# River cruising



## PClapham (May 19, 2018)

Could someone let me know what the dress code is for European river cruises?  My husband would prefer blue jeans rather than khakis if possible.

Thanks

Anita


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## JudyH (May 19, 2018)

Jeans are fine for day time. Not really for dinner.


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## sun starved Gayle (May 19, 2018)

It depends on the cruise line too. Some are a little more upscale, and you are expected to dress accordingly. What cruise line are you using?


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## Passepartout (May 19, 2018)

We are going AMA. Suggestions?


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## klpca (May 19, 2018)

One of my male clients suggested black travel pants because they don't wrinkle, won't look dirty, are lightweight, and look nice when you need to dress them up. I bought a pair for my husband and they look great. Maybe this would work for your cruise?


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## beejaybeeohio (May 20, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> We are going AMA. Suggestions?


Hi Jim-
We are thinking of AMA or Avalon for the Danube in fall '19 (see my thread under Vacation Travel Info).  Any tips on getting a good deal?
Barb


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## Passepartout (May 20, 2018)

klpca said:


> One of my male clients suggested black travel pants because they don't wrinkle, won't look dirty, are lightweight, and look nice when you need to dress them up. I bought a pair for my husband and they look great. Maybe this would work for your cruise?


These are what I have. From Costco.


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## Passepartout (May 20, 2018)

beejaybeeohio said:


> Hi Jim-
> We are thinking of AMA or Avalon for the Danube in fall '19 (see my thread under Vacation Travel Info).  Any tips on getting a good deal?
> Barb


We are going with Dave. www.rivercruiseking.com there are other threads about Dave (formerly 'friends of dave'. He's getting married and reserving the whole boat next Summer. We are also considering (not a cruise) 9 day tour in cherry blossom season in Japan. Wanna go?

Jim


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## VacationForever (May 20, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> We are going with Dave. www.rivercruiseking.com there are other threads about Dave (formerly 'friends of dave'. He's getting married and reserving the whole boat next Summer. We are also considering (not a cruise) 9 day tour in cherry blossom season in Japan. Wanna go?
> 
> Jim


I looked at it, is it the May 26th one?  River cruises are so expensive.


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## Passepartout (May 20, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> I looked at it, is it the May 26th one?  River cruises are so expensive.


We are doing the Castles & Wine cruise in July. It will be 50 years since I left that area of Germany to go to Vietnam. The wedding cruise is June 9, 2019. Yes, they are, which is why this is our first one.


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## VacationForever (May 20, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> We are doing the Castles & Wine cruise in July. It will be 50 years since I left that area of Germany to go to Vietnam. The wedding cruise is June 9, 2019. Yes, they are, which is why this is our first one.


We will be returning from Copenhagen in May, so maybe we will look for a river cruise in 2020 or 2021.  So much to travel and see, so little money.


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## beejaybeeohio (May 21, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> We are going with Dave. www.rivercruiseking.com there are other threads about Dave (formerly 'friends of dave'. He's getting married and reserving the whole boat next Summer. We are also considering (not a cruise) 9 day tour in cherry blossom season in Japan. Wanna go?
> 
> Jim



Coincidentally, late yesterday I noticed in "My Favorites" on my laptop a link to river agent. Et voila! it was to Dave!  He does have a cruise on the brand-new AMA Magna departing 10/27/19 which fits into our travel timeframe.  But the pricing for the lowest category cabins is 1k more than if we chose a later cruise. 

We are up to 4 cabins of "siblings" who are up for cruising the Danube. 

Not sure about Japan- current travel plans are:
t/s in Maine followed by the Canadian Maritimes for 10 days
t/s in Ontario Canada- the Chaudiere Lodge all-inclusive fishing camp
Celebrity Edge not-so-inaugural Inaugural
B2B Celebrity Eclipse B.A. to San Diego

Since these trips are nearly fully planned, time to start on the next otherwise I go into withdrawal!


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## Passepartout (May 21, 2018)

I'll probably have a lot more to say about river cruising after July. We have friends who just can't say enough good about it, but I have reservations. AMAMagna (for those unfamiliar) is nearly twice as large as other river cruise bosts. I think in effort to get some economies of scale and reduce costs, but I think they're sacrificing the small ship intimacy that makes river cruising special.

Stay tuned

Jim


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## Glynda (May 21, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I'll probably have a lot more to say about river cruising after July. We have friends who just can't say enough good about it, but I have reservations. AMAMagna (for those unfamiliar) is nearly twice as large as other river cruise bosts. I think in effort to get some economies of scale and reduce costs, but I think they're sacrificing the small ship intimacy that makes river cruising special.
> 
> Stay tuned
> 
> Jim



How special is this one? https://www.europeanwaterways.com/fleet/panache/
Friends of ours took this ship on a Holland at tulip time cruise and loved it! They travel to Europe twice a year and use Kensington or Abercrombie & Kent to make their travel arrangements. They said they loved every bit of it and the food was fabulous! Not sure I would want to be limited to only 10 other passengers. Not only the cost, but what if you didn't like them? Oh, well, we'll just charter the whole ship!


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## JudyH (May 22, 2018)

Dave is a hoot. We did a one day trip with him years ago. Full of energy.


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## Passepartout (May 22, 2018)

JudyH said:


> Dave is a hoot. We did a one day trip with him years ago. Full of energy.


Yeah. We (unbeknownst to anything) signed up with Dave for a day tour in Warnemunde Germany on a cruise stop. WELL, that was an absolute HOOT! and got us into 'Friends Of Dave', a truly unique but as we found out, not particularly exclusive, group (several other TUGgers are too) SO we signed up for his Christmas Markets Amsterdam to Basel in '16. But 2016 was not a good year health wise, so we had to cancel 2 weeks before departure. Fortunately, it was insured, and with Dave's association with AMA, we for all our money back, and are considered 'past cruisers' for discount purposes with them. 

Anyway, we are going a little early to Munich in July so I can take my DW to Ulm, where I was stationed back in the '60's- then off to cruise to Luxembourg.

Jim


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## PClapham (May 23, 2018)

I had no idea there were so many cruise companies or river cruises!  Our son arranged this one on a company called Avalon Waterways but we did not know what to pack-I’m understanding that decent blue jeans (not his usual disreputable farm ones) ok for day but better clothing for dinner.?  Now I have to figure out the weather going from Amsterdam to Basel in July.
Thanks.

Anita


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## MULTIZ321 (May 23, 2018)

PClapham said:


> I had no idea there were so many cruise companies or river cruises!  Our son arranged this one on a company called Avalon Waterways but we did not know what to pack-I’m understanding that decent blue jeans (not his usual disreputable farm ones) ok for day but better clothing for dinner.?  Now I have to figure out the weather going from Amsterdam to Basel in July.
> Thanks.
> 
> Anita



Hi Anita,

Weatherbase is your friend: http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/country.php3?r=EUR&regionname=Europe



Have a great trip

Richard


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## Passepartout (May 23, 2018)

PClapham said:


> I had no idea there were so many cruise companies or river cruises!  Our son arranged this one on a company called Avalon Waterways but we did not know what to pack-I’m understanding that decent blue jeans (not his usual disreputable farm ones) ok for day but better clothing for dinner.?  Now I have to figure out the weather going from Amsterdam to Basel in July.


Don't lose sleep over it. If your husband is more comfortable in jeans, that's what he should wear. I have found that 'performance polo's are the greatest shirt in the world for guys. T-shirt comfort with a collar, and no buttons to (ahem) spread over an ample midriff. Perfect, and they can be washed out in a cruise ship sink if necessary. Costco or golf stores. Bring a light raincoat, and a long sleeve top or two for evenings or a cool day. I like boat shoes. They're casual dressy enough for dinner, but great with shorts. My DW wears Alegria shoes. Great support, fun styles, closed toes.

Jim


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## EZ-ED (May 26, 2018)

PClapham said:


> Could someone let me know what the dress code is for European river cruises?  My husband would prefer blue jeans rather than khakis if possible.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Anita



We are departing on a Viking RC (Paris to Normandy) this coming August. As we have never done a River Cruise and this will be our 4th week in the Euro zone suitcase space will be at a premium. I used youtube.com to check out what cruisers were wearing by doing searches for Viking and other lines. I'll probably take a couple of pair of Dockers but my Wranglers would be fine with a nice shirt/sweater. YMMV.
Enjoy your trip


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## Linda74 (May 28, 2018)

beejaybeeohio said:


> Hi Jim-
> We are thinking of AMA or Avalon for the Danube in fall '19 (see my thread under Vacation Travel Info).  Any tips on getting a good deal?
> Barb


We did the Danube on Avalon last May.  It was awesome.  We are doing a south of France cruise with them this July.  We got great deals on both through Pavlus Travel.  On the first we got free airfare and on the French we are getting a night in Monte Carlo and two in Paris in very exclusive hotels.  My advice would be to opt for a less expensive cabin.  On the Danube, we were only in our cabin to sleep.  It saves about $1100 per person.  Check for offers.  Once on the cruise, there are very little extra costs as excursions and wine are included.


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## Linda74 (May 28, 2018)

Linda74 said:


> We did the Danube on Avalon last May.  It was awesome.  We are doing a south of France cruise with them this July.  We got great deals on both through Pavlus Travel.  On the first we got free airfare and on the French we are getting a night in Monte Carlo and two in Paris in very exclusive hotels.  My advice would be to opt for a less expensive cabin.  On the Danube, we were only in our cabin to sleep.  It saves about $1100 per person.  Check for offers.  Once on the cruise, there are very little extra costs as excursions and wine are included.


Also, no one was overdressed.  Those Costco travel pants would be fine or nice jeans with a jacket or Polo.  I brought a lot of fancy clothes I never wore!


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## sun starved Gayle (May 28, 2018)

Linda74 said:


> We did the Danube on Avalon last May.  It was awesome.  We are doing a south of France cruise with them this July.  We got great deals on both through Pavlus Travel.  On the first we got free airfare and on the French we are getting a night in Monte Carlo and two in Paris in very exclusive hotels.  My advice would be to opt for a less expensive cabin.  On the Danube, we were only in our cabin to sleep.  It saves about $1100 per person.  Check for offers.  Once on the cruise, there are very little extra costs as excursions and wine are included.



I agree with Linda about booking a less expensive cabin. We did this on our Uniworld Vineyards and Chateaux tour last fall and were very comfortable,. We were only in our cabin to sleep. Otherwise we were up on the sundeck or in the lounge. This a poor picture of our cabin. The water line was just below the portholes. I thought I might feel claustrophobic but that was not the case at all.


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## sun starved Gayle (May 28, 2018)

I also want to recommend these travel pants for women at Costco:

https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Ladies'-Ankle-Length-Travel-Pant.product.100321853.html

They come in a large variety of sizes and colors in two different lengths, and best of all, are $13.99 with free shipping ! They get great reviews, some people compare them to travel pants on Orvis that are $80.00. I took two black pair on my cruise and wore them a lot, even on the plane home. I have a pair in almost every color and in several lengths.  They seem to run big, so I bought a size down. I LOVE these pants !


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## VacationForever (May 28, 2018)

sun starved Gayle said:


> I also want to recommend these travel pants for women at Costco:
> 
> https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Ladies'-Ankle-Length-Travel-Pant.product.100321853.html
> 
> They come in a large variety of sizes and colors in two different lengths, and best of all, are $13.99 with free shipping ! They get great reviews, some people compare them to travel pants on Orvis that are $80.00. I took two black pair on my cruise and wore them a lot, even on the plane home. I have a pair in almost every color and in several lengths. I LOVE these pants !



I wear 32.5 inseem and really dislike short legs pants so this won't work for me.  I buy lightweight pants with drawstrings and they work very well for me. Lands End has ones that I like that are non-baggy and are of great quality but it does not carry them all the time.


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## Anne&Jim (May 28, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> Yeah. We (unbeknownst to anything) signed up with Dave for a day tour in Warnemunde Germany on a cruise stop. WELL, that was an absolute HOOT! and got us into 'Friends Of Dave', a truly unique but as we found out, not particularly exclusive, group (several other TUGgers are too) SO we signed up for his Christmas Markets Amsterdam to Basel in '16. But 2016 was not a good year health wise, so we had to cancel 2 weeks before departure. Fortunately, it was insured, and with Dave's association with AMA, we for all our money back, and are considered 'past cruisers' for discount purposes with them.
> 
> Anyway, we are going a little early to Munich in July so I can take my DW to Ulm, where I was stationed back in the '60's- then off to cruise to Luxembourg.
> 
> Jim



Not to hijack your thread, but it IS Memorial Day and my dear father was also stationed in Ulm in the late fifties, early sixties.  You are the first person I’ve ever heard who was stationed there as well.  God bless you and all who have served to protect our freedom.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## beejaybeeohio (May 30, 2018)

We finally booked our Avalon Legendary Danube with a local TA.  She refers to the lowest deck as the "SWAN" because you can see them gliding by from your high windows!


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## Passepartout (May 30, 2018)

beejaybeeohio said:


> We finally booked our Avalon Legendary Danube with a local TA.  She refers to the lowest deck as the "SWAN" because you can see them gliding by from your high windows!


Great! Our agent always books those cabins for himself too. I suspect we'll learn. But our upcoming AMA cruise will have both a French balcony and one with sitting space.


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## VacationForever (May 30, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> Great! Our agent always books those cabins for himself too. I suspect we'll learn. But our upcoming AMA cruise will have both a French balcony and one with sitting space.


We will be traveling with our Travel Agent next April, the name which I PM'ed the OP.  We are so looking forward to it!  He is fabulous and reached out to me if I wanted an owners' suite cabin when the itinerary was just released.  My ~600 sq owners' suite is now the same price as an entry level balcony on the same cruise, and prices usually go up after itineraries are first released.  I have yet to meet him in person but he is absolutely the best.


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## Passepartout (May 30, 2018)

VacationForever said:


> We will be traveling with our Travel Agent next April, the name which I PM'ed the OP.  We are so looking forward to it!  He is fabulous and reached out to me if I wanted an owners' suite cabin when the itinerary was just released.  My ~600 sq owners' suite is now the same price as an entry level balcony on the same cruise, and prices usually go up after itineraries are first released.  I have yet to meet him in person but he is absolutely the best.


I can see that from this and other posts that you are fortunate and that we travel differently. I wish you the very best!


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## VacationForever (May 30, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I can see that from this and other posts that you are fortunate and that we travel differently. I wish you the very best!


We may not be that different.  We do like Celebrity Cruises alot.  My husband wants to go on river cruises but cannot get his head around the smaller cabins on river cruises.


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## jlp879 (May 31, 2018)

I did a Scenic 'Gems of the Danube' river cruise at a girlfriend's insistence two summers ago.  We had the cheapest cabin at the lowest level; but the best time.  

Scenic is an Australian company and the majority of travelers were Australian, British and Canadian.  We were only in our compact water level cabin for sleeping and showering.  The rest of the time we were out and about in port or in the lounge or dining room.  Even the folks who had balcony cabins informed us that they hardly had time to use them at all.  Maybe it was because the Aussies are such fun, down-to-earth and casual people who love to have a good time.  

The dress code during the daytime was whatever you're comfortable sightseeing in.  The dinner time dress code was one tiny step up from that.  One night was a Captain's dinner where men wore jackets and women wore slightly more elegant but still comfortable clothing.  In Vienna we went to a musical evening at the Liechtenstein Palace and again that was as dressy as people got.  I wore a skirt and a blouse.  Still, everyone was way less dressed up as on a gala or formal night on an ocean going cruise ship.  If your husband wants to wear well-fitted dark denims and a dress shirt, he'll fit in just fine.  Throw a jacket over that and he's good to go most places.


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## PClapham (Jun 1, 2018)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Hi Anita,
> 
> Weatherbase is your friend: http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/country.php3?r=EUR&regionname=Europe
> 
> ...


This is really useful!
Anita


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## Mamianka (Jun 2, 2018)

Passepartout said:


> I'll probably have a lot more to say about river cruising after July. We have friends who just can't say enough good about it, but I have reservations. AMAMagna (for those unfamiliar) is nearly twice as large as other river cruise bosts. I think in effort to get some economies of scale and reduce costs, but I think they're sacrificing the small ship intimacy that makes river cruising special.
> 
> Stay tuned
> 
> Jim




Three years ago we took our first Danube River Cruise with Tauck.  They do not advertise ever (since the 1920s!) and after thorough research, we found them the best for us.  We now have another booked from Barcelona to Lisbon in June 2019.  No more than 200 people, Danube Cruise was under 130, and although we always do tons of research, I do not think we will ever use anyone else, in a location they service. Yes, river cruising is expensive , and we do not go every year, but we cannot abide tiny cabins, and a city-a-day hustle. Your beginning and ending cities have 3 days each in stunning accomodations.  All ties included, and entrance before and after hours only for us.  Everything, down to the first detail is included, and no tipping ever. We are certainly not super rich, but have taken vacations in the past where we took a middling less expensive choice - and were sorry.  Years ago a colleague took a different trip (not cruise) to the same destination, and when we compared notes at home, she said they should have gone with us.  I have never ever heard anyone say anything negative, except one snob who groused about the fine wine pairing with one dinner!! For all the effort and expense, we feel that spending all little more for an EXCELLENT experience is better than saving a few bucks and feeling flogged, and in lesser accomodations.  Do not want to sound snobby about this, because we are not - we worked hard for our $$ and will prefer good value over lower price, every time.  And as we get other catalogs sent us, we see that MANY are more in Tauck's range now - just not as convenient itineraries. We still read all the other catalogs and hit all the websites - and see the differences that matter to US. I wish they had guest operated washer/dryers - but it voting is travel friendly (I live in crinkles! Him in performance shirts.) and we have personal laundry all figured out. Just my 2 cents - although it seems I write a whole roll of pennies today.


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## tpincus (Jun 2, 2018)

PClapham said:


> Could someone let me know what the dress code is for European river cruises?  My husband would prefer blue jeans rather than khakis if possible.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Anita


Been on many European River Cruises, jeans of every color or khakis perfectly acceptable at all times. No need for fancy dress up ever. Best compromise for men is black jeans.


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## vacationers (Jun 2, 2018)

I wanted to comment on the statement "River Cruising, another vacation alternative! 
While not directly timeshare related" I can use my Marriott Time Share points on ocean and river cruises. This was the flexibility that sold me on Marriott time sharing.


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## ebratt (Jun 2, 2018)

PClapham said:


> Could someone let me know what the dress code is for European river cruises?  My husband would prefer blue jeans rather than khakis if possible.
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Anita



It depends on which Cruise Line you are using. Some are more upscale I have been on 8th River cruises with Viking and have always worn either just khakis or blue jeans they do appreciate slacks when dining in the dining room as opposed to blue jeans or shorts they also request mens shirts have a collar in the dining room, but of course there are some people that don't abide by the requested guidelines.


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## ebratt (Jun 2, 2018)

beejaybeeohio said:


> Hi Jim-
> We are thinking of AMA or Avalon for the Danube in fall '19 (see my thread under Vacation Travel Info).  Any tips on getting a good deal?
> Barb




Before booking your cruise check to see what tours are included and what tours are free some of the cruise lines that have the less expensive prices you have to pay for your tours they are not included in the price this can make a big difference in the overall cost. If you speak with a booking agent they should be able to provide you a list of optional and included tours so you can compare


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## BigRedOne (Jun 2, 2018)

I’ve looked into river cruising here in the US but stopped pretty quickly at the price.  My wife and I have taken several Caribbean cruises, however, and absolutely love them.  Where else can you step onto a resort and not have to do a thing; they clean your room (several times a day) make your bed and even leave towel animals in the evening.  Of course, the food….  The shore excursions are OK but just being pampered is the big item. Oh, did I mention the entertainment?  All this starting at what you would pay (or less) for your maintenance fees, RCI fees and trading fees, not to mention what you initially paid for the resort.


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## rjkafka (Jun 3, 2018)

Again, don't loose sleep over it but you can call the cruise company, tell them the specific cruise, and they will tell you if there are any dress up events.  We were on a Tauck that included two elegant events where I would not have felt comfortable in jeans - or travel pants and a polo for that matter.  Like others, I love jeans but I find travel pants are very comfortable, safer with zipper pockets, look nicer and dry much faster.


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## rjp123 (Jun 6, 2018)

beejaybeeohio said:


> t/s in Ontario Canada- the Chaudiere Lodge all-inclusive fishing camp



Sorry for the Off Topic here, but did you get this via an HGVC trade?  I would love to do this and I don't see it in the RCI via the HGVC website.  Thanks.


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## taterhed (Jun 6, 2018)

The 'black jeans'  are just as comfy as the regular jeans (once washed a time or two) but are much classier IMHO.  Blue-jeans are a classic American calling-card in Europe after dark.   I have a few pair of wranglers in black and with a jacket, they are much better looking than blue. Again, IMHO.  The 'dress' wrangler jeans are some strange semi-stretch fabric as well.  Very comfortable and more dressy than the regular jeans after being washed a bunch.

cheers!  Can't wait for river cruises...but after retirement.  I hope Prague will wait for us to retire before succumbing to the tourists.


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## Passepartout (Jun 6, 2018)

taterhed said:


> cheers!  Can't wait for river cruises...but after retirement.  I hope Prague will wait for us to retire before succumbing to the tourists.


You're too late. Prague was well over run with tourists when I first went there in the '80's, but don't fret. Just go and accept it as it is. "The City of Spires" will be fine. Disney would be great without tourists too, but it ain't gonna happen.


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## beejaybeeohio (Jun 8, 2018)

rjp123 said:


> Sorry for the Off Topic here, but did you get this via an HGVC trade?  I would love to do this and I don't see it in the RCI via the HGVC website.  Thanks.



We got it thru RCI weeks using 14 TPUs. I think the all-inclusive fee is @600 USD pp. We originally has a Sat. start date, but when we called the Lodge in January after we'd confirmed with RCI and indicated we wanted a studio with a screen porch, we were permitted by the Lodge to check in on a Thursday.  Wonderful service.  You could book with the Lodge on your own. https://www.chaudierelodge.net/


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