Going Live on Scenic "Chef's Culinary Adventure of Belgium and the Netherlands with Lynn Crawford and Lora Kirk"

[pontac]

1 hour ago, 1of4 said:

 

We received two very nice water bottles in our cabin which I believe everyone received. 

 

They were in our cabin in 2022, and were left there when. we departed, same as we left the Nordic Walking Poles and everything else.

[1of4]

42 minutes ago, pontac said:

 

They were in our cabin in 2022, and were left there when. we departed, same as we left the Nordic Walking Poles and everything else.

The bottles are yours to keep. Not the same for the walking poles, robes and umbrella. 

[pontac]

2 hours ago, 1of4 said:

This time we received nothing ahead of time

 

How does one know what is to take and what is to leave?

[Canal archive]

I must admit that is exactly what our butler told us, brollies and walking poles can be scrubbed and cleaned but I’m pretty sure no one would want to use a pre-used water bottle as it is mine sits quiet nicely in my Mini. Any more I might collect will be surgically cleaned and donated as have my collected back packs which have proved very useful for kids doing their D of E.o

[Mrs Miggins]

Thanks for everyone's input.  We did get the water bottles on our last Scenic Rhone river cruise in 2022 and we also got the travel bags.  Our July cruise will be our 4th one, but our friends have done 6 and they have the chauffeur service.  We live close by and Scenic agreed that we could share their taxi.  Also I have noticed they have been advertising this lovely benefit as included lately.  They never advertised the back pack etc in the past, it just came as a great extra.

[1of4]

5 hours ago, pontac said:

 

How does one know what is to take and what is to leave?

The cruise director told us the first night that the water bottles were ours to take home. 

[1of4]

We just finished a most delicious 6-7 course dinner put on by chefs Lynn and Laura and the whole culinary team. Every morsel of every selection was melt in your mouth delicious. 
 

they surprised us by telling us every passenger will get a copy of their cookbook and we are to fill out this paper to have each one dedicated and personalized 

[1of4]

Leaving Antwerp today on our way to Nijmegen (in place or Arnhem). 

[Host Jazzbeau]

On our first Scenic cruise we got the backpacks – they were so heavy that we couldn't even give them away.  On our second cruise they substituted the 50 Euros for the luggage amenity, which we thought was a very good trade!  Recently I read that this was a short-term solution for those who had booked expecting a luggage item [and a very nice gesture, since many cruise lines just cut things without substitution or explanation]; now enough time has gone by that a 'make-good' is no longer necessary.  But of course by now people think the 50 Euros was a permanent feature – you can't win! 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, 1of4 said:

We just finished a most delicious 6-7 course dinner put on by chefs Lynn and Laura and the whole culinary team. Every morsel of every selection was melt in your mouth delicious. 
 

they surprised us by telling us every passenger will get a copy of their cookbook and we are to fill out this paper to have each one dedicated and personalized 

That's a really nice gesture. I am sure everyone appreciated it.

[Host Jazzbeau]

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

That's a really nice gesture. I am sure everyone appreciated it.

Except those whose luggage was already at the airline limit!!!  [Been there, done that – left the book behind...]

[ontheweb]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Except those whose luggage was already at the airline limit!!!  [Been there, done that – left the book behind...]

You couldn't get the book to fit in your carryon?

[Host Jazzbeau]

14 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

You couldn't get the book to fit in your carryon?

Not with my back!!!

[1of4]

Yesterday DH took the tour to Ghent. It was a 2.5 hour walking tour and people complained it was too long and/or tough with the cobblestones. Some wanted more time for shopping while others wanted none. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just proves that you just can’t please everyone. 
 

He was able to do both the walking tour around town and tour St. Basil’s cathedral. 

[Canal archive]

Ohh Ghent is one of the must see cities in Europe. Jazz tucked under your arm maybe never turn a book down but then I’ve just had to thin down my recipe book collection. The U.K. small backpacks were definitely not heavy, not large enough for overnight but good enough for a long day. I actually phoned Scenic U.K. about the OBC and had an interesting conversation, it was, here in any case a bit of a test, not as successful as they would have hoped because the wonderful people who devised it didn’t realise that they hadn’t covered all questions it raised ie it wasn’t explained very well to both recipients and their own employees. On board I used mine in the wellness centre I tried to pinch my DH’s for the shop and failed abysmally, ie I will buy it for you but your not using that - dahhhhh. I did get the distinct impression that it may a big may be used in the future, similar to the personal car is now again as a perk. All these things come and go look out for an extra offered by a cruise company and soon it will pop up elsewhere somewhat changed but essentially the same.

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Except those whose luggage was already at the airline limit!!!  [Been there, done that – left the book behind...]

OK, but it is still a nice gesture.😉

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Ohh Ghent is one of the must see cities in Europe. Jazz tucked under your arm maybe never turn a book down but then I’ve just had to thin down my recipe book collection. The U.K. small backpacks were definitely not heavy, not large enough for overnight but good enough for a long day. I actually phoned Scenic U.K. about the OBC and had an interesting conversation, it was, here in any case a bit of a test, not as successful as they would have hoped because the wonderful people who devised it didn’t realise that they hadn’t covered all questions it raised ie it wasn’t explained very well to both recipients and their own employees. On board I used mine in the wellness centre I tried to pinch my DH’s for the shop and failed abysmally, ie I will buy it for you but your not using that - dahhhhh. I did get the distinct impression that it may a big may be used in the future, similar to the personal car is now again as a perk. All these things come and go look out for an extra offered by a cruise company and soon it will pop up elsewhere somewhat changed but essentially the same.

We docked in Ghent, but missed seeing it as we took an optional tour to Brugge. If we had not missed Brugge on our ocean cruise London (Southampton) to Reykjavik this past August, we would have seen Ghent. My impression was about half our passengers took the optional Brugge tour and half the included Ghent excursion.

 

We also would have seen I am sure at least one of these ports previously if we had not had a river cruise chartered out from under us after final payment on the Christmas/New Year's break back in 2003/2004. The one we went on from late March until early April this year ended up as our first river cruise, a long time coming.

[notamermaid]

I just have to go to Ghent after seeing these photos! That castle is even better than I remember from other photos. Looks similar to the model one I used to play with (together with my male cousin). I very much enjoyed Bruges so it would be nice to compare the two.

 

notamermaid

 

[BlairsvilleCruiseGirl]

9 hours ago, 1of4 said:

Yesterday DH took the tour to Ghent. It was a 2.5 hour walking tour and people complained it was too long and/or tough with the cobblestones. Some wanted more time for shopping while others wanted none. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just proves that you just can’t please everyone. 
 

He was able to do both the walking tour around town and tour St. Basil’s cathedral. 

 

Ah, where's the pictures of your DH's Chocolate Haul? Please don't tell us he didn't fulfill his mission?!?

[ontheweb]

My wife had her birthday on our river cruise, actually the day we went to Brugge. Every time we bought a souvenir, I said that could be your birthday present. But she usually replied that we would have bought it even if it was not her birthday. So today when grocery shopping, I bought tulips for her and told her they were an additional birthday present. Not very expensive, but I think it was a thoughtful gesture. She has put up with me for 46+ years (had our last anniversary on a sea day between Norway and Iceland), so I have to try to be sweet and considerate sometimes. 😊

[notamermaid]

On 4/13/2024 at 1:20 PM, pontac said:

 

Maybe because they're not rivers? They're holding ponds, the windmills pump water up to one, then pump up to a higher one before pumping up again, out of the polder and into the river.

You mean Kinderdijk is not on a river but at a canal or rather low lying ground that fills with ground water if the windmills did not do the pumping? Thanks, had not checked actually. It is quite fascinating how much land the Dutch have taken from the ocean/floodplains and cultivated it. With a bit of help from German forests and mountains I may add. The Netherlands still import much stone from Germany today.

 

notamermaid

 

[Roz]

Seeing the Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) was one of the highlights of my holiday cruises through the Netherlands and Belgium.  I'm an art history nut. 

[Canal archive]

Now that would have been a difficult choice Ghent or Brugge. My first European school trip was to Brugge to see the Pagent Of The Holy Blood if you ever get the chance go it is amazing and again an amazing city. It was going there that started me learning to make lace, Bruges lace is exquisite.

[1of4]

12 hours ago, BlairsvilleCruiseGirl said:

 

Ah, where's the pictures of your DH's Chocolate Haul? Please don't tell us he didn't fulfill his mission?!?

Oh he did good…maybe too good 😂 Nah it’s chocolate so there’s never enough!  I have a 3 week limit to eat it for optimal taste so I have friends at home willing to help!

[1of4]

So yesterday was a very important day for DH and I. I had 3 uncles in WWII and they were all in this area. One was hurt just outside of Arnhem, just before reaching “The Bridge Too Far”. DH went to the Airborne Museum, the bridge and the commonwealth cemetery. We actually docked in Nijmegen which is between the airborne museum and Arnhem . Here’s what he said about each:

 

Today we visited the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek located within the former Hotel Hartenstein which was the British headquarters for Operation Market Garden, the unsuccessful attempt to take the bridges around Arnhem in hopes of establishing a quicker route to Berlin.
 

We then visited the Commonwealth cemetery in Osterbeeken.So sombre, peaceful. Blessed are they for their sacrifice. May they rest in peace.
 

This is the Bridge in Arnhem that was one of the primary objectives in Operation Market Garden.