Last minute worries - Vantage

[H2Otstr]

Thanks. I guess I'm a little confused because the booklet we got from Vantage states "Gratuities are included for meals provided by Vantage as part of your program". But then says "While at your discretion, we recommend 9-11 euros per person per day which includes all of the onboard ship staff".

 

And your reply seems to agree with the second quote.

 

So, the dining staff get basically tipped twice (once included and then a cut from the pool)?

 

Oh, and unlike the online information we were given re: 3 Program Directors onboard every ship, the booklet does state there is a Cruise Director and a Concierge. And they share the pooled tip designated for them.

 

I think that this refers to the meals that are part of a longer-day excursion where you cannot return to the boat for lunch. Sometimes there are excursions that are all day events and lunch is included. No need to tip for these meals.

[Shmoo here]

I think that this refers to the meals that are part of a longer-day excursion where you cannot return to the boat for lunch. Sometimes there are excursions that are all day events and lunch is included. No need to tip for these meals.

 

Ohhhhhh.... I get it.

[Hydrokitty]

Ohhhhhh.... I get it.

 

Everything Thom said applies to Vantage as well....tips are included for ALL meals paid for by Vantage. Any time you're on your own for lunch or dinner, you pay the tip. Crew and staff means everyone who works for the ship, including dining room, housekeeping, maintenance and front end. TM and concierge gratuity is pooled and paid between them. ALL of these tips can be declined or changed by you at any time up to 24 hours before disembarking to go home and can be placed on your credit card.

[Shmoo here]

OK, thanks everyone. That's all the questions I have (well, for now).

 

I'm busy getting clothes ready, studying Hydrokitty's Romanian Tourism link, and generally running around like crazy.

[Hydrokitty]

OK, thanks everyone. That's all the questions I have (well, for now).

 

I'm busy getting clothes ready, studying Hydrokitty's Romanian Tourism link, and generally running around like crazy.

 

Don't forget to pack you sense of humor and have a really great time!!!!

[4774Papa]

We get so many brochures from Vantage, but apparently they don't offer a river cruise in the Bordeaux region of SW France.

 

Too bad, we would like to do that with Vantage. I wonder if they will ever offer that cruise.

[Hydrokitty]

We get so many brochures from Vantage, but apparently they don't offer a river cruise in the Bordeaux region of SW France.

 

Too bad, we would like to do that with Vantage. I wonder if they will ever offer that cruise.

 

Hi Papa: I just got my 2016 catalog and they have Bourdeax as an optional on ALL 5 of their French cruises.....but it's not included on any of them. When we went to France we were with Trafalgar and it was 3 weeks land tour starting in Paris. It was called "Best of France" and was absolutely marvelous. We started in Paris, went south to Nice and Monaco, then west through Bourdeaux to Biarritz, Lourdes, Mt. St. Michel, Normandy, Bayeax and south to Paris. It was grueling but we missed nothing! They still offer it if you really want to do France in a bus.....we were much younger then! It would appear the problem could be lack of a river, but I don't know a whole lot about French geography. :o

[TravelerThom]

... I just got my 2016 catalog and they have Bourdeax as an optional on ALL 5 of their French cruises... It would appear the problem could be lack of a river, but I don't know a whole lot about French geography. :o

Actually I finished 7 nights on a Grand Circle river boat round trip Bordeaux city this month. A number of companies including Viking and Uniworld have boats operating out of Bordeaux city on the Garonne and La Dordogne Rivers. Admittedly the total distance traveled is on the short side.

 

Thom

[4774Papa]

Thanks Hydrokitty and TravelThom,

We enjoy visiting France, even though I lack any abilities in the language. Took Spanish in HS and College, then learned some German when I lived in Germany.

 

Still, my favorite parts of France are outside Paris (Strasbourg, Normandy, Provence and Loire valley region.

We want to do Bordeaux one day. Will consider GC as an option, if Vantage doesn't offer it as a stand alone. We have done the Rhone river and been to Normandy, so probably couldn't do it as a tack on.

[Shmoo here]

Don't forget to pack you sense of humor and have a really great time!!!!

 

Will do! Thanks.

[Shmoo here]

Thought of another one

9) We're thinking about going to the baths in Budapest, can we take towels from the ship for excursions? Or should we pack our own?

[Hydrokitty]

Thought of another one

9) We're thinking about going to the baths in Budapest, can we take towels from the ship for excursions? Or should we pack our own?

 

You can rent them at the baths and that way you don't have to worry about toting wet ones around. You can also rent a bathing suit, but I have a problem with that one. :D

[Shmoo here]

You can rent them at the baths and that way you don't have to worry about toting wet ones around. You can also rent a bathing suit, but I have a problem with that one. :D

 

Yeah, I would too. I'm packing my suit, it doesn't take much space, but I just didn't know about towels. Thanks.

[Hydrokitty]

Yeah, I would too. I'm packing my suit, it doesn't take much space, but I just didn't know about towels. Thanks.

 

If you google Budapest baths you'll come up with all the information you'll need, including hours and prices. I did the Blue Lagoon in Iceland and it was wonderful....there are several in Budapest, one Gellert, is very nice. (not to imply that the others aren't)

Edited June 20, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[deec]

The Szechenyi Baths were a great way to relax on our first day after hours of travel. There were inside and outside baths of varying temps and minerals. We were there in mid September and really enjoyed a few hours relaxing and people watching! We took towels from the hotel but could have rented them. There were changing rooms to use that also locked.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274887-d279029-Reviews-Szechenyi_Baths_and_Pool-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

 

We toured the Gellert Baths which were smaller and more ornate not sure about the changing area.

 

If you have time I would enjoy the experience....however with so much to see in Budapest if my time was limited I would not by pass other choices...like touring Parliament.

[Hydrokitty]

The Szechenyi Baths were a great way to relax on our first day after hours of travel. There were inside and outside baths of varying temps and minerals. We were there in mid September and really enjoyed a few hours relaxing and people watching! We took towels from the hotel but could have rented them. There were changing rooms to use that also locked.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274887-d279029-Reviews-Szechenyi_Baths_and_Pool-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

 

We toured the Gellert Baths which were smaller and more ornate not sure about the changing area.

 

If you have time I would enjoy the experience....however with so much to see in Budapest if my time was limited I would not by pass other choices...like touring Parliament.

 

I agree, but I'm not sure Schmoo has time to get tickets to tour. Of course, there's so much else to do in Budapest....been there 3+ times, never tire of it!!! :D

[Shmoo here]

I agree, but I'm not sure Schmoo has time to get tickets to tour. Of course, there's so much else to do in Budapest....been there 3+ times, never tire of it!!! :D

 

We're going to be in Budapest like 3 days (between two cruises), with some 1/2 day tours on each day. We thought we take a little "down time" and go to the baths.

[Hydrokitty]

We're going to be in Budapest like 3 days (between two cruises), with some 1/2 day tours on each day. We thought we take a little "down time" and go to the baths.

 

It's worth going to the Parliament and trying to get on a tour in english or any other language you're fluent in....it is summer so they might have a ticket booth open. Bring your passport with you, you will need to show it...the tour is wonderful, the building is beautiful and the grounds are spectacular too. check out the web sites that come up when you google "budapest baths"...it will help you decide which one you want to go to. They all have more than one pool.

[Shmoo here]

You can rent them at the baths and that way you don't have to worry about toting wet ones around. You can also rent a bathing suit, but I have a problem with that one. :D

 

OK, I checked out the Gellert baths. The visitbudapest.travel site says that we need to bring our own towels. And to bring a swim cap - is that for both men and women?

 

Also, says to bring flip-flops. Is that for walking between the pools? Or do we wear them in the water? Would water shoes be OK?

 

I tried looking at the Gellert site directly, but it doesn't say anything about towels/swimcaps/flip-flops.

[deec]

The pool decks are slippery...water shoes will work too. They did not enforce the the bathing cap policy when we were there but we all took shower caps just in case. The hotel said they would suffice for "bathing caps"

[Hydrokitty]

The pool decks are slippery...water shoes will work too. They did not enforce the the bathing cap policy when we were there but we all took shower caps just in case. The hotel said they would suffice for "bathing caps"

 

The towel thing might be new, but I would take them from the hotel then. Water shoes would be much safer because you can wear them in or out of the pool and they should be relatively easy to get this time of year at places like K-Mart or Sports Authority (although they'll cost more there). I think they require shower caps for women because our hair can reek havoc with the pipes. I know, I had 3 daughters and we all had long hair. The plumber LOVED our family!!! Aside from the slipperiness, I would not walk around any public pool without something on my feet but that's just me and I freely admit I can get a little weird about stuff. :D

Edited June 22, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[Shmoo here]

The towel thing might be new, but I would take them from the hotel then. Water shoes would be much safer because you can wear them in or out of the pool and they should be relatively easy to get this time of year at places like K-Mart or Sports Authority (although they'll cost more there). I think they require shower caps for women because our hair can reek havoc with the pipes. I know, I had 3 daughters and we all had long hair. The plumber LOVED our family!!! Aside from the slipperiness, I would not walk around any public pool without something on my feet but that's just me and I freely admit I can get a little weird about stuff. :D

 

"the hotel"? Do you mean the ship? The website said we can buy towels in the lobby, if we want. Don't know the cost, however.

 

We already have water shoes (hate flip-flops), so that's good to go.

[Hydrokitty]

"the hotel"? Do you mean the ship? The website said we can buy towels in the lobby, if we want. Don't know the cost, however.

 

We already have water shoes (hate flip-flops), so that's good to go.

 

Ok, I am confused, We started off in Romania pre-trip and I just read back to your original post and realized you're doing two back to back, so now I'm back in business! I thought you said the website told you to bring your own towels? If you can bring towels from the ship, fine. I would buy/rent towels rather than have to carry wet towels in my back pack. You might ask your TM if you can get extra towels to bring to the baths so you'll have dry towels for over-night. Whatever you do, the night you sail from Budapest make sure you, DH and your camera are on the top deck after dinner because the ship will do a mini-cruise to reposition and you will see the city in all it's lighted splendor. THIS is NOT to be Missed!!!! :D

[Shmoo here]

Ok, I am confused, We started off in Romania pre-trip and I just read back to your original post and realized you're doing two back to back, so now I'm back in business! I thought you said the website told you to bring your own towels? If you can bring towels from the ship, fine. I would buy/rent towels rather than have to carry wet towels in my back pack. You might ask your TM if you can get extra towels to bring to the baths so you'll have dry towels for over-night. Whatever you do, the night you sail from Budapest make sure you, DH and your camera are on the top deck after dinner because the ship will do a mini-cruise to reposition and you will see the city in all it's lighted splendor. THIS is NOT to be Missed!!!! :D

 

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. Yes, back to back. The visitbudapest.travel website says to bring your own towels to Gellert Baths. I couldn't find anything about bringing towels on the Gellert Baths website. I think we'll ask about extra towels, having wet towels in the backpack won't be a new phenomenon, so that shouldn't really stop us.

 

Thanks for the tip about the Budapest sail away.

[Hydrokitty]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. Yes, back to back. The visitbudapest.travel website says to bring your own towels to Gellert Baths. I couldn't find anything about bringing towels on the Gellert Baths website. I think we'll ask about extra towels, having wet towels in the backpack won't be a new phenomenon, so that shouldn't really stop us.

 

Thanks for the tip about the Budapest sail away.

 

You're very welcome. Enjoy your trip and especially Budapest...one of my favorite world cities.