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The Insider's Guide to Travel, Food and Wine
The official travel magazine of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Global Writes provides an ever-expanding library of illustrated trip reviews by professional travel journalists with advice on the best vacation ideas and itineraries, plus tips and recommendations on global destinations, hotels, B & B's, cruises, restaurants, food, wine and more. To plan your next adventure -- or just dream about one -- become an insider through the travel experiences of IFWTWA members worldwide.
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Cruises
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Ballet dancers were part of the “Wow” evening at the Palais
We survey Durnstein from the castle
The city of Budapest dazzles at night
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Tauck Swiss Jewel is a Gem
Story by Lillian Africano
To me, a cruise aboard one of the new generation of luxury riverboats can be the most relaxing of holidays. My two-week Budapest-Amsterdam cruise, on Tauck's MS Swiss Jewel, which debuted last April, was both relaxing and filled with memorable experiences.
Passing the toll station on the Middle Rhine
The Jewel is virtually identical to her sister ships, the MS Swiss Sapphire and the MS Swiss Emerald; all are owned, managed and crewed by the Swiss Company, Scylla Tours. The Jewel carries 118 passengers (compared with 150 on vessels of similar size) and has a crew of 29 plus the Tauck Tour Director and the Tauck Cruise Director.
All suites, junior suites and cabins feature plasma TVs (wall-hung in cabins, on tables that swivel in suites and junior suites), mini-bars -- with complimentary water, replenished daily -- safes, terrycloth robes and slippers, radios, individual air-conditioning and L'Occitane toiletries. The wood furniture is medium to dark in color; spreads and drapes are rust and gold. The twin beds can be pushed together to make a king; mattresses can be raised manually by means of a strap and, upon request, the feather pillows can be replaced with hypoallergenic pillows.
The Jewel has 14 suites and seven junior suites. These 300-square-foot suites have a double set of floor-to-ceiling windows, walk-in closets, marble baths with full-size tubs, showers, writing desks and sofas that open into double beds. The bathrooms in the junior suites and cabins have semi-circular “shower rooms,” with two glass doors that open both ways.
My stateroom was on Deck One, so the window afforded only a view of the river and a tiny bit of sky. I spent a minimal amount of time there, preferring, instead, to see the passing scenery upstairs in the spacious lounge on Deck Two. The lounge has a piano and a full-service bar. It was in the lounge that we had lectures and entertainment—all of a much higher standard than what is usual on many ocean cruises.
The Lido Bar on Deck Three features 180-degree glass doors opening onto the aft deck. It offers a coffee machine, a small library and a desktop computer for passengers (a laptop is also available). Wireless Internet is complimentary, but reception is spotty, depending upon the ship's location. The Jewel has an elevator, which runs between Deck Three to the restaurant—but it does not service Deck One, as the space there is taken up by the Fitness Center and massage room. A Jacuzzi on the sundeck is open 24 hours, as is the Fitness Center. An onboard therapist trained by the Tara Asian Spa Academy, offers various massage options, ranging from a ten-minute Thai chair massage (12 Euro) to a one-hour full-body oil massage (68 Euro).
My cruise began in Budapest, with a guided tour of the city's major sights, including Heroes' Square, where such movies as Evita and I Spy were filmed. It is also home to the huge Neo-Gothic Parliament building; Andrassy Boulevard, Budapest's version of the Champs-Élysées; and the so-called House of Terror, the former KGB headquarters. Our guide, like all the guides to follow, was knowledgeable and engaging. She answered questions, told us tales of Attila the Hun and described her city as a grand lady, grown old and somewhat faded. (For all tours, “quiet boxes”—individual receivers with earpieces—were distributed, along with complimentary bottled water, so passengers could hear the guides regardless of where they were standing.
Our first port of call was Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Our guide gave us highlights of 17 centuries of history during a walking tour that included Baroque palaces from the Hapsburg era, St. Martin's Cathedral, the splendid Opera House, Slovak Philharmonic Hall and the Old Town Hall. She livened up the historic narrative with stories, like the one about Mozart coming to the city -- just once. The trip took 14 hours by carriage, Mozart's father said the pay for Mozart's performance was too low—and they never returned. That evening, after dinner aboard the Jewel, we had a colorful Slovakian performance.
Next came my favorite port: Vienna. So much to do and so little time. I settled for a tour of the magnificent Schönbrunn Palace, lunch at the famous Demel's (famous for pastry, actually, but I had their superb wienerschnitzel) and a tour of the Leopold Museum, where I feasted with my eyes on paintings by Klimt and Schiele and Kokoschka. It was the evening at the baroque Palais Pallavicini, however, that was unforgettable. First, we were greeted by white-gloved waiters bearing trays of Champagne as an ensemble from the Vienna Opera played music by Austrian composers. Passengers oohed and aahed, but that was just the beginning. While a sumptuous multi-course meal was served in true white-glove style in the palace's splendid ballroom, a dashing tenor from the Vienna Opera performed, as did a strikingly attractive soprano. Costumed dancers, also from the Opera, brought ballet into the ballroom.
The applause for the performances—and the dinner—was thunderous, and later, as passengers returned to the ship, phrases like “magic,” “unforgettable” and “once in a lifetime” were heard. “On every Tauck trip, we like to give at least one ‘Wow' experience,” said Cruise Diector Lynn Hardcastle. “The evening at the Palais has been enormously popular.” After this particular “wow,” I understood why so many of my fellow passengers were Tauck “repeaters.” (One Florida couple was experiencing their 18th Tauck trip.)
The Swiss Jewel Arrives at Melk
Along our three-river (Danube, Main, Rhine) cruise, we stopped next at Durnstein, taking photos of the ruins of Kuenringerburg, the castle where Richard the Lionhearted was held captive during the Crusades, walking through lush vineyards and stopping in Melk for a tour of its 900-year-old Benedictine Abbey. That evening, we enjoyed a tasting of local wines and a fine performance by local entertainers.
We traveled to Passau, Regensburg, Nürnberg and Bamberg before we moved on to the “treasures” of Rothenburg and Würzburg. Foremost among these was the breathtaking 18th century Residenz of the Prince Archbishop. As an added treat, we had a wine-tasting in the archbishop's private wine cellar before returning to the ship—and a lively oompah band after dinner.
As we cruise from Melk to Passau, the weather is great, the scenery is luscious
I should mention the meals aboard the Jewel, which were consistently of a high quality. Breakfast consisted of a full buffet of fruits, juices, meats, cheeses, hot and cold cereal, breads and pastries, as well as eggs, omelets and pancakes prepared to order at the chef's station. For lunch, there was also an extensive buffet of hot and cold dishes, as well as a menu of dishes prepared in the kitchen, with complimentary beer, soft drinks and juices. At dinner, the menu offered diners choices of soup, appetizers and entrees, along with a specialty dessert as well as an ice cream “buffet” featuring delightful flavors and toppings. Regional wines -- white and red of a very good quality -- were complimentary, along with beer, soft drinks and juices. Specialty coffees with meals were also complimentary.
Alternative dining is offered in the Lido Bar. Continental breakfast, light lunch and a bistro-style (generally Italian) dinner are served. Reservations are required for dinner as capacity is limited to 20.
On Day 11, we cruised the Main River to the ancient city of Miltenberg. On the way, a talented glassblower gave a demonstration and invited a passenger to “help” him shape one of his creations.
Leaving the Main behind, we cruised the Rhine to Rüdesheim, where we marveled over an eclectic collection of mechanical musical instruments housed in a 15th century castle. That evening, we dined at a local German restaurant – and joined in rollicking, drinking and musical games.
The final days flew by. We walked Old Town in Koblenz, cruised the Lorelei Valley, snapping many pictures of the Lorelei statue in the river, before moving on to Cologne, where the highlight of the day was the lofty Kölner Dom, elaborately decorated with pinnacles and buttresses – the tallest Gothic structure in the world.
Our last stop was Amsterdam, where of course, we had to see the world-renowned Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's The Night Watch and many other great works. In a lighter vein was lunch aboard a sightseeing cruise along Amsterdam's 17th century canals—an easy way to explore the streets and byways of the city.
The journey home was eased by Tauck personnel who shuttled us to the airport and informed us of our proper gates. A small service, but one of many during this most luxurious experience.
© Story by Lillian Africano, 2010
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