Hello from Uniworld's River Queen!

[hiccups]

We are on Day 3 of our Rhine/Moselle cruise, apparently a day behind FuelScience! I'll have to check in to see his various recommendations :)

 

We arrived in AMS Thursday morning and had Uniworld's private transport to the hotel, which was wonderful. Our package included two nights' hotel in the same hotel as the pre-cruise extension, which was the Grand Hotel Amrath. Had we paid the $950 PP (I think) for Uniworld's pre-cruise package, I would have been VERY disappointed, as the hotel wasn't, IMO 4 star. It's an old shipping house with some very unique features, but the common areas could use some refreshing. The room was nice, albeit small (all rooms are different sizes). It reminded us of a couple of the hotels we've stayed at in San Francisco. The bedding was good. A minibar was included in the room and we really enjoyed that, and DH loved the Nespresso machine--I think we'll be investing in one when we return home! The included breakfast had a fantastic selection--unfortunately we missed it the first day because we slept right through it!

 

We did a lot of walking around Amsterdam, and the first night had a rice table at Sampurna, which was recently mentioned in a WSJ travel article about 48 hours in Amsterdam.

 

On Friday we overslept, so we went to the Pancake Bakery for Dutch pancakes. I liked it but it was a bit pricey. We started a free walking tour with Sandeman's but had to leave early to make our 4:30 tour of the Anne Frank House. Thank you to everyone that mentioned booking online first, as the lines were ridiculous! I regret that I didn't re-read the book before our trip. It's very powerful but I think having the book fresh in my mind would have been even better.

 

We stopped at a bar/café for burgers, and for me it was a terrible disappointment, as the burgers seemed more like sausage than an American hamburger. DH liked it, though, and ate mine as well as his, so at least our money wasn't wasted :)

 

Saturday I did a bit more walking around while DH relaxed in the room, and then we were transported to the ship at 1:30. While we could have gone back into town on our own, we spent the afternoon exploring the ship and unpacking. We're in an aquarium cabin and are very happy with it. No windows in any room on the River Queen open, so especially on this ship, we don't feel like we are missing out.

 

DH wants to have lunch, so I'll take a break. We have just docked in Cologne and I am planning on climbing the cathedral stairs while he has a beer :D

[jpalbny]

Enjoy Cologne! The climb is fun, and I hope your weather is better than ours. Reward yourself with a Kolsch. Hope that the water levels remain acceptable for navigation.

[caviargal]

Looking forward to reading about your trip!

 

We discovered Nespresso when staying at a hotel in Munich years ago. As soon as we got home we purchased one and it has been well used over the past 6 years or so. Love it!

[Ritabob]

Hiccups,

 

If Irma(hotel manager) and Emma (purser) are still on the Queen, please tell them the Easter Bunny says "Hi", and the chocolates were sooo good.

[hiccups]

Hiccups,

 

If Irma(hotel manager) and Emma (purser) are still on the Queen, please tell them the Easter Bunny says "Hi", and the chocolates were sooo good.

 

I'm not sure who the purser is, but the hotel manager is Sabine. So far the service has been very good, which isn't surprising for pretty much any cruise. I asked to have our bed made up "American," with a top sheet and blanket under the duvet, and that was taken care of quickly. We had an issue with the volume on our TV, and I reported it at the front desk. Literally five seconds after I got back to our cabin, someone was there to fix it.

 

I spoke to the dining room manager about having some lighter fare for lunch, and they have prepared steamed vegetables and grilled chicken for me. I had to chuckle that even the steamed veggies have a bit of oil or butter, but certainly they are better than what is usually on the buffet. There is a nice selection at other meals for me to pick and choose healthier options if I want them, and splurges when I want those as well. I just need to keep my hands out of the candy and cookie jars in the lounge, and the candy jar in our cabin!

 

I forgot to mention we also took a look at the Antoinette while it was docked in Amsterdam. It's a bit more ornate than the River Queen. We don't find the décor on the River Queen overwhelming at all; I think it's quite nice. We have a thin striped wall paper in our cabin in green and white, and the carpet is a green and white pattern. The corridors are wall paper on the top half with various artwork, then a chair rail and picture frame molding on the bottom.

 

I've used the ship's fitness room twice so far and it has very good quality equipment. They have a rowing machine that is situated perpendicular to the window, and I think it should be parallel to the window so you can pretend you are helping to move the boat :D

 

Our included tour in Amsterdam was a canal boat trip, and then our choice of the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh (we chose the Rijksmuseum). There is a "gentle walkers" group, and then we've had three other groups at the regular pace, each with about 20 people.

 

In Cologne, we had a walking tour, and although it was Monday and the museums are closed, Uniworld arranged for us to tour the Roman-Germanic museum. It was fantastic to be in there all alone! We had a great guide that had a portfolio of things like pictures of Cologne after the war, and she also had bottles of the Farina Eau de Cologne and 4711 for us to sample, which was a nice touch. We enjoyed her tour very much--we were the last group out of the museum!

 

After the guided tour we walked to the Cathedral to check out the inside, then DH went for a beer while I climbed the tower. It didn't take as long as I expected--about ten minutes. I think I spent more time at the top taking selfies :D It was pretty warm but I had tossed a hand towel into my bag, which turned out to be a good idea! I found the walk back down harder than going up, simply because of the spiral staircase. Climbing, I was looking up, which kept me from getting dizzy, but going down it was easy to get dizzy. I took a break by checking out the bell tower.

 

I then wandered around Cologne a bit before making my way back to the ship for dinner. After dinner, there was a local singing group performing in the lounge. I didn't remember until too late that my brother told me to go out and see the Cathedral lit up at night... we were able to see the spires from the ship, but I wished I had gone back into town! If you're there at night, I suggest checking it out. We left Cologne at midnight.

 

Change in plans today as we head for Koblenz. We had an engine blow last night and so are docking late, which puts our "Go Active" tour of Alken village and Thurant Castle in jeopardy. There were not enough people interested in the Marksburg Castle optional tour, so that was cancelled. Our program director is hoping to find a guide that can take us to Thurant later, but it's a busy day in Koblenz and most of the guides are booked. At a minimum we'll have a walking tour of the city, but in a perfect world the PD will be able to arrange a guide for Thurant Castle after the walking tour so we can experience both. The engine is expected to be repaired today without any further delay in our itinerary.

Edited August 4, 2015 by hiccups

[notamermaid]

Hello hiccups,

 

I hope all goes well, it would be a real shame if you missed Thurant, but seeing that the ship made it upstream in good time despite the engine problems perhaps it will work out well.

 

Koblenz is an interesting town with a spectacular setting. Enjoy the vineyards starting just beyond the marina at Koblenz-Metternich! I have been to a winery there. And it gets even better on the Middle Moselle. :)

 

I see you are docking near the Alte Burg and the Balduin Bridge.

 

The sky is grey today, but it is forecast to get hot again on Thursday!

 

notamermaid

[caviargal]

<I spoke to the dining room manager about having some lighter fare for lunch, and they have prepared steamed vegetables and grilled chicken for me. I had to chuckle that even the steamed veggies have a bit of oil or butter, but certainly they are better than what is usually on the buffet. There is a nice selection at other meals for me to pick and choose healthier options if I want them, and splurges when I want those as well. I just need to keep my hands out of the candy and cookie jars in the lounge, and the candy jar in our cabin!>

 

I found the food preparation at all meals to be quite heavy. I had advised the line prior to embarkation that I follow a low fat diet and they were very accommodating at dinner. At lunch, I asked about ordering something healthier and was advised that there were options that should suit me on the buffet. When we did have lunch on the ship, I had a salad.

 

As far as the cookie jar, I don't have a sweet tooth but DH rarely passed it up, and he loved the candies in our room.

[Mark_T]

Had we paid the $950 PP (I think) for Uniworld's pre-cruise package, I would have been VERY disappointed, as the hotel wasn't, IMO 4 star.

 

It is always worth remembering that in most of Europe, star ratings have little or nothing to do with the ambiance, standard of decorations etc. it is simply a guide to the services you can expect to be available.

 

So 4 star vs 3 star might indicate the presence of a concierge, a bar separate from the dining area and somewhere a business user might be able to print a document.

[hiccups]

I am happy to report we were able to take the tour of Alken and Thurant Castle, and we had a great tour guide. We had some rain during the morning walking tour, but nothing too heavy. After lunch we departed for Thurant, and we had a ticket from Uniworld for a glass of wine and soft pretzel while we enjoyed the view at the top. Then a group of us walked back down into town with the guide--it was a nice walk through a quaint town.

 

We were supposed to depart for Cochem at 7 PM, but that has been delayed until 1 AM so they could repair the blown engine and also check out the good one. There are no changes to our itinerary--I guess that's the good thing about these sailings!

 

We had a minor incident on board this afternoon, as a woman slipped on the wet stairs coming down from the sun deck and cut her head. She was taken off the ship to get a few stitches, but is continuing the cruise. I'm betting she has a few bumps and bruises, too!

[hiccups]

<I found the food preparation at all meals to be quite heavy. I had advised the line prior to embarkation that I follow a low fat diet and they were very accommodating at dinner. At lunch, I asked about ordering something healthier and was advised that there were options that should suit me on the buffet. When we did have lunch on the ship, I had a salad.

 

As far as the cookie jar, I don't have a sweet tooth but DH rarely passed it up, and he loved the candies in our room.

 

Interesting... for me it's been the opposite, I've been able to find lighter selections with no modifications needed at dinner. None of tonight's entrees appealed to me, so I had the grilled chicken breast and asked that it be accompanied by the steamed vegetables that came with one of the entrees. Of course, I then followed that with two desserts because I couldn't decide which I wanted :D Thank goodness for small servings (and 4 miles on the treadmill today!). And one dessert was sorbet, which hey, is ALMOST fruit! LOL.

 

Because I had noted on my passenger information form I can't eat seafood, each evening they bring me a menu where the chef has marked the items that have some type of seafood. Generally it's obvious, but something in a dish last night I wouldn't have known. The dining room manager also checks in with me each evening to see if I'd like any accommodations to make something low fat.

Edited August 4, 2015 by hiccups

[hiccups]

Oh, forgot to mention we have also made great use of the self-service laundry facilities! It will be nice to not come home with a suitcase full of dirty clothes.

 

I wasn't sure how much I would use the fitness room, so I only brought three sets of exercise clothes. I used the fitness center at the hotel once, and have used the one on the ship three days out of the four so far, so I've washed those clothes several times already.

[hiccups]

We docked in Cochem today, and started the day with a trip to Ediger-Eller, where we were met by the village mayor. He took us on a short tour of the town, and at the church we had a short organ recital. We then went with the mayor to a wine tasting at the Walter Oster winery--three wines and one liqueur. We would have bought a bottle of the liqueur had we been able to bring it home. The winery had an incredible amount of vinegars, mustards and other edibles--we could have spent a couple hours there trying all the things that looked appealing!

 

After lunch we had a walking tour of Cochem, and then took minibuses up to Reichsburg Castle. The weather was beautiful so it was a great day to walk around--warm, but lower humidity than we have back in Ohio so it was fine for us. We set sail at 6 PM for Luxembourg, and tomorrow will have a leisurely morning. DH is looking forward to sleeping in! The only thing scheduled during the morning sail is an apple strudel demonstration at 10 AM. I will probably hit the gym before that so I can indulge! Today we were back in time for tea, which was not a good thing for me, as there several varieties of macaroons. Again, I was thankful they were miniature!

 

Tomorrow afternoon is our tour of Luxembourg and the American cemetery.

[Di Princess]

"We would have bought a bottle of the liqueur had we been able to bring it home."

 

I love liqueur. ;)

Why are you not able to bring it home? :confused:

[melody hounddog]

Wonderful review. Thanks so much.

[hiccups]

"We would have bought a bottle of the liqueur had we been able to bring it home."

 

I love liqueur. ;)

Why are you not able to bring it home? :confused:

 

Carry-on liquids are limited to 3 ounces, and I wouldn't trust a bottle in my checked luggage. I'm not even sure you can put alcohol in checked luggage.

[KarlS]

Just happened to run across hiccups' postings. :) This is one of our favorite itineraries, and River Queen is unique in Uniworld's Europe fleet. Cheers!

[pacmom]

Alcohol is allowed in checked luggage. We have been bringing wine back from Europe on all of our trips. In fact that is the purpose of dirty laundry--to protect the wine bottles. You are allowed 2 bottles duty free and as long as you claim the rest and pay any required duty it is fine. Bring the wine home. Pat:D

[xpcdoojk]

Alcohol is allowed in checked luggage. We have been bringing wine back from Europe on all of our trips. In fact that is the purpose of dirty laundry--to protect the wine bottles. You are allowed 2 bottles duty free and as long as you claim the rest and pay any required duty it is fine. Bring the wine home. Pat:D

 

There is one item you always need to travel with. A dry bag. These are fully enclosed bags that are designed to keep water out, they also keep water, alchohol, hairspray, etc. in. You can buy them anywhere that sporting goods are sold. The best ones might cost $30, but you can buy cheaper ones for half that.

 

Then you use the dirty laundry inside and outside the drybag to make sure your special treasure finds get home safely.

 

When I fly out my Gran Marnier goes in a Sigg bottle (or two), these are great when you need a water bottle when the GM is gone...:D

 

Dry bags are available at stores that sell white water equipment. Or Cabellas, or Bass Pro Shops, or REI or Sierra trading post or Dicks, or ....

 

jc

[hiccups]

I wrote another post the other day and somehow deleted it before it posted :mad:

 

After Cochem came Luxembourg--a trip to the American Cemetery and then a tour of Luxembourg city. This has been my least favorite stop so far, I think because I've loved the quaint towns and villages and Luxembourg was so much more like a city. The cemetery was beautiful, though. Side story--there is a woman on our cruise that has taken more selfies than I would have ever thought possible (using a selfie stick, of course). One of our dining companions told me that in the cemetery, the "Selfie Queen" laid down next to one of the tombstones and took a selfie! Everyone was pretty shocked by that. I'm glad I didn't see it or I might have needed to restrain myself from saying something.

 

Yesterday we were in Trier, which I enjoyed. We had a bus tour followed by a walking tour. Of course I had to climb the stairs of the Porta Nigra, although there weren't very many in comparison to Cologne Cathedral. It was another hot day--I think I heard one of the guides say it was the hottest day of the year so far there. The many ice cream shops were doing a brisk business!

 

We set sail in the afternoon and docked at Bernkastel around dinner time. We had signed up for the al fresco dining that evening, which was limited to 20 people. There were supposed to be two al fresco dinners, but they decided to do a third so that everyone that wanted to would have the chance to dine on deck. It was an even better meal than usual, with an entrée of filet mignon. Wonderful evening with wonderful company--the two couples we've dined with each evening.

 

Today we did the "Go Active"biking excursion. We were driven up river, and rode rented bikes, not the ones Uniworld keeps on board (the ship bikes have smaller tires so it would be a bit more pedaling). Halfway through we stopped at a winery for a tasting, and then we rode back to the ship. I would have loved to have ridden further, but as soon as our group was back on board, we sailed. Biking along the Moselle was wonderful and probably my favorite part of the trip so far. I think we have a free afternoon coming up so we will probably do some biking then with the ship bikes.

 

I have had to work to stay active, as the usual tours do not provide me with my normal level of activity. Deck walking and using the fitness room are helping, though! Yesterday I was walking on deck, and the staff brought around ice cream sundaes, which I declined. After a bit, I headed downstairs, and as I came in I ran into the dining room manager. He handed me a dish and said, "For you, Madam, sugar free ice cream." He has been most accommodating! The chef even came over to me at lunch the other day, concerned because he had prepared grilled chicken and steamed vegetables for me for the third day in a row. He thought I might be growing tired of it and again told me anything I wanted, he'd prepare without fat. I thanked him and told him I was fine with chicken, since I generally eat the same thing for lunch every day at home. Although after last night's delicious filet mignon, next time I see him I might ask if he can prepare that for me ;)

 

We are currently on our way to Boppard! The cruise director is giving a talk on post-war Germany; yesterday the captain spoke about the ship and answered questions about its operations, which was very interesting. There was also a talk one day about the Roman history in Germany, but we forgot about that one!

[hiccups]

I forgot to mention a few days ago, each cabin was given two comment sheets. They asked that we complete them so that they could make any adjustments in service, etc, now rather than reading about suggestions after the cruise. I mentioned how accommodating the dining room manager and chef had been in preparing a low fat lunch, but based on conversations with other diners they might also like a couple healthier options. I also said that because I only drink water at dinner, with the wait staff busy refilling wine glasses sometimes I had to ask for water.

 

Since I turned my sheet in, I noticed the vegetable selections at lunch have been better, and there also seems to be at least one plain meat item, such as roast beef, lamb, chicken, etc. My water glass at dinner has been quickly refilled. I appreciate that they adjusted mid-cruise.

 

I'm curious what other comments they might have received. As I'm sure every cruise has, we've got a few constant complainers! Yesterday one woman sent back her pot of tea at breakfast, later snapped at the tour guide, and then complained that the bathroom stop only had two stalls. She also didn't like the soap or the hand dryers.

[H2Otstr]

Hiccups, I am enjoying your posts. Glad you are having a great time.

[KarlS]

... we've got a few constant complainers!

 

Yup. We're not sure why some folk forget they should be enjoying the cultural/practical differences of the people and places they're visiting,... instead of insisting their surroundings adjust to meet their idea of what's "acceptable" to them back home. Sheesh!

 

Keep on enjoying your cruise, and we'll keep enjoying your postings. Cheers!

 

 

...Karl :D

Edited August 8, 2015 by KarlS

[hiccups]

Because of the low water on the Rhine, we were informed of a change in plans last night. Rather than stopping in Boppard, we continued onto Rudesheim. They eliminated the stop since the ship must sail at a slower speed than usual.

 

Today was our day to cruise the Rhine Gorge and see the castles. I missed a few as we reached that stretch of the river as I was finishing up my workout in the fitness center. It worked out well that it started early in the day rather than the originally scheduled afternoon, as it was another hot day. In addition to the usual buffet lunch in the dining room, there was a cookout lunch of German sausages on deck, and they also had delicious soft pretzels--much better than the ones we had at Reichsburg Castle.

 

Our afternoon in Rudesheim was a bit delayed because the little trolley was late. Other ships hadn't allowed time for the slow sailing, and so reached Rudesheim late, and they had apparently also contracted to take their passengers into town. We went to Sigfried's Mechanical Museum, but I had to leave partway through to come back to the ship for a group bicycle ride. I wished I'd gone on my own into town earlier to do some shopping since I had no time to look around.

 

Tomorrow is Speyer. We're doing the vienegar tasting, and because we didn't sign up for the optional Heidelberg Castle tour, we'll have the afternoon free. I of course want to climb the cathedral stairs, and DH wants to see the industrial museum. We should have time for both since the Heidelberg tour won't get back until 6:15 PM.

[jpalbny]

Tomorrow is Speyer. We're doing the vinegar tasting, and because we didn't sign up for the optional Heidelberg Castle tour, we'll have the afternoon free. I of course want to climb the cathedral stairs, and DH wants to see the industrial museum. We should have time for both since the Heidelberg tour won't get back until 6:15 PM.

 

If you're doing the cathedral steps in Speyer, be aware that it's kind of a guided tour, and leaves at fixed times. You can't just climb up on your own like most other churches. At least that was the case last year.

 

We got stuck with not enough time, because the tour stops in an anteroom one floor above the church floor for a long talk about architecture, etc...and it was a German tour group as well. We had to beg the guide to let us up the steps ahead of the group so we could have a few minutes to enjoy the view before running back down to catch the bus home. The guide was very accommodating, but the experience was less fun that it could have been because things were rushed.

[hiccups]

If you're doing the cathedral steps in Speyer, be aware that it's kind of a guided tour, and leaves at fixed times. You can't just climb up on your own like most other churches. At least that was the case last year.

 

We got stuck with not enough time, because the tour stops in an anteroom one floor above the church floor for a long talk about architecture, etc...and it was a German tour group as well. We had to beg the guide to let us up the steps ahead of the group so we could have a few minutes to enjoy the view before running back down to catch the bus home. The guide was very accommodating, but the experience was less fun that it could have been because things were rushed.

 

I didn't see this post in time! I had to wait about ten minutes for a tour, then discovered the tour was in German. When he finished the ten minute talk, I asked about going to the top and the guide showed me. I was in a hurry only because DH was waiting downstairs for me--we were within walking distance of the ship.