GCT - Eastern Europe to the Black Sea

[CPT Trips]

We leave tomorrow for Budapest via Frankfurt. Originally we were scheduled to go directly to the ship and have two nights on board in Budapest before cruising. Well, that changed.

 

The bad news is, Mr. Murphy got involved and our GCT ship needs a new engine. The good news is that GCT chartered a ship, MS Sapphire (TravelMarval line) and we will do the complete itinerary as scheduled. The bad news is the ship won't make it to Budapest on Friday for us to board. The good news is we will stay in the Marriott for two nights and then board the ship on Sunday to complete the cruise as scheduled

 

Here's hoping the Sapphire arrives on time and that the trip goes well. This is one of those times I'm glad that GCT uses multiple Progam Directors for their cruises . . . all the added hassles of this situation would really stress the one cruise manager that many lines use.

 

Hopefully we'll have good wifi and I can post as we go.

[Floridiana]

Good luck! Enjoy Budapest!

[H2Otstr]

We leave tomorrow for Budapest via Frankfurt. Originally we were scheduled to go directly to the ship and have two nights on board in Budapest before cruising. Well, that changed.

 

The bad news is, Mr. Murphy got involved and our GCT ship needs a new engine. The good news is that GCT chartered a ship, MS Sapphire (TravelMarval line) and we will do the complete itinerary as scheduled. The bad news is the ship won't make it to Budapest on Friday for us to board. The good news is we will stay in the Marriott for two nights and then board the ship on Sunday to complete the cruise as scheduled

 

Here's hoping the Sapphire arrives on time and that the trip goes well. This is one of those times I'm glad that GCT uses multiple Progam Directors for their cruises . . . all the added hassles of this situation would really stress the one cruise manager that many lines use.

 

Hopefully we'll have good wifi and I can post as we go.

 

I hope everything works out well with no further glitches. The Marriott is in a great location for touring. Have a wonderful trip.

[Sapphire73]

Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

 

 

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[nancyevans]

Hope get executive level. The executive lounge had a very nice terrace with views of the castle and up and down the river.

 

 

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[CPT Trips]

Hope get executive level. The executive lounge had a very nice terrace with views of the castle and up and down the river.

 

 

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I hope so too. But, it's sort of last minute and I'm sure we're under a group rate. I figure if we don't overlook the loading dock and dumpster farm were ahead of the game. ;)

 

No traffic between home and the airport, and we breezed through the moat dragons and castle guards to arrive at the gate in plenty of time.

[Barrheadlass]

Have a wonderful time. When I did that trip two years ago, opposite direction, with the pretrip to Transylvania, we had a nice young man as the tour leader. I forget his name, but he loved to say “Perfect.”

 

P.S. loved your moat dragons etc reference.

[CPT Trips]

Our flights were uneventful, exactly what I like. Traffic between the Budapest Airport was heavy and we arrived at the Marriott 4:00ish. Enough time to wander and buy a bottle of wine, shower after an airplane day, attend the introductotpry meeting with our program director and group, and have dinner.

 

Almost 12 hours of sleep made this morning's tour enjoyable. Fisherman's Bastion, St. Matthias Church, Heroes Square, and the Covered Market were interesting. A little walk to St. Stephan's Church coming up this afternoon.

[CPT Trips]

Today was a rainy, windy morning as well as being a split up day. The things we wanted to see didn't open until 10, we had to check out of the hotel by noon and then transferred to the ship about 12:30. By the time we had lunch and got checked in and to our cabin it was after two. Fouled up all plans to visit a museum,

 

The ship, so far, seems nice. A couple of unusual design features - several step set of stairs are needed to get from the cabin decks into the lounge and restaurant. It's going to be interesting for the several people who are barely walking.

 

The half hour worth of sunshine today is gone and it's time for us to go for a walk in eastern Buda. The last of the shuttles into Pest just left.

 

 

An added bonus, we just changed to winter time overnight.

[Sunlover48]

CPT, enjoying your conversation. Friend and I leave in 3 days to do our pre-cruise in Sinaia. We received our email 3-4 days ago that the Aria was unavailable and we would be cruising on the Sapphire. Hope the balance of your trips runs smoothly.

[mj_holiday]

Thank you so much for posting from your cruise. I am also interested in this route and would enjoy all you have to tell us.

[CPT Trips]

First a note about the ship. GCT has a Captain, hotel director, executive chef, and restaurant manager on board in consulting roles. To the extent you would see them on a GCT ship, you see them on the Sapphire; but the Sapphire managers are out front. Sapphire crew are gems and very good service. Accommodations and meals are fine and the GCT policy of wine and beer being included is being observed. No complaints with the ship. Downside, if you usually depend on an elevator, you will need to do steps aboard.

 

We left Hungary on the bus today and needed to process out of Schengen/Hungary and into Croatia at the land border. Relatively painless, but it takes a while to process a bus. At the boarder there was the fence, as far as the eye could see, constructed by the Hungarians to keep the Syrian war refugees out and the long line or backed up trucks waiting to enter Hungary was further evidence of their on going efforts to "protect" their border.

 

We went on to tour the fortress at Osijek, Croatia, visit a school supported by the GCT foundation, and then we were off to a home hosted lunch in a nearby town. We always enjoy the home visit and this was no exception. A home cooked meal of soup, followed by a spiced ground pork pattie, tomato rice (I would call it Spanish rice) and a cold cabbage salad then two kinds of dessert. The meal was preceded by homemade grape brandy, accompanied by homemade white wine and/cherry juice, and ending with homemade grape brandy. All accompanied by great conversation. The village (in Croatia) we visited was destroyed during the "Homeland War" in the 90s by Serbian forces, but the people returned and rebuilt.

 

We rejoined the ship in Vukovic after a short tour. Vukovic was also severely damaged in the war. The population is now only about half what it was before the war. There are a number of buildings that still bear the scars of the shelling and battles.

 

Tonight we had a folk group provide evening entertainment. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the instrument, guitar like but five stringed,t in two sizes. Sounded similar to a balalaika/mandolin cross.

[Sunlover48]

Thank you so much. Sounds like all that I am expecting and looking forward to. 2 more days!!

Safe travels to you.

[CPT Trips]

Obviously I missed several days. Novi Said and Beograd, both in Serbia. Trying to comprehend the homeland war and US/NATO involvement is incredibly difficult. We listened to the Croats and their version of things and being the injured party makes sense. Then you get to Serbia, listen again and the US/NATO air strikes against Novi Said (way in the north) to protect Kosovo (in the south) don't make a lot of sense.

 

"Who knew it was this hard."

 

We had another folk group for entertainment last night - Taljia. We just had a nine person ensemble from what is apparently a group of a couple hundred. An extremely talented and high energy group of musicians and dancers.

 

Today we cruised through the Iron Gates and the Iron Gates locks on our way from Beograd Serbia to Vidin Bulgaria.

[exbiologist]

Good point about the different prospective on the war. We had a guide in Novi Sad tell us that NATO bombed one of their bridges while it was crowded with a mass of civilians on Easter. She also said that the reason the bridges were bombed in Novi Sad and not in Belgrade was because a French company insured the Belgrade bridges and Jacques Chirac put pressure on NATO/US to not bomb those.

Another guide, while onboard our ship for a lecture was asked by a Belgian what was the point of the ethnic cleansing, and her response, was " first you have to prove that it happened". Apparently the Serbs didn't know that that people have been tried and proven guilty? She also added that it was political gamesmanship by the Kosavars looking for sympathy and that they now have a country that is recognized. Also, in Belgrade, there was a WW1 monument provided by the French up in the main fortress, that was draped in a black curtain as a protest to the French not complying with an extradition request of someone that Serbia considered an war criminal. I heard him both referred to as an Albanian and Kosavar.

[CPT Trips]

We had a few very busy days with poor connectivity, so I got way behind. I only have a few minutes until our farewell dinner at a very nice Ramada in Bucarest.

 

I'll have to wait until we return home to catch up. Vidin Bulgaria is a smallish city that after Communism has had a difficult time rebuilding and appears shabby. But, it was historically and strategically important in the wars with the Ottoman Empire. It's one of the few Bulgarian cities worth mentioning on the Danube. That meant longish bus rides for our other day in Bulgaria. More later.

[Jeff in Torrance]

We had a few very busy days with poor connectivity, so I got way behind. I only have a few minutes until our farewell dinner at a very nice Ramada in Bucarest.

 

I'll have to wait until we return home to catch up. Vidin Bulgaria is a smallish city that after Communism has had a difficult time rebuilding and appears shabby. But, it was historically and strategically important in the wars with the Ottoman Empire. It's one of the few Bulgarian cities worth mentioning on the Danube. That meant longish bus rides for our other day in Bulgaria. More later.

 

Our friends Paul and Linda were on your cruise, and whom I just spoke with today. My lady and I were on the GCT Seine trip at the same time, having returned home to So. California on November 7. Seems we all came home with bad colds, but enjoyed our cruises very much. My lady and I did your cruise several years ago, where it was our first river cruise.