advice needed pls first time cruiser

[Riversanddale]

Thank you, NJ Gal. The market trip sounds like fun and I think we'd enjoy all that you mentioned.

 

We have been fortunate, too. We haven't run into Arthur's problems. We love the choice of taking the tours or staying behind if jet lag is getting to us or if it's somewhere we've been & we want to do something else that's new. We almost always take the tours and really enjoy them. I take gobs of photos and we have fun reliving the trip when we're back home - for years. I'm just learning to do short (3-5min) video slideshows that combine video clips and still photos to share with friends when they ask. The short slideshows hold interest and don't overwhelm folks who haven't been on the trip but it gives them a glimpse to enjoy. Great fun.

 

I'll poke around today and check for your review. We sure appreciate the info and we're so glad that you had a good time.

 

Anyone else have comments on the options on this itinerary?

[orchestrapal]

My husband and I are considering our first cruise: Viking River cruise, Grand European Tour, 14 days, Amsterdam to Budapest-mid November. I would greatly appreciate ANY and ALL advice :)on this cruise and also advice on the weather there mid-Nov to early Dec and how that would affect our river travel trip. Obviously no upper deck in the sun sitting....:confused:

 

I would recommend taking this cruise in reverse.

European weather travels from west to east. Because of the time of year you are planing on cruising chances are if you have bad weather in the beginning you will have it all the way. Where as from east to west you will get out of it and hopefully on to better weather.

[NJ Gal]

My review of our Viking Grand European Cruise has been posted. If you go to the "Member Reviews" section, put in Viking and Prestige, you should be able to read the review. It is the most recent review. If you have any questions, I will try to answer them.

[Riversanddale]

Can't wait to read your review, NJ Gal. Thanks.

 

We just received our sailing package (itinerary, luggage tags, name tags, booklets on destinations, etc.). This is what they are listing for OPTIONAL tours on our Budapest to Amsterdam route on Viking (please note that we have found they sometimes make additions and changes once onboard):

Day 2 Budapest Optional Lazaar Horse Farm Visit 44E / scheduled after lunch & before dinner

Day 3 Bratislava Home Hosted Visit 49E / scheduled before dinner after short city tour and includes coffee, tea, cake - no mention of how lunch works in schedule

Day 4 Vienna Optional Schonbrunn Palace Tour 49E / scheduled after lunch & before dinner

Day 4 Vienna Optional Concert 59E / evening concert after dinner

Day 8 Nuremberg Optional World War II Historical Tour 39E / scheduled for after lunch and before dinner

Day 10 Wurzburg Optional Excursion to Rothenburg 59E / scheduled for morning after city tour and returns for dinner - includes a traditional German lunch

Day 13 Cologne Optional Cologne's Beer Culture Visit 29E / evening visit including beer sampling

 

And...fun was had by all!