Gourmet Gal

Doesn’t P2P already exclude air, transport and hotel? And what does otherwise be the same mean? The price is the same? Or just the cancellation terms?

You should be able to use the ship’s WiFi for calls onboard.

As you say, layers and make sure one is waterproof!

You could check with Kensington Tours or Jacada to see if they can assist with booking a local guide for a day. They both specialize in full service private guided journeys and they are outstanding but I’m not sure about just day tours. Otherwise, check in Ports of Call here on CC or by location on Tripadvisor.

Yes, rafting could be exhausting just to get to shore.

There’s a walking tour almost everyday on river cruises and terrain can be tricky, usually cobblestones. It’s really not ideal for anyone with mobility issues but I’ve seen some really hardy souls give it a supreme effort and they somehow manage. I will say though, that the Rhône cruises may have a bit less walking than say a Rhine or Danube cruise. A cruise with more of a culinary focus may be somewhat easier as there may be numerous indoor market tours and meals onshore.

We enjoyed Hungarikum Bisztro but I’m not sure how far that is from the Intercontinental. We stayed at the Four Seasons and it was an easy walk. We also enjoyed the bistro at FS, Kollázs Bisztro. If you have time and are really interested in Hungarian cuisine we took a fascinating culinary tour with a private guide. Let me know if you want details.

If there is something in a port or two that you really do not want to miss then perhaps it is better to book it yourself. I have a Japan cruise booked for 2026 and am planning to hire some guides I’ve used before and book food tours on my own in some ports. It’s also nice to have a little break from all the group touring. The included tours on my last SS cruise were such a mixed bag I was left rather unimpressed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they go back to a shorter window for booking excursions for the very reason sited above.

Another thing to look out for! But along with not guaranteeing excursions does SS also not guarantee their prices? Is there a disclaimer somewhere to that effect? I think one of my upcoming Select excursions has increased in price but I do not have the original listing. Sneaky!

Well, going forward everyone should do screen shots of their confirmed included excursions to use if one has to plead their case.

I have no advice for you but this seems to be a prevalent issue with converting included tours to Select. At the very least it is confusing for passengers and falls under the category of poor customer service.

I think you can do better with a new TA.

I’ve never noticed any special dishes on formal nights. If SS doesn’t make it special I’ve always had a hard time with the “formal” attire expectation.

That’s interesting. True that embarkation isn’t very rigid and in general the vibe is more relaxed but otherwise I find most river cruises to be extremely structured. If you board early your state room might not be ready but lunch and drinks should be available.

Different policies or are the standards on Nova, the newest in the fleet, actually the direction the entire line in going in?

It never hurts to have your own TA. Ask for recommendations from your friends - we aren’t allowed to recommend them here on CC. Once you have one, it’s true that on a river cruise there’s only limited use for OBC but if laundry isn’t included then you could use it there. Perhaps for upgraded wines and gift shop purchases or spa, if there is one onboard. But a good TA, especially one affiliated with one of the big consortiums Signature or Virtuoso or American Express can offer hotel perks such as breakfast, upgrades, credits and my favorite - early check-in and late check-out. That comes in handy when traveling overseas. These perks do not cost you extra. A good TA has traveled extensively and can make hotel, tour, transfer recommendations and bookings along with assisting and booking air. After cultivating a longterm relationship with my TA, she has comped hotel nights, complimentary tours and lovely gifts.

I never noticed exhaust from other ships. Anyway, this will be a very relaxing cruise.

A Rhine and Moselle itinerary is actually very nice. The Moselle is my favorite river, winding with steep hillsides like the Douro but much more interesting wineries and towns.

The Douro is pretty boring and unless you love port the wineries are nothing special. Lisbon and Porto are fantastic. Visit them on your own as it’s an easy and scenic drive between the two or hire a driver. The Rhine has interesting pre and post cruise possibilities.

Better to book in local currency. If you book in USD, you’ll pay a local bank conversion fee. Always pay in local currency and let your credit card company do the conversion.

It’s not unusual for the bowtie icon to show up fairly close to the sail date but in time to pack. Also, I believe the dress code on Nova and Ray includes formal-optional so not as strict as the rest of the fleet. There are rumors that it will roll out to the rest but no word on timing.

The cruise consultant informed me that the master suite next door is already booked and they don’t need that adjacent cabin. I’ve never heard of anyone being bumped from a cabin for that reason on SS…does that happen often? Seems like SS gets paid for all the space either way. Why would they do that?

We just booked 7080 on Nova. We like that it’s between stateroom floors, is aft, not high and close to the launderette. The only negative is that it adjoins to the suite next door. Can anyone comment on the potential for noise in adjoining cabins vs non-adjoining?

I recall we had a private guide in the Sistine Chapel and when we arrived in the packed chamber he took us directly to the AC vent in the floor near the center. Hopefully your guide can do the same!