34904GER
Facts and Free Time
Three day (and night) cruise from Basel to Düsseldorf
with Viking River Cruises.
(DIS)EMBARKATION PROCEDURE
Confirm your reservation and exact numbers in advance, confirm also the cabin numbers for your group – they will need to write them on the special luggage tags provided.
Make sure you know exactly where in Basel the ship departs from, you should be met at this point by an employee who will check your group in – the luggage will be dealt with by members of the crew. Porterage will also be arranged for disembarkation in Düsseldorf. Remember this when it comes to tipping the crew. Your touring bus should be waiting for you at the towpath in Düsseldorf.
Let the group leaders and ship’s officers know where you can be contacted and post a bulletin.
CRUISE ACTIVITIES
This is what might be called a typical cruise in the sense that there is a lot of food involved! The group will be on full board. There is also a bar, sauna and, probably, a very small swimming pool. The crew will offer some other activities whilst the ship is cruising. A daily programme is put in your cabin every day.
You should accompany the group on the shore excursions for which you will be given tickets as their group leader – claim these in advance from the purser’s office.
SHORE EXCURSIONS
Your group will be booked on some or all of the following excursions.
Sightseeing in Strasbourg; a bus and walking tour given by a local guide with a little free time afterwards.
Sightseeing in Speyer & Worms; bus and walking tours of these ancient cities (with wonderful cathedrals) returning to the ship in Mannheim.
Sightseeing in Heidelberg; bus picks up in Mannheim, takes you to see Heidelberg castle then you have a little free time in the city center before the bus returns you to the ship in Mannheim.
Sightseeing in Cologne; bus and/or walking tour of the city centre including a visit to the wonderful Gothic cathedral.
EVENING ACTIVITIES
You will find that the ship docks overnight. On the first evening out of Basel there is not much to see. However, the second and third evenings may give you the opportunity to explore the city of Speyer and the town of Rüdesheim, Linz am Rhein or Cologne. Basic maps of the cities can be obtained from the purser’s office.
Speyer. You will have to walk for about 10 – 15 minutes to get to the cathedral which dominates the city. The walk is a pleasant one through a park, obviously the cathedral is going to be closed but there are several cafes with outdoor terraces on the (pedestrianised) main street behind it.
Rüdesheim. The ship docks by the town centre, pax can stroll round the centre and visit a café if they wish. The ship offers an optional guided tour – they pay.
Cologne. You will probably dock right in the centre of Cologne close to one of the city’s liveliest areas with many cafes and bars. Again it is about 10 minutes to the cathedral – it’s so imposing you cannot miss it!
OTHER INFORMATION
The purser’s office will change money although it’s normally a better rate at the banks, etc. They also have stamps and there’s a post box on board, which is emptied regularly. Your group can also change money and find ATMs at the various stops. It is possible to telephone from the ship but this is a mobile line and is, therefore, very expensive.
Enjoy it! This may well be the most relaxing time you ever have as an ACIS Tour Manager – you’ll probably even get time for some reading!!
NB: Time on board can be boring – especially for younger groups.
Arrange a space – such as the bar- free during the afternoon for you to do some commentary (Rhine legends etc).
Likewise the commentary on excursions varies. Try to get the group alone to add additional tips, info etc.