Rhine river cruise in September
Anyone else going on the Enchantment cruise ? Or, has anyone recently returned from a Rhine river cruise. Please tell us about changes that were made and how the water level was. Thank you.
0
Anyone else going on the Enchantment cruise ? Or, has anyone recently returned from a Rhine river cruise. Please tell us about changes that were made and how the water level was. Thank you.
Comments
We are suppose to sail on September 7. However, we are spending a few extra days in Amsterdam prior to sailing. An example of irony is that while the Rhine is low and drier than normal...the little creek behind our home is absolutely raging due to our Arizona monsoons. Oh, well...it's travel and it's all an adventure! Gene S.
We too, are coming early to Amsterdam. Perhaps we’ll meet at the hotel.
How did you all make out on the midAugust Enchantment cruise from Amsterdam? Were water levels ok with no changes?
How was the hotel in Amsterdam? Which did Tauck recommend?
The water levels were just fine, thankfully. Had decent weather with just a couple of afternoon showers that did not deter anyone. The hotel in Amsterdam was the Sofitel. My husband, who was in the hotel/casino business for several years was impressed with the Sofitel and its employees who were most helpful and gracious...impressed enough to speak to the Manager regarding the competence and effectiveness of his employees.
A big shout out to Immaculata, one of the ever present, competent, helpful Sofitel desk clerks, who introduced me to DiSaranno Amaretto...on the rocks...I am forever in your debt!!!
We actually did back to back tours starting on September 7 with the Rhine Enchantment river cruise then spent 2 extra days in Milan, trained on our own to Venice, then did 2 extra days in Venice before beginning the Venice, Florence, Rome land tour...arriving home on September 30...feels good to travel again.
Amsterdam is an interesting city...BIKES EVERYWHERE...be vigilant. Also, it is old Europe...cobblestones and unevenness everywhere. On our first day in Amsterdam on the Rhine Enchantment cruise one of our ladies took a horrible fall on very uneven cobblestones...she was not old or informed or unsteady walking...it was a matter of walking in a large group with a tour leader pointing out things and trying to watch where the bus was parked. She popped right up, used a group member's handkerchief who was gallant enough to offer it to staunch the blood flow from her nose and soldiered on. She spent the rest of the tour with a black eye and bruised left side of her face and had a wonderful time!
In Amsterdam we did the Old Church-Oude Kirk, Anne Frank House, the Portuguese Synagogue, the Jewish museum, the VanGogh Museum...all quite interesting.
Our stateroom on the Ms Grace was simply lovely...we opened the curtain and both sliding doors...and had our own private river viewing every day...just so lovely.
The ship's employees are all wonderful. Our tour directors were Pavel, Liz and Gernot...Gernot had a wonderfully dry sense of humor...all were just very, very, good.
My only negative...and not really a negative but maybe expectations that were too high...was the food...my husband and I thought it was just OK...I own over 400 cookbooks and I USED TO COOK...it is impossible to serve 120 people at least 2 meals a day out of a kitchen the size of a postage stamp and have everything be 5 star. Our stateroom was next to the bistro Arthur's and we ate dinner there one night...salmon, baked potato, broccoli...perfection!
Lovely private collection in the Basel Fine Arts Museum...we opted for Basel rather than Zurich because of the travel time.
Venice, Florence, Rome...just wonderful. I'll try to start a discussion regarding that tour...so many wonderful experiences on that tour...the private tour of the Uffizi, the private tour of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel-then dinner in the Vatican garden, Sisters Agnes and Simplicia would be thrilled for me!!!!