Scenic Ruby now cruising 31 March 2012

[Avsec]

G'day,

 

Currently cruising from Amsterdam to Budapest. Now on the Main River.

 

Weather perfect but cool. Great company and crew :D.

 

Any other members on board wish to add their comments go ahead.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[newfirsttimer]

We are taking this cruise in September on the Emerald. I have two questions at the moment: 1. Did you go through all of the Rhine Gorge, i.e the Castles, during peak daytime hours so that picture taking would be good and 2. How much free time do you get in Vienna, is it worthwhile planning a private excursion or is there just enough time to walk around the downtown area? We are really looking forward to sailing with Scenic Tours.

[KJ Aussie]

Hi Avsec,

I am aboard the Ruby too, having a great time too, what a fabulous boat! And the crew..... How nice are they? I don't think we could have done better.

[LHT28]

A question on the AC/heat dial

Can you shut off the AC or is it like on the ocean cruises ..it is on all the time?

[Avsec]

Yes you can shut down the A/C. There is a slider switch which has 4 positions. The top three are fan speeds and the bottom position is the off control. You can set the temp from 10 to 30 C.

 

We are docked at Regensburg till 8 pm. You can track us on http://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=11&call=i%2F269057294&timerange=3600

 

But unfortunately there is nobody here in Regensburg who retransmitting our AIS signal back on the Internet.

 

First time we have struck rain on the cruise but still able to walk about without an umbrella.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[Avsec]

Sorry Newfirsttimer, missed your earlier questions.

 

You travel by bus from Cologne to Remagen rejoining the ship about 9.30 pm. The ship then leaves and when you wake up in the morning you are in the Rhine Gorge and see all the beautiful sights. We arrived at Ruedenheim about 1 pm.

 

Will answer your other question about Vienna after we leave there.

 

The sun is now shinning here in Regensburg. :D

 

Regarding the A/C, we set ours on 20C and haven't touch it for 7 days now. Very comfortable.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[LHT28]

Thanks for the info on the thermostat

 

looking forward to more reports when you can

Enjoy

[LHT28]

What time do most of the tours start in the morning?

 

I see the 2 that are showing so far in my planner start at 8am :eek::eek:

[Avsec]

Depending on what tour you have nominated for the day but most depart the ship between 8 and 9. The 8 amers are usually reserved for the full day bus trips. Scenic have just introduced their own buses which we used at Nuremberg for the first time.

 

The good thing, depending on the weather, level of fitness etc., is that you can change your mind if you wish. Either change tours or stay with the ship to the next port.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[LHT28]

Depending on what tour you have nominated for the day but most depart the ship between 8 and 9. The 8 amers are usually reserved for the full day bus trips. Scenic have just introduced their own buses which we used at Nuremberg for the first time.

 

The good thing, depending on the weather, level of fitness etc., is that you can change your mind if you wish. Either change tours or stay with the ship to the next port.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

Thanks for the info

I am not a morning person so I may have to change that for this trip :D

 

Lyn

[Cessnock]

Hi Avsec,

I am aboard the Ruby too, having a great time too, what a fabulous boat! And the crew..... How nice are they? I don't think we could have done better.

So happy to hear that all is well. I have been reading some disturbing reviews but they were dated 2 years ago. By the tone of your report I gather all has been fixed. Do you have internet access in your cabin?

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, Kathryn.

[newfirsttimer]

Sorry Newfirsttimer, missed your earlier questions.

 

You travel by bus from Cologne to Remagen rejoining the ship about 9.30 pm. The ship then leaves and when you wake up in the morning you are in the Rhine Gorge and see all the beautiful sights. We arrived at Ruedenheim about 1 pm.

 

Will answer your other question about Vienna after we leave there.

 

The sun is now shinning here in Regensburg. :D

 

Regarding the A/C, we set ours on 20C and haven't touch it for 7 days now. Very comfortable.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

Thank you for your response on the Rhine Gorge, seeing it during daylight hours. Glad you are enjoying yourself and Scenic Tours.

[Avsec]

Do you have Internet access in your cabin?

Kathryn.

 

Yes Kathryn, we have WiFi in the cabin and in the lounge. You receive a Username and Password to log on with. We brought a notebook with us but noticed that iPads are very popular. You can hire a laptop but some of these had a German keyboard which made sending e-mails interesting.

 

Connection is via satellite and can be a little slow at times. In the gorgeous and the deeper locks it would loose connection and would take a little time to re-establish a link. So be patient. ;)

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[LHT28]

When you get a chance can you comment on the dinner at Marksburg Castle..is it worth going or should we just stay on the ship?

 

I read they serve evening snacks ..can you comment on what they serve?

Since some nights I may need something to take medication with & we do not have a cabin with room service .

I can always take something from dinner for later;)

 

Any other tips would be appreciated

 

You must be close to the end of the cruise

 

Looking forward to your report

 

Lyn

[Avsec]

Sad to say Lyn, we disembarked Scenic Ruby this morning at about 0900. The last few days went very fast and didn't want the whole thing to come to an end.

 

The whole experience was most enjoyable and recommend that you just relax and soak up the atmosphere so that you too will have a wonderful time like we did.

 

The crew were a very happy crew and it was reflected in the way they went that extra mile to make the 14 days so memorable.

 

The only suggestion is to loose weight before hand because you can't help but put it on when on board. Didn't visit the Lounge late at night so can't advise what was available, but along side of the coffee machine was always a tray of rather large biscuits which would suffice for a late night snack.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[LHT28]

Sad to say Lyn, we disembarked Scenic Ruby this morning at about 0900. The last few days went very fast and didn't want the whole thing to come to an end.

Avsec

 

Thanks for the comments

I am looking forward to our cruise

 

Hope you will do a report when you arrive home & get organized ;)

 

Have a safe trip home

 

Lyn

[Avsec]

One thing to remember is to carry a few 50 cent Euro coins in your purse or pocket so that you can spend a penny. ;)

 

Most European public toilets charge a fee for the privilege.

 

Cheers,

 

Avsec

[KJ Aussie]

Just to qualify the internet access. It is not included, you pay extra for it. It was €49.95 for the 2 week cruise. It was not always available depending on where the boat was on the river, or if you were going through a lock etc. sometimes there was no access for 12 hours +. I had good signal strength in our cabin and also used it in the lounge. I took my ipad, but we could also connect to our laptop, only just using one device at a time Despite spotty coverage I still felt it was worth paying for it for the convenience of emailing everyone at home. Sign up on your first day to get maximum use. The only other cost we paid on our final invoice was a couple of beers bought outside of lunch or dinner time, when they were free. The cost of a beer onboard was €3.60.

[Cessnock]

Just to qualify the internet access. It is not included, you pay extra for it. It was €49.95 for the 2 week cruise. It was not always available depending on where the boat was on the river, or if you were going through a lock etc. sometimes there was no access for 12 hours +. I had good signal strength in our cabin and also used it in the lounge. I took my ipad, but we could also connect to our laptop, only just using one device at a time Despite spotty coverage I still felt it was worth paying for it for the convenience of emailing everyone at home. Sign up on your first day to get maximum use. The only other cost we paid on our final invoice was a couple of beers bought outside of lunch or dinner time, when they were free. The cost of a beer onboard was €3.60.

Thanks Kathryn. Were there internet cafes at the ports? Robyn

[KJ Aussie]

Hi Robyn,

 

I don' t recall seeing any internet cafes, especially in the smaller towns, but then I wasn't really looking for them because I had access on the boat. But I dont think there would have been much time to find a cafe and then sit there for a 1/2 hour or so doing emails. Often the " free time" before meeting the bus back to the boat would only amount to an hour to 90 mins and there was just so much to see I wouldn't have wanted to spend my time on the computer. It was better to do it onboard in between other acitivities. Often there was a free hour before the daily port briefing, then it was dinner. Back in the cabin after dinner, usually around 9.00 -9.30 if there was no special entertainment, was my main internet time.

 

Also don't forget you are dealing with situations ashore with people who may not speak much english so things are not always easy, even getting the right sort of coffee at a cafe is an adventure, let alone internet time :)

[KJ Aussie]

Hi Lyn,

 

The dinner at the castle was a lot of fun. The castle tour was a bit difficult, with quite windy stairways and a steep entrance, and our guide rushed through the various rooms and I missed a lot of info, even though we had our receiver devices , the stone walls interfered with the signal from her microphone when she got too far ahead of the last people in our group. But it was a really interesting insight into the daily life of that time. A small size torch in your pocket when going into the wine cellar would have been helpful, it wasn't very well lit in that one area. The guide had a torch, but I was at the back of the group and didn't get any benefit.

 

But the dinner is definitely worth attending, it is a great opportunity to really mingle with fellow passengers, the food and drinks were good and the entertainment provided was great fun, with audience participation by a few ( men) being the best part. They have the evening well organised.

 

Regards, Kathryn

[LHT28]

Hi Lyn,

 

The dinner at the castle was a lot of fun. The castle tour was a bit difficult, with quite windy stairways and a steep entrance, and our guide rushed through the various rooms and I missed a lot of info, even though we had our receiver devices , the stone walls interfered with the signal from her microphone when she got too far ahead of the last people in our group. But it was a really interesting insight into the daily life of that time. A small size torch in your pocket when going into the wine cellar would have been helpful, it wasn't very well lit in that one area. The guide had a torch, but I was at the back of the group and didn't get any benefit.

 

But the dinner is definitely worth attending, it is a great opportunity to really mingle with fellow passengers, the food and drinks were good and the entertainment provided was great fun, with audience participation by a few ( men) being the best part. They have the evening well organised.

 

Regards, Kathryn

Thanks Kathryn

I had read mixed reviews on the dinner

Will take my torch with us ;)

 

Did you do the concert in Vienna? how did they dress for that occasion?

 

Any other good tips of things to avoid

 

Thanks again

Lyn

[newfirsttimer]

Kathryn, how much free time was there in Vienna? 60-90 mins or was it closer to half a day? Thanks so much for your posts.

[Cessnock]

Hi Robyn,

 

I don' t recall seeing any internet cafes, especially in the smaller towns, but then I wasn't really looking for them because I had access on the boat. But I dont think there would have been much time to find a cafe and then sit there for a 1/2 hour or so doing emails. Often the " free time" before meeting the bus back to the boat would only amount to an hour to 90 mins and there was just so much to see I wouldn't have wanted to spend my time on the computer. It was better to do it onboard in between other acitivities. Often there was a free hour before the daily port briefing, then it was dinner. Back in the cabin after dinner, usually around 9.00 -9.30 if there was no special entertainment, was my main internet time.

 

Also don't forget you are dealing with situations ashore with people who may not speak much english so things are not always easy, even getting the right sort of coffee at a cafe is an adventure, let alone internet time :)

Thanks Kathryn, that sounds like good advice.

[KJ Aussie]

We had a free afternoon in Vienna and did the schonbrunn palace on our own. Went to and fro by taxi after the guided tour finished in the city centre. Plenty of time to do it and also still time to browse around the shops before catching the last shuttle bus back to the boat. Taxi cost us about €12-15 each way, but there were 4 of us so it was cheap enough, using the subway would have been €8 total for the 4 of us ,so for convenience of the taxi was a good option. We had to be back aboard by 5'ish for a light buffet dinner before getting dressed to go to the concert.

 

People mostly made an effort and dressed up, some ladies took the opportunity to re-use outfits they had when they were mother-of- the-bride, and they looked lovely, most of the ladies were dressed as if going to a really nice restaurant,black pants, sparkly tops, bling, some with evening shoes ( though there is about 200 metres of loose gravel across the Palace's courtyard).

 

The men were in a variety of styles, but mostly dressy, lots with ties and jackets,casual dress pants, sports jackets, leather or even suit jackets. Some wore full suits, some just wore a jumper over a collared shirt. Keep in mind that we were there when it was cold, so a jacket was almost a necessity.

 

But it was a special event. Champagne on arrival and a wonderful concert in absolutely amazing surroundings, so it is worth making an effort. Just take one really nice outfit and also wear it when you have a turn dining at Portobellos on board. Most people dressed very nicely when dining there as well. The staff at Portobellos go out of their way to make it a special dining experience so it is nice to make an effort by dressing to enhance the atmosphere.

 

Vienna is a highlight of the trip and you are given plenty of time to explore on your own on the first day you are docked. Most of the second day is taken up by the day long excursion options.

 

Hope this helps ,

 

Regards, Kathryn

 

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