SFSing

Thanks for the reply. On American Queen Steamboat, they distributed metal thermal bottles to be used in the rooms and tours. 

On 9/11/2023 at 3:59 AM, pontac said:

Day 5 - Saturday 19 August – Tournon

 

09:00 was the included excursion for a ride on the Tournon Steam Train. This is a heritage railway with a one metre gauge. 

 

I’d been tempted by the optional Vineyard Hike, but decided it was too strenuous for my current health after viewing Viking’s “Beyond the Brochure,” video featuring Jean Newman Glock.

 

 

 

It’s a short coach ride to the railway station and we are there with ample time to spare before the train is due to depart. There is a gift ship and a separate (free) museum and the steam engine itself attracts attention as the crew get the steam up.

 

 

 

Train carriages are open, more like goods wagons with roofs and have wooden benches. There are many groups on the trip. Some have their name on chalkboards, but the carriages that Viking uses have a metal holster that takes Viking’s paddle. Each of the four groups from our boat has their own carriage. Guests from Viking Heimdal that departed Lyon to go to Avignon on the same day we departed Avignon to cruise to Lyon are on the train. Capacity of the train is 500 passengers.

 

 

 

We are given a map of the route and can see where the track crosses the gorge. The best views are from the right side, but our guide asks us to swap sides coming down, so everyone gets view from both sides.

 

 

 

It’s been a dry summer and when the train sets off it is closely followed by a diesel locomotive pulling a water bowser to extinguish any trackside fires that sparks from the steam engine might cause. We are told that in flood the River Doux sometime reaches the height of the track, but on our August trip the river consists of pools separated by dry stony river bed a long way below.

 

 

 

After 35 minutes the train stopped and we can get out. Many rushed to the turntable where the de-coupled engine reverses onto and is turned so it is ready to pull the train back down. We swapped sides in the carriage as the train headed back down reaching the terminus in 26 minutes.

 

 

 

Delling departed Tournon shortly after we left so the coaches took us up-river to Andance where Delling is waiting for us to embark for lunch before setting off again. During the afternoon the wheelhouse is open for visits and there are French pastries available in the lounge and a demonstration of how to make Chocolate Fondant.

 

 

 

We enjoy a relaxing afternoon cruising and pass vineyards of Cote Rotie.

 

The boat is scheduled to moor at Vienne 16:45 for an included walking tour of this historic town, but it is delayed and arrived after dinner so the Vienne excursion is cancelled.

Did you get to bring water bottle on the trips or did Viking provide water bottles.  I am deciding whether I should bring my personal one from home. 

Just now, SFSing said:

 

I love your Van Gogh t-shirt.  I am following your trip in April.  This is our first Viking trip, we have been on the Amawaterways and American Queen Riverboat.  We are from California so it will be a long haul for us.  I wanted to come two days ahead but the pre-extension cruise were sold out already.  Meanwhile, she suggested to fly the day before and we would get there on time.

My husband is not an active soul and I just hope I can drag him from one airport to another. Plus, with all the transfers, I bet our suitcases will be in Germany instead of Marseilles.  I just know, we will be in the same predicament as you were in 2023. 

Thank you for sharing your obstacles and challenges on your cruise trip. 

I went to the local bank in California to exchange money for Argentina peso; they told me they would exchange for Uruguay peso and Chilean peso but not ARS (Argentina peso). Some of the taxis will not take American money. Exchange at the airport.

Holland America used to give you those nice HA cotton bags for your shopping at the ports. I have used them for grocery shopping. It's a great ploy to advertise their cruise line. Now, they have those ugly plastic bags. They are weak bags. The old ones that I have had since the 90's are still great as new. Hope they will return with the cotton bags again.

HELP!

Does anyone know of a cruise line or a cruise trip to China involving a panda bear tour?

I have seen China land trips with panda bear tours involving your choice to hold a baby panda.

It would be a great trip if one of the big cruise lines have this available. Does anyone know the cruise line name?

Thanks in advance.

No flames please. Is it completely considered rude and weird to wear another cruise line's shirt? I bought some really cute cruise shirts on my last Carnival trip (one says "Keep Calm and Cruise On" and the other is "Cruise Your Worries Away"). This trip is on Norwegian though. I also have a couple of their shirts as well which I will pack. Does this fall under the category that no one really cares what other people are wearing category? Or the, I can't believe she has the nerve to wear the competition's shirt category?

Jenn, wear anything! You are on a cruise. Have fun. I have been on several cruises, and I have many cruise line shirts that I wear to the gym when I get home. Most cruises lines are owned by Carnival these days. They don't care.

The only loyalty I follow is wearing a formal to the two required nights.