ssawjo

54 minutes ago, JRIH said:

January 28 - February 12, 2024

We are on this cruise with you.  Our plan is to debark on Feb. 11 and use a local tour company to go to Bangkok, our last port.  We'll tour the city for a few days and then fly to Angkor Wat.  

If you are continuing on from Bangkok, my recommendation would be to find a reputable tour company and stay overnight in the city instead of traveling back and forth.  That way you will be able to experience the cities night life.  

Bill

12 hours ago, Mrs f. said:

Oceania just cancelled 3 days in  Myanmar for the Nautica May 10th cruise. Ship was supposed to be there May 15-17

What is Oceania doing regarding replacement of the port stop?  Sea days, another/different port of call, etc.?  Just curious, since I will have the same issue in January on the Riviera.

Thank you for your diary posts.  We are really looking forward to visiting Yangon.  If we do, we will stay in the city overnight in order to not have to return back to the ship using private tours.  However, the way things are going in country I do not see how Oceania will be calling there in January 2024.  They have already cancelled one port call and others will be probably cancelled.  

Did you have an opportunity to ride the Circle Train?

Thanks, Bill

On 4/17/2023 at 8:03 AM, NateUpNorth said:

Used Curacao Dreams in December 2022.
Personally would recommend. They also "take you on a tour" of the Island with A LOT of historical and current info.
If you have questions feel free to ask. 

Which tour did you take with Curacao Dreams?

On 4/15/2023 at 8:07 AM, Kristal Blade said:

Last night we attended the APT special event. An evening of Mozart and Strauss music, both orchestra and opera, in the Prince of Liechtenstein’s palace in Vienna.

I was glad I had packed something to dress up in for that event. Annoyingly it was raining so we had to gallop from the buses to the entrance and my feet got a bit wet in my blingy sandals.

 

Packing has begun, we head home on Monday.

Amastella has been a great introduction to river cruising for us.

Hello, 

Question:  By being glad you packed something to dress up in for the event, what exactly did you pack?  I am wondering for you and for a man.  We will be attending the same event in May off of the AmaBella.  Thanks, Bill

You can also review your booking confirmation and see if all of the perks that you are paying for are listed on the document.  

1 hour ago, Norseh2o said:

Amazon on Insignia November-December, 2019.  In the 25 days, we enjoyed the Caribbean ports, loved the lazy travel on the Amazon, visited pretty Manaus (nice town, but not sure about calling it the "Paris of South America" as we had been told),  we were surprised by the size & beauty of the river.  We saw & smelled smoke from fire(s) in Brazil on some days & the back patio of Terrace was closed in the evenings. We were advised to not use balconies, leave curtains drawn & lights out evenings and night time.

 

On the positive side, no rainy days, enjoyed the spa inside and outside most days, the food was exceptional, the port stops and onboard activities better than expected, the staff, crew and guests were the best in all of our travel.

 

We saw 1 bug on the ship while on the Amazon.  We hope to book the same trip again in 2025 or 2026.

 

 

Why were you advised to not use your balcony, leave curtains drawn and the lights out?  Pirates or due to the insects?  Just curious.  I doubt pirates though.

3 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Hi Bill,

In some countries (certainly Russia), hotels are obliged to see and photocopy visas / passports of international visitors and can get visits from officials wanting to check them. 

Not saying that's the case in Vietnam, but it is quite a bureaucratic country

 

Shipmates who missed the last tender of the evening in Ha Long Bai managed to get a hotel OK despite having only ship-issued visas, but that might be because the hotel took pity on them

 

JB 🙂.

Good point.  I recall that in Italy, France, and elsewhere, the local police came by the hotel each evening, collected passports, and returned them to the next morning.  Not sure if they are continuing that practice.  So, depending on what Goldconnection finds out, I may get an evisa instead.

8 hours ago, cruisinsusin said:

Thanks to @Ifplenore and @John Bull. I had reviewed the official government site but still wasn’t clear about cruise stops as opposed to air/ land entries or embarkation/ disembarkation. We have 3 different stops on our Celebrity cruise- does that require 3 e visas or would one for the first port stop suffice? We are not doing overnights away from the ship but do have private tours at 2 of the stops.

I agree with you that it is all rather confusing.  I am not an expert but my reading is that you can come and go within VN at different ports of entry within the validity of the evisa, 30 days.  I hope someone can clear all of this up for us.

4 hours ago, Mrs. Claypool said:

 

 

However, we were told that if we wanted an overnight visa or longer, we should contact the front desk.  Perhaps that would have increased the price?

This is an excellent question.  We are overnight in HCMC (Saigon) next February on the Oceania Riviera.  We were thinking of staying overnight in HCMC and, instead of trooping back to the ship, staying in the city, exploring the night life, dinner, and getting up early to do another tour.    BTW, Oceania is charging $69/pp and is included in the total cruise fare.

Maybe it depends on the cruise line if they will charge "extra" for an overnight stay.  I really can't see Immigration chasing us down and deporting us.  

Bill

Just read several articles that the Myanmar govt. has decided to bomb it's own citizens and suspended elections from this coming August to who knows when.  It is my opinion, FWIW, that Oceania, and other cruise lines will  NOT be calling at Yangon anytime in the near future.

Just took the plunge and booked a rather pricey balcony cabin on the Emerald.  Looked for the Discovery but it is sold out.  Visited the Panama Canal (old locks) many years ago on the new, at the time, Sun Princess with our then kindergarten son.  It will be exciting to see the new locks, and the total eclipse of the sun of course!  Thank you Marne-c and help32550 for your work on getting this done.

Now off to tell the DW what I just did! LOL

Bill

I was told by local TV personalities that today is also National Burrito Day!  Enjoy!

48 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

Prague..going to put this separately since it wasn't even the same trip as the above, but again..a really fascinating city.

 

AMA had put us up at the continental? intercontinental? anyway a few blocks from the "powder tower", they use multiple hotels so experience will obviously vary a bit. (odd trivia, as I said in another thread the AmaStella arrived in Nuremberg the same day+dock we did and also had a excursion to Prague...there were 6 of us, and 12 of them...did AMA combine buses, guides, cruise director or hotel? nope!). I liked the hotel but it might be the smallest one Ive ever stayed in it had a bed it was quiet..what else did I want?

 

So the first part of this likely wont matter since again I went there from Nuremberg, not any of the directions you will.  We saw the palace of justice (along with a few shipmates where were hitching a ride with us to the train station/center of town before GETTING BACK ON THE SHIP AND GOING BACK THE WAY WE CAME) alone with a few sites from "German authorities of the mid 1900s" before heading towards Prague with a stop in Pilsen (if youre thinking beer...eyep) for lunch on your own and a small amount of tour.

 

Arrived in Prague about 6 and they brought our luggage up and then we met the group for basically orientation, (where is old town, where does that free drink voucher you were given get honored, few restaurant reccomendations (everyone spoke good English).

 

Next day only planned activity, choices were a bus to the castle then walk back down and then through old town or...walk from the hotel to the castle talking about everything on the way (the active option...yep that was me...and the guide...and that was it, the others went on the van).  This really I thought was the best option, we slowly made our way through town talking about history both short and long (she was my again about 45 and was one of the demonstrators during the fall of communism, a story she tells me on the spot where it happened) and ended up at the castle.  She had been instructed to bring me back down but I didnt really see a point so I cut her loose then paid for an admission ticket to the charged entrances in the castle and did that then went back on my own. You DEFINTELY want a Map, a GPS, or a guide in Prague, especially after hours, I managed to get minor lost about 3 times over the weekend (though just make it to the river and a few public squares and its not that hard).. But I made it back to the hotel this time with only a few miscalculations.

 

Last full day was on our own, I just sort of did a few things I had seen including the national(?) museum then ate another good dinner and went to bed.  There's a lot to see and the tour guide or hotel could probably set up or suggest some more formal ones.

 

Then I flew home, AMA provided a driver, and a guide for the airport (which wasnt really necessary since he basically just walked in and pointed at the empty Lufthansa desk).

 

I definitely recommend Prague.  There is a channel on YouTube called "the honest guide to Prague" which are two locals who talk about the good and bad of the city, and especially if you like food or drink are a good watch (as is knowing about some of the less great things) that I would recommend.

 

 

This is our schedule re: Prague - 

Day 18, VILSHOFEN ­ REGENSBURG ­ PRAGUE ­ DISEMBARKATION. Disembark the ship and enjoy a stop in Regensburg. After a local highlights tour, head to Prague where you will check into your hotel, The Art Deco Hotel. (B) Day 19, PRAGUE. Discover fairytale Prague and its magical church spires via a city tour or a hike to Prague Castle. Both will reveal why Prague is considered one of Europe’s most attractive and vibrant cities, with a historic city center that’s recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (B) Day 20, PRAGUE. Beer has been an important part of the Czech Republic since 993, when the first brewery was established. Beer is vital to the country’s national identity, so much so that the Czechs are the biggest consumers of beer in the world. Join a beer tasting and discover for yourself what makes Czech beer some of the best in the world. (B) Day 21, DEPART PRAGUE. Bid farewell to Prague and prepare for your homeward flight. Early morning on Lufthansa to Munich.(B)

The hotel is supposed to be really nice according to Trip Advisor.  Day 20 seems a little bit worthless.  I do like beer and would enjoy the beer tasting but how much beer can one drink in a day.  I will look for other things to do/see (will review YouTube) that day.  

Any restaurant recommendations?  I may look at Tours by Locals for someone for an evening tour.

Thanks for all of your help and great information.

12 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

Ah, well from recollection here is my take on it,

 

Class C Room...(AmaPrima) in some ways I found this a side grade from the first floor D/E class rooms.  its basically the same size except you have lost a small amount of space to the Balcony (its not really, its just a sliding glass door).  But having that glass wall to look out of can be a VERY good thing.  The location is a mixed bag, its so far back that you dont really have many people walking past your rooms, but I found that on third deck it was far enough back that machinery noises could be an issue at times (and again Im used to knowing when the bow thrusters come on down on the bottom deck, though the 110M AmaDante (Seine) was REALLY quiet on 1st deck...so much so I didnt even know we were underway at times),

 

Vilshofen charming little place, there will be a first night beer and pretzel festival right at the dock and sufficient free time to explore it before leaving the next day.

 

Passau, I did the castle hike, (see the name....) which bypasses much of the city walk so choose accordingly.  This will be a surprisingly busy port considering its size.

 

Linz...a city we were told didnt really want tourists...more of a launching point for excursions further afield. I did Salzburg with a stop on the way in a small town here "sound of music" was filmed (you would hear a lot about that on this excursion). Loved Salzburg, its the castle I chose to buy a print of to add to my collection. I hope you have better weather than I did , foggy didnt do this drive justice.

 

Weissenkirchen...this day ended up being a little adjusted due to weather for us, I was supposed to hike up to the castle ruins where king Richard was held on his way back from the crusades (yes this is a theme, I think it stops here).  But it rained too much and the guides didnt think it was safe so we just did the town walk instead.  The itinerary lists Melk Abby on this day as well which we actually did the next day, REALLY cool place...doesnt let you take pictures inside. When I went it was  "wine cruise"  and actually we docked in both Weisenkirchen for a day and Durnstein (where the castle was) for a day which came at the expense of Bratislava a few days later so I have no feedback on that.  And instead there was a winery tour in here.  the printed itinerary has Melk, Durnstein and Weisenkirchen listed all on the same day.

 

Vienna...very very long day here with a lot of choices of things to do.  This is the one time in my now 4 AMA cruises that there was a paid excursion option (Schonbrunn or a concert) after the main one for the day.  I think other cruise lines spend multiple days here, its definitely possible, there is a lot to see.

 

Bratislava...again I had a changed itinerary we skipped this, didnt even see it from the river as we went through in the dark

 

Budapest, probably because we were coming from Vienna and not Bratislava the day before we were behind where you would be at this time,  this was my first experience of getting off the ship, onto a bus and then meeting the ship in Budapest.  Chose the castle hill hike (ok I guess Weisenkicrhen wasnt the last time...) which more than focusing on the castle itself was more focusing on that side of the river whereas the normal tour splits its time between both.  My group was offered some time to see things on the other side of the river but decided it was too tired and just walked to the ship (which was a 2 mile walk)...at least that day AMA had a REALLY unfavorable docking location...but walking through Budapest at night does NOT suck.

 

And then it ended the next morning after finding a sister ship had arrived from Giurgiu and was tied up along side...the rest you will have to wait until the end of the month for!  Looking at the itinerary you will have what will be for me as embarkation day as a second day in Budapest (as will some portion of my shipmates as the Amamagna will be doing the full 14 day cruise with me joining it for the "gems of Danube" portion on Sunday in Budapest.

 

until then I leave you with one of my favorite pictures...sticking to my theme...kinda

Vilshofen, unfortunately, will be our last stop, as we are boarding in Giurgiu.  I hope they have what you described as I love beer and pretzels.  This will be at our stop in Passau.

Not much I could do about location of cabin but we'll deal with any noise.  

I will take into consideration your comments about the other stops.  We have not made any tour selections yet.  I have seen/heard that Budapest is amazing at night.  Expecting Vienna to be a long day.  DW is a "Sound of Music" lover, so this tour will be on the top of her list.

I will look at things and see what interests us.  Thank you for your notes/opinions.  They are appreciated.

2 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

Understood AmaBella is the one Danube/Rhine class of AMA ship I wont have been on after this trip, I think AmaStella (same class) was the ship that was chasing my ship down the Main (AmaPrima) the last time I was in that area, saw it in port the last two days but I never saw the inside of it.

 

I can say that the other two 135M class ships were pretty much the same. They are good ships to be on, I just really wanted to see the AmaMagna.....

 

What room category are you in?  And in general what are you interested in seeing/anything you've done in the past that you thought this cruise might do?

 

Like I said I did Vilshofen to Budapest already (though we didnt do Bratislava (wine cruise change)  so...cant say for that one).

 

We are in category C.  Have never visited the countries on the Grand Danube 14 Day Cruise, so everything will be new.  Not sure what to expect but we are really looking forward to it.  I like more historical things/sites and my DW is more cultural, so we will probably be doing different tours, which is fine.  We are doing a pre-cruise in Istanbul and a post cruise in Prague.  

14 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

Interesting how many people here are on that route in the short term, I haven't seen many reports on it

 

Im scheduled to leave for Budapest to do it the southern half on the 30th on Amamagna as well(did the rest in 2019 its a good trip).   Was thinking of doing an in depth running thread but wasnt sure how much interest there would be.

Well, I would be very interested in your observations.  We are on the AmaBella, BTW.  Not so much about the ship, because it is way different than the one I will be on, but about the ports, tours, etc.  Not concerned about water levels because levels change all the time.  Have a great trip.  Bill

On 1/26/2023 at 6:28 AM, RobInMN said:

We are due to board AmaMagna in 2 moths, Mar 27th, at Vilshofen, Germany. 2 weeks to Giurgia, Romania.

We'll let you know...

 

Please don't forget to let us know how the cruise was.  We are boarding in Giurgia to Vilshofen on May 15.  Thanks.

15 hours ago, wpas1 said:

I just spent a month in The Philippines.   All you need is your passport and proof of vaccination.  If you’re not vaccinated I am not sure what you need, but that is always changing.  You can stay in Philippines for 30 days with no visa.   Clark is a very new, nice airport. When going to Manila give yourself plenty of time, the traffic is terrible.  It took my daughter 4 hours to go from near Angeles City to Manila airport.  It’s around 60-70 miles. 

Thank you for the information.  Not using the Manila airport, fortunately.  Last day, going directly to the cruise port to meet the ship.  

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Hmmmmm…….no

Sorry, I may have mistaken your "No" as a comment to my post, #7. But what I said is true.  The new WMD is too much in my opinion.

2 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Hmmmmm…….no

When we cruised on the new Royal, which was several years ago, it was $40/pp.  We have not been on a cruise since that had a Winemakers dinner.  

Used to be $40/pp.  All the wine you could drink also.

Just now, 1985rz1 said:

You'd be surprised by the number of cruisers who have booked a suite and ask here on CC what can they do.

Well, that is true, yes.

42 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Usually the Dinner Reservations desk  on Deck 5

If you have a Butler you can also see what he can do for you

I see this about having a butler all the time.  Not everyone will have a butler.  Only a small percentage would.  If they do, then the passenger is probably aware of what the butler is capable of.

On 3/31/2023 at 11:09 PM, bob brown said:

Also following this with interest…

For those of us on the current full ATW, if “O” decides at some point to divert around Myanmar, while being a disappointment to some, many of us will just take it in stride, as part of the adventure of travel.  Worst case would be an extra three sea days, or better would be extra time in the previous or following ports, or any nearby alternative choices where a berth was available.

I understand the concern of those just booking a segment mainly to reach Myanmar…

 

Bob, please keep us informed as to what transpires about Myanmar.  Whether you skipped the port, had alternate port calls, or just sea days.  Thank you.