PTR-Celebrating Retirement with a European River Cruise - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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PTR-Celebrating Retirement with a European River Cruise
For years DH and I have talked about wanting to visit Europe, but it has never happened for many reasons, mostly just life in general. DH never does any of our trip planning. It’s all up to me. I’m quite comfortable planning what I know, such as Disney, but don’t do well with the unknown. Several years ago, I stepped out and took my first cruise with DD to celebrate her college graduation and her new journey to culinary school. Of course, I chose a Disney cruise. Since then, cruising has become my favorite non-WDW trip. DH did a couple of Disney cruises with me, but expressed a need for more cost effective and less Disney. So we started cruising with Royal Caribbean. Cruises are easy to plan, since there really isn’t a whole lot of planning.
I looked at several Mediterranean cruises, but then I got a brochure for European river cruises and started looking at them. Fast forward to last March. I was dreaming of my retirement at the end of this school year (just 6 more weeks now!!), and thought, “what better way to celebrate?” I talked to DH, and he said check it out. Next thing you know, we were booked on the Grand European Tour with Viking River Cruises. I had checked out several of the river cruise lines, and we ultimately decided on this one. We will be on a 15-night tour from Amsterdam to Budapest on the Viking Magni, one of the newer long boats. We decided to book the air flights through them as well, since they guaranteed 2013 rates. I figured they wouldn’t get lower, and they haven’t.
So here are the pertinent details:
Travelers: DH, Wade - 62 a lazy traveler who goes along to keep me happy, but is looking forward to Europe and Me, Pris – 66 a traveler who loves to go and see new things
When: We fly out on May 29, just 2 days after my last day at work and return home on June 15
I've seen that itinerary and it looks amazing. I've looked at doing a river cruise with Viking, as we can use our Tesco (grocery store) vouchers with them, so I'll be really interested to read about your experiences with them.
I just know this will be wonderful! As you know, I've looked into these cruises myself and would have chosen just the same itinerary. Agree with you also that the airfare deals offered by Viking are usually very good. I really think these cruises offer some of the best value around. Will be looking forward to hearing how it goes!
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I've seen that itinerary and it looks amazing. I've looked at doing a river cruise with Viking, as we can use our Tesco (grocery store) vouchers with them, so I'll be really interested to read about your experiences with them.
I hope I can give you a good idea of what to expect if you and Mark should choose to do one some day. I love all the good deals you get with your Tesco vouchers. Wish I had something like that to use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
I just know this will be wonderful! As you know, I've looked into these cruises myself and would have chosen just the same itinerary. Agree with you also that the airfare deals offered by Viking are usually very good. I really think these cruises offer some of the best value around. Will be looking forward to hearing how it goes!
I know we talked about this last year. Hopefully I can give you a good idea of what they are like. I saw a thread on Cruise Critic yesterday about singles cruising on the river cruises and thought of you. I'll try to keep a thought to how things would work out with your scooter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I had seen a commercial for the Viking river cruises and told Luke I'd love to do this some day. Can't wait to hear all the details!
We retired people have got to see the world you know. I'm really looking forward to this trip.
I had no idea what to expect in the way of accommodations on a river cruise ship, but they seem to be fully as good as that on ocean going vessels. The ships themselves have a certain degree of elegance as well. Our ship, the Magni, has 93 staterooms, including 7 suites. There are 3 decks of enclosed area holding the staterooms, restaurant, lounge and such. I decided to go with a Verandah B (cabin 225) category, which is on the middle deck. The lower deck has small windows, while the upper deck has the suites and otherwise the same configuration as our deck just higher. One side of the ship has rooms with balconies and the other has French balconies only. The upper most, outdoor deck has a walking track and area for sitting open air and watching the world go by. That deck is sometimes closed if water levels are high because of passing under the many bridges on the rivers. Last year’s record floods wreaked havoc with the river cruises. Here’s hoping for good weather for this year.
In order to get the good rate for this year’s cruise, we had to pay in full by the end of last May. Viking is noted for its constant “sales.” It would seem that no one actually pays the stated fare, but as long as you know that from the beginning all is good. The only thing I hated was that they offered about a 5% discount for paying in cash through a bank debit. That meant no Disney reward points for putting it on the card and then paying it off. Oh, well, 5% savings is better than the Disney 1% any day. Of course, you could still cancel with a full refund within a certain time frame. I booked and paid for our air at the same time, but it too was refundable as long as the air reservations had not actually been made. That is done about 3 months before the cruise.
Very interesting about the water levels and bridges! I'd never thought of how a higher-than-normal rainfall would impact the cruises for long afterwards. Your cabin type and location sounds ideal. Can't wait to hear about how it all works for you. Thanks so much for occasionally giving a thought to how this would work with my little scooter-- I appreciate that VERY much!
Very interesting about the water levels and bridges! I'd never thought of how a higher-than-normal rainfall would impact the cruises for long afterwards. Your cabin type and location sounds ideal. Can't wait to hear about how it all works for you. Thanks so much for occasionally giving a thought to how this would work with my little scooter-- I appreciate that VERY much!
Last year during the flooding, many locks were closed as well as the water being so high, some ships could not pass under the bridges. Passengers often had to swap ships from up river, down river cruises. It was quite a mess from what I read. Those were something like 100 year floods, so I don't expect that this year.
Quote:
Originally Posted by duck addict
Cool I am doing the same cruise (on Viking Aegir) in March of 2015
How neat that we are taking the same cruise! Hope my report will give you some useful info for yours.
I was fascinated to read about the water levels as well. Interesting about the discounts as well and something for me to keep in mind, as I have no doubt if we're using vouchers, we will have to pay the rack rate, as that's usually the deal.
DH is a true child of the 60’s and has a dream of visiting a coffee shop (or whatever they are properly called) in Amsterdam so he can “smoke” legally in public. This is not my thing, but I’ll not stand in his way. As a result we decided to book the 3 night pre-cruise package in Amsterdam. We also just wanted to do this so we could get used to the time change before we were in the busy days of the cruise. When I first tried for this it wasn’t available, but became so several weeks later. We will be staying at the Radisson Blu Amsterdam. All I really know about the hotel is what I can find out online, but it seems really nice and in a good location.
According to the hotel’s website, they are no more than 2 km to many of the major tourist attractions. We arrive in the morning, and will have transportation to the hotel. There is nothing scheduled for that day, so Wade and I will do our own thing. I know I want to see the Anne Frank house and take a canal cruise, but don’t know whether we will do it that day or the next. I know the next morning we have a scheduled walking tour of the area with Viking. The following day we will be transferred to the ship in the early afternoon. Wade and I will have to talk about the opportunities and work out our details. As soon as we decide, I will schedule the Anne Frank tour as I know you can buy tickets ahead of time on line to avoid long lines at the museum.
Sounds good to have time to acclimate to the time change before the cruise starts. Amsterdam is a wonderful city and you'll have no problem filling the time there. In addition to the cafe for your DH , try an Indonesian Rice Table, or Rijsttafel meal. Something I've never seen in this country and SO delicious.
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Oh, well, 5% savings is better than the Disney 1% any day. Of course, you could still cancel with a full refund within a certain time frame. I booked and paid for our air at the same time, but it too was refundable as long as the air reservations had not actually been made. That is done about 3 months before the cruise.
I am doing the same cruise (on Viking Aegir) in March of 2015 
The ship looks beautiful! 
Dreams, Wishes, Hopes... these are the parts of childhood we should never lose.
As a result we decided to book the 3 night pre-cruise package in Amsterdam. We also just wanted to do this so we could get used to the time change before we were in the busy days of the cruise. When I first tried for this it wasn’t available, but became so several weeks later. We will be staying at the Radisson Blu Amsterdam. All I really know about the hotel is what I can find out online, but it seems really nice and in a good location.
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