RobInMN

40 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Since this update, it asks for my log in credentials and then just hangs. I can't do anything with it.

If it's Android, have you tried clearing the cache?

Go to App Info. Force Stop, then Storage, then Clear Cache (Optionally: Clear Data also). Then try launching the app again.

I couldn't tell you who the captain was on pretty much any cruise prior to "the last cruise",  but I do remember Captain Johnny was our captain on our first Allure cruise back in 2014. Very visible and charismatic.

2 minutes ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Just to clarify, the OP indicates their ship is FoS, which I would think is Freedom.

DOH! Completely missed that point.

While not a full meal, that bread thing at 150 CP!

I thought I've read in the past where someone said they got their kid credit via photographs of them on the ship. Any chance the pictures have the date embedded in them like some cameras did back in the day? Not sure that would be required, but I would think it would help.

28 minutes ago, Roz said:

I like the Doubletree Centraal Station.  Great location within walking distance of many sites, and access to trams and trains at the station right across the street. 

This is a very popular option.

Planning on booking this post-cruise on an Ama cruise next May.

Prior to our cruise last fall, for Cozumel, my DD & future SIL did the Tequila Mexology Experience, and when they booked it, there was a child price on that too.

Go figure.

17 minutes ago, Domiknow said:

How do you use this on the ship, please?

Plug the device into a free HDMI port, then switch the TV Source to that port.

To do this, on some of the older ships, you may find cursor keys on the back bottom.

On the newest ships, apparently there is now a TV channel for selecting an HDMI Source (I have not seen this yet personally).

On most ships, you'll need either a Samsung or a universal remote to change the source. We travel with a universal remote since not all hotels use Samsung, and the river cruises we've done use LGs.

On the newer ships with the interactive software, if there is no channel option, and what we did was to unplug the network cable and power cycle the TV. This prevents it from launching the custom menu software which locks out the source button.

Then you'll need to connect to the ship's WiFi. You can do this by using a browser app, and doing everything on screen with your device remote. You'll have to do this every time, it's it a pain. We have Samsung phones, which means that we can WiFi hotspot a WiFi connection. We pre-configure the firestick to connect the Phone hotspot, and just turn the hotspot on. On our phones, you can't turn on the hotspot if airplane mode is on. So turn off airplane mode, turn on the hotspot, then on the newer phone software, you can turn airplane mode back on, on my older phone you can't, so I turn off mobile data just in case. We find this much easier than trying to switch the WiFi back & forth between the Firestick and a phone using the browser.

If you have an iPhone, you do not have this option. Some people have brought mini travel routers for the same purpose. 

We only plug the Firestick in when we are in the room. And we travel with a 10' HMDI cable just in case their isn't an accessible plug nearby (not so much an issue in most RCI cabins).

There are a few cabins where the TVs are mounted in the wall, and the HDMI ports are not so accessible.

I highly recommend using a VPN so that you have access to what you expect. The internet will not always home country back to the US, it will pick one of the main Starlink downlink countries (or whatever the correct term is).

Some services like YoutubeTV use the device's GPS to override the VPN. If your device has a GPS and you try to turn that off or deny access, it won't launch. Luckily, Firesticks don't have GPS's (I image neither do Rokus), so the VPN works. I had some issues early on with it consistently working until I turned on the VPN on both the Firestick as well as the phone it was connected to. So now I'm paranoid and continue to do so.

Alcohol was served at the Top Tier event last September on Allure and just this past April on Radiance.

"Is the internet package worth it?"

Inherently, no. But if you are anything like me, and need to stay connected, then it's just part of the cost of cruising.

Stone Arch Bridge from the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis yesterday. Taken by my wife.

10 minutes ago, sjde said:

I don’t know the square footage of other cruise lines so I’ll look it up to compare. 

Here's AmaSiena's sizes. She's actually newer, but as far as Ama's 443 ft long ships, this seems standard:

Aquarium - 160 sq ft

Smallest rooms in the very back - 150 sq ft

Smaller balcony rooms - 170 sq ft

Standard balconies - 210 sq ft

Larger balconies - 235 sq ft

Suite - 350 sq ft

78 staterooms 156 passengers. I imagine that a similar ship by length & stateroom count would be very similar.

6 minutes ago, Kristelle said:

 

 To be fair to Scenic, when I said I wouldn't have a Starter, I didn't ask for my main to be done before everyone else's.

Maybe they would if I asked. Didn't bother me though so I didn't ask.

Neither did we. I don't know if they just normally treat each table independently, but it was not different than on an ocean cruise when we sit at a 2 top (or 4 top if with DD)

29 minutes ago, sjde said:

So do they have extra large staterooms? 

Yes.

https://www.amawaterways.com/ships/amamagna-river-cruise-ship#Staterooms

Aquarium - 205 sq ft

"Smaller" rooms in the back 1/3 - 252 sq ft

Standard balconies - 355 sq ft

Suites - 474 & 710

See my pictures in this post of the standard balcony:

4 hours ago, deec said:

How many passengers on AmaMagna...seemed pretty big when we saw it

https://www.amawaterways.com/ships/amamagna-river-cruise-ship

10 hours ago, Kristelle said:

I think this is the case for all river cruises - meals are at a set time and served in sequence at same time 

 

I skipped the starter sometimes on Scenic too and just waited for main course to come when everyone else's  main courses came out. 

Didn't bother me though, if I chose not t o have a starter I expected that to happen.

 

Is currently  a thread running on 2 seater tables - very few on any line.

 

Both of above seem issues of river cruises in general rather than Viking specifically - and also seem expected things if any research was done beforehand.

 

We had a different experience on AmaMagna. When we say at a 2-top and skipped appetizers, there was no delay in getting our main course.

But yes, meals were still served at the same time for everyone. The difference between first & last seated might be about 20 minutes, but not like an hour later or anything.

If you want any chance of watching something you are actually interested in, bring a Firestick or a Roku. It doesn't matter the ship, the TV selection is crap.

56 minutes ago, FirstTimeFreddy said:

August 2024 -  We lasted just two days on board the Viking Tialfi's Rhine Getaway before self curtailing. It was our first river cruise and will certainly be the last.

 

It was the biggest waste of £5k ever, not that Viking will care. Never again.

 

 

 

Sounds like your 1 experience on Viking has soured you on river cruising in general.

I'd recommend trying some other companies. Some of your complaints are similar to my complaints about Grand Circle (we hate, but my parents love). We like AmaWaterways. From things I've read here, maybe Avalon or Scenic.

9 hours ago, Jenna said:

Any possibility that TAs from Europe to the US in September/October 2026 will be out by this October? Was hoping to be able to book at next cruise  

The October 2025 Allure TA was released February 13, 2024.

18 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Do we know how big that laundry room was?

Physical Size? I don't know if anyone has reported that, but you could ask here. I can't imagine it's much much larger than the space necessary for the machines:

As for machine counts, 3 sets each in 3 rooms, for a total of 9 pairs was reported here:

5 minutes ago, ranchette said:

How long does it usually take to hear if your bid for an upgrade has been accepted?

Anytime up until about 8 PM embarkation night. Usually these are the rejection emails, but I suppose there could be last minute no shows.

RC added 3(?) Self Serve Laundries on Serenade for the UWC, but limited access to only those booked on the full UWC.

No idea what they will do after the UWC is completed. Will they take them back out?

In this thread:

@smokeybandit explained how you can see the website data. Long before there was any other confirmation of any ship being named "Legend", he pointed out that the data base had:

"TR" listed as an unnamed (TBA of the Seas) "IC" (Icon) ship

"LE" as an unnamed (TBA) "OA" (Oasis) ship

"Legend doesn't show up, but since it's now int eh Equasis listing, I think was can assume that "LE" is "Legend of the Seas", however, in the website data, it's supposedly an Oasis class ship, not Icon.

Anyway, since that initial discussion, I thought there was some official announcement of Icon 3 being named Legend. Not seeing anything now, so was that just the Equasis listing? and if so, what information is there associated with the listing that associates it with the Icon class instead of the Oasis class?

BTW, I looked at the data again recently, and TR and LE still have not been updated or altered in any way, however, there is now a 4th Icon class with the code "HE". First thing that popped into my mind was "Hero"?

I agree with @Host Jazzbeau in that Ama seems to fit what you are asking for. I have not done Scenic or Avalon or any others that I predict might be suggested, so I can not compare. They may fit just as well. You will find a common thread is that once people find a line they like, they seldom switch. We like Ama, and have had no reason to try anyone else. At least not yet.

One thing I'll add to what @Host Jazzbeau said is that unless it's a special all ship event (like an evening wine tasting), there will always be options for excursions (up to 5?). Popular tours will have multiple guides to keep individual groups smaller. Guides are all local experts. Walking tours are almost always divided into 'normal', 'easy', 'active'. And many ports will have the option of a bicycle tour if that interests you.

We will be doing the Rhine next may (would love to do the longer Moselle version, but not enough vacation time for DW & DD, plus we did part of that with "Rivers and Castles" (which I highly recommend).

We have also done more ocean cruises than river cruises, almost all Royal Caribbean. Ocean cruising and river cruising are very different, but we like them both.

Here is a review I did of AmaMagna on the Danube. Ignore the ship, as it's not typical, but might give you a sense of excursions and I do talk about dress at one point.

12 minutes ago, Cherful59 said:

@twangster Can you give me your opinion.  I have heard the comment that people were disappointed when they cruised Iceland after cruising Norway.  I cruised Norway on the July 18th Jewel cruise which I loved and am now contemplating an Iceland cruise.  You seemed to enjoy both.  Can you give me your thoughts.  I would like to think they are each special in their way, but thought I would ask.  Thank you Patti

We did B2B Arctic Circle then Iceland & Ireland in 2022. We do feel that after doing Norway immediately before Iceland, Iceland sort of looses a tiny bit of that "Wow!" factor. We feel that had we done Iceland first, and then Norway, it would have been "Wow!", then "WOW!" For us, Norway was absolutely stunning. Others may prefer Iceland. As you say, they are both special in their own right, but it's hard not to compare them when done as a B2B. Given some time between the 2, I think you'll be fine.