JordanF

I am not exactly familiar with this plan, but... Cancel for any reason is usually an add-on to regular trip insurance--and is also often separate. If you have an insurable reason for cancelling, which this may well qualify as, you may have an option of using the regular insurance and getting actual money back. But, in general, decisions made early may commit you to a path of either regular insurance or cancel for any reason coverage. Please read over all of your insurance documents and proceed with your eyes open.

FWIW, just yesterday I was browsing a February 2025 cruise on RCCL's Serenade of the Seas, a 9 day Caribbean cruise out of Tampa. This is an older ship, and yet, there were already only a handful of balcony cabins left. I keep reading articles about how cruises are selling out and how prices are rising accordingly. We are booked on the Emerald Princess in 2026, and the prices have gone up since we booked a few months ago. I'm glad the industry is rebounding, but there were certain financial advantages to passengers during the downturn. These days, supply and demand are not on our side!

Sorry you are missing this island. We did a cruise day there a few years ago and it was delightful. However, it was pretty full back then (about 10 years ago), and I do think that adding thousands more would have detracted from our visit.

I was on a Gate 1 Danube cruise last summer, and chose to skip this tour. The main reason was that a fair amount of the time was spent on the bus ride to and from the city, and also at the included lunch, leaving limited time for actually seeing Salzburg. On our trip, we spent a very pleasant day cruising down a scenic part of the river, and touring Passau. Having said that, the people who went on the tour were happy with it. Here is a very unscientific opinion: people who really loved the Sound of Music wanted to see Salzburg more than others. Finally, $385 seems like a lot of money for this!

Always be closing!

Thanks for posting this, and other news about less-traveled rivers--it really helps broaden the horizons for river cruising in particular and travel in general.

Bad reading on my part. My email also does say June 17th for re-booking. Only 674 days till embarkation!

We have cruise booked for 2026, and had already booked MDR reservations for all nights. On Sunday I received an email notifying me that these reservations would be cancelled, and that I could make new ones starting today (April 17). However, all of my old reservations are still there. Will that continue to be the case? Stay tuned!

More noise goes through the door than through the wall. I try to avoid them, but it's not a deal breaker for me.

It's doable in that the cruise ships are not that far from the airport, so long as everything goes smoothly. "Doable" is not the same as optimal, but you already knew that!

Our move with our two kids was two rooms. When we were watching the money, we got two inside cabins. When we had a little extra, we got a balcony and put the kids in an inside cabin across the hall from us. Some of these cruises were when our kids were around the same age as your kids will be. For us, I know we all enjoyed the cruise a little more with separate rooms. Also, even if there are not that many kids on the ship, those that are there will find each other pretty fast. It's like some sort of superpower they have. Don't be shocked if they find other kids and then don't spend that much time in the actual kids program. Have a great time!

We took a Gate 1 river cruise last year. While we were not is a suite, there was never any indication that anything extra came with the suite. This included marketing materials, reading reviews, and being on the cruise.

Ha! My first thought on reading the caption was that the cruise line ordered their new ship on Amazon...

Nope. We were on Gate 1 last year on the Danube, and this was never an issue as I can recall, and I probably would as I like beef but not seafood.

Probably should put this in the roll call section? But either way, don't expect too much action. I started a roll call for a Danube cruise last May and got only one other person (I think since the ships are not that big compared to ocean ships?). However, we met up on the cruise and it was like we were old friends. Good luck, and enjoy the trip!

Same thing happened to me. We booked a 2026 cruise in January 2024. The app let me make MDR reservations for every night. Now, when I look, it will not allow me to make dining reservations until I pay in full as I am not Platinum, Elite or in a full suite or Club Class mini suite. However, my reservations that I made in January are still there.

There should be no difference. But, I was on a charter once (Buckeye Cruise for Cancer). We supplied our own entertainment, so I suppose the regulars got a break. The only other big difference was that there were no drink packages--all drinks a la carte (I think the cruise sponsors got a cut?)--so there were pop up bars all over the place. It was super easy to but a drink (too easy? :)). Besides those things, it was pretty much like any cruise.

Yep--maybe not as controversial atopic as dining room dress codes... I have been to Mexico on cruises many times and have never had or used any Mexican money. Everything has been US dollars or credit cards. It has never been a problem for us.

The OP is one cool customer! I think you can make the early flight unless something goes wrong. For myself, I would just spend too much of my valuable cruise time worrying about this--so for MY peace of mind, I would not do it. I acknowledge that this is more about what's in my head, but hey, it's my vacation. So, for example, last year we had a cruise arriving to Fort Lauderdale in the morning with a choice of a 10:30 am flight or a 6:30 pm flight (all the same day). I chose 6:30, we did the excursion to see the alligators, and still had a long afternoon at the airport. I would do it that way again. But, since the OP has got the early flights in the past and is cool with that--I say go for it!

Here's a thing about the music machine museum in Germany. I looked at that and thought it would be a waste of time, but I went anyway, and really liked it, and still look back on it fondly. Obviously, Rebel54 felt the opposite. This is my point--you never really know until you see it--sometimes you will be happy, sometimes not so much. (Also, I was not thrilled at the water puppets, but my wife loved them. Go figure.)

We have been on a few river cruises, including one with Avalon. The included tours are usually pretty good, and typically include "time on your own," either where you walk back on your own or the bus is scheduled for later on--depending upon the situation. I second the point made above--you can always bail on your tour--we have done this on occasion. Have a great trip!

Thanks for the review. We are taking a similar itinerary in late February-early March 2026. While the dates don't line up perfectly, I am curious as to how warm it was on the sea days. Warm enough to lay out? Comfortable on the balcony? Thanks!

Budapest! A great, interesting and delightful city. Passau is nice, buy way smaller.

Wow--I just read a news story about NCL passengers who took a private excursion, got back late, and were stranded on an African island. Best advertisement for ship excursions ever! https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/cruise-passengers-including-pregnant-woman-32488918

All of the people selling things on the ship are under pressure to meet sales quotas and/or earn commissions (for example--the workers in the spa are under intense pressure to sell product, in case you haven't noticed!). There is nothing wrong with this, but for example, we were sold a future cruise (not on Princess) once with statements made to us about it that did not prove to be fully accurate, but which did help convince us to buy (it all worked out in the end, but still...). So I agree with the other posters, better to book when you have the time and separation and lack of any pressure.