june1

Can you tip with American dollars?

Which SA cruise has the most stops? We get bored on too many sea days. Is it better to begin or end in Buenos Aries?

Thanks

Thank you for the update on the gratuity.

Has anyone found a walking tour of old town, Gamla Stan, in Stockholm? It is summer solstice weekend, and it seems that most tours are not being conducted by locals. We have been to Stockholm and I think The Vasa Museum is not to be missed.

To Terri

Wonderful review! Thanks for sharing. You look much younger than 50s. We will be on Brilliance in June doing the same itinerary except for Skagen. We were on a land tour to Scandinavia in 2002. We are excited about visiting St. P. And Tallinn but revisiting Copenhagen and others. We will stop in Iceland on the return trip. We enjoyed your London, Paris (my favorite city) photos.

Put Barcelona on your list if you haven't been there.

June

We have been on two Gate1 trips. In April 2013 we did the 19 day Eastern Europe beginning in Warsaw, a seven day river cruise, ending in Berlin. Great tour. Most everyone was 50s and 60s. The March 2014 China ages were from lately 30s to 70s but everyone was in good physical shape. There were lots of stairs in China.

I can answer some of your questions as I went on the same trip in March. Air China was fine. We had individual seat back monitors with very nice mapping and movies, etc. Plane was quite new. Food was fair and Chinese. I sat with friends and had the aisle seat. Plane was full although it showed lots of available seats even the day before. I can't remember about ice.

The dinners served all Chinese food, Coke, Sprite, beer, water, cold but no ice. Food was fine and lots and lots of it. No dessert except maybe watermelon. Everyone raved about the watermelon, but I couldn't wait for chocolate when I returned home. We brought snacks such as peanut butter crackers, cereal bars, trail mix, nuts, and ate it all.

Our guide, Stone, was fabulous. He was organized, fun, respectful.

We did not know of the optional excursions from the boat until we boarded it at 10 pm and were really too tired to join the one the following day but those who did were really pleased. I can't remember the name of it but you went to lovely gardens and saw monkeys. Be sure to add on the Three Gorges excursions in one on the Yangtze. Peking duck dinner was okay. Fengdu interesting.

All in all it was a great trip. Highlights for me were the Great Wall, river cruise, rickshaw ride in Hutong, Old Shanghai and gardens there.

No one in our group of 38 got sick, hotels were very nice, food so-so. Good breakfasts.

I got Hepatitis A, already had had DPT, no typhoid as going in cooler weather. Took pepcid pills as recommended by others on this board.

You will have a great time.

Thank-you for all the information. I will be going to China with Gate1 in March.

We took the 19 day Eastern Europe with Gate1 in April and were very pleased. Hotels were great and in locations near the sights. Sound of Music riverboat was nice and clean but needed updating. Great guide, Erika. Gate 1 is a very good value. Many, many fellow travelers were repeat customers.

Please advise me on the tipping. Was it constantly requested? How much?

I am also interested in the jet lag and time difference. Were ATMs readily available? Any other tips for those of us going to China?

Thanks for any help.

Abagailinmaine,

Thankyou for your informative review. I, too, am interested in any more feedback on the Sound of Music as we are scheduled for the April 15 - 19 day cruise/tour on the Danube. Which cabins would you suggest?

The trip covers a lot of ground most of which is new to us although we have been to Vienna and Prague. Any suggestions for getting to Cesky Krumlov especially from Vienna as Gate 1 is not offering that as an optional.

Thanks,

June

We were on a cruise in 2010 and thought that Guernsey was lovely. The Little Chapel was a highlight. We took the #7 bus which gave an overview of the island. Also went to the German Occupation museum which was most interesting.

We were on the Eurodam in May. There was a shuttle bus to the train station in Blankenburg. We then took the train to Brugge but had to get a bus from the station into town. If your stay is short, a taxi is the best option. Be sure to take a canal boat ride, walk around this charming city, visti the chocolate shops and the Chocolate Museum, eat mussels and fries, for dessert have a Belgian waffle, visit the church with the Michelangelo sculpture, etc.

I buy the large zip lock at Target and Kroger. I usually buy a new box every other trip and use the old ones at home. I stick a few extra in the bottom of my suitcase in case of air leaks.

Mont St. Michel is fabulous and a don't miss in my book. GO!