MS Bolero/Gate 1 Information for Future Cruisers

[nomo825]

We just returned from a Gate 1 Danube river cruise on the MS Bolero and thought this information would be useful for anyone going on this ship. Our trip was Budapest to Prague.

 

Our travel documents arrived via e-mail. Ours were 21 pages. Depending upon what you have booked through Gate 1 will determine the number of pages in your travel docs. Our docs contained general information regarding Gate 1 river cruising and land portions as well as our e-ticket numbers, flights and vouchers for prepaid transfers, hotels, ship cabin, optional excursions, etc. I suggest you make a 2nd copy the e-tickets and vouchers. Cut the vouchers where indicated so you will have them ready to turn in when requested.

 

The pre and post cruise hotels were exceptional. Both were luxury hotels. There was a Gate 1 representative at the hotel upon our arrival who conducted a brief orientation for everyone so that they would know where the Budapest subway was and how to use it. Shortly after that there was a reception for all the Gate 1 people with champagne. After that we were on our own for dinner. The following day we were given the option of going on a bus tour, free of charge. A jewelry company apparently paid for the bus and all we had to do was sit through a short but interesting presentation and look at their showroom. After that the bus took us to a lovely village outside of Budapest which was thoroughly charming and worth the trip. The next day we chose to sightsee on our own and that afternoon we were driven to the ship.

 

The cabins on the MS Bolero are very nice. They are 170 square feet with plenty of storage space – better than we’ve had on ocean liners. The bathrooms are a decent size but a very heavy person might have some difficulty in the shower stall – but it’s still doable.

 

Pack casual clothing – jeans are perfectly fine. We only needed dress slacks for the Captain’s Farewell Dinner – and even for that many people were dressed in jeans. Bring warm clothing including a heavy jackets, gloves and a scarf. It can get cold on those walking tours – we learned the hard way.

 

There was a list in the cabin giving you an introduction to life on the MS Bolero. In the lounge, we had to ask for snacks (usually pretzels and/or peanuts). Most glasses have a measuring line on them so the bartenders don’t over pour. The prices are in Euros and were not too bad.

 

The cruise directors were fabulous. It may appear that they are fooling around on their computers or having fun chatting with one another much of the time BUT if things are going smoothly, rest assured that they are doing their jobs. The cruise directors are not always the same. We had four: Rolf, Roland, Andrea and Inge. They were all great. You will be assigned to one of the directors for bus tours, etc. That will be the one you tip at the end of the cruise. Our cruise director accompanied us to Prague and stayed with us until he flew home for a long weekend. Your cruise directors do not work for the ship. They are Gate 1 employees.

 

The dining room tables are set for 6 people each. There are rectangular and circular tables on each side by the windows. In the middle each row has two 6 tops. If your group is larger than 6, take two of those middle tables so your group can dine together. Pay attention to the service of the various wait staff. You will quickly come to know who you want to be your waiter/waitress. Both lunch and dinner are sit down table service. If you prefer a specific waiter or a specific table, you’ll want to be one of the first persons to enter the dining room so you can choose your table. If you have special dietary requests, let the waiter know at the beginning of the meal.

 

The food was much better than we had expected. Menu choices are few – usually there was a meat dish, a fish plate and a vegetarian meal to choose from. For lunch the alternative choice was a hamburger. The dinner alternative was chicken breast. (We heard the burgers were not good.) The french fries had a strange aftertaste due to the type of oil they were fried in. If you select a meat dish and like your meat rare, be sure to specify that to the waiter. They were able to accommodate our requests. Also, if the meal has a sauce you do not want, tell the waiter when you order that you do not want the sauce, etc. Someone usually comes around with seconds later in the meal. If you want seconds don’t let the waiter remove your plate. Wine flows freely at dinner and the wine is fairly good. Someone from the lounge will come to your table during the meal to offer you the liquor or liqueur of the day. If you choose to try it, you will be billed.

 

Electricity is220v. If you are a US resident you will need a converter. The reception desk has a few they will lend to you for a deposit of 50 Euros. There is a 120v outlet in the bathroom but it is only for electric shavers. Nothing stronger will run at this outlet. MS Bolero provides a decent hairdryer but you have to use it by the desk in the room.

 

If you need something laundered, the MS Bolero does offer that service – again for a price.

 

Travelers Cheques in US dollars are worthless on the ship. They accept US Dollars too but would not give you back anything in USD currency. You can convert USD to other currency onboard. Most places accept USD and all willingly accept Euros. It’s important to have some coins from whatever country you are visiting incase you need to make a restroom stop. Some charge half a Euro.

 

 

The MS Bolero only provides one type of soap and you have to use it to shower, shampoo and wash hands, face. It is fairly harsh so I suggest you bring some shampoo and conditioner from home. Bring some hand lotion or extra moisturizer for dry skin too. You will need this to soothe rough, dry skin after a few showers.

 

There was one bartender who waited on us the first day we boarded. Her name is Susanna. She is perky and sweet and friendly – always a cheerful smile. The others at the bar seemed rigid.

 

There is a safe in the cabin.

 

The recommended tipping for the crew is $8 - $10 dollars per person per day – that’s US Dollars. So a 7 day cruise for two people would mean a tip between $112 and $140. There will be a container at the reception desk for this tip. The chambermaid will leave an envelope in your room towards the end of your cruise for this purpose. Tips are shared equally amongst the entire crew. You can tip your favorite crew members additionally as well.

 

The recommended tip for your cruise director is the same as what Gate 1 shows in the travel docs. It is $6 to $7 per person/per day.

 

At night, there is entertainment followed by music by Vesko, a very talented musician. Although the dance floor was fairly small, it was well used.

 

If you go to Vienna, do not miss the concert at night. It was fabulous.

 

I hope this information if helpful.

[H2Otstr]

NOMO, thanks for the review. We will be on the Bolero in 3.5 weeks.

[thefish]

Thanks for the excellent review. We will be on the Bolero in a few weeks for a Thanksgiving cruise from Vienna to Regensberg with a stay over in Budapest.

 

You stated that Travelers Cheques in US dollars are worthless on the ship. Do you mean that they will not accept them at all or do you mean, like US currency, will only give change in Euro's?

 

Thanks

Duane

[nomo825]

They did not accept USD Travelers Cheques as payment. Your onboard account had to be paid either in Euros or Credit Card. They will exchange USD for Euros or whatever the currency is of the country visited. They will not give you USD or make change in USD. Regarding travelers cheques, they told us to find a bank. (Only possible exception to this: If you go on the optional All Day Excursion to Salzburg, you can pay the cruise directors directly or charge it to your shipboard account. The cruise directors might accept travelers checks.)

 

In Regensburg, we ate at a great local restaurant called Alte Munz. The grilled sausage and saurkraut platter was fabulous. We were the only tourists in the restaurant but they can speak English. There is a sausage kitchen not far from where the boat docks which is translates to something like Sausage Kitchen. You have to eat outside and given it was rainy and very cold, we chose not to do that. We then tried a restaurant to the right of the Sausage Kitchen but they told us we needed a reservation. That is when we started to walk up along the river bank and came across Alte Munz.

 

In Budapest, there are a lot of nice restaurants on both sides of Franz Liszt Square. We ate at Menza and recommend it. We were disappointed in the meal we had at Boroko. If you take a side trip to Tzentendren (St. Andrew), I heartily recommend you have lunch at Golden Dragon. It is not a Chinese restaurant, despite its name. It is authentic Hungarian and the meals were all excelllent. It's also a great place to buy the different types of paprika. We found that the first stores were actually a bit better priced than some of those further up the street. I suggest that if you do this side trip, check the prices on the way up the main street and then you'll know where to buy as you walk back down to the bus.

[yellowrosetx]

We just returned from a Gate 1 Danube river cruise on the MS Bolero and thought this information would be useful for anyone going on this ship. Our trip was Budapest to Prague.

 

Thank you so much for the review of your MS Bolero River Cruise! We ( 6 in our group ) are going on the exact trip departing December 12th. I have a few questions if you don't mind answering...

 

 

Regarding electric outlets in the ship cabin, was there one near the bed? My DH uses a CPAP machine. I plan on getting a converter.

 

 

Did you do the side trip to Salzburg? We have prepaid for it. Were you able to choose which tour director you had? I read in a previous post last summer one of those you mentioned was really good, will have to go back and read.

 

Shopping - how were the Christmas markets? Budapest? Prague? I am looking forward to this vacation and appreciate the input you had on the restaurants as well.

 

 

Glad you had a wonderful trip and thanks again for the great details! :)

[thefish]

Thank you Nomo for the response. We will certainly try to make it to one of your suggested restaurants. Do they accept Euros readily in Hungary or do I need to use their local currency? It would be a lot easier just to carry Euros for dining and shopping in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.

 

Duane

[nomo825]

Regarding the electric outlets, there is an outlet by the desk that you can use. I don’t recall there being an outlet by the bed. The desk and the bed are close to each other.

 

We did do the trip to Salzburg. If you love dark chocolate, ask your tour guide to point out where Café Kondetorei Furst is. The shop should have an oval sign out front that says “Furst. It may also be known as Café Furst for short. They make the original Mozart Balls & have done so for hundred of years. They are wrapped in silver and blue foil and cost almost 1 Euro each. They are absolutely wonderful!!!. There are many other shops that sell Mozart Balls but the ones made at Cafe Furst are the best. The other stores are gold foil wrapped and are about half a Euro each. While they are good, the extra you pay for the originals is well worth the price. I suggest that you buy one and try it immediately. If you have the same reaction that my friend and I did, buy more. After I got back home I checked online to see if we could order some but they don’t ship outside of Europe.

 

As far as choosing your tour director is concerned, I think you mean the Cruise Director. The Cruise Director will accompany you on the bus and even point out sights along the way to your destination. Once you arrive, your he/she will introduce you to your tour guide. They will show you where to meet and at what time. After your guided tour is over there is often free time to explore and shop on your own. Your Cruise Director will be at the meeting point as it gets close to the meeting time. Punctuality is important so be there at least a few minutes early because they don’t wait for stragglers. If you miss the bus back, you’ll have to find your way back to the ship and if you miss the ship, your passport is on the ship, not with you (except in Bratislava).

 

 

Our cruise had four Cruise Directors: Rolf, Roland, Inge & Andrea. We had read on Cruise Critic a recommendation to request Rolf or Roland. We therefore put in that request with Gate 1. To be honest, all 4 were fabulous and even if you weren’t in their group, they were still as your beck and call. You only tip your Cruise Director but they work together in perfect harmony. As far as how they select who goes where may have to do with your pre-cruise or post-cruise package. Those who were going to Prague after the cruise were assigned to Rolf’s or Inge’s group. Those who went on the pre-cruise package to Poland were in Roland’s group. Each Cruise Director’s group is given a color. I was in Roland’s group, and our color was green. There was also a Blue group, Red group and Yellow group. The colors make boarding buses for excursions easy. Green has their own bus; Blue has their own bus, etc. Sometimes if the buses were larger or if the excursion was an optional one and not everyone on board was going they would have the 4th group divided amongst the other three groups.

 

After our cruise and post-cruise package, Rolf and Inge were going home for a few days and Roland flew to meet the next group of the pre-cruise package to Poland. Andrea stayed on board the ship and was going to be joined by 3 other Cruise Directors.

 

Bottom line regarding recommendation for Cruise Director: You’ll be lucky with any of the four we had on our cruise: Andrea, Inge, Roland and Rolf. Incidentally, Roland has his own website which might give you an idea if he will be on your cruise or not. It’s www.rolandnoordermeer.com.

 

As far as markets, we did not visit any so hopefully someone else seeing you post can be of assistance.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Thank you so much for the review of your MS Bolero River Cruise! We ( 6 in our group ) are going on the exact trip departing December 12th. I have a few questions if you don't mind answering...

 

 

Regarding electric outlets in the ship cabin, was there one near the bed? My DH uses a CPAP machine. I plan on getting a converter.

 

 

Did you do the side trip to Salzburg? We have prepaid for it. Were you able to choose which tour director you had? I read in a previous post last summer one of those you mentioned was really good, will have to go back and read.

 

Shopping - how were the Christmas markets? Budapest? Prague? I am looking forward to this vacation and appreciate the input you had on the restaurants as well.

 

 

Glad you had a wonderful trip and thanks again for the great details! :)

[nomo825]

Duane -

In Hungary, most places did readily accept Euros but we got $100 worth of forints before we left the US. We ended up converting more USD to forints at the many exchange stores. The reason we were told to use forints is that otherwise you don't know what exchange rate they are giving you. In places that accept all forms of currency, they usually add a conversion fee anyway. It's a good idea to have some forints, even if it is just change to go to the rest room (not all free) or get on the subway or trolley. Whenever possible, we were told to pay by credit card.

 

Another piece of advice I was given for exchanging money at the ATM is to only use your ATM card and withdraw whatever you think you will need for the rest of the time you will be using that currency. That way you avoid multiple ATM use charges. Also, if you use a credit card instead of a debit card at the ATM the credit card company considers that a cash loan and in addition to the conversion fee and the ATM fees, you are also paying interest on that money from the day you "borrow" it.

 

Another thing I'd suggest is that you call your bank and credit card companies to let them know you will be out of town as well as where you are traveling. That way you won't be embarrassed by having your credit card purchase declined. If you normally charge things locally and suddenly the MasterCard, Visa or AmEx or Discover, etc. sees a charge from oversees, that will be a red flag alert to them unless you inform them of your travel plans. I did verify this with my bank and credit card companies.

 

Slovakia is not on the Euro but the little stand we shopped at took all forms of currency -- just no credit cards. I think the cafes, etc. will take all forms and cards. Czech Republic places seemed to accept Euros as well as the Czech Crown and credit cards. When not paying by credit card, we found it easier to deal in the currency of that country.

 

Given the value of the dollar against the Euro, I wish we had purchased more than we did. I'm holding on to the few Euros we have left for the next time we travel to Europe.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions arise. After you get back, do post letting us know how you enjoyed it.

 

Take care.

 

Thank you Nomo for the response. We will certainly try to make it to one of your suggested restaurants. Do they accept Euros readily in Hungary or do I need to use their local currency? It would be a lot easier just to carry Euros for dining and shopping in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany.

 

Duane

[yellowrosetx]

Regarding the electric outlets, there is an outlet by the desk that you can use.

 

Thank you for the great info! I am counting down the days!

[kathy5150]

We leave on the MsBolero on Nov 26 for the Christmas markets/Danube river. Your information was fantastic! You answered every question I had left!

[gillianrose]

In the lounge, we had to ask for snacks (usually pretzels and/or peanuts). "Most glasses have a measuring line on them so the bartenders don’t over pour."

 

Actually, it's so that they don't UNDERPOUR. Germanic folks like to ensure they get what they pay for. ;)

[steamboats]

gillianrose,

 

Those measuring lines are required by (German) law and therefore they have to fill up at least to this line. If not you can ask for a correct fill.

 

It´s a bit too complicated to explain the reason for this. Most revenue in Germany restaurants is made by drinks. The breweries have contracts with the restaurants (and in many case even sell the furniture) which doesn´t allow them to sell anything from other companies. Therefore there are no free refills in Germany (except for some KFCs and McDonalds).

 

There´s even an organization for correct fillings on the Oktoberfest here in Munich :D!

 

steamboats

[gillianrose]

gillianrose,

 

Those measuring lines are required by (German) law and therefore they have to fill up at least to this line.

 

Hi Steamboats. Isn't that what I said when I corrected someone who thought it was so that they don't OVERpour?

 

It's so that they don't UNDERpour!