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JerseyGem

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. We're on the Xpedition in February and will be following your posts! Thanks for doing this!
  2. Thanks for taking the time to post about your adventure. I hope all continues to go well for you. We are on the Xpedition in February and love all your posts. Thanks!
  3. Thanks for posting. We are on the Xpedition in February. I know the ship board activities will be different, but I appreciate your information about Quito and the Galapagos in general. Your pictures are gorgeous!
  4. We've taken many GCT river cruises (and OAT trips and small ship cruises). We did both their Christmas Market cruises on the Rhine and on the Danube, but before Covid. We loved both of them. Yes, they're not as fancy as the more upscale lines, but they focus more on "people to people" activities. This will include going to local churches for Christmas choral events, home-hosted meals as well as going to the Christmas Markets at each stop. Dinner always had three options (meat, poultry, fish) usually with a vegetarian option. If you have any food issues, let them know, and the chef will speak with you each night to set up the next night's meal. Of course, you'll have a soup, salad, side dishes, dessert, etc. I am somewhat picky but always found something I liked. Included wine selections vary in quality, but you do have the option to purchase more "upscale" wines if you wish. We had actually planned on doing a Christmas Market cruise (a repeat) this coming December, so we recently looked at all their options. However, we decided to do one of their Egypt trips in December instead. The world has too many places to visit!
  5. Read the "Stickies" at the top of this Forum (New to River Cruising, What to Expect, River Cruise Lines, etc.); you'll find a wealth of information. You already have an area in mind ( Germany and Austria rather than The Netherlands or France, etc.); the next decisions will be how long, which line, what time of year. Some lines have 7 or 8 day cruises, but many are longer. Obviously you'll see more on longer cruises, but your schedule may not allow that. And then there's price. We are retired on a fixed income, so we go with one of the less expensive lines. But while I do recommend them, several times I've suggested that friends go on other lines because I know they want a more upscale experience. Finding a travel agent who specializes in River Cruises can help you narrow down the choices. Good luck! Planning is half the fun of cruising. Lynn
  6. The smoke from the smoking area on deck 5 will probably have more of an impact on your balcony than the area on 14. We were in 8682 and could sometimes smell smoke from the deck 5 smoking area, especially when people were smoking right outside that covered area.
  7. BA from Boston to London (Heathrow) is OK. We usually spring for Premium Economy since most flights are overnight (PE or Business, etc. will give you more comfort for sleeping). If you had said that you needed to change planes at London/Heathrow (to go elsewhere in Europe), I would have recommended avoiding Heathrow. It is a huge airport, and it can be confusing to find another terminal. .
  8. dacf: Welcome to the River Cruising area of CruiseCritic! Since you're in Vienna for the wedding, trying out a river cruise afterwards is a great idea. You will have an interesting view of several countries on your daily visits along the way. First, please read Host Jazzbeau's "stickies" at the top of this forum, especially the one about "New to River Cruising" and "water levels' (there may be one to help you sort through the various companies that offer river cruises). Your selection will mostly depend on what line (or ship) has a starting cruise in Vienna a few days after the wedding. As for nightlife- there won't be a casino, a theater, etc. but most lines offer something at night. Maybe a local show, a lecture or discussion about the area. Or learn a new card game with fellow travelers. Hubby and I love to go up to the top deck to read while we enjoy the passing scenery (since most lines will sail to the next city each evening). You are correct that a Med cruise will be too hot in early August! Have fun planning your cruise. Come back with all your questions. Lynn
  9. It might depend on the ship, but last December on the Anthem OTS, milkshakes at Johnny Rockets were included in the Refreshment package.
  10. We have also used SAS - several times. It's not a private shuttle; they will drive around to fill their vans (airports, local hotels, etc.) before actually delivering you to the port (or to the airport). Also, they do not have car seats for kids nor can you use them (kids will need to be held). Other than those few minor issues, the shuttle worked out well.
  11. Enjoy your first cruise- hopefully the "cruise bug" will bite and you'll take many more. Before I cruise on a new (to me) ship, I look over (even study) the deck plans so I won't be so disoriented once I board. For Alaska itself, pack a pair of gloves and a warm hat. When you approach a glacier, the air temp will drop. We were one of the few who could stay out on the open decks for the whole visit. Others (shorts and flip-flops) were too cold. Have fun!
  12. We have visited both Sitka and Ketchikan on a HAL cruise. Since the main difference is those two cities, I recommend the cruise going to Sitka. Both are small towns, but Sitka has historic significance plus is in a lovely setting. Ketchikan is a tourist trap. A lot of gift shops (overpriced and made in China), plus the locals were not as welcoming as in other parts of Alaska. If you do end up in Ketchikan, plan a shore excursion that takes you out of town. We did a float plane trip inland for great scenery.
  13. Hi Tom and Judy- I should have been clearer. The current package is 20% off the base fair plus either air from the USA or a set amount ($750?) in lieu of the air. But the air has to be able to be ticketed when you initially book. They won't ticket more than one year out, so I can't book for August 2023 now and qualify for the air perk. I really want X to do all the air for me in case something goes wrong getting there (weather delays, etc.). We have two more overseas trips booked for this year, and the air arrangements (paid and ticketed) keep changing due to issues within the airlines (supposedly related to staffing issues due to Covid). Frustrating! Lynn
  14. Thanks for all the excellent advice. We'll check out the blogs and website links. I think we've narrowed it down to the Xpedition with Celebrity's 10 day package, probably the Southern Loop. We're still debating which month because we read so many different opinions, and the prices are so varied throughout the year. We had settled on August 2023, only to discover that it was outside of X's package! Back to the drawing board. Thanks again, Lynn
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