Avalon Tapestry

[usavvy2]

Thank you ussavy for the pictures. I really enjoyed looking at them. I am saving them so my husband can see them also. Donna

 

Cool. Glad it finally went through ok! :D

 

BTW, we will be in Green Valley for a week in December; look us up if you'd like to chat more in person about it. :)

[franski]

The lebkuchen are definitely different than the usual gingerbread cookies... Perhaps because they do not use flour - so are not really like the cookies we are used to in N. America...

 

If anyone goes looking for the shop in Nuremberg that I mentioned above - it does *NOT* accept credit cards... (just a heads up....) - but there is an ATM in the market square by the tourist information office.

 

The store was Fraunholz Lebkuchen - I did find a website for it when I googled it...

[usavvy2]

The lebkuchen are definitely different than the usual gingerbread cookies... Perhaps because they do not use flour - so are not really like the cookies we are used to in N. America...

 

If anyone goes looking for the shop in Nuremberg that I mentioned above - it does *NOT* accept credit cards... (just a heads up....) - but there is an ATM in the market square by the tourist information office.

 

The store was Fraunholz Lebkuchen - I did find a website for it when I googled it...

 

this is the brand (of cookies) we bought - parallel to the church's front door at the City Market square. They had so many different tins - one even with a music box!

[franski]

Must be different stores all selling the same cookies... (and using the same bags....)

 

Didn't pay too much attention to the different tins --> I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to buy, when the saleswoman and I didn't speak the same language!!! :)

[usavvy2]

Must be different stores all selling the same cookies... (and using the same bags....)

 

Didn't pay too much attention to the different tins --> I was just trying to figure out what I wanted to buy, when the saleswoman and I didn't speak the same language!!! :)

 

I was more fortunate in this regard. I asked our tour guide about buying gingerbread cookies and she took me right to the shop and interpreted the various choices. Yeah the tins are all pretty (and different) but... you can't eat tins (unless you're a goat). I suggest you ask your guide - not sure you'll get one as generous as Edith who walked us to the shop and stayed there while we bought our cookies so she could do the translation.

[jaybell]

Just for information purposes, the AMA Amadante had 2 club type chairs with a small round table in between in front of the French balcony sliding doors, which was a nice touch, and we did use them occasionally.

[judie43]

usavvy2..I would love to read you "review" and see you pictures. We are doing the exact itinerary August 9th...my emial is Hayjude825@aol.com.

Thanks

[usavvy2]

usavvy2..I would love to read you "review" and see you pictures. We are doing the exact itinerary August 9th...my emial is Hayjude825@aol.com.

Thanks

 

check your email. BTW, you'll see those binos hanging from DH's neck!

[stretchcruz]

I printed it out and looked at all of your photos, we are excited. Maybe we can get together someday after the first of the year if you are in Green Valley..you'll have to let us know when you'll be here and maybe we can meet for lunch.. Hope your audubon thing worked out great...Dobie

[amri638]

Dear Usavvy2,

I am going to the same river cruise 4-25-2010. I would love to see your pictures and reviews. email: amri638@gmail.com. Do I need an adapter to plug in my camera and tooth brush (USA)? This is my first river cruise although I have been to more then 10 ocean cruises. I wonder if they also have shampoo and conditioner etc. I am hoping to have only a carryon since we are going to Poland on a train tour afterwards. Thanks.

Angela.

[cruisin'tex]

For someone who is seriously considering a river cruise in '10, this info was very helpful

[Bojangles]

Thank you ussavy, for your help and information. I have been off the boards for a while. I would also enjoy having lunch with you and stretchcruz when your in Green Valley. I live in Tucson. Thanks again Donna bojangs@aol.com

[Shelley G]

Thank you for all this wonderful information. We are doing this cruise in October 2010. Are Euros the only currency needed? This is our first river cruise.

Shelley

[judie43]

We have both read your report and found it very interesting. I dont know if you are in the field of writing,but you should be.

I have a few questions and rather than e-mail you,I athought I would ask here in case someone else has the same questions.

You stated the tips amounted to $370...is that the recommended tip or are you very generous. I only ask because we always ocean cruise and that amount seems high. Please dont get me wrong,we will do what is expected,just wondering.

Do you get a "sign & sail" card attached to a boarding pass,or do you just sign for purchases on board...in the lounge.

If we find a special bottle of wine in town,are we allowed to bring it on board ?

 

Thanks so much for all your insight....

Judie

[cohengm]

As I currently understand it, Avalon suggested tip is 18 euro per day, per person. To do the math, that's 36 euro per couple, and in today's conversion rate, that's about $54 per day, per couple. So for a 14 day cruise, your looking at over $750 in tips, not including bus drivers (1/2 euro pp suggested) or daily tour guides (1 euro PP). Question: I've also read that you can't put tips on your credit card - is that true? If it is, what if you don't have that kind of available cash at the end of your trip? Somehow, I'm very sure, the cruise line has some other "special ways" to collect tips. Comments Please.....

[webfoot]

We have been on two Avalon cruises. Both cruises allowed us to put the tips for the crew onto our open account, which is secured by a credit card.

 

Last year the cruise director took credit cards for his tip. This year I'm sure that the same thing would have been possible but we had more Euros left over than we anticipated and were able to tip in cash.

[cohengm]

It would seem like the most logical way .....

How 'bout the amount per diem? What's your recollection?

[webfoot]

The recommended tip for the crew is 12 Euros per passenger per day, which is split among all of the crew. The recommended tip for the cruise director is 3 Euro per person per day.

 

We tipped above the recommended amount due to the wonderful service we got.

 

Each cruise line issues recommendations but we felt the service we got was outstanding and wanted to be sure that the hard-working crew was compensated. And, our cruise directors, were great.

[caviargal]

We tipped the recommended amount and then tipped those that were particularly special an additional amount.

 

Service on the Affinity was uniformly good with doses of excellent.

[usavvy2]

Dear Usavvy2,

I am going to the same river cruise 4-25-2010. I would love to see your pictures and reviews. email: amri638@gmail.com. Do I need an adapter to plug in my camera and tooth brush (USA)? This is my first river cruise although I have been to more then 10 ocean cruises. I wonder if they also have shampoo and conditioner etc. I am hoping to have only a carryon since we are going to Poland on a train tour afterwards. Thanks.

Angela.

 

invite to my pix @ KodakGallery sent; check your email.

 

Adapter YES definitely for both the ship and the hotels! ...Converter would be needed too if your electronics don't have dual voltage capability.

 

I'd also recommend you bring a small power strip/extension cord so you can charge more than one electronic gadget at the same time. Keep in mind, too, that the ship's outlet is recessed and mounted very close to the desktop so there isn't a lot of clearance to plug in a bulky cord. Examples -

 

for 110v plugs only:

electronic's plug => converter (only when needed to convert from 220v to 110v) => adapter => outlet...

 

for multiple dual-voltage electronics' plugs:

electronic's plug => adapter => outlet...

 

for charging multiple electronics simultaneously:

add power strip

 

electronic's plug=> power strip=> adapter=> outlet or

electronic's plug=> power strip=> converter=> adapter => outlet...

 

re shampoo/conditioner, yes they have it onboard; however, I read on these boards that the quality wasn't the best so I took the small toiletries from the hotel and used them along with some other hotel-sized toiletries I had previously. I took enough for the week and then used the post-cruise hotel for the next few days' toiletries so it worked fine. I'd say just don't rely on the ship's toiletries if you're fussy.

[usavvy2]

Thank you ussavy, for your help and information. I have been off the boards for a while. I would also enjoy having lunch with you and stretchcruz when your in Green Valley. I live in Tucson. Thanks again Donna bojangs@aol.com

 

Hi Donna. Just got back from GV - decided to leave before the weather got too nice! Did get a nice hike in at Sabino Canyon during our brief jaunt as well as a lunch at El Charro. Will be back again soon so will look you up!

[cohengm]

Can you send needed info to gary@studiok-photo.com ?.... thanks...

Gary

[usavvy2]

Thank you for all this wonderful information. We are doing this cruise in October 2010. Are Euros the only currency needed? This is our first river cruise.

Shelley

 

Budapest - you'll need Hungarian Forints

River Cruise - you'll need Euros

Prague - you'll need Czech Crowns (CZKs)

 

we got our Forints & Crowns in the two cities mentioned using ATM cards. Both hotels had ATM machines right in the hotel itself (however, neither of our ATM cards would work in the ATM machine in Budapest so we had to walk to a bank which was a few blocks away and take a cash advance from the ATM).

 

We used credit cards for restaurant meals whenever possible and then calculated how much currency we would need for each city for the time span we were in each place. (Not much since we used the cc whenever possible.) we didn't have to spend any extra money and we left each city with zero leftover money... perfect!

[usavvy2]

We have both read your report and found it very interesting. I dont know if you are in the field of writing,but you should be.

I have a few questions and rather than e-mail you,I athought I would ask here in case someone else has the same questions.

You stated the tips amounted to $370...is that the recommended tip or are you very generous. I only ask because we always ocean cruise and that amount seems high. Please dont get me wrong,we will do what is expected,just wondering.

Do you get a "sign & sail" card attached to a boarding pass,or do you just sign for purchases on board...in the lounge.

If we find a special bottle of wine in town,are we allowed to bring it on board ?

 

Thanks so much for all your insight....

Judie

 

Hi Judie,

 

We went with the recommended tips but we did tip our cabin attendant an extra 10 or 20E (I forget exactly), and I think we were literally a few bucks (4 or 5E) shy on the tip to the cruise director (only b'c of the available currency we had in our pockets).

No sign and sail card. Didn't have anything to sign FOR (isn't that something?!) ... well except for the internet access & I just signed for that at the front desk. Lounge, well they had free-flowing wine and beer at dinner so we really didn't drink prior to that (no time anyway)! Ah, I recall there was one glass of wine on tab from DH... then he realized it was free from that point on if he waited until dinner! LOL

 

Yep, bring the wine aboard. We bought some special dessert wine from Budapest. You probably saw a reference to it in my report. No problem. We actually didn't open it until we got to the hotel in Prague b'c we always felt the ship's free-flowing wine at dinner was more than sufficient for our needs. Do bring a corkscrew though!

[usavvy2]

As I currently understand it, Avalon suggested tip is 18 euro per day, per person. To do the math, that's 36 euro per couple, and in today's conversion rate, that's about $54 per day, per couple. So for a 14 day cruise, your looking at over $750 in tips, not including bus drivers (1/2 euro pp suggested) or daily tour guides (1 euro PP). Question: I've also read that you can't put tips on your credit card - is that true? If it is, what if you don't have that kind of available cash at the end of your trip? Somehow, I'm very sure, the cruise line has some other "special ways" to collect tips. Comments Please.....

 

Tips are a bit higher than on a 3 or 4 star ocean cruise, but we didn't mind one bit as the service was worth it and not being nickeled and dimed for excursions and the like made it more palatable as well!

 

Personally, we had currency left so we used the Euros we got from our ATM withdrawals. Because of the exchange rates and foreign transaction fees and the like, I felt it was better to do this than just rack in up on the credit card. I do believe others used credit cards, though - personal preference. We just figured out how much more money we would need to withdrawal when we were in Regensburg or Nuremberg and got enough to cover the tips. Easy.

 

Not sure where you got the 18E/day because the booklet Avalon provided stated:

 

"For a good job, we suggest: Euro 12 per passenger per day, which will be distributed among the ship's staff, and Euro 3 per passenger per day to the Cruise Director and/or Local Host. You may also wish to tip your local guides Euro 1 per sightseeing tour."

 

Maybe the rates changed since our printing???????

 

We always paid the local host 1E/pp per excursion plus handed the driver 1/2E/pp per roundtrip; however, we did not observe everyone doing this... infact, I don't think many tipped the drivers and some didn't tip the guides which were very good!

 

My biggest dilemma was the # of nights to calculate the ship's staff tip! Fortunately, the Q&A for debarkation cleared that up for me.

12E x2ppl = 24E/day x 7 nights (cruise only) = 168E per couple for 7 nights

3E x 2ppl = 6E/day x 13 nights = 78E