Anyone River Cruised With APT Travelmarvel Recently?

[Ladyshopper23]

Sailing on the Travelmarvel Vega next month (Rhine cruise).

 

We said with Avalon on the Danube in April, and absolutely loved it. Fell in love with river cruising, and decided we wanted to do a Rhine cruise.

 

Found a really good deal with APT Travelmarvel, but there doesn't seem to be as many reviews about as for the other river cruising companies. Just wondered if anyone had sailed with them, and how did they find it? 

[CastleCritic]

I believe they are still using the AMAWaterways ships this year (that relationship is ending) so the ship part will be just fine.  Cant speak for their excursions.

[reeves35]

Travelmarvel does not use AMA Waterways ships though APT still does until the end of 2024 when it receives 2 bespoke ships of its own.  

 

Travelmarvel has 3 identical bespoke ships all launched in 2021.  I sailed on both Vega and Polaris last year from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We were originally on Vega but had a ship swap in Nuremberg due to water levels on the Danube.

 

I did put up a review Travelmarvel Review but feel free to ask me any other questions you may have.

[Ladyshopper23]

10 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Travelmarvel does not use AMA Waterways ships though APT still does until the end of 2024 when it receives 2 bespoke ships of its own.  

 

Travelmarvel has 3 identical bespoke ships all launched in 2021.  I sailed on both Vega and Polaris last year from Amsterdam to Budapest.  We were originally on Vega but had a ship swap in Nuremberg due to water levels on the Danube.

 

I did put up a review Travelmarvel Review but feel free to ask me any other questions you may have.

Awesome, thank you. Will have a read then get back to you!

 

It's Vega that we're sailing on.

[Ladyshopper23]

@reeves35, thanks so much for pointing me to your review. It's really in-depth, and very helpful. You also did the cruise that we're doing, albeit we're doing it the other way round to you (Nuremberg to Amsterdam).

If you happen to have any photos of any dinner menus that would be fantastic, along with any photos of the breakfast and lunch buffet set up.

 

We have some special dietary requirements (both need to be gluten free for medical reasons, plus I'm also vegetarian), so would love to get some ideas of what the food is going to be like, and how much I should be prepared to place special orders! I'll be packing plenty of gluten-free snacks, as I always do when we go on a cruise line (whether ocean or river) that we haven't travelled on before.

[pontac]

Excellent informative review, @reeves35, thanks

[reeves35]

Travelmarvel are really good with dietary needs.  Speak to the Hotel Manager when you get onboard but wait staff tended to ask at every meal if there was special dietary needs so they could bring GF breads etc.  Meals are flexible so if you want to substitute one thing for something else, that is not a problem usually.

 

The menus are displayed every day outside the restaurant so you can decide if you want to have the restaurant meal that night or the casual meal in the Irish Bar.

 

I managed to find a couple of photos of menus I had taken.  We usually took them on the way into breakfast if they were up so we could have a look.  Daily newsletters are not distributed in your rooms but available on the TV as well as posted on the wall outside reception.  I've added a sample here too.

 

Hope this helps.

[Ladyshopper23]

That's fab, thanks so much for the menu photos.

 

The select excursion - is that something that's included, or an extra charge?

[reeves35]

Select are extra cost. The sample is from a day where there were no included excursions which was unusual. 

[Ladyshopper23]

2 hours ago, reeves35 said:

Select are extra cost. The sample is from a day where there were no included excursions which was unusual. 

Great, thanks for the confirmation. 

[Frikki]

Just jumping on to this thread.

 

We are doing this cruise in August.  Reeves35, I remember reading your informative review a few weeks ago and it made helped me to understand the day to day activities.

 

I have a couple of questions…

1. Is there tea/coffee available other than meal times? If so, is it an extra cost?  I do like my cup of tea!

 

2. I have heard that push bikes are available on some cruises.  Does Travel Marvel have them?

 

Thank you!

[reeves35]

2 hours ago, Frikki said:

Just jumping on to this thread.

 

We are doing this cruise in August.  Reeves35, I remember reading your informative review a few weeks ago and it made helped me to understand the day to day activities.

 

I have a couple of questions…

1. Is there tea/coffee available other than meal times? If so, is it an extra cost?  I do like my cup of tea!

 

2. I have heard that push bikes are available on some cruises.  Does Travel Marvel have them?

 

Thank you!

Glad you are doing the cruise in August.  You'll have a great time.

 

Tea and coffee is available 24/7 in the lounge along with cookies.  This is included in your fare.

 

Bikes are available though I didn't use them as the most popular spot for riding is between Melk and Durnstein and the person I would have ridden with was sick on the day.

[Frikki]

Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply.  I don’t know if I will actually attempt a bike ride but the option sounds interesting.  Would love to do a tour of the Melk monastery - we’ve driven past it twice.  Also very interested in Durnstein.

[reeves35]

6 hours ago, Frikki said:

Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply.  I don’t know if I will actually attempt a bike ride but the option sounds interesting.  Would love to do a tour of the Melk monastery - we’ve driven past it twice.  Also very interested in Durnstein.

A visit of Melk Abbey is included as part of the Travelmarvel tour.  You get bussed up, do the tour and then can walk back to the ship through the town or get a bus back if you want to.  The early afternoon is spent cruising the Wachau Valley with a late afternoon visit to Durnstein which is really pretty

 

[Frikki]

Thank you so much, sounds perfect!

[Canal archive]

Beautiful part of the world, enjoy.