WOW----Gate 1--Monarch Queen--May 20, 2017 Review

We just returned from our 16 day Classic European cruise with Gate 1 from Amsterdam to Budapest. This was our 5th trip with Gate 1 and it met all that we have come to expect with Gate 1. Absolute Perfection! The cruise director, Soma, was extremely knowledgeable about every town, their cathedrals, way of life and the many castles we saw along the way. He went way beyond what should be expected every day of our cruise. He had such a fun personality and was very personable. Soma has been with Gate 1 for 5 years. The assistant director, Armin, was equally as talented. He had us laughing and kept fun in the activities. He organized daily games and dances throughout the cruise along with helping with the organization of our daily tours.

The ship's interior is in very good condition, while the sun deck is a little worn because of the sun beating down on it. There were many chairs, loungers, and tables on the deck. The lounge has very comfortable seating with chairs or couches and tables for your drinks.

It seemed like food was always being served. The breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, cereals, fruit, bread and pastries and more. Eggs were cooked to order if you prefer and another breakfast entree was on the menu daily to order. Lunch was also served buffet style with a good variety of dishes every day with ice cream for dessert. Each day had an item that you could order from a menu. A different soup was offered daily and also a sandwich. Dinner was served to you at your table. There was always a fish choice, meat choice, and a vegetarian dish. Also, everyday had chicken breast and a ceasar salad offered. The dinners consisted of an appetizer, soup, main entree and a dessert. Unlimited wine and beer were served at dinner. Great service.

An afternoon tea time was scheduled daily with a choice of dessert. Then, in the evening, at 10:00, another late night snack was served in the lounge. Believe me, you will not go hungry.

Our french balcony room was very nice. It was a bit smaller than the rooms on an ocean cruise. There was ample storage.

Wifi was available most all the time anywhere on the ship. We had a few periods of times that we could not connect because of our location on the river.

Tours were all very good. Most of the local guides were very good. We had a couple of guides that were knowledgeable, but rather boring to listen to. Each tour had anywhere from 3-6 guides for our group of 126. In some of the towns, a photo group was offered that moved at a slower pace for those that preferred that.

If you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Don't hesitate to book with Gate 1.

We just returned from our 16 day Classic European cruise with Gate 1 from Amsterdam to Budapest. This was our 5th trip with Gate 1 and it met all that we have come to expect with Gate 1. Absolute Perfection! The cruise director, Soma, was extremely knowledgeable about every town, their cathedrals, way of life and the many castles we saw along the way. He went way beyond what should be expected every day of our cruise. He had such a fun personality and was very personable. Soma has been with Gate 1 for 5 years. The assistant director, Armin, was equally as talented. He had us laughing and kept fun in the activities. He organized daily games and dances throughout the cruise along with helping with the organization of our daily tours.

The ship's interior is in very good condition, while the sun deck is a little worn because of the sun beating down on it. There were many chairs, loungers, and tables on the deck. The lounge has very comfortable seating with chairs or couches and tables for your drinks.

It seemed like food was always being served. The breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, cereals, fruit, bread and pastries and more. Eggs were cooked to order if you prefer and another breakfast entree was on the menu daily to order. Lunch was also served buffet style with a good variety of dishes every day with ice cream for dessert. Each day had an item that you could order from a menu. A different soup was offered daily and also a sandwich. Dinner was served to you at your table. There was always a fish choice, meat choice, and a vegetarian dish. Also, everyday had chicken breast and a ceasar salad offered. The dinners consisted of an appetizer, soup, main entree and a dessert. Unlimited wine and beer were served at dinner. Great service.

An afternoon tea time was scheduled daily with a choice of dessert. Then, in the evening, at 10:00, another late night snack was served in the lounge. Believe me, you will not go hungry.

Our french balcony room was very nice. It was a bit smaller than the rooms on an ocean cruise. There was ample storage.

Wifi was available most all the time anywhere on the ship. We had a few periods of times that we could not connect because of our location on the river.

Tours were all very good. Most of the local guides were very good. We had a couple of guides that were knowledgeable, but rather boring to listen to. Each tour had anywhere from 3-6 guides for our group of 126. In some of the towns, a photo group was offered that moved at a slower pace for those that preferred that.

If you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Don't hesitate to book with Gate 1.

 

Hello Champmasin,

We are from Canada and purchased a 12-day package (2 nights in a hotel in Budapest, 7-night cruise from Budapest to Regensburg, bus to Prague and 3-nights in Prague) through LuxuryEscapes (Australian company). We never heard of Gate1Travel before but the deal was too good to pass. We will be on Monark Empress which is a newer ship (I believe) than Monarch Queen.

Could you tell us what you did in Regensburg, Linz and Passau. We have not purchased the xtra tours as we are very independent. We are planning to take the bus or train in Linz to visit Mauthausen Concentration Camp which is only about 23-km.

Can you very much for your review, I really enjoyed it.

P.S. It will be our first river cruise!

The Canadians!:cool:

We had 66 Australians and about 6-8 passengers from New Zealand. They also booked through Luxury Escapes with a great deal. I can only answer your questions about what we did in Regensburg as we did not stop at Linz and we did an all day tour to Salzburg from Passau. In Regensburg, we just strolled through the city taking some of the back streets. It was a very nice day and we loved the city. Sorry I can't be of much help to you.

Thank you for a great review!

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Hi, thanks for your great review. We are going Amsterdam to Budapest on the Monarch Baroness in October. Although its a different ship I assume they would be built identical. Could you please tell me what power plugs you needed in the cabins? Also we board in Amsterdam from 3 pm on embarkation day, stay overnight then head off the following day after the usual canal and Amsterdam tour.

As we will be travelling from Brussels the day of boarding the earliest train we can get is 9.50 am arriving into Amsterdam centrale at 11.45 am. Our plans are to go straight to drop our luggage then to the Anne Frank house I am hoping to book on line the tickets for around 2pm. Then back to the boat. Do you think this would work or should I go for later tickets? Do you recall when you actually began to sail out of Amsterdam on day 2.

Good to hear there were lots of Aussies on board, I was thinking our group of 10 could well be the only non Americans on board so hopefully we wont be.

Another thread says that beer and wine is free at dinner but soft drink 4 euro each. Is this also your experience? As non drinkers we dont care if others enjoy their wine or beer but I would have thought soft drink or juice would be provided for the non drinkers as the cost of soft drink is a lot less than the price of wine and beer.

Another thread says that beer and wine is free at dinner but soft drink 4 euro each. Is this also your experience? As non drinkers we dont care if others enjoy their wine or beer but I would have thought soft drink or juice would be provided for the non drinkers as the cost of soft drink is a lot less than the price of wine and beer.

Unfortunately, soft drinks in Europe frequently cost more than wine and beer.

Another thread says that beer and wine is free at dinner but soft drink 4 euro each. Is this also your experience? As non drinkers we dont care if others enjoy their wine or beer but I would have thought soft drink or juice would be provided for the non drinkers as the cost of soft drink is a lot less than the price of wine and beer.

One evening I was offered a soda in place of wine or a beer. Although it states on the menu there was a charge (don't recall how much), I was not charged for it.

Hi, thanks for your great review. We are going Amsterdam to Budapest on the Monarch Baroness in October. Although its a different ship I assume they would be built identical. Could you please tell me what power plugs you needed in the cabins? Also we board in Amsterdam from 3 pm on embarkation day, stay overnight then head off the following day after the usual canal and Amsterdam tour.

As we will be travelling from Brussels the day of boarding the earliest train we can get is 9.50 am arriving into Amsterdam centrale at 11.45 am. Our plans are to go straight to drop our luggage then to the Anne Frank house I am hoping to book on line the tickets for around 2pm. Then back to the boat. Do you think this would work or should I go for later tickets? Do you recall when you actually began to sail out of Amsterdam on day 2.

Good to hear there were lots of Aussies on board, I was thinking our group of 10 could well be the only non Americans on board so hopefully we wont be.

You will need a 220 volt international adapter in the cabin. Our receptionist desk had additional ones to borrow for the whole trip at no charge.

The day you will board the ship a small lunch of various sandwiches and soup were served and then the afternoon was free until the welcoming briefing at 6:00 pm. the Baroness was docked right next to us at the Javakade Leigeplatz 1 dock. Unfortunately, it is not very convenient to Central Station or city center. Probably a 25 minute walk. The closet tram will be about 10-15 minute walk from the docking area. Your dock may be at a different location. On our second day, a free shuttle was offered at various times both ways to get us to the city. We went to Anne Frank on our second day in Amsterdam after lunch at 2:45. Our shuttle left the dock at 1:30 and we walked slowly and arrived at 2:15 with plenty of time to spare. Our shuttle returned at 4:30 to the ship. I think a 2:00 too 2:30 time frame would work for you.

As far as when you depart, I am unsure. The Baroness had left by the time we got back at 4:30.

Happy sailing! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Diane

Champmason: nice review! We also are dedicated Gate1 fans. We did a Russian River cruise with them last fall that was excellent! Another Christmas Market cruise a few years back that introduced us to river cruising. We love their land tours as well and always have found that the tour director is outstanding. You cannot beat their prices so we will keep on traveling with them! [emoji41]

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You will need a 220 volt international adapter in the cabin. Our receptionist desk had additional ones to borrow for the whole trip at no charge.

 

Diane

Virtually all modern electronics are dual voltage (check on the transformer box; it will usually say something like 110/220 v), so you don't need a transformer. All you need is a 2 pin European plug adapter. They shouldn't cost more than a few dollars, and it is better to have your own than to expect to borrow.

Champmason: nice review! We also are dedicated Gate1 fans. We did a Russian River cruise with them last fall that was excellent! Another Christmas Market cruise a few years back that introduced us to river cruising. We love their land tours as well and always have found that the tour director is outstanding. You cannot beat their prices so we will keep on traveling with them! [emoji41]

 

 

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A Russian cruise with Gate 1 will be in our future!

Thank you for the replies, according to gate 1 we are very close to central station don't have the info handy but an easy walk. I realise things could well change between now and when we sail. Our last Amsterdam to Budapest cruise we had to be bussed further down the river due to low water levels.

Last July when docking in Amsterdam on a Gate 1 cruise we were about 500 yards from the central train station.

We are going on the 9 day Budapest to Munich cruise in October with 2 days in Budapest. Do you have any suggestions for the two days in Budapest? What about the excursions to Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov? Are they worth the cost?

One evening I was offered a soda in place of wine or a beer. Although it states on the menu there was a charge (don't recall how much), I was not charged for it.

Currently on board Monarch Empress. Soft drinks are free during dinner, as are beer and house wines. Cost is 3.90 euro the rest of the time.

Hi, thanks for your great review. We are going Amsterdam to Budapest on the Monarch Baroness in October. Although its a different ship I assume they would be built identical. Could you please tell me what power plugs you needed in the cabins? Also we board in Amsterdam from 3 pm on embarkation day, stay overnight then head off the following day after the usual canal and Amsterdam tour.

As we will be travelling from Brussels the day of boarding the earliest train we can get is 9.50 am arriving into Amsterdam centrale at 11.45 am. Our plans are to go straight to drop our luggage then to the Anne Frank house I am hoping to book on line the tickets for around 2pm. Then back to the boat. Do you think this would work or should I go for later tickets? Do you recall when you actually began to sail out of Amsterdam on day 2.

Good to hear there were lots of Aussies on board, I was thinking our group of 10 could well be the only non Americans on board so hopefully we wont be.

We are on the Baroness Oct 8 Amsterdam --Basel We are from Canada.

Ciao

Ollie & Murray :D:D:D

Nice to see a Gate One river cruise review. I have a couple of questions. My husband and I are booked on the Monarch Empress next year. I've done two cruises with Viking in the past, but this will be my husband's first river cruise. Can you tell me what the range of prices for cocktails in the lounge are? A rough figure is fine. I was told they don't have drink packages, so will do ala carte for our pre-dinner cocktail. Was there time after the daily tour to explore on your own, or are the time frames very tight?

TYIA

Gate1 is the way to go. I did a China tour with a 4day Yangtze cruise in SEP/OCT '16 & a Budapest to Regensburg cruise with Prague in APR/MAY '17. China trip was perfect & the tour manager, Auwin, was the absolute best ever. The Danube trip was just great & the ship, Monarch Queen, was really good, the food was awesome, (better than Ocean Cruise ships' offerings) with just wonderful staff. The local guides were professionals who really know their subject & very accommodating. We stayed at the same hotels as other rivercruise lines - Scenic & Viking - we couldn't have better food, which was beautifully presented, the biggest bang for my travel dollar I have ever gotten. My experience with Gate1 has been so good we're booked for Moscow to St. Petersburg rivercruise for MAY/JUN '18. (Gate1 has alot of repeat customers)

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Wonderful to hear some positive reporting. We are going on our first gate 1 in october Amsterdam to BUdapest on Monarch Baroness. Did it 10 years ago on APT and loved it so taking group of friends to enjoy this time.

Nice to see a Gate One river cruise review. I have a couple of questions. My husband and I are booked on the Monarch Empress next year. I've done two cruises with Viking in the past, but this will be my husband's first river cruise. Can you tell me what the range of prices for cocktails in the lounge are? A rough figure is fine. I was told they don't have drink packages, so will do ala carte for our pre-dinner cocktail. Was there time after the daily tour to explore on your own, or are the time frames very tight?

 

TYIA

The price range for the cocktails were from $5-$8. I believe that there were 2 afternoons that a 1/2 price was offered and also one day that Bloody Mary's were half off.

Most days we had time to explore on our own after the guided tour. Depending on the cities, we could either stay in town and walk back on our own or take a shuttle back at a designated time. I can pull my daily itineraries if you would like more information on any city. Let me know about that.

We are going on the 9 day Budapest to Munich cruise in October with 2 days in Budapest. Do you have any suggestions for the two days in Budapest? What about the excursions to Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov? Are they worth the cost?

We wish we had stayed an extra day or so in Budapest as it is a beautiful city. Due to my husbands bad knees, we didn't explore as much as we would have liked to. After our morning guided tour, we had a quick lunch and then walked 1/3 of a mile to the enclosed market. It was crowded in places, but a great place to buy a souvenir. Prices were better than in the shops in Budapest. Our guide was from Budapest and he had suggestions as far as what to see in the city. Here are his suggestions:

Hospital in the Rock - Caves--during wartime it was a military hospital then the Communist Party turned it into a secret bunker. Guided tours $15

Parliament Building: 609 rooms Guided tours $18 Reserve online for tours.

Operahouse tour: Renaissance building $12

Covered Marketplace

Szchenyi Spa and Bath: Built in 1903 with several indoor and outdoor pools Barogue environment.

Dahany Synagogue Moorish style building- largest in Europe. Museum and Holocaust memorial gardens. $13.

Salzburg: The cost of the tour was an additional $116.00 each. Although Salzburg was a beautiful and interesting city, in my opinion, that was a lot of money to spend for the tour. We had a 2 hour drive each direction and about 5 hours to spend in the town. Probably 2 1/2 hours was the quided tour and provided lunch. Again, because of my husband's limited mobility with his bad knees we didn't explore as much as we would have liked. Several people took the lift to the top of the hill which they said was great. I am sure that we missed seeing a lot as I know several people that have said that they love Salzburg. Perhaps others on this board can help you more with making your decision. Those that did not take the optional tour stayed in Passau to explore before setting sail in the afternoon to a location that we met them at further south on the river.

Cesky Krumlov: Not in our itinerary. Can't help you with that one.

Thank you for the information. We're doing the 12 day Danube with Prague. 12 days is about my husband's limit for being away from home so had to choose between Prague and Budapest. I've done the Danube before with my sister and dad 4 years ago. This will be my husband's first trip abroad, so I thought it would give him a little bit of everything. Hoping he enjoys it as much as he enjoys our ocean cruises. We are doing the Salzburg tour, so your information was helpful.

We are leaving this week for the Gate1 Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise, Thank You for the all the wonderful info. I have only one question, what was the dress code for breakfast and lunch, with the heat there this time of year, dress shorts is what we thinking of wearing, and dress pants for dinner. The info said no bathing suits or shorts. in dinning room at all meals, I can not think of getting dress up for breakfast or lunch, in dress pants and them put on dress short for tours. Thanks

We are leaving this week for the Gate1 Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise, Thank You for the all the wonderful info. I have only one question, what was the dress code for breakfast and lunch, with the heat there this time of year, dress shorts is what we thinking of wearing, and dress pants for dinner. The info said no bathing suits or shorts. in dinning room at all meals, I can not think of getting dress up for breakfast or lunch, in dress pants and them put on dress short for tours. Thanks

The dress code for breakfast and lunch were very casual. No problem with wearing shorts or capris. In the evening, some people dressed up very nicely while others were very casual. I would suggest business casual for dinner. Have a fantastic trip! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I would love to hear a review from you after you return.

Diane