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

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, StartrainDD said:

During the cruising this morning, I was also able to read the documents the program manager left me on the Main-Danube canal. During this I learned that there is a monument astride the canal at the point of the European continental divide. Seeing where it was, I realize we passed this during the prior evening's dinner. Again, nothing was said about this on board and I certainly would have liked to photograph the monument.

I seriously do not understand why Viking is so quiet about this, or rather why this is not mentioned the day before and then briefly pointed out at dinner. Cannot be difficult I would say.

 

You and the Eistla made it to Deggendorf, i.e. through the shallow stretch and that was a bit of a logistical manoeuvre for sure. You are through! But that

1 hour ago, StartrainDD said:

This makes FIVE times in eight days that the majority of the Eistla's passengers had to wait at a docking area with nothing around it for the ship to get into position so we could board. So we boarded after 7:30.

is not good and I do not recall anybody mentioning this in detail on cruisecritic before. At least better timing could on two occasions have been achieved, from the sound of it. I mean, we all use smartphones and satnavs...

 

44 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

Passau should be fun I can vouch for the castle if you are interested in such things:)

Have not been to the castle, but Passau should be a pleasant place. The organ in the Cathedral is magnificent and there is a café nearby that I enjoyed much: https://greindl-passau.de/blogs/cafes-werkstatten/cafe-stephans-dom

 

notamermaid

 

 

[sfocruiser]

3 hours ago, StartrainDD said:

Saturday, July 9; cruising the Danube and Regensburg Germany

 

We arrived at the bus station and all three buses were there. One left as we arrived. The program director told us we could board the double decker bus and sit upstairs, leaving immediately or take the next bus that would leave within ten minutes. I asked if the ship was ready for us and he said yes, it is waiting in Deggendorf. It was a 55 minute bus ride back to Deggendorf. It was a bit warm on the upper deck and the A/C never made it really cool.

 

We pulled into the dock at Deggendorf to find a river boat tied up, but it was not a Viking boat. Then we see the Eistla waiting just upstream. A few minutes later the third Viking bus arrived. So now, 90% of the guests from the Eistla are standing on the ground or sitting in buses with no air circulation and lots of people coughing. The other ship was waiting for their tour to return from Munich and refused the Eistla permission to tie up next to them so we could board our ship. Now it begins to rain.

 

Long story short, we stood out there for 50 minutes, most of the time in the rain, until the other ship's passengers returned and the Eistla got into place so we could board. We all boarded in less than five minutes. This makes FIVE times in eight days that the majority of the Eistla's passengers had to wait at a docking area with nothing around it for the ship to get into position so we could board. So we boarded after 7:30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you gotten the impression that this type of leapfrogging which seems to have happened in nearly every city is more prevalent on your route as opposed to the B to A?

 

 

[CPT Trips]

Just some thoughts on the issues StartrainDD reports here.

 

As several others have noted, this itinerary cover a lot of distance. The more days on the river the better. We had 15 days for the stretch between A’dam and Vienna, without a touring day in Vienna. On only one day was a bus drive involving two ports, that was the day for touring Rothenburg.

 

It seems to be difficult to have good communication about logistics between several excursion buses and the ship when there is one program director. Bus drivers and independent tour guides are given a schedule and follow it. When each tour group has a program director or someone that has the authority to communicate with the ship and adjust the schedule better outcomes result.

 

Ship design has a lot to do with whether or not sundecks can remain accessible during stretches of the river with low bridges. The forward sundeck on a ship like this with a split level sundeck and fixed railings allows the captain to keep tables and chairs up throughout the trip and permit passengers to use it.

Just some things to look for when shopping for a river cruise.

 

[StartrainDD]

13 hours ago, sfocruiser said:

 

 

Have you gotten the impression that this type of leapfrogging which seems to have happened in nearly every city is more prevalent on your route as opposed to the B to A?

 

 

Since the distance is the same and I believe the advertised number of stops is the same (with some different towns) I would expect similar leap-frogging.  We just had no idea this would happen.  Today is so nice with the ship docked all day in Passau, this is more what we expected.

[milling73]

Can u give info of Viking laundry prices? We take this trip in 10 days and are reading horror stories of checked luggage not making Frankfurt Germany transfers,  and their tracking tag system not working.
 

An Considering options of making carry-on suffice and using Viking laundry service. But we cant find pricing information or if it is even offered now. 
Luggage Forward service is $350 bag 

Thanks for assist. Your blog is wonderful. 

[miltonplane88]

On 7/9/2022 at 2:18 AM, StartrainDD said:

Here are a few photos from Miltenberg.

 

 

Is that the Miltenplane88 Clocktower?

[CPT Trips]

3 hours ago, milling73 said:

Can u give info of Viking laundry prices? We take this trip in 10 days and are reading horror stories of checked luggage not making Frankfurt Germany transfers,  and their tracking tag system not working.
 

An Considering options of making carry-on suffice and using Viking laundry service. But we cant find pricing information or if it is even offered now. 
Luggage Forward service is $350 bag 

Thanks for assist. Your blog is wonderful. 

You might want to review this before you fly so that you know your rights should things with your flights go awry.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm

Edited July 10, 2022 by CPT Trips
Add link

[StartrainDD]

2 hours ago, miltonplane88 said:

Is that the Miltenplane88 Clocktower?

Absolutely!  😀

[StartrainDD]

5 hours ago, milling73 said:

Can u give info of Viking laundry prices? We take this trip in 10 days and are reading horror stories of checked luggage not making Frankfurt Germany transfers,  and their tracking tag system not working.
 

An Considering options of making carry-on suffice and using Viking laundry service. But we cant find pricing information or if it is even offered now. 
Luggage Forward service is $350 bag 

Thanks for assist. Your blog is wonderful. 

I no longer have a price list but laundry on board is EXPENSIVE.  I know a shirt or blouse is about eight euros.  There is no "By the bag" option.

 

What we did is checked two bags and I had our clothing split evenly between the two bags.  We also had one full change of clothing and PJ's in a carry on.  Our bags made it, but it sure is a gamble these days!

[StartrainDD]

We are now in Austria.  Really enjoyed our last day in Germany on this trip.  Here is the report:

 

Sunday, July 10, Passau, Germany (within sight of Austria)

 

This morning we slept until the noise of the Eistla docking woke us at 7:45. We missed our friends who enjoyed an earlier breakfast and got ready for our 9:30 walking tour of Passau. Rick Steve's says nothing about Passau, I don't know why except that I suppose he can't cover everything.

 

Our walking tour took us along the waterfront and then down 'artists alley' (really known as Hollgasse, which translated means “Hells Alley.” Our guide showed us the watermarks on a number of buildings as the confluence of the three rivers (the Danube, the Ilz, and the Inn) results in periodic flooding which the buildings lower than 15 meters above the river can expect to experience from time to time.

 

We enjoyed the view of the old rathouse and were there right at 10:00 when the bells chimed. We then climbed the hill through narrow alleys and found ourselves at St. Michael's church. The front door was open which allowed us to look in. This church is normally closed to anyone as it is reserved for the monks, but it is very ornate inside. We then walked down the other side to the walkway along the Inn river. The Danube may not be “Blue” but it is rather clear. Not so the Inn. The Inn has it's headwaters in the mountains of the alps, and carries silt from snow and glacier melt, so it appears very gray.

 

From the waterfront we climbed other alleys past the bishops residenz. The residenz led directly towards St. Stephen's church, the Dom. The Dom is under a lot of restoration with one of the towers circled in scaffolding. Going inside, the lower part of both towers is covered in fabric. The Dom is noted for having the largest cathedral organ in the world, with 17,774 pipes.

 

From the Dom our walking tour ended however next door was a cute chocolate shop. We purchased some 'broken pieces' of chocolates to take back to the ship. Most shops are closed today being Sunday, although all restaurants and cafes seem to be open. We walked through the pedestrian area and returned to the Eistla.

 

We grabbed a table in the Aquavit and our friends joined us. Lunch was very nice and it is a pretty day, with temperatures in the 60's. We then headed back out for a brisk walk back to the rathouse to take the public shuttle bus up the mountain to the Veste Oberhaus, the castle one of the prince-bishops built to show off his fortune. From here we enjoyed magnificent views of Passau and the surrounding area. We could see where the waters of the Danube and Inn 'merged' although they tend to stay separate at least for a while.

 

After enjoying the sights we caught the bus back down to town. We walked back to the ship visiting a few souvenir shops along the way but made no purchases. We wanted to have a good amount of time to relax this afternoon and get ready for a nice evening. The Eistla promises a “German dinner” this evening and we hope to enjoy that in the Aquavit during the sail away from Passau and across the border into Austria, less than 2 miles away.

 

As troubling as some of the previous days have been, this day was very enjoyable. It was terrific having a chance to relax and waving to the passers-by who all seemed very friendly. The ship left Passau just before 6:00 and until dark the scenery as we cruised down the Danube was terrific. Service in the Aquavit was top notch and the same servers seem to be there. Couple that with the scenery and it was a terrific evening. The “German dinner” was very nice with many of the staff dressed in traditional

German clothing.

 

There was a game show in the lounge but we did not stay up for that. Tomorrow sounds very promising, the ship will not sail except when we are on it. A morning visit to Melk Austria with an excursion to Melk Abbey followed by afternoon sailing the the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO site. Then we have a call to Krems late in the afternoon.

 

[notamermaid]

21 minutes ago, StartrainDD said:

A morning visit to Melk Austria with an excursion to Melk Abbey followed by afternoon sailing the the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO site.

I adore the library in Melk Abbey and took a photo of the underfloor heating grills (I am weird). An amazing place and the Wachau valley is certainly beautiful. I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

notamermaid

 

[CastleCritic]

Melk Abbey is a really really neat place...note however this is also a place where. you arent supposed to take pictures...they want you to buy them from the gift shop.

 

I remember the library that notamermaid mentions very very well.

 

(full disclosure my cruise through there was November 2019...right before...well..stuff so its definitely a fond memory of simpler times)

 

Definitely be on the lookout during the wachau cruise for interesting sites...there are quite a few

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by CastleCritic

[dd57]

9 hours ago, StartrainDD said:

Since the distance is the same and I believe the advertised number of stops is the same (with some different towns) I would expect similar leap-frogging.  We just had no idea this would happen.  Today is so nice with the ship docked all day in Passau, this is more what we expected.

We did this trip in the other direction, Budapest to Amsterdam.  We did the leapfrog once.  I think the difference is because we went downstream on the Rhine and Main so it was easier to get to the stops rather than "busing ahead".  

[StartrainDD]

8 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

Melk Abbey is a really really neat place...note however this is also a place where. you arent supposed to take pictures...they want you to buy them from the gift shop.

When touring independently I purposefully avoid paying an entrance fee to places that say "No photography."  I have no issue with "No flash photography."  If you pay to see something you should be able to record what you are seeing for your memories, just my opinion of course.

 

Speaking of photos, here are a few from the river and our day in Wurzburg.  Like Notamermaid said, I did not get the entire Residenz in one photo!

 

 

[StartrainDD]

Here are a few photos from our damp day in Bamberg:

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

13 minutes ago, StartrainDD said:

When touring independently I purposefully avoid paying an entrance fee to places that say "No photography."  I have no issue with "No flash photography."  If you pay to see something you should be able to record what you are seeing for your memories, just my opinion of course.

I get your philosophy, and agree in principle.  But if they don't know that they lost your admission fees because of this policy, how can it cause them to change?  [I wish I had an answer.]

[Canal archive]

I usually ask ‘why not’ and have received several different answers the most telling from an obviously disgruntled guide - some idiot sold our photographic rights - having to work with copyright frequently I can understand this reason only to well.

[ural guy]

Yikes, that grass at the Residenz is toast.  No wonder the river levels are low.

 

StartrainDD-  The War Memorial you were looking for, I remember two.  One was a memorial for the fallen of WW1 & 2, that was part of the ring park, over by the rail station.  I really like the design of this, showing the 'sacrifice'/end result of war, and the respect of his comrades in the laying to rest of the remains. 

 

 

 

The second was a small memorial room off the main square.  I remember it having a few information panels and a diarama showing the devastation.  All war destruction is a sad waste, this was especially sad; primary target had too much cloud cover, so Wurzburg was alternate.  Combined with it being almost the end of the war, no military targets...

 

And I am always amazes me is how well the rebuilding/reconstruction went.  I'm in construction, and the effort, and end results impress and amaze me.  Wurzburg went with a modern style, some cities seem to have gone 100% historic.  For a 19 year old kid, I was gobsmacked that I was fortunate enough to be in such a beautiful, historic location; living in a small farm village, just outside such a beautiful place, sweet wife and trusty Suzuki 650 at our side for exploring.

 

These reports bring back so many memories, so THANKS again, you too Notamermaid! (as always).

🙂

 

 

[notamermaid]

On 7/10/2022 at 6:17 AM, CPT Trips said:

Ship design has a lot to do with whether or not sundecks can remain accessible during stretches of the river with low bridges. The forward sundeck on a ship like this with a split level sundeck and fixed railings allows the captain to keep tables and chairs up throughout the trip and permit passengers to use it.

 

Thank you for the info and the photo. Perfectly illustrates the point I was trying to make about the split level design.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[ural guy]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Thank you for the info and the photo. Perfectly illustrates the point I was trying to make about the split level design.

 

notamermaid

 

 

I hadn't seen those before, or if I had, realized the significance.

 

What lines have that design?  I want to take a few of the less traveled rivers that the Eurpean lines explore with the 2 deck boats.  Giving up my second dining area is the trade-off.

[rizello]

Thanks again for the daily reports.  So helpful, as we take our cruise the end of July.

 

In Melk, could you walk off the boat and get to town on your won?  We are considering doing an independent day, so was curious.

 

 

[Daisi]

1 hour ago, ural guy said:

I hadn't seen those before, or if I had, realized the significance.

 

What lines have that design?  I want to take a few of the less traveled rivers that the Eurpean lines explore with the 2 deck boats.  Giving up my second dining area is the trade-off.

 

Avalon ships have 2 levels, split by about 5 steps, so not sure if that's enough.

 

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, ural guy said:

I hadn't seen those before, or if I had, realized the significance.

 

What lines have that design?  I want to take a few of the less traveled rivers that the Eurpean lines explore with the 2 deck boats.  Giving up my second dining area is the trade-off.

Tricky. Most smaller ships of the two deck type probably will not have a second dining area. You may need to look around for those. There are other ships like the River Adagio that will be split level, but not sure which companies have them. CroisiEurope only has ships up to a length of 110m and some two level, but not sure about split level. You could ask this question in its own thread. It it an interesting topic I find. Wonder if someone knows something that will exactly fit what you are looking for.

 

Edit: Daisi's and my answer appeared at the same time.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by notamermaid

[CastleCritic]

1 hour ago, ural guy said:

I hadn't seen those before, or if I had, realized the significance.

 

What lines have that design?  I want to take a few of the less traveled rivers that the Eurpean lines explore with the 2 deck boats.  Giving up my second dining area is the trade-off.

Amawaterways has them...kindof. there is a couch and a few chairs either before or aft of the wheel house on a lower level than the proper sun deck but its not as large as the one shown there on the 135M ships its in front, on the 110m France ships the couch is behind and there is a smaller area in front with a few tables.  Cant say for the Douro ships, haven't been on one yet 🙂

 

this is an odd picture of this ship taken before it was completed fitting out, but except right around the radar mast (which lowers you can kind of see the round "cage" they have blocking off its space) all that space in front of the wheel house stays open when the sun deck closes

 

and I shot I took in that area kind of showing why (thats the raised gate of a lock...though this one wasnt low enough to close the sun deck)

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by CastleCritic

[StartrainDD]

2 hours ago, rizello said:

In Melk, could you walk off the boat and get to town on your won?  We are considering doing an independent day, so was curious.

Yes, absolutely you could if you did not want to tour the Abbey.  We walked back, and if you do tour the abbey I would strongly suggest walking back as the town of Melk is charming and within it's small space has everything anyone could need.  Beware though that many shops may not open very early!  I did not notice opening times.

 

See today's report for more detail!