Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, located right on the famous Hollywood Beach Broadwalk (and yes, they don’t call it a boardwalk!) in Florida, is a fabulous choice for either a pre or post-cruise stay. Its laid-back, tropical vibe is perfect for travelers looking to unwind before setting sail or relax after a high seas adventure. Let’s break down what makes this resort a top pick:
Location
– Proximity to Ports: It’s conveniently positioned about 15 minutes from Port Everglades (and the Ft Lauderdale airport) and approximately 30 minutes from Miami Cruise Port. This makes it an easy and stress-free transfer point for cruise travelers. An Uber from the pier ran around $25 and it is about the same amount to the Ft. Lauderdale airport.
– Beachfront Access: The resort sits directly on the expansive Hollywood Beach, offering immediate access to the beach and a variety of ocean-based activities. It is a beautiful long stretch of beach perfect for walking and relaxing. The $42 per night resort fee includes 2 chairs and an umbrella with beach towels reserved on the beach per room, so there is no need to get up early to try and grab a good spot.
– The Intracoastal water taxi stop is right across the street from the resort, making this a great location to hop on and sightsee up and down the coast. For more information check out: https://watertaxi.com/
Amenities
– Pools and Recreation: The resort boasts multiple swimming pools (including an adult pool, rooftop pool and a family pool with slide), a flow rider surf simulator, a lazy river, and a full-service spa. It’s like a mini vacation before or after your main vacation!
– Dining Options: With eight unique dining venues to choose from, there is something for everyone. Whether it’s a casual beachside grill (The Landshark Bar and Grill) you’re looking for or an upscale dining experience (JWB Prime Steak and Seafood), there’s something to suit every palate. And, of course, there is Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant for amazing nachos and margaritas!
– Room Choices: The rooms offer a peaceful retreat with ocean or intracoastal views, plush bedding, and modern amenities. Perfect for relaxing and recharging! We opted for the Intercoastal view at a lower price. There are water views on both sides of the resort!
Vibe and Atmosphere
– Casual and Fun: Inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of singer, songwriter, and author Jimmy Buffett, the atmosphere is laid-back and fun-focused, with an emphasis on living the island lifestyle.
– Entertainment and Activities: There’s always something happening, from live bands on the weekends, guitarists in the lobby playing Jimmy Buffet classics, to family-friendly activities throughout the resort during the day. There are frequently free concerts taking place at the bandshell on the Broadwalk just outside the resort.
Conclusion
Overall, Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort is more than just a place to stay, it is a vacation resort destination. With its stunning beachfront, fun amenities, and easy access to South Florida’s cruise ports, it’s an excellent choice for anyone seeking a seamless and enjoyable cruise transition either pre or post cruise or a beach resort destination in southern Florida.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to sail on Celebrity Cruises newest ship, Celebrity Ascent, for their naming ceremony preview cruise earlier this month. Ascent is the fourth ship in the Celebrity Edge class and is a beautiful addition to their fleet.
The Celebrity Ascent naming ceremony took place on the pool deck. The Godmothers were Captain Sandy from Bravo’s show Below Deck and her sister, Michelle Dunham, who is an advocate for children with autism. It was a fun and festive celebration before we set sail.
Our cabin on the Celebrity Ascent was an AquaClass Infinite Veranda, so this review will focus on the perks of sailing in AquaClass while onboard one of Celebrity’s Edge class ships.
Let’s start with a quick cabin tour:
One of the best benefits of AquaClass is the opportunity to dine in Blu, their exclusive dining room. It features clean health focused dining options in a beautiful setting.
Edge series AquaClass guests can also enjoy complimentary access to the SEA Thermal Suite. It features heated ocean view loungers, 8 separate experience areas with saunas, aromatherapy steam rooms and tropical rain showers, and a spa concierge.
While onboard, guests in AquaClass can use a yoga mat which is provided in their cabin. They are also able to join unlimited exercise classes throughout their cruise.
Pricing
For a pricing comparison, I checked availablility on Celebrity Ascent for December 1, 2024 sailing for 7 nights. An Edge stateroom with an Infinite Veranda priced at $3196 for 2 with a no perks promo price. An A2 Celebrity Ascent AquaClass with an Infinite Veranda priced at $3849 for 2 with no perks. That is a $750 price difference, so cruisers will have to decide if access to Blu and the Spa services are worth the upgraded price.
Celebrity Ascent is a beautiful ship and a great addition to the Celebrity Fleet.
Our adventures continued with a 7-night sailing onboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas through the Norwegian Fjords. I’ll be honest…I saw the breathtaking beauty of the fjords on Bravo’s Below Deck Adventure series and immediately booked us on a cruise. The Norwegian Fjords weren’t ever on my bucket list of destinations to visit, but I can’t wait to show you why they should be on yours.
We sailed out of Southampton with a day at sea to bookend our early September itinerary. The four ports we visited were each beautiful and unique. We are an active couple in our late 50’s. We did quite a bit of research before cruising to find the perfect adventures in each port that would allow us to see and do as much as possible during our quick visits.
Stavanger
We decided to divide and conquer Stavanger. My husband really wanted to do the hike to the top of Pulpit Rock and I just wasn’t sure if I would be up for it. I am in my 50’s and in good shape. I walk on the treadmill on an incline almost every day. We read several different descriptions of the hike from a variety of resources. Some listed it as an easy gradual incline on a clear path and others rated it difficult or strenuous with proper hiking gear required. In the end, I decided that I would hold him back and not enjoy the climb, so he went without me. It was absolutely the right choice.
Pulpit Rock
Because of the logistics involved in getting to the start of the trail to climb pulpit rock and the timing of the day, we opted to purchase the Pulpit Rock Adventure Hike Shore Excursion directly from Royal Caribbean. It included a guide and round-trip transfers, so he didn’t have to worry about the return bus schedule. The starting point for the hike is approximately 45 minutes away from the port. The hike itself took him approximately an hour and a half at a quick pace with occasional breaks. He spent about half an hour at the top with an hour walk down. He then had to wait awhile for the rest of the group to come down, so he visited the store and bought some snacks. They did have a restaurant and restrooms at the base of the trail.
He said it was definitely a strenuous hike and proper hiking boots would be strongly advised. You are constantly climbing over rocks and boulders. The next day his legs were pretty sore, but it was totally worth it for him, and he was glad that the weather cooperated and he got to do it.
Lysefjord Cruise
So, while he was huffing and puffing and sweating his way up to the top of Pulpit Rock, I was sailing by on a beautiful, enclosed boat enjoying a 3 hour Lysefjord Cruise viewing waterfalls and eating waffles. We also booked this tour with Royal Caribbean. It was relaxing and beautiful and I enjoyed every minute.
After the cruise, I had some free time to wander around the port and do some shopping. I had read that there was a great Christmas shop near the port, and we collect a Christmas ornament from everywhere we visit, so I was excited to check it out. It was definitely overhyped and under delivered. Most of the ornaments were generic and made in China. There was a small outdoor market with 10-12 booths set up near the port selling things like animal pelts, antlers, and reindeer jerky. Authentic? Yes. Something I would purchase? Never. But my husband had to try the reindeer jerky and said it was pretty good. I was not interested in finding out what Rudolph tastes like. Lol!
Our weather was a little drizzly and foggy in the morning and just overcast in the afternoon. Tom was warm hiking and I was fine with a light windbreaker over a sweater while sailing and shopping.
Olden
This was one of my favorite days of our trip. We did some research ahead of time and decided that we wanted to spend the day zip lining with Olden Adventure. Unfortunately, because we were travelling late in the season, ziplining was not scheduled to operate on the day of our visit. I contacted the manager and he advised that if we had 15 people sign up, he would open the ziplines. I posted in a Facebook group for our ships sailing date and immediately got a little group of adventurers that were interested in participating. Yep, I manifested that! Lol
Olden Adventure operates a shuttle bus from the pier. It runs continuously to the Loen Skylift, which is only 10 minutes away from where the ships dock. The skylift to the top offers amazingly breathtaking views. We paid NOK 1791 for 2 including the shuttle, which is around $180 USD total. There was a giftshop at the bottom and the top and a restaurant/bar with breathtaking views. There are also hiking trails to explore.
Once at the top, we got our gear and headed over to the ziplines. We prepaid 1190 NOK for both of us, so around $120 USD. It was worth every penny, but I will let the video speak for itself. For more information or to make a booking, visit oldenadventure.com It was a great day and we had perfect weather.
Geiranger
This was also a great day exploring. We opted to skip the Royal Caribbean shore excursion offerings and instead rented a mini electric car for the day from emob Gerianger. We reserved it in advance and prepaid a two-hour rental with insurance for NOK 1995, which is around $200 USD. Emob Geiranger was located just a short walk from the pier. They were completely sold out of cars on the day of our visit. There were lots of disappointed people stopping to ask about rentals. The car came with a preprogrammed GPS system in the language of your choice, which pointed out the sights along the way. We were able to stop anytime we wanted to enjoy breathtaking views and beautiful waterfalls. The pictures don’t even begin to capture the beauty of Geiranger.
We had a short day in port and sailed past the Seven Sister’s Waterfalls on the way out. The captain did a 360 degree turn with the ship so we could enjoy all of the views. I felt bad for the people who had taken the popular Royal Caribbean shore excursion to the Seven Sister’s Waterfalls, as they could have spent the day exploring Geiranger instead.
Haugesund
We looked at all of the shore excursions offered by Royal Caribbean in Haugesund and none of them sounded very exciting. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to venture out on our own. Our adventure followed the hiking plan that I found here , including the stop at the cupcakehuset. We followed the Rv 47 road out but attempted to follow the bike path back. We got lost in a residential area, which just added to the adventure. Our weather was beautiful in Haugesund.
September was a beautiful time to travel to Norway. I strongly suggest that you add this destination to your travel bucket list. The Norwegian parliament has introduced new requirements stipulating that all cruise ships and ferries in World Heritage fjords must be emission free by 2026. Book a Norwegian Fjord cruise now while you can!
On embarkation day, we needed to get from downtown London to Southampton to board our cruise. We opted to do a transfer tour that included a stop enroute at Stonehenge. Because…why not!?! It’s one of the seven wonders of the world and in 1986 became a world heritage site. A basic one way transfer from the airport to the port cost $95 through the cruise line. The transfer and tour was only $150 per person with pick up at our hotel. After all, It seemed like a great opportunity to cross this off our bucket list (although we never even actually had Stonehenge on our bucket list). Lol!
We booked our package with Project Expedition. You can take a look at the various tours and transfers that they offer HERE
After being picked up at our hotel promptly at 7:30 am, we transferred via private car to meet up with the bus tour. It was about an hour and a half bus ride to Stonehenge, with a refreshment/bathroom break along the way. Our guide escorted us as a group to the rocks giving us an overview of the history and mystery of Stonehenge. We had about an hour to wander around, take pictures, visit the giftshop and have a snack. Afterwards, we reboarded the bus and had another hour and a half ride to the port of Southampton. We arrived at 1:30 pm and were able to board our ship right away.
It was a great day with perfect weather. I highly recommend a visit to Stonehenge if you are sailing from Southampton. And I think it was definitely built by aliens. Lol!
Want to see all the highlights of London with limited time? Here’s my power touring plan for a weekend in London with 48 hours of sightseeing suggestions. We spent two nights in London prior to a cruise departing from Southampton.
Hotel
We stayed at The Royal Horseguards. It was a fantastic historic location right on the River Thames and across the bridge from the London Eye. Our rate included a wonderful traditional English breakfast buffet. I would rate this property 4 out of 5 stars. It was very traditional and elegant, but our room was in need of some repair (sink handle was stripped, furniture was water stained, outlets didn’t work). The bed, however, was heavenly!
The Royal Horseguards Hotel wasn’t cheap, though, so you may want to look at alternate locations nearby. If you are flying into Gatwick, there is a nonstop train to the Clermont London, Victoria which is also a great location and walking distance to Buckingham Palace.
Sightseeing
You can purchase the Hop On Hop Off Big Bus London tickets from your concierge at the hotel or from the bus driver right as you board the bus at any one of the marked stops. There was a bus stop one block away from our hotel, so we hopped on and toured around to get the lay of the land. The Big Bus London Tour does provide earbuds and recorded commentary while you are driving around, which helps identify the historic buildings, statues, and monuments. It was a great way to get our bearings. To check the routes and find out more, visit https://www.bigbustours.com/en/london/london-bus-tours
We hopped off and visited Buckingham Palace, which was packed with tourists. There was not a changing of the guard ceremony on the day we were there. To check the schedule during your visit, check: https://changing-guard.com/dates-buckingham-palace.html
We purchased admission tickets to St Paul’s Cathedral (where Princess Di and Prince Charles were married) and climbed to the top of the dome for great views of downtown London. https://www.stpauls.co.uk/ Admission is free, but a 23 GBP donation allows you to climb to the top of the dome.
Next, we enjoyed breathtaking views from the famous London Eye. We waited to purchase tickets to make sure that the weather was good and had no wait to board at 6 pm on a Friday night. For advance tickets and more information: https://www.londoneye.com/tickets-and-prices/
After disembarking from the London Eye, we enjoyed a 45 minute river cruise on the Thames. You can buy these tickets in the same place as the London Eye Tickets.
The last time I visited Punta Cana was with a large group for my daughter’s high school spring break trip. This time I was also traveling with my daughter for spring break, but she is in law school now and we were looking for a different vibe. Instead of late nights and lots of shots, we were looking for spa time and sunshine. So we headed down to the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort for some rest and relaxation.
Flights
We departed from Lansing on Funjet’s Swift Air Charter. The flights were nonstop departing at 8 am from Lansing and arriving in Punta Cana at 12:25 pm. On the return, we departed Punta Cana at 1:25 and were scheduled to arrive in Lansing at 5:45. We did have a delay of about 2 hours on the return due to an air compressor issue and strong headwinds.
You do need to complete the online form to receive an e-ticket QR code for entry and departure from the Dominican Republic. Only one application is needed per family. You must complete the information within 72 hours of travel and can either print it out, email it to yourself or save it on your phone. It is pretty quick and painless and I honestly don’t think anyone ever asked to see it. For step by step instructions, click here
Our flights were uneventful. They don’t have TV monitors onboard, so we did lots of reading. Only soft drinks and a bag of pretzels were served enroute. This is an excellent option for affordable nonstop flights to Punta Cana (and Cancun) from Michigan, particularly over spring break and the holidays. Funny enough there were lots of Canadians onboard.
Because of the 8 am departure time from Lansing, we did stay overnight at a basic Fairfield Inn in Lansing the night before our flight. The closest hotels to the airport are 10-15 minutes away. Parking at the Lansing Airport is $10 per day and you literally walk across a walkway and you are in the airport. Flying from Lansing, Michigan could not be easier.
We upgraded to Premium Class, which included a priority check in line, priority boarding, seats toward the front of the plane and one checked bag per person. It wasn’t a big deal in Lansing, but the crowds were crazy in Punta Cana and it was well worth it. The first picture is the regular line to check in in Punta Cana…the second picture is the preferred line.
Transfers
We also upgraded to private transfers in Punta Cana with Amstar. They met us right outside of customs and escorted us directly to our waiting van. Again, it was worth it to avoid the crowds of people and waiting for a bus to fill up. On the return, they wanted us to depart 3 ½ hours before our flight, but I changed the time to 3 hours prior and we had more than enough time at the airport.
Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort
This was just a quick 4 night trip for some much needed R and R. We stayed at the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort in Premium Level, which gave us full use of all of the facilities at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace next door. I was also able to make spa and dining reservations in advance by emailing bavaro.beach.clubpremium-jefe@barcelo.com . We picked the Beach Resort because it was Adults Only, but ended up spending most of our time at the Palace Resort anyway.
Rooms
The Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort rooms are very basic and in need of updating. Having said that, they were clean and the beds were comfortable. I really don’t have much else to say about the rooms. The view was wonderful, though! We were only able to find one or two TV channels in English, so we barely even turned on the TV. When we stayed at the Barcelo Bavaro Palace, the rooms were all junior suites and much nicer.
Food
The food was fine. Punta Cana is not really know for it’s fine dining but we certainly didn’t lose any weight! The breakfast buffet had made to order omelets which were very good. Lunch in the buffets was just ok. Dinner in the ala carte restaurants was good, with Chez Gourmet and the Hibachi Restaurants being the best.
Drinks
The main brand of liquor and wine everywhere in the resort is the Barcelo brand. They serve a Barcelo red and white wine, but you must pay for any other wines off a wine list. We drank quite a few delicious mojitos with coconut rum, so I really have no complaints. But, if you order a Bacardi and Coke, they say “No Bacardi. Barcelo.”
Activities
The pool area was beautiful at both resorts. The beach is one of the top 10 in the world, but they are having seaweed issues. They cleaned it up every morning and night, but by mid afternoon it was pretty bad. We did not notice a smell from the seaweed at all.
There were very few activities going on both during the day and at night around the resorts. They had a stretch/yoga class on the beach each morning and a dance class on the beach each afternoon. That is about all that we saw for daytime activities.
We spent a day at the spa at the Palace and enjoyed massages, hot and cold plunge pools and wet and dry saunas. There is also a private spa pool that was very peaceful and quiet with plenty of shade.
At night, the Beach Resort had music in the lobby and the Palace Resort had a basic show each evening around 10 pm, but we were in bed by then. Lol! The Palace also has a Casino, Disco and Strikers sports bar and bowling lanes.
Overall, it was a relaxing girl’s getaway and we returned refreshed. I would say that the Barcelo Bavaro Palace is a solid 4 star property and the Barcelo Bavaro Beach Resort is a 3 star option. If you can get it for a great price and don’t need lots of activities and entertainment on vacation it would be fine. But honestly, there are so many other options in Punta Cana, I would try some place else if we were to return.
I just returned from the inaugural sailing of Allure of the Seas departing from Royal Caribbean’s new terminal in Galveston . Texas is so excited to get a ship of this size sailing for 7 nights!
Allure of the Seas will be joined by four other Royal Caribbean ships sailing from Galveston in 2023:
Royal Caribbean’s new terminal in Galveston was christened and officially opened on November 9th to accommodate all of these new departures. The new terminal, built by Royal Caribbean for their exclusive use, is state of the art and beautiful. One of the most impressive features is that the terminal is 100% solar powered.
We completed all the steps of the online check in through the app. It was literally 10 minutes from drop off to when we boarded the ship during our designated check in window of 11:00 – 11:30 am. They scanned our set sail pass in the app, checked our passports, we walked through the security screening and then scanned our set sail pass to board. Our room keys were waiting on our cabin door.
Allure is the only ship in the Oasis class that has not been refurbed and amplified. She is showing some minor signs of wear and tear. But you know what? So am I. LOL! Allure of the Seas was built in 2012, so it is time for her to get a little love. She is still an excellent option for anyone looking to sail from Texas.
Getting There
One of the big benefits to sailing from Galveston is that airfare into Houston International (AKA: IAH or George Bush) tends to be more affordable than flights to Ft Lauderdale or Miami, especially around holiday sailings. Houston Hobby is a little bit closer to the pier, but flights tend to be more expensive than into IAH.
The transfer time from the IAH airport to the port is an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on traffic. Royal Caribbean charges $70 round trip per person for transfers. If you are flying in the day before the cruise (which you should), Galveston Express offers transfers for $35 per person each way. You can overnight at an airport hotel or head down to the town of Galveston and enjoy some beach time before your cruise. A quick Uber is the easiest way to get from a Galveston hotel to the terminal for embarkation.
Bon Voyage from Royal Caribbean’s New Terminal in Galveston!
It is awesome to have another port option that can handle the big ships. Make sure to check out Royal Caribbean’s New Terminal in Galveston as an option for your next cruise!
We planned our Avalon Waterways River Cruise on the Danube for the first week in October to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary. We picked this particular ship because it is the newest in Avalon’s fleet and this itinerary was promoted as being an “Active and Discovery” sailing. This meant that they offered multiple touring options in each port to appeal to different interests. In addition to the traditionally included basic city overview tour, they added things like canoeing, biking and hiking for active adventures and discovery options like cooking classes, wine tastings and visiting a Trappist Abbey to sample beers brewed by the monks. We added a few of our own adventures along the way.
PRO TIP: You don’t have to take any of the tours offered by the cruise line. You are free to go off and adventure on your own or even hire a “Tours by Locals” private guide for the day. We saw lots of people on private tours in Budapest.
Daily Newsletters
Here are the daily newsletters from our sailing to give you a good idea of the tour options that were offered on our “Active and Discovery” Avalon Waterways River Cruise on the Danube.
Accommodations
Our cabin was 330, considered a Panorama Suite in Avalon speak. The cabins on deck 2 and 3 are identical, so I am not sure why there is an upcharge for this category to be one deck higher. I would save the money and stay on deck 2. There is some vibration in the rear of the ship when sailing, so mid to forward would be desirable.
Our cabin featured a full sliding door wall that opened to let the outdoors in. It was like a French balcony offered on other river cruise lines but spanned the width of the room. The bed faced the windows which made it the perfect place to relax and enjoy the view. There was also a loveseat and chair with a table, a desk area, plenty of storage space and a wonderful bathroom. We had absolutely no complaints about our accommodations. Here’s a quick tour:
Avalon View Cabin Tour
Food and service
The food was excellent onboard. Avalon Waterways featured local specialties along with traditional options and healthier choices at every meal. Breakfast and Lunch were buffet style but included cooked to order options and stations. Dinner was ala carte. The presentation of all of their dishes was excellent. Beer wine and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner. They also offered a buffet option for lunch and dinner in the lounge. We enjoyed a grilled lunch up on deck one afternoon while docked in Vienna. Afternoon tea was served daily at 4 pm. The lounge in the rear of the ship always had coffee, tea, juice, and water available, along with a selection of cookies and baked goods. It was very close to our cabin so we took full advantage of the treats. The homemade sugar donuts were amazing. My husband ate 5 one day!
Light lunch in the loungeDaily cheese courseOur fun table matesBeautiful dessert presentationLunch on deck at the Grille
The service of the waiters, bar staff, crew and cruise manager was impeccable. We prepaid our gratuities but did not hesitate to tip additional amounts because the service was that good.
Budapest
We flew from Amsterdam to Budapest in the morning and were transferred to the ship by Avalon. After dropping our luggage off and grabbing a quick bite to eat, we wandered off on our own to explore the city. Budapest is clean, safe and easily walkable. We had done a bit of research ahead of time and knew what we wanted to see during our short time there. Our docking position allowed us to walk along the river to the Buda-Castle Funicular, which we rode up the hillside to visit the palace.
Funicular in BudapestThe ride up
We also toured the church and Tom climbed to the top of the tower. The views from the castle were breathtaking.
Beautiful Budapest
We did a little shopping (paprika is a popular souvenir from Budapest and we try to get a Christmas ornament from each place that we visit) and then stopped in the town square to take advantage of the opportunity to increase our luck. After kissing the Blarney Stone on our last trip and then rubbing the horse’s privates in Budapest I may just wind up being the luckiest girl around! These are the stupid things to do that we love to seek out on our adventures.
Really. We didn’t make this up.You can see how shiny they are from all the rubbing!
We returned to the ship in time to set sail around the famous Danube bend. As we were enjoying the scenery, the cruise manager gave a running commentary and shared information about Budapest. When we sailed under one of the bridges, he pointed out that hundreds of students were blocking the traffic in protest of how their teachers at the university were being treated. The captain sounded the horn in support and all the protesters cheered. It was an amazing moment that we will never forget. What we were able to see of Budapest during our short visit was beautiful.
Visegrad
The first stop on our Avalon Waterways River Cruise on the Danube was in the little town of Visegrad. We opted to take the tour hiking up the mountain in Ipoly National Park to visit an ancient castle. The hike was listed as strenuous, and they weren’t kidding. Quite a few people in the group gave up and turned around about halfway up. In the first picture you can see the castle at the top of the hill. You really needed to be in shape and have proper footwear to make it up and back down again. There was a couple in flipflops, and I don’t know how they did it.
Once we got to the top, we decided to break away from the group and have a little adventure of our own. Just 1 kilometer further up the mountain past the castle there is a bobsled park that was a ton of fun. We originally learned about it after researching “things to do in Visegrad” and we found this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjPU6mV7KkU
That’s the castle on topGetting closer!View of our ship from the topBobsled fun!
On the hike down we passed by the tower where Count Dracula was supposedly imprisoned. The weather was a perfect 65 degrees and sunny and it was a wonderful day.
Vienna
Our Avalon Waterways River Cruise on the Danube itinerary featured 2 full days in Vienna, which was perfect. The first day we enjoyed a 3-hour bike tour around the city. Vienna is a busy city and it was a little nerve wracking trying to navigate the traffic with a group of 20 bikers and a guide. There were several times when some of our group got caught by a red light and the guide just kept on going. We saw a lot of the ABC’s…”Another Beautiful Church.” We made a brief stop at a café to enjoy a coffee, water or beer and somehow 2 ladies were left behind, so the guide had to return to find them. It was a great way to see a lot of the city in a short period of time, but was pretty stressful, too.
Biking in ViennaABC in ViennaSelfie with Patty and Tom!
After returning to the ship for a bite of lunch, we headed off on our own to explore Vienna. Just 4 subway stops from where our ship was docked was Café Central, a don’t miss delight. Originally opened in 1876, they offer an amazing array of Viennese pastries with coffee all set in a breathtakingly elegant surrounding. It was all very Vienna-ish. Don’t let the line outside scare you away. It moves quickly and was definitely worth the wait.
Line up at the Cafe CentralCappuccinoSweet treatsMore delicious optionsSo yumA liitle historyBeautiful!
We opted out of the classical music concert tour offered by Avalon Waterways this evening and decided to explore more of Vienna on our own instead. When we took the bike tour earlier in the day, we rode past an Oktoberfest Beer festival that was taking place just outside of the Prater Amusement Park. Both the festival and the amusement park offer free admission. The festival had a huge variety of beers and wines, traditional Austrian food (we had some sort of amazing sausage stuffed with cheese) and several beer halls with live music and dancing. It was great fun.
Vienna at Night
So much fun in Vienna!Tom and Tom sampling the beer options
Afterward, we boarded the giant Ferris wheel which was erected in 1897 to watch the sunset over Vienna. After purchasing a hand painted Christmas ornament, we walked back to the ship and it was the perfect end to a magical day. You can find out more about the amusement park at praterwein.com
Ferris wheel at PraterViews from the topAnother selfie
On our second day in Vienna, we started the morning with a 2 ½ mile walk from the ship to Vienna Island and across the bridges. After lunch, I needed to get some work done so my husband ventured out on another crazy adventure. We booked it last minute through the website for Wein Hotrod Tour here: https://www.hotrod-tour-wien.com/homewien/seite124/.
Tom tooling around Vienna
We both loved Vienna.
From this point on, our Avalon Waterways River Cruise on the Danube itinerary made several stops a day for the rest of the cruise. I’ll be honest, some of the small towns and villages are blending together in my memory, but I will do my best to share the highlights.
Krems
Our next stop on our Avalon Waterways river cruise on the Danube was at the pretty little town of Krems, where we enjoyed the “Austrian Wine World Experience” tour. This was actually one of the highlights of the trip for me. We took a short motorcoach ride (maybe 10 minutes away) to the Winzer Krems winery. It was a beautiful place and our Austrian tour guide, Fred was a delight.
He took us into the vineyard and explained the different types of grapes and how the soil, elevation and sunshine determine the sweetness. The winery started as a cooperative between 8 local farmers who joined together to share harvesting and winemaking equipment, but now includes over 250 farmers. We enjoyed tasting 3 different wines and viewed a 4D film about the winemaking process.
Winery EntranceSampling the redGrapes educationGrapes on the vineOur wonderful guide
I was happy to hear that their most popular varieties (including Riesling, my favorite) are sold at Total Wine in the US, so we can pick up a bottle to enjoy at home anytime.
Grein
We arrived in the evening and went for an after dinner walk into town. Everyplace in town was closed, but we did find a little restaurant open where we met up with another couple from our cruise for a drink.
Avalon offered an early morning walking tour the next morning before we set sail at 9:45am, but I didn’t make it up for that. My husband explored a bit on his own.
Mauthausen
We enjoyed a 3 hour biking excursion that covered over 13 miles of trails along the Danube. The weather was 65 and sunny and the trees were just starting to show their fall colors. We stopped halfway through our ride to visit an organic farm and learn about the Austrian organic farming process. He shared some of his crop with us including organic beet and carrot juice, which was delicious. It was a beautiful ride through the Austrian countryside.
Organic carrot and beet juiceThe bikers getting ready to tour the farm
Linz
I am honestly not sure why we stopped in Linz, because everything was closed when we arrived in the evening. It looked like a fun city, but we just went for a walk after dinner and that was all that we saw. We sailed during the night to our next port.
Engelhartszell
This morning we visited the Engelszell Abbey, which was ABC within walking distance of where our ship was docked. This was the only day that we had rain and it was just a slight drizzle. Afterward, we enjoyed a Trappist beer and cheese tasting at the only restaurant in Engelhartszell. There are only 13 Trappist breweries in the world, so it was a real treat to try 3 of the beers created by the monks to sell to the public in order to provide for all of their expenses.
After all of that beer sipping I was sleepy, so I took the afternoon off to relax and get some work done. My husband and some of our new cruise friends hiked up the Daubes Schlogen Oxbow to enjoy some beautiful views of the rivers’ bend. Our adventure guide said it was another difficult hike, so I am glad I opted out this time.
Before dinner we set sail past Passau and enjoyed more commentary from the cruise manager on deck and in the lounges.
Sailing through PassauSunset over Passau
Deggendorf
The next morning, we disembarked at 6am in Deggendorf for a private one hour transfer to Munich arranged by Avalon Waterways for our return flight home.
I don’t have a single complaint about our Avalon Waterways Cruise on the Danube onboard the Avalon View. Because it was an “Active and Discovery” itinerary, I think the passengers trended younger (or at least younger at heart) than a normal river cruise. There were no passengers onboard with mobility issues. We really enjoyed the extra tour options that were available as part of the “Active and Discovery” experience. The food was wonderful, the service was excellent, and the ship was spotlessly clean, contemporary and elegant. It was a solid 5 out of 5 star experience.
The beauty of sailing with Avalon Waterways on the Danube
We are already talking about where we would like to go on our next Avalon Waterways River Cruise. After all, I think river cruising is more fun with friends, so I will be putting out some feelers to see if there is any interest in traveling as part of a customized group that includes many of these “Active and Discovery” type of experiences.
Have a layover in Amsterdam and wondering where is the coolest trendiest place to stay? Looking for an amazing pre or post cruise hotel option in Amsterdam? Well, here it is, the Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam.
Not hip or cool 🙂
We visited Amsterdam last year when Covid restrictions were still in place, which included a 5 pm curfew for the entire city. While we did enjoy a canal cruise that gave us a great overview of the city, we missed out on the nightlife that Amsterdam is famous for.
We also wanted to visit the Anne Frank House, which we were unable to tour on our last trip. The Sir Adam Hotel is an easy 20 minute walk from the Anne Frank House and Museum. Pro Tip: You do need to purchase tickets in advance online. They go on sale on the first Tuesday of the month prior to your visit and always sell out. You can check availability and purchase tickets here.
We promised ourselves that we would be back to further explore more of what this beautiful city has to offer, so we snuck in an overnight stay on our way to Budapest.
Beautiful Amsterdam
The Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam is a quirky little-known property that offers tons of personality and the opportunity to pretend that you are truly hip and cool for the night. Except I doubt that hip and cool people actually use terms like hip and cool.
It is located just across the river from the Central Train Station and the free ferry docks just outside of the hotel. The Sir Adam is fully themed for the Rockstar lifestyle. The lobby features a fabulous bar area overlooking the canal. Each of the 4 elevators are themed, including a disco ball and a karaoke lift. Here’s more proof of how truly not hip and cool I am…
Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam Disco Elevator
The rooms are fantastic and fun. They have a fully stocked mini bar, turntable with a record library and music paraphernalia décor throughout. The toilet and shower were in separate rooms with the sink in the main room. We had an amazing view of Amsterdam from the 6th floor.
PRO TIP: If you are traveling light, you can take the train from the airport to the Central Station (it’s about a 25-minute ride) for approximately 5 Euro. From there, walk out the back of the train station and board the free 5 minute ferry to the hotel. We were not traveling light because we sailed on an Avalon Danube River Cruise after our stay. We opted for the ease of a taxi which set us back 90 Euro each way, but did get to ride in a Tesla there and a spotless Mercedes SUV on the way back, so we’ll just chalk that expense up to “pampering ourselves”.
The rooftop of The Sir Adam Hotel features “The Lookout”. It provides amazing views of the city, cocktails, and a crazy swing experience. I thought it would be a great idea to try the swing. I’ll let the video show how well that worked out for me:
The Lookout swing at The Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam
I am normally not afraid of heights. I have gone skydiving and bungie jumping before without issue. But something about the swinging motion really did me in. It was like we were repeatedly being thrown over the edge of the building. I needed to regroup with a cold cocktail after that adventure!
We actually called it a night early because the time change was kicking in and we had a morning flight to Budapest. My next post will share the details about our “Active and Discovery Cruise on the Danube with Avalon Waterways”!
LAST PRO TIP: If you are American and need to connect in Europe, consider Amsterdam over Charles De Galle in Paris. In Amsterdam, the signage is in English, the people are friendly and speak English and you don’t have to go through security and customs when changing planes. Even with the increase in travel and crowds, it was still an organized and civilized experience.
Disclaimer: We are in our 50’s and totally not hip and cool enough to stay at The Sir Adam Hotel in Amsterdam. We didn’t let that stop us and neither should you.
Norwegian Prima’s next stop after crossing the Atlantic was Cobh (Cork) Ireland. Since we had to get back to the states for a destination wedding, we cut our cruise short and disembarked in Cobh. We had a full day to explore the area, because our flight back to Detroit didn’t depart Cork, Ireland until 6 am the next day. So, we decided to cram as much “luck of the Irish” as we could into a few hours. I have been to Ireland before, but it was my husbands first visit.
We hired a private car and driver to pick us up at the ship and take us sightseeing for the day. We booked our tour with “Tours by Locals” and our driver, Paul, was a real character. He was an aggressive driver with a passion for the sport of hurling (which is kind of like lacrosse, but full contact). Because of Paul’s heavy accent I could only understand about half of what he was saying, but the half I understood was laced with F bombs and “friendly banter”. Paul decided that our day in Ireland should start with Whiskey tasting at Jameson’s for breakfast. Frankly, I was a little scared of Paul so I wasn’t going to put up much of a fight. “When in Ireland…”
Jameson Distillery Tour
We left the quant little seaside town of Cobh (where the Titanic sailed it’s first and last voyage from) and drove for 20 minutes to the original Jameson Distillery in Midleton, Ireland. We paid for a tour of the facility followed by a whiskey tasting. It was a very interesting and informative tour. For the tasting we did a blind taste test of Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker Red and the Jameson Irish Whiskey, which is triple distilled. There was no comparison…The Jameson was much smoother.
Jameson Taste Test
My husband Tommy added a deluxe tasting, so he was able to try 4 different premium Jameson pours. His favorite was the Black Barrel, which had a smoky flavor. It is only available to purchase there at the original distillery.
Premium Jameson Tasting
There is another Jameson location in Dublin available for tourists to visit, but the Midleton location is the original distillery. Our tour lasted approximately 1 hour and cost around 20 Euro per person. It included the tasting at the end plus a Jameson beverage of your choice from the bar. I opted for Jameson and Ginger Ale. They also have a nice gift shop and a food truck available for snacks. It was an interesting and very Irish way to start the day for sure!
Blarney Castle
From there, we headed West to visit Blarney Castle. Most of the cruise ship tours start the day at Blarney Castle, so we lucked out with our timing and the crowds were manageable. Paul dropped us at the front gates and showed us where to meet when we were done. We walked around the grounds a bit and then headed to the castle. Paul had warned us to expect at least an hour wait, but we were done within a half hour. Pro Tip: You must be able to walk up and down a steep, uneven stone spiral staircase to get to the roof of the castle where the Blarney Stone is.
Kissing the Blarney Stone is said to give you the gift of gab, so if this blog post is a little long and rambley you will know why! Lol! They do clean the stone with disinfectant in between kisses. They also take a photo that you can purchase but allow you to take your own pictures as well.
When we came down from the castle there was a bag piper playing which just completed the whole experience perfectly.
Blarney CastleSteep StairsBagpiper
From Blarney Castle we headed into downtown Cork to see the sights. We visited an old fort with an amazing rooftop view of the city. We strolled around the English Market which was filled with traditional Irish food stalls, so we sampled some local delicacies for lunch. Paul’s friend owns a handmade confectionary shop where we picked up some candy treats. Paul suggest a quick drink at the Mutton Lane Inn, the oldest pub in Cork, but I was still burping Jameson from breakfast.
Cork International Hotel in Cork, Ireland
At that point I was wiped out (which is what happens when you start your day with Irish Whiskey for breakfast). I was ready for a nap, so Paul dropped us (and our luggage) off at the Cork International Hotel. It was within walking distance of the airport, but they do offer a complimentary shuttle service as well. They had a restaurant on site for dinner called The New Yorker Bar, which was just ok. It was an early bedtime since we had to get up at 3 am to catch our 6 am flight to Amsterdam. We connected from there to Detroit. We arrived home on time and exhausted from all our adventures. 😊
