LIVE FROM CRYSTAL MOZART - MAY 10, 2019 SAILING

[Keith1010]

Thank you very much notamermaid.

 

Keith

[Keith1010]

DAY 5 VIENNA

 

We enjoyed another wonderful day in the beautiful city of Vienna.  

 

Our day began with some excitement which was a fire alarm going off at the hotel due to smoke caused by some kind of battery which went on fire in the room used by the hotel staff to change.  Good news is issue resolved and we didn’t have to evacuate but no announcements were made so a bit of confusion.  

 

Although the weather was somewhat chilly in the morning by afternoon between the sun and the increase in temperature it warmed up.  Morning and afternoon were a contrast in another way. When we toured with tour guide Johann and visited the Imperial Palace Monday morning  it was not crowded.  He mentioned that come afternoon the palace and adjoining areas would be full with tourists.  He was right.

 

Yesterday morning  when we visited St. Stephen’s Church and the surrounding area it was not busy but by afternoon the area was wall to wall tourists.  There were many large tour groups as well as people like ourselves walking on their own.  

 

 

St. Stephen’ Church reminded us of being in Barcelona and viewing the La Sagrada Familia.  

 

During the course of the day we also visited Stadtpark where we enjoyed the beautify of the park including its landscape, the large pond, and the beautiful statues. They were setting up for a food festival which begins tomorrow.  We walked the ring numerous times as we got on and off the ring.  We visited a couple of museums along with several other areas.

 

 

Enjoyed a lovely dinner last evening.  It was coincidental that on our Blog a couple of hours before going to dinner that someone said if we were looking for a nice and quiet restaurant not frequented by tourists to go to a restaurant called Paul.  I have already identified this one a few months ago at which time I had the hotel concierge make us a reservation for dinner.  This is where we dined last evening.  It is a small two-level restaurant located in close proximity to the hotel.  The menu focuses on Austrian/European cuisine.   They are open  six days a week and only for dinner.  They stopped offering lunch because they couldn’t offer it at a quality level while charging the amount of money people were willing to spend for lunch.  Small staff.  Two owners are a husband and wife team.  The husband is the chef in the kitchen and the wife is focused on the customer. 

 

For the second time ever and second time of our stay in Vienna we had the Wiener Schnitzel.  It was prepared slightly differently than the one from Monday evening as was the potato salad and they provided a small jar of jam.  It was delicious as was the salad.  I would almost like to do a side to side tasting of the Wiener Schnitzel. 

 

We were very pleased with our choice of restaurants.

 

Today’s forecast does call for rain but we won’t let that damper our spirits.  We have our rain coats and we will adjust our touring accordingly.

 

Cheers

 

 Keith

 

 

[Coral]

Too funny - I had never had Wiener Schnitzel until I was in Vienna. I would never have eaten veal either until there. Both times I had it was served with a jam of some sort (lingonberry?) and lemon. The jam did enhance the Wiener Schnitzel. Your last pictures look like what I was served also (took up the whole plate). When I came back to the states I was reading about it and  I saw a lot of people had it at at a restaurant called Figlmueller (near St. Stephen's Cathedral). Well - it will also be on the Mozart. I only had a small taste of it on the ship but it also tasted good on the ship.

 

When in Vienna, eat like a Viennese.... Sounds like another great day in Vienna.

[kent9xxx1]

Can't wait to see what Keith think of the Mozart compare to Crystal ocean voyage.  Please do a comparison post.  🙂

[kent9xxx1]

11 hours ago, Coral said:

Too funny - I had never had Wiener Schnitzel until I was in Vienna. I would never have eaten veal either until there. 

 

When in Vienna, eat like a Viennese.... Sounds like another great day in Vienna.

 

You never had osso bucco before?  One night, they served that on the Mozart and I thought it was one of the best I have ever had.  

[gnome12]

11 hours ago, Coral said:

Too funny - I had never had Wiener Schnitzel until I was in Vienna. I would never have eaten veal either until there. Both times I had it was served with a jam of some sort (lingonberry?) and lemon. The jam did enhance the Wiener Schnitzel. Your last pictures look like what I was served also (took up the whole plate). When I came back to the states I was reading about it and  I saw a lot of people had it at at a restaurant called Figlmueller (near St. Stephen's Cathedral). Well - it will also be on the Mozart. I only had a small taste of it on the ship but it also tasted good on the ship.

 

When in Vienna, eat like a Viennese.... Sounds like another great day in Vienna.

Just a suggestion. While this font looks interesting on a desktop, it doesn't on an iPhone. It translates into an almost impossible to read very tightly packed cursive text. Please stick to the default font; those reading on an iPhone will thank you.

Edited May 9, 2019 by gnome12

[Coral]

25 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Just a suggestion. While this font looks interesting on a desktop, it doesn't on an iPhone. It translates into an almost impossible to read very tightly packed cursive text. Please stick to the default font; those reading on an iPhone will thank you.

I agree with you and apologize. I copied and pasted a word and then it threw off the alignment and the font. I didn't realize it until I couldn't edit it. If you look at my previous posts - I don't usually do this. This was simply me trying to correct bad formatting and was unable to do so.

[Coral]

33 minutes ago, kent9xxx1 said:

 

You never had osso bucco before?  One night, they served that on the Mozart and I thought it was one of the best I have ever had.  

Yes I did it have it one time on Crystal Serenity and I hated it (at Italian restaurant). It just tasted like plain pot roast to me (nothing special). I had forgotten about that but that was the only other time I had veal. I remember thinking I wasted my Italian night on this.  I didn't see it on the Mozart but maybe it was served on our sailing.

Edited May 9, 2019 by Coral

[Keith1010]

CRYSTAL MOZART - HERE WE COME

 

Good morning everyone from our hotel in Vienna.

 

As a reminder for more photos and additional narrative you can vist my Blog at:

 

www.followourtrips.com

 

On the top click on the tab marked current Blog.

 

Full disclosure while it is different to some extent growing up from time-to-tme we had Veal Cutlets.   They were mainly made by my  Nana who lived with us and was deep fried as were other items such as Chicken Cutlets, Salmon Coquets and Blintzes.  Too much oil for sure.  I have avoided most fried items so on Ocean Vessels or on land you don't hear me talking about French Fries or Fish n' Chips.  My wife has made Blintzes on occassion from scratch and doesn't fry them.  With that said being in Vienna I wanted to try Wiener Schnitzel and am glad I did.  The first night I couldn't even pick up on a sense of oil and the second night a bit of it.   I will try it on Mozart and next time we are on Crystal Serenity or Symphony I will try it so I can compare all four of them.  After that I will likely go back to eating the types of foods I regularly eat. 

 

All week the weather forecast called for rain for yesterday until late afternoon and it was correct for the morning hours.   It rained  yesterday morning.  It wasn't a  heavy rain but in addition to rain coats we shared an umbrella.  This made taking photos not practical and limited what we did.  

 

 

 

After lunch the good news was that the rain cleared up a few hours earlier than the forecast called for.   We were able to go out on a long walk without the need for an umbrella.  We wore rain jackets just to be on the safe side.  We were fortunate that it didn't rain.

 

The major destination we had in mind was the Naschmarkt. More on that in a moment.

 

We first passed the Kariskirche which is a baroque church of great size.  Groundbreaking began in 1716 and it was completed in 1737.  

 

We passed the Secession which has a unique gold top.  It is an exhibition hall built in 1897 by Joseph Maria Olbrich. The building features the Beethoven Frieze by Gustav Klimt.  We had seen this building a few times by car with our tour guide.

 

 

We made it to the Naschmarkt.  We passed it a couple of times when we were driven by tour guide Johann  on Tuesday.   It is Vienna’s most popular market and is close to one mile long.  It has existed since the 16^thcentury when milk bottle were sold.  Back then they were made out of ash wood and that is how it got its name.  From 1793 it began selling fruit and vegetables.  Today, one can buy these items plus herbs, cheese, spices, meat, seafood, olives, wine, beer, baked goods such as bread and desserts, beef, seafood and other delectable items.    Some of the area has become restaurants and there are a few stores selling souvenir and other items.   

 

The aroma from some of the places was amazing including baked goods and some meats that were being cooked.    Some people were purchasing food to eat there while many were purchasing food to prepare at home.   

 

Some of the restaurants were very busy with people eating lunch while others appeared to have few customers eating.

 

Merchandise was mainly for tourists and what you see at the tourist stores.

 

 

We walked the Ring for the final time.  We were fortunate that the rain ended when it did.

 

As we were leaving the hotel last evening there were twenty or more horses and carriages outside on the street waiting to take people somewhere.  Not sure where.  Some returned to pick up additional people.

 

I couldn't get a photo to show them all from right outside the hotel and several were arriving as we were leaving.  

 

 

 Enjoyed a final drink at the Club Lounge and dinner in Vienna last evening and Austrian beer for me.  

 

Later this morning we will make our way to where we hope to find Mozart and board.  It will be good to be a "newbie" on-board not only taking Mozart for the first time, taking a Crystal Cruises river vessel for the first time but taking our first river cruise ever with an itinerary of places we have never visited.  I am sure the experience will be different than the ocean vessel for many reasons and one of those is simply the size of the vessels.   

 

More to come........Stay tuned..........

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[koko's_mom]

Hi Keith...

It sounds like you and Anne Marie have had a nice time exploring Vienna, despite the cooler weather. 

 

We are anxious to hear your thoughts after your adventure on the Mozart!

Wishing you a healthy and wonderful time

as you embark on a this new experience! 

Caryn 

[jpalbny]

Enjoying your perspective on Vienna, a place we also enjoy visiting. Glad you made it to the Naschmarkt. We wandered through there on our last river cruise, and the place looked amazing! We were so bummed that we had already eaten, and we hadn't saved room to nibble on stuff as we walked through.

 

Did you go inside Karlskirche? That's pretty interesting. When we were there in 2016, they had scaffolding inside for restoration work, and you could climb all the way to the ceiling and poke your head up into the cupola. When you inspected the ceiling work closely, you could see that what looked like marble really wasn't - it was cheap stone painted to look like marble. Still, a really nice church.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited May 10, 2019 by jpalbny

[Keith1010]

EMBARKING MOZART - DAY 1

 

Thank  you  Caryn and thank you jpalbny. We  did make it to Karlskirche.

 

Let me begin by saying that the Mozart is near where the Hilton is for those who wanted to know.  I am sure there is more than one HIlton but maybe not near the Danube.

[

I hope this helps.

 

The driver of the private vehicle who took us to Mozart said it would be a challenging area to get into.  He was right.  LOL.

 

The good news is he used an App to find the location.

 

The challenge was the last few hundred feet. We went up a thin path and somehow he fit between the grass and the truck but we couldn't get in from there although he could see Mozart.  The Crystal folks told him what to do an two minutes later we were there and welcomed by members of team Crystal Mozart.  There were three staff members outside two of whom took our bags.

 

We did get there early and the Crystal Society Hostess Alexandra whom we never met before greeted us by name along with the person she is training. The pre-check on line system was great so we didn't need to do anything.  She took us to our room and our key cards were there.  We love the way you get into the door which is to tap the card on the electronic device or just the holder that it is in.  Magic.

 

Alexandra asked if we would like a tour and we were happy to take one.

 

 

Love our location.  Right near the salon but more importantly just walk down the stairs near our room and the Fitness Center is three.

 

 

 

 

 

The Laundry Room is right near us.

 

She proceeded to take us all around the ship both inside and outside.

 

We visited the Reception Area, Concierge Desk and Her Desk.

 

We saw the area with 24 hour food/beverages, Waterside where the breakfast, lunch buffet are located along with a la carte dinner.  We saw the Connoisseur Lounge (cigar and cigarette smoking) and the Vintage Room (wine pairing at a charge), Palm Court and a few other locations inside the Vessel.  We walked outside to where the outdoor dining venue is that served items such as hamburgers, hotdogs, salads, etc. Getting there was similar to walking on a mini outdoor promenade deck that we have come to love on Serenity and Symphony. 

 

We met the Hotel Director Sonja who knew us already by name and chatted with her. We saw Restaurant Manager Christian who we know when he was Sommelier on Serenity before moving to Symphony to swing between Sommelier and Head Sommelier.  We saw a few other people who we know from Serenity.  This includes our butler Paolo and the Assistant Head Waiter of Waterside.  The outdoor top deck is amazing with the fresh garden, the retractable bar, the outdoor lounge chairs and the wheelhouse used by the Captain.

 

I have to say we wondered what the size would be like as we were thinking flat like a pancake but once on board have been impressed with its size and all the amenities.  I believe it is double the width of the newer Crystal River Cruise vessels and the second largest River Cruise in the world.

I have to tell you that we feel as if we are returning home but this is one home we have never lived in.  I think it is because of the members of the vessel both people we know and people we have met for the very first time such as several of the waitstaff and others members working in Waterside where we had lunch.

 

Speaking of lunch.  We were able to make a salad entree as we do on Serenity with many choices in the way of salad items which are very fresh.  Similarly we had some protein on top but rather than plain  turkey or salmon or chicken we had for the both of us turkey that was in a tasty mushroom sauce and I had a little fish which was breaded.

 

First impressions matter and our first impressions are very positive.

 

Some photos and be sure to check out our blog for more photos and narrative.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[Coral]

Welcome to the beautiful Mozart!

[Keith1010]

Thank you, Coral.

 

Stunning.

 

Keith

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Keith1010 said:

Thank you, Coral.

 

Stunning.

 

Keith

Ok - the one thing that took me days to learn. In that cove where you can get coffee and fruit in the morning (you posted a picture above). There is a refrigerator below. To open it, press in and then it will open! It took 5 of us to figure it out one day. I used to grab bottled water there on the way out when I forgot to get it in my cabin.

 

I ended up slightly preferring the buffet for lunch to the dinners. And I hate buffets but they do an awesome buffet.

 

It is stunning! I loved that ship.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Coral

[comas]

I must say that I am feeling attracted to a river cruise already. The ship looks stunning.

Thank you for keeping us all so well enlightened.

In your 6th photo, the ‘coffee table’ book appears to be titled BEATLES!

Difficult to get a clear view, but a nice gesture by Crystal or coincidence maybe?   

Ann.

[Keith1010]

Coral thank you for the information on the refrigerator.  I will be sure to check it out tomorrow.

 

We did need help with the washing machine.  We did it correctly but when it didn't seem to go on we were at a loss.  I walked over to the Reception Desk (a 10 second walk) and she came by and what we learned was we did it right but needed to give it a minute to start running.

 

Ann, good catch. When I saw the room I spotted the book right away and said "great book".  Love The Beatles.

 

Keith

[Coral]

3 hours ago, comas said:

I must say that I am feeling attracted to a river cruise already. The ship looks stunning.

Thank you for keeping us all so well enlightened.

In your 6th photo, the ‘coffee table’ book appears to be titled BEATLES!

Difficult to get a clear view, but a nice gesture by Crystal or coincidence maybe?   

Ann.

This ship (Mozart) is one that they purchased. It was built in 1987 or so and was used by Peter Deilmann which was a German cruise line. When Crystal purchased it - they gutted the interior and "Crystalized" it. On the outside, it does look older but inside she is sparkling new. She is the largest river cruise ship in Europe (and 2nd in the world). Amawaterways recently built one that is almost as large. Mozart is double the width of most of the boats on the river and due to this, she is limited in the ports she can go to.

 

Crystal then built 4 other river boats that are half the width (normal width for river cruise lines) and can go farther. They look sparkling new on the outside, obviously. 

 

After being on the Mozart - I would go back to her in a heart beat and while I am sure I would love the brand new ships, I like the extra public space on the Mozart. I would like to try the Ravel, Bach, Mahler and Debussy as those ships also get amazing reviews.

[kent9xxx1]

From pictures alone, I feel like the river cruise interior (public space, cabin, etc) is higher end than the ocean ship.  Is that the general consensus?  

 

I will be on the Rhine class ship later this year.  I really like the extra public space on the Mozart as well, so I don't know how it will be.  

[MalbecWine]

Not seeing any other guests in the photos.  You must have been the first to board.

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, MalbecWine said:

Not seeing any other guests in the photos.  You must have been the first to board.

Not first. Others already on board.

 

easy to focus on areas of venues where no one standing.

 

 

[Keith1010]

8 hours ago, kent9xxx1 said:

From pictures alone, I feel like the river cruise interior (public space, cabin, etc) is higher end than the ocean ship.  Is that the general consensus?  

 

I will be on the Rhine class ship later this year.  I really like the extra public space on the Mozart as well, so I don't know how it will be.  

Kent9xxx1

 

mozart is double the width of the other Crystal River Vessels. 

 

Some ceilings are are similar in height to ocean vessels and some lower. 

 

Rooms vary in overall square footage but overall more spacious than I expected. 

 

Beautiful ship hip and as we had been told the entire interior was redone.

 

Keith

[AllisonJames]

I am enjoying your reports — thank you.  We are taking our first ever river cruise summer 2020 — Amsterdam to Basel on Crystal Bach, followed by five days in Vienna so you are giving us lots of ideas on what to see and do!  Have fun!r

[Coral]

6 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

 

Beautiful ship hip and as we had been told the entire interior was redone.

 

I don't remember who told me this but someone said that the ship almost doubled the weight when Crystal got done with it because of the quality of the renovations/material used onboard.

 

It is obvious they gutted the interior - it is shiny new.

[Keith1010]

Absolutely. I had been told every screw and nut is new.

 

in Crystal fashion they keep it  in beautiful condition.

 

Keith