River cruising on the Danube

I arrive in the city on a cloudy evening, two weeks after the worst floods in central Europe in 500 years have invaded towns along rivers in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The waters are receding but still above normal levels. As I board the Scenic Pearl, the ship that will be my floating hotel room for a weeklong cruise along the Danube River, the sky is spitting rain. Just my luck.

Jet-lagged, I trudge to my cabin — surprisingly modern and spacious (larger than some hotel rooms I’ve encountered) — open the curtains, and am astounded by a view of the Hungarian Parliament building, lighted and sparkling like a many-tiered tiara on the opposite shore.2013 pinarello dogma XC 9.9. Pinarello brings innovation to the 29er market with the release of the Dogma XC 9.9 mountain bike frame.

I step onto my glass-enclosed balcony, push a button, and the top half of the window slides down and open.How to choose a home energy monitor. In this article, learn how to choose a Home energy monitor. The air smells like the river, muddy and grassy,diamond floor polishing pads are designed for floor polishing machines to polish,restore or maintain for the marble,concrete,terrazzo,granite etc. and the water, so close it seems as if I can touch it, laps the ship as it rushes toward its own destination.

“When you go on a tour, nothing runs perfect. There’s always hiccups.IWS said it offers residential wind turbines photovoltaics, and emergency power systems that it said can cut cost monthly energy bills. Whether things go wrong or not. It’s all part of the experience,” says Carol Feltham from Perth,gm tech 2 scan tool is the same tester GM Technicians use to diagnose GM vehicles. Australia.

It is still raining as we leave port the following day, so our safety check and life-jacket drill take place in the glass-enclosed observation lounge.

“The river isn’t deep. Even if we sink you can still grab your cocktail and go up on the sundeck,” says our energetic Romanian cruise director, Geanina Corendea. She is joking, of course, but it is reassuring for someone like me who wants the illusion of being able to swim to shore in case of an emergency.

Fact: The Danube is not blue. Even when record-setting rains haven’t churned the depths, the river is more brown-tinged-with-gray than blue.Their UWin IPS, short for Indoor Positioning System, is like GPS for the indoors, said electrical and computer engineering student Brendan Rhyno. The second-longest river on the continent, the Danube originates in the Black Forest in Germany and empties into the Black Sea. My cruise will head upstream through Austria into Germany.

The Scenic Pearl is touted as a “space ship” and it does fit that description if, say, you outfit a space capsule with enormous glass doors and windows, and lay it on its side. At almost 443 feet long (135 meters), the largest length possible to fit in a lock, the vessel accommodates 167 passengers plus a crew of 50, making it feel intimate but not claustrophobic.

Scenic Cruises is an Australian company, so it makes sense that the majority of my fellow passengers hail from down under, along with a smattering of Canadians and Brits. The guests I meet are mainly retired or semiretired (most were 50 and older) travelers who say they chose the trip for its all-inclusive package. Once onboard, everything is included in the price: all meals, beverages, in-room service, entertainment, on-shore excursions and activities, airport transfers, and all tipping and gratuities. Even the items in the minibar are included. Eat a chocolate bar or slurp a cocktail; find its replacement in the morning. “It appeals to people because you don’t have to touch your wallet if you don’t want to,” says Doug Christie from Coochiemudlo Island, Australia.


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