alexandra cruiser

Alexandra Cruiser;

 

When considering the B2B with Viking, we were going to do it in Sep. Scenic only runs Budapest to Burcharest April - Jun and I didn't want to do Istanbul and Athens in July :eek:, to darn hot!

 

So if Putin continues to be a bad boy and we skip the O Black Sea portion , we may look at doing the June Scenic Tour BudaPest to Bucharest.

not this yr.Since this one is already sold out.The new 2o15 brochure is avail.These sell out fast,it seems.

Hope my first Scenic cruise is better than less than average one I had on Viking(to Russia)yrs ago.Have been on many other lines on river,like AMA best,but TRYING Scenic due to itinerary.;)

yrs.ago,but could not get my money back from insurance or cruise company.Was NOT happy,but like above.Had NO problems,only 6 of us Americans on ship.Had armed guards and cross sections blocked for our vans.Was an experience,to tell grandkids right,but not one I d willingly do again.Sorry.

Re.Budapest to Bucharest river cruise.That was me,but NOT taking Viking.Prefer more luxury,going on Scenic.

Weird when you have to read the papers,watch TV,etc.to see where ifs SAFE to travel to nowdays,eh??:(

wonder how that would affect Viking decision??

Think I d pass on that one,but many may have made their final payment already.Hope they have good travel insurance,just in case.:mad:

I booked Scenic,because its a new ship.Has more ports I want to see.Many perks inc.

Considered 5 star,but can book lower decks for similar to what you d pay for some others and EVERYTHING inc.,,,tips,guide and bus both,airport transfer(even if book on own),all drinks,shore exc.,,you name it.

Also, looked at AMA.Very nice line and little less expensive.Think a few others do it,but I like the above itinerary best.

Plan to spend a few days in Paris on own prior.

If your first river cruise,look at all the details when comparing cruiselines.Get brochures from ea,look at websites,read reviews,etc.

You DO get what you PAY for.;)

I wouldn't worry about Constanta on the Black Sea at the end of a Danube cruise. Romania is not involved in this current situation.

there,if things get worse in Black Sea and not safe.

Sad because that's one of the reasons I booked it.

Just looking at map,it appears so close,got a little worried if condition escalates to war between Russian and Ukraine troops.Will keep checking news.

Would be very sad if I had booked the Kiev one,or Russian river for this yr.Sure many will cancel.:mad:

that its wise for any ports in Ukraine,or Russia a good idea for quite awhile till all this settles down.

I would also cancel any upcoming cruise,prior to final payment.

Just not worth the risk.

Sad,but true.How much can you enjoy yourself when worried about personal safetly,right?:confused:

wonderful trip.

Re,tips,yes we did tip guide and bus driver.

June weather,it was warm and sunny most of time.Not hot.

Drinks,free only at meals.

No free transfer unless they get airfare.

So figure this out for your expenses,plus tip at end of cruise for crew,cruise guide director,etc.

Hate this nickel and diming,so have booked my first Scenic were all above is inc.PS.extra cost for some shore exc.also.;)

Also, how about upcoming Russian cruises?

I have one booked for June on Budapest to Bucharest,with ext.to Constanta on Black Sea,wonder about that?Maybe change that last port ,if probls persist?

Anyone cancelling their cruises there?Hear a travel warning issued for Ukraine,not sure about Russia.??:confused:

Know we ended up in Egypt many yrs.ago even with US travel warning issued same day.

Would really check my travel insurance,if booked on one.Just in case.

Guess I ll hold off on this one for awhile.

Interesting to see what the various cruise lines do in this case.:confused:

made a copy of your post to refer back to,about shore exc.esp.Lots of good tips.

Now planning Jan 2016,so have awhile before schedule out to book.

Looked at lots of cruises,but this seemed best for us.Love Seabourn,and the bigger ships after Sojourn to Norway.

Now I ll just have to HOPE for good weather.

PS.taking a Scenic river cruise and hear MANY Aussies will be onboard,,my TA said they can be "real party animals",haha.We ll see.:)

and possible problems in some ports with this ongoing Ukraine?Russia?conflict.

I WAS going to book this,but am now holding off to see what happens.

Have similar concern about Venezuela,have cruise booked going to Isla Margarita ,but not till Nov.

Also, going on river cruise from Budapest to Bucharest(with Constanta,Black sea port) as excursion.Aways from there,but with crazy political probs.,,,always a little concerned.

Others share my feelings?:confused:

I d give them a try.Saw the loft and looks nice,but still a window up some stairs.

Sorry, doesn't make me want to go on one.

And I know they get good reviews.;)

prefer that cruiseline.So good idea to get on Celebrity one and get other views too.

In a nutshell, I prefer smaller,luxury ships after many yrs.of mass market,large ones.Better food,service,less lines,more room and less large groups hogging every venue.

In short,you DO get what you pay for.As far as Regatta(smaller with 700 passengers and older ship),Riverera(1200 and newer).

Good luck with decision,guess it comes down to itinerary and ship size.:)

Looking forward to reviews.

Also, how far in advance did you book?

Not sure if Dec 2015 better,or Feb.2016?

Price seems lower for Jan.,not sure WHY?

After 15 ocean cruises I took my first river cruise last September on Scenic - loved it. I found the cabins to be about the same size and I actually thought the bathroom (and shower) were bigger than the balcony cabins on Princess. The lovely thing about the Scenic balconys is that they have a glass panel that can be raised or lowered to allow you to sit out there if the weather is inclement and still enjoy the scenery going by. We had our butler bring us coffee and croissants every morning and sat out there enjoying it (even in the dark!). The drinks were as free flowing as you wanted, generous pours, quality brands and good wine selection.

 

Darn - I should quit telling people about Scenic, everyone will start booking on them filling up the cabin I might want :-)

because I thought same thing.Booked a jr.suite well over a yr.ago to get it.

Re.AMA,my TA also said that (and I agree after 3 with them),but he also said to TRY Scenic.

Will have to look at Tauck to see if new ships have full balcony.The other ones with 2 large windows seem basically a French to me.

Re.not being crowded. We also love Seabourn,Regent,Oceania and know that river boats are MUCH smaller,but we have ALWAYS found a place to relax on own.Esp.on top deck.Dinners less so, the tables for 2 go fast.So you must get in line EARLY for them.Or,as said,get room service(only on Scenic,that I know of).

So,give it a try, and see if river cruising for you.Take a shorter one to be on safe side.Book early to get choice of rooms.,dates,etc.;)

the passenger can always decide against going ashore if they feel uncomfortable.

If far enough in advance,perhaps they may switch ports of call ahead of time.

Are any of the current cruisers,or those in near future,concerned about Venezuela?Isla Margarita?Even Black Sea ports?:confused:

Often wondered who decides exactly when a port should be skipped.For safety reasons,political problems,terror threats,etc.Do they check travel warnings,do own research,what??

I ask this because I have a cruise with Isla Margarita(Venezuela) booked and heard political probs in country.Not that island specifically.So wonder what criteria is used?

Had a river cruise in Egypt when travel warning posted the same day we left,but cruise went on with no cancellation.Many did NOT show up.We did,but felt a little uneasy.

Now with Ukraine probs,it seems many ports to consider ...anyone know for sure?:confused:

and none of the ship probs mentioned.Big room,balcony,good food,luxury hotels,luxury Halong Bay ship.

Loved seeing all the sites,sad but interesting.

Cambodia was just fantastic.

Good to hear it was enjoyable even with ship probs.So look at AMA too.Good you tube videos to see details.

PS.have taken Uniworld and very nice,but feel AMA a trifle more upscale.But every ship,country,etc. can be very different.:;)

but will definitely know in June.Taking my first, sounds like extra money(not much) will be made up since literally everything is inc.Tips,drinks,shore exc.,airport pick up(even if not using thei r air),butler,room service,tubs,tips to onshore guides,etc......

Would TRY Tauck IF,and when they have ships with full balcony.That s a huge thing for me.

Also.loved AMA and my favorite so far,but many of the Scenic inc.not with them.Such as tips,drinks,room service,etc.Must REALLY look at all the details.

After 10 river cruises,I m having to expand cruise companies to prevent repeating some itineraries.

I always say, TRY ONE, then if not for you TRY ANOTHER.Remember,you DO get what you pay for.Add ALL the benefits up to compare.:)

and went to many sites of interest to Jews.=per se.Such as in Prague,BUdapest,Terezin camps,etc.Some were shore excu.)like Terezin) and others inc.in city tour.Then we went back on own,using taxi,guidebook,or HOHO bus,depending on ea.city.

So you could still take the AMA and do with cruise,or on own,or book private guide for sights you want.Look on tourist website for ea.city to find,or on Tripadvisor,or here under city in Ports section.Many guidebooks will offer more info,and specifics.

Think it would be better to upgrade the entire cruise to nicer line,and spend the little extra it would cost(like we did)to see exactly what YOU Want.

PS>we re not even Jewish,but appreciate the history and sites .Some very difficult to see,but BOY,did I feel more of an understanding after I went.

Just my opinion,hope it helps.;)

This is true of all river cruises, I believe.

and another café for snacks etc. But this is only one I ve found with that.

Plus,another venue besides just the one dinner area option is a plus.

Will be taking my first cruise with them,but sounds like top of the line and worth extra to me.Even booked a jr.suite with butler,tub,full balcony with removable top,,etc..know I m paying for it,but WORTH it to us.Even pick you up from airport,without having to use THEIR air.All exc.inc.,,so not having to pay extra for them onboard.Plus,inc.drinks,tips,ALL Day,NOT just dinner times.That can add up.

So there are exceptions on river cruises,;)

and LOVED it. Not sure if I d like it when cold tho.We like to sit on balcony and top deck to see the scenery.Might be too cold.

But the ship was great.Wonderful staff and food.Great shore exc.

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No negatives and one of my favorite s so far.Prague was great and enjoyed exploring the old town.Budapest so impressive,I ve booked another one,,,Budapest to Bucharest.:)

I think if you hand the tour guide USD or Euros as a tip and say sorry this is all I have, they will take it.:) Yes it is easier for them if it is in their national currency but believe me, USD is welcome everywhere. We were in Russia, they took it. When my parents went to China, they took it. But just as a question, what if you are in one of those countries and want to purchase something?

that I would give out.And I rarely purchase anything,like gifts,etc.Eat on boat,since I paid for it.My DH is VERY Scottish and tight with the bucks.haha.Sometimes he may splurge and uses credit card for large purchase or dinner(if they take them).That s why I like all inclusive,he pays ahead ,then doesn t COMPLAIN for every nickel and dime.But hey ,,,at least he PAYS up front.I ve learned to deal with it.:p

enough to begin with?Say, same as what they d normally get WITH tips.So everyone happy?

Sorry, but I agree with the others(as I said)its just such a worry and hassle.

The next one I m going to 3 countries that don t take US dollars,or euros.So would have to find ATM and get change for Bulgaria,Serbia,Hungary,and Romania.??Then my DH often goes on own,so HE needs extra change for HIS TOUR.

Glad I picked Scenic.May try Tauck because of this(if they ever get full balcony ships),and good to hear Uniworld coming onboard too.Sorry, would still not take Grand Circle(just prefer to deal with TA and like more luxury).

and it was the hi lite of the cruise. Loved the whole area and FALLS esp.

More impressive than Niagara,IMO.

Loved BA,even with all the negatives.Just be aware,take precautions,and HAVE FUN. We went to La BOca and danced the Tango in the streets,had cappuccino with guitar playing,ate great Italian food.Wished we d had more time there,even with all the problems.Missed Recolleta cemetery.

So I say,go for it.Was on my bucket list,and GLAD I did. Hey, I was in Egypt during a US Travel Warning,with armed guards. In Cambodia just prior to gov.marches,etc.What can I say?? Take a chance,and HAVE FUN,must be my motto.:o