RIVER CRUISING
are on Ruby Deck, the middle deck. The nine least expensive cabins and one junior suite are on Emerald Deck, the lowest deck. There is an elevator connecting Ruby and Diamond Decks. Unique to the cruise line, there is
alternative bistro dining, featuring lighter fare, coffees, teas and snacks at the Lido Bar in addition to the open-seating dining in the main restaurant. Some meals also take place ashore at local restaurants and snack baskets are available between 2pm and midnight.
Included in the cruise price are wine at dinner; beer and soft drinks at all meals; pressing service; all gratuities; all shore excursions; airport transfers; and special events and meals ashore. The onboard
26 WORLD OF CRUISING I Winter 2010 / 2011
currency is the euro and electrical voltage is 220v. Passengers with 110v appliances are advised to bring converters as well as adapters.
P
assengers also have an option to participate in two-day pre and post-cruise visits at the cities of embarkation and debarkation. It was these additional land tours, along with the highly professional tours while aboard, that I found to be impressive and an added incentive to travel with Tauck. After landing in Prague, we were met
by representatives of the company and assisted with our baggage to the Hilton Old Town, our hotel for the next two nights. Situated near the heart of the old
district, the location was ideal for explor- ing the city. At 6pm we attended a welcome reception followed by a tour of the impressive art collection – including works by Velázquez and Canaletto – at Lobkowicz Palace, a part of the 1,000-year-old Prague Castle. After the tour, we enjoyed an excep- tional dinner at the Palace served by tuxedo-clad waiters and accompanied by a string quartet. The majority of my fellow passengers were over 65, well-travelled and very friendly. Half had travelled with Tauck previously (some more than 10 times) and they assured me any excursion organized by Tauck would be outstanding. Certainly, this first evening’s events whet my appetite. The next morning, a local guide led a tour of the impressive Castle and its surrounding gardens and monasteries, including the beautiful baroque libraries of Trahov Monastery. That afternoon, we enjoyed a walking tour through the Old Town to the main square with its famous astronomical clock. The following morning we were bussed
to medieval Regensburg, Germany, where another walking tour included such sights as the 16-arch Steinerne Brucke (the ‘Stone Bridge’, the oldest bridge in Germany), the ancient Roman Porta Praetoria and the Gothic Cathedral in the heart of the Old Town. After lunching at an old tavern on wurst, sauerkraut and beer, we boarded Swiss Sapphire. Our smaller cabin on the lower deck had a window but no French balconies.
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