Roll Call: May 11th AMA Blue Danube Discovery

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks, MVP.

 

After looking at your photo journal I feel like I've already been! It's amazing.

I'm sure the real thing will be a sight to behold.

 

Wendy

 

it is a very beautiful trip. Photos cannot due it justice. It is a trip you will never forget.

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks Mike,

 

It was partially due to your reviews/photos that we are even on this cruise, as they swayed me in favour of AMA and this particular itinerary:).

 

Susan

 

You won't be disappointed it. The ship is lovely, especially for a river cruise and the ports can't be beat. Everyone needs to post your thoughts on the river cruise board when you return to let us know how much you liked your cruise.

[H2Otstr]

Hi Kathy,

We are looking forward to doing lots of walking on this vacation. I don't seem to have lost the weight I gained on our last holiday in November, and I really don't want to gain another 5 pounds.

 

 

S.

 

Take a pedometer with you. You will be amazed at how much walking you actually do.

[SBDriver]

We're doing the same cruise on the Amacello on 5/17, with a few days in Prague at the end, and thought I'd share historical weather info for any given day in May:

 

Budapest: 53-73o F., 25% chance of rain

Bratislava: 49-69o F., 35% chance of rain

Vienna: 49-67o F., 25% chance of rain

Dürnstein-Melk: 49-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Linz: 48-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Regensburg: 46-67o F., 31% chance of rain

Nuremberg: 45-66o F., 23% chance of rain

Prague: 45-64o F., 25% chance of rain

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Yikes!!! Hope the sun breaks though at some point! Somehow it always feels colder when it's raining. I hoping that wearing layers is the way to go. May throw an extra cardigan into the suitcase, just to be on the safe side.

 

Thanks for this info.

[SBDriver]

Wendy, thanks for the link about the trip excursions. I will have to look at it later...have to go to an HOA meeting in an hour. I think we will reserve Zona too. Are you going with the driver John recommended? I believe we will reserve a shuttle from the hotel in Prague to the airport. There are a couple that sound good.

Guess we will check out the Beer Festival too. I know my DH will want to go on some loong hikes. He hikes for a few hours a day, and I know he will be antsy if he doesn't exercise.

Susan, you are almost doing the opposite of what we are doing. We are going to London and Paris on the way to Budapest. Have you been to Paris and Amsterdam before? Which airline are you taking?

 

Hi Kathy

 

Sorry, I wasn't ignoring you, just keep forgetting to answer! duh.

 

I wasn't going to pre-book the Zona taxi. From what I read on trip advisor it's just a matter of exiting the terminal at the airport and going to the zona booth to make arrangements on the spot. I'm not bothered which driver we get, as long as he gets us to our hotel!! lol. I'll figure out what we do in Prague once we get there.

 

Wendy

[KCcruisin07]

Have a great time on your cruise. It is a wonderful experience indeed.

Thanks, Mike MVP, I have enjoyed your vacation reviews. And thank Carol too for telling me about Cruise Critic as well as giving me so much helpful information before our Arctic cruise. (She and I went to high school together!):D I know it will be a wonderful trip!

 

We're doing the same cruise on the Amacello on 5/17, with a few days in Prague at the end, and thought I'd share historical weather info for any given day in May:

 

Budapest: 53-73

o F., 25% chance of rain

Bratislava: 49-69o F., 35% chance of rain

Vienna: 49-67o F., 25% chance of rain

Dürnstein-Melk: 49-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Linz: 48-66o F., 25% chance of rain

Regensburg: 46-67o F., 31% chance of rain

Nuremberg: 45-66o F., 23% chance of rain

Prague: 45-64o F., 25% chance of rain

 

Hope this helps.

Pam,

Thanks for the weather info...That does sound cold. I decided to bring a jacket. (I get cold in the forties)… Also you're next! How are your plans coming along?

 

Hi Kathy

 

Sorry, I wasn't ignoring you, just keep forgetting to answer! duh.

 

I wasn't going to pre-book the Zona taxi. From what I read on trip advisor it's just a matter of exiting the terminal at the airport and going to the zona booth to make arrangements on the spot. I'm not bothered which driver we get, as long as he gets us to our hotel!! lol. I'll figure out what we do in Prague once we get there.

 

Wendy

 

Wendy,

I think there will be time to decide what to do in Prague later since that is after the cruise. Also you and Susan will probably have AMA tour guides available to help with plans.

 

Susan,

I too have some extra pounds and hope to do lots of walking, especially with all the food temptations! But after the cruise is over I remember hearing a couple on our last cruise mention there are some wonderful chocolate candies in the CDG airport!:rolleyes:

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks, Mike MVP, I have enjoyed your vacation reviews. And thank Carol too for telling me about Cruise Critic as well as giving me so much helpful information before our Arctic cruise. (She and I went to high school together!):D I know it will be a wonderful trip!

 

 

I will let her know.

[CAPinBoynton]

Hi Kathy,

 

The Danube was a wonderful trip. It's the total opposite of an ocean cruise; and although I would never give up the ocean, I did enjoy the change of pace on the river. We are hoping to do another one with AMA in 2011.

 

When we were in Budapest, we ate at a restaurant that I really enjoyed. Here's a link in case anyone is interested. http://www.dunacorso.hu/. I had the Kolozsvári style Stuffed Cabbage. When it arrived, in addition to the stuffed cabbage and sauerkraut, there was also a sausage and a pork chop on the plate. It was delicious.

 

You said that you are trying to decide if you want to do the excursion to Salzburg. You can see all about it in Part 2 of our review. IMHO, if you want to see beautiful scenery, mountains, and the Lake District, then go. The trip is long but beautiful.

 

If you are more interested in The Sound of Music, you may be disappointed. Hearing about how the movie was scorned by the Austrians, etc. seems almost like an insult to my beloved movie.

 

If you go, you'll stop in the little town of Mondsee on the way to Salzburg. The church and the avenue of trees look exactly as they did in the movie. However, we did not see much in Salzburg itself that looked anything like the movie. One exception, we did visit a cemetery that was from the escape scene.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have a wonderful trip; and let me hear from you when you get back. :)

[doreen22]

Carol, I have taken note of the restaurant you recommended above and see it is in easy walking distance of the Sofitel Hotel:), thanks.

In Prague we are there over the weekend, arriving Friday and leaving Monday... from your experience should we make reservations for dinner as it is over a weekend?

thanks

Susan

[CAPinBoynton]

Doreen,

 

In Prague we stayed at the President Hotel. From there we could walk to my favorite restaurant of the trip. http://www.kolkovna.cz/index.php?language=en&place=11&show=hot It's not fancy, and seemed to serve a lot of locals. There was usually a short wait at both lunch and dinner, but not too long. We liked Kolkovna so much that we ate all but one meal there. It was reasonably priced and the food was great. I don't know if you can make reservations or not, but it will probably tell you on their website. Of course there are plenty of pics of the food in part 2 of our review.

[scranger]

When we were in Budapest, we ate at a restaurant that I really enjoyed. Here's a link in case anyone is interested. http://www.dunacorso.hu/. I had the Kolozsvári style Stuffed Cabbage. When it arrived, in addition to the stuffed cabbage and sauerkraut, there was also a sausage and a pork chop on the plate. It was delicious.

 

Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble getting the English version of the Dunacorsu website to work?

[SBDriver]

Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble getting the English version of the Dunacorsu website to work?

 

 

I can get to the menu page, but none of the other pages seem to be working.

[scranger]

I can get to the menu page, but none of the other pages seem to be working.

 

I'm getting the menu, too, which I guess is the most important part. Seems my rusty German will have to do for the rest, since my Magyar is non-existent.:)

[KCcruisin07]

Hi, Carol, Susan, and Wendy,

Carol, thanks for the suggestion about Dunacorso. I did find the menu page in English, and it looks pretty broad. Sounds like the stuffed cabbage was a hit! I think I remember Mike saying how much you liked it in the review of the trip. I will have to incorporate that and Kolkovna in my notes for the trip with asterisks in front! (What did you order at Kolkovna? I couldn't read the menu; my Magyar is not so good either.) Thank you for giving us two solid restaurant recommendations. Also I will have to see Mike's pictures, including the dinners, and comments again now that our trip is getting so close!!

Once again Mike does an incredible job of reviewing material and incorporating all the pictures. I know everyone enjoys them. I loved the review of your trip to Asia too, and I really felt for your friend who became ill and was almost excluded from the trip. I was so glad when you saw him on board!

I have been researching this trip for about two years, so I really feel blessed to be able to go. My mother and stepfather went to Europe on their honeymoon, and my mother loved Budapest so much. I know she would be happy that we are going there and also Vienna.

Oh, I guess someone else mentioned a "Sound of Music" tour. However my friend who went there had mentioned the Alps, which she loves. Thanks for the tip about the locals' attitude about it. It helps to know things like that.

[CAPinBoynton]

I know that all of you are getting anxious and excited as the time approaches. However, take a little time and not only look at the pictures in our review, but read what we said about the different cities and the guides. Mike took some great pictures of all of the food, but he didn't just put it in one place. It is spread out in the review according to which day we were at the restaurant.

 

I did find on the Kolkovna website that you can make reservations in English. Kolkovna's online menus are not in English, but they do have ones in English at the restaurant.

[SBDriver]

Not to worry Carol. I have read every word of the trip report at least a dozen times, and taken notes, too!! I've printed the google maps, marked the restaurants, attractions and hotels. I'm an uber planner, and your review make it all the easier!!:D

[CAPinBoynton]

Good morning. :) I reread my previous post this morning, and I found it a bit snippy. :eek: My apologies to everyone, as that was not my intent. :o

[KCcruisin07]

Good morning. :) I reread my previous post this morning, and I found it a bit snippy. :eek: My apologies to everyone, as that was not my intent. :o

No problem, Carol. I had not gone back to Mike's report yet and was just responding to your email at last night.

[SBDriver]

Good morning. :) I reread my previous post this morning, and I found it a bit snippy. :eek: My apologies to everyone, as that was not my intent. :o

 

Didn't sound snippy to me! It was sound advise.

[KCcruisin07]

Have you read the review of the Amalegro? I had not seen that section. I think we will have an awesome time!

[SBDriver]

Have you read the review of the Amalegro? I had not seen that section. I think we will have an awesome time!

 

 

Is this the one you mean?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=58597

 

I saw that a couple of months ago, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for refreshing my memory. Yes, it does sound amazing!

[KCcruisin07]

Is this the one you mean?

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=58597

 

I saw that a couple of months ago, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for refreshing my memory. Yes, it does sound amazing!

 

That's the one. I read another AMA review that was extremely positive too. Adding to the anticipation...:D

[doreen22]

Hi Wendy,

 

Thought I would move back over to our roll call:).

I am really looking forward to meeting you & Frank, and Kathy & Cliff! I will be the lady squinting at all the glasses looking for the colour blue:D.

 

I can't believe our trip is finally almost here! Our plan on arrival on the 11th was to eat dinner, have a few drinks and then get to bed as we likely won't arrive at the hotel until 8PM or later, but I just realized it will only be 11AM Vancouver time, not too sure how that will work out.

I can never sleep on planes, that may be a good thing.:eek:.

 

Susan

[SBDriver]

Hi Susan

 

We hope to catch some sleep on our overnight flight to London, and then stay awake through our connection to Budapest. Should arrive at the hotel by mid afternoon. The plan is to stay awake by exploring around, then after dinner and a couple of drinks hit the sack. Hope to be asleep by 9 or 9.30 (if we last that long) as we have the Budapest tour the next morning.

 

At least our time difference is only 6 hours (I think!)

 

Wendy

[KCcruisin07]

In 24 hours we will be on the plane to London. After all the ups and downs with the air strike and volcanic ash, there were times when we wondered if we would be making it. For those of you like Letsgo39 who had plans upset by the volcano, I hope you have been able to resolve things and rebook your trip.

Now after all that we are in the final stages of preparation. I know it will be an interesting and educational trip, and I can't wait to meet our new friends in person in Budapest on the 14th! My signature is wrong, but at least I have the right date in my e-docs.