met19
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2005
Here is my review. I decided to go on this tour in case they wouldn't offer it again. No disclosures 
Pictures at the end.
Pre-days to Day one Basel.
I stayed at the pre-day hotel- Radisson Blu arrived about 1800. This is clearly a business hotel and while near downtown, not on the river. In retrospect I personally would not go back to this hotel- a decent room it is, but nothing else. I do not think the transfers from airport and to the port (approx 50 and 15 Swiss Francs) are worth it. The one part that is worth it: ABD guides on the first full day/preday are in the hotel making your excursion reservations which in the past seemed to be a problem.
Basel over all is not that interesting. I toured the cathedral and the town hall and walked the rhine on both sides. I also ate some swiss food. its important to walk on the "new Basel" side so you can view the cathedral across the rhine. I also went to their art museum- I felt it was overrated at 16 Swiss francs. I suggest that ABD do a optional/extra $ excursion about the town . They could do a town tour. There is also roman ruins 30 min outside town.
As a result of this I decided to board the ship at 1200 transfer. My reservations/excursions were already done the day prior.
Guides: Jennae, Stephanie, Veronika, Danny, Byron, Betti
Day 2-3 Strasbourg
These two days were great but need some small adjustments. Strasbourg's port is very industrial. Not very pretty. On day one I went to Rhinquewr. A very pretty town. The winery was ok. The sausage tasting was very good (2 different activities). There was also OYO. I think they need to work on the logistics- the winery has 3 facilities in town- they should combine the wine and sausage tasting and make smaller groups to taste more wines. That night we went to an old church for a concert by an organist for 40 min. Amazing. Loved that. The next day I went on the boatarama which is a covered tour. It was well done. I went back to the ship but didn't realize I could stay in Strasbourg and just meet in the pm. in the pm was the cave du historique wine tasting. This is a cellar since 1395 beneath the hospital in Strasbourg. A true hi light for me especially as an emergency physician. They don't ship
That night we sailed for Speyer. On this night also had a chef's table dinner.
Day 4 Speyer
I choose the Heidelberg and castle 1/2 day tour. This was an impressive castle that dominates the skyline. I also wanted to do a hike on philosopher's walk but it rained alot that morning and the ground was slick and moist. I did get a amazing photo of the old bridge, river and castle though. Did some shopping on OYO. That afternoon I walked around Speyer- it was ok, but they had a romanesque church from 1050! That night was spaghetti ice cream!
Day 5 Rudesheim
I went in the am/first tour of the musical cabinet's. that was ok/filler for me. Then had some "special" coffee (brandy added with whip cream). This town is small and you dock right in it so skipped going back to the boat. I walked around, then took the gondola up, viewed the monument and hiked thru vineyards. Apparently their was a vineyard walk 1/3 the way up that I was not informed of when I booked my excursions. But in the end it was ok, did a 2.5mile hike and then had a great lunch at the same restaurant with the coffee. The brat and german Riesling (yum). That afternoon was another wine tasting. ABD needs to work on the timing of leaving port in the pm today- we cruised thru the Rhine gorge (UNESCO listing for all their castles) mainly at sunset and dark. ABD and AMA claimed they moved up departure but still had this problem. This is one of the magical experiences on the Rhine and sunset times even in October are well known. This should not have occurred. Most cruisers were annoyed by this. The Rhine after this is more industrial.
Day 6 Cologne
I went on the walking tour and seeing the cathedral was impressive. It was impressive enough that the 10 min outside and 10 inside was not enough- I went back on OYO. I also did the chocolate museum, but really did a little of the museum, created my chocolate bar and then went back to the cathedral. Also got to have lunch with John Slate (head of dining at Disneyland) (random we walked back to town together). Again Brat's, some german appetizers and Kurst beer....yum. You sail at 1pm so 1/2 day here. That afternoon our Disney sommelier, Brian Kozel, put on an hour class on wine tasting.
Day 7 Amsterdam
I visited the van Gogh museum which was cool especially the painting part- I need to keep my day job as a doctor and not go into art. That afternoon toured windmills, clog painting. Pretty neat. I also did my own post nights (though heard the ABD one was well done but pricey). Over the next two days I did the Rijk museum and the Anne Frank house. If you had to choose I would do the van gogh or anne frank. touring the Rijk on my own while ok, and saw different paitning is no different than the Getty in LA or Met in NYC. I also did a food/canal cruise in Amsterdam and more importantly a photo tour at sunset/night in Amsterdam. That last tour is worth every penny- 300 for 4 hours and there was only 2 participants).
Overall it was a good ABD- I feel good value, but ABD need to work on some logistics. I would do it again but 1) would do Italy and Switzerland again before this and 2) would do the Danube prior also to a repeat of the Rhine.
Pictures at the end.Pre-days to Day one Basel.
I stayed at the pre-day hotel- Radisson Blu arrived about 1800. This is clearly a business hotel and while near downtown, not on the river. In retrospect I personally would not go back to this hotel- a decent room it is, but nothing else. I do not think the transfers from airport and to the port (approx 50 and 15 Swiss Francs) are worth it. The one part that is worth it: ABD guides on the first full day/preday are in the hotel making your excursion reservations which in the past seemed to be a problem.
Basel over all is not that interesting. I toured the cathedral and the town hall and walked the rhine on both sides. I also ate some swiss food. its important to walk on the "new Basel" side so you can view the cathedral across the rhine. I also went to their art museum- I felt it was overrated at 16 Swiss francs. I suggest that ABD do a optional/extra $ excursion about the town . They could do a town tour. There is also roman ruins 30 min outside town.
As a result of this I decided to board the ship at 1200 transfer. My reservations/excursions were already done the day prior.
Guides: Jennae, Stephanie, Veronika, Danny, Byron, Betti
Day 2-3 Strasbourg
These two days were great but need some small adjustments. Strasbourg's port is very industrial. Not very pretty. On day one I went to Rhinquewr. A very pretty town. The winery was ok. The sausage tasting was very good (2 different activities). There was also OYO. I think they need to work on the logistics- the winery has 3 facilities in town- they should combine the wine and sausage tasting and make smaller groups to taste more wines. That night we went to an old church for a concert by an organist for 40 min. Amazing. Loved that. The next day I went on the boatarama which is a covered tour. It was well done. I went back to the ship but didn't realize I could stay in Strasbourg and just meet in the pm. in the pm was the cave du historique wine tasting. This is a cellar since 1395 beneath the hospital in Strasbourg. A true hi light for me especially as an emergency physician. They don't ship
That night we sailed for Speyer. On this night also had a chef's table dinner.Day 4 Speyer
I choose the Heidelberg and castle 1/2 day tour. This was an impressive castle that dominates the skyline. I also wanted to do a hike on philosopher's walk but it rained alot that morning and the ground was slick and moist. I did get a amazing photo of the old bridge, river and castle though. Did some shopping on OYO. That afternoon I walked around Speyer- it was ok, but they had a romanesque church from 1050! That night was spaghetti ice cream!
Day 5 Rudesheim
I went in the am/first tour of the musical cabinet's. that was ok/filler for me. Then had some "special" coffee (brandy added with whip cream). This town is small and you dock right in it so skipped going back to the boat. I walked around, then took the gondola up, viewed the monument and hiked thru vineyards. Apparently their was a vineyard walk 1/3 the way up that I was not informed of when I booked my excursions. But in the end it was ok, did a 2.5mile hike and then had a great lunch at the same restaurant with the coffee. The brat and german Riesling (yum). That afternoon was another wine tasting. ABD needs to work on the timing of leaving port in the pm today- we cruised thru the Rhine gorge (UNESCO listing for all their castles) mainly at sunset and dark. ABD and AMA claimed they moved up departure but still had this problem. This is one of the magical experiences on the Rhine and sunset times even in October are well known. This should not have occurred. Most cruisers were annoyed by this. The Rhine after this is more industrial.
Day 6 Cologne
I went on the walking tour and seeing the cathedral was impressive. It was impressive enough that the 10 min outside and 10 inside was not enough- I went back on OYO. I also did the chocolate museum, but really did a little of the museum, created my chocolate bar and then went back to the cathedral. Also got to have lunch with John Slate (head of dining at Disneyland) (random we walked back to town together). Again Brat's, some german appetizers and Kurst beer....yum. You sail at 1pm so 1/2 day here. That afternoon our Disney sommelier, Brian Kozel, put on an hour class on wine tasting.
Day 7 Amsterdam
I visited the van Gogh museum which was cool especially the painting part- I need to keep my day job as a doctor and not go into art. That afternoon toured windmills, clog painting. Pretty neat. I also did my own post nights (though heard the ABD one was well done but pricey). Over the next two days I did the Rijk museum and the Anne Frank house. If you had to choose I would do the van gogh or anne frank. touring the Rijk on my own while ok, and saw different paitning is no different than the Getty in LA or Met in NYC. I also did a food/canal cruise in Amsterdam and more importantly a photo tour at sunset/night in Amsterdam. That last tour is worth every penny- 300 for 4 hours and there was only 2 participants).
Overall it was a good ABD- I feel good value, but ABD need to work on some logistics. I would do it again but 1) would do Italy and Switzerland again before this and 2) would do the Danube prior also to a repeat of the Rhine.
Attachments
Last edited:
