kb0000

Having spent 12 days in Vienna on several trips, including 2-3 AMA river cruises. I suggest the first thing you do is to find out which of the two ports in Vienna is the one where you will be docked. The midtown dock is very handy to metro. The suburban dock, in the suburb where Franz Lehar lived, is a pain in the butt to deal with. If you are stuck there, as we were on our last AMA cruise, your best bet is to take the provided shuttle bus into town and then take the metro.

Take the included basic tour of the central city. You will see the major highlights of the central city & visit St Stephen's.

For Schoenbrunn, if its optional, the price is rip off. Instead take metro to the first Schoenbrunn stop which was originally built as the private metro stop for the Imperial family. Return via the second Schoenbrunn stop. You can easily spend a day at Schoenbrunn. There is a choice of two palace tours, short and long. Long is better, but the overpriced tours offered by cruises is usually for the short tour. Additionally, the Carriage Museum and a walk thru the garden to the Gloriette are essential for a complete visit. Odds are you won't have enough time for all of this, so start with the long tour.

As I recall, the best Klimt collection is in the Belvader Palace, again, easily accessed by metro. Belvader is of considerable historic importance. When the Turks invaded Europe, Vienna managed to halt the Turk's invasion at the gates to the city, and then Prince Eugene of Savoy led a combined European army that drove the Turks back to Turkey. The grateful Austrian Emperor gave Belvader to Prince Eugene as a thank you card. Had it not been for Prince Eugene, you & your follow seniors would be Muslims.

Although you have a full plate, you omit visits to two of Vienna's top sights: the Charles Church and the National Library. The Library is the only sight in Vienna that we make sure to visit every time we are in Vienna. Put these two on your list.

Don't waste $$ on a private guide. Buy a Michelin Green guide or Eyewitness Guide instead

I wouldn't worry about the view. I worry about the sun. Morning flight, sun shines in the right side windows, either toasting you or you pull the shade down & can't see the view anyhow. pm flight, sun in left windows. Same problems. The only solution is to depart and arrive at high noon when the sun will be over head.

It would be for us & odds are nobody is unique in their preferences, so yes, there would be lots of takers

You got it. I did not know I had to select the text. Thanks. Hope I can remember it.

Look at the top of the box you post in. Top left, it says "Fonts" and beside that is says "Sizes". Select the down arrow and various font sizes will appear. Choose the size you want. Simple!

That's what I did & it didn't change it.

Yes, but it's in the same space as the dinner sit down service. Don't have space to do both at the same time.

Originally Posted by kb0000 View Post

River cruises almost always have buffet lunch & breakfast. They have no problem doing buffets.

Yes, but it's in the same space as the dinner sit down service. Don't have space to do both at the same time.

Don't offer both on the same cruise. Offer cruises that have either sit down or buffet dinners. I just grabbed the nearest cruise catalog for 2017 35 identical itineraries. Make some of them buffet dinners

Not everyone would agree.

"Not everyone would agree."

Ah, but how would they know if they are denied seeing Kostroma?

Could you use a smaller font. Your post is difficult to read. Thanks

I would love to use a smaller font, but I can't figure how to do it. What seems obvious seems not to work & Cruise Critic seems not to provide instructions.

It is likely a space issue. Smaller ships simply do not have the space to run multiple meal services.

River cruises almost always have buffet lunch & breakfast. They have no problem doing buffets.

When we planned our cruise from Moscow to St Petersburg, we selected the company that made the most stops between the termini cities, the only cruise on offer that stopped at Kostroma, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip along with Uglich & Khizi Island. All the other stops were second rate in comparison, especially Mandrogi which is as fake as Disneyland.

Kostroma was the home town of the Romanovs, who ruled Russia from 1613 to 1917. The first Romanov Tsar was Prince Mikhail Romanov, who accepted the job upon the request of delegation of Boyars who came by river from Moscow to Kostroma (just like our cruise did) to offer him the job of ruler of Russia. We stood on the very spot where the Prince met the Boyars.

But history is just part of Kostroma's attractions. There are the wooden houses that survived the Great Fire 1773. Catherine the Great rebuilt Kostroma after the fire and created one of the most delightful Baroque cities anywhere.

We got to see Kostroma on our cruise, but haven't seen an itinerary since that includes it. That's worse than bad news. That's screwing you people who pay good money for a Russian river cruise out of one of the best things you can on such a trip.

Do your best to find a trip that includes Kostroma

Its obvious from the crowds at the dinner buffet on ocean cruise ships that we aren't the only people cruising who prefer buffet for all meals, so why don't river cruises offer some all buffet meals cruises?