cb222

Been on 3 Uniworld cruises - leave tomorrow for Paris and the Seine.

No one cares what you wear. They can't see below your mid-chest area at dinner anyway. Be comfortable!!

cb

Uniworld River Baroness - Where Does it Dock in Paris?

We are on the Sept. 20 Paris - Normandy cruise.

Thanks, cb

You will have to make another trip to Paris and if you stay 7 to 10 days, you will still not see and do and eat all there is.

cb

When are you going? We are Sept. 20

cb

Ask the ship company if hair dryers are permitted on the ship before you buy one.

cb

We were on the Rhine last year in mid-Sept.

It was cold and rainy every day except one. Too cold to stand on the top deck to watch the scenery.

The previous year we were on the Danube - also mid-Sept. and it was bright and sunny every day.

Pack layers.

cb

I have had ATM cards not work. I take 300 Euros, even if it costs a little extra. Need it for taxi to pre-cruise hotel. We go 3 days in advance to recover from jet lag. Also for buying little stuff at the ports.

cb

I figure no one cares what you wear - except you - and I have gotten over that. Comfort rules !!

A new idea - wear a skirt. I take 2 - one lightweight rayon, one long corduroy. Lightweight for the plane and hike it up if it is warm. No need to lower it in the restroom avoiding the stuff on the floor.

Wear the heaviest stuff - shoes, jackets, Scottvest. Change on the plane and put it all in the overhead bin.

Call the airlines for the latest rules on size and weight. There have been recent changes that haven't gotten into their websites. When checking in overseas, I have had them tell me to put my carryon on the scale, even on American lines. Take a digital luggage scale - on travel websites about $20.

Relax and don't worry about your attire.

cb

Went to sleep the first night - looking at the lovely scenery across the river at sunset. Woke in the morning and opened the drapes to see solid green. It was another ship docked right next to us. It's all part of the experience.

cb

Talk to the head of the kitchen on the first day. I am unable to eat spices of any kind. He told me to talk to the head chef each day at lunch. He told me what was going to be served at dinner and which I could eat - if none, he made special meals for me.

One day, in the breakfast buffet line, the chef told me therfe was white pepper in an egg dish so I wouldn't take any.

A quality operation. We are going on our 4th Uniworld cruise in 2015.

cb

At the end of each day, you will be exhausted.

cb

If your flight gets in very early and you can afford it, you could reserve the room for the previous day.

We got to the hotel at 10 am and had to spend 5 hours. It was a killer.

cb

When we wanted to buy walking sticks, we went to REI and the salesman suggested ski poles since we needed to buy 2 of them. Worked out great.

Now, I too prefer to use a collapsible cane that fits in my carry-on.

cb

If there is someone with mobility issues, using the bus is easier than the Metro. Changing from one line to another can involve a lot of walking and possibly some stairs.

Personally, I also prefer the bus so I get to see more of the cities.

cb

One last thought:

A California king is narrower, but longer, than an Eastern king, so we can't do 2 twin mattresses on one frame.

We overlap the blankets/comforters in the middle of the bed.

cb

On Uniworld and in many of the European hotels there are 2 twin beds next to each other with separate linens on each bed. They do not have king nor queen beds.

It worked out so well that we bought a twin comforter and a twin lightweight blanket for our king-sized bed at home. One of us gets cold.

cb

Go to tripsdvisor.com and look at their forums. There is one for Amsterdam that we used and got great answers and info.

cb

Best to call Avalon and ask.

We have used it twice - once for me, once for Hubby.

We got "cancel for any reason"whcih pays 80%. But if the reason is medical, it pays 100%.

cb

I don't understand your concern. The cruise companies buy their wines in very large quantities so they certainly get a low price for them. They are not serving very expensive wines.

I would be more concerned about the quality of the other services they provide that add a lot to the cost of the cruise.

cb