Best Of
Re: French escapade august 2024 trip report
Have a wonderful time...and I love Steve's shirt!
kfnknfzk
Re: Confusing itinerary
Just a few tastes. The Banff Springs by the way was a bit of a dump when CP owned it, but it is now pretty spectacular. The sights are really wonderful, and I hope there is not too much smoke. We almost froze going on the ‘jammer’ across the Great Divide, but it was a great ride anyway.
Sealord
Re: Trip Recap
Days five through ten (Cruising on the Andorinha)
This cruise is very low-keyed with travel on a comfortable ship through a pretty part of the country. It includes visits to three wineries, transit through five locks and visits to three cities/towns. With the exception of Guimaraes, the towns are very small and don't have many sights. Some of the towns are on one of the trails of the Camino de Santiago which you can identify by the scallop shells.
The locks are pretty phenomenal - just large enough for the ship to fit in. You could actually touch the walls as the ship is rising. The lifts are anywhere from 46 feet to 115 feet.
As part of the tour you visit three wineries, have lunch at one, see a beautiful garden at another and lean how to make port cocktails.
No one on our trip took the bike ride option on day 6. This may have been due to the high temperatures we encountered.
A number of people spent a large amount time in the pool which was heated like a bathtub.
As you moved east along the Douro the temperatures rose significantly. I had expected it to be cooler on the river. This was not the case. It started relatively cool in the morning but was over 100 by the time we reached early afternoon.
While this cruise is not like a large ship cruise (maximum of 80 guests), it did offer evening entertainment - a TUNA singing presentation, a flamenco demonstration, staff performances (especially a very talented crew member who sang Fado), a trivia contest, karaoke and dancing.
Kathy M
Re: Help with extra tour options in Rome
Before booking extras in Rome look in the archives about this tour and what can happen with your schedule. The schedule in Rome can change with little or no notice. e.g. day and time for the after-hours tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel can change just a day or two in advance of arriving there.
AlanS
Re: Oct 7, 2023 - what a disappointment!
It's a hotel - it's a place to sleep and shower. The things to be seen and learned about are OUTSIDE the hotel.
We've taken a few Nat'l Park tours with Tauck where the hotels were average at best - but the tour and trip itself was fantastic.
We used to live in Maine - we travelled all over NewEngland when we did - we stayed in super nice hotels and B&Bs and below average ones as that area is VERY seasonal and VERY touristy -- as a lot of NewEngland is -- hope the views, things you see, and LOBSTER ROLLS make up for it.
PS - I had an anesthesia conference at the Chatham Inn last year and I didn't get all the hype. A lobster roll there was $54 !!!!! And it was certainly not the best we've ever had.
Re: Wildfires, Smoke and Jasper
Yes, go while you can; simply put, life too darn short.
Re: Great Lakes Cruise from Toronto to Chicago
Choc,
Please do report back after your trip. Our trip in 2022 was very much an anomaly with many circumstances completely outside of Tauck's control, so I will not elaborate on those circumstances here.
This was our first experience on a Ponant ship and really did not have any other small ship experiences except for independent travel in Scandinavia.
We were not comfortable in our cabin, but that was my fault for not scheduling a different date that offered a larger room. We were also surprised how there was virtually nothing to do other than sitting in a large cavernous bar area. There was a small auditorium that I thought would be used for lectures about the Great Lakes, effects of global warming, et al, but it was only used for the daily afternoon talks on the next day's schedule and was locked at all other times.
The food was adequate but nothing like what we have experienced on Tauck's riverboats. Perhaps this was another anomaly, but there were many guests who wore bathing suits and coverups at dinner—a plus for those who abhor dressing for the venue! The most luxurious setting was the infirmary which my husband returned to daily just to speak with the physician.
The servers and room attendants were exceptional. For some reason, the tour directors and French crew did not speak to one another.
My only tip would be to take a rain jacket, preferably one with a hood. I hope you find the onboard experience more enjoyable than we did. I do not think the Ponant experience is for us!
kfnknfzk
Re: Great Lakes Cruise from Toronto to Chicago
There was a small area on the same floor as our cabin but I would not characterize it as a library. Unfortunately, it was not a "quiet" room.
With the sheer immensity of the lakes (I was in awe), it would have been so educational to have lectures on them. This is conjecture on my part, but the tour directors seemed to have been thrown together at the last minute and seemed to be trying to get acquainted with one another, as well as with the itinerary. We did have a director who we have had three times before and was delighted to see us. He certainly made our journey more palpable.
The food was far from being French. The daily afternoon offerings—bar food—consisted of dry, crustless white bread slathered with mayonnaise and sprinkled with equally dry carrot and zucchini shreds.
We prefer quieter and more cultured musical performances for nightly entertainment. We have always enjoyed the festive and fun atmosphere of the riverboat 'dances' but constant loud noise and inebriated guests do not appeal to us.
Unless the clientele has changed for this tour, you will not see jackets, ties, dresses, or dress slacks onboard.
Choc - please do not allow my very bizarre experiences to taint your expectations for this trip. I have taken 30+ land tours and a few river cruises with Tauck and this was my first twilight zone experience. I look forward to reading about your experiences. Warm regards.
kfnknfzk