on our own for a visit but the SOM tour is a nice intro.

 

We always prefer to do our exploring independently so optional tours are not something we choose to book.

[Suesan Jean]

We did the Schoenbrun Palace on our Budapest to Amsterdam Uniworld cruise. We had been in Paris a few days earlier and it made Versailles look like a dump.

 

You made me Laugh.......!!! :D

What could POSSIBLY make Versaliles look like a DUMP......???!!! :eek:

Well, O Googled, WOW VERY, VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE.......!!!

Schoenbrun Palace

 

 

[Suesan Jean]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2010 by Suesan Jean

[MVPinBoynton]

We will be doing Versailles next year, but I can't imagine the Schoenbrun being much if any better. Since we have seen the palaces in St. Petersburg, Schoenbrun was a bit of a let down; but it is still a lovely palace and well worth visiting. The gardens and fountains are gorgeous.

 

The palace is large, but the back is nicer than the front.

 

Front

 

 

 

Back

 

I loved this fountain.

 

 

 

I would highly recommend going to Salzburg. We went to a concert in Vienna, but not the Royal Waltz concert and it was good. Probably more expensive than it was worth.

 

You can see lots of photos from our Danube cruise on the Amalyra in our review on our website www.thepreismans.com . We loved this cruise. It is a wonderful experience.

Edited August 31, 2010 by MVPinBoynton

[franski]

Actually, I preferred "the dump"... Have been to Versailles twice - and while we enjoyed the Schoenbrun we didn't think it compared well.

 

Probably the biggest difference is that the Schoenbrun was in use until quite recently - and there are still people that live there in various apartments on the grounds. There is so much history at Versailles, that it is really like comparing a home (albeit much more than my humble abode!!! :D ) to a museum.

 

The day that we were at Versailles in 2008, the inner chambers were opened - so we were able to visit the private chambers of Marie Antoinette. Some of the materials were hundreds of years old... and if the materials were breaking down, they have someone that can weave new ones - based on the old patterns. Quite fascinating, actually. And I was awestruck to stand in the Hall of Mirrors....

 

In the Schoenbrun, they places runners over the floors throughout the castle - and you could imagine people living in the building. Now - the washrooms were interesting.... Yes, I know it is odd to be sitting on the loo and taking a picture of the *inside* of the stall, but you must admit this is quite unique....:D

[Hydrokitty]

We did the Schoenbrun Palace on our Budapest to Amsterdam Uniworld cruise. We had been in Paris a few days earlier and it made Versailles look like a dump.

 

Couldn't agree with you more! When we were at Versailles everyone kept saying "this is nice, but wait till you see Schoenbrun".... and they were right! Except for an unpleasent guard, we had a wonderful time and the gardens were beautiful. We did Weltenburg and had the best meal of the trip in the monastery/brewery and the boat ride through the gorge was magnificent, even if it was raining. Also did the concert at the Kursalon in Vienna....very nice, but then I'm a classical music lover. Didn't get to Salzburg and everyone says that's too bad! We did Heidelburg instead and it was well worth it.:)

[shoshona2]

I loved them both!!! We were in Versailles several years ago and the gardens were fantastic. We are taking our second granddaughter there in July as her high school graduation gift. That will make the third time I will have seen the palace. Remember when the Schoenbrun Palace was built, it was made to look like Versailles. It was one royal relative trying to emulate another royal relative.

 

Sheila

[JohnoClark]

My experience on ocean cruises is that you are usually better off arranging your own cruises.

 

Is that true for River Cruises?

 

Any advise for Vienna and other ports on this cruise from those who have taken it?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Totally agree, Caviargal.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

I love Salzburg - it is one of my favorite cities in Europe. We would choose to head there on our own for a visit but the SOM tour is a nice intro.

[pbnjrockette]

My experience on ocean cruises is that you are usually better off arranging your own cruises.

 

Is that true for River Cruises?

 

Any advise for Vienna and other ports on this cruise from those who have taken it?

 

 

This is a very old thread. I suggest you start a new one with your question to get a direct answer!!

[capriccio]

My experience on ocean cruises is that you are usually better off arranging your own cruises.

 

Is that true for River Cruises?

 

 

Unlike most ocean cruise lines (I think Regent is an exception and there may be others), you are already paying for most of the river cruise tours since most are included in your fare.

[caviargal]

you are already paying for most of the river cruise tours since most are included in your fare.

 

Avalon did not include as many included tour choices as the other lines we have cruise with, therefore there were more optional tours offered.

 

We are DIYers for the most part and will research on our own and visit places of interest at our own pace, rather than opt for a ship's tour.

Edited July 4, 2016 by caviargal

[dabear]

On our upcoming Emerald cruise, we are taking both some of the included tours and arranged additional private tours of special interests in Prague and Budapest. On our many ocean cruises we usually diy for more familiar locations and stick with the ships tours for exotic locations (or stops with safety concerns or limited time in port). CC & the internet has made arranging private tours much easier than in the past.

Edited July 4, 2016 by dabear