Everything was done for us. Our room was cleaned, our beds made and the bathroom scrubbed and restocked while we were down having breakfast or out for the morning. Our cleaner was just gorgeous being bright and cheerful. He would make Heidi towel animals sitting them on the bed with some of our nick nacks that were left around. We would return from sight seeing to one of these beasts.
It was so lovely of him and the room was always immaculate. How great it was not to worry about housework for a change. Every night our beds would be turned down and a chocolate put on our pillows. The curtains were drawn and the lights above our bed switched on for when we got back from dinner. It was so nice and cosy to come back to. It is always the little things that make a difference. We felt at home and special.
Meals were a delight. Not having to think "What is for dinner?" is just fantastic. The food was all there for us and the menu was extensive and varied every day. The chefs catered well to everyone's taste with a wide variety of food. I miss it now that I a home and have to shop and cook again. Some of the meals we have tried to replicate with some success. It is fun trying. We enjoyed the coffee bar [ of which there were two of them ] with its large choice of lattes and teas on offer. A special treat for us were the hot chocolates that we enjoyed in the lounge as the scenery sailed past. There were always biscuits available which were delicious. You could use the coffee bar twenty four hours a day and it was nice to take a drink back to the room or to the lounge.
The Lounge.
Comfortable and spacious with plenty of chairs, tables and couches.
Always a spectacular view unless you were in a loch which was fun.
The bar was at the rear of the lounge as you entered and all the windows down the sides and at the front of the boat. Small white vases graced the small tables between the chairs each one containing a tulip to brighten the lounge. A lovely touch and so cheerful. Coffee and cake was available in the afternoon and there were two containers full of iced lemon tea and iced water available all the time.Down one side was a tressle table where a light lunch was served every day if you did not want to go to the dining room.
A dance floor was in the middle of the lounge with a keyboard on the side where our resident pianist played for us during the day and in the evenings.
The lounge was where we had our port talk with Gunther every night and where the entertainment was. A place to socialise with other passengers or just sit quietly and read. A very pleasant space.
Finger food was available in the late afternoon with crusty bread slices topped with ham, cheese and gherkins. A tray of cake or a large layered cake was also available.
The Bar.
At the back of the lounge was a large semi circular bar. A very popular destination on the boat. Each day they had "Cocktail of the Day", "Mocktail of the Day" and these were less expensive being only three euros each. Heidi and I had a mudslide one night and another day enjoyed a banana colada. Delicious. Heidi on other occasions tried a Blue Lagoon and an apple martini, both of which she enjoyed.
The Dining Room.
Spacious and light with of course magnificent views. Plenty of tables to choose from with lovely table settings. Heidi and I tried to sit with different people each night to meet them and hear their stories. A lovely Buffet was available and a great menu. Plenty of choices .The service was excellent being quick and efficient. All the meals were out in fifteen minutes. I don't know how they did it. Lots of waiters who were always helpful. Plenty of wine was served and soft drinks and juices were always available.
The Food
Breakfast. Adam's omelette. Adam was our breakfast chef and chief egg cooker. Any way you wanted them he would oblige, boiled, scrambled, poached and fried. His omelettes were the favourite packed with fillings of your choice such as ham, peppers, chorizo, mushrooms, cheese, spring onoins, and tomatoes. They certainly filled you up for the morning sightseeing ahead.
Available were bowls of cereal, muesli, fruit salad, yogurt in plain and vanilla flavours, pastries and pretzels on a stand, bread of all different varieties, sliced or do it yourself ready for toasting. A large toaster sat at the end of the table next to the breads.You put you piece on a convayer belt and it travelled along while being cooked and fell off the end and returned to meet you. It was fun to watch while you waited . In the hot containers was porridge and the bain marie held hash browns, pancakes bacon, baked beans and different hot dishes every day. Hot tea and coffee was served at the table while you ate.
Lunch
Two containers of soup stood on each side of the dinning room. One with a clear consomme, the other with a thick hearty variety. Large bowls on both sides contained three different salads, different each day. Crusty slices of bread with different toppings sat next to the soup and these were varied daily also. The hot dish was either a curry, pasta dish, a meat dish or chicken and potatoes to go with some salad. Also available were two dishes to order from your waiter off the menu. Bread was always available on the table presented in linen bags. Wine was always available during the meal. Afterwards you could help yourself to cake [ carrot, black forest, chocolate eclairs or sponge], fresh fruit salad or take a piece of fresh fruit with you. An ice cream bar was at the door on the way out and often Heidi and I would get two flavours in a bowl and take it up to the lounge to finish lunch off.
In the lounge a light lunch was available if you did not want to have a full one. Soup, bread with fillings , a hot choice and dessert. Nice for a change to sit casually and watch the scenery.
Dinner
Dinner was in the dining room and lasted two hours. It was a time to chill out enjoy your meal ,have a wine and catch up with the joys of the day with fellow passengers. Everything was ordered off the menu and simply delicious. There were four courses but you did not have to partake of them all. Soup came out first . Always lovely and filling. Then there were two choices of entree usually on a salad. Main meals consisted of three choices one of which was vegetarian. If they did not appeal you could always fall back on the chicken and vegetable or Caesar salad with salmon or chicken which was always on offer. There was something for every one. Dessert had two choices . After the meal coffee was served and you could choose from the cheese board that Adam served up to you. Also a large fresh fruit platter was set out to enjoy. I can tell you that we were never hungry. The only complaints that I heard from the passengers was that they could not do their pants up and that their clothes were getting tight. But boy did we enjoy it!
Our Room.
Our little haven.
A large glass sliding door with a rail on the outside and oh what a view greets you. A different one each day. The curtains were sumptuous and kept the light out.
We had two single beds with a bedside table on the outside of each bed. A light above each bed for reading and to turn out at bed time. A huge mirror was above the dressing table which had a chair beneath it. Plenty of drawers and cupboards in the dresser with enough space for all our bits and pieces. On the dresser were plugged in our vox boxes that were supplied by the tour to take with us on excursions so that we could hear our guide clearly. Above the dresser on a shelf was a TV to watch in bed. A lovely pass time but we were so tired that we did not watch it that often. Viewing on the screen was a view of the Rhine and the boat from the outside so you could view what was ahead. Very interesting to watch especially when in bed. It gave you a whole different perspective.
The wardrobe also had loads of storage space with plenty of shelving. We could store our suitcases and backpacks comfortably in them to get them out of our way. There was a safe in the wardrobe for valuables, passport , money and jewellery. The bathroom was opposite the wardrobe and very spacious and well stocked. Fresh towels were available when we wanted. You just had to leave your towels on the floor for them to be replaced. White towelling dressing gowns hung on the back of the door for our use and were lovely and warm. Body and shampoo gel was in a pump in the shower which was very spacious and took up a whole corner of the room. Hand wash at the sink , tissues , loo paper, moisturiser were on offer and replenished when necessary. Back in the room was the controls for the heating . We found the rooms warm and only used it a few times on the trip. All in all a very comfortable stay. Our best in Europe.
The Souvenir Shop.
Every day there was merchandise was on offer at the souvenir shop on board. For sale were:scarves, t shirts, windcheaters, aprons nail files, maps, dolls, adelweiss scarf ties, cuckoo clock magnets, raincoats and ponchos, umbrellas, postcards, jewellery and bread bags. [the same as served on our table each day. ] There were glass cases with the merchandise displayed and it was also put out on the reception desk.
The Library.
Consisted of a glass enclose book case loaded with books that you could borrow. I finished one of my books on the cruise so left it in the case. There was a good selection of all kinds of books and magazines to read. Seats were also available to sit and enjoy them in quiet.
Reception.
Always manned even overnight and available via telephone from the room. The staff were always friendly and willing to help with any queries. They arranged all our off shore passes for excursions and greeted us on return. They also displayed the souvenirs. They were great and helped me with computer queries.
Computer room.
The computer room held two computers and I never had trouble getting on one to use. They were European of course and sightly different with for example the umlaut to use which I could do with at home.
Gymn
On the lower deck was the gym. I wanted to use it but was not well on the cruise. It had walking machines and weights. Always empty unlike the bar.
Coffee Bars.
Two were available twenty four hours a day. All kinds of herbal teas, lots of varieties of coffee, hot chocolate and biscuits. It was a place I visited every day.
Medicine Cabinet.
Panadol and sore throat and cold medications available.
Lost and Found Department.
Always somebody left their glasses somewhere.
Laundry Service
Operated twenty four hours a day. The clothes were promptly returned and beautifully laundered. They did say it could take up to twenty four hours to return but in our case it did not. We put them in at night and they were returned at eight the next morning.
The Staff.
These people worked tirelessly for long hours seven days a week. I don't know how they did it.They were always obliging kind and helpful. They could not have been better. Our cruise directer was bright and funny and went above and beyond even getting on his bike and cycling down to the chemist for antibotics when passengers got sick. I thank them all. They made the journey a delight.
The Top Deck.
Climbing the stairs outside takes you up onto the roof deck.
Here the views are magical especially at night in Budapest. Watching the Rhine Gorge go by with its many castles and villages was very special.
The camera got a good work out.Up on deck were plenty of blue deck chairs and directors chairs to sit on and watch the world go by.
You could take a coffee or a glass of wine up and often Gunther would give us a commentary of what we were floating past. Some days it was brisk while others were nice and mild with sunshine. There were sun roofs to sit under if it got too warm. The atmosphere was great and relaxed. Everyone chatted away and moved around as another fantastic sight came into view. It was fascinating looking at the vineyards, so neat climbing up the slopes of the hillsides to a higher level. You wondered how the grapes were actually harvested at all. Sometimes when we docked it was next to another boat . We would have to go up onto the deck to disembark by climbing over a ramp onto the next boat and down their stairs, into their foyer and out onto dry land. It was fun. The staff on the other boat would joke with us. There was a period of four days when we were unable to go up on deck and it was closed. This was due tot he fact that the river was swollen and it lowered the space under the bridges and of course this was dangerous.
The Captain in the Crows Nest.
Our Captain was Ukranian and only spoke Rusian and German. He did give all the ladies a red rose on the Captains Welcome night at the beginning of the cruise. He managed the vessel from the crows nest that was visible from the top deck. He sailed the ship superbly and we only felt the occasional slight bump as we nudged the side of the loch as we passed through. Thank you and your son who co navigated for a wonderful safe trip.
We travelled with Travel Marvel on the Sapphire and it was a marvelous experience. One that I will never forget. I am so pleased that I experienced the whole adventure. Thank you to all the staff seen and unseen, waiters, cleaners, chefs, cooks, laundry, reception, crew, bar tenders and a special thank you to Gunther our cruise director for all his hard work and dedication. You were all wonderful.
THANK YOU TRAVEL MARVEL.
