Viking Mimir Grand European Tour 7-1-22; "Live"

[Host Jazzbeau]

7 hours ago, Ritabob said:

You call it 'tight', I like to think of it as 'cozy'. 😄 

You must be a Real Estate Agent... 😉

[Canal archive]

Or maybe ‘compact and bijou’. 😁

[StartrainDD]

11 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Like the pics of the windmills, did you get the chance to go inside? As you can tell I’m slightly involved with canals and agree that some explanation is useful, depth of locks, how they work, age etc., I spend a lot of time compiling talks and giving them, so I’m a canal nurd but didn’t get like that until later in life. Keep enjoying.

Yes, we went inside the mill they have prepared for tourists.  Steep narrow stairs to go upstairs a few levels to see the workings.  They also have a ground floor 'living quarters' set up.  Talk about "Cozy!"

3 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

The Main definitely requires a good bit of "watch your ship sail away/arrive" to cover the distance(and wait on locks), but it sounds like this started on the Rhine which is a little less common.  I took a Rhine/Main cruse on Amawaterways last fall and it was almost a meme by the end of the cruise as it happened more often than not.  And even in a lot of cases the ship basically only stopped on the other end to pick up up and then left again.

 

What do find less than ideal about it? the time on the bus?

What we don't like is being locked in to being away from the ship for "X" amount of time.  Today the ship was docked in Wurzburg for the afternoon.  We could leave and return when we wanted if we didn't take the provided tour.  A fairly good number of folks took this option.  We left as soon as we docked, which was an hour before the tour time, and returned an hour earlier than the tour, giving us time to shower and freshen up before dinner.

 

Tomorrow we leave the ship at 1:30 at Zell am Main, and don't return until 6:15 when the ship reaches Bamberg.  If we don't like that, then you stay on board & give up the chance to see Bamberg.

[StartrainDD]

9 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The Main river which StartrainDD are on now is a standard German highly engineered river, making it a federal waterway, but the Main Danube Canal is "two classes above" in engineering, basically connecting the continent, it should be compulsory teaching on any "Grand European". Some info at least and a bit more for the nerds and tech guys. Perhaps that will come at Bamberg or Nuremberg or when they cross the European watershed (there is a monument there I believe).

 

notamermaid

 

Tomorrow's program includes an "Enrichment lecture:  Canals & Locks."

[notamermaid]

10 minutes ago, StartrainDD said:

Tomorrow's program includes an "Enrichment lecture:  Canals & Locks."

That is nice.

 

I understand what you mean about either having to stay on the ship and missing something or having to do the whole long tour while the ship is moving. It feels a bit regimented and takes some of the leisure aspect away.

 

notamermaid

 

[StartrainDD]

Wednesday, July 6 – Cruising the Main and Wurzburg Germany

 

We woke on our own right about 7:00. Normal morning routine and we found our new friends in the dining room. Afterwards we went up to the Aquavit terrace to work on photos and post a few on the live thread. The Eistla is docked at Zell am Main to let off two optional excursions and do some housekeeping.

 

I stepped off the ship for a few minutes to take photos as the sun was at just the right angle to do so. The crew were busy removing trash and also a lot of 20 gallon (?) blue containers that may have been holding recyclables? Apparently right behind the trees next to the dock there was some kind of processing facility.

 

Back to the Aquavit to update this log as we left the dock and resumed our very pretty cruising along the Main. By the way, “Main” is pronounced 'Mine.' We greatly enjoyed sitting in the Aquavit and just stayed there until lunch was served. Lunch was very good and the “Fish & Chips” would have satisfied any British friends for sure. The chef was cooking Chicken Breasts on the grill, and everyone seemed quite happy with lunch.

 

The ship docked a little before 1:00 in Wurzburg. We decided to forgo the provided excursion and left the ship, along with a few others, as soon as the gangway was in place. We walked around the “Ring park” to the far side of the Wurzburg Residenz where we entered the East garden. We greatly enjoyed the gardens, the rose gardens, the terraces, and the statues throughout the East & South gardens.

 

From the Residenz we followed Rick Steve's walking tour and passed the Fountain of Franconia before touring the Dom, AKA St. Killian's Cathedral. We also toured the Neumunster Basilica before enjoying the Upper Market Square and the main Market Square. We needed a break and enjoyed some beverages and Apple Strudel at Wirtshaus Lammle just off the square by Marienkapelle church. Leaving there we headed towards the rathaus (City Hall) and ran into the program director just finishing up a Bratwurst sandwich. He walked with us as he said he needed to meet some of the tours there.

 

We could not find the WW2 memorial near the rathaus. We finished our tour at the Old Main Bridge where we partook of the Wurzburg tradition and enjoyed a glass each of Franconian wine from Alte Mainmuble at the base of the bridge. The bridge dates from 1133, and is the second oldest in Germany. On the bridge we found the statue of St. Killian with his golden sword pointing the way to heaven.

 

We returned our glasses for the deposit and walked back to the Eistla, arriving just after 5:00. That gave us time to freshen up before the port talk for the next day and dinner. We wanted to try dinner in the Aquavit but the “Treasure Wine Tasting” was still going on at 7:10, so we proceeded to the dining room. Dinner was very good but service seemed slow this evening and we didn't get out of there until just after 9:00.

 

We enjoyed entertainer Api for a while and called it a night at 9:50.

 

Oh, and tomorrow we leave for our tour to Bamberg at 1:30 but will not be able to return to the ship until 6:15.

[ural guy]

1 minute ago, notamermaid said:

That is nice.

 

I understand what you mean about either having to stay on the ship and missing something or having to do the whole long tour while the ship is moving. It feels a bit regimented and takes some of the leisure aspect away.

 

notamermaid

 

I really like the overnight stays, or when they dock early and you don't leave until 2200 or so.

 

That to me is luxury, wander around as we find stuff that interests us (or we split up to pursue our own 'thing'), then as the feet start to hurt, or nap time, you head back to your 440' LONG yacht.  Saunter aboard, rest up, and wander again at your leisure.  Plus I like to take pictures late at night/early morning without crowds.

 

The on bus/off bus definitely can get old, and has us avoiding the Douro.

 

StartrainDD-  Thanks again for keeping going with this.  I hope you liked Wurzburg, we were stationed 20 kms away in the scary 80's for a bit.  Great, great memories.  Just met a German lady at work who use to go to the same bar as us in the olden times, what a small world.

[ural guy]

If you want a crazy story, look up the act that started St Killian on his path to sainthood. 

 

 

[hihandycap]

On 7/5/2022 at 4:02 PM, notamermaid said:

The Residence is a challenge to squeeze into a photo!

Somewhat like the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest?

[CastleCritic]

River cruises definitely can be gogogo.

 

breakfast by 9, on the bus by 9:30 back on the ship by noon, lunch by 1:30 on a bus by 2, back on the ship by 6...repeat for a week.

 

Bus time was why I specifically pointed out a situation on my last cruise where by the end of the 11 days we had spent 4 of them 8a-6pm on a bus (yes it was broken up by going places and stopping to see them).  2 during the cruise and the two repositioning days to/from the land extension city,.  Some people REALLY wouldn't be for that.

 

Of the rivers Ive done the Main is certainly the one with the least ability to walk around on your own time it should be a bit more free once you get down the Danube a bit.

[rcaruso]

1 hour ago, CastleCritic said:

River cruises definitely can be gogogo.

 

breakfast by 9, on the bus by 9:30 back on the ship by noon, lunch by 1:30 on a bus by 2, back on the ship by 6...repeat for a week.

 

Bus time was why I specifically pointed out a situation on my last cruise where by the end of the 11 days we had spent 4 of them 8a-6pm on a bus (yes it was broken up by going places and stopping to see them).  2 during the cruise and the two repositioning days to/from the land extension city,.  Some people REALLY wouldn't be for that.

 

Of the rivers Ive done the Main is certainly the one with the least ability to walk around on your own time it should be a bit more free once you get down the Danube a bit.

Not so on the Main. Miltenburg, Wertheim, Karlstadt, Wurzburg on river or within a short walk.  Bamberg not, and Nurnberg doesn't count as off the Main Rhine Danube Canal, Unfortunately Viking doesn't look at Aschaffenburg, Lohr (Snow White House) etc, all on river---not big tourist draws, but very charming.

[CastleCritic]

24 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

Not so on the Main. Miltenburg, Wertheim, Karlstadt, Wurzburg on river or within a short walk.  Bamberg not, and Nurnberg doesn't count as off the Main Rhine Danube Canal, Unfortunately Viking doesn't look at Aschaffenburg, Lohr (Snow White House) etc, all on river---not big tourist draws, but very charming.

 

I think you misread the issue. Im/we're not talking about the layout of the cities themselves, just how the cruise lines use those cities.

 

Looking at the schedule for the cruise (amaprima coming from Basel going to Nürnberg/Nuremberg) I did through that section lets see...

 

day4 left from 8:30 Rudesheim by bus(others by bike) for Mainz met the ship in Mainz and by noon we were sailing for Miltenberg

 

day5 ship docks in Miltenberg for 30minutes to let us off then immediately leaves, we tour Miltenberg, take buses to Wertheim, we meet the ship there and 1:30 the ship leaves for Kitzigen

 

day6 ship sailed past Wurzberg(there was a second Ama ship doing much of the same itinerary, she was docked there), stops in Kitzigen for 30min to let us off to bus BACK to Wurzberg, we meet it in Volkach at 1:30...ship leaves at 11pm.

 

Day7 ship finally stays put. in Bamberg after arriving at 1pm before leaving in the night for Nürnberg (only time the other  ship the AmaLucia was docked in the same port before Nürnberg).

 

last day we leave the ship in Nürnberg, cruise is over (my extension group does a little  bus tour of the wwII era history in the city then leaves for Prague).

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by CastleCritic

[rcaruso]

2 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

 

I think you misread the issue. Im/we're not talking about the layout of the cities themselves, just how the cruise lines use those cities.

 

Looking at the schedule for the cruise (amaprima coming from Basel going to Nurnberg) I did through that section lets see...

 

day4 left from 8:30 Rudesheim by bus(others by bike) for Mainz met the ship in Mainz and by noon we were sailing for Miltenberg

 

day5 ship docks in Miltenberg for 30minutes to let us off then immediately leaves, we tour Miltenberg, take buses to Wertheim, we meet the ship there and 1:30 the ship leaves for Kitzigen

 

day6 ship sailed past Wurzberg, stops in Kitzigen for 30min to let us off to bus BACK to Wurzberg, we meet it in Volkach at 1:30...ship leaves at 11pm.

 

Day7 ship finally stays put. in Bamberg after arriving at 1pm before leaving in the night for Nurnberg

 

last day we leave the ship in Nurnberg, cruise is over (my extension group does a little  bus tour of the *** era highlights in the city then leaves for Prague).

 

Yes, the bus trips leave much to be desired.  We do land trips as well, and much enjoy staying along the Main several days in many towns.  Since we have done many cruises it is not so important for us to get off in Miltenburg etc, yet a place like Vienna we can always find something new to do;

 

Sorry to misread the issue.

[CastleCritic]

13 minutes ago, rcaruso said:

Yes, the bus trips leave much to be desired.  We do land trips as well, and much enjoy staying along the Main several days in many towns.  Since we have done many cruises it is not so important for us to get off in Miltenburg etc, yet a place like Vienna we can always find something new to do;

 

Sorry to misread the issue.

I find its how you use it, My mother was with me for the April trip this year and her "normal" tour is with a bus bound company in the  US so she was used to it.  But I do wonder the feedback Ama is getting for the tail end of their new Normady cruise that has (if you choose) 2 straight days in a bus 8 hours a day, 3 if you take the land extension to St Malo...that is literally all either coming to/from (or both one day) Le Havre and going to or through Normandy every time.  Yes you have an hour or two stops all 3 days but its a LOT of bus.

 

I didn't mind the Main trip, there was a lot of time on the ship to watch scenery which is counter to my usual experience of the ship only sailing when its dark and the bus trips were all 45min or less.

Edited July 7, 2022 by CastleCritic

[CPT Trips]

5 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

But I do wonder the feedback Ama is getting for the tail end of their new Normady cruise that has (if you choose) 2 straight days in a bus 8 hours a day,

Where do those two bus trips from Le Havre go? DDay beaches? Bayeux?

[CastleCritic]

44 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Where do those two bus trips from Le Havre go? DDay beaches? Bayeux?

pretty much yes, Its actually not 2 round trips just 2 full days that end in Le Havre

 

day1 leave Caudebec-en-Caux to Bayeux (see the tapestry and cathedral, eat lunch) and Caen (see the castle, see the Abbey) find the ship in Le Havre (which is now there until the end of the cruise) 

 

Day2 leave Le Havre and yeah DDbay beaches+American Cemetery, they packed a lunch which we ate in Arromanches and then back to Caen to a WWII museum then back to Le Havre

 

second option for the first day was (listed as) chateau du champ de Battille, Arboreteum d'harcout and La Bec Hellouin

or stay on the ship and tour Le Havre in the afternoon

 

Second option for the second day was Honfleur across the Seine from Le Havre and back to the ship for lunch

day3/extension day 1 leave Le Havre stop in Fougeres to eat and tour the castle and then continue on to St Malo where our hotel was for the next 3 nights.

Edited July 7, 2022 by CastleCritic

[CPT Trips]

We had similar days. Docked in Honfleur, so perhaps an hour less on the bus each day. But you can’t get those sights without a relatively long ride that backtracks. Our visit to the Caen Museum was part of our return to CDG from Honfleur - loooong ride.

[StartrainDD]

Here are a few photos.  The "Dutch tea" on board and photos from Cologne.  The sunset photo we were still docked.  The photos with the moon were during sail-away.

Edited July 7, 2022 by StartrainDD
Identify photos

[StartrainDD]

Current photo from this morning. After 5 incredible weather days we are gray and damp, but some rain is needed. Here we were passing the town of wulflingen. 

Edited July 7, 2022 by StartrainDD

[Canal archive]

StartrainDD it’s only 8am and I want tea super photos.

 

On the strain of long days in Normandy it is so difficult as the Seine is the closest river to all of those so ‘close to our hearts’ places to visit but not that close as to require the use of longer coach journeys. Just think of our so very brave forbears who didn’t have that luxury. How did they get to the Somme or Omaha beach. A little of our time is not such a price to pay. My dad was on HMS Nelson and as I was brought up in Portsmouth the remains of Mulberry Harbours were a constant reminder to all of us youngsters of what had happened.

 

Never thought an English lady would say this ‘yippee rain’

Edited July 7, 2022 by Canal archive

[StartrainDD]

52 minutes ago, Canal archive said:

StartrainDD it’s only 8am and I want tea super photos.

 

On the strain of long days in Normandy it is so difficult as the Seine is the closest river to all of those so ‘close to our hearts’ places to visit but not that close as to require the use of longer coach journeys. Just think of our so very brave forbears who didn’t have that luxury. How did they get to the Somme or Omaha beach. A little of our time is not such a price to pay. My dad was on HMS Nelson and as I was brought up in Portsmouth the remains of Mulberry Harbours were a constant reminder to all of us youngsters of what had happened.

 

Never thought an English lady would say this ‘yippee rain’

Fully understand and agree.  We are not currently (on this trip) in Normandy but we have been there on previous trips!  Others were commenting on bus times on the Normandy trips.

[StartrainDD]

A few photos of the castles along the Rhine.

[StartrainDD]

And just a few more!

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, StartrainDD said:

After 5 incredible weather days we are gray and damp, but some rain is needed.

I hope the weather improves for your tour today, but you are right, rain is needed.

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

Never thought an English lady would say this ‘yippee rain’

Grin. The rain hopefully comes at the right time to keep the Eistla well afloat in Bavaria on the Danube. The Main is certainly low but it is not a problem, thanks to the locks and deep navigation channel. The Canal will be fine as well.

 

45 minutes ago, StartrainDD said:

And just a few more!

Thank you for all those photos. Much appreciated.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

12 hours ago, hihandycap said:

Somewhat like the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest?

Similar but different in that the Residenz is such a wide building that I could not fit it in from that street end angle. Better photographer and better camera would probably do the trick .

 

notamermaid