Daisi

Close to Jones Falls and Upper Brewers. Missed out on Lower Brewers as the road in is closed. 😞

Ian's remnants are headed up our way, so we did our lock visit a bit early in case we lose all the leaves. Here's a couple of pictures for you guys. They are all taken from the Rideau Canal, which we live along. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rideau_Canal

Unfortunately, with Viking, the french balcony cabins may be smaller than the ones on the lowest level. Viking moved their corridors over so that those who are paying more for the full balcony have a bit larger room. Makes sense, why pay premium to have outdoor space but a smaller cabin. Just checked online, the standard stateroom that you sail in is about 150sq ft., the french balcony one is 135sq ft., and the full balcony one is 205sq ft. I think the size would be my concern, as our Avalon cabin was 200sq ft., and we found no problems with 2 of us, but thinking 65sq ft taken away could make it a bit cramped. We enjoyed our french balcony as we were able to open the windows, and, like your DW, I would be unable to see outside while sailing. I know for any special areas you are on the top deck or other public areas, but it was still nice when waiting in our room for breakfast or relaxing a bit to be able to see outside.

We loved the Mechanical Museum, and yes, I also looked up and got some great shots of the ceiling.:) Sounds as if you are having a great time, we did the Rhine a few years ago, so it's nice to relive memories.

I'm enjoying his travels, and it's helping with my German. 🙂

Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing.

My 2nd parents used to spend winters in Naples, I hope all their friends are OK. We just went through my family getting hit with Fiona, fortunately, although some cottages & barns were destroyed, animals made it ok and they are now getting power back, and hopefully will get roads open again soon. I hope all in Fla (and those who will be in it's path) get their power back soon as well.

Phone agents may not be much help, as they can't say either. They *may* be able to tell you where the docs are, but if there is more than one dock at the ports, that still doesn't mean that you will get the priority one. As I said, it's the harbourmaster that decides where and when you dock, so it's usually not decided until the day before. As to shuttles, yes, there will be at least one in and out, as the tours of the town will require transit. I can't say if any operate multiple shuttles in a port, as we take the tours, so only use the buses when we are on them.

To all members in Florida, and in the path of Ian, hoping you are safe.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the harbourmasters have the decision as to where the ships dock. If you are there in a busy time, you may not get prime locations, no matter what line you are on. This is also a factor with river cruising becoming more popular, and more lines are adding more ships to their fleet.

As far as I know, all ships use the same docks, with the odd exception of Viking in some areas that have their own. Unfortunately, since there is no way of knowing which river cruise you took, or with whom, we really can't help. I know the Avalon Rhine does do most stops in the "old town" areas, however you have to consider that you are limited on rivers as to where they dock and if their older areas are on the river. We are planning the Danube next Sept on Avalon, and know that when we stop in Vienna, we will not be in the older section, and that going to Nuremburg we will also be bussed. However I believe those are the only 2 places.

I can't speak for Viking, by my TA will look at several different providers and we choose the one that has the best policy for us. We don't always choose Avalon's, and have had no problem sailing with them but dealing with a different policy carrier. I would think Viking's is the same, just check what is included and what isn't before deciding so you have the right one for you.

Lumagica sounds much like what we have here, except we drive through it. There is also a small one in Niagara Falls, and you can drive along the parkway there to see the trees all lit up. We also have our local Open Air Museum (Upper Canada Village) that lights up both for Halloween (pumpkins) and Christmas, where all the old buildings are decorated. Some neighbourhoods also put on elaborate displays, but that's more up in the city, and quite a drive for us to see.

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/airport-guide/orientation/airport-map.html

Our guide with Avalon offered an extra tour after the general one in Colmar, where we viewed the Isenheim Altarpiece. Since we had just seen a TV show on it, we went. It was really good, and so glad we saw it.

@jsn55, yes, it's a new ship, smaller than their others. This is the one itinerary that we were thinking we may have to look at another line if we decided to go, now we can stick with Avalon.

As of 2024, Avalon will be sailing the Douro! https://www.avalonwaterways.ca/river-cruises/portugal/?computed_itinerarylocationcountries_sm=Portugal&format=vertical&limit=12&page=0&sort=computed_itinerary_firstbestdiscountedprice_cad_tl%3Dasc

Just checked Avalon's Active & Discovery on the Seine, and it looks like no kayaking, only cycling and hiking. Most lines will have bikes available for taking out on tours, but there are a few others like Avalon that will have more active tours to do. A balcony is good, but consider a french balcony as well. All ships are about the same width, and so the balcony actually takes some of the room space. Viking is I believe the only exception, as they have their hallway moved off centre on the longships in order that the balcony cabins are larger. Avalon is only french balcony. You will probably be spending sailing time during the day in the public areas anyway, in order to see both sides of the river, but it's nice if you are early risers to enjoy a coffee in your cabin with the window open. If you don't have a TA, I would suggest finding one who know river cruising, as they can discuss with you the different lines available and what suits you and your budget. Have fun planning, and make sure to read the notes pinned to the top of the forum for some great information about river cruising.

Fortunately, minor injuries with one crew member taken to the hospital (I think burns), and passengers and crew with small cuts & bruises. https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2022/09/articles/collisions/viking-kvasir-collides-with-ship-on-the-rhine-river-near-wesel-germany/?fbclid=IwAR2GH7xN9Mg48DjAnuqncAAjtX7WXpklsPMOR5M45CEVszLkl43CFQ4sLOY https://twitter.com/GaryJCobden1/status/1569003697660649472?s=20&t=-9xImd735_ViUldc8CRjqg

Although we had our own transport in Amsterdam for our Rhine cruise, that is one of the things I will be looking forward to for when we land in Budapest. We will be arriving mid-morning, so it will be about 22 hrs of travel time...and I don't sleep on planes. I'm wondering if the horror stories are short times for changeovers, and not being able to select your route. I know Avalon has no problem with us selecting our airline & route at no extra charge, and Viking allows you some (never having travelled with them, I'm not sure how much) control if you purchase their Air package, but I'm sure other lines have some leeway as well.

Welcome. First thing I usually suggest is finding a TA who has (or has someone in their office) experience with river cruising. They can help you sort out the lines that will fit both you and your budget. Most lines that sail the Rhine have pretty much the same stops, so it's more what you want out of the cruise - all inclusive drinks, tours, tips, partial inclusive - wine/beer for dinner/lunch, one tour a day with optional pay one in the afternoon, or now we even have some basic ones where you pay for your cabin & meals, all tours are at an extra cost. As for north/south, that is something you may wish to review once you have your line chosen. We found that sailing with Avalon, some of the stops were different depending on which direction you went. Cabins are important, but just remember, you usually spend only sleeping times in them, as the scenery is on both sides of the river, so the small time you are sailing during the day, you will want to be somewhere where you can see everything. Also, rafting (docking up against another ship) is quite common, so you can wake up with a view of someone else's cabin, or if on the inside, the wall of the canal/dock. Yes, it's nice to have room to feel comfortable, so take that into consideration, and if you like fresh air, the lowest level windows don't open, but the money saved on those cabins can go towards something else. As for air, we mention when booking that we would like to be considered for the line's air. That way, when it comes to booking, if the cruise line has a better deal (and ours usually does, as they are part of a large land tour company as well), we can book with them, but still have the option to book our own if we wish. The $$ we put down for holding the air "deposit" gets applied to our cruise if we go on our own, but we never have. We choose our preferred airline, and route, but not all lines will allow that. Lastly, look at the stickies at the top of the main page. They have invaluable information for cruise line comparisons - comparing ocean lines to river lines, what is and isn't included etc. It will all come down to what you want - do you want an active cruise with biking etc? Are you an adventurous eater? There are many things to look at when booking, but lots of research helps you to be prepared if anything happens, and you will be able to overlook problems and enjoy your holiday.

Crossing fingers for you, as we leave for Budapest on the 16th of Sept next year. Let's hope the weather holds well, but if not, at least we know that Avalon will look after us well. Oh...and free happy hour for 2023, so you can enjoy a drink before dinner! I'm also hearing lots of good for the AvalonGo App, and that the receivers used for tours also work for hotspots for wifi. ************************************************************* Tried to edit with a quote but it won't let me. I do agree with you about the AMA site, as well as many others. To much work to figure out online just what is available and costs. One more plus for Avalon...very easy site to go over, and when you are shopping online, the less time you are going back & forth, the more I for one will stick with that site.

One way to "cut the cost" would possibly move down to the Saphire deck. The cabins will be the same, and you are closer to the water, so get a more "straight out" view over looking down. While you aren't in your cabin much, it's nice to be able to enjoy it while you can. On the Rhine, it was great seeing the swans cleaning off the ship right at our cabin.

Avalon is another line that offers trips to either the American or UK & Cdn beaches.

I'll start off saying I have only cruised Avalon, so can't compare the two lines apart from the research I did trying to choose between the two for our upcoming Danube cruise. We chose Avalon because: 1) the itinerary - although I wanted to go to Bratislava, Czesky Krumlov & Nuremburg were "must sees" for me, and Emerald didn't include Czesky Krumlov with it's Nuremburg cruise. 2) the layout of the cabins - I know Emerald says their Panorama suite is 273 Sq. feet, but it looks cramped, and looking at the window, I'm sure the split "rail" for the drop down will be at my eye level, whereas Avalon's sliding doors opened the other way. 3) the videos I saw online (which are hard to find for either line) and reviews found through various sites, Avalon's just seemed to "suit" us more. 4) the ability to see what hotels we will be in, and areas. I am a major "planner", so like to plan eating, and sights to see and the distance from the hotel. As to the risk of having to cancel 90 days prior, I know for Avalon you would only lose the deposit, you may wish to check that you don't have to pay extra for Emerald. We always purchase Cancel for any Reason insurance, I have older parents and after the past couple of years, you never know if something can happen. That would cover any full payment if we had to cancel after the 90 days. What made us choose Avalon for our first cruise was the fact that they were connected with a company that has a great reputation for land tours that a lot of our family & friends had taken. They couldn't say enough about how they were, so that transferred over to Avalon, as they are all under the same umbrella. Also, they had a saying when we booked something to the effect that they would rather see smiles on their guest faces than white gloves on their staff. We aren't "fussy" people, when we go on holidays, we go to relax (ha ha for river cruising by the way), we don't want to dress up, we want to discover the areas we are in and enjoy the sights. The first night, after our Captain demonstrated the safety drill (with his crew behind him obviously enjoying him having fun trying to get the life jacket done up among other things), he said they were a family on the ship, and they wanted us to feel as if we were a special part of the family. Hearing all the problems of the past 3 years (Covid, rush to get back to travelling with air & staffing issues, low water), I am very glad we chose Avalon for our Danube cruise, as from what I have heard, Avalon has gone above and beyond to be not only fair to their passengers, but to help them out any way they can.