pontac

We booked our second Scenic river cruise and got £100 each off as Welcome Home Discount - Gold - Voucher However Scenic no longer include backpack and transport to/from the airport that we had in 2022. Their websites says Gold benefits include: Welcome Home voucher to be redeemed on your next ultra-luxury cruise or land journey**, priority booking on pre-release land journey or cruises, Scenic Club members-only events and exclusive access to Scenic Wonder eMagazine. Never had eMagazine, any invitations to member events or info on pre-release cruises. (I quite frequently get invites to Viking member event, regularly get both Viking eMags and printed mags.)

I did this route with Viking. I didn't get any of their currencies. There were two nights in a hotel in Budapest and on night in a hotel in Bucharest where we had to get our own meals and we used Visa credit card. Other places we weren't in long enough to spend any money.

WIN!!!!

What the others have said, we used room only for sleeping and changing clothes. But my wife is shorter than me and she decided after we had had waterline cabin on two cruises that she didn't want to stay in them again as she was too short to see anything out of the window other than the sky. I'd suggest a veranda is not worth the extra as it'll be too cold to sit outside at Christmas.

The included half day excursions are between mealtimes, so morning excursions allow you to have breakfast and they are back in time for lunch, afternoon excursions allow you to have lunch on board and are back before dinner. See my trip report photos of Viking Daily front page for examples of info you get about timings - Yes. If bussing is needed then they'll be coaches at the closest point to the boat. If it's a walking tour the guide will be at the end of the boat's gangway. Most towns are by the end of the gangway. If not then take the Viking bus and tell the guide you're doing your own thing when you get to the town and check what time and where the coach back leaves. Or take a card from boat's reception with the address of the mooring to show to a taxi if you want to make your own way back. Viking Daily will state time boat leaves mooring but if doing your own thing double check with reception before leaving boat.

That was true of our cruise with Scenic (one of the things we didn't like about Scenic*) but OP said they were going on a Viking Cruise and Viking deliver a 4 page Viking Daily newsletter to the cabin every night during dinner. Front page has locations and timings of places to be visited the following day. Other pages have info about the cities and countries being visited. *(for our next trip with Scenic I am going to request of the 'butler' on the first day for a paper copy of the schedule to be in our cabin each day)

If you haven't paid in advance there il be an envelope placed in your room at the last evening for you to deposit cash, or you can pay with credit card at reception. We've never paid more than the recommended amount. (Nowadays gratuities are included on cruises booked in UK) Viking recommend a daily amount to tip drivers & excursion guides. Most people seem to think that is by excursion then over tip. The difference between the US and Europe is that drivers and tour guide are well paid with free health care & etc. Yes. But there can be a crew change. If you're thinking tipping, see my answer to 1. Your cruise is only 9 nights. I cannot think you'll have more stuff you need in a bathroom than there's space for. There's a shelf above the sink plus room for toothbrushes and toothpaste and a half length and a full length shelf below. You can see these in the 360 degree display Seems to be something people do on ocean cruises. What would you need them for? There are two hooks on the door you can hang outside coats on. You get a daily info sheet delivered to your room the evening before with the times of departures and excursions. That's all you need, and the work surface will keep that. I'm not sure the walls are magnetic as they're padded. I wouldn't waste any time thinking about this. One piece of advice? Relax and enjoy being pampered, being transported from place to place, having sightseeing organised for you. Don't worry, it's enjoyable and relaxing. That's why so many of us are return cruisers. Get out of arrival hall, meet the Viking reps in their red jackets and once you get on the coach you can leave it all to Viking till you take your bag out the coach at the airport at the other end. No cooking, no dishwashing no worries.

Boat stops right by the windmills. If you don't want to see them close up, there a gift shop and bicycle rental place. Nothing else there Boats moored right there, town at end of jetty. Strasbourg is a bus journey. Take the Viking coach in the morning for city tour either come back for lunch and take afternoon shuttles or stay in Strasbourg and come back on one of the afternoon shuttle, see Day 2 of trip report linked to below We were at Breisach on a Sunday and everything was closed. You moor by the city, centre is few minutes walk. Speyer has amazing technical museum few minutes walk from boat; see Day 3 of my trip report here - I've been on Viking twice from Basel to Amsterdam and once from Basel to Koblenz (and then along the Mosel. Timings going from Amsterdam> Basel will be different. You might like to read my report of second Basel>Amsterdam trip Viking Tialfi Cruise Ship: Review, Photos & Departure Ports on Cruise Critic here

The rivers are to become even more crowded. From an email just received from Viking: To meet strong demand for our European river voyages, we are pleased to welcome an additional 10 Viking Longships in 2025 and 2026. These beautiful ships will sail our popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the River Seine.

Mrs P refuses to take an ocean cruise because she fear sea-sickness, but never has had any issues on the river. As @sharkster77said, you go from being moored to casting off and cruising along the river without a ripple in your wine glass and only a look though the window to tell you that you are moving.

Viking don't operate the planes, so look at the website of the airline they are using for details of differences between economy and premium economy and then judge whether you feel the extra cost of premium economy is worth it to you. Only you can decide. We all have different budgets and thoughts on flights, and each airline has it own offering.

Maybe someone at AmaWaterways reads this forum.... ......because there's a subtle difference in the advert today

This is probably the answer. The USA has a culture of tipping that isn't found in Europe. If you book Avalon or Viking in the UK gratuities are included. I haven't looked at the USA site, but probably US residents prefer paying gratuities directly themselves. Though how that aligns with pre-paid gratuities I don't know.

Canalarchive said that she didn't "realise there was a hierarchy on any river cruise vessel" and I pointed out that Scenic had a restaurant that was restricted to those on the top deck. I have booked a 15 day 'Romantic Rhine & Moselle' cruise with Scenic departing 5 August 2024. Thanks for your good wishes, but whether I'll enjoy as much as you do remains to be seen, since you stay in one of the large suites on the top deck, and I'm not. Not complaining, my choice. 🙂

By co-incidence I read a book* review in the Sunday Times yesterday (21 Jan) that said it was Julius Caesar who reorganised the Roman calendar from a lunar cycle with an extra month added when needed to keep in step with the solar year to the system we use now which adds a leap day every 4 years. The word Calendar comes from Calends, which was the first day of the new moon in Rome. (the Ides was the 15th day, or full moon). * Our Moon: A Human History by Rebecca Boyle

Then you didn't read my trip report. I did enjoy the trip; but I disliked the hyperbole of Scenic on the trip I was on. I am going to phone Scenic tomorrow about their latest offer of business class flights and a 35% discount. Is this not an example of a hierarchy that you said is not be found on a river cruise? Only the main restaurant is open to all, the other one only to those with an invitation, with at least one invitation promised to those on the middle and lower decks. We had one invite

Only Avalon can answer that. Maybe its like buying something at full price and then seeing it on sale two weeks later. 🙂

I have no personal experience of this adaptor, but they illustrate a 'Shuko' socket, which is commonly found, which has the holes in a circular depression and they say their adaptor works in it. This is the illustration (However the British Isles are coloured the same blue and this or any 2 rounded pin plug will not fit into UK or Irish sockets)

This was on their site when I looked just now: RIVER CRUISE DEALS Welcome to Avalon Waterways river cruises, where five-star service comes free from stuffiness, accommodation is spacious, food is top-restaurant quality, gratuities are included My bolding. Good news eh?

From Avalon's FAQ EUROPE Electricity: Onboard electricity is 220v. Wall sockets take a European 2-prong plug. To use any small personal appliance such as an electric razor, curling iron, or electric plug-in type alarm clock, you will need an adapter to plug in to the wall sockets for dual voltage appliances and a converter as well as an adapter for appliances that are not dual voltage. Converters must be EU certified. Cheap, non-certified converters may damage your appliance and are a fire hazard on the ship. Staterooms are also equipped with USB outlets which are useful for charging phones, tablets, cameras, etc. So USB sockets are provided. You'll need a US to Euro plug adapter for other devices, like this https://www.amazon.com/Unidapt-European-Adapter-Converter-adaptor/dp/B077WJYNQ5 Laptop computers are dual voltage so the above is OK. You only need a converter if you have a device that is not dual voltage such as an iron or hair drier. Hair driers are suppled. Others have posted on this forum in the past that they have found it cheaper to buy an iron in Europe than a power converter in the USA. The German Amazon - amazon.de - has irons at EUR 24.99.

It wasn't a Viking hierarchy, just some people talking. But I am surprised you don't think there's a hierarchy on any river cruise vessel. Your own favourite Scenic has restaurants La Rive and Table d'Or 'Exclusive for Royal and Junior suite guests on cruises of 7 nights or less, and for all Diamond deck guests on cruises of 10 nights or longer'.

I have been on 12 Viking cruises and I have had cabins on all 3 decks. I have read here on this forum about people staying on the upper deck getting noise from the walking track on the sundeck but I have never experienced it myself. I see no benefit on one deck above another. The middle deck is on the same level as the restaurant and entrance/exit to boat so those on the middle deck don't have to use stairs to exit the boat when going on daily excursions or to eat in main restaurant. The upper deck is the same level as the lounge and open bow area where you'll want to to go to see both banks during the Middle Rhine, also the hot drink machines are on that level. Also, the Aquavit lounge which has some tables you can have a buffet breakfast or restaurant meals at lunch & dinner. As there's not much difference in pricing, I'd suggest the direction of travel* and the time of year** is a more important consideration, chose those and then if there's only A or B available pick it. * I have been Basel>Amsterdam twice. I think the opposite way is preferable for scenery ** Pick summer time otherwise it'll be too cold to enjoy sitting on your veranda

There are no bad ones..... You'll enjoy whichever you pick. Assume the boat and service are the same and pick based on the excursions and places you moor. Check both directions as excursions can differ) A bit more info from you about your desires and time of year you are considering would help... Do you want to see countryside, do you prefer small old town and villages or big bustling cities, are you interested in trying local foods, are you interested in wine? Our first Viking cruise was from Basel to Amsterdam, a cruise we repeated in 2023 which is a route many first timers do. I think scenery wise the opposite direction is better. This cruise might be more convenient for your air travel. I loved the Rhone - between Lyon and Avignon, again a cruise we taken twice, once in each direction. As @CDNPolar says, the Douro has splendid scenery, but I didn't enjoy the long coach ride from Lisbon to Porto and the flight back from Porto goes to Lisbon to connect with onward flight. But if you've not been to Lisbon before it's a great place to visit. (We had both been there many times before and would have preferred to fly straight to Porto). If, like me, you're heavily into wine then the Bordeaux cruise will take you through those famous vineyards, but if you have no interest in wine then I'd not recommend it for your first cruise

I'll disagree with you; spelling is important in conveying meaning. There is a difference, for example, between bell and belle 😉

The English language has darned weird spelling. There is no consistency. It can be explained by being very old, and a mongrel taking in words from other languages, and being modified by fashion, and by changes in pronunciation over time. I wonder that any foreigner manages to write it, You wrote neighbor, I write neighbour. I understand those extraneous 'u's in words like neighbour and colour were added in admiration for the French, at a time when French was fashionable. But when the US attempted to simplify English spellings, they didn't get very far. Why change neighbour to neighbor for example? Why not Naybor? It also puzzles me that American English changed ise endings to ize except for advertise...