CPT Trips

8 hours ago, RobInMN said:

Besides the rooms, probably the biggest difference between the 2 are the cruise managers/excursions. On the GCT we were on, there were 4 Cruise Managers and they led all the excursions. We were assigned to one as our primary, but there were a couple places where there were a couple options and we went with a different CM.

In my experience with GCT, the included tours were usually conducted primarily by a local licensed guide with the Program Director (PD) also accompanying the group. 
Often one, or more, of the PDs (not necessarily the one you were assigned) would offer some sort of tour after lunch. These were open to anyone who wanted to join in. Participants were responsible for any associated admission or transit costs. 
I found we got more individual attention and assistance with directions or transport information with four staff on board than on those ships with just one cruise manager on board. 
Bedding is what it is. I’m a big guy and I always slept well . . . it’s a gift 😎

8 hours ago, sjde said:

I found two GCT that have queen size beds -the M/V Corinthian and the M/V Clio.

 

https://www.gct.com/about/leader-in-river-cruising/our-fleet/corinthian

 

https://www.gct.com/about/leader-in-river-cruising/our-fleet/mv-clio

Indeed those small ocean going ships do bedding that can either be separate singles or one larger bed. They are not river ships. 

On 10/23/2023 at 8:39 PM, prmssk said:

Thanks for sharing!  Great photos!  We are less than three weeks away from our 10 night trip on the Xpedition.

We are on the Xpedition in February and would appreciate your comments about the ship, especially any things that are different from OPs experiences on Flora.

tia

From reports on a Facebook group for OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) travelers, the situation in Egypt at this time is safe and is basically unchanged from the past. We leave for a trip there in a month. Despite having concerns that something will happen in Gaza during our trip (we arrive the first night of Chanukah) we plan to go. 
Good luck and enjoy your trip. 

13 hours ago, sjde said:

Grand Circle (GCT) has great per person per day costs and I didn't see much difference from the pricier AMA. (Maybe the wine was not quite as good and most only have twin beds). They usually have some 7-10 nt Christmas Markets cruises. Their others tend to be longer. I've not taken a Gate 1 cruise (we had to cancel summer of 2020 due to the pandemic ) but a friend loves them and they are reasonable. This year we got what we think was a great deal on a Viking river cruise, compared to others  ($300/pp/nt).

I think we have cruised on all the river boats GCT uses. All have only twin beds. 

I appreciate that Grand Circle Travel/Overseas Adventure Travel stops at the the American Cemeteries on many of their trips and also at the Cemeteries of our Allies and our former enemies when nearby. 
 

I also appreciate that the Premier League kits have a poppy on them today. Waiting to see the NFL uniforms.

I really enjoyed the Speyer Technical Museum - https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/

It was an easy walk from where we docked. I had plenty of time to visit the cathedral and wander around the town afterwards. Even time to stop at the Biergarten adjacent to our dock.

If you are there between July 11 and 16, you can also take in the BretzelFest - https://www.speyerer-brezelfest.de

If you want a somewhat longer cruise than the typical one week and are in the US look at Grand Circle - gct.com

It’s much easier to scan your passport chip if you take the phone out of the case. Unfortunately I don’t remember which feature it was, but I needed to go into settings and enable something in order to do the scan. IIRC the instructions informed me that this was needed. 
I had difficulty getting the photo in selfie mode, so I switched to regular camera and had someone else take the picture. 

Sitting with your feet in the water, ass in the sand, and under a palm tree or on a dock of the bay are sure cures.

If this isn’t an option Meclizine is my  medication of choice. 
Scopolamine patches can have ugly side effects. 
If sea sickness hits, it’s too late to use any oral remedy. They won’t stay where they need to. At that point a good option is phenergan (note: it’s an antihistamine) administered internally. Visit the ship’s doc for that unless you filled a scrip for “silver bullets” from your doc at home. 

On 10/17/2023 at 6:08 AM, edinburgher said:

We shook our heads, said nothing at all and tried not to laugh out loud.

I’ve been in similar situations. I loled. Couldn’t help myself.

On 10/18/2023 at 3:41 PM, Blueridge Cruiser said:

Linz - Did the Cesky Krumlov tour and enjoyed it. Walking tour of city, then provided lunch in a small charming stone cellar restaurant right on the square, then time to explore or shop on our own. I think this is the port where our friends went on the excursion to a concentration camp. They said it was sobering, very good and recommend it.

The Mauthausen Death Camp near Linz is beyond sobering and definitely a place that people should visit. I found it thought provoking and very emotionally draining. Cesky Krumlov is an entirely different type of experience and also well worth a visit. 
 

We have been to Linz a couple times with GCT. Cesky Krumlov was a full day excursion while Mauthausen was 1/2 day allowing time for a walking tour or visiting museums in Linz. YMMV. It’s also an easy train trip to Salzburg I’d that interests you. 

Vienna obviously is known for its music and you can get tickets to performances on line before you go. The UBahn (subway) is relatively convenient to the river cruise ship port. Should be an easy walk (jog) to the station from the ship for you. From there you have easy access to the city center and also for a DIY visit to Schönbrunn Palace. 

If you opt for private tours, we found that just about every person proving tours and similar services has WhatsApp so they can be easily contacted to coordinate meeting points and docking locations. 

On 10/18/2023 at 7:47 AM, notamermaid said:

Saw a headline this morning from a travel website in Asia saying that the Moselle is an "off-the-beaten-path gem" and interviewing Pam Hoffee of Avalon Waterways. A hidden gem not for Europeans, the Moselle has been a touristy vineyard-clad river for 100 years. 😉 I mean the touristy, the vine has been there for 2000 years. But for Asians I can understand the "hidden".

😱 Selfie sticks everywhere 🤮

On 10/17/2023 at 7:18 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

will base in Sorrento for the first part

Lovely city, we were there based there in March for a week. Great weather but the boats along the coast and to Capri were not running regularity yet. Train to Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Naples was easy if any of those are on your list. 

9 hours ago, lolo11 said:

I was able to take my photo but struggled with taking my husband's in selfie mode. Then I remembered this post about your switching the mode to take the photo. Problem solved. Thanks. 

Glad it helped. Enjoy your trip. 

We are looking for non-strenuous activities for our first day in Melbourne this Thursday. Just something to stay awake and move a little until we crash after dinner. Our flight arrives 0700 so I assume we’ll we’ll be at the hotel (in South Bank) by lunchtime, if not earlier, and will have somewhere around 4 hours, perhaps more, before our scheduled activities begin at 3:30.

We are considering a cruise on the Yarra and/or riding the tram loop around the CBD. If we decide to only do one direction on the river, are there any reasons to choose one direction over another?
After reading this thread, we will undoubtedly want coffee while wandering. Do coffee shops also have light lunches (sandwich, salad, or similar)? Is Patricia’s still the trendy coffee place and if so, which tram stop would be best?  
Looking forward to our visit to Australia, the flights there, no so much. Very helpful thread. 

8 hours ago, John Bull said:

And it's a great shame for the crew, because non-Americans like yours truly don't see the sense in putting their hands in their pockets for another tip for good service when they've already had a daily charge added to their on-board account and more "tips" added to their drinks prices.

I daresay that I’m not the only American that agrees with your sentiment and considers added “service charges” to be the same as a tip. 

19 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Also just wondering how one would use a credit card to -- for example -- pay for a pay toilet in a city center or pay a small admission fee to a somewhat out-of-the-way church where you find a volunteer sitting at the door with a basket in front of them....

Well, there is always Unter den Linden. 😈

If we are traveling to a country that we previously visited, we have a small amount of coins and low denomination bills from prior trips. Unfortunately, most are in currencies no longer in use - Marks, Francs, Liras, Kunas, Schillings, and Shillings. My Florints, Drachmas, and Korunas will soon join this list. 

On 9/9/2023 at 2:34 AM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Where would you classify sailing across the Atlantic in a hamster wheel?  🤣

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66733230

 

Give me a moment to consult DSM-5-TR . . . 
 

For those unfamiliar, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24291-diagnostic-and-statistical-manual-dsm-5#:~:text=In 2022%2C the APA published,accurate version of this resource.

On 9/9/2023 at 1:39 AM, Kristelle said:

I was only joking notamermaid as I'm sure CPT Trips was asking facetious question too. 

Facetious? Really?

1 hour ago, JLobdell said:

I'm sure there are no bad choices.

That is totally correct!

I am partial towards the Mosel and would follow notamermaid’s recommendation.
It doesn’t appear that the itinerary includes any significant time to tour Nuremberg, you might enjoy an extra day there. 

11 hours ago, ny4me2 said:

Just returned from NCL Dawn, Copenhagen to London.  DO NOT - ever - fly through Oslo, Norway.  It was the worst experience ever, causing many to miss their connecting flights, including ourselves.  We have traveled all over the World but let me tell you; We will never fly through Oslo again.  Here is our video to give you an idea.  Simply horrible.  If this saves just one person, it was worth posting. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUaNZkNKF5I

OK, I need to understand something. Your cruise was from Copenhagen to London. 
Was your delay outbound (to the ship) or inbound? 
What airport was your “home” airport for your  flights? Portugal, NY, or somewhere else?

I’m reminded of my niece, who when in college, flew Stuttgart - Istanbul - USA adding significant distance and layover time just to save some money. Public transit to Munich Airport would have been only been about a half hour longer and she could have taken a nonstop stateside. 

On 9/6/2023 at 8:22 PM, Shmoo here said:

In the past we've bought what they call a "tip pak" from AAA.  It's typically a small amount just so we had some money when we got into a foreign country.  Then we find an ATM once incountry to get more, if we need it.

Last time I checked out a “tip pak” (and it was by no means recent) there was a service charge on top of a poor exchange rate. 

On 9/7/2023 at 12:14 AM, Szt said:

We have found there are usually ATMs right in the port entry and exits. Not everyone takes cards. Usually the drivers and guides we find want cash. The airports all have ATMs too.
Does anyone know what currency the ATM machines on board usually give?

A lot depends on where you are traveling. It’s difficult to use cash in Scandinavian countries and since the Covid shut downs contactless payments have really increased. 

Does an hour or two in the Yarra River, Sydney Harbor Ferries and dinner cruise, and then another couple hours in a jet boat on the Dart River qualify as river cruising? 

We will fly from PHL to LAX (AA) to connect with Qantas to Australia. Is it likely that we will need to go through security in LAX, or is there a way to stay inside security?

TIA