Who's in?

Ken and Ngaire
Frank and JoAnn - 207
Tom and Marcie - 215
Al and Kathy - 208
Tom and Mona - 205
Laura (Tom and Mona's friend) 227
Mark and Cheron - 203
Jill and Cheri -

Add Tom & me.... # 215

Please add Kathy and Al #208

Please add
Tom & Mona 205
Laura 227

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Done!

I am really excited for this trip and can't wait to hear what Ngaire has to say when she sees the Crystal River boats this week. Got our air all done, and just need to get a one night hotel in Basel. We also have two extra nights in Amsterdam before boarding.

We've got our air almost booked. Round trip AMS all done, but still have to book BSL-AMS. Paid a small fortune for our air, but got a round trip out of Detroit (easy!) on Delta's new Airbus 350, so air pressure will be better. Their only flight to Europe on this plane is DTW-AMS....seems strange! Has anyone decided where you're going to be staying in Amsterdam?

The Marriott Renaissance is in a good location. You can walk to the riverboat and also walk down the Kalverstraat to the Dam Square, museums, canal boats, restaurants & shopping. The Red Light District is only about 3 blocks away. The hotel is 1 1/2 blocks back from the main street so it's very quiet. They have an excellent concierge lounge for those with the appropriate Marriott or Starwood levels.

Thanks so much Jim, or Pat!

We've been to Amsterdam lots so we're pulling a Ngaire & Ken and arriving the day of boarding on a KLM non-stop from JFK. (there's a later arrival incase of a hitch). There's a Doubletree that's close to the port OR if you want to be in the heart of the action there's the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. Kathy, are you and Al planning to spend a couple of nights, visit museums? recuperate from flight, use points ?

All of the above, Marcie!

We are staying two nights at the Banks Mansion. I checked a lot of places, and this one is on one of the main canals, includes breakfast, snacks and drinks during the day, wine and cheese in the evening, complimentary drinks, complimentary mini bar in room, and complimentary cognac, gin and burbon decanters in room, and complimentary wifi. The only rates online are pre paid non refundable, but I emailed them and got a refundable rate and they then offered me a 10% discount off the rate for booking directly. Its in a good location and pretty walkable to the sites from what I can tell.

Excellent choice JoAnn...we have friends that raved about this hotel.

It got really great reviews on TripAdvisor.

The website is telling me they are sold out for the dates we want....I'll try to email to make sure.

really - wow. Yes try emailing them. When are you going?

We stayed at Banks Mansion for 3 nights before our river cruise back 2014. We absolutely loved it. Splurged on an Executive Canal view room. The staff were so nice and helpful, and it is within easy walking distance of the main attractions. Don't know how many nights you are staying in Amsterdam, but if you have time, I highly recommend Omy Amsterdam Tours. We did 2 walking tours with them. Would love to go back to Amsterdam some day.

Thanks for that info Cindy......we are looking forward to our stay there.

Just booked the Banks Mansion on their website. We also got the Executive Canal View with a 10% discount for booking directly. JoAnn, we booked 2 nights, but will really only be there one. We arrive at 5:55 am on the 21st and really wanted to be able to get into our room right away.

Oh great. We just booked the deluxe Canal room, figured for two nights we'd be ok, although I may well change that to the Executive level. But if you arrive on the 21st it will be two nights, did you mean arriving the 22nd.? We actually don't arrive until 1pm on the 21st, as we fly thru Paris, KLM non stop did not have award seats and I'm just not fond of Delta, even in biz class.

Oh honestly, JoAnn, I make this mistake all the time! I should have booked three nights, checking in early on 21st means booking night of the 20th, 21st and 22nd and checking out the 23rd - correct?

yes, that would be right. So you pay for the night of the 20th and then have two nights once you check in. Just email them. I am sure they will change with no problem. So you will be there before us.

Please add Mark and I to the list. We are in room 203.

Done - so glad you are joining us.

Okay, rushed but done - the pictures of the Crystal Mozart and the Crystal Mahler (Mahler same as Debussy) Also checked out Tauck so pictures are there for the Tauck Solace

Crystal is new and light colors - delightful decor - more on the contemporary side.
I really like the addition of a real coffee bar that has lunches and dinners and lovely quality snacks out all the day. The food on both ships was REALLY good. Lounge is nice and bright, the indoor pool area is unique.
The breakfast and lunch buffets are not in the middle of the dining room as they are with most river boats but at the back of the dining room so it is less crowded and it is a huge area with an incredible assortment of foods. Our lunch here was actually amazingly good.

I LOVE the Mozart public areas she is twice as wide as the other ships and all the public rooms are on one level. Of course she holds more guests. But the public areas win hands down. However, the cabins do not compare to the River Suite on the Mahler.

The Mahler holds less guests, still has the same amenities of the Mozart and the river suites are far superior cabins. The petite suites are just that petite I think a little too small. Although much smaller it still has a nice spacious feel and the coffee bar here I prefer in some ways to the Mozart. Has a nice intimate feel.

I want the Mozart public areas with the Mahler cabins and that would be perfect.

TAUCK is so different. Like an old world charm, over many floors so lots of stairs between areas. Category 7 is the only category we could see and it was a fantastic cabin. Better than the Crystal cabins but that is a high price point just under the penthouses. Category 3 loft rooms where the bed area is below water level and the "loft" area is water level were actually quite neat. The bathroom was the same as the category 7 cabin.

https://ngaire.smugmug.com/River-Cruise-Lines/Crystal-Cruises/Crystal-Mahler/

https://ngaire.smugmug.com/River-Cruise-Lines/Crystal-Cruises/Crystal-Mozart/

https://ngaire.smugmug.com/River-Cruise-Lines/Tauck-River-Cruises/Tauck-Savor/

I Loved looking at all your great photos...good job Ken ! Only thing that may be missing ...I didn't see Sambuca listed on "Spirits" menu ?

I've never seen the inside of a River ship before, so this was a real treat! I love the juxtaposition of modern and cozy. Love, love, love the decorations, especially the nutcrackers, which we won't get to see in September. What really sold me though was the bistro buffet with fruit, cheese and those big soft pretzels - yum! Marcie, we can bring our own Sambuca!

This is just whetting my excitement.....ready for something different and new. Also excited about seeing some different cities and towns.

Love the Crystal appearance. The bistro buffet looks amazing. Anytime I see that many berries, I am happy.
The Tauck looks more like the AMA ships we have been on as far as the public areas.

Marcie. I can try requesting “your medicine” and if not I am sure we can buy that before boarding or put a bottle in your luggage.

We just completed the registration on line and signed up for excursions (thanks to Julie's heads up).http://www.crystalcruises.com/crystal-adventures-shore-excursions

Woo Hoo !

I think My Mom Jill and I ( Cheri and Jill) may have hit a snafu). I just got on the forum and am looking at the Rhine trip and it looks like this is the hosted trip going Spet 23- Oct 3?? Is that right? Somehow we are booked going Basel to Amsterdam Oct 3 - Oct 10 the following week I need to call Jennifer to see if there is anyway to see if can get that fixed. my Mom has no idea.

Yes, the hosted trip is the Sep 23 Amsterdam to Basel. Definitely call Jennifer, as I know your Mom was working with her while we were in Machu Picchu before the SA cruise.

Jennifer booked Jill on the correct cruise. We have the deposited invoice on file on the correct dates. Something happened at Crystal. Strange thing is there is a GROUP NUMBER that is specific to the escorted trip. The same group number is showing on the wrong dates. I have requested a manifest to ensure that this did not happen to anyone else. Sounds like a big mess to me but Jennifer is all over it. We will get it sorted out.

We recently returned from a Tauck tour, Milan (pre-cruise), then Basel to Amsterdam. So if you are interested in seeing the newest (renovated) Tauck ship, ms Treasures, here is my album of that:

http://bd-foto.com/bdfoto/tinydancer/?path=056e9340d37d&ratings=345

I think the ship is fabulous. Far from ostentatious, there is a lot of good design in it, and the cabin is excellent. (My only point of comparison on a river cruise is on Uniworld - a few years ago, so I think the standards were different then.)

The dining options and service were very good, but not excellent. (Except the desserts were crazy good, over-the-top, delicious!) It was definitely not as good as Crystal ocean, but perhaps it's not fair to compare Crystal river to Crystal ocean either.

More images (and video and stuff), which is essentially the same cruise itinerary, Basel to Amsterdam, here:

http://bd-foto.com/bdfoto/bdfoto2.php?user=drib-v&coll=305

And, I blogged the trip ... but please don't click this if you are easily offended by colorful language and references:

http://dribcritic.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=918

My conclusion is that I will not try a Tauck river cruise again as this one was not compelling. I might as well search for compelling elsewhere, like on Crystal river. (But I would try Tauck again since they are not limited to river cruises.)

In Amsterdam, we were docked near Crystal Bach, but I didn't have enough free time to go on a photo safari of it.

Great information you do a wonderful job with both the pictures and descriptions. Thanks for sharing all that information.

Thanks Ngaire, I am just now seeing your post. I apologize. I thought I had been doing a private message back and forth with Joann. Thank you so much for your help. I am trusting you will get us on board if anyone can. In the meanwhile just keeping the fingers crossed and will wait to hear from you. Once we do and if it is a yes then we will throw into fast gear to get our plane tickets, hotels, check in, excursions and everything else quickly set up. Thanks for your help. Big hugs. Cheri

Just so all the others know all is well, they are ON THE CRUISE WITH THE GROUP and in the same category as they originally had booked so things are a go.