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Are there travelers going on the "Grand European Tour" on Sept 5, 2017 from Amsterdam to Budapest? There are 4 of us traveling together. This will be our first river cruise with Vantage. Looking for tips on tours at the various stops along the way. I have read some of the previous posts about visiting Rothenburg as an optional tour. Any opportunities to visit the camps at Nuremberg? We will do the post-cruise extension to Bratislava and Prague. Looking forward to seeing and enjoying this part of Europe. We have done the a GCT river cruise from Paris to Nice several years ago. Thanks for any advice and info.

 

We too/two are taking the same cruise but on October 3. Also our first river cruise. Hope to see more posts about this itinerary

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Hello,

 

We will be on our first river cruise next week. We have traveled on many ocean cruises and decided to mix it up. We are going from Budapest to Amserdam. THe weather in Budapest is hot now. We know the policy for dinner is casual. Do men need to wear dress slacks or are nice jeans acceptable? Trying to save weight in luggage.

 

Also we have three optional tours? Any input on what's good there would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Sue

 

P.S. We have found Vantage folks to be as good or better in responding to requets than our ocean cruise companys!

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Hello,

 

We will be on our first river cruise next week. We have traveled on many ocean cruises and decided to mix it up. We are going from Budapest to Amserdam. THe weather in Budapest is hot now. We know the policy for dinner is casual. Do men need to wear dress slacks or are nice jeans acceptable? Trying to save weight in luggage.

 

Also we have three optional tours? Any input on what's good there would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Sue

 

P.S. We have found Vantage folks to be as good or better in responding to requets than our ocean cruise companys!

Hi Sue,

We found Vantage to be very relaxed in dress code. My DH and I changed our clothes for dinner, but most people wore exactly what they wore during the day.. pants, jeans shorts, anything goes.

As for the optional tours, the only one we did was in Vienna, a dinner at a vineyard, which really wasn't a vineyard, with accordion music. At 89.00 per person, it was the worst dinner and the varietal of wines was a glass of something in a tumbler not a wine glass. Miss this extra,

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I have to disagree with cool cruiser. I returned in May from the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise on the River Splendor. And no, jeans are not allowed in the main dining room for dinner. Breakfast and lunch ok but not dinner. I even asked the cruise director and desk staff. They all said "no". I was told if I wanted to wear jeans I could eat dinner in the Captains Club restaurant.

Men usually wore dockers and a nice shirt. Women wore slacks and a nice top or dress. Even at the Captains welcome dinner I only saw one or two men with jackets on. On a previous cruise with them I saw them turn away a man who showed up in jeans. They did let him in when he told him his luggage was lost. It didn't show up until two days before the end of the cruise.

We ate most dinners in the Captains Club not only because of the dress code but also because it was much quieter than the main dining room and it didn't take over two hours for dinner.

Rorygirl

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They never sent anyone out of the dining room... may not have seen the shorts in main dining room, they did go to the captain club, but definitely jeans, as we ate with a couple who wore jeans and a sport jacket. We ate all our meals in th dining room.

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Hi Sue and Steve (great nanme for your hubby!) :cool: I wasSURE I replied yesterday but I don't see it. So will repost.

We were on our first Vantage - and first RIVER - cruise last month on Brussels to Amsterdam. Loved it. We have done msany Larger ships before (Yje Anthem at 4,000 passengers, will be our biggest in September). No jackets needed. Probably no jeans, but it'll be too warm for jeans. You should have easy packing. Steve should pack a light sweater or Anorak in case dining room cold. Other difference between DiningRoom for Dinner and Captains Club isthat they have a GRILLED meat every night in CC. And you will have a better outside view. We went one night when the Dining Room menu had no entree we wanted,. It was NEVER full or half full. You get same wines there. (Note that Vantage wine is free at dinner but not really great wine. (You can bring or winer - or beer - to have in your cabin. Great way to have local product.

 

As for excursions. There were only 3 OPTIONAL ones and none were exciting or great value. (A $60 culinary walking tour in Bruges - in our case). I walked on my own and had same food for under $10.) . BTW, bikes can be "boorowed" for FREE (for single days) no no need to buy the week-long rental.

 

Post any other questionsand you'll get replies. We will look for SPECIALS for River cruises for next summer. The bonuses change.

Are you staying in Amsterdam on your own? For Amsterdam - your included tour will end at the Rijsmuseum. with an included 1 hour tour. You do not have to leave and can stay on your own. Neither the Van Gogh Museum (we went!) and Anne Frank House (we didn't) are not included in cruise and you MOST DEFINITELY need tyo buy tix on line in advance or expect to wait an hour or more in line. I'd recommend the Van Gogh if you have time.

 

(sorry for the grouped words. My keyboard isacting up. :(

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Does anyone have any information on the port times, mainly departure times in the evenings, for the ms River Splendor Amsterdam to Budapest itinerary (Majestic Rivers of Europe: Castles, Cathedrals, and Fairytales)? I cannot seem to get these from Vantage. I don't know how to plan for potential free time without this information, nor when may be a good time to reserve the onboard bikes. I understand that the times may vary some based on river water levels and such, but an approximate time would be very helpful. Thanks so much!

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Hi Steve,

We are beginning our river cruise in Amsterdam on July 11. How does one know what would be a good time to reserve tickets at the museums ahead of time? I cannot get Vantage to provide me with approximately sail-away times. Also, we arrive on 7/11 and head to directly to the ship from the airport, but I do not know if Vantage has anything planned for us that first day, nor when the walking tour would take place. I assume it may be the morning of the 12th, but again, I do not know what time we depart Amsterdam on July 12th to sail to the next port. Any ideas? What other sites were included on the ship's Amsterdam tour?

 

On another topic, did many of the men don a sport coat for the first and last nights of the cruise, or for any others?

 

Thank you!

 

~~~~

Re: "For Amsterdam - your included tour will end at the Rijsmuseum. with an included 1 hour tour. You do not have to leave and can stay on your own. Neither the Van Gogh Museum (we went!) and Anne Frank House (we didn't) are not included in cruise and you MOST DEFINITELY need tyo buy tix on line in advance or expect to wait an hour or more in line. I'd recommend the Van Gogh if you have time."

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We are sailing Amsterdam to Budapest on July 11th! I am searching for info on approximate port times, mainly departure times, so I will know what time is available for free-time sight seeing. Vantage could/would not provide me with this information through customer service.

 

We too/two are taking the same cruise but on October 3. Also our first river cruise. Hope to see more posts about this itinerary
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My husband and I are on the July 11th Amsterdam to Budapest sailing.

We went to Rothenberg independently via train, from a visit to Munich in 2008. While I cannot speak to the Vantage excursion itself, Rothenberg-ob-der-Tauber is a wonderful place to visit, and is very charming.

 

Are there travelers going on the "Grand European Tour" on Sept 5, 2017 from Amsterdam to Budapest? There are 4 of us traveling together. This will be our first river cruise with Vantage. Looking for tips on tours at the various stops along the way. I have read some of the previous posts about visiting Rothenburg as an optional tour. Any opportunities to visit the camps at Nuremberg? We will do the post-cruise extension to Bratislava and Prague. Looking forward to seeing and enjoying this part of Europe. We have done the a GCT river cruise from Paris to Nice several years ago. Thanks for any advice and info.
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Hi Steve,

We are beginning our river cruise in Amsterdam on July 11. How does one know what would be a good time to reserve tickets at the museums ahead of time? I cannot get Vantage to provide me with approximately sail-away times. Also, we arrive on 7/11 and head to directly to the ship from the airport, but I do not know if Vantage has anything planned for us that first day, nor when the walking tour would take place. I assume it may be the morning of the 12th, but again, I do not know what time we depart Amsterdam on July 12th to sail to the next port. Any ideas? What other sites were included on the ship's Amsterdam tour?

 

On another topic, did many of the men don a sport coat for the first and last nights of the cruise, or for any others?

 

Thank you!

 

~~~~

 

 

I think I can answer this. The first "day"/night" is arrival day. We flew in the same day for ours - which started in Brussels. Because of plane delay we didn't get to ship till 6:45 and missed the orientation lecture (there were 5 arriving on same shuttle from airport with us). So, The important thing on Day one is : when do you arrive in Amsterdam? Assuming it is is in early afteroon, you weill be taken to ship to settle in (and getrid of jet lag) and meet for orientation at about 5pm. The cruise starts the next morning with your included walking tour at 8:30 AM. (be prepared to walk a lot on Vantage Tours - but that's thewayto see thiongs!. I don't know your itinerary but GUESSING that you have two nights in Amsterdam (right?). If that'sthe case, your walking tour will end at theRijksmuseum at around noon. And you should have ":afternoon free, dinner on boat and sailaway either at dinnertime orthe next morning. It is on your itinerary. In that case, I'd recommend staying a little longer in Rijksmuseum grabbing lunch somewhereand going to the Van Gogh Museum at 2pm with prebookedtickets. Get the audio guide. Then wander around Dam Square and back to ship for dinner. IYou'll get a "taste" for Amsterdam but would be better if you extended trip on own (not their extension. We cut cost by 2/3 by booking a great hotel on own).

As for sport jacket - leave at home. For dining room men will just need clean long pants and a shirt. Nothing fancier than that. I can't help with ports outside of Holland

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We are sailing Amsterdam to Budapest on July 11th! I am searching for info on approximate port times, mainly departure times, so I will know what time is available for free-time sight seeing. Vantage could/would not provide me with this information through customer service.

 

On our one Vantage trip they provided the email address of the concierge. I had the same questions you ask and the concierge was able to provide answers. The caveat was the arrival/departure times are approximate and subject to change.

 

Steve in Philly's recommendations make sense.

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Hi Sue and Steve (great nanme for your hubby!) :cool: I wasSURE I replied yesterday but I don't see it. So will repost.

We were on our first Vantage - and first RIVER - cruise last month on Brussels to Amsterdam. Loved it. We have done msany Larger ships before (Yje Anthem at 4,000 passengers, will be our biggest in September). No jackets needed. Probably no jeans, but it'll be too warm for jeans. You should have easy packing. Steve should pack a light sweater or Anorak in case dining room cold. Other difference between DiningRoom for Dinner and Captains Club isthat they have a GRILLED meat every night in CC. And you will have a better outside view. We went one night when the Dining Room menu had no entree we wanted,. It was NEVER full or half full. You get same wines there. (Note that Vantage wine is free at dinner but not really great wine. (You can bring or winer - or beer - to have in your cabin. Great way to have local product.

 

As for excursions. There were only 3 OPTIONAL ones and none were exciting or great value. (A $60 culinary walking tour in Bruges - in our case). I walked on my own and had same food for under $10.) . BTW, bikes can be "boorowed" for FREE (for single days) no no need to buy the week-long rental.

 

Post any other questionsand you'll get replies. We will look for SPECIALS for River cruises for next summer. The bonuses change.

Are you staying in Amsterdam on your own? For Amsterdam - your included tour will end at the Rijsmuseum. with an included 1 hour tour. You do not have to leave and can stay on your own. Neither the Van Gogh Museum (we went!) and Anne Frank House (we didn't) are not included in cruise and you MOST DEFINITELY need tyo buy tix on line in advance or expect to wait an hour or more in line. I'd recommend the Van Gogh if you have time.

 

(sorry for the grouped words. My keyboard isacting up. :(

 

 

Thanks all for your quick replies! Helpful information regarding packing as well as sightseeing! 3 more sleeps before we are off to Budapest..can't wait!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you SteveinPhilly! Sorry, yes, I misstated the arrival date in Amsterdam. We fly from home on the 11th, arriving in Amsterdam on the 12th. Thanks for the info on the orientation. I had not thought of that, nor had it been mentioned anywhere. We have an overnight in Amsterdam, and sail away from there on the 13th, I think in mid-to-late afternoon. I will check into the Van Gogh Museum. Someone from Vantage called me, based on a survey I completed, and I finally got a little info. I don't think we will have too much time in Amsterdam on the 13th, following the morning walking tour. Thanks also for the info on the jacket.

 

Hi Steve,

We are beginning our river cruise in Amsterdam on July 11. How does one know what would be a good time to reserve tickets at the museums ahead of time? I cannot get Vantage to provide me with approximately sail-away times. Also, we arrive on 7/11 and head to directly to the ship from the airport, but I do not know if Vantage has anything planned for us that first day, nor when the walking tour would take place. I assume it may be the morning of the 12th, but again, I do not know what time we depart Amsterdam on July 12th to sail to the next port. Any ideas? What other sites were included on the ship's Amsterdam tour?

 

On another topic, did many of the men don a sport coat for the first and last nights of the cruise, or for any others?

 

Thank you!

 

~~~~

 

 

I think I can answer this. The first "day"/night" is arrival day. We flew in the same day for ours - which started in Brussels. Because of plane delay we didn't get to ship till 6:45 and missed the orientation lecture (there were 5 arriving on same shuttle from airport with us). So, The important thing on Day one is : when do you arrive in Amsterdam? Assuming it is is in early afteroon, you weill be taken to ship to settle in (and getrid of jet lag) and meet for orientation at about 5pm. The cruise starts the next morning with your included walking tour at 8:30 AM. (be prepared to walk a lot on Vantage Tours - but that's thewayto see thiongs!. I don't know your itinerary but GUESSING that you have two nights in Amsterdam (right?). If that'sthe case, your walking tour will end at theRijksmuseum at around noon. And you should have ":afternoon free, dinner on boat and sailaway either at dinnertime orthe next morning. It is on your itinerary. In that case, I'd recommend staying a little longer in Rijksmuseum grabbing lunch somewhereand going to the Van Gogh Museum at 2pm with prebookedtickets. Get the audio guide. Then wander around Dam Square and back to ship for dinner. IYou'll get a "taste" for Amsterdam but would be better if you extended trip on own (not their extension. We cut cost by 2/3 by booking a great hotel on own).

As for sport jacket - leave at home. For dining room men will just need clean long pants and a shirt. Nothing fancier than that. I can't help with ports outside of Holland

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Thank you! Someone from Vantage called me, following up on a survey I completed. I was able to get a little info about port times. Still, the representative seemed to want me to ask specific questions about each port before he would offer any information it was strange. He first asked for which port did I want the info, and I told him I wanted the info for all of the ports. He wouldn't simply provide it until I started asking specific questions about each day and each port. We received the email with the concierge's info on it just a couple of days ago. I don't know why they won't release the port time info without a person persistently asking for it. It is frustrating. Part of the fun of a trip is researching and planning ahead for what one may be able to see and experience. :) Thanks again.

 

On our one Vantage trip they provided the email address of the concierge. I had the same questions you ask and the concierge was able to provide answers. The caveat was the arrival/departure times are approximate and subject to change.

 

Steve in Philly's recommendations make sense.

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New luxury small ship line, Haimark

Here we are on Day 2 of the Great Lakes cruise on the M/V Victory I. There are 115 passengers on board. 93 of us are Vantage passengers. The ship holds 205 so there was room for more. Anyway, today's excursion was to see Niagara Falls, lunch at a beautiful vineyard & a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Full day topped off with the Captain's Welcome day dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

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http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53480028

 

 

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Mimosa09,

We live on Lake St. Clair just past the Detroit River and were sitting on our sailboat last night and saw the Victory 1 sail by about 7-730pm. When I returned home I quickly called up the Vantage site and sure enough it was Great Lakes trip!!!!

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip we have done much of it aboard Barefeet. The "North Chanel" where you will stop in Little Current is our favorite cruising grounds. Next Saturday a large fleet of Sailboat will leave Chicago and race to Mackinaw! On the 21st of July a fleet (about 200 boats) will race from Port Huron to Mackinaw. ENJOY....exciting to have Vantage cruisers in our waters!!!!

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Hi deec,

 

Thanks for posting! We had a drink in the Tavern after dinner as we passed thru this lovely area. Beautiful homes on the Michigan side as that was where we were facing. Now cruising Lake Huron & will be in Little Current tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing the beauty of the place.

 

- Rose

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi. We are going on the August 8th trip Amsterdam to Budapest. My husband just read where Vantage charges 17 Euros a day per person on your credit Card. Is this mandatory or can we opt out or change the amount.

 

 

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Hi. We are going on the August 8th trip Amsterdam to Budapest. My husband just read where Vantage charges 17 Euros a day per person on your credit Card. Is this mandatory or can we opt out or change the amount.

 

With so few passengers on a river ship, it would really screw the entire crew to stiff them. Just consider this part of the fare that is separated out to save you taxes.

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Well I guess That's one way to look at it. Thanks. My husband hates surprises, esp. when it costs money. We're on the 16 (14) day cruise which adds $550. This is our first River Cruise, so trying to learn what I can. This thread has helped a lot. I haven't read all 800 posts though.

 

 

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Well I guess That's one way to look at it. Thanks. My husband hates surprises, esp. when it costs money. We're on the 16 (14) day cruise which adds $550. This is our first River Cruise, so trying to learn what I can. This thread has helped a lot. I haven't read all 800 posts though.

 

 

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Travellady. Is this your first cruise on any ship? All cruise lines add a gratuity - split among the crew - and most ocean ones are about $13/day. So Vantage's $17 is not much higher. This includes your Cruise Director who often adds to the enjoyment of the cruise. And unlike major cruise lines, small river boats don't have as many layers of staff in the dining room. There is one Dining room manager, then waitstaff and then cooks.

 

We had our FIRST River Cruise in April/May (Tulips) and loved-the casualness. no need to pack suit or dress clothes - and the attentiveness of our Cruise Director (Erna). And - at least with Vantage - and our itinerary - there were no major OPTIONAL excusions so we really didn't spend much extra after the final payment and the gratuities.

 

The ONLY part of the cruise that we found lacking was the dining room food. It wasn't poor, per se, and was beautifully plated. But Vantage requires its chefs to use all frozen food brought on board at beginning and no local fresh regional produce is brought on board. We were in Holland and no dutch meals were served. (not even Gouda or Edam Cheese was served- we had to get in ports and bring on board. Other than that we were very happy campers!

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