pontac

We halve scones, butter them and then put jam on top. Eat the two halves separately. Couldn't put them back together, even if we wanted to, as they'd be too big to go in the mouth. But I suppose it depends in how much the scone has risen in cooking -- or how big the mouth is! If you're having them with clotted cream, try one half with cream first and jam on top, other half with jam first and clotted cream on top and decide which you prefer, the Devon way or the Cornish way. My scones

I don't like cream. At home we have butter an home made jam on our scones. On our recent flight back, after our Seine River cruise, from Paris on BA they served warm scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. So I just had the jam.

Over 2 hours seems an unusually long time. If you should return I suggest you'll get a quicker service in Aquavit because few people are there and largest table is for 4. In the last cruises where there was a buffet in Aquavit very long slow queues built up because people chatted with the chef and or dithered about what to take.

"TUI passengers are demanding their money back after a £2,000-a-head cruise failed to dock in a third of the ports it was scheduled to because of a broken propeller. The travel operator’s “Rhine Gems” cruise, was scheduled to visit eight cities in Germany, Switzerland, and France on August 26. However, the ship only reached one country, with 155 passengers on board left stuck in Frankfurt for three nights. More than 100 travellers have joined a messaging group on WhatsApp to demand their money back." https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/prisoner-passengers-left-thousands-out-of-pocket-after-cruise-ship-breaks-down/ar-AA1raR7D I wonder how successful the passengers will be as I suspect TUI's T&Cs absolve them of responsibility for such mishaps.

It's like a British scone, but without being sweet. In Britain scones are the source of two arguments 1) Should they be pronounced to rhyme with 'cone' or 'gone'. On is a northern British pronunciation while own is a Southern British pronunciation. I'm a southerner and I make s-cones, but my Northern wife never eats them, she eats sc-ons. 2) Do you top them with cream first and then jam or jam first and then cream. One is the Cornish way, one is the Devon way. Our own dear Queen was dragged into the controversy. The Queen settles scone debate on whether jam or cream should go first | The Independent | The Independent As The Independent newspaper said "Scones might just be the most controversial baked good of our time."

I haven't been on AMA only Viking but I can say that max sized European Viking boats on the Rhine, Danube & Main have a max of 190 passengers. Boats on the Douro, Elbe & Seine are smaller and have less capacity. The Aquavit lounge offers a menu identical to the main dining room at both lunch and dinner. In fine weather the menu is also served on tables in the open on the prow. (This wasn't always so, Aquavit did use to have a limited buffet.)

Enjoy your cruise. As the cook, I really enjoy cruising because I don't have to choose the meals, or buy the ingredients, or prepare and cook them, or lay the table, open and pour the wine, and then clear the table, wash the pots & pans, and stack the dishwasher. Instead it's all done for me. I can relax with a glass of Champagne beforehand, walk into the restaurant and decide what to pick from the menu to eat and drink. Then walk out when finished, and someone else will clean up while I watch the scenery going by. Bliss

I wonder if any river cruise line is. They all suffered during Covid when they didn't get any revenue because people couldn't travel abroad. On our first Scenic cruise in 2022 we were sent a quality back-pack and luggage tags and had a car & chauffeur to take us to the airport and to bring us home. In 2024 we got nothing. Maybe that's because they're successful? My two Scenic cruises were 75% and 63.8% full. My recent 2024 Viking cruise was 92.4% full. But I wish you the joy of finding a new cruise line. We too are looking at others; not because we're unhappy with Viking but because we've been on most of their cruises, most more then once, and want to experience different shore excursions. I can't face Kinderdijk again!! I look forward to reading your future cruise reports

Fully agree about the chef, and would go further than it varying between ships as chefs have time off when their place on a ship is taken by another chef. As a frequent cruiser with Viking I also see how different chefs interpret the same dish, as menus are determined by HQ and some of the popular dishes appear across several years. Also, I suppose on the quality of ingredients local suppliers deliver.

I've not travelled with Gate 1 as they don't sell cruises in the UK but I have cruised many times with Viking. I have photographs of Viking's lunch and dinner menus in my trip reports, see my most recent here Trip Report - Tulips & Windmills cruise on Viking Ve 27 March – 5 April 2024 - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community We are wine drinkers and Viking includes wines, beers and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, which I understand Gate 1 don't - which is one reason for them being cheaper. You may also be interested in this Cruise Critic article highlighting plus and minus points of Gate 1 river cruises: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles/why-gate-1-travel-is-the-river-cruise-line-for-you

Viking UK have again advertised free silver spirits drink package on new bookings for 2025 European river cruises for U3A* members and friends. I'm a U3A member: as my friend all you need to do to get the package is phone Viking on 0800 101 3500 and quote 'U3A' when you book a 2025 European river cruise. There is no expiry date given. This advertisement is on a back cover of the Autumn 2024 issue of U3A Matters magazine. They advertised a similar offer in the Spring 2024 magazine (that had an expiry date) and I booked a 2025 cruise. There asked no questions, just immediately gave the package when I said U3A. (I have no connection with Viking, except as a customer; this post is to alert those who are intending booking a Viking Cruise and who haven't seen the advertisement) *for info on U3A see https://www.u3a.org.uk/

Wine List The included wine list is not large, but you can pick any of them anytime For wine enthusiasts, check the description of the Sauternes ...... Cuvee of Welschriesling and Chardonnay? Not possible. After I spoke with the restaurant manager new wine lists were in place the following day. All credit to the restaurant manager who'd checked the winery website. He told me the wine list came from HQ. The corrected entry

Some you select before you board, others you sign up for on-board and cruise director works out the logistics of ensuring there's enough transport and guides, e.g. does an excursion need one or two coaches. The two cruises we took this year didn't have full occupancy, so it was possible to select an excursion one hadn't booked or change one you have booked. Also, the port talk the previous evening stressed mobility problems, so some people dropped out so those had vacancies. You won't know if the boat is fully occupied before you board, so I suggest you book the excursions you prefer in advance. You can get snacks at the bar in the lounge. Also there is a room service menu on the in-room TV. But there's no proper place to eat in in the aquarium rooms, in the balcony rooms there are two chairs and a low table. I don't know about the suites.

Daily Schedules

Summary This cruise was titled Romantic Rhine & Moselle yet we spent only two nights on the Moselle. If we hadn’t gone to Antwerp, which isn’t on the Rhine, and spent a night there we could, and IMO should, have cruised to and stayed in Trier. Then those that wanted a tour there could walk off the boat, and we could all do so for the evening ‘enrichment’ concert. Instead the plan was to moor at Bernkastel, one hours coach ride away, meaning those who booked the morning excursion to Trier would spend two hours in a coach, only to spend another two hours in a coach to attend the evening concert. However, that was as advertised. Instead we didn’t stop in Bernkastel but far from it at Schweich. One expects problems causing last minute deviations from plans, but the explanation that Scenic Jasper didn’t have the correct electrical connection for Bernkastel would mean that Scenic knew from the start that the boat couldn’t moor there overnight and still put an unsuitable boat on that route. The on-board team didn’t adjust timings to cater for the change of mooring, and seemed to be making it up on the hoof. What I liked: The cabin balcony which was fully glazed and could be opened offered a nice quiet space to read, away from the fierce air-conditioning and intrusive recorded music in the lounge. Having a butler bring glasses of Champagne and nibbles to the room before dinner. Buffet self-service at lunchtime so you could see what was on offer and build your own salads. All tips included, on board and on excursions All drinks included (except for some) What I didn’t like: Stairs to Lounge and Dining Room from all decks. Lack of handrails on both sides all the way on side stairs to the sundeck. Front stairs to sundeck were open, metal and very scary. Also it’s in Panorama Lounge so there's a large opening that lets in cold air and rain into the Panorama Lounge. Clutter on front sun deck: metal bins on sides and in middle. Soap & shampoo dispensers fixed to wall in bathroom. Lack of nightlight and heated mirror in bathroom. Gang plank with slack rope ‘handrails’. Single public hot drinks machine. Not having a clearly visible rep at the airport, and the delay getting the taxi-driver. My ideal would be Viking airport service, and Scenic service on a Viking Longship. The only advantage the ScenicSpace ship has is the cabin balcony that can be fully glazed. Of course Scenic has e-bikes and pools on most boats but we use neither.

Day 9 – Tuesday 13 August 2024 When we woke we are moored at Schweich, but all we could see from the boat were fields, trees and bridges across the river. Mooring at Schweich: https://what3words.com/scrapes.paparazzi.seamlessly There were choices of a walking tour or tasting at Bernkastel or a visit to Trier. We had booked the wine tasting. Instead of strolling into town from the boat, as we had on our previous Moselle cruise, we were bussed for 40 minutes to Bernkastel. We had a very brief visit to the town square then 35 minutes of ‘freetime’. Then we were walked across the bridge to Weingut Wegeler for a tasting of their wines. We were joined by passengers from Scenic Opal, sister ship of Jasper, which was moored in Bernkastel. Weingut Wegeler was founded in 1882 by Julius Wegeler, who worked for Deinhard. In 1900 he bought the famed steep ‘Doctor’ vineyard high above Bernkastel. The company is now owned by the fourth generation and has a winery in the Rheingau and the one we visited in the Moselle. We tasted: 2023 SLATE VDP Riesling Trocken (€12.90) made from a blend of grapes picked early from younger vines across the less well known company vineyards. A dry light wine. 2022 ORTSWEIN VDP Bernkastel Riesling Kabinett (€16.90). Only 9% abv, early picked with more body and flavour than the previous. The host called it “lemonade for adults”. 2020 DOCTOR VDP Grosslage Rielsing Spatlese (€50). This late harvest wine came from old vines, some more than 100 years old, growing in the vineyard on the steep hill behind Bernkastel. Some people bought wines but the tasting confirmed that Riesling is not for me. The coach to take us back to the ship was outside the winery. Lunch was a German buffet; there was no menu. Dinner was two hours early at 17:00 for an 18:45 departure to Trier for an ‘enrichment’ concert in Liebfrauenkirche. Because we weren’t moored at Bernkastel the ride to Trier was much shorter, taking only 20 minutes. The coach spent time driving around Trier while our guide pointed out some sites, then parked. We were led a roundabout route to the church which we couldn’t enter and were told we had 45 minutes freetime until 20:15. This upset everyone, especially those that had been on this morning’s Trier excursion and had already had freetime in Trier. The shops were now closed. After we disembarked the boat was to head back to Bernkastel where we would join it after the concert. Waiting for the concert There was no need of such an early dinner, departure or free time. It appeared the reason we had to wait was for the arrival of Scenic Opal passengers who were coming from Bernkastel, where we should have moored. One more example of poor organisation. A peculiar thing happened at the concert. It was a hot airless day and we were looking forward to entering the cool church, but it was as warm inside as out and there was no air movement. Opal passengers opened bamboo fans and when Jasper passengers asked where they’d got them, were shown the Scenic name printed on the fan. They’d been given them onboard. The Jasper Enrichment Manager who’d accompanied us was asked by several people where their fans we and he said he knew nothing about fans; he’d never seen them. The concert had a total of 13 musical items played and sung alternatively by a lively trio of violin, double bass and piano and a choir of 11 singers with an organist and conductor. During the 65 minute concert we heard thunder rumbling in the distance and when we came out we saw lightning and felt winds and our Enrichment Manager took us to a nearby restaurant to have a glass of Riesling till the storm passed. However the Opal customers walked the short distance to their coaches. After 40 minutes or so we were led to the coaches while lightning and thunder continued. Instead of taking the motorway to Bernkastel the coach went on back roads, and we eventually boarded the boat at 23:30 at Piersport, not at a regular mooring but on the riverbank. The boat cast off once all passengers were back on board. There were snacks to eat but I had a glass of Champagne, ate some Pringles and went to bed. So we spent a total of 4h45 for a 65 minute concert. Next day I asked the Cruise Director why we hadn’t moored in Bernkastel as scheduled. She said that Bernkastel didn’t allow the use of shipboard generators at night and that Jasper needed a double electricity feed which Bernkastel didn’t have. I noted the sister ship Opal was moored there and was told that boat has a different electric feed. If this is so, it means that Scenic operates a boat that it knows cannot meet the advertised programme. The boarding at Piersport was because the boat had been delayed by locks and couldn’t get to Bernkastel till past midnight. Day 10 – Thursday 14 August 2024 Most of the day was spent cruising back down the Moselle toward Koblenz where we were scheduled to moor at 13:30. We arrived at 16:00, partly delayed by a wait at the Koblenz lock. We moored at Dock 5, with starboard next to the land and as we were not rafted had a river view from our port side cabin. The tours set off almost two hours late at 16:20. We took the walking tour of Koblenz which had a good knowledgeable local guide. Tarte all Rattatouille Raspberry Delice Fresh Fruits Dinner was set back an hour to 20:00 We stayed overnight at Koblenz - https://what3words.com/segments.ruled.starch Day11 – Friday 15 August 2024 The boat cast off 07:15 to cruise north up the Rhine, passing Lorelei Rock, through the Middle Rhine and its multitude of castles. We arrived at Rudesheim and moored port side to bank at 13:50. Mooring at Rudesheim: https://what3words.com/oboes.schemers.surface Siegfrieds Music Cabinet Museum We took the excursion to Siegfrieds Music Cabinet and were taken there by land train. This is a private museum in a 15th Century mansion containing old musical machines which the founder had rescued and restored to working order. https://smmk.de/en/home.html Siegfrieds was amazing. We were split in two groups and led by a top-hatted English speaking guide through the many rooms of an ancient hose housing all sorts of mechanical music machines. The largest were great cabinets that housed instruments and which replaced bands in hotels and restaurants. They, in their turn, were replaced by recorded music, and the guide demonstrated cylinder records and early gramophones. Along the way we saw and heard pianos operated by punched paper rolls and hurdy-gurdy street machines. I didn’t expect much and this amazing place put on a show for us and stunned with its music machines. If you get the chance to go, grab it. And kudos to Scenic for supporting it. Scenic cabin keys were accepted as tickets for the cable car that went over vineyards to the gigantic Germania statue on the cliff edge overlooking the Rhine. We had seen this statue from our boat on previous Rhine cruises; now we stood next to it. After the cable car ride back, we could wait for the road-train back to the boat or walk. We walked down a narrow street packed with restaurants and back to the boat which was now rafted on the outside. At 18:45 dinner was BBQ on the sun-deck. Actually it’s a griddle on which were cooked two types of sausage, small sirloin steaks, pork steaks, chicken breasts etc. There were jacket potatoes, butter rice, mixed vegetables, salads and breads, plus gravy, BBQ sauce, sweet chilli sauce, grains and ordinary mustard. A long slow queue for food trailed around the sundeck. We got sunburned, pestered by wasps, and had smoke in our eyes. We agreed that, if there is a next time, we’ll eat in a restaurant in the town. The boat left Rudesheim at 21:45 Day12 – Saturday 16 August 2024 The boat arrived at Mannheim around 06:45. https://what3words.com/icicles.forgot.central Prince Electors Palace There were two excursions to Heidelberg but we took the third to Bad Durkheim with a wine tasting. The coach got us there too early so the local guide had to extemporise for 25 minutes with a walk through the gardens of what was the Prince Electors Palace. The building now houses a casino. Crossing the mineral stream Bad in German means bath, so Bad Durkheim is a spa town. The town has springs which feed a small salt and mineral rich river –including the metallic element caesium - running through it that is said to be good for health and the town houses several sanatoriums using water drawn from the river and springs. Graduation Tower Our first visit was to the Graduation Tower where water from the river dribbles through thick bunches of blackthorn twigs. In the process, water evaporates leaving salts on the twigs which can be removed and used. The Graduation Tower is enormous, over 300 metres long and towers above one. Unfortunately it doesn’t now collect the salts and it recycles water as a demonstration. After plenty of time to admire the Tower, we crossed a car park to Fitz-Ritter winery. The owner’s wife is American and she greeted us with a reviving Sauvignon Blanc trocken 2023 and an introductory talk. She said they had 35 vineyards with the largest being 8ha and some being very small and they grow seven different varieties. They are the seventh generation of the family to run the winery. She had just returned from the USA and then retired to bed. The local guide took us down to the cellar for a tasting, starting with a glass of Fitz Ritter Sekt Extra Trocken. An ancestor went to Champagne returning with a winemaker to show them how to make bottle fermented sparkling wine. Sekt being the German name for such wine, as they (and every other sparkling wine producer) said they couldn’t use the word Champagne. Then we went upstairs to the tasting room for a glass of Fitz Ritter Durkheimer Spielberg Chardonnay 2022. This was oaked (too much oak for my taste) then after a brief walk through the gardens and neighbouring vineyard we returned to the boat for lunch. The boat left Mannheim at 14:15. Apple Strudel Day13 – Friday 17 August 2024 When we woke the boat was moored in an industrial area at Kehl. https://what3words.com/shave.passion.marbles There were two excursions to Strasbourg, but we took the one that went at 08:30 to Alsace Wine Region. First we had a guided walk through the town of Obernai. Then we went to Domain Albert Seltz in the village of Mittelbergheim - https://www.albert-seltz.fr Albert Seltz Albert himself greeted us and presented the tasting. He is amusing and very, very opinionated. He made bold, sometimes outrageous, statements and is passionate about organics and his wines were just as distinctive. The domain has been making wine since 1576, but when the local grape Sylvaner became unfashionable and replaced by other varieties Albert Seltz took a stand for the grape that ancestors of the area had grown and he went to court to get Sylvaner recognised as a Grand Cru appellation. His wines were so complex and multi-layered and unlike any I’d had of those varieties. They were really exciting. We tasted Albert Seltz Sylvaner Grand Cru Vieilles Vignes 2018 AOC Albert Seltz Riesling Brandluft 2016 AOC Albert Seltz Pinot Gris Grand Cru Zotzenberg 2018 AOC Albert Seltz Gewurtztraminer Cru Zotzenberg 2018 AOC. Price of above wines was between €25 and €50 a bottle, and there were several takers. Albert said that if we didn’t like a wine it was because we didn’t understand it, and we should never say ‘I don’t like this wine’, instead we should say ‘I don’t understand it’. He was the 14th generation of his family to run the winery, and he’d changed its name from his father’s to his, and expected that his son would do likewise in turn. We walked back through the quiet village to the coach and back to the ship for lunch, where the boat was now rafted to starboard with Emerald Destiny. The menu listed Rigatoni all Arrabiata, spicy tomato sauce. But the sauce was plain tomato: it didn’t contain any chilli that is a requirement of Arrabiata. The chef said some people didn’t like spiciness so they just served a plain tomato sauce. I suggested that people who didn’t like spice wouldn’t ask for Arrabiata especially when the menu said it was spicy. He shrugged. In the afternoon there were shuttles to/from Strasbourg and at 17:00 two entertainers gave an entrancing musical show with 50 hand bells. These were cow-bell shape and shaken downward. This was followed by the dreaded ‘disembarkation talk’ where the assumption is that all the passengers are so thick that everything needs to be explained in excruciating detail. Mushroom & Vegetable Tartar Slow roasted beef tenderloin During the Gala Dinner the boat departed for Breisach. Day14 – Saturday 18 August 2024 When we woke the boat was moored at Breisach, rafted on portside to Avalon Vista which luckily had its exit at the same level as ours so we could walk through their reception. https://what3words.com/shove.hyphen.alligators This was in an industrial area some 15 minutes walk from Breisach town. Our policy on excursions is that, unless it was to somewhere we really wanted to go, we’d pick wine tastings or the latest departing excursion. Kaiserstuhl wine tasting was also the latest departing of three excursions at 09:30. The coach took a scenic route, making a stop on high so we could get out to look at a vine clad valley below. But drizzle and low cloud obscured the view then a heavy burst of rain sent us back to the coach. The tasting was at Oberbergen cooperative in Kaiserstull - https://www.bassgeige-wein.de The co-operative was founded after WW I because grape growers couldn’t afford winemaking equipment of their own. Then every village had its own cooperative to which every grape grower belonged, now there are 15-20% private wineries. Oberbergen’s buildings are on either side of the road and a foot tunnel connects them. We tasted Oberbergen Baßgeige Muller Thurgau Trocken 2023 QbA Oberbergen Baßgeige Grauer Burgunder Kabinett Trocken 2023 QbA (Pinot Gris) Oberbergen Baßgeige Spatburgunder 2022 QbA (Pinot Noir) The wines ranged in price from €5.45 to €7.45 a bottle. The wines were bland, the red had been sweetened and I did not ‘understand it’. The Kaiserstull region gets its name from German King Otto III who conquered Italy to become the Holy Roman Emperor. The boat departed for Basel at 14:50 Truffle Scented Chicken Casserole Veal Stew 'Zurich Style' Aargauer Rueblitorte Day15 – Sunday 18 August 2024 When we woke we were moored in an industrial complex on the Swiss side of the Rhine on the edge of Basel. https://what3words.com/zips.imitate.metals View from front of Scenic Jasper Although our documentation said the cabins had to be vacated at 09:00, we were told 08:30. Our flight was at 12:20, the taxi for the airport left at 09:15 for the 30 minute drive through Basel to the airport. Viking passengers were already in the line for checkin, fussed over by a Viking rep in his bright red fleece. When he saw one of our arriving Scenic group had mobility problems he got her a wheelchair, pushed her to the front of checkin, loaded her bags onto the conveyor belt, then pushed her through security. There was no Scenic rep. And so ended our Romantic Rhine & Moselle cruise There had been some great parts, there had been some that could have been better.

‘Romantic Rhine & Moselle’ - Scenic Jasper - Amsterdam>Basel 5-19 August 2024 This was our 17th river cruise, and the third with Scenic. Our previous cruise ended in July 2024 and was with Scenic in the Douro. The previous two Scenic boats were shorter ones designed for particular rivers. This was the first full-sized ‘Scenic Spaceship’ but Scenic’s fleet isn’t all one design. Scenic Jasper is, with Opal & Amber, one of three in that class. But even so, it appears that there are technical differences. This was the most chaotic and disorganised trip – so much so that Mrs P is refusing to go on any more Scenic cruises. How much is the fault of Scenic and how much was the fault of the local team, I don’t know. It was a 15 day cruise so we got to know the staff, and they knew our likes. Mrs P chose the cruise because it was two weeks, and it was heavily discounted. We've cruised twice from Basel to Amsterdam, so chose to do it the other way around. We also had fond memories of the Moselle, which we cruised Basel to Trier in 2022 with Viking We had a balcony cabin in the middle desk on the port side and made full use of the balcony, as the air-con in the public areas was very cold, and loud recorded music didn’t stop. There were 104 passengers. The capacity is 163, so there were 59 people fewer than there could have been. Our previous Scenic cruise was 75% full, this was 63.8%. Nationality breakdown by passport was:- 1 Indonesia (but lives in Australia) 4 Germany (3.8%) 8 USA (7.7%) 18 Canada (17.3%) 32 UK (30.8%) 41 Australia (40.4% - includes Indonesian) Trip Review The cruise covered 1148 kilometres passing through 35 locks. All timing use the 24 hour clock, thus 07:00 is 7am and 19:00 is 7pm. Mooring locations are identified by a What3Words square. What3Words have divided the world into 3 metre squares and given each square a unique combination of three words. To see the location click the what3words link. You can switch between map and satellite view. Daily Schedules at end Day 1 – Monday 5 August 2024 We arrived early at Amsterdam at 14:00 after a 40 minute flight from London and I had hope of getting to the ship before the embarkation buffet closed at 15:00. After speedily passing immigration the baggage carousel sign showed a 30 minute wait for bags from our flight. When we finally had our bags and exited via customs we were faced with reps from Viking, Ama and Avalon. But not Scenic. A Viking rep suggested going to the Meeting Point which is on the railway station concourse, but although we could see Ama and Avalon reps in distinctive clothing surrounded by passengers we could not find a Scenic rep. We went back to the arrivals exit where another couple were also looking for Scenic. They phoned the Scenic emergency number and after being shunted around a while were told the rep should be at the Meeting Point. We agreed that we’d stay at arrivals and they would go to the Meeting Point and if they didn’t return we’d assume they’d found the rep and we would again go the Meeting Point. They didn’t return so was went again to the Meeting Point. We couldn’t see the rep but we did see them and then we saw the rep next to a pillar. The rep was wearing a black polo shirt with the word Scenic on the left breast, hidden below her arm holding a mobile phone to her ear. She had her back to arrivals. Next to her was a luggage trolley with her shoulder bag and perched on that was a small black rectangle with Scenic written in white, also pointing away from Arrivals. After our names were ticked off she phoned the taxi driver who’d wandered off. All the passengers for Ama, Avalon and Viking had gone, leaving just us. Forty minutes later the taxi driver appeared and we got in a people carrier which left the airport at 15:50. Centraal Station, as seen from our cabin Two ocean cruisers were moored by the Movenpick hotel where river cruisers moored in April and we were moored closed to the Centraal Station. We took a much shorter walk than last time to have another dinner at Gaucho’s in Spuistraat. https://www.gauchosgrill.nl/en Overnight Location: Amsterdam - https://what3words.com/small.ends.parting Day 2 – Tuesday 6 August 2024 The boat rafted to us during the night left at 08:15 and we departed for Utrecht 20 minutes later. At 09:30 was the mandatory safety drill. Summoned by an alarm we went to the sundeck where we were handed a lifejacket, which the crew fastened, we gave our cabin number to be checked off and our lifejackets were unfastened and taken back by a crew member. Back in the lounge the Cruise Director gave a talk on the first four ‘Free Choice’ excursions and we had a form to select the ones we wanted to go on. We moored at Utrecht at 11:30 https://what3words.com/surround.subtle.panic Utrecht Canal The walking tour of Utrecht left at 14:00 and returned at 17:15, with the boat leaving to head to Veere at 17:30. Dinner tonight was the Welcome Gala Dinner, preceded by the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail in the lounge (which we didn’t attend). Gala Dinner Lamb Rack There was a general knowledge quiz in the lounge afterwards in which we were one of three finalists, losing on the tiebreaker which wanted the length of the Titanic in metres. Day 3 – Wednesday 7 August 2024 The boat arrived at Veere about 06:00, rafted on the port side to MS Normandie, a Dutch river cruiser much shorter than Scenic Jasper so our cabin view wasn’t obstructed. https://what3words.com/extremes.rang.bronze Harbour at Veere We took the walking tour in intermittent rain showers which left at the civilised time of 09:30. Veere is a small, not particularly interesting, town of brick houses with a small harbour that used to be important. We were back on board at 10:40 After lunch one could wander into the town again but we stayed on board for a Dixie quartet who were jolly good. Belgians playing and singing American Dixie on an Australian owned ship to an audience of Australians, Brits, North Americans and Germans. The boat sailed for Antwerp about 15:45 and we had a delightful afternoon sitting at the bow outside the glassed panorama lounge while the boat sailed across the Mere occasionally sounding its horn to warn off boats in its path. Day 4 – Thursday 8 August 2024 When we woke we were moored in Antwerp, rafted on the port side to Phoenix Alina. A Regent ocean cruiser was at our expected mooring spot by the Margrave’s castle. https://what3words.com/leaned.putter.teachers The Margrave’s Castle, Antwerp It was a 15 minute walk to the place where the walking tour commenced, at the Margrave’s Castle. There were closer places on the quayside but the bank was being renovated and we were told river boats weren’t insured to moor there. Statue of Rubens in front of the Cathedral that hold four gigantic paintings by him There were excursions to Ypres & Passchendale (2 hours by coach) and (Bruges 90 minutes by coach) but we took the walking tour of Antwerp. We learned the city name comes from a legend about chopping off and throwing a hand. The walking tour covered the same ground as the excursion we had done with Viking earlier in the year with the major – and puzzling – absence of entry to the cathedral to see the four gigantic Rubens paintings. If one knew about them, one could use freetime or return after lunch. An American couple went to the diamond area for bargains but later told me they didn’t buy anything because the prices were no cheaper than in the USA. We spent the afternoon relaxing in the Panorama Terrace. The Alina left at 17:00, and we sailed for Nijmegen around 18:45. Sate starter Tough slow-roasted pork tenderloin (I asked for a side of chips) The slow-roasted pork tenderloin at dinner was so tough I couldn’t cut it with the knife. Tarte tatin was delicious, especially with a glass of Sauternes This trip to Antwerp was another that added to our impression that this cruise was badly planned. Antwerp isn’t on the Rhine or Moselle and wasn’t on the way to our next destination. It did offer visits to Ypres and Bruges but the biggest group of passengers took the walking tours of Antwerp which didn’t include the jewels that are the Rubens paintings inside the Cathedral. It seemed to us that our short time in Antwerp was for marketing reasons to include Belgium and thus the boast that the cruise visited five countries. In my opinion the time taken on this side-trip would have been better spent on the Moselle. Day 5 – Friday 9 August 2024 We arrived at Nijmegen around 12:00, rafted on starboard to Phoenix Antonia which left at 14:00. https://what3words.com/drilled.chimp.tight We were booked on the Open Air Museum of historic houses, but didn’t go because it was raining. The skies cleared and by 16:30 it was sunny so we took a walk in Nijmegen. Nijmegen was heavily bombed in WWII. The cathedral was reconstructed and most of the city is modern, built since 1945. Scenic Jasper left Nijmegen for Dusseldorf around 21:45 Day 6 – Saturday 10 August 2024 We arrived at Dusseldorf at 09:05, moored portside to bank, not rafted and in a central position next to the old castle tower https://what3words.com/limiting.coarser.album It was overcast and cold in the morning. We took the walking tour and the sun came out. It was an informative enjoyable excursion covering both busy streets and quite parks with history lightly imparted. There were many football fans in town standing drinking beer at high pavement tables. The guide told us about Dusseldorf’s own drinks – both beers and non-alcoholic – and its mustards. After to tour I went to a mustard shop and bought a jar of Loewensenf Extra Hot Mustard. People who had taken the ‘Dusseldorf tour with Altbier tasting’ were dissatisfied that they had not had much of a tour of the city. Ancient advert on side of a bank. This will never happen, you must save your money After lunch we sat on the sundeck in the sun and wind. The boat left at 19:15, 90 minutes after schedule. Day 7 – Sunday 11 August 2024 We arrived at the Moselle at around 09:00 and waited at the Moselle lock at Koblenz. It was 13:10 when we exited the lock and we moored at Cochem around 17:30. In the morning we’d had a talk about upcoming FreeChoice excursions and we had to pick the ones we wanted to go on. Steep vineyard at Winninger Before dinner the restaurant manager presented a tasting in the lounge of four Moselle wines. He explained he’d bought them but hadn’t tasted them. He then read out some information about the Moselle wine region and tasting notes of the wines. He couldn’t pronounce some words and stumbled over others and it was clear he’d not written or previously read his script. The tasting was chaotic, with long queues to collect each glass of wine and dawdling to choose matching cheeses. It would have been better to for waiters to take trays of wines and cheeses around, and the tasting notes read before each wine was served. Pan fried veal scallopini with angel hair pasta When we returned to our cabin we found an invitation to Portobellos the following night We stayed overnight at Cochem. https://what3words.com/autonomy.ahead.touches Day 8 – Monday 12 August 2024 Ama Waterways boat rafted to our outer (starboard) side at 08:00. Reichstag Castle looks over Cochem. Well worth seeing but we'd been recently on a previous cruise There were four groups for the walking tour of Cochem. The Cruise Director divided us into those that wanted to go to the castle and those that wanted the walking tour. Two groups left in a mini coach for the Reichstag Castle. The two which expected a walking tour before the castle visit were dumbfounded when the walk simply consisted of crossing the bridge to get in minibuses to the castle. As we had been to the castle on a previous trip we mooched around on our own. Yet again organisation left a lot to be desired. The boat left Cochem at 12:00. The next – and final stop on Moselle - was supposed to be the picturesque town of Bernkastel. The famous Black Cat (Schwarze Katz) vineyard Tonight was our turn to dine in Portobellos (tables at front of the lounge). In the dining room one has a choice of food and wine, but it is a set menu in Portobellos. I would happily given it a miss but Mrs P wanted to go, so we did. This time we had an Italian menu. Our hosts all adopted Italian names and accents for as long as they could maintain them. The food was OK but the still wines were tremendous. The white, Sartori Marani Bianco Veronese IGT made from 100% Garganega, 30% dried and some aged on lees and some in 300L oak barrels then bottle aged for 6 months, had such a depth of flavour I couldn’t resist having refills. The red, 2020 Zeni Costalago Rosso Veronese IGT was a blend of 70% Corvina & Corvinone, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and again was a delicious complex wine. The Pontacs reach the dessert course in Portebellos

Veranda Suites - Viking use Veranda to clearly differentiate from French Balcony - are larger because they are two rooms. The bedroom has a FB and the sitting room has a veranda. There are also Veranda cabins, one room with a veranda. That's 205 sq ft, the suite is 275 sq ft so there's more room in a suite. So one can pay for a balcony and have more room than a FB (but less than a suite).

Look sceptically at claims the cruise lines make. You might have French Balcony - a floor to ceiling window which half slides open - but there might not be two seats in the cabin on which to sit. (French Balcony doesn't have a balcony outside , just a barrier so you can't fall out when open) With a proper balcony it may be too cold or wet to sit outside. When a boat is moving there is a draught, so what time of year you go is important. I like Scenic's balconies which have a sliding top half which allows you to sit on the balcony sheltered from rain and cold. That's become common nowadays. That's called rafting on this board. But even without rafting one side of the boat will be facing the riverbank. You may be lucky and be at a pontoon a few feet from the bank, you may be right at the bank with people walking by, you might be facing a concrete wall. Yes, it is common. Boats travel a large distance on most routes and have excursions during the day so to get from place to place they cruise at night. They arrange to sail during the day where the scenery is an attraction, such as the Middle Rhine, Wachau valley and Moselle. As has been said, there's no night sailing on the Douro, but the navigable part of the Douro is quite short, and most cruises cover it in 2 days there and two days back. Hard to say; only you know your budget. We have stayed in those rooms (called Aquarium class on this board), French Balcony and proper balcony rooms. Mrs P is too short to see out of the Aquarium class window and insisted we do not book them in future. Many people spend all day when on boat in the lounge. Gregarious people make friends and chat with them.

I have lived in the UK for many years and never ever heard of Christingle before reading of it here.

Yes I have been comparing companies for a proposed cruise next year, and I've done it in the past. I think one need to include the 'musts', and the 'nice to have' and I use a comments field for things the company offer that others don't which, though not a deal breaker, are nice and could be a tie breaker. But you don't list cost, number of days (I also divide no. of days into cost to get cost per day) and what type of cabin. Some lines don't have verandas, some do. Some place importance on cabin size. Gratuities included - minefield; for instance Viking include gratuities for UK customers but only on board, not for tour guides and coach drivers, whereas Scenic do. Nearly all cruise lines include air fare in prices for UK customers, so that's a given. Those that don't are noted in comments. Some of the websites obscure the nuts and bolts of what is actually included, I get the printed brochures which are easier and quicker to drill into. Offerings change from year to year, so I wouldn't rely on anything old.

My Viking Journey (MVJ) will state the cost of optional tours, also the start & end time; also it won't let you book two tours that clash. You have to go to MVJ to book included tours, so for example, if you book an included excursion that runs from 09:00 - 12:00 and then try to book an optional tour that runs 08:30 - 12:30 on the same day then it will tell you they clash and you can do only one. If you prefer the optional tour, then you unbook the included excursion and then you can book the optional. There's also full details of what all these excursions include. Most excursions are in the morning or afternoon timed so that you have time for lunch on the boat and are back in time for dinner. A few are all day excursions where lunch on the excursion may or may not be included. Note: the excursions are not available for booking until about 6-9 months in advance of the cruise. I suggest you book all included excursions; you don't have to go on them if you decide on the day but they have laid on enough coaches (where necessary) to include you. https://www.myvikingjourney.com/

I could tell you about meal times on Viking and Scenic but that doesn't tell you what the meal times are on Grand Circle. Both Viking and Scenic have daily talks before dinner about the following day's excursions. We rarely attend them because all you really need to know is what time they depart and that info is on the ticket/daily info sheet. Anyway as they only take 15 minutes or so, it hardly makes a difference to your free time if you are intending dining on board. Regarding sightseeing on your own, I don't know Grand Circle or where they stop. I suggest you look at Google Maps to see where the stops are and if there is a town on the river. We've stopped at Kehl to allow an excursion to Strasbourg, but that city is a coach ride away, so you can't stroll from the boat to Strasbourg. Both lines I have been on do a good job of excursions to sights at stops along the way with a local guide that shows you things that you probably wouldn't find on your own, they explain them and you can ask questions. If such excursions are included on your cruise, why not go on them? You've paid for them and if you're not satisfied just wander off and do your own thing; the excursions we've been on always have 'free time' so you can do just that.

Oh dear, I replied yesterday but it's not here. I posted a pic of a serial number on the side of the barge but I can't do it now as I am on the Seine. It does look like sand: I didn't get long to look as our boat was moving fast down river, but the barge looked like it had mounds of gravel, and when the scoop dumped it's contents it seemed there was a cloud of dust came off it.

I saw this on the Mosel between Bernkastel and Winnegen on 14 August 'Ah-ha' I thought, 'they're dredging the river'. But, no, it was the opposite. The barge was loaded with gravel which they were scooping up and dumping in the river. Now, why were they doing that? I wonder if @notamermaid, our expert on German rivers can explain.