Rhine River Cruise Meets Thread

[JsMom2]

I booked for myself and DD, who will turn 11 on the cruise! I'm very excited about several pre-days in Switzerland and have begun making plans for Zermatt.

Very cool! I think we are going to go to Europa Park for a few days prior to the cruise. We never made it there when we lived in Europe!

 

[JsMom2]

The entire ship is chartered by ABD. Everyone on the ship will be on the ABD with you.

Jennae is a gem! I'm selfishly hoping she does China in June!!

Sayhello

Awesome!

 

[JsMom2]

We are on the July 15th sailing and booked the add-on. We have been DVC since 2007 and toying with idea of an AbD for several years. I love DCL, but my DH is not a fan of the Caribbean. We were going to do a Mediterranean DCL this summer and then he suggested an AbD river cruise. It sounded like a good idea to me so we booked. We will be traveling with our 8 year old son. So excited we are finally taking the plunge!

I believe my daughter was 8 or 9 on our first ABD. Your son will have a blast!

 

[Gondingl]

Signed up for the Rhine River Cruise - the food and wine themed one - for Sept. 2018! Can't wait to hear the reviews on this cruise!

 

[JsMom2]

How many of those booked are doing the Amsterdam add-on? We have it booked for our June 17th sailing but I think at $799.00 per person for 1 day and 1 night is very pricey.

Is that for 2017 or 2018? for 2018 there are no tours or anything included in the price, just a hotel room! I think the $799 is overpriced either way, but it's completely ridiculous if its in 2018. Have your TA book a separate hotel for you!

 

[JsMom2]

They have multiple sets of colored cards. Each set is enough for one for each person on a particular bus (approximately 40). ie, there are 40 Purple cards, 40 Green cards, etc. You get a colored card before each excursion (and turn it in when you return). That color card identifies which bus you are on, and which Adventure Guides you have, for that excursion. You can have any combination of two of the eight Adventure Guides. And the makeup of the 40 people will vary for each excursion based on who signs up for which excursion and what color they're giving out when you grab your cards in the morning. In general, the system works very well. The only problem we had was one day when Jennae told us we were supposed to keep the same color card from the morning for the afternoon. No-one told the folks on the ship, so they gave out more pink cards... We also only had 135 people. I don't know if it gets harder at 160.

Sayhello

When do you get to choose which excursions you want to take in each port? Also, does ABD mail anything out in advance? It's been awhile since we've done an ABD, but I remember for Peru they had a list of recommended books to read before we left.

 

[TimeforMe]

Just booked for 7/23/18. I know it's early but anyone else? Love the itinerary and can't wait to hear all about it from those going this year!

 

[tink1970]

When do you get to choose which excursions you want to take in each port? Also, does ABD mail anything out in advance? It's been awhile since we've done an ABD, but I remember for Peru they had a list of recommended books to read before we left.

They send a box about a month in advance. For our Danube River cruise, it had lots of things (an ipad cover, backpack, luggage straps, etc) plus a folder with a small book about the Danube area, as well a helpful a spiral book with information including the daily itinerary. In the center of that was a chart with the excursion options so we could plan those in which we would participate. We had a pre night in Budapest and in the morning at the hotel there was a meet and greet with one of the adventure guides, who took our preferences down. I believe that night at dinner they caught up with those passengers who hadn't filled out preferences yet. This gives them a general idea for numbers. One night we skipped the afternoon excursion and a bus and an Adventure Guide (Stephanie) came back to the port for DH, myself and one other Adventurer. They really are pretty flexible if you change your mind-or at least they were on our Danube Holiday trip

 

[OADad]

We just booked for August 6, 2018. Long way off, but excited for our first ABD!

 

[sayhello]

When do you get to choose which excursions you want to take in each port? Also, does ABD mail anything out in advance? It's been awhile since we've done an ABD, but I remember for Peru they had a list of recommended books to read before we left.

Looks like you got your answer from @tink1970. I concur with everything she said.

When you meet with the Adventure Guide to discuss which excursions you want to do, the AG will answer any and all questions you have about the excursions and describe them in depth if you want. But it's never written in stone. You could probably change your mind right before the excursions if you really wanted to (if there's room). But it's best for planning if you do it at least the night before.

Sayhello

 

[Woodview]

Is that for 2017 or 2018? for 2018 there are no tours or anything included in the price, just a hotel room! I think the $799 is overpriced either way, but it's completely ridiculous if its in 2018. Have your TA book a separate hotel for you!

No matter what year $ 800 is Way over the Price .

That $800 would cover a weeks Hotel stay for 1 person including a few dinners .

Looking at my local tour brochure ..... flights from Ireland to Berlin . + 3 nights Hotel (3* ) Breakfast

& Guided City tour for € 450 Euros per person .

Same tour to Prague is € 350 per person

 

[tiger04]

I will be on the inaugural Rhine River cruise for DVC members sailing this Saturday. I heard from someone else on the cruise that he called ABD and learned that there will be 109 people on this cruise. I do not know the breakdown of adults vs children. ABD also said that they are not providing backpacks in the pre-trip packages due to security concerns because they do not want people prominently displaying stuff with ABD on it. The ABD rep also said that they will not be using orange placards for the groups anymore. Of course all the pre-trip information mentions to look for the orange placard so we will see what actually happens when we are on the trip.

I am excited for the trip and it is interesting that this DVC sailing is so far ahead of the rest of the Rhine sailings. But I will be happy to gather as much information as I can and share my thoughts when I return to the states.

 

[tink1970]

I will be happy to gather as much information as I can and share my thoughts when I return to the states.

Oh, please do! So exciting that the inaugural sailing is so close! Can't wait to hear about it

 

[sayhello]

When I did the Danube cruise we did not have the typical ABD "Paddle of Power" that said "Adventures by Disney" on it. There were 4 color groups, and the Guides had colored paddles that matched (purple, pink, green and blue, if I remember correctly). They had a tone on tone Starburst on them, but nothing else. I think we may have had an orange one for the Prague add-on? I can't recall. What did folks have on the "regular" ABDs last year?

Are they saying no paddles at all this year?

Sayhello

 

[OhanaCuz]

ABD also said that they are not providing backpacks in the pre-trip packages due to security concerns because they do not want people prominently displaying stuff with ABD on it.

Drat. I wish I could have gotten one before this policy change.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I will be on the inaugural Rhine River cruise for DVC members sailing this Saturday. I heard from someone else on the cruise that he called ABD and learned that there will be 109 people on this cruise. I do not know the breakdown of adults vs children. ABD also said that they are not providing backpacks in the pre-trip packages due to security concerns because they do not want people prominently displaying stuff with ABD on it. The ABD rep also said that they will not be using orange placards for the groups anymore. Of course all the pre-trip information mentions to look for the orange placard so we will see what actually happens when we are on the trip.

I am excited for the trip and it is interesting that this DVC sailing is so far ahead of the rest of the Rhine sailings. But I will be happy to gather as much information as I can and share my thoughts when I return to the states.

Yes, please report back! We are on the second voyage -- we are so excited for this trip!

When I did the Danube cruise we did not have the typical ABD "Paddle of Power" that said "Adventures by Disney" on it. There were 4 color groups, and the Guides had colored paddles that matched (purple, pink, green and blue, if I remember correctly). They had a tone on tone Starburst on them, but nothing else. I think we may have had an orange one for the Prague add-on? I can't recall. What did folks have on the "regular" ABDs last year?

Are they saying no paddles at all this year?

Sayhello

Both our ABDs last year had paddles -- but no wording of any kind on them. I don't understand why they don't want "Adventures by Disney" on anything. I don't see how that makes anyone a target. Perhaps it's just me.

We have so much from them already - a few fleece blankets, a couple of backpacks, 3 or 4 iPad covers, and gosh knows what else. I don't even use any of them, though I do have a brand new ABD backpack stashed in my laundry room in case I ever need it.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

They send a box about a month in advance. For our Danube River cruise, it had lots of things (an ipad cover, backpack, luggage straps, etc) plus a folder with a small book about the Danube area, as well a helpful a spiral book with information including the daily itinerary. In the center of that was a chart with the excursion options so we could plan those in which we would participate. We had a pre night in Budapest and in the morning at the hotel there was a meet and greet with one of the adventure guides, who took our preferences down. I believe that night at dinner they caught up with those passengers who hadn't filled out preferences yet. This gives them a general idea for numbers. One night we skipped the afternoon excursion and a bus and an Adventure Guide (Stephanie) came back to the port for DH, myself and one other Adventurer. They really are pretty flexible if you change your mind-or at least they were on our Danube Holiday trip

This worries me. We aren't staying overnight in Basel. We are flying into Zurich the day before the cruise, touring a bit there, having dinner and staying in a lovely suite at the Schweitzerhof. We will take the train to Basel in the morning to meet up with the ship there. I hope we don't miss a lot of info about the trips in the morning.

I suppose if Basel is an interesting city we can change our plans, but I really like Zurich and would rather spend a day there I think. From what I've read there isn't much to see or do in Basel. Plus ABD wanted to cram the 3 of us into a teeny tiny room for a king's ransom so that was an easy pass for me.

I am looking forward to the first report on the first Rhine River cruise that leaves on Saturday!

 

[sayhello]

This worries me. We aren't staying overnight in Basel. We are flying into Zurich the day before the cruise, touring a bit there, having dinner and staying in a lovely suite at the Schweitzerhof. We will take the train to Basel in the morning to meet up with the ship there. I hope we don't miss a lot of info about the trips in the morning.

I suppose if Basel is an interesting city we can change our plans, but I really like Zurich and would rather spend a day there I think. From what I've read there isn't much to see or do in Basel. Plus ABD wanted to cram the 3 of us into a teeny tiny room for a king's ransom so that was an easy pass for me.

I am looking forward to the first report on the first Rhine River cruise that leaves on Saturday!

I'm sure whatever you miss, you can talk to any of the Adventure Guides when you get on the ship, and they'll explain it all. Most of it was the excursion choices, and handing out the lanyards, as well as getting your luggage checked in so they could transport it to the ship. Most of the rest of the explanations will be once you get on the ship, at least for the Danube cruise, they had an intro/safety drill once everyone was onboard and had settled into the Lounge after tea.

Sayhello

 

[quinnc19]

I am also wondering if we should spend the night before in Basel. I definitely want to do two days in Zermatt and I'm debating a 3rd night in Zürich, Lucerne, Basel or somewhere else .

This worries me. We aren't staying overnight in Basel. We are flying into Zurich the day before the cruise, touring a bit there, having dinner and staying in a lovely suite at the Schweitzerhof. We will take the train to Basel in the morning to meet up with the ship there. I hope we don't miss a lot of info about the trips in the morning.

I suppose if Basel is an interesting city we can change our plans, but I really like Zurich and would rather spend a day there I think. From what I've read there isn't much to see or do in Basel. Plus ABD wanted to cram the 3 of us into a teeny tiny room for a king's ransom so that was an easy pass for me.

I am looking forward to the first report on the first Rhine River cruise that leaves on Saturday!

 

[JsMom2]

This worries me. We aren't staying overnight in Basel. We are flying into Zurich the day before the cruise, touring a bit there, having dinner and staying in a lovely suite at the Schweitzerhof. We will take the train to Basel in the morning to meet up with the ship there. I hope we don't miss a lot of info about the trips in the morning.

I suppose if Basel is an interesting city we can change our plans, but I really like Zurich and would rather spend a day there I think. From what I've read there isn't much to see or do in Basel. Plus ABD wanted to cram the 3 of us into a teeny tiny room for a king's ransom so that was an easy pass for me.

I am looking forward to the first report on the first Rhine River cruise that leaves on Saturday!

We'll be coming in 2 nights prior from Barcelona after a Med Cruise on the Magic. I was thinking of staying in Basel, and renting a car and driving to Europa Park. We've never been there. But I'm not sure if that will be a bit much to do!