Amadagio/Blue Danube Discovery

[Jswen]

We will be sailing on the May 25 Blue Danube Discovery cruise from Budapest - Prague. This will be our first riverboat type cruise. I would like to hear from other travelers that have gone on the Danube Cruise. We are from California so spring weather is rather warm to just plain hot,

What is the usuall type of weather for that time of year on the Danube?

Besides walking shoes, what is a reasonable type of clothing to wear for touring, jeans, capris etc.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[DON M.]

We will be sailing on the May 25 Blue Danube Discovery cruise from Budapest - Prague. This will be our first riverboat type cruise. I would like to hear from other travelers that have gone on the Danube Cruise. We are from California so spring weather is rather warm to just plain hot,

What is the usuall type of weather for that time of year on the Danube?

Besides walking shoes, what is a reasonable type of clothing to wear for touring, jeans, capris etc.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Thank you.

We will be on this same cruise (and ship) on July 12. I would love to hear when you return your review and comments concerning the ship, food, excursions etc. Have a great time.

[Jswen]

Hi Don,

I E-mailed Brendan (the tour we are going with) and they sent a nice reply with all the optional shore excursions that are not included in the price of the trip.

Hopefuly I will report on our trip. I just hope someone else reports on the ship before we leave. I read somewhere that it is to be launched on March 26.

Sounds like a good excuse for a toast.

JS

[Livestotravel]

We will be sailing on the May 25 Blue Danube Discovery cruise from Budapest - Prague. This will be our first riverboat type cruise. I would like to hear from other travelers that have gone on the Danube Cruise. We are from California so spring weather is rather warm to just plain hot,

What is the usuall type of weather for that time of year on the Danube?

Besides walking shoes, what is a reasonable type of clothing to wear for touring, jeans, capris etc.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Thank you.

 

Hi - a friend and I will be on the Poetry. We leave the States on May 25th, spend 2 nights in Budapest, and leave for the river cruise on the 28th, Sunday. I am starting to wonder if Avalon has two river boats doing the same itinerary at the same time, or if we are actually going to be on the newer boat with you. Just read where the Czech Republic is requiring proof of medical insurance coverage of at least $35,000. Confirmed with our travel agent that our travel insurance will cover us and we will have proof of that with our documents. If the weather follows other years, the highs should be in the low to mid 70's and the lows mid-50's. My kind of weather, but right now, especially Prague, has been cold and snowy! I expect the clothes you mention will be fine - just no sleeveless tops or shorts for churches, and no shorts for dinner on the boat. Hope someone who has "been there and done that" responds to your questions!

[DON M.]

Hi - a friend and I will be on the Poetry. We leave the States on May 25th, spend 2 nights in Budapest, and leave for the river cruise on the 28th, Sunday. I am starting to wonder if Avalon has two river boats doing the same itinerary at the same time, or if we are actually going to be on the newer boat with you. Just read where the Czech Republic is requiring proof of medical insurance coverage of at least $35,000. Confirmed with our travel agent that our travel insurance will cover us and we will have proof of that with our documents. If the weather follows other years, the highs should be in the low to mid 70's and the lows mid-50's. My kind of weather, but right now, especially Prague, has been cold and snowy! I expect the clothes you mention will be fine - just no sleeveless tops or shorts for churches, and no shorts for dinner on the boat. Hope someone who has "been there and done that" responds to your questions!

Have a great trip. The Poetry is part of the Avalon fleet I believe and the Amadagio is the newest ship of the Amadeus fleet-seperate co.

[Jswen]

Hi Livestotravel,

I checked our Brendan tours book and it does say that the Amadagio and the Poetry Blue Danube Discovery trips start on the same day. I don't quite understand how it all works but think that Tour Companys share the same boats.

We are really excited about this trip, we have done many large ship cruises but this is our first river boat cruise so it will be an adventure.

What tour company did you go through?

We are leaving the states a day early for Budapest so will have a bit more time to sightsee.

J

[Jswen]

Lives to Travel,

Thanks for the heads up on the travel insurance issue.

I will check with my travel agent to see how we are covered.

j

[Livestotravel]

Sounds like we will be on the same tour, different boats. We booked through AAA, but the agent found the tour in a Brendan brochure. Our paperwork so far has Avalon Waterways and Globus on it - Globus is the parent company.

 

I wish we were going over a day earlier also, it wasn't until after our plane reservations were done that I realized we have only an afternoon, one full day, Saturday, and half day Sunday since we transfer to the boat around noon. We are at the Sofitel Atrium near the Chain Bridge - are you? And in Prague, the Hilton - a not so good location. Do you know if you stop in Bratislava? That was on the original itinerary I saw, but I checked with Avalon, and they don't stop there anymore, so the first day will be all cruising.

 

This is my first river cruise also, I know it will be a whole different experience from mega-cruise ships, but I'm looking forward to the differences. I don't know if my friend has cruised, we are "travel buddies" who get together every few years for a great trip.

[Jswen]

Hi LTT,

I looked at our itinary and the one that I printed off the internet site includes Bratislave and Slovakia but in the 2006 Brendan book it says only cruise AC will be stopping in Bratislava for a tour. The Symphony and the Amadagio are (AC). The Artistry and Poetry are (WG). I would have never figured this out unless you had ask. I have no idea what AC or WG means.

We are at the Hilton in Budapest, I have read that it is in a good location. Haven't heard what the Hotel is in Prague.

I have just about worn out the Brendan booklet. Have started read Rick Steve's book on Eastern Europe 2006 its full on good information. He also has a good wed site.

J

[Livestotravel]

I see that we are WGB so the WG seems to refer to itinerary, or ship, and I know the B is the deck we upgraded to. Also, I figured out it wasn't Brendan tours, but Brennan tours that the AAA agent booked us through, and they are affiliated with Globus, Cosmos, and Avalon. Haven't we learned a lot of useless information today!

 

I asked for the Rick Steves book for Christmas, so have been getting info from it, and currently sit here with Fodor's Budapest and Prague from the library. A birthday gift certificate to Amazon netted me the Budapest and Prague Eyewitness Travel Guides - small enough to bring, although I might just tear out the pages I need. www.inyourpocket.com has miniguides you can print - they are really small print though.

 

I've been concentrating on Budapest and Prague because of the amount of free time, but I did just email Avalon to see if they could let me know what optional tours are available on the river cruise. I know about Salzburg and I'm sure we'll do that, and I believe there is a concert in Vienna that is optional.

 

Two months to go!!

[duroce]

Hello to Don, LTT and JS:

 

I have enjoyed this thread and wanted to let JS know we will be on the same cruise. We are also ocean cruisers and this will be our first river cruise. We are a family of 10 so you won't miss us! We have made our own arrangements for Budapest and Prague and I am now working on booking restaurants in both cities. Any ideas?

[Livestotravel]

Hello to Don, LTT and JS:

 

I have enjoyed this thread and wanted to let JS know we will be on the same cruise. We are also ocean cruisers and this will be our first river cruise. We are a family of 10 so you won't miss us! We have made our own arrangements for Budapest and Prague and I am now working on booking restaurants in both cities. Any ideas?

 

Friends who lived in Budapest for 6 years or so, told me that Gundel is the best restaurant - near the zoo. You'll hear criticism on these boards that it's overrated, but I'm just passing that on. A "sister" restaurant called Bagylovar (Owl's Castle) is around the corner from Gundel and supposed to have great service, reasonable prices. Another recommendation on these boards was for Belcanto next to the Opera, good food, hungarian music. So we'll go for one or two of these. I'd be interested in what others recommend, especially for Prague.

[Jswen]

Hi Duroce, LTT,

How exciting to hear from a fellow travler ( Amadagio) also good information for resturants in Budapest, thanks.

LTT, is it necessary to make resturant reservations for these places, we will be in Budapest mid week and being from casual, last minute California I was just wondering, educate me please.

Duroce, hope we get some ship reviews on the Amadagio it would be interesting. We are really looking forward to this trip. We will be traveling with two other fun couples. Do we dare talk about what we are taking to wear this early? So far looking to take pretty basic clothing.

JT

[Livestotravel]

Hi Duroce, LTT,

How exciting to hear from a fellow travler ( Amadagio) also good information for resturants in Budapest, thanks.

LTT, is it necessary to make resturant reservations for these places, we will be in Budapest mid week and being from casual, last minute California I was just wondering, educate me please.

Duroce, hope we get some ship reviews on the Amadagio it would be interesting. We are really looking forward to this trip. We will be traveling with two other fun couples. Do we dare talk about what we are taking to wear this early? So far looking to take pretty basic clothing.

JT

 

We plan to make a reservation at Gundel ahead of time from here. Since it is so frequently written up I think that may be necessary. http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/mag4/art20051201/htm/voyage-budapest-gastronomie.htm

Our other night I think we want to be more spontaneous and eat where ever we find ourselves at mealtime. We'll be in Budapest on the weekend, so it will probably be harder to just walk in to a popular restaurant.

 

Clothes: One dressy outfit for Captain's Dinner, smart casual for the other dinners (no shorts), layers for the walking tours and good walking shoes for the cobblestone streets. That's the main advice I've gotten off these boards. Casual dress appears to be acceptable even at concerts, although I'd probably wear one of my dinner outfits if we go to one. I think it was the Brendan Tours website on river cruises that gave good suggestions as to what to bring.

[duroce]

Thanks for the restaurant comments, LTT! We are booked at Gundel and Vadrozsa (any thoughts on Vadrozsa?) and we are considering Baraka and Belcanto. In Prague we are going to David's but need more ideas for other nights. JT-I am promising to take very little but that remains to be seen. At least we do not need all the dressy clothes. Are there laundry facilities on the Amadagio?

[Jswen]

Hi D,

Doesn't look like there is a laundry aboard the Amadagio. Somewhere I read that laundry service was available which I think means they will do it for you for a fee. Hope someone will give us a review soon.

JT

[Livestotravel]

I've compiled these suggestions from other threads - the Kampa group gets a lot of recommendations. Somewhere on these boards it was mentioned that getting a pair of slacks washed and ironed cost around $6.

 

From various posters:

 

Dining in Prague is surprisingly inexpensive. I liked Kolkovna

 

We went to a good beer hall on Kampa Island (off Charles Bridge) with brick vaulted ceilings and cheap filling food - U Karlova Mostu. U Karlova Mostu, I found it is also a hotel and has been recently renovated - it looks rather nice. The beer hall we went in is next to the garden.

 

U Fleku is an an brewery restaurant est. 1499. Great beer and czch food.

 

The restaurant under the Charles Bridge (part of the La Kampa group)~ as you cross from the old town it is on the opposite bank on the right hand side ~ is highly recommended. Good food in a lovely setting.

 

The cafes and restaurants are dearer on the main squares, so check the menu before sitting down. There's a good restaurant just on the other side of the Charles Bridge on the right hand side - you can see the white 'sail' canopies by the river. Book in advance to get a terrace seat. It's a Kampa group restaurant.

If you can afford it, try Kampa Park or Bellevue, on opposite sides of the river. Have another dinner in a more casual pub setting to try simpler Czech cuisine

 

Prague has great food, but we found 2 restaurants in the main area of Old Town that were coincidentally owned by Kampa Group Restaurants.Kampa Park is on the river with a fabulous view of the Charles Bridge and Kampa Square is between old town and the Castle. Not cheap, but then again not overly pricey and the food is fantastic

 

The best restaurant in Praha is DAVID in Mala Strana, close to the U.S. Embassy.

 

Salvia Kavarna. Wonderful place where many locals go. Across the street from the National Theatre and it overlooks the river.

[Jswen]

Thanks for the good information. I added it to my file of to read and reread stuff.

Has anyone read a review on the Amadagio yet?

JS

[unberwoob]

Another great pub in Prage is U Medvidku at na Perstyne 7. Good food and Budvar beer.

If you are staying at the Marriot or Rennassainse, I can recommend a couple great restaurants.

[richardgail]

Another great pub in Prage is U Medvidku at na Perstyne 7. Good food and Budvar beer.

If you are staying at the Marriot or Rennassainse, I can recommend a couple great restaurants.

 

We are staying at the Renaissance in Prague. Please give your recommendations for restaurants in the area. Also, what you can remember about what type of food they serve. We leave 4/26. Thanks!

[Sandie]

Hi Jswen,

 

A few day's ago I received an email from a friend of ours who we met 5 years ago on a Celebrity ship, Infinity. William Collins was our waiter on that cruise. Two years later we met up with him again on Celebrity's Summit. We have emailed with him over the years. William is now the Maitre' D on the Amagadio. William is from England and is a charming gentleman. When you meet him, tell him that you have a "Hello for the Prince of Pepper" and see if he knows that the greeting is from Sandie. It should be great fun to see the look on his face!

 

He was very upbeat and positive about the boat, the staff, and the stops along the way. It sounds like you are in for a wonderful trip.

 

We took our first river cruise last July in Russia. It was truly the trip of a lifetime! What a great way to travel and really see a region.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sandie

[Jswen]

Hi Sandi,

How nice of you to share that fun experience.

 

I will be sure to look up "The Prince of Pepper" and greet him for you.

It was good to read of his enthusasim for the Amadagio.

 

We are so excited about this trip, somthing we have wanted to do it for years.

 

Russia is hopefuly one of our future riverboat trips. We were on a Baltic Princess cruise a few years ago and enjoyed St. Petersburg so much we have often thought a riverboat would be much better as far as "really" seeing Russia.

I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

Judy

[unberwoob]

richardgail

Just around the corner (turn left as you exit the hotel, then turn left ) and a block away to na Porici, on the corner is the restaurant Na Porici. It was recommended by a guide and was very good. Half the boat ended up there and we went back a second night. Very good Czech dishes and cost is reasonable.

Also, just down the street to the right of the hotel is Celnice. We had a very nice lunch there on their patio.

Enjoy.

[richardgail]

richardgail

Just around the corner (turn left as you exit the hotel, then turn left ) and a block away to na Porici, on the corner is the restaurant Na Porici. It was recommended by a guide and was very good. Half the boat ended up there and we went back a second night. Very good Czech dishes and cost is reasonable.

Also, just down the street to the right of the hotel is Celnice. We had a very nice lunch there on their patio.

Enjoy.

 

Thanks! My husband has found Na Porici on the map, so we will definitely eat there. One travel site said that it is very hard to find many veggies in Prague. Did you find this to be true? While I am not a true vegetarian, the majority of my food intake is fruits & vegetables with a small amount of meat. Will I have a hard time finding many vegetables? What about salads?

 

Thanks for you help.

[unberwoob]

Sorry, I'm a meat and potatoes person