Greetings from Vantage...

Great to hear that you made it to Regensberg.

Shmoo, I'm glad you've LEFT Regensburg! PegelOnline website is now showing Regensburg as insufficient water level, but OK up to Nuremberg and beyond.

River Navigator question for you (or FuelScience or Hydrokitty): At the Captains's Dinner, will I have stood out if I didn't wear a sport coat? Hate to pack such a thing for 1 or 2 occasions.

River Navigator question for you (or FuelScience or Hydrokitty): At the Captains's Dinner, will I have stood out if I didn't wear a sport coat? Hate to pack such a thing for 1 or 2 occasions.

This is my first Vantage cruise, but I won't be taking a jacket. I've cruised Viking 3 times and after taking a sport coat on the first cruise, I decided that I could do without one and not feel out of place. Hydrokitty can weigh in on Vantage.

FuelScience

This is my first Vantage cruise, but I won't be taking a jacket. I've cruised Viking 3 times and after taking a sport coat on the first cruise, I decided that I could do without one and not feel out of place. Hydrokitty can weigh in on Vantage.

 

FuelScience

Shmoo, I'm glad you've LEFT Regensburg! PegelOnline website is now showing Regensburg as insufficient water level, but OK up to Nuremberg and beyond.

 

River Navigator question for you (or FuelScience or Hydrokitty): At the Captains's Dinner, will I have stood out if I didn't wear a sport coat? Hate to pack such a thing for 1 or 2 occasions.

I took this one to my expert and DH said: "Nope"....The only people who really "have to" wear a jacket at the Captain's Dinner are the ones who are invited to sit at his table and that requires 5 trips.

Seriously, I wear the same thing to dinner every night: black jeans and a dressy top....DH wears khaki pants and button down shirt (both from LLBean). There will be people who will wear dressier clothes, but you will not feel out of place if you do not wear a jacket. They frown on blue jeans and Tee shirts, but truthfully, I've never seen anyone turned away for wearing them....only thing they would probably ask you to change would be shorts.

PS to FuelScience: I don't sail until August 28. This will be my 5th time on the Navigator, but I couldn't get the same room this time.

Hello Shmoo,

great to hear that everything went smoothly on that difficult stretch. Your captain certainly has my respect! If I happen to see the River Navigator in the next few days I will give the ship a wave.

Hydrokitty,

I fully agree, a foot can make a big difference when cruising in low water level situations.

A few years ago when the water level was very low, there was a photo in my local newspaper. It showed the Middle Rhine valley with the big barges (at half load only) in very little water. It looked more like a rivulet in massive sandbanks. Quite worrying, I am glad the modern ships have the electronic means to deal with such narrow and shallow navigation channels. Still, draft is draft, there comes a time and level when you just have to give up sailing further. Hopefully for none of your ships. Of course, barges and their owners /customers suffer economic losses, so I will say hopefully for noone.

notamermaid

We're currently in one of the locks on the Main River. Did have some rain overnight between Regensburg and Nuremberg. I don't really think it was enough to make a difference, but any rain is welcome, I'm sure.

It seems we're going to cross paths with the River Splendor while in Wurzburg.

And it's predicted to rain in the next couple of days again.

Sadly, can't really sit on top deck for the cruising. They've put the rear seating (canopied) area down. We can sit most of the time in the front of the pilot house, but there's no shade at all, as we're basically heading west at this point.

I asked the cruise director about what's the plan for after we all get off. We cruise to Cologne, and then backtrack to Bonn for disembarkation. Then the ship is traveling (passengerless) to Amsterdam.

Shmoo,

Thanks for the post. I hate that you're getting rained on, but lots of folks trying to get up/down the rivers will be glad.

I think that it's pretty common for ships to close the top deck on the Main and the Main-Danube canal. At least that's what they've done on our trips.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and be sure to give us a review (and post it) after you get home!!

FuelScience

Shmoo,

 

Thanks for the post. I hate that you're getting rained on, but lots of folks trying to get up/down the rivers will be glad.

 

I think that it's pretty common for ships to close the top deck on the Main and the Main-Danube canal. At least that's what they've done on our trips.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and be sure to give us a review (and post it) after you get home!!

 

FuelScience

Usually they close the top deck when it's raining (slippery) or when water levels are high and bridges are low! They actually collapse the bridge and the captain looks like he's on a submarine. when we did Castles on the Rhine there was one place where we came so close to the bridge, kids on the bridge were throwing candy down to us....I stood up to take a picture and had to sit down fast...captain almost died laughing!!!

FuelScience - When I check River Navigator on vesselfinder, it shows last position was Riedenburg (between Regensburg and Nurenburg) at 19:56 on July 22. It's been stuck on that for a couple of days. But Shmoo reports he's on schedule, well west of that point, en route to Bamberg.

Is that what you see, or am I not using this new (to me) site correctly? Or perhaps the ship has stopped broadcasting position for some reason?

The reason I ask is that I need to know where in Basel the ship will be docking at the end of your cruise, and I was hoping to use vesselfinder then to find out.

FuelScience - When I check River Navigator on vesselfinder, it shows last position was Riedenburg (between Regensburg and Nurenburg) at 19:56 on July 22. It's been stuck on that for a couple of days. But Shmoo reports he's on schedule, well west of that point, en route to Bamberg.

 

Is that what you see, or am I not using this new (to me) site correctly? Or perhaps the ship has stopped broadcasting position for some reason?

 

The reason I ask is that I need to know where in Basel the ship will be docking at the end of your cruise, and I was hoping to use vesselfinder then to find out.

I see that too.....I was using shipfinder.com and that shows ship in Cologne.

FuelScience - When I check River Navigator on vesselfinder, it shows last position was Riedenburg (between Regensburg and Nurenburg) at 19:56 on July 22. It's been stuck on that for a couple of days. But Shmoo reports he's on schedule, well west of that point, en route to Bamberg.

 

Is that what you see, or am I not using this new (to me) site correctly? Or perhaps the ship has stopped broadcasting position for some reason?

 

The reason I ask is that I need to know where in Basel the ship will be docking at the end of your cruise, and I was hoping to use vesselfinder then to find out.

Funny you should ask. If you look for a thread I started earlier today titled "Marinetraffic and Vesselfinder," you'll find your answer. The sites do not have complete coverage, and their coverage differs.

FuelScience

Hello, again.

Weather has definitely turned cooler and windier. Since Wurzburg, we've had rain and extremely strong winds. Yesterday, (excursion from Frankfurt to Heidelberg) it rained fairly hard in Frankfurt, and spotty in Heidelberg. And COLD!

Today in Rudesheim, again, strong winds, but mostly sunny. Now cruising and looking at castles left and right enroute to Cologne.

Trip almost over :(

Shmoo,

Thanks again for posting. Enjoy the castles and the remaining days of your cruise. We leave for Amsterdam later today and will board the Navigator on Friday!

FuelScience

Shmoo, weather doesn't sound all that great, but at least you're not baking in 92F-degree heat, like Basel was a week or so ago (and where I'll be in a couple of weeks). And the rain must be improving the water-level situation.:)

Hello, again.

 

Weather has definitely turned cooler and windier. Since Wurzburg, we've had rain and extremely strong winds. Yesterday, (excursion from Frankfurt to Heidelberg) it rained fairly hard in Frankfurt, and spotty in Heidelberg. And COLD!

 

Today in Rudesheim, again, strong winds, but mostly sunny. Now cruising and looking at castles left and right enroute to Cologne.

 

Trip almost over :(

Shmoo: How did you like the Ossuary and Kutna Hora?

Shmoo: How did you like the Ossuary and Kutna Hora?

We didn't go there.

Back home now. Trying to get laundry done and readjust our day/night rhythm.

We didn't go there.

 

Back home now. Trying to get laundry done and readjust our day/night rhythm.

Welcome home, I don't know why, I thought you were taking the extension to Prague and the optional from Prague to Kutna Hora. Must be thinking about someone else....:)

Welcome home, I don't know why, I thought you were taking the extension to Prague and the optional from Prague to Kutna Hora. Must be thinking about someone else....:)

No, we did the pre-cruise extension to Transylvania. Couldn't really to do the Prague extension, as it would fall in the middle of the two cruises (Bucharest/Budapest & Budapest/Bonn). :)

No, we did the pre-cruise extension to Transylvania. Couldn't really to do the Prague extension, as it would fall in the middle of the two cruises (Bucharest/Budapest & Budapest/Bonn). :)

I wish I could remember who I told about Kutna Hora and the Ossuary. :confused: She said she was going and I really want to know how she liked it.

No, we did the pre-cruise extension to Transylvania. Couldn't really to do the Prague extension, as it would fall in the middle of the two cruises (Bucharest/Budapest & Budapest/Bonn). :)

Shmoo- Did you enjoy your pre-cruise in Transylvania? We are signed up as a post-trip when we do Bucharest-Rousse next year, so interested in anything you have to say.

Also, did you sign up for the optional tour to Sighisoara?

Thanks.

Shmoo- Did you enjoy your pre-cruise in Transylvania? We are signed up as a post-trip when we do Bucharest-Rousse next year, so interested in anything you have to say.

 

Also, did you sign up for the optional tour to Sighisoara?

 

Thanks.

Yes, we really enjoyed the Transylvanian add-on. I'm not sure what I expected there, but was quite amazed at the modernity of the area in such a short time since communism was removed. Our city host was somewhat apologetic that they hadn't made more advancements, but we told him to stop apologizing, that everything we had seen was quite remarkable in just 25 years.

Yes, we did Sighisoara. Actually we did all the optional tours available on our cruises.

We were housed at the Aero Palace Hotel in Brasov for 3 nights. Very centrally located.

Shmoo- Thanks.

Sighisoara trip, was that a real long day on the bus? It sounds great from what I've read. If you've been to Rothenburg, how would you compare them?

I also wouldn't mind trying to get with a local guide on that 'free' day and have them take us out into the countryside, and wander through some of the smaller towns.

Since it'll be at the end of the trip for us, it might be nice to do a easy pace, just wander kinda day.

And just curious, do you think thing you'll do another river cruise, or ocean cruise next? What part about river cruising really stood out to you?

Thanks.

Shmoo- Thanks.

Sighisoara trip, was that a real long day on the bus? It sounds great from what I've read. If you've been to Rothenburg, how would you compare them?

 

I also wouldn't mind trying to get with a local guide on that 'free' day and have them take us out into the countryside, and wander through some of the smaller towns.

Since it'll be at the end of the trip for us, it might be nice to do a easy pace, just wander kinda day.

 

And just curious, do you think thing you'll do another river cruise, or ocean cruise next? What part about river cruising really stood out to you?

 

Thanks.

If you're asking about Rothenberg ob der Taber, IMO, I don't think they're at all comparable. Rothenberg (just there a week ago) is a cute little middle ages town, compact, but really commercialized (compared to what it was 30 years ago). Sighisoara is a small, still basically "themed" village that (at least while we were there) seemed to have many school groups visiting. Yes, there were other tour groups, but it didn't seem as commercialized as Rothenberg.

It was about 1 1/2 hours (each way) on the bus from Brasov to Sighisoara. Depending on your tolerance level, that can be too long, or not that bad.

Yes, we will do more river cruises, but I think the ocean cruising will figure more prominently in our future than river cruising. The thing that struck me the most was we (everyone onboard) basically were always in the same place, doing the same things. Unlike the big ship cruising, where everyone can opt to do different things. This cruise may have had a bit of a different "feel" than most of the cruises, however (I can't say for sure, as this was our first). The ship had 127 passengers from Bucharest to Budapest (70 of which did the pre-cruise add on). In Budapest, 22 got off and 21 "new" cruisers joined us for the Budapest to Bonn cruise (I believe that 37 of the cruisers at the end of the cruise did the Amsterdam add on). So, we really got to know everyone quite well. The crew did some changes in the middle, and we changed Concierge in Budapest, also, but had the same Cruise Director for the whole thing.

If you're asking about Rothenberg ob der Taber, IMO, I don't think they're at all comparable. Rothenberg (just there a week ago) is a cute little middle ages town, compact, but really commercialized (compared to what it was 30 years ago). Sighisoara is a small, still basically "themed" village that (at least while we were there) seemed to have many school groups visiting. Yes, there were other tour groups, but it didn't seem as commercialized as Rothenberg.

Very interesting....we loved Rothenberg ob der Tauber! Although I have to admit the unexpected (even to our TM) Medieval Fest they were having was a delightful surprise!!! I didn't feel commercialized, I thought the cafes and shops were perfect and we had an absolute blast at the festival. Where is Sighisoara? I've never heard of it.

Very interesting....we loved Rothenberg ob der Tauber! Although I have to admit the unexpected (even to our TM) Medieval Fest they were having was a delightful surprise!!! I didn't feel commercialized, I thought the cafes and shops were perfect and we had an absolute blast at the festival. Where is Sighisoara? I've never heard of it.

It's about 70 miles northwest of Brasov, Romania.