Best Of
Petra to Pyramids April 7-19, 2024
We returned yesterday from this transformative travel experience. O.M.G.!!!! I spent 13 days trying not to trip over my dropped jaw as we toured incredible and indescribably fantastic places. Our group was smaller than it should have been due to cancellations related to the continuing Hamas/IDF conflict in Gaza. I won't go into my opinions about that conflict--but I will say that we never felt threatened by it while we were in either Jordan or Egypt.
The itinerary was described in the Tauck website and brochures, but I would note that the written word and photos undersell the extraordinary beauty and history of these places. WOW! I thought I was knowledgeable and prepared for this trip. Despite doing my homework, I was not. The travel group was composed of seasoned travelers who had all done their homework. I hesitate to speak for anyone else, but our internal conversations were consistent with my comments here.
We hit the jackpot with our travel guides. The overall tour director was Rikus Visser. He is a gentleman and a scholar, a diplomat, and a wonderful human being. He is skilled at anticipating potential difficulties in the program and transparently arranging workarounds to maximize the tour experience. Examples of this were two occasions where the weather forecasts could have presented risks and dangers to all of us. 1) Rain was predicted for our hike into the Petra site. Rikus kept us updated about the weather reports as he received them. He advised that if we did indeed get rain, he would curtail the trek to the Monastery due to the risk of flash flood. He also advised that if the rain happened, he would speak with the Bedouins about having dinner at the hotel, rather than at their tents. As it happened, the forecasts were wrong. We were able to have the full experiences as planned. 2) The day we visited the Pyramids was very hot, and there were winds indicating that we might have sandstorms, particularly at the Step Pyramid site. Rikus and Heba (the local guide) rearranged the order of our visits so that we beat the heat and the sand. As a result, when we got to the G.E.M. later in the afternoon, we would have missed the English language version of the IMAX King Tut film but for his advocacy with the G.E.M. staff. Another example was at our visit to the Valley of the Kings/Queens. We were to have visited Queen Nefertiti's tomb, but could not, due to closures to repair damage to it. Rikus notified us about the tomb closure promptly, and arranged for us to visit the archeological site of the village where the artisans who built the royal tombs lived. We were able to visit the temple for the workmen, the village, and the tomb of one of the artists who had painted the Queen's tomb. Frankly, it was better in my opinion to learn that not only the royalty and wealthy had tombs, but that everyday people were also given proper burials and could attain eternal life in the ancient beliefs.
The local guides were personable and extremely knowledgeable. We were in Jordan during the Eid Al Fitr at the end of Ramadan. Sulfin, our guide there, answered all our questions about the sites we visited, and also explained how Jordanian Muslims practice the holy days. We learned that on the first day of the Eid, men visit their mothers and sisters to honor them. The second day is when women visit their fathers and brothers. We were privileged to share his wife's special date cookies on the first day of the Eid when Sulfin broke his fast. They were amazing! The other guides were equally friendly and honest about the culture, history, and politics of how Egypt has developed over time. We came away with a deep level understanding of these countries. Our guide in Aswan, Magdie, is a Christian. Our guide in Cairo, Heba, is a Muslim woman. I was appreciative of these people who gave me a much deeper understanding of the true roles that religion and gender play in Middle Eastern culture.
The accommodations were all as described in the brochures--but again, undersold by those descriptions. We could see the lights of Jerusalem on the other side of the Dead Sea at night from our balcony at the Kempinski in Jordan. The Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan was picture perfect. It was like stepping into Agatha Christie's novel set there in "Death on the Nile". The Mena House in Cairo hosted great political conferences during the 20th Century and has an extraordinary location at the foot of the Great Pyramid. The Oberio Zahra river ship was opulent. Food was excellent throughout. It was simply outstanding.
While we were in Aswan, Iran launched drone missiles at Israel. Again, Rikus monitored the situation and kept us apprised of the need for any changes. We were a time zone away from the hostilities and never in any danger, but it was comforting to know that Tauck and the staff were on top of the situation.
I would encourage anyone to take this tour. We received excellent value for our money. I am still "unpacking" all the information and experiences from the trip. It was transformative for me. This trip was a bucket list destination. I am so happy that we did it.
Jordan & Egypt Nov 2023
In spite of the ‘troubles’ and taking Tauck’s assurances to heart we decided to go. Arrival at Amman at midnight, met by a Tauck agent who got us through immigration including getting visa’s issued then customs, and out to our taxi, very well organized. Arrived at the Kapinski hotel on the shore of the Dead Sea about 1:30 am very tired. Discovered that our tour was now just 9 people. We’d gone out a day early, that was a very good idea, got to float in the Dead Sea, very peculiar. The Kapinski hotel was fabulous, fabulous location, fabulous views, fabulous breakfasts.
Having just 9 people made this whole trip very special, just like a personal private tour.
Our trip to Jerash, went smoothly, fascinating place, next day Petra, what a sight! Measures up to everything you ever heard, then more, truly spectacular. Loved the Wadi Rum trip having read Lawrence’s Seven Pillars, put that place into perspective. Flight out of Aqaba to Luxor, no security issues at all, then temple visits in Luxor and Karnak.
These two temple complexes are simply overwhelming, so beautiful, so old, even European’s stood in awe. The after hours visit to the Valley of the Kings wasn’t, it was a before hours. Up pre dawn, coach ride to the Valley, then in the predawn darkness we walked into a deserted Vally, the guards stopped us at a tomb, opened it, turned on the lights, and the 9 of us walked into King Tuts tomb. He’s still there by the way, in a glass sarcophagus. Again no security issues, no hint of any danger whatsoever.
The trip up river was delightful, the boat had 27 cabins, there were just the 9 of us and 4 other people on board. The service was magnificent.
Stopped to see the temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo, then the fabulous Old Cataract Hotel at Aswan. Next day we flew from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The two temples at Abu Simbel are truly astonishing, huge, almost beyond huge, elaborate, beautiful and very impressive. We also got to visit the very beautiful temple at Philae, extraordinary location on an island in Lake Nasser.
Flight from Abu Simbel to Cairo uneventful, again no security issues at any site or airport.
The hotel in Cairo was literally in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Visit to the Cairo Museum very memorable but very crowded, we also had a visit to the new Cairo Museum, it was not fully open but it is a fabulously impressive structure, very beautiful in its own way.
The visits to the Pyramids of Giza plateau and then on southward to Saqqara, seriously impressed. These buildings were as old to the Romans as the Romans are to us. Even those great builders must have stared in wonder at these magnificent structures. The Great Pyramid remained the tallest building in the world until the 1880’s when Eifel built his tower in Paris
Departure out of Cairo was uneventful.
So if you are contemplating this trip, I absolutely encourage you to go. We had no difficulties with security, felt no physical threat at all, none. We felt completely safe at all times. I just hope you are as lucky as we were to have such nice small friendly group with which to travel, they were wonderful companions. As I said in the beginning with such a small group, the whole trip felt very much like a private tour.
If you have any knowledge of the history of this part of the world, or just a smattering and want to know more, this trip will be unforgettable. I personally must have knocked off 6 separate items from my lifelong must see list, in just 2 weeks. There were times when I just stood in total wonder at what I seeing, the Pyramids, Petra, Luxor, Karnak, Philae, Edfu and Abu Simbel come immediately to mind, never mind walking in same sands as Lawrence in Wadi Rum, every single day there was something wonderful to see. A truly remarkable trip.
Thank you Ziggy
“Impressions From The Seine” Trip Review April 8 – 17, 2024 (Part 3)
April 14 The Sapphire Day 5 of Cruise – Normandy D Day Sites
Breakfast was available from 6:00 am as the bus left for the excursion along the Normandy Coast at 7:45am. We had a 2 hour bus drive with a rest stop at the one hour mark to visit Pointe du Hoc. We were divided into 3 buses and picked up our local guides on the way. Our bus really lucked out with our guide Florent Plana. He was so passionate about anything having to do with WWII and especially our US Veterans. Florent is a French native with a strong passion for WWII History. He traveled around the US for three years interviewing WWII veterans, in order to preserve their stories and show his gratitude for what they did to liberate his country of France. He previously worked for the Normandy American Cemetery. He really made D-Day come alive with the personal stories of many of these Vets. This was an amazing day. We drove along a road bordering Omaha Beach and visited the various sites and memorial. We stopped for lunch at a lovely Chateau La Chenviere. It is actually a Hotel with beautiful grounds. The food and wine were excellent. What a treat. After lunch, we continued our tour to the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. Eight members of our Tour Group who are also Veterans were chosen to lay a wreath at the Cemetery. There was a very moving speech, the playing of our National Anthem and Taps, which is always very emotional and I think everyone had tears streaming down their face. What a day! Well done, Tauck. We then boarded our tour buses for the 2 hour return trip to our ship.
Dinner was at 6:30 in Compass Rose. At 7:30 there was a chocolate extravaganza buffet in the Panorama Lounge. At 9:00pm, there was a Crew Dance Party, which we didn’t attend. It had been a very long, jam packed excursion and we decided to call it a day.
April 15 The Sapphire Day 6 of Cruise – Les Andelys, Chateau Gaillard and Farm Visit
Our Group was split into 3 groups with tours starting at 8:30, 9:00 and 9:15. I am glad we took the first tour at 8:30 as there were only about 11 of us on the bus. The small group was nice. The other groups had about 30 people. We began our Tour at a local farm to hear the story of how the farm began and did a tasting of various Ciders and Calvados. The owner was very passionate about his farm and the products they produce. It was very interesting and the Cidar and Calvados samples were wonderful. Great tour. We then drove up to view the Ruins of Chateau Gaillard, built for Richard the Lionheart. We observed the Chateau from high above on a hilltop. We then descended to the lovely village of Le Petit Andely where our local guide showed us around the town. We then walked back to the ship from that point. We had lunch at the Compass Rose
There were a couple of activities thru the afternoon; a cooking demo and a River commentary about the Seine. Our ship arrived in Vernon and an orientation walk or short bike ride was available in Vernon. We didn’t attend these but chose to just relax in our cabin. The Chef’s Signature Dinner was held at 6:30 in the Compass Rose and we were then entertained by a Parisian Can Can performance. It was a fun act.
April 16 The Sapphire Day 7 of Cruise – Claude Monet’s Home & Gardens in Giverny
I was so excited about today’s excursion as Claude Monet is one of my favorite Artists. Breakfast opened at 6:00 and our bus left at 8:00. It was only a 10 minute bus ride, shortest of the entire tour. Thankfully, Tauck gave us a half hour private early opening visit. OMG. The gardens were awe inspiring. The light was perfect and the sky a bit overcast which was perfect for taking pictures. We even saw a rainbow twice. That was just “icing on the cake” as the saying goes. The house was absolutely lovely. We then walked up the main street to visit the Impressionist Museum at our leisure where we were supplied with an audio-guide. It was a wonderful museum filled with many Impressionist Paintings.
We then returned to the ship for lunch and decided to try out Arthurs as we both had a craving for a Cheeseburger and Fries. It was delicious. I also need to mention that I had several Capuchinos from the coffee machine during the week. It was a short walk down the hall from our cabin. We then attended an ice Cream Social after lunch. Wheelhouse visits were available in the afternoon but we had already done that on our previous cruise down the Rhine River. There was also a scarf tying demo activity for those who were interested. The Captain’s Farewell reception was at 6:00 followed by dinner at 6:30 and piano music at 8:00pm. The ship set sail for Paris during the night and would arrive at 2:00 am. We finally made it to the original docking location by The Eiffel Tower as the waters had finally receded.
April 17 The Sapphire Day 8 of Cruise – Debarkation
Our Tour was over. We had a 1:10 pm flight from CDG to Raleigh, NC. Our transfer time was set for 9:10 am with a luggage pull time of 8:40am. The Driver was a bit early but did a great job of getting us to the airport in about 45 minutes. There was still a lot of traffic but at least it was moving at a steady clip. I have to say that the return trip thru the airport was a “breeze” compared to arriving the week prior. Flying Business has its perks. It was very organized and before we knew it, we were enjoying the perks of the Air France lounge. Our Flight left on time and was very uneventful this time around. I watched two movies, ate a lot of good food and took a short nap.
SUMMARY
So, as I stated in the beginning of this review, our trip started out a bit rocky thru no fault of Tauck. We just seemed to encounter a series of unfortunate incidents that tested our faith in Tauck. Sometimes, life doesn’t proceed as smoothly as you wish but the tide eventually turned in our favor and restored our trust in Tauck. They provided us with an amazing Tour and we appreciate all of the little things they do that make the trip special, including a private car to get you from the airport and back again.
If you made it this far, thanks for sticking around to the end of this review and if you have any questions about this Tour, I will be happy to answer them for you.
Wild Week in Airline Travel Plans
Years of experience has taught me that if you can, you should always buy flights directly through the airline you plan to fly with. When there are issues, there is virtually no way they can shift the blame to someone else. Been there done that. Additionally, until this year, I have never had status with any particular airline. Well this week I got to put both issues to the test and then some.
Back in November I went against my own preset rule of always buying flights directly from the airline I plan to fly with. I wanted the mileage multiplier and loyalty points for booking with American, even if I wasn't flying on American. My trip to Tanzania this July is "Marketed by American" but "Operated By Qatar Airways". It was at the time just about an even price to book with Qatar directly - but I got 2x loyalty points and 3x miles just for purchasing the flights through AA with my AA card. This was no small purchase (and we still couldn't afford business class) for us so we just racked up the miles. In fact it seriously helped us move towards Aadvantage Platinum (Oneworld Sapphire) Status. Now at the time of booking I didn't have status - so in order to pick our seats I had to contact Qatar and pay a premium for extra legroom/premium seating. Had I had status - I could have picked those seats for free via a Oneworld agreement between AA and Qatar. But I didn't and that cost me an extra $1000 for the seats - still far cheaper than Business Class.
All was fine until last Wednesday, when I started the process of the e-visas for Tanzania. I knew they were going to want a copy of my return ticket/itinerary, so I logged into the American app and double checked the flights. I knew there was a problem immediately. We were missing an entire leg of our flights - ie. Kilimanjaro back to Doha was gone! Doha back to Boston was there, but there literally was no Kilimanjaro to Doha!! I quickly jump on AA.com - same. I get on the Qatar App which also has our travel plans. Same. WTF?!
So I grab the AA Platinum status 800 number and in less than 5 minutes I was connect to a human. So there's my first win for having status now. The nice agent reviews my itinerary and sees the same thing. It takes her a moment, but then there is the ah ha moment where she realizes there is a glaring issue. Turns out AA no longer markets that flight from Kilimanjaro back to Doha and as such the flight was just dropped/cancelled. I'm stumped - how the heck does this happen. Either AA dropped the flight or Qatar did, but either way I wasn't notified of this. She says I was notified on 4/2 by e-mail. I ask what e-mail address did they use? It was blank she reported. So... I wasn't notified. This is entirely bizarre as I'm an Aadvantage member and I have gotten updates on flight time changes but not for a completely dropped flight?! OK so how do we rectify this. Well it turns out Qatar is operating the exact same flight, at the exact same times, under a different flight number and it will operated by Oman Air. She quickly and efficiently rebooks us on that flight (kind of necessary) and while doing so I ask what happed to my paid seats. She admits they were probably lost as the flight was cancelled and now it's on a completely different plane, so I will need to contact Qatar. Grrr... But in an effort to be accommodating she puts a seat request to Qatar and in 4 hours they tell me the seats are confirmed and yet they cannot send me anything with a new seat confirmation. I check expertflyer and I can see those seats are still open so they have not been assigned (actually most of the flight is open so I think a lot of people haven't caught on to the flight change yet). Hmm
Not wanting to let those seats be lost...I called Qatar. I have my receipt for my seats, but that may not mean a damn thing. But I now have an ace in my sleeve - status. I spoke to a very nice agent who could see our previous flight, our previous seats and how much I paid. And I am correct, those new seats have not been assigned and confirmed. He was willing to speak to his superiors about getting me into new seats minus the cost I previously paid as a courtesy since seat purchases are non-refundable. I was willing to fight that one when I didn't cancel the flight, but I pointed out 3 times that I have status and should not have to pay for seats at all. All I asked was for him to follow his protocol and check my Oneworld status with his superiors. He tells me he will have to call me back in a few minutes and I think well this is not going to end well. In 30 minutes he does in fact call me back, has in fact confirmed I do have status reciprocity and I can in fact chose any seats at no cost. Perfect, all I wanted was the seats I had back. They confirmed the seats in less than 10 minutes, sent me a confirmation e-mail, and expertflyer shows those seats (and many more now) as occupied. I call that a win.
The scary part here is that AA told me that since my other 3 legs are codeshared with Qatar - this issue I went through could happen at any time again in the future if the two companies decide to change the flights. Yikes. Hopefully this time I'll be notified.
2 days later, after the above debacle, I was reading on Reddit about a person using Twitter/X to speak to American Airlines when his Business Class fare dropped $900 to have them reticket him and get a $900 travel credit. It took two messages and it was done. I was stunned that 1. it was so easy to do and 2. that it was even possible to get a credit if the fare dropped. Given that my trip fares have been crazy higher than what I paid I didn't think I would get to test that theory - especially on codeshared fight. Well this Monday I checked and our flights have dropped to what I calculated was ~ $200 per person less x 4 people. So I tested the theory. American Airlines on Twitter/X was amazing. I gave them my name, copassengers names and my record locator and they determined in ~15 minutes that it would be a trip credit of ~$280 per person and that all my seats I paid/pick on Qatar would still remain intact. All I had to do was approve the reticketing and they would do their magic. 18 minutes later I had 4 trip credit emails! Wild - that absolutely offset the cost of the seats I paid!
What a crazy week with the American Airlines and Qatar Airways! Bonus points for my 4 Tanzania e-visas being approved today!
Ireland Small Groups - Partial review and tips
As discussed in other threads, we got COVID and had to drop out of our tour halfway through. I wasn't going to do a trip review for that reason, but I decided that I did have some things worth passing on. Anyone who was able to complete the trip is welcome to add any info about the second half to this thread.
Dublin
The old part of Dublin is relatively compact. While there are hop on / hop off busses, most of the sights are an easy walk from the hotel, unless you have mobility issues. The furthest thing we walked to was the Guiness Storehouse which is 1.3 miles from the hotel.
The Tauck tour of Dublin stops at Dublin Castle and Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican not Catholic). The rest of the tour is on the bus.
Trinity College library (the long hall) and the Book of Kells is no longer included in the tour. It's a block away from the hotel. Book your tickets ahead, purchasing them on site is a bit of a hassle. The book of Kells was a bit disappointing for us. They have a nice exhibit about the book, but the book itself can be underwhelming. They change the pages on display every 8 weeks. When we were there, we saw two of what must be the dullest pages of the book. Just text with a few capitals with minor embellishment. It's luck of the draw as to what you will see. For a library lover like me, the long hall was worth the price of admission. The long hall is scheduled for renovation and is expected to be closed for three years after this season.
We did Rick Steve's audio tours in our spare time (download the free app and content to your phone). Part one is south of the river. We did it as far as the Molly Malone statue. After that it seemed duplicative of our Tauck tour. The part we did was worth it. The second (shorter) part covers O'Connell Street, north of the river. It mostly discusses the Irish War of Independence. Warning: Rick's tours are full of Dad jokes.
We enjoyed the Guiness Storehouse. While there is the "this is how we make our wonderful product" aspect to it, there is also a lot of interesting history. Guiness was a pioneer in industrial scale brewing and advertising and the exhibits were quite interesting. It's best to make reservations for your visit in advance on the website - entry is timed. We ate at the 1837 Bar & Brassiere. It was quite good with upscale bar food. Make reservations well in advance on Open Table. There is another bar (Arthur's) which is first come first served and a self service cafe. The view from the Gravity Bar where your get your free pint is the best in Dublin, but unfortunately the Dublin skyline is not very exciting.
We didn't hit any of the museums, although the new Epic Museum got good reviews. It's a modern museum covering the Irish emigration experience.
Belfast
Belfast is about the Titanic and the "Troubles". The Titanic museum is very well done. Lots of information about the political situation in Norhtern Ireland and the troubles.
Donegal
The Giant's Causeway was a bit of a let down. It looks more impressive in pictures. Donegal town is a small town with a small castle to visit. If you are Vegan or gluten-free consider having lunch at Simple Simon which has a choice of healthy salads and sandwiches. Also, the Food Hall at the Abbey Hotel is a good choice. Cafeteria style service with good sandwiches, salads and hot dishes. Look for the hot pink entrance to the right of the hotel. The Belleek factory tour is well worth the time, even if you aren't into fine china. The craftmanship is amazing, especially their woven basket pieces.
Weather
We lucked out with generally good weather, mostly sunny with highs in the 60s. However, everyone we talked to said that this was not the normal. Expect frequent rain showers and wind along the coast. Our TD said that when the previous tour visited the Giant's Causeway it was raining sideways.
Hotels
The first three hotels, The Westin Dublin, The Merchant in Belfast and the Lough Eske Castle were all great. Spacious rooms by European standards. We spent an extra week at the Lough Eske recovering from Covid and the staff was fantastic - friendly and supportive. I only wish they had a wider dining menu. We were getting pretty tired of the choices by the end. We were disappointed not to have made it to Ashford Castle. Reports from others on the tour were that the rooms were smaller there, but otherwise the hotel was incredible.
The Merchant Hotel has a dramatic dining area (The Great Room). It is the ornate hall of the former bank that is a part of the hotel The guest rooms are more modern with some unique decor in the rooms (although this varies a bit from room to room). I would describe the decor as Art Deco Spanish Bordello modern, with some mildly naughty photos on the wall. Our room had a glass door on the bathroom that looked like this:
Returning from Dublin Airport
Be aware that Dublin, like many cities in Canada, clears you for US customs and immigration at the departure airport. So when you arrive at your destination, it's like arriving on a domestic flight. This allows for shorter connection times if you have to change planes in the US. The Dublin airport has the new facial recognition kiosks for Global Entry. Much faster than the old fingerprint and passport kiosks.
Re: Our Review of the The Rhine, Swiss Alps & Amsterdam River Cruise.
Saturday after boarding the ship around lunchtime from Rudesheim, was our Castle Cruising day. So everyone wanted to be on the Sundeck as recommended by the crew. Seems everyone had the same idea, to go to Arthur's for lunch - by the time the 3 of us got there, it was full, they told us about a 45min wait. So, we headed to the Rose Compass Dining Room --NO one was there as the Castles were about to start and everyone wanted a full view of both sides of the ship, so we just headed up to the Sundeck and figured we'd get lunch eventually. About an hour later, we headed back to Arthur's thinking we'd place a TO GO order to take to the Sundeck. All the initial tables were still full of the same people, still with NO lunch. People were getting mad and canceling their orders. It took over 2 hrs for their meals to appear. There was a 1-2 hour wait for TO GO orders. Word spread quickly across the crew and it became 'all hands on deck' -- all the waitstaff and bartenders incl high-up crew began delivering orders from Arthur's. It was still taking about 2 hrs from the time we all ordered till food appeared. And the food wasn't so great. Most of the burgers were VERY VERY rare. Later, the next day, this was brought up at the daily briefing and our Cruise Director said they never expected everyone to head to Arthur's. We all suggested they should consider box lunches or a buffet on the Sundeck for Castle Cruising Day . . . but those suggestions weren't taken well by them for some reason. Not sure why they weren't prepared . . . they are the ones who told us all the head to the Sundeck upon arriving back to the ship from Rudesheim. We really didn't care that much either way - we could tell the staff were upset - but many guests were very mad about the 2-3 hr wait for lunch. Even just a Caesar Salad took 2hrs.
Unfortunately, Saturday night was the fancy dinner off the ship at a Palace (Schloss Ehreshoven). Not really a good night to do this as we had all been on deck all day for Castle Cruising and none of us felt like dressing up. We then found out it was over an hour each way to the Palace, which meant over 2 hours on the coach. I must say, and think most everyone agreed, it was NOT worth it. While the Palace was pretty, it wasn't better than anything else we saw that week and it certainly wasn't worth a 2 hr coach ride. The meal there was terrible. I think only about 10-15% of the guests enjoyed it. It was discussed a lot that evening and the next day. I must say, I never find the Palace fancy preset menu meals good - they are similar to the preset menu meals at the Welcome Reception at the hotel. The menu = appetizer was a huge slab of cold salmon, sliced with skin still on - I've never seen it served this way. I didn't see anyone eating it at any of the tables. Main course was OX cheek that smelled awful as they were brining it thru the room. Again, no one at any of the tables ate it. Unfortunately, we all thought we could fill up on bread and butter, but for some reason, they removed it from the table as soon as the salmon came out, so some of us didn't even get bread. The dessert was the the best part, but that doesn't say much. it was a hollow piece of chocolate filled with whipped cream. We got back to the ship after 11pm and had to be up and ready to depart the ship at 8am Sunday, so, needless to say, no one was happy. I think everyone put this on the evaluation. While I know Tauck likes to do these fancy, off the ship dinners, this one was a failure on many levels - it was too far, the food was not good, and it was too late to arrive back after 11pm and have such an early departure the next morning.
Sunday -- Cologne, Germany -- we chose the Jewish Heritage Walking Tour which was very well done. Free time after, Tauck took us to local brewery to try the Cologne beer, then we had time at the Cathedral which was just finishing up Mass = what a fantastic experience - the music was amazing.
Monday - this is the day our ship had to go to Dry Dock to fix the propeller/rudder. In order for this to get done, they added another town and excursion for us. The add on was the oldest town in Holland - Dordrecht. We had a walking tour, followed by a long canal cruise, then lunch at a local restaurant. All excellent. Then we were bused to the main itinerary of the day - the Windmills of Kinderdijk. This was so fascinating. We got on a boat and had a tour thru the Windmills with a great commentary, then had free time to walk around, go inside some of the Windmills, a great museum and gift shop. There was also a bike excursion offered.
Final day - Tuesday - Amsterdam. Rijksmuseum, Canal Cruise, free time. We skipped the Rijksmuseum because we had been before and wanted more free time to explore. The canal cruise was done on private boats, not the generic ones everyone takes. This was very nice- they served coffee and apple cake. It was much longer than the generic ones (we did in 2013). This one lasted well over an hour and lots of good info. We had several hours to explore on our own.
Despite a few glitches - we had a great time. The dinners in Compass Rose were all very good. We never ate in Arthurs, but in the past have really enjoyed it also. The staff were great and worked so hard. We look forward to our next 2 cruises we have booked and we are going to Tuscany & Umbria with Tauck in Oct.
Re: Our Review of the The Rhine, Swiss Alps & Amsterdam River Cruise.
If you wonder what could be interesting in a music box museum, then think twice. We missed some years ago when we visited Rüdesheim on a Romantic Germany tour but were glad we were able to see a few years later during XMAS Mkts on the Rhine. It doesn't just have a few little wind-up music boxes with twirling dancer figures- it has some of those, even much smaller ones, but Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet also has more than 400 self-playing musical instruments, including very large "music boxes" with many instruments like ones you used to see and hear on old carousels. Follow the link or Google Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet
Re: Our Review of the The Rhine, Swiss Alps & Amsterdam River Cruise.
Wednesday - arriving on the boat was typical, we were greeted with a hot hand towel and juice. They had us all go to the Lounge, bartenders were taking drink orders. Each guest/family was called separately to their room - all this took about an hour. Dinner the first night was VERY slow - I guess just it being the 1st cruise of the season and the waitstaff getting a routine, but even getting a wine, bread, orders took a VERY long time. Once food was served, it was all very good. Everything was better by breakfast and every night after.
We went with the Cat 1 rooms this time since we have 3 more Tauck trips booked and need to budget where we can. Lately we've been booking the LOFT room. The Cat 1 bathroom is VERY tight. The shower is SO small and there is NO ledge under the door, so water floods the bathroom every time you shower - it goes everywhere, behind the toilet, under the sink - literally covers the floor - we needed SO many towels to dry the floors each time. The bed is super comfy. There are basically 3 closet areas to hang clothes, with shelves to place packing cubes, etc. A small desk like area with some storage and a coffee maker we never needed - it really just takes up much needed space we could have used. A small nightstand on each side of the bed. 2 small chairs. It was tight, but we made it work and it is really perfect for a solo traveler (except for the ridiculous shower situation that we did address in our eval at the end of the cruise).
We have rebooked the Cat 1 for our Rendezvous on the Seine in May 2025, but are returning to our LOFT room in Dec 2025.
At the pre-dinner meeting re: next day events - our Cruise Director informed us that our ship had a damaged propellor/rudder and that the ship would have to go into Dry Dock when we reached the Netherlands on Monday (it's the only place on the Rhine these ships can go into Dry Dock). It was obvious that the Captain, our Cruise Director, and Tour Guides were slightly concerned - we were told if it got fixed, that things would continue unchanged, but if it didn't that we would be bused from Monday to Wednesday (the final day) and that hotels in the area were few and far between == so they immediately began researching and making alternative plans the next few days. It was obvious they were concerned. More details when I get to Monday's itinerary.
Thursday - breakfast is the same as always... huge buffet, omelette station, plus a good menu to order from if you want. Food always great. We are coffee lovers and the coffee on our last 3-4 cruises hasn't been so good to us for some reason. Coffee is the only place Uniworld beat Tauck for us. But in the scheme of a Tauck trip, this is very minor.
Colmar France was our stop. We had been here once before in 2016 for the Rhine Xmas Markets, so we loved seeing it this time in the Spring. It is such a picturesque town. Great guided walking tour with local guides, followed by an art museum, then wine and cakes and sandwiches in the museum, then about 1.5-2 hrs of free time before returning to the boat. One very big difference we noticed is that the Rhine has MUCH more bus time than the Danube.
Friday was Baden Baden. We had been here in 2016 also. There was a choice of 3 excursions = we chose the walking tour. There was also a biking tour and a SPA tour (I think the SPA was the most popular). Baden Baden is pretty, but not one of my favorites - I wish they would drop it and add Heidelberg or Strasbourg instead. Our local guide was just ok, not one of the best we've had. There was free time also. We did have a very good lunch on our own - Tauck gave us each 25 Euros for lunch on our own. After dinner there was an excellent band/singing group in the Lounge.
Saturday was Rudesheim. This was our 2nd time to this town also. There was a choice of 2 excursions - a walking tour and the famous Music Box Museum OR a biking tour. We chose the walking tour and Music Box Museum which is so worth it if you ever go to Rudesheim - it is so super unique and fascinating. We had time on our own afterwards. Then, Tauck took us to a local restaurant for a famous Rudesheim Coffee and dessert. We were back on the ship by lunch time for our CASTLE CRUISE - another highlight!
To Be Continued . . .
Our Review of the The Rhine, Swiss Alps & Amsterdam River Cruise.
We returned late Wednesday from this cruise. It was the 1st cruise of the season for Tauck. It was me, my husband, & my cousin - his 1st time to Europe & w/Tauck. We were a little concerned w/it being the 1st cruise of the season and so early in April - but our concerns were quickly laid to rest. A few wrinkles they had to iron out - but it was wonderful. The weather was perfect - mid 50s to high 70s & sunny --- except, of course, in Switzerland at Jungfraujoch= where it was below 0F at times - but clear, sunny, w/amazing views.
We flew in one day early on Delta - Charlotte, NC to JFK to Zurich in PremiumSelect seating. Flight was good, no issues. Tauck was there waiting for LOTS of us when we arrived - we had about 1hr, 15min ride to Bern from Zurich - so it was a VERY long flight day.
The hotel in Bern was fantastic (Bellevue Palace) as most all Tauck hotels are. Our rooms were ready when we arrived about noon. It was Easter Sunday when we arrived, so everything was shut down - still a great town to explore and walk around. We had dinner in the Hotel that night since everything was closed - all 3 of our meals were delicious and the service was excellent, but very pricey.
Easter Monday, was the start of the tour, but not till 6pm for Tauck Welcome dinner at the hotel. The included breakfast that morning was amazing as we find all European breakfasts to be. Everything in Bern was shut down again on Easter Monday - so we walked a lot and spent lots of time in the train station which was open - it was huge & it was a highlight for my cousin. The Tauck Welcome dinner was average, as we find all the hotel Welcome dinners to be. They did have a Swiss band that was great to listen to. Typical set menu - nothing stood out, but we expected this and had a nice late lunch in anticipation of dinner.
Tuesday was our first full day with Tauck w/a choice of excursions - a walking Chocolate tour of Bern OR a trip to the Alps/Jungfraujoch (I'd say probably 85% of us went to the ALPS). It was a bus ride, several train rides, a funicular, and gondolas to get there - all w/gorgeous scenery. Tauck provided a set menu lunch which was average. We had a tour and then about 1.5 hrs of free time after - this was a highlight for us all. One man did get Altitude Sickness, very weak and pale, in a wheelchair - but felt totally normal as soon as we got off the mountain.
Wednesday we loaded on the bus, left Bern & drove to Lucerne - one of our favorite Swiss towns. We had about an hour long boat ride along Lake Lucerne w/a very good commentary about the area and history, then about 2-3 hrs on our own for lunch and to explore. We then got back on the bus to drive to Basel to begin our River Cruise on the Rhine.
Our Tour Guides were Patricia from Hungary, Chris from Hungary, and Daniel from Lucern - they were all 3 very good.
Our Cruise Director was Joyce from California
To be continued . . .
Re: Luggage Limitations Joy Danube Christmas Market
We've been on 5 Xmas Market tours and we just returned from a 10 Day Swiss Alps and Rhine Cruise.
Tauck will handle your luggage as Alan said.
You really may not need boots - I take waterproof Keen Targhee 3 sneakers and have been fine in snow and rain. If you take boots, wear them on the plane. I love BZees shoes in the evening at dinners - they are light and weigh nothing in luggage, have great support and their black/winter line is perfect for a river cruise - you can dress them up or down.
They are super casual - There is no time to change clothes from the time you return from the markets and dinner, so most every one wears the same clothes all day (other than maybe changing shoes)- plus, you won't have room to pack 2 outfits per day. We also go for at least 3 weeks each time.
We each take a 26 in suitcase - use packing cubes and always stay under 50pounds.
We each take a backpack as our Personal Item.
We do not take a CarryOn on the way over, but do have one each coming home full of our Xmas Market purchases.
We each take a Rick Steves HideAway tote as our Market Day bag - we also use this as our CarryOn coming home full of our purchases (or full of dirty clothes and we put our purchases in our suitcase - just depends on what all we have).
I encourage you to look at the Rick Steves HideAway tote- it is a great tote for the markets , it is light and weights nothing, but holds A LOT. It also zips - whatever tote you choose to take as your tote/purchase bag - def get one that zips closed.
Take thin layers, no bulky sweaters/winter clothing. A scarf adds so much warmth, so avoid bulky clothes. I'd only take one as they sell gorgeous ones on the market.
Also, bamboo compression socks by Sockwell are great - you won't sweat, they won't stink and you can easily get by with only 6-8 for 20-30 day trip.
We avoid jeans as they are heavy and bulky and if they get wet, they take forever to dry.
Rewear things often - you'll have a coat on most of the time and no one will see or remember what you have on. Everyone is rewearing.
If you plan to take the train - you will be glad you packed light. You will buy more than you realize - so pack light.
This saying is so true -- "When packing for a trip, lay out all your clothes and all your money - - Then pack half your clothes and double the money"