Just got the Sept 15 westbound update from Tauck (Prague to Budapest). Tauck is stating trip will proceed as planned up to Bratislava (up to Day 8). Then the modifications begin. Guests have the options to cancel if it is not to their liking.
I received the email yesterday for my September 15th trip from Budapest to Prague. I need to respond by tomorrow with my decision to contine or cancel. 2 nights in The Kempinski Hotel Coenivus Budapest or the Al Habtoor Palace. Since I am going early and staying at the Kempinski I'm good with this. A dinner cruise in Budapest has been added (awesome excursion), the first night and an optional tour of the Dohany Street Synagogue tour added the second day. Meals in the hotels and city. Happy hour both nights. Hotel service will not include unlimited beverages and snacks.
Day 3 a 4 hour bus trip to either Vienna or Bratislava. Depending on where the Ms Savoy is located, possibly more time on the coach.
Choice to cancel with full refund excluding the cost of the protection plan. Tauck arranged air, full refund. Cancelation penalties waived
. Independent air arrangements, call the airline or travel advisor.
I am thrilled this trip is continuing. I had my name on the list since before the dates were out. A bus trip will allow me to see parts of the country I would never see otherwise. I know Tauck will do everything they can to make it right!
MaureenP - We were in Budapest in 2022 and visited the Dohany Street Synagogue on our own. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in world. It is actually a complex consisting of the Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, Heroes’ Temple, a graveyard, and the Holocaust Memorial Park. The Synagogue was beautiful and the Memorial Park a very moving experience. We are not Jewish but found our visit to be very interesting and were so glad we went. The Synagogue is absolutely beautiful. We spent a few extra days in Budapest after the Tauck tour and it is now one of our favorite cities.
I agree with cvc - we are not Jewish, but the Synagogue was well worth the time on several levels. In that same vein, we also visited the Shoe Memorial on the riverbank and I have to admit it brough tears to my eyes, much more moving than I anticipated, partly due to all the other visitors around me and their emotions!
In its original form the tour included bus trips from Linz to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov and from Regensburg to Prague, so one more bus trip is not a deal breaker for me.
I highly recommend visiting the Dohány Street Great Synagogue and the entire area surrounding it. The Tree of Life Memorial is beautiful and very poignant, as are all of the memorials.
We're on the Sept 15 departure. We have been told we will board the ship on the third night and spend 7 nights aboard Does anyone know if the Sept 8 departure will be boarding the boat on Night 3 tonight and get to spend 7 nights on the ship instead of the originally planned 9 nights aboard? And can anyone tell me how it feels on the tour for those on the 8th departure? What percentage still took the tour
KentD..We are scheduled for the 9/26 Budapest to Prague “cruise” and have the same questions and concerns. MaureenP’s post of 9/9 (five above yours) outlined some of the modifications to her 9/8 departure. However, much remains unclear or in conflict with the original itinerary.
Rcampbell; We are scheduled on the September 26th cruise as well. Hoping that the rain in Austria and Hungry now is helping the situation…..we look forward to meeting you in Budapest.
My sleuthing shows the Danube rising from 0cm to 30cm over the last four days around Bratislava and Budapest. Feeling cautiously optimistic that a cruise as planned (i.e. no bussing) could be a reality. We travel October 3 but the river is currently cooperating.
swimcat92130. Your mention of Vishofen brings up some questions. Is it your understanding that the crusiing portion of the trip (to the extent it’s a cruise) ends at Vishofen and on to Prague from there? That would be a modification we were not aware of. It was our understanding the cruise would end at Regensburg and we would be bussed to Prague from there. What seems to be a revised itinerary map on the Tauck site appears to show traveling on land from Vishofen to Regensburg rather than on the river (yet another bus and a disappointment in itself) and then to Prague.
Our cruise is supposed to be Budapest to Vilshofen. we got off Vilshofen and transfer to Munich. Maybe the Regensburg ending is an additional day? At this point, I have no idea. it's frustrating to have no news with less than 2 weeks to cruise time.
regarding our Heart of the Danube cruise departing Budapest 9/26…
Just got the email regarding modifications. Hotels until Bratislava or Vienna. Possible 4 or 6.5 hour coach ride one day. No guarantee that they can match hotel with class of room booked. One hour happy hour, etc., etc., etc.
Option to cancel full refund.
Our cruise virginity remains intact. We’re going to wing it on our own.
We just got an email with updates and option to cancel for full refund. The alternative plan is first two nights in Budapest in hotel, bus to Bratislava or Modra on day 3 for day sight seeing and either board MS Esprit in Bratislava or bus to Vienna to board there on night day 3. Remainder of cruise is the same.
We are on the 9/26/ Blue Danube cruise. We are arriving early and staying at the Kempinski. My wife spoke with Tauck earlier today. They cannot guarantee that once the cruise dates begin that we will continue staying at the Kempinski. And even if that does become the arranged hotel, they cannot guarantee staying in the same room as our early arrival. After that, as noted by others on either our cruise or the Heart of the Danube, in the afternoon of the third day its a roughly four hour bus trip to either Bratislava or Vienna depending on where the boats are docked. If it’s Bratislava, the cruise will proceed as originally scheduled. If the bus goes to Vienna, there will be an excursion to and from Bratislava on (one and a half hour bus trip each way).
Comments
Thank you Kate, much appreciated 😊
We are scheduled on the eastbound Blue Danube leaving 3 October. If the ship does not go past Vienna what does the itinerary look like?
Just got the Sept 15 westbound update from Tauck (Prague to Budapest). Tauck is stating trip will proceed as planned up to Bratislava (up to Day 8). Then the modifications begin. Guests have the options to cancel if it is not to their liking.
Thanks RicardoD! Did you receive an email or phone call?
Thomas, it was sent by email
I received the email yesterday for my September 15th trip from Budapest to Prague. I need to respond by tomorrow with my decision to contine or cancel. 2 nights in The Kempinski Hotel Coenivus Budapest or the Al Habtoor Palace. Since I am going early and staying at the Kempinski I'm good with this. A dinner cruise in Budapest has been added (awesome excursion), the first night and an optional tour of the Dohany Street Synagogue tour added the second day. Meals in the hotels and city. Happy hour both nights. Hotel service will not include unlimited beverages and snacks.
Day 3 a 4 hour bus trip to either Vienna or Bratislava. Depending on where the Ms Savoy is located, possibly more time on the coach.
Choice to cancel with full refund excluding the cost of the protection plan. Tauck arranged air, full refund. Cancelation penalties waived
. Independent air arrangements, call the airline or travel advisor.
I am thrilled this trip is continuing. I had my name on the list since before the dates were out. A bus trip will allow me to see parts of the country I would never see otherwise. I know Tauck will do everything they can to make it right!
MaureenP - We were in Budapest in 2022 and visited the Dohany Street Synagogue on our own. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in world. It is actually a complex consisting of the Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, Heroes’ Temple, a graveyard, and the Holocaust Memorial Park. The Synagogue was beautiful and the Memorial Park a very moving experience. We are not Jewish but found our visit to be very interesting and were so glad we went. The Synagogue is absolutely beautiful. We spent a few extra days in Budapest after the Tauck tour and it is now one of our favorite cities.
I agree with cvc - we are not Jewish, but the Synagogue was well worth the time on several levels. In that same vein, we also visited the Shoe Memorial on the riverbank and I have to admit it brough tears to my eyes, much more moving than I anticipated, partly due to all the other visitors around me and their emotions!
In its original form the tour included bus trips from Linz to Salzburg or Cesky Krumlov and from Regensburg to Prague, so one more bus trip is not a deal breaker for me.
I highly recommend visiting the Dohány Street Great Synagogue and the entire area surrounding it. The Tree of Life Memorial is beautiful and very poignant, as are all of the memorials.
We're on the Sept 15 departure. We have been told we will board the ship on the third night and spend 7 nights aboard Does anyone know if the Sept 8 departure will be boarding the boat on Night 3 tonight and get to spend 7 nights on the ship instead of the originally planned 9 nights aboard? And can anyone tell me how it feels on the tour for those on the 8th departure? What percentage still took the tour
KentD..We are scheduled for the 9/26 Budapest to Prague “cruise” and have the same questions and concerns. MaureenP’s post of 9/9 (five above yours) outlined some of the modifications to her 9/8 departure. However, much remains unclear or in conflict with the original itinerary.
Rcampbell; We are scheduled on the September 26th cruise as well. Hoping that the rain in Austria and Hungry now is helping the situation…..we look forward to meeting you in Budapest.
We are scheduled 9/27 Budapest to Vilshofen. Haven't heard anything yet about cancellation options. Not really interested in being bussed. any news?
My sleuthing shows the Danube rising from 0cm to 30cm over the last four days around Bratislava and Budapest. Feeling cautiously optimistic that a cruise as planned (i.e. no bussing) could be a reality. We travel October 3 but the river is currently cooperating.
swimcat92130. Your mention of Vishofen brings up some questions. Is it your understanding that the crusiing portion of the trip (to the extent it’s a cruise) ends at Vishofen and on to Prague from there? That would be a modification we were not aware of. It was our understanding the cruise would end at Regensburg and we would be bussed to Prague from there. What seems to be a revised itinerary map on the Tauck site appears to show traveling on land from Vishofen to Regensburg rather than on the river (yet another bus and a disappointment in itself) and then to Prague.
We disembark on Day 10 at Vilshofen and it looks like it is a choice of being bussed to Regensburg and then to Prague or directly to Prague.
Our cruise is supposed to be Budapest to Vilshofen. we got off Vilshofen and transfer to Munich. Maybe the Regensburg ending is an additional day? At this point, I have no idea. it's frustrating to have no news with less than 2 weeks to cruise time.
Just an fyi, our 9/15 Budapest to Prague Danube River Cruise is down from 123 guests registered to 72 attending. Four hour bus tomorrow to Vienna.
regarding our Heart of the Danube cruise departing Budapest 9/26…
Just got the email regarding modifications. Hotels until Bratislava or Vienna. Possible 4 or 6.5 hour coach ride one day. No guarantee that they can match hotel with class of room booked. One hour happy hour, etc., etc., etc.
Option to cancel full refund.
Our cruise virginity remains intact. We’re going to wing it on our own.
Good luck everyone.
We just got an email with updates and option to cancel for full refund. The alternative plan is first two nights in Budapest in hotel, bus to Bratislava or Modra on day 3 for day sight seeing and either board MS Esprit in Bratislava or bus to Vienna to board there on night day 3. Remainder of cruise is the same.
What hotel is everyone being told they are staying in Budapest instead of the ship?
We are on the 9/26/ Blue Danube cruise. We are arriving early and staying at the Kempinski. My wife spoke with Tauck earlier today. They cannot guarantee that once the cruise dates begin that we will continue staying at the Kempinski. And even if that does become the arranged hotel, they cannot guarantee staying in the same room as our early arrival. After that, as noted by others on either our cruise or the Heart of the Danube, in the afternoon of the third day its a roughly four hour bus trip to either Bratislava or Vienna depending on where the boats are docked. If it’s Bratislava, the cruise will proceed as originally scheduled. If the bus goes to Vienna, there will be an excursion to and from Bratislava on (one and a half hour bus trip each way).