Here to answer questions about Gate 1 MS Sound of Music.

[ACADIA90]

Sorry, I have gotten busy with work again and ignoring the forum!

 

Yes, laundry services are offered on board. Their was a bag and price list in the closet just like a regular cruise ship. I don't remember exactly what the prices were but do recall that they seemed reasonable.

 

Cabins do have safes.

 

There is actually a very small hot tub in the spa. I don't recall if there was a fee to use it or not. There is a photo of it on Gate1 website.

 

Wi-fi was serviceable but not great and did not reach into most cabins.

RSACHECK,

Thanks for your reply to my questions. It's good to know about the cabin safe and laundry services...now we can better plan how much to pack for the trip. DH will be happy to know about the hot tub, even a small one. I also enjoyed your pictures of the cabin. I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

ACADIA90

[ACADIA90]

ACADIA90,

we were on the 12 day trip from Budapest to Prague with gate 1 and the Sound of Music ship May 2012. There was a safe in the cabin but no hot tub. The Wifi was good and free after they worked out the kinks. the first couple of days. They had a couple of computers in the public space anyone could use. As for laundry I did not have a need so I don't know. While docked in Budapest, they brought members of the Budapest Opera to entertain us with songs by Lehar and other Austro -Hungarian composers. We had an excellent musician/pianist on the whole trip in the lounge/bar area. Food was very good, you could have as much wine as you wanted with your evening meal - staff was extremely friendly and efficient.

RJMACKIN,

Great info and reassuring news about the MS SOUND OF MUSIC! Glad to hear you had a good trip and consider it a great value and great fun. Sounds like the entertainment, the service and the food were very good. Thanks for your input and also your pictures. We're certainly looking forward to it!!!

ACADIA90

[LewiLewi]

We are just back from a week on the Danube with Gate 1 MS Sound of Music. I am not real keen on writing reviews but would be happy to answer any specific questions that forum members might have about the boat, ports, etc. I know it was difficult for us find good info prior to the trip... So fire away!

We will be sailing on the Sound of Music in Oct. and are wondering about the dress code. Do the men ever wear jackets and ties to dinner or is it always casual? We will be traveling to Switzerland first on a land tour and then join S of M for the river cruise from Nurenberg to Budapest. The lighter the suitcase, the better it will be.

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[urbancruiser]

You do not have to. However, it was my observation that after the second or third night, most people paired off and kept their dinner tablemates for the remainder of the cruise. At breakfast and lunch, we pretty much sat wherever there was space available.

 

Thanks for the reply!!

[rsachek]

We will be sailing on the Sound of Music in Oct. and are wondering about the dress code. Do the men ever wear jackets and ties to dinner or is it always casual? We will be traveling to Switzerland first on a land tour and then join S of M for the river cruise from Nurenberg to Budapest. The lighter the suitcase, the better it will be.

Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Dress code is always casual. You can definitely leave your formal clothes at home if you wish.

[gbucky]

Are head sets provided for shore excursions? I think they are a must so you don't have to stand with the guide to hear what they have to say. Thanks for sharing. I like their itinerary but wary to use Gate 1 because of some negatives I have read. How many of passengers were with Gate 1 and were they all English speaking?

[scottam]

For any of you who have done the Nuremberg to Budapest itinerary on Gate 1, do you remember if the boat doks within walking distance of sights or was a shuttle provide? if a shuttle, how long was the shuttle ride and how often did the shuttle generally run?

 

Nuremberg

Regensburg

Passau

Vienna

Budapest

 

Thank You!

[rsachek]

Are head sets provided for shore excursions? I think they are a must so you don't have to stand with the guide to hear what they have to say. Thanks for sharing. I like their itinerary but wary to use Gate 1 because of some negatives I have read. How many of passengers were with Gate 1 and were they all English speaking?

 

Headsets were provided at the beginning of the cruise and returned at the end. It was your responsibility to bring them with you on tour. Can't speak for everyone, but on our cruise, passengers were all Gate 1 and all english speaking.

 

For any of you who have done the Nuremberg to Budapest itinerary on Gate 1, do you remember if the boat doks within walking distance of sights or was a shuttle provide? if a shuttle, how long was the shuttle ride and how often did the shuttle generally run?

 

Was a little bit of both. Vienna & Nuremberg used coaches and all the others were walkable. What happened with the coaches is that your ride into town in the morning also doubles as part of your tour. Then, the guides tell you when & where to meet the buses for the return trip after free time on your own. If I recall, there were maybe 2-3 return trips carried out at different times.

[scottam]

Headsets were provided at the beginning of the cruise and returned at the end. It was your responsibility to bring them with you on tour. Can't speak for everyone, but on our cruise, passengers were all Gate 1 and all english speaking.

 

 

 

Was a little bit of both. Vienna & Nuremberg used coaches and all the others were walkable. What happened with the coaches is that your ride into town in the morning also doubles as part of your tour. Then, the guides tell you when & where to meet the buses for the return trip after free time on your own. If I recall, there were maybe 2-3 return trips carried out at different times.

 

Thank you, rsachek, once again for answering these questions! It is very much appreciated! Do you remember how long the shuttle ride was between the dock and shuttle drop off/pick up point in Vienna and Nuremburg?

 

Thanks again!

Tammy

[Stoofpilot]

We are going on the Sound of Music in two weeks and I was reading the Gate 1 document and it appeared that the guidelines that they gave for tipping was very high.

 

1. Waite staff-$16.00 per person per day which would be $32.00 per couple.

2. Room housekeepers-$16.00 per person per day which would be $32.00per couple.

3. On ship Tour Guides-$7.00 per person per day which would be $14.0per couple.

4. What about the Captain??

 

How is the tipping REALLY handled on the Sound of Music?

 

Thanks

[blueyes043]

Thanks for info on Danube River trip on Gate One, RSACHEK! I'm going on the same cruise the end of April. quick question were you able to use regular credit card throughout the trip, or do they only use the new cards with electronic chips?

 

Looking forward to your response!:rolleyes:

[scottam]

Thanks for info on Danube River trip on Gate One, RSACHEK! I'm going on the same cruise the end of April. quick question were you able to use regular credit card throughout the trip, or do they only use the new cards with electronic chips?

 

Looking forward to your response!:rolleyes:

 

Hi Blueyes - Are you going on the 4/28 cruise on the Sound of Music? That's when we are going and it's coming up quick now! We're really looking forward to it.

As for the cc question ... we were in Spain in November and, although merchants were using the machine that scans cards with the chip, we were able to use our regular card. I don't know if it will be the same in Germany and Austria, but I figure it was a pretty good indication. I didn't get sense that the new chip cards are so widespread that they couldn't accept regular cards. I hope this helps. If you're sailing on the 28th, we'll see you on board!

Tammy

[blueyes043]

Hey, Tammy .... looking forward to meeting you!!! I'm Kathleen. I am soooo excited about this trip.

[scottam]

Hey, Tammy .... looking forward to meeting you!!! I'm Kathleen. I am soooo excited about this trip.

 

Yay, finally a fellow 4/28 cruiser! Looking forward to meeting you too. We are flying into Munich on 4/28, then transferring to the ship with Gate 1. We won't be on board til later in the afternoon. Scott, my husband, is 6'4", so we should be pretty easy to recognize that way.

We are from the Chicago area, where we've had cool, windy and rainy weather for weeks. I've been watching the forecast for our cruise stops and, much to my dismay, it looks like we might encounter much the same rainy weather! Oh boy - I guess we'll be packing our rain coats and hope the long term forecast is wrong! If not, we make the best of it! :D

 

See you on board!

[blueyes043]

Hi, Tammy:

 

I am looking forward to meeting you on the ship. I'm coming Boston with a layover in Madrid. Are you and your husband dressing up for dinner? Sounds like it's informal, but just checking.

 

- Kathleen

[blueyes043]

I meant ... I'm coming from Boston.

[scottam]

Hi, Tammy:

 

I am looking forward to meeting you on the ship. I'm coming Boston with a layover in Madrid. Are you and your husband dressing up for dinner? Sounds like it's informal, but just checking.

 

- Kathleen

 

Hi Kathleen,

We are going business casual, I guess you'd call it - kahki slacks and collared shirts for hubby and dresses or slacks and dressy tops for me. We'd prefer jeans as it would mean less packing, but am unsure if that's too casual. We'd rather be overdressed than under dressed. I hope the air traffic controlers furlough won't cause too many delays for our flight on Saturday!

 

See you soon!

Tammy

[rsachek]

Jeans at dinner will be fine. Many passengers will also be wearing them.

 

You don't need a chip card. Do remember to call your CC companies and let them know you'll be traveling abroad so they don't freeze the card(s). And speaking of money, Hungary uses the forint not the euro, although euros may be accepted at some of the more touristy businesses.

 

As far as tips, I don't remember exactly what we tipped but it was NOT $16 for housekeeping AND $16 for waitstaff. Maybe $16 for both.

[scottam]

Jeans at dinner will be fine. Many passengers will also be wearing them.

 

You don't need a chip card. Do remember to call your CC companies and let them know you'll be traveling abroad so they don't freeze the card(s). And speaking of money, Hungary uses the forint not the euro, although euros may be accepted at some of the more touristy businesses.

 

As far as tips, I don't remember exactly what we tipped but it was NOT $16 for housekeeping AND $16 for waitstaff. Maybe $16 for both.

 

Thanks for all the tips and for answering all of our questions! We leave on Saturday and can't wait to try a new mode of travel transportation. We're hoping for good weather - the forecast has improved in the last few days and I have hope that we won't be rained on every day! :)

 

One last question ... hopefully you'll see this before Saturday. If not, we'll find out ourselves! :) Do you remember how long the shuttle ride was between the dock and shuttle drop off/pick up point in Vienna and Nuremburg?

 

Kathleen, We hope to see you on board for a sail away cocktail, if not before, since we're docked for a day before we actually leave! You'll likely find us at the bar or, if it's nice out, up on deck for sail away.

 

Tammy

[rsachek]

Maybe 20 minutes. For sure not more than 1/2 hour.

[scottam]

Maybe 20 minutes. For sure not more than 1/2 hour.

 

Thanks again!

[june1]

We have just returned from the Gate 1 Warsaw to Berlin cruise/tour which included seven days on the Sound of Music. Many to most of our fellow travelers were repeat Gate 1 tourists and a very professional group of mostly retirees: doctors, lawyers, architect, school superintendents, nurses, teachers, etc. Everyone felt Gate 1 was a good value. The hotels are 5* and in good locations. The Sound of Music is older but everyone I talked with was satisfied with it. The cabins were fine, food was good, service was excellent, evening entertainment was varied. Our tour director, Erica, was wonderful as she couldn't do enough for everyone. We would certainly travel with Gate 1 again.

[Happy Canadian]

We have just returned from the Gate 1 Warsaw to Berlin cruise/tour which included seven days on the Sound of Music. Many to most of our fellow travelers were repeat Gate 1 tourists and a very professional group of mostly retirees: doctors, lawyers, architect, school superintendents, nurses, teachers, etc. Everyone felt Gate 1 was a good value. The hotels are 5* and in good locations. The Sound of Music is older but everyone I talked with was satisfied with it. The cabins were fine, food was good, service was excellent, evening entertainment was varied. Our tour director, Erica, was wonderful as she couldn't do enough for everyone. We would certainly travel with Gate 1 again.

 

DH and I doing the same itinerary with Gate 1 (Warsaw to Berlin) at the end of August. We have river cruised before and enjoy the land/cruise combinations. Will you be posting a more detailed review? Specifically looking for hints and tips for leisure time in various cities i.e. Passau. Did you take any of the option excursions? Also wondering about schedules i.e I know it is a six-hour drive from Krakow to Budapest. Do you recall departure/arrival times? Hoping to have time to see a bit of the city. This was going to be one if the trip highlights and now realize we are only in Budapest for a very short time and the hotel is not in a prime location (although a fellow CC member has mentioned the excellent public transit).

[june1]

Hi Happy Canadian,

There were several great Canadians in our group. I am not going to write a review because I did one for another trip and it was rejected.

 

I will be happy to answer any questions.

 

We arrived in Warsaw at 10am which gave us an extra half day there so we walked to the Old Town. Dinner that night at Sheraton was where we met the rest of the group and Erica, who I hope is your guide. Next day we had a bus/walking tour in Warsaw. After that the bus took those interested to the Warsaw Uprising Museum which is very graphic about the uprising. A friend had recommended it. We took a taxi back to the hotel.

 

On the drive to Krakow we stopped for a break at adorable Hotel Gorski. Krakow is in very good condition. We had a tour there and then to Salt Mine which I highly recommend. The Auschwitz/Birkenau tour was included and I hope you get our male guide as he was our best local guide. The Warsaw Uprising Museum was much more graphic than Aus./Birk. I wish we had had more time in Krakow. We ate dinner outside on the square with heaters and blankets but very enjoyable.

 

The ride from Krakow to Budapest takes all day. We stopped at a lovely old church to visit and use restrooms. Lunch at a Slovakian Ski resort. Stuck in traffic in Budapest as there was a bicycle race so didn't get to hotel until 6:30pm about an hour late. I wish we could have gotten to Budapest earlier so we could have had our city tour then. The next day we didn't have the city tour until afternoon as there was an optional Jewish history tour in the morning which we didn't take so we went off on our own. We walked to the Chain Bridge and wished we had gone earlier so that we could have gone up in the funicular but the line was so long, we were afraid we would be late for the tour. I wish we had been able to see the shoes on the Danube but that was not included. The hotel was the most gorgeous of all and location was fine maybe half a mile from river.

Did not go to Vienna Woods optional as we'd done a similar one on another trip.

We were taken from the tour to the Sound of Music at about 4:30.

 

Bratislava - pretty city, loved comical characters, ship docked downtown

 

Vienna - docked 25 min. from downtown along with other riverboats from other companies. We had been to Vienna so only took the regular tour. Many people stayed downtown and got the later shuttles. We had already done the concert and Schonbrunn Palace so we did not go to those. Those who went enjoyed them.

 

Durnstein, Austria- one of my favorites It's a small, quaint town right on the Danube, interesting cemetary, cute shops and restaurants

 

Melk - took bus up to beautiful Abbey, cute town, can return to boat walking through wedding forest

 

Passau - We did not go to Salzburg as we did not relish the long day on the bus. Others said it was nice but long. In Passau we had a walking tour and enjoyed the pretty city.

 

Regensburg - Something like Passau. pretty town, ate the sausages at oldest restaurant right by Stone Bridge- very good, not much on other side of Stone Bridge

 

Nuremberg - 15 - 20 min. ride to old town, saw **** Rally Grounds and coliseum, Justice Building where Nuremberg Trials were held, Nuremberg castle but did not go inside, bought the local gingerbread

 

Prague - left about 7:30 arrived 11:30 with one stop, local bus and walking tour, very crowded, hotel is a bit of a walk from Charles Bridge

 

Dresden - beautiful city and hotel is right in the center, good local walking tour, visited a German market

 

Berlin - about a three hour ride to get here - a really busy place, local bus and walking tour to Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial, area where Hitler's bunker was bombed, Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate

 

On our own we took a canal cruise, visited the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the Topography of Terror about two blocks from Checkpoint C., KaDeWe (near our hotel) Department store which is the largest in Europe - be sure to see the 6th floor restaurant!!!, Potsdammer Platz to the Sony Center, even saw the opening of the first Apple store in Berlin, used both the bus and subway

 

Potsdam - we really enjoyed this optional, very good guide

 

We stayed an extra day in Berlin and took a taxi to the airport for about 20 Euros. Good Italian restaurant on side street of hotel called Trattoria. Also ate the thin bratwurst at stand on Kurfurstendamm

 

Hope this helps.

June