franski

Where are you going in Poland? We added Poland on after our Bucharest --> Budapest cruise last fall. We stayed in Krakow and Warsaw... Great trip!! Fran

We went in February this year... I don't do well in extreme heat - so booked in one of the cooler months. February was great - October should be good for you. Are you just doing the cruise? Or, do you have time on land as well? One thing about using US cash in Cambodia --> they really prefer crisp bills. If the bills are crumpled or ripped, they may not take them. Also - keep a bunch of ones handy there - you will often be approached by locals if you get off a bus. You can buy a bunch of bananas for $1 (US) - they are so sweet!! Fran

We had some Dong before we went, then hit up an ATM once we got to Hanoi. There was an ATM quite close to our hotel (the people at the front desk can assist with that...). Credit cards are accepted at the hotels and restaurants we visited - but I used cash at the markets - and then at some of the stops once we were on the boat. I ended up buying an umbrella while we were wandering around Hanoi - and "negotiated" the price down. It is often expected that you will "discuss" price - and not pay what is initially asked. For Cambodia - US money is accepted as easily as Cambodian money is --> so that is easy. Again - restaurants will take cards. And, we ate some meals at the hotel(s) we stayed at, so that was payable by card when you checked out. You will need money for the bathrooms (if you are using them while on your own...). The tour guides would pay for us if we got off a bus (or on an excursion off the boat) but we needed cash for our time on our own in both countries before & after the trip our trip. We went to Hanoi 3 days before our trip (we went with Emerald) and then stopped in Bangkok for 3 nights on the way home. Fran

Budapest is an awesome city... We have visited a few times. I see you are extending your time there. So much to see and do. If you are looking for an authentic Hungarian restaurant, I suggest you consider Cafe Kor. It is on the Pest side - just down the street St. Stephen's cathedral. Fran

One of the first places I look when sourcing out a private tour is "Tours by Locals"... You can look at what they have posted - with a bio of the person leading the tour - and then can ask for some customization if you wish. Budapest is an awesome city... Enjoy your stay!! Fran

Another challenge is that you have to get someone at the receiving hospital to accept the returning patient. The woman on my cruise was from one of the prairie provinces (so, fairly "middle" of the country...) She had a family member who was a physician in one of the Atlantic provinces so she was airlifted there for surgery. All went well... The reason I am aware of all the details is that (by a random coincidence) I know a niece of the woman who broke her hip. I was actually able to work with the Viking staff to coordinate discussions between the family and the medical staff. Communication was a challenge due to the differences in time zone and language. The staff on the ship were amazing... Fran

Hi there - It might help if you list what the excursions are that you are considering... People could offer opinions on a trip to "x" destination even if it is with another line... For example - if you don't stop in Bratislava - but it is offered as an optional - do people think it is worth the time and price? Just a suggestion... Fran

Yes, you can pre-pay your gratuities... Avalon will let your TA know how much they recommend. We have done it a couple of times. We are also going to pre-pay our gratuities with AMA for our cruise next year. Fran

On one of our cruises, an elderly woman fell and broke her hip. She was taken to a hospital in Bulgaria. We were sailing Viking at that time - and a Viking representative stayed with her in the hospital --> her travelling companion (her sister) continued on with the cruise at the direction of the crew. The decision was made to air lift her back to Canada - and surgery was performed upon arrival. She had insurance that covered emergency evacuation --> but the family had to insist it be done on home soil rather than in Bulgaria (I guess it was cheaper to have the surgery done locally, than it was to air lift her home... hence the reticence on the part of the insurance company!!). Fran

We are booked on the Douro next May... Yes, I am aware that this is a "sleepier" cruise - and we may have to bus more. But - am looking forward to an enjoyable cruise to celebrate our anniversary - and lots of time to enjoy the local wines!! We are doing 3 nights pre- and post-cruise so will still have some busier times I am sure. Fran

DH and I are addicted to river cruising... (Booked for #18 next year...). We have travelled with most of the main players (not travelled Tauck) - and, for the most part, the experience with every line was good. We travelled with Viking in China, as well as on the Elbe and Eastern Europe (Bucharest to Budapest). All of these trips were awesome... When interest rates were lower - and our dollar was more on par - I was OK with paying further out. Not so much now. Viking is very visible in the river cruise market. When I say we are going on a river cruise, most people assume that we are travelling with Viking - as that is what most people think about. We are starting to see more ads for Scenic these days, but most people have never heard of AMA, Avalon or Uniworld --> unless they work with a travel agent, or have a friend who has travelled with these companies. In Canada, Viking continues to insist on the long full payment schedule - as in the US. As long as people will do this, they have no reason to change the policies. Luckily, DH and I are retired now - so we could always book last minute if we want (and then the payment policy is a non issue...). Of course - this is dependent on availability of space. We booked the Douro for next May - and looked at all lines. Viking had NO space in May or September next year when we were looking in April this year. Fran

I NEVER travel without insurance... too many horror stories out there. And, have heard of a number of people who lost big $$$ as they didn't purchase insurance when paying for a big trip. Luckily I have an option of an annual plan, so I am covered at all times - even if we are able to travel on short notice!! Fran

A good place to start your river cruise journey. Have sailed the Rhine twice... I am sure you will enjoy. Fran

We tried to to do this when we were in Luxor - but the winds were too strong that morning, and so all balloons were grounded... As Mark mentioned above, it was an early start... and we made it across the river only to have to head back and return to the ship. So disappointing... 😞 Fran

JoyMBee - I still think your 1st option sound great... Of course, I love Budapest, so any time spent there is wonderful. You could easily go in a day or two early - on your own - and have lots to see and do before you start the cruise. We love Avalon. We have done 17 - with #18 booked for next year - and are not brand loyal. But, Avalon suits us well. They have some unique itineraries - and they do change them up. Whatever you ultimately choose... Enjoy!! Fran P.S. What part of Ontario are you from? I am in Whitby....

We have done this itinerary twice... First time with Viking - and this last time with Scenic. With Scenic, we also did the pre-cruise extension to Transylvania. Take a close look at the itinerary... there are enough differences that you may miss something you really want to see For example, with Viking, we visited the Belogradchik Fortress. I was looking forward to seeing it (and hiking it) again - this time with friends. It was not an included stop this time around. I would suggest you start in Bucharest. We found that economic recovery is slower at that end of the Danube - so you sail from the "have not" to the "have" areas. Although, it was not as pronounced on this trip as it was the 1st time around. It was great to see how Bucharest had recovered since the last time we were there!! It is a great city to visit - as is Budapest. Enjoy!! Fran

We have done Amsterdam to Basel twice - once with Uniworld, and once with Emerald. The cruise with Uniworld was a Christmas market cruise, and it snowed so hard on the day we sailed through "castle corridor" that we couldn't even see the shore. So - the next time, we went in September - and it was perfect. Although, the Uniworld cruise was great - just not great for seeing the scenery. As far as choosing which line to cruise with, there are more similarities than differences IMHO. Things such as food, and quality of excursions are quite subjective. And something that can (and does) affect the overall experience is the cruise director. The BEST cruise director we have ever had (and, we have completed 17 river cruises - with most of the major lines) was on our Tulip Time cruise with Scenic. And the worst? Also with Scenic. Food? Believe it or not - the food that was the most memorable was in Russia (with Uniworld). Although, the deep fried insects on the buffet on the Mekong were memorable as well.... 🙂 Our 1st cruise with Uniworld on the Seine was wonderful from a food perspective. I think a spread sheet is a good way to start. Look for things that you really want to see - and note which companies include them. Look to see if they offer options for the tours. In Normandy (on our 2nd Seine cruise), my DH went to the beaches for a 2nd visit while I went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Our 2nd Seine cruise was with Avalon - and we enjoyed the fact that there were choices for the excursions, so it was a different cruise - even though it was on a river we had already sailed. Look at cabins as well. We almost always book Aquarium Class - as we are happy with a smaller window and saving money for the next trip. If you do decide to go with Viking, look carefully at their cabin sizes. Their French Balcony cabins are actually smaller that Aquarium class... they move the corridor to allow for the "proper" balcony - with makes the French Balcony rooms smaller. Good Luck - and enjoy your planning!! Fran.

We have wanted to do the Douro for years... But it seldom (if ever) goes on sale - and the sailings sell out quite early. So - we have booked and sailed other itineraries while waiting for the time and price that suited us (just completed RC #17... the Mekong). We are not brand loyal. Our 45th wedding anniversary is next year - so we decided to bite the bullet and sail the Douro. I want to be on board on our actual anniversary (May 26th). I also want pre- and post-cruise extensions. This limited our options. Many only offer pre- OR post.... Many are sold out for May. We are lucky in that we usually travel Aquarium class so that did allow us a bit more availability. We were looking seriously at Emerald, but ultimately decided to book with AMA Waterways. The price was a bit more, but we get an extra day in Madrid. Although we do need to pay our own gratuities, we get excursions included that are extra with Emerald. So - the cost equals out. We got one of only 2 cabins left on the sailing. Now we just need to decide if we want to add on any extra days to Lisbon or Madrid before we start looking seriously at air. Food to me is so subjective... And we have always had great service. So that doesn't play heavily when we plan and book. I pay close attention to the itinerary... Whatever you choose, enjoy the planning - and the trip!! Fran

I learned something interesting about pre-booking tours with Avalon. With most companies (Avalon included) extra excursions will be cancelled if there is not enough interest. Makes sense... HOWEVER - on a cruise with Avalon that started in Amsterdam, we pre-booked the tour to Zaanse Schans that was scheduled on the day of embarkation (we went in a couple of days early). There were only 4 of us on that tour. The Avalon rep at the hotel indicated that they seldom (if ever) cancel tours booked on day of embarkation as they usually need some lead time to cancel anything. So - if it is a tour that you want - and it is on day of embarkation - book it. I doubt you will have an opportunity to book when you arrive. And - even with a low booking - it should proceed as planned. Not sure if this has changed... this was about 6 years ago. (We did a cruise that hit many of the WWI and WWII sites.... Flanders, Paschendale, Ypres etc. Also a cruise through Rotterdam harbour - not usually something a river boat does. Great itinerary - only offered that one year.) Fran

Great for me... I don't do well in extreme heat (Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand was a huge challenge for me...) We leave mid-May - and it sounds as if the weather will be perfect!! Fran

I would be happy to go head to head with you on that... Have a few packing tricks up my sleeve!! Fran

Will be interested to see if anyone answers... Doing this cruise at the same time next year. Fran

We stayed at the Hotel Anatole as that was the host hotel for our cruise with Emerald in February. Close to the Old Quarter, so a great location. We did a tour with Tours by Locals...and it was wonderful. We did get to see the Railway market (although it is "closed" to tourists, our guide got us in there!!), had egg coffee, saw the B52 Lake, the Hanoi Hilton, and went into Ho's Mausoleum. That was a duplicate of part of our included tour with Emerald, but glad we went. Our tour with Emerald was on a Monday, so we only saw the outside of the mausoleum as the mausoleum is closed to visitors on Monday. So glad we had made the trip on Saturday. We also had lunch included - and it was amazing. We had Bun Cha at a local restaurant (they only serve one thing - so no menus!!) and enjoyed the time sitting outside and watching everything going on. We got quite good at crossing the street(s) while we were there... You just step on the curb and walk... You don't run, and you don't stop. You just trust that the cars and motorbikes will stop or go around you. A bit nerve wracking the first couple of times - but we felt we had mastered it by the time we left Hanoi. Fran

My husband drinks Diet Coke - but think they refer to it as "Coke Light". No problems getting it on the boat (although we were on Emerald...) - or at any restaurants on land. Fran

I am not sure that they weigh the laundry bag - as I was able to cram a *lot* of items in mine, and it weighed significantly more than 1 kg. I did notice that the bag on our cruise in the fall or 2022 was smaller than on previous cruises - so perhaps they have made it even smaller for this year? There is a price list in the closet with the laundry bag. We tend to wash our "smalls" and hang them in the shower. We also use the window ledge - as we travel Aquarium class and don't have a balcony. Fran