Vantage Rhine, Moselle, and Switzerland Oct. 2016 Trip Report

[CleverScubaCruiser]

Overall Impressions

 

Ship: River Splendor

We found the ship comfortable and well laid-out. Although well appointed, the décor seemed to be a bit understated and plain compared to the ocean-going ships that we were used to. Only once did we have the opportunity to walk through another ship as we were rafted together so we didn’t get to do much comparison.

 

Cabin:

The cabin (312) was comfortable and fairly roomy. There was plenty of storage under the bed for suitcases. The closet space and drawer areas were adequate for the amount of clothes that we took. I did bring extra hangers with me and they came in handy. There was a digital alarm clock with iPod docking station on the desk.

 

Electrical outlets:

The desk had 3 European style outlets (one taken by the clock, one by the lamp, and one by the QuietVox charging station) and 1 American outlet. On each side of the bed under the nightstand was another European style outlet. There was an outlet designed for razors in the bathroom.

 

Bath:

Although the counter space around the sink was somewhat limited there was ample space in the cabinet below the sink. The shower was generously sized with good water pressure.

 

Dining:

The dining room was nicely appointed with tables for 6 as well as larger tables for bigger groups. The Captain’s table was a long table near the entrance of the dining room. A group of retired FDNY folks on our sailing always had the last two rows of tables reserved at dinner. The noise level in the dining room was always high which made it difficult to converse with your table mates.

 

There were three options for breakfast – early risers from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m., regular from 7:00 to 9:30 a.m. and late risers from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. We always went to the regular breakfast was served buffet style with a selection of hot and cold items and an omelet station (where there was always a line). The selections were always the same except on Sunday when they offer eggs benedict and mimosas.

 

Lunch included a buffet with salad items, some sandwich items, and a pasta station serving the pasta of the day. A menu was also provided from which you could choose hot or cold soup and an entrée. We found lunch a bit rushed especially if you went for salad or pasta. By the time you came back to your seat the soup was already waiting and before you could finish it the entrée was served. The same items were served in the Captain’s Club as a buffet in a much more relaxed and quieter manner.

 

For dinner, there were always two menus – a healthy choices option and a regular option – but you could select from either. From the regular menu you could choose between three entrees and two desserts. Appetizers and soups were already determined unless you substituted from the healthy choice menu. Chicken, fish, and beef choices were also always available as were a fresh fruit plate or cheese plate for dessert. The Captain’s Club had a separate menu and reservations were required if you wanted to dine there.

 

The food was quite good (although I would not say excellent) and well presented. Additional dining choices would have been welcome so we ate off the ship several times or in the cabin with bread, cheese, meat, and wine that we had purchased along the way. We found the room service menu to be very limited and never placed an order.

 

Service:

The service aboard was excellent. The Cruise Director (Jessica) went above and beyond to ensure that everyone was accommodated and all problems resolved. The housekeeping staff did a great job keeping everything provisioned and sparkling. The wait staff was outstanding and quickly learned your preferences. We had a favorite waiter and chose one of his tables when we could.

 

I must give a special thanks to Captain Gabor and his crew for working so hard to keep us sailing through low water levels, increased barge traffic, busy locks, and docking changes. Also thanks to Jessica and Ramona (the Concierge) who did a fantastic job rearranging buses and tour guides as the schedule changed.

[CleverScubaCruiser]

Day 1

Our flight from Orlando to Frankfurt on Lufthansa left at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016. We had upgraded to premium economy and found that the extra space made the flight much more enjoyable.

 

Day 2

We arrived in Frankfurt around 10:30 a.m. and boarded our flight to Amsterdam. When we arrived Amsterdam around 1:00 p.m. we collected our bags and met the Vantage representative immediately outside of immigration. Once she had collected everyone from the various flights, we boarded a bus for the 1 ½ hour ride to Arnhem where the River Splendor was waiting. We were quickly shown to our cabin and had a few minutes to explore before the Welcome Briefing at 5:30 p.m. Next was a port talk about the following day followed by dinner. After dinner we returned to our cabin and unpacked. The ship remained in Arnhem overnight.

 

Day 3

We elected to do the Liberation Museum tour which departed the ship by bus at 8:45 a.m. The Museum is a tribute to the troops involved in Operation Market Garden and is hosted by locals. The Museum and memorial are nicely done. After the tour we were returned to the ship for lunch. The ship departed Arnhem at 12:45 p.m. The weather in Arnhem was sunny and warm – one of the best days in terms of weather during the entire trip.

 

In the afternoon there was a presentation on the optional tours followed by a German lesson. Later that evening was the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail hour, daily port talk, and Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

 

Tonight was a movie night – “Andre Rieu Concert” – which we enjoyed.

 

Day 4

The morning and early afternoon were at leisure with no planned activities except a lecture on German wines. This was a special wine cruise so we had a wine expert on board for lectures and tastings.

 

The ship arrived in Koblenz ahead of schedule so we elected to skip the walking tour and go into town on our own. We took the cable car to the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein to enjoy the panoramic view and explore the fortress. Afterward we walked around town and ate some swineschnitzel and spätzle at a restaurant near the German Corner. Later that evening the ship set sail for Cochem.

 

Day 5

The ship arrived in Cochem around 7 a.m. and the passengers were divided into 4 groups with different starting times to take a bus to Reichsburg Castle. We toured both the inside and outside of the castle and concluded the tour with a visit by the “lord of the castle” and troubadour offering us a taste of wine in a souvenir glass. At the end of the visit we were surprised to discover that we had two options for getting down from the castle – walk down the path into town (scenic but very steep in some places) or take a bus directly to the ship (thereby missing town entirely). This had been discussed in the port talk which we missed. We decided to take the path and after about a 20-minute walk arrived in town where we had some free time before heading back to the ship for lunch. On our way back to the ship we stopped in at the Mustard Mill. It was very crowded but we managed to try most of the samples and purchase a couple of crocks. At 1:00 p.m. the ship departed for Schweich.

 

This afternoon we had our first wine tasting – a Rhine Riesling tasting (one of our favorite types).

 

Evening activities included the daily port talk before dinner and a showing of the movie “Patton” (which we elected to skip).

[CleverScubaCruiser]

Day 6

Early this morning the ship arrived in Schweich. After breakfast we attended a great lecture on the Romans in Germany. Following the lecture, we boarded a bus for the optional full day tour to Luxemburg and the American Cemetery in Hamm. We were pleased to discover that our guide for the day was the lecturer that we had listened to earlier. The bus ride to the cemetery took about an hour. At the memorial, several veterans from our group participated in a wreath laying ceremony after which the director explained two maps detailing the Normandy invasion and the Battle of the Bulge. As we listened to the director, the weather, which had been very cool and misty, turned to drizzle and then to a full rain which continued as we viewed General Patton’s grave.

 

From the cemetery we had a 15-minute bus ride into Luxemburg City. Following a walking tour of the city we had some free time to shop and get some lunch (quiche for me and a crepe for my husband). Then it was back to the ship and our departure for Bernkastel-Kues.

 

After dinner, as the ship was docked in Kues, we decided to go ashore and walk for a while. All the shops were closed but it was fun to look in the windows.

 

Day 7

At 9:30 this morning we left the ship for a walking tour of the beautiful town of Bernkastel. After the tour we were taken to Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler for a wine tasting. They easily accommodated everyone in our group and we were able to sample 3 wonderful Rieslings. We decided to stay in town for lunch and then returned to Dr. Pauly’s for a glass of wine in the afternoon.

 

During the day, the ship repositioned from Kues to Bernkastel and then stayed overnight.

 

Day 8

Today was a full day excursion to Trier. We left the ship at 9 a.m. for the 1 ½ hour ride into Trier. Our first stop was the Amphitheater where it was again very cool and drizzling. After this stop we were given a walking tour of the city that ended at the Porta Nigra followed by some free time for shopping. Shoe shopping seemed to be popular with our group.

 

Lunch was at G. F. von Nell Weingut. We were a bit concerned about 170 folks descending on a single restaurant for lunch but they were ready for us. We could see and smell the pork steaks sizzling on the swinging grill on the way in. My husband and I thought that this was the best meal of the trip. It also included a wine tasting by course – a total of 6 different wines. All in all, a delightful experience.

 

We returned to the ship (which was now docked in Zell) around 4:30 and immediately set sail for Boppard.

 

Day 9 – Sunday

Today we had the special Sunday breakfast with champagne and eggs benedict – a welcome change from the everyday offerings. After breakfast, Jessica (our Cruise Director) gave a short introduction on Boppard. We were then free to go into town on our own and explore. Most of the shops were closed except for a few cafes and a couple souvenir stands. We had to be back onboard at 12:45 as the ship was sailing for Mainz at 1:00 p.m. Lunch today was a Bavarian Lunch Buffet complete with sausage, sauerkraut, and German beer.

 

This afternoon put us in the castle section of the Rhine. Our cruise director provided commentary as we cruised. The weather was overcast and very cool which made it very cold when out on deck. My husband and I went to the area forward of the lounge which had a glass windbreak. There were a series of heaters above the last row of seats that some passengers utilized. At one point the bar servers brought out glasses of hot chocolate. My layers were not quite enough.

 

Later in the afternoon we had our second wine tasting session – uniquely German wines.

 

The ship arrived in Mainz during dinner where it remained overnight.

 

Tonight was the pub crawl with our Cruise Director and Concierge. Although it sounded like fun we decided to stay aboard.

[CleverScubaCruiser]

Day 10

This morning we had a guided tour of Mainz including the cathedral and Gutenberg Museum. The weather was very cool with intermittent rain which made for a rather miserable trek around the city. We were supposed to have some free time but that was not the case. We had to walk to the bus in a hard rain for the drive to Nierstein to meet the ship. Some of the guides took their groups through a parking garage to avoid the rain but ours was not one of them. By the time we reached the bus we were drenched.

 

In the afternoon, those that had signed up for the optional tour to Speyer left at 1:30 while the remainder of us had the afternoon at leisure. The Speyer group rejoined the ship at Worms and then we sailed on to Karlsruhe. I believe that it was on this stretch of the river that we had to wait about 4 hours to enter one of the locks.

 

Day 11

The ship arrived in Karlsruhe in the morning. We were supposed to dock in Plittersdorf but something had happened to our docking spot there. Anyway, we left the ship at 8:45 a.m. for the trip to Baden Baden where we visited the Casino and then had a walking tour of this beautiful town. We were once again supposed to have free time but ended up with about 15 minutes before returning to the buses for the ride back to Karlsruhe. We asked Jessica why we were going back to the ship so early since the ship wasn’t leaving Karlsruhe until 11:15 p.m. She said they had to get everyone back for lunch onboard. If we chose to stay in Baden Baden for the afternoon, we would have to take a train back to Karlsruhe. So back we went. Later in the afternoon we decide to take a taxi into Karlsruhe to look around and have dinner. This meant that we skipped the last wine tasting, the galley tour, tea time, and the port talk about the following day.

 

Around 11:15 p.m. the ship set sail for Kehl.

 

Day 12

In the morning, the ship arrived in Kehl. Today we had staggered departures for our excursion into Strasbourg where our guide first gave us a brief walking tour that included Petite France. Then we boarded the canal boat for the 1 ¼ hour tour. Finally, we visited the Cathedral de Notre Dame to view the beautiful stained glass windows and the astronomical clock. At this point, those going on the optional Black Forest tour had to return to the ship along with anyone wanting to go back for lunch. Those not on the tour who returned to the ship could take a shuttle back into Strasbourg at 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. My husband and I elected to stay in town for lunch and shopping and take one of the 2:10, 3:10, or 4:10 shuttles back to the ship. We found a restaurant serving crepes and sampled both a savory and sweet crepe. The weather finally decided to improve and the sun started to peek through.

 

Back on the ship we had some time to relax before the daily port talk. Tonight was the Chef’s Dinner but since the menu didn’t appeal to us, we opted to just snack in our cabin.

 

Day 13

Today we were again divided into 4 groups with 2 groups leaving at 8:30 a.m. and the remaining 2 groups leaving at 8:45 a.m. for a full day tour to Alsace. Our day started in the fog but once it cleared we were enjoyed a sunny day. Our first stop was Colmar where we were given a walking tour that started in “Little Venice” and eventually ended at the Unterlinden Museum to view the Isenheim Altarpiece. My husband and I decided to bypass the museum visit and start our free time a bit early. On the bus ride to Colmar everyone had received 30 euros for lunch and wine tasting. We decided to use our lunch money to try some tarte flambé and black forest cake. Soon it was time to return to our meeting point near the museum for the walk back to the buses.

 

After a 30-minute ride through some lovely Alsacian countryside, we arrived at Riquewhir. This was a great town for wine tasting as there are several options available as you walk up the main street. My husband and I decided to try some wines at Famille Hugel which were excellent. On our way back down the street we purchased a sample of Cremont – a sparkling wine – interesting but not our type of wine.

 

We returned to the ship around 4:15 that afternoon. The ship then set sail for Breisach. Evening activities included a debarkation briefing followed by the daily port talk. After dinner we enjoyed the “One and Only Crew Show” – a series of skits and songs performed by the crew.

[CleverScubaCruiser]

Day 14

Around 8:00 a.m. the ship arrived in Breisach. All groups left the ship at 9:00 a.m. headed for Freiburg and our walking tour. Again we had a foggy start but the skies cleared nicely for the remainder of the day. Our tour took us past 2 city gates and eventually to Freiburg’s Munster – a cathedral constructed of red sandstone.

 

At noon we left Freiburg by bus for the drive to Restaurant Hofgut Sternen for lunch. Once again, this single restaurant easily accommodated our entire group with soup, sausages and sauerkraut, black forest cake, and a selection of wines. After lunch we were free to explore the area and view the largest cuckoo clock, glass blower, and do some last minute souvenir shopping.

 

We returned to the ship around 3:45 p.m. Evening activities included a lecture on the EU, the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Hour (both of which we skipped), the daily port talk, and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner.

 

The ship set sail for Basel a bit after 10:00 p.m.

 

Day 15

Sometime this morning the ship docked in Basel. At 9:00 a.m. all groups departed by bus for the trip into Basel for a walking tour. Our tour started at a water fountain with all types of interesting devices. From there we walked to the Munster where we were given an explanation of some of the exterior decorations. Then we walked to an overlook to view the river and finally ended at the City Hall. There was an outdoor market on the square near City Hall with fruits and vegetables, cheeses, bakery items, and other food items. Once again we were given the option of returning to the ship at the conclusion of the tour. Alternatively, we could stay and take one of the 2:30, 3:30 or 4:30 shuttles back to the ship. My husband and I elected to stay in town and walk around the market area. Afterward we headed up one of the side streets in search of the Christmas shop that our guide had mentioned. We then continued up the street and found an area that was full of booths sets up on both sides of the street selling all kinds of food, candy, and handcrafts. Today was the start of their Autumn Festival. After grabbing a pretzel with cheese and butter (for me) and a bratwurst (for my husband) we continued walking into a park area with more booths and double-decker carousel. The area was packed and everyone was having a good time on a bright sunny day. We then walked back down to the City Hall area where we happened upon an accordion player in the court area of the City Hall. From the sounds we had heard outside the building we expected to find a string quartet – he was that good. All too soon it was time to head back to the bus parking area for the trip back to the ship.

 

Tonight was the farewell talk and our final dinner aboard the River Splendor.

 

Day 16

Debarkation day. Some folks had a 4:00 a.m. departure but this was time change day for much of Europe so everyone got an extra hour of sleep. Our departure was 8:00 a.m. so we didn’t have to have our bags outside the cabin until 7:15 which gave us time for a leisurely breakfast. At 8:00 we watched as our luggage was put on the bus and after an “au revoir” to our magnificent Cruise Director, away we went for the 15-minute ride to the Basel airport.

 

We flew from Basel to Frankfurt, changed planes and arrived in Orlando about 7:00 p.m.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks for the thorough review!

[ural guy]

Clever- Thanks for taking the time to post this. We're very interested in this itinerary as it is one of the longer ones that goes up the Moselle.

 

Unfortunately Vantage has changed the boarding location for 2017. They will board in Amsterdam instead of Arnhem (which is a great city, they have an award winning Living Museum along with the Airborne museum. I agree that is very well done.). Koln will be the next stop, instead of Koblenz.

 

Your assessment of the food goes along with our experience, we were on the River Voyager recently. The noise in the main dining room led us to eat most of our meals in the Captain's Club.

 

Good job rolling along with the weather, and thanks again for posting. Looks like you got plenty of chances for wine tasting. :)

Edited November 7, 2016 by ural guy
spelling

[mimmy52]

Thanks for the interesting trip report. Sounds like it was a great trip.

[FuelScience]

Thanks for a great review. We did this same cruise last July. I think that I would have preferred the cooler temperatures to the hot weather we had. I'm a little disappointed that Vantage continues their practice of letting large groups reserve the prime dining room tables for the ENTIRE cruise.

 

They've discontinued one thing that I really liked. In Speyer we had a home-hosted dinner that was really nice. Eight of us had dinner with a retired couple and got a better feel for how Germans live.

 

Finally, I can't understand their practice of taking the ship from Schweich, which is very close (14 km) to Trier all the way to Bernkastel-Kues so that you have a 50 km bus ride to Trier for your tour. Why not just leave the ship in Schweich so that you have more time in Trier and shorter bus rides?

 

FuelScience

[Cobbie48]

Thanks for your review. We pretty much shadowed you on the Avalon Visionary. I wish the weather had been nicer.

 

My review was just posted under Avalon Visionary.

[Hydrokitty]

Overall Impressions

 

Service:The service aboard was excellent. The Cruise Director (Jessica) went above and beyond to ensure that everyone was accommodated and all problems resolv

ed.

 

We did this trip last year and Jessica was our CD....she is without a doubt the BEST CD we have ever had (and in 8 cruises, they've all been good)...She was so friendly and helpful...person we traveled with had wallet stolen and Jessica went out of her way calling her CC companies...she even fronted her money so she could buy something she desperately wanted.

 

Clever- Thanks for taking the time to post this. We're very interested in this itinerary as it is one of the longer ones that goes up the Moselle.

 

Unfortunately Vantage has changed the boarding location for 2017. They will board in Amsterdam instead of Arnhem (which is a great city, they have an award winning Living Museum along with the Airborne museum. I agree that is very well done.). Koln will be the next stop, instead of Koblenz.

 

Ural Guy: As stated above, we did this trip last year and we sailed from Amsterdam with our first stop in Cologne. We had been to both cities before so we went out on our own in both of them. In Amsterdam we did the canal ride (it rained the first time we were there) and spent the day at the Rijks. Koln (Cologne) is a marvelous city...if you've already been there, let me recommend that you take the tram from the dock to Cathedral...switch trams and take the one that goes to the zoo where you can spend the day OR take the skylift from the zoo to the baths on the other side of the river...it wasn't very expensive and you buy a ticket for round trip that includes the gondola. Trams run about every 15 minutes. If you've never been to Cologne I recommend a self-guided tour of the Cathedral (paper guide in English costs 1 or 2E) and then have a berliner and coffee at the little cafe next to the cathedral. Mind your belongings in and around the Cathedral....it's LOADED with pickpockets.

[ural guy]

Hydrokitty- I think that 2016 was a one year experiment for boarding the ship in Arnhem. I was hoping that they stayed with it as the beginning section of the river from Amsterdam is very industrial. It is very easy to fly in early if you want to spend more time there. It helped Vantage to stick out from the other lines, and avoid some of the boat congestion that's occuring.

 

Last October I spent 9 days between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Arnhem and didn't see everything that I'd like to have. :)

[Hydrokitty]

Hydrokitty- I think that 2016 was a one year experiment for boarding the ship in Arnhem. I was hoping that they stayed with it as the beginning section of the river from Amsterdam is very industrial. It is very easy to fly in early if you want to spend more time there. It helped Vantage to stick out from the other lines, and avoid some of the boat congestion that's occuring.

 

Last October I spent 9 days between Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Arnhem and didn't see everything that I'd like to have. :)

 

Oh well....I tried :D I do agree with you that early part of the cruise from Amsterdam is industrialized but it's fairly short..Personally I was underwhelmed with Rotterdam and I've never been to Arnhem...but Cologne is definitely worth a visit IMHO.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Hydrokitty

[CleverScubaCruiser]

We were actually a little disappointed that they had moved the starting point of the cruise from Amsterdam to Arnhem as we would have liked to spend some time in Amsterdam. The pre-cruise option was Brugges which we decided to forgo. We considered flying into AMS early and spending a few days on our own but the timing just didn't work out. However, seeing the John Frost Bridge and visiting the Liberation Museum were enjoyable substitutes.

[Hydrokitty]

We were actually a little disappointed that they had moved the starting point of the cruise from Amsterdam to Arnhem as we would have liked to spend some time in Amsterdam. The pre-cruise option was Brugges which we decided to forgo. We considered flying into AMS early and spending a few days on our own but the timing just didn't work out. However, seeing the John Frost Bridge and visiting the Liberation Museum were enjoyable substitutes.

 

It's too bad you couldn't do Brugge...it's a beautiful city...I think the Liberation Museum is the one DH visited while we were in Nijmegen. He loved it....I on the other hand had a blast celebrating the Queen's birthday!! :D

[ural guy]

We were actually a little disappointed that they had moved the starting point of the cruise from Amsterdam to Arnhem as we would have liked to spend some time in Amsterdam. The pre-cruise option was Brugges which we decided to forgo. We considered flying into AMS early and spending a few days on our own but the timing just didn't work out. However, seeing the John Frost Bridge and visiting the Liberation Museum were enjoyable substitutes.

 

Wow! I'm really surprised they didn't have a pre-cruise option for Amsterdam. I thought that by boarding in Arnhem, it would make great business offering a few days pre-cruise in Amsterdam. :confused:

 

I agree that the Liberation Museum is very well done. A lot of people are vaguely aware of 'Operation Market Garden' through the movie 'A Bridge too Far'; the museum and walking the town really bring it to life. I biked through town and was surprised to see the British Units flag still flying from peoples homes.

The Living Museum is also well worth visiting if people have a chance. They've moved buildings and factories from all over the Netherlands to a beautiful wooded area, complete w/ an old tram that makes 7 stops around the park. I know I missed a lot even after spending 5 hours there, so I'll be returning in May to bring my wife.

[Hydrokitty]

Wow! I'm really surprised they didn't have a pre-cruise option for Amsterdam. I thought that by boarding in Arnhem, it would make great business offering a few days pre-cruise in Amsterdam. :confused:

 

I agree that the Liberation Museum is very well done. A lot of people are vaguely aware of 'Operation Market Garden' through the movie 'A Bridge too Far'; the museum and walking the town really bring it to life. I biked through town and was surprised to see the British Units flag still flying from peoples homes.

The Living Museum is also well worth visiting if people have a chance. They've moved buildings and factories from all over the Netherlands to a beautiful wooded area, complete w/ an old tram that makes 7 stops around the park. I know I missed a lot even after spending 5 hours there, so I'll be returning in May to bring my wife.

 

Good point, Ural guy....I've done 8 trips with Vantage and I don't ever remember them NOT having an Amsterdam pre or post trip option for their Rhine-Danube and Holland cruises...thats why we've been to Amsterdam and Budapest several times each!

[FuelScience]

Good point, Ural guy....I've done 8 trips with Vantage and I don't ever remember them NOT having an Amsterdam pre or post trip option for their Rhine-Danube and Holland cruises...thats why we've been to Amsterdam and Budapest several times each!

 

The real irony is that if your Vantage cruise starts in Amsterdam, a pre-cruise visit to Amsterdam isn't an option. When we did the Rhine and Moselle last year, our only option for a pre-cruise stay was Brugges or maybe some other place in Belgium or the Netherlands.

 

The other thing that I've never understood is the fact that none of the river cruise lines I'm familiar with include an option to visit the Open Air Museum in Arnheim. It's one of the top tourist attractions in the Netherlands. Two years ago my wife and I took a bus there during our stop in Arnheim and loved it.

 

FuelScience

[Hydrokitty]

The real irony is that if your Vantage cruise starts in Amsterdam, a pre-cruise visit to Amsterdam isn't an option. When we did the Rhine and Moselle last year, our only option for a pre-cruise stay was Brugges or maybe some other place in Belgium or the Netherlands.

 

The other thing that I've never understood is the fact that none of the river cruise lines I'm familiar with include an option to visit the Open Air Museum in Arnheim. It's one of the top tourist attractions in the Netherlands. Two years ago my wife and I took a bus there during our stop in Arnheim and loved it.

 

FuelScience

 

I would suggest you tell all of the lines you sail with that you have done this attraction and would suggest they include it. I know DH enjoyed it, but he's military and loves places like that. Could it be that it's too expensive an admission or too far to be economically practical on a chartered bus? I'm sure there's a reason, we just need to find out what it is.

 

it is surprising that a cruise leaving from Amsterdam would not offer a pre-trip extension. When we did our Holland Tulip cruise we did Brussels as our pre-trip extension but Amsterdam was an alternate choice. I think the cruise companies are altering their itineraries to accommodate newly retired cruisers and keep the repeat cruisers interested in places we haven't been before! For example: we're pretty much done with river cruising and now concentrating on big ship cruising and US National Parks.

[FuelScience]

I would suggest you tell all of the lines you sail with that you have done this attraction and would suggest they include it. I know DH enjoyed it, but he's military and loves places like that. Could it be that it's too expensive an admission or too far to be economically practical on a chartered bus? I'm sure there's a reason, we just need to find out what it is.

 

I'll pursue it. Distance is not a problem. The museum is 7 km (less than 4 1/2 miles) from the docking area. The public bus ride from the central station was about 30 minutes with lots of stops.

 

FuelScience

[Judy795]

Thank you. We are taking this cruise next Sept 20, leaving from Amsterdam and ending at Basel. From Basel we fly to Vienna, and join a Globus tour of Austria and Switzerland, ending in Zurich.

 

Personally, I find Vantage's pre and post cruise options do not offer enough time and touring in whatever city they offer. One can see that often the port stops are too short to allow much exploration.

 

We took the Vantage Tulip cruise of the Netherlands, last April, and spent several days in Amsterdam on our own. It is a very easy city to tour, and you can always arrange a Viatour tour if you don't want to be on your own. We will spend a few more days again in Amsterdam at the beginning of this trip.

 

I am looking forward to all the German wines.

[Hydrokitty]

German wines are very good....especially eis wine....food and pastries wonderful too. We met Globus people in Greece (we were with Trafalgar) wound up traveling together for 10 days...is your Globus land, river or combination?

Edited November 17, 2016 by Hydrokitty