pontac

That number and the mooring location is on the reception desk (plus a map) you can take before leaving ship

That was 2022. I was there in March 2024. Lots of river boats moored behind Movenpick, not one ocean boat. Some one said on this forum that the ocean boat terminal at Movenpick was now closed. All I can say is that it was the main mooring for river boats. They used to moor by the Centraal Station. Not now. It's true though, at busy time river boats may moor at further out places.

I used to work in Amsterdam several times a year. But that was some time ago and things change. At that time Holiday Inn was the only hotel in the City to have a swimming pool; and if you stay there ask for a corner room ( I used to know the room numbers) as these rooms are very much bigger. The hotel nearest to where most river boats moor is the Movenpick; boats moor behind the hotel https://all.accor.com/hotel/B4I7/index.en.shtml

This was one of my criticisms of my first Scenic cruise. I wrote*: I felt Scenic expected passengers to do too much, it felt very self-service and down market. You were expected to download Scenic apps to your phone to listen to guides, and you were responsible for charging your phone to do so – the app drained batteries. Charging two phones used two sockets. Viking supplies a hearing devices and a charger for both that uses only one socket. I got fed up and borrowed a phone with the app from reception. QuietVox is going to be a great improvement. The Tailormade transmitter used by the guide was poor at best. * Review of Beautiful Bordeaux 11 day cruise on Scenic Diamond from 17 August to 27 August 2022 with comparisons to Viking - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community

The Viking menus always have meat free options. Lunch often has a fish dish as one of the main choices, and always has standard 'Classic' options which include Niçoise Salad and Vegetarian burger. At dinner there are dishes local to the country, (starter, main, dessert) and an international menu which always includes vegetarian choices and often a fish dish, plus the 'Always Available' options which include Caesar Salad and Norwegian Salmon. One night in Germany will be a 'Taste of Germany' German evening, where they showcase German food, and one of the options is grilled char fillet. The Germans like their meat, but you'll be dining on a Viking boat with a menu tilted towards an American, Canadian & British clientele. See menus in my trip reports for an idea - the following, though not exactly the cruise you've booked, took place in Germany:

I did this cruise last year, from Avignon to Lyon. Yes, I enjoyed the Tournon steam train. The alternative is not to go on it but to stay on the boat, because the boat departed shortly after the excursion left and after the train ride coaches took us to join the boat which had sailed up river. But maybe you are travelling the other way and it's different: perhaps you could mention which direction to assist us in giving accurate advice? I didn't take the other excursions you mention. You can read my account of my cruise here Trip Report - Lyon & Provence - Viking Denning 15 - 21 August 2023 - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community

PS - Viking has three cruises Amsterdam to Basel, Rhine Getaway, Treasures of the Rhine and Christmas on the Rhine. Treasures of the Rhine overnights in Amsterdam and you take a canal sightseeing boat on the second day morning If you have booked Rhine Getaway you may like to read comments on this thread https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2970413-rhine-getaway-viking-2024 Re independent wine tasting in Strasberg, it may be worth asking on a wine forum such as WineLovers Discussion Group • Index page (wineloverspage.com) and Latest WINE TALK topics - WineBerserkers

1) Any time. Your cabin may be ready earlier, but Viking promise 3pm. You can use public areas until your cabin is ready. There is a buffet lunch served from 12-3pm (with complimentary drinks) for early arrivals and late departers. You can leave your cases on board and go sightseeing off boat, just check with reception for the time you should be back. There is probably a mandatory safety drill before dinner, and there will be a welcome talk from the programme manager before dinner. Dinner is served 7pm-9pm Most people sit down at 7pm or shortly after. Latest we've been is 8.20.pm 2) Yes. Let your guide know if you leave an excursion early. The Viking Daily newsletter left on your bed each night gives the times throughout the day of excursions, meals, talks, and sailings. But always check with reception if doing your own thing in case he sailing time has changed. 3) Yes, if they've not sold out beforehand. The programme manager will give detail in his daily pre-dinner briefing about the following day of what the excursions comprise so you can decide if you want to go. 4) not been to either. 5) It's a big town, there might be, but where you can choose your own wines to taste? I don't know. 6) Look at the details of your cruise on the website. If the same town appears on consecutive days the its certain you overnight there. Otherwise Viking Daily will say what time you leave. River cruises are subject to changes in timings and locations for many reasons, go with the flow.

Any time. Your cabin may be ready earlier, but Viking promise 3pm. You can use public areas until your cabin is ready. There is a buffet lunch served from 12-3pm (with complimentary drinks) for early arrivals and late departers. You can leave your cases on board and go sightseeing off boat, just check with reception for the time you should be back.

Small?😒 I take home bottles of wine from wineries visited along the way, recently Chateau Neuf du Pape from the Rhone cruise and a Red Riesling from the Mosel. Although they're souvenirs and reminders, they are soon opened and drunk so I didn't think they met the OPs definition.

It seems these FAQs are from the ocean cruises because there's no Fitness Centre or World Café on Viking river boats. I posted the following on the first page of this thread: You can wear casual ALL of the time. Long trousers and long sleeve shirts are plenty good. There's no formal nights, no speciality restaurants. This is what is on the Viking River Tours FAQ What is the dress code? During the day, dress is casual including shorts (if the season is warm), slacks or jeans and comfortable shoes for walking tours. There are no “formal nights” in the evening; recommended evening dress is “elegant casual.” For ladies, this may include a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; and for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional. Some shore excursions visit religious sites that require modesty of dress. To avoid being denied entry, we recommend men wear long pants and refrain from sleeveless shirts; and for women, clothing that covers the knees and tops that are not sleeveless or too revealing. Note the words 'recommended' and 'may'. It's your holiday, wear what you're comfortable in. The indoor public areas are airconditioned I've been on 12* Viking River cruises. Having been retired now some years I like to have an excuse to dress up with a shirt, tie and jacket at dinner, but I'm in the minority. It doesn't bother me what others wear and to be frank I don't notice. * 13 now and another later this year....

Fashion Police are here again

Dear @ellasabe I have been pondering your post and have two further thoughts:- 1) I wondered why your neighbours were so negative and thought that maybe they were trying to put you off booking a river cruise because they know your husbands capabilities and thought he wasn't up-to-it. 2) You are considering a Christmas Markets cruise. By definition this will take place in winter and it will be dark a lot of the time. You guide your husband over kerbs and warn of obstructions, but these can be hard to see in the dark. Plus it will likely be raining some of the time with the possibility of sleet and snow which are not good conditions, especially in the dark, for those with poor mobility.

I have cruised these places more than once but have bought no souvenirs. If you must have a reminder then fridge magnets will recall a place every time you go to the fridge, weigh little and take hardly any space in suitcases and don't need a shelf when you get home. I set photo's from my last cruise as backgrounds on my computer, with the pictures changing every day. Great reminder!

Thanks, @gnome12 - I missed that vital bit.

Which codes? Cannot abide by every code of every country visited. I'd have though with a boat it's the code of the country they're registered with. Perhaps the country they operate in, e.g. Scenic sell their cruises in Australia, UK and US.

Both lines I've cruised on (Viking and Scenic) have two handrails either side of stairs to to deck. And so have the boats from other lines that I've been rafted to, so I think that's standard, but the point is that you cannot be sure you'll not be rafted next to one that doesn't.

I didn't realise there are free trams in Amsterdam. Since I'm back there in August pray tell more.

Europe isn't one country; every country has different rules. I don't know where Elegant Lady was registered but many boats are registered in Switzerland which isn't an EU member. In Speyer, Germany last year the guide told us all stairs in Germany that had more than three steps had to have handrails. But hand rails on steps can be at either edge so its not possible to hold both. I can't remember in the USA finding wide stairs with handrails spaced across them so both can be held at once.

Yes, I said thin, I meant narrow, they were steep and narrow and metal. They were slippery because of rain. There was one handrail. A Viking crew member, in red in photo at top of stairs, advised us to go down backwards, which I did. They were very dangerous and that's why I didn't use them in the afternoon. You have no control over what you're rafted to. This was 'Elegant Lady', a Plan Tours boat. The other terrible metal stairs I encountered while rafting was a CroisiEurope boat. But even wide steps can be dangerous, see @1of4 's thread

Viking advertise different boats and dates in America than Britain, but sell cruises in the 'others' boats when there are spare cabins. I've been on a boat where there were on 3 Brit couples, rest were north Americans - it was a late booking and the date and boat didn't show on the UK site. But usually its a mix of nationalities with the majority from North America on Viking On the one (so far) trip I did with Scenic (Bordeaux) the Programme Manager announced the nationalities on board as UK – 68 Australia – 24 Canada -18 USA – 10 Ireland – 1 Maybe that's because Brits were more interested in visiting the world's premium wine region. I've wondered why it's mostly North Americans and I can only think that many are 'doing' Europe, they want to walk in historic towns and see ancient Cathedrals, whereas many Brits live in historic towns and have ancient Cathedrals nearby. And if they want to see Paris, Budapest, Vienna etc they get a very cheap flight and a few hours later they're there. My sons have taken weekends in Budapest and Prague

I'll do my best to answer, but so much depends on which boat and route you are on. What your neighbours have told you is of their experiences on the boats and routes they were on. There is no one answer that fits all. Getting to the road depends on what ship and where. on boats that have an exit lower down at places this will be on the same level as the street. Then the exit will be like this, straight onto street level. Other times you might have to moor on a floating pontoon, and the exit could be like the above, but you will have to walk up a wide ramp, the angle of which depends on the height of the river Some boats have only one departure level so there's a gangplank down to road level. Even if you're on a boat that could have a level exit you may, as we were, rafted on the outside of a boat that doesn't, as we were here. Those on the top had had to go up to the top deck of their boat, cross over using a short gangplank, and go down the stairs of the other boat. (those stairs were thin, wet and slippery, I stayed on the outside boat in the afternoon instead of going back to the town because I didn't want to risk those steps again). As to climbing up embankment steps; I don't recall many of them. Budapest come to mind. I'd suggest you verify for yourself, again it depends on the boat which can vary model depending on route. Check plans on websites of lines you're considering. Remember that if your boat has an elevator to the top deck, the boat it's rafted next to may not. . I've not done a Christmas markets cruise, but it seems unlikely to me that a cruise advertised as such would not allow time at night to see the market. Boats travel at night in order to cover long distances and take people to places where they can enjoy excursions in the daytime. If a cruise is specifically for Christmas markets it seems to me that's what they're focusing on. Not so. Sometimes I'm waken by a bump. I'm a light sleeper, Mrs P isn't woken. There are many locks that I've slept through. There isn't constant noise and I've never certainly heard grinding. Your neighbours must have had a terrible time. It's not happened to me in 15 river cruises, but water issues do happen. Some rivers have a reputation for it, and time of year is a big factor. Winter and soon afterwards there's more chance of high water, end of summer, low. What cruise lines do about it depends. On popular cruises Viking have so many boats, going on different days and in both directions that if they can't get under a bridge or river is not navigable for a way passengers swap to another boat which turns back in the direction its come from. The boats are identical, so you go to the same room number and its the same. The crew transfer bags. Some line transfer to a hotel. I agree, this would be no better than a land tour. It's one of the risks in river cruises. Coaches are standard.

Which cruise, and which year? I see three cruises on the route Amsterdam>Basel, Rhine Getaway, Treasures of the Rhine and Christmas on the Rhine. Treasures of the Rhine overnights in Amsterdam and you take a canal sightseeing boat on the second day morning Are you making your own way to the boat? If Viking are transporting you the no worries, you'll get to the boat. If travelling to the boat yourself you'll need to know where the boat is moored. There isn't one 'port' Such is congestion in Amsterdam that boats can be moored some distance from the centre of Amsterdam. You can embark earlier. Your cabin may be available at any time before but Viking only promise access at 3pm. So if you are travelling on your own and spend the previous night in an Amsterdam hotel you can check out the hotel after breakfast, go to the boat and leave your bags there. Then either check with reception when boat departs and go sightseeing, or wait in the lounge. A buffet embarkation/disembarkation lunch is available in the restaurant for early boarders and late departures. Enjoy the journey, the scenery is much better than you saw on the Bordeaux trip and there will be daytime sailing, but much sailing is done at night in order to cover the lang distance between Amsterdam and Basel

There are now so many river cruise lines that I don't think anyone on this board has been with them all. As @Host Jazzbeau says, most of us find a line that suits us and stick with it. There are so many factors when choosing between them: Cost, cabin types and facilities, whether travel to/from the boat is included, quality of food and drink, whether alcohol is included, whether unlimited alcohol is included, types of excursions offered, whether some or all excursions or included in price, what they do in non-navigable situations, and so on.... Also, what a line offers can and does change year by year. Also lines have different offerings depending on the market they're selling in And don't forget the crew; they change over so two people could go on the same cruise on the same boat on subsequent weeks but with a different crew. One Programme Manager could 'make' the cruise for the first person, a different Programme Manager could spoil the cruise for the second person. For the record, I've cruised with Viking and Scenic. They're much of a muchness, but I prefer Viking.

Hi @Australia08 “Wines of Southern Romania.” was an optional tour, did you think it was value for money? Did you buy any of the wines?