Andorinha cabin selection
We are going on eastbound Lisbon/Douro/Madrid next year and picking a cabin on the Andorinha. All the cat 5s are sold out from April - June. Are there any negatives to Cat 4 in the back of Diamond Deck? These cabins are underneath Arthurs so I wonder if there is noise from the raising and lowering of Arthurs than might negatively affect these cabins, or anything else I'm not thinking about. If I pick a Cat 3 instead, is there a "better" side of the ship heading eastbound? Any other advice is welcome, although I am particularly interested to hear from those who have been on this ship. I have sailed on the Savor and Grace previously. Thank you.
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This really doesn’t answer you concerns but we are eastbound on the same trip in October of next year, 2023. We have a cat 3 cabin and are waitlisted for a cat 5. We are told there are 12 ahead of us for the cat 5 waitlist so not holding my breath. Personally the size and location of the cat 3 will be fine. We’ve had similar size cabins on other Tauck river cruises and they have all been excellent. Enjoy your trip.
Dusty111,
You will be fine with the category 4 cabin. Arthurs is lowered only when navigating through the locks which is approximately once per day. The boat does not sail at night. I never heard any noise at all except for the slight rumbling of engines when the boat powered up and down. Besides, you will either be on an excursion or in the lounge watching the beautiful scenery when the boat traverses through the locks. There is no "better" side of the ship. Enjoy your trip.
Dusty, the size and layout of the Cat 4 Diamond is the same as a Cat 3 - just $200 per person more. Its exactly the same configuration as the Cat 6's we've had on our last two cruises and have been very happy with. In general I avoid cabins at the aft end since you have to walk the length of the ship all too often. I'd expect this is less of an issue on this ship since it's so short. Also, nighttime cruising isn't allowed on the Douro so any noise would be during the daytime. I think you'd be fine with the Cat 4 but don't think you're gaining anything over a Cat 3. I could be wrong but don't think you'll get any of the perks that come with the suites. You're just paying more to be on a higher deck. I've honestly never seen the point of that.
We're taking this eastbound this fall and for once actually chose a cabin on the Emerald Deck - a Cat 2. I much prefer the full length windows on the Ruby and Diamond deck. However, this is such a short cruise and the ship has so many nice areas to hang out both inside and out that we opted to save the money and spend it on extra time in Madrid and Barcelona. That might not be everyone's choice but the delta in price between a Cat 2 and Cat 3 is enough to cover 2 extra nights at the Tauck hotel in Madrid, train fare to Barcelona, and 3 nights accommodation there.
Dusty111 and BSP51,
I've learned that to ensure getting the cabin category I desire, I book a reservation as soon as the dates are published, which is usually long before pricing has been finalized. Of course, this only works when you know exactly which tours you wish to take long in advance. I hope you both are able to secure the category 5 (which equates to the category 7 on all other riverboats). They do sell out very quickly! You will, nonetheless, have a wonderful trip.
Thank you all for your helpful comments. I got cabin 211 and waitlisted for cat 5.
Since we're speaking about cabins or staterooms at the moment, I do have a quirky question regarding the configuration in the interior of the cabin. I've been on several river cruises and I never thought of this until now. Do any of you know if there is a way or method to inquire when entering the cabin, where the bed is positioned? Sometimes a cabin on the same level, in the same category can have a different configuration. I've seen it when cabin door are opened. I'm wondering how I can find out when walking into the cabin, if the head of the bed is along the right side of the cabin. My husband has to sleep on the right side of the bed, and I enjoy the window and balcony. I think having the head of the bed on the right side would solve our trite issue. I would love to click on a cabin room number and see the configuration. Crazy I know.
No, not crazy, good thought. My ideal preference is for my side of the bed to be nearer the bathroom. In the age of 3 D room views that can be done, it should be possible. Maybe on a specific website for the ship or the Ponant website, you can find out more.
Ourtravels, yes it would be nice to be able to get that much detail. And it wouldn't be that hard as there are deck plans posted on the ships for fire safety that actually show it. I notice the deck plan for the Andorinha actually shows where the cabin doors are which you can use to determine where the bed and bathroom are. Sadly the other deck plans don't have that detail.
However you could try asking the Tauck agent when booking. I did that recently while booking a cruise for 2023. A group of us women wanted to take a girls only Christmas cruise using the Cat 1 no single supplement cabins. I wanted one of the ones in between the loft cabins but didn't want the head of my bed next to the wall of the lofts bathroom. The agent helped.
Claudia Sails, what was your secret for a Tauck representative to answer the phone? I literally was on hold for 2 hours yesterday, and no one answered. I recording mentioned that here was a 45 minute wait time; not over two hours. Of course I was doing other tasks while being on hold. Travel agents must have a dedicated line. Thanks.
I booked some tours about ten days ago and was able to use the call back feature. You do have to listen closely in order to hear the prompt, however. Good luck.
I've had good luck calling on Sat and also a weekday when I opted for the call back. You might also try the evening. I avoid Mondays. Some days it's just luck of the draw.
It really does seem like the luck of the draw these days. We’ve tried waiting and done call back too. Yes, when you want a call back, it is now quite a different process than just a few months ago. But, they do call you back and in order. At this rate, Tauck is going to get a bad reputation like OAT. I can only advise that if you are calling to cancel, that you have other options for alternate trips and dates ready so you don’t have to call again.
I'm sure I will receive some negative feedback, but I wish travelers would not call Tauck with frivolous questions..."what time do we get to...""how long before the bus stops for a restroom break"...on and on. These questions could be posed at the time of booking and/or sent in an e-mail.
You will be surprised to hear that I do agree with you. We have had to call Tauck more this past couple of years than in all the time we have been traveling with them, mainly about them changing our flights. As far as most other questions, many of which come up on the forum, if they would put far less generic type information on the website and pay more attention to correct and specific information about a given destination, it would help. Example, I was reading on the website about the Arabia four we have booked and the website says it is a tropical location and to bring rain gear and umbrellas….yikes, I thought I was going to a desert.
British,
I am not surprised at all. I thought you would agree with me. Thank you.
I, too, have noticed mistakes, especially within the brochures. The grammatical errors are embarrassing! I think Tauck had to hire seasonal help during COVID. Hopefully their "brand" of excellence will return. I am faithfully loyal to them, at least as long as their tours continue to be excellent.
i agree with all of you. I will try the call back method. Fingers and toes crossed.
Good luck, OurTravels34.
I have used the call-back prompt 3 times in the last 2 mos. Tauck called me within 30 mins.
I call Tauck frequently with ‘frivolous’ questions or comments. But, if I’m put on hold I hang up. I do not clog the line for people with more important issues.
Some of the fun on a Tauck tour is the unexpected things that they do. We are on vacation and don't want to have everything known up front
PF, I absolutely agree with you! I found this especially true on the Christmas market trips we have taken with Tauck. My wife and I love the little surprise gifts, many of which have become treasured and pop up on or around the tree every year. Looking forward to our next trip (on the Douro) in a little over a month. It's been postponed twice...and I can't wait!
Sorry I missed this one last month. My wife prefers to sleep on one side and facing a certain direction wrt to the door and the night table, etc. Neither the Tauck nor Scylla websites include cabin diagrams with this level of detail. I called Tauck for both Blue Danube and XMAS Mkts cruises. The reservations sales agents did not have the info available but were able to get it for me and called me back. If you have similar requirements and desire a cabin with limited availability, e.g. Cat 3, loft, you must book as early as possible.