Just back from Bach cruise

[Babcia7]

We just returned from our Enchanting Moselle cruise on the Crystal Bach.This was our first experience with Crystal, though we've taken several European river cruises with Uniworld, and one with Viking.  We were anxious to see how Crystal compared to our Uniworld cruises. (Our one and ONLY Viking cruise left lots to be desired, and we will not sale with them again, no matter how much they inundate us with their mailings).

 

Both my husband and I, as well as other passengers on Bach who had previously sailed with Uniworld, felt that our experiences on both lines were very comparable.  

We loved many things about the Bach: staff, service, food were all outstanding for the most part.  Our excursions were all led by knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides, and most of our tours were in groups of less than 15 people.  Our cabin was not the largest, but we had ample room to store our clothes and suitcases. We loved the floor to ceiling window, and the fact that we were able to retract the top half.  On our particular cruise, we were only rafted up to another ship for a few hours one afternoon, so we were able to enjoy the views from our cabin for most of the cruise.

 

Although we have been on the Rhine several times, this was our first voyage along the Moselle River.  It was our favorite part of the trip.  The scenery was beautiful and there was much less traffic than on the Rhine.  It reminded me somewhat of the landscape we viewed along the Douro River in Portugal, though on a smaller scale.  

 

One of the highlights of this trip was an independent excursion we took to the Eltz Castle (which Rick Steves considers the most beautiful in all of Europe).  Early in our cruise, we met a couple who had planned to take a taxi to the castle by themselves, but asked if we'd like to join them when they learned of our interest.  The setting of the castle looked like something out of a fairytale, and the interior was amazing.  We were so happy to have had the opportunity to see such a spectacular sight.  We enjoyed exploring several other castles during the trip, but the Eltz was by far the most magnificent.

 

Probably the only slight disappointment in our cruise were our entertainment hosts, Olivia and Joseph.  Although they were both very talented, their music was geared toward listening pleasure, and although the Bach had a nice dance floor, it was rarely used I think mostly because of the type of music that was being performed.  Many nights there were only a handful of people in the lounge after dinner.

 

I'd be happy to share more of our experience if you have any questions.

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by Babcia7

[Coral]

Welcome back! Can you elaborate on food differences between Crystal and Uniworld (if there were any).

 

Thanks

[Coral]

How much was the taxi to  Eltz? Did the ship do an excursion there also?

[Babcia7]

The ship did not offer an excursion to Eltz Castle.  The couple we went with had booked the taxi before the cruise.  I think the van that we had cost around $300, and we split the cost.  The van could've easily seated one or two more couples. Admission to the castle was an additional 10 euros.  Well worth it!

I thought the food on Crystal and Uniworld was very similar in quality. If anything, I thought Crystal had more intricate presentations (lots of flower petals, herb leaves, etc. embellishments) which were very beautiful.  My husband thought our food on Uniworld was better, especially the eggs benedict and cheese selections.  I'm not sure he appreciated the work that went into the artistic presentations of food on the Bach 😋!  We did enjoy a delicious Tapas dinner one night at the Bistro, and that was a fun change from dinners at Waterside.  The only bad course I had was my entree on our final night (unfortunately).  I ordered Venison, and it tasted more like liver.  The other person at our table who ordered venison agreed.  I prepare venison at home, and what the Bach served tasted nothing like any venison I've had. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed all the offerings of herring!

 

[notamermaid]

Thank you for your review of the itinerary and ship. What were your stops along the Moselle and from where did you take the taxi/van?

 

Burg Eltz is certainly stunning! Enjoyed my trip there walking through the valley quite a few years ago.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

Thanks. My least favorite meal on the Mozart was the last night also and it was the chicken. Everything else was outstanding. I almost asked if I could get a burger (as it was on the room service menu - I figure they used the same kitchen).

 

Thanks for info on Eltz Castle.

[Babcia7]

Our stops along the Moselle:  After Koblenz, we were docked in Bernkastel, then Mehring which gave us access to Trier. We were docked there overnight until 6:45 the following day. We took the excursion to Burg Eltz on the first day we were docked in Mehring.  On the second day, we took a full day tour to Luxembourg. We were happily surprised when we woke up the next morning already docked in Cochem.  We weren't scheduled to arrive until 2 p.m., as apparently there can be major backups going through the locks.  That gave us a morning to explore on our own before our tour of Reichsburg Castle.  So glad we had the extra time before the crowds arrived! After Cochem, we returned to the Rhine for our next port, Bonn.