ROLL CALL Gate 1 Amadeus Royal 9/02/08

[Jean Veronica]

Anyone out there taking this river cruise and the pre-cruise land tour of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary?

 

Also would love to hear from anyone who has taken a Gate 1 Cruise and their experiences with them.

 

Are Visas required for this itinerary?

 

Thanks for any help that you might give! :)

 

Jean

[emmylou]

Jean Veronica,

In Feb. of this year we decided to do the Christmas Market on the Rhine.I like you posted to start a roll call.I soon found that no one answered it.Then someone finally told me the reason.Unlike cruise ships where there are hundreds on board Riverboats usually have little more than a hundred on board and the odds of finding very many on the same riverboat as you that also message on a cruise message board are not very good.

We on these boards are not ignoring you.It's more that so far no one that posts here has booked that cruise as yet..

Please any other questions you have don't hesitate to ask.We have a lot of very helpful posters on this board.

emmy

[steamboats]

Jean,

 

Currently the three countries you´ve mentioned are part of the European Community but not yet of the Schengen Community. The countries of Schengen Community issue a visa at the first place of entry. So when you fly in to Germany, let´s say Munich, you´ll get a visa in Munich and you can travel within all Schengen countries (f.e. Austria, Netherlands, France, Italy). There are no passport controls between the Schengen countries anymore and the visa is valid for all Schengen countries.

 

By Dec 21st Slovakia, Poland and Hungary will join the Schengen Community. So for your cruise you will get one visa from the country you enter the Schengen Community.

 

Anyway there is and was no need to get a visa in advance. Even now as a US citizen you just get a stamp in your passport when you travel from Austria to Slovakia or Hungary or from Germany to Poland.

 

steamboats

[Jean Veronica]

:D

Jean Veronica,

In Feb. of this year we decided to do the Christmas Market on the Rhine.I like you posted to start a roll call.I soon found that no one answered it.Then someone finally told me the reason.Unlike cruise ships where there are hundreds on board Riverboats usually have little more than a hundred on board and the odds of finding very many on the same riverboat as you that also message on a cruise message board are not very good.

We on these boards are not ignoring you.It's more that so far no one that posts here has booked that cruise as yet..

Please any other questions you have don't hesitate to ask.We have a lot of very helpful posters on this board.

emmy

 

 

I figured that not that many take river cruises much less the one that we have booked, so thanks for being an *echo*to the stillness out there!:p

 

I have heard the Christmas Market ones are great and I know you will have a great time...It is a bit too cold for me to go at that time of the year after living in Texas all this time!

Thanks again,

Jean

[Jean Veronica]

:)

Jean,

 

Currently the three countries you´ve mentioned are part of the European Community but not yet of the Schengen Community. The countries of Schengen Community issue a visa at the first place of entry. So when you fly in to Germany, let´s say Munich, you´ll get a visa in Munich and you can travel within all Schengen countries (f.e. Austria, Netherlands, France, Italy). There are no passport controls between the Schengen countries anymore and the visa is valid for all Schengen countries.

 

By Dec 21st Slovakia, Poland and Hungary will join the Schengen Community. So for your cruise you will get one visa from the country you enter the Schengen Community.

 

Anyway there is and was no need to get a visa in advance. Even now as a US citizen you just get a stamp in your passport when you travel from Austria to Slovakia or Hungary or from Germany to Poland.

 

steamboats

 

 

Thank you for all your information! My travel agent has found out since I first posted here, that no visas are required! I didn't know, however that Poland, Slovakia and Hungary will become part of the Schengen Community in December...does that mean that all the Polish money that I have from our last visit there worthless and I will be dealing with Euros instead?

We will be flying into Copenhagen on Scandinavian Air and then on to Warsaw...Our port of departure is Prague, Copenhagen again and then USA.

Thanks again for your help,

 

Jean

[steamboats]

Jean,

 

No, Schengen has nothing to do with the Euro. It´s only border/passport controls and free travelling within the European countries. You airport of entry, Copenhagen, is Denmark. Denmark is part of the European Community but Denmark hasn´t joined the Euro (still Danish Crown).

 

Great Britan is member of the European Community but hasn´t joined neither the Euro nor the Schengen treaty. Norway and Iceland are no members of the European Community but as they belong to the Northern Passport Community (Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway) they also joined Schengen. Switzerland is also not a member of the European Community but has signed the Schengen treaty (but it´s not yet valid there).

 

steamboats