travelmarvel Polaris - first impression

[CPT Trips]

@sentosa25 I don’t know whether there is a taxi rank. Generally the ship will arrange a taxi if one is needed. They might provide the included transfer, especially if they arranged your air. It’s worth asking whoever booked the tour for you - travel agent or the cruise line. 

[Queen of my Heart]

21 hours ago, sentosa25 said:

Hello Queen of my Heart,

 

hope you have lots of happy memories of Belfast 💖

Had a chat with our travelling companions and we have a couple of queries .

Did you do any of the Optional Tours?

Any included tours that you didn't particularly enjoy?

We want to try Cake and Coffee in Vienna, any recommendations?

We are planning on going to the Mozart Concert in Vienna.

What time were you off the ship in Budapest for you airport transfer? Our flight is not until 3 10pm.

Is the airport far from the town? 

 

Thank you .

 

Anne

Budapest: yes, 30-45 minutes from river to airport. They will want you to vacate your cabin by 09:00 but will be able to leave your luggage in the reception until you leave for the airport. They will normally arrange for your coach/taxi about 3 hours before flight departure so will probably book it for somewhere between 11:30 and 12:00. You will be able to use the lounge or to wander off for a last look at the city.

If you're into coffee and cake do not miss Cafe Gerbeaud in Budapest. Absolutely marvellous. Coffee, cakes and ambience.

Vienna: Agree with fellow contributors about cake and coffee shops but would also add in Cafe Diglas on Wollzeile (5 minutes from St Stephan's Cathedral). It was recommended to me by our guide and does a mean strudel and a heavenly thick goulash soup which was perfect for lunch in midwinter but maybe not so much on a hot day.

I ventured onto the trams to get around the city, which was very easy once I had found out where to buy tickets for it and mastered the validation system.

I didn't do any of the optional tours as I found the standard ones as much as I wanted. People did speak highly of the Salzburg (if you're into Mozart and/or SofM) and Cesky Krumlov day trips.  The town/city tours were my preferred ones; there isn't a great deal to see at Durnstein and Melk Abbey just doesn't do it for me as I'm not heavily into ecclesiastical architecture/history. My favourites are always going to be the Main towns - Nurnberg, Regensburg, Wurzburg etc etc. I can't get anough of them.

 

[Canal archive]

Vienna trams are wonderful - underground overground a bit like the Wombles of Wimbledon although there was a big football match on and the police armed with huge guns were very much in evidence (not a site you see much in the U.K.)we ventured outside the city and ended up in a small village outside Vienna where there was an end of season wine festival, altogether a superb day. 

[sentosa25]

Queen of my Heart and Canal archive,

 

Thank you both for so much valuable information.

I had assumed it would have been a coach transfer for everyone at the same time, so great that we can do a little more exploring.

 

I'm all for coffee and cake in Budapest.😄

And great information about the trams.

We like to wonder along mostly doing our own things so the towns will suit us nicely.

We have decided against Salzburg and currently mulling over Cesky Krumlov.

 

Thanks again,

 

Anne

[Canal archive]

Cesky Krumlov is worth the longgggg coach trip, pretty, beautiful architecture lovely toy shops selling amazing wooden toys and a lady with a ferret on a lead. I’ll try to find some photos.

[reeves35]

Hi Do you know if Travelmarvel offers a prepaid drinks package covering drinks outside of lunch and dinner?

 

[Queen of my Heart]

Hi. I'm sorry, I don't know. I don't drink alcohol so it's not something that I ever look at. it's worth sending them an email about it, though. I always found that they replied very quickly.

[Bill Y]

11 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Hi Do you know if Travelmarvel offers a prepaid drinks package covering drinks outside of lunch and dinner?

 

This was not offered as an option last year. Just Wine, beer and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner, and sometimes sparkling wine at the buffet at breakfast to make your own bucks fizz.

[reeves35]

During your cruise, how many ports had late evening departures from ports?  I am interested in hopping back of the ship after a quick dinner in the bar and exploring towns in the evening but unsure how often this is possible.

[Queen of my Heart]

Hi. Tbh I can't really recall, but it can be unpredictable as the captain makes decisions based on lock traffic, water depth and other changeable factors. That said, things wont change at very short notice (i.e. a few hours) and you are likely to know by the morning whether there will be port time after dinner, but I wouldn't like to rely on being certain of being able to be able to hop on and off at any given location. I've never done an ocean cruise but understand that port arrivals/departures are pretty much set in stone well in advance. River crusing isn't really like that.

[sentosa25]

On 3/9/2023 at 4:12 AM, reeves35 said:

Hi Do you know if Travelmarvel offers a prepaid drinks package covering drinks outside of lunch and dinner?

 

Got my TA to check and NO, they do not offer a prepaid Drinks Package, you can order drinks from the bar.

I also asked about bringing an Iron on board and that is a NO

[sentosa25]

Can anyone advise me where we dock in Budapest please.

 

Son is in Budapest today and thinks we would really enjoy a trip to The Gellert Baths.

https://johnrieber.com/2018/11/03/taking-the-waters-in-budapest-peek-inside-the-baths-at-gellert-spa-hungarys-history-along-the-danube/

 

Hoping it might be feasible.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[reeves35]

1 hour ago, sentosa25 said:

Can anyone advise me where we dock in Budapest please.

 

Son is in Budapest today and thinks we would really enjoy a trip to The Gellert Baths.

https://johnrieber.com/2018/11/03/taking-the-waters-in-budapest-peek-inside-the-baths-at-gellert-spa-hungarys-history-along-the-danube/

 

Hoping it might be feasible.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Apparently there are quite a few baths in Budapest.  The only advice I have heard is don't put your head under water.  Two people I know went to the baths and both got very bad ear infections which meant they were unable to fly for a week.

[sentosa25]

11 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Apparently there are quite a few baths in Budapest.  The only advice I have heard is don't put your head under water.  Two people I know went to the baths and both got very bad ear infections which meant they were unable to fly for a week.

I will bear that in mind, thank you