Duck for Kathy and Goulash for Brian, both reasonably priced at around 12 Euros.
Friday, November 30, 2018
MUC: Dinner at Airbräu
We like this restaurant and brewery.
Duck for Kathy and Goulash for Brian, both reasonably priced at around 12 Euros.
Duck for Kathy and Goulash for Brian, both reasonably priced at around 12 Euros.
FRA-MUC: Our Final Flight of the Day
We got priority boarding but are seated in Row 29 (middle and window) near the back of the bus. Less than an hour in the air so we’ll manage.
A short flight and we’ve landed at MUC. The flight attendants were trying to pour drinks for everyone but ran out of time.
A short flight and we’ve landed at MUC. The flight attendants were trying to pour drinks for everyone but ran out of time.
Landing at Frankfurt
We were impressed by the food and friendly service on our Condor flight.
The seats are angle-flat and narrow, but we managed.
We just barely squeezed our smallish rollaboards into the overhead bins, and will just check them on future flights - certainly the smallest overheads we’ve ever seen on such a large plane.
We emerged from fog to land a bit early at Frankfurt.
After a long taxi we parked at an actual gate (we’d anticipated a remote gate and a bus ride).
Condor sold us the LH ticket as part of our Seattle to Munich itinerary. We’ll earn Alaska miles on the Condor flight. We got our United numbers on new Lufthansa boarding passes at a service center, so we’ll earn a piddling few UA miles and, more important, the LH Senator Lounge access that we’re now enjoying.
The seats are angle-flat and narrow, but we managed.
We just barely squeezed our smallish rollaboards into the overhead bins, and will just check them on future flights - certainly the smallest overheads we’ve ever seen on such a large plane.
We emerged from fog to land a bit early at Frankfurt.
After a long taxi we parked at an actual gate (we’d anticipated a remote gate and a bus ride).
We made our way through immigration and security and are now relaxing in a Lufthansa Senator Lounge.
Condor sold us the LH ticket as part of our Seattle to Munich itinerary. We’ll earn Alaska miles on the Condor flight. We got our United numbers on new Lufthansa boarding passes at a service center, so we’ll earn a piddling few UA miles and, more important, the LH Senator Lounge access that we’re now enjoying.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
‘The Lounge at SEA’ - S Gates
Smooth drive, smooth check-in at SEA Condor counter. The young agent even managed to reseat us next to each other after a computer glitch separated us.
Actually, it’s clearing out and we can now sit next to each other.
And now on board! Terribly tight overhead bins but reasonable room in the seats themselves.
We’re relaxing in this crowded contract lounge for the next 90 minutes until boarding time.
Actually, it’s clearing out and we can now sit next to each other.
A cute beverage list - ring the bell at the window - but the Prosecco is disturbingly sweet. Travel can be so challenging!
And at 2:40 PM our incoming 767 pulls into the gate visible from the lounge. So far so good.
And now on board! Terribly tight overhead bins but reasonable room in the seats themselves.
Main River Cruise on a Queen, Not an Empress
We're leaving home soon to drive to Seattle. There we'll drop off our beloved coffee machine for some repairs and renovation before parking and checking in at SEA for our Condor Airlines flight to Frankfurt.
Condor is an Alaska Airlines partners, so we'll earn a lot of Alaska miles for flying in Condor's (very) cheap business class fares. While there are mixed reviews, to say the least, most experienced reviewers (and our next-door neighbors who just flew them) agree that Condor offers fairly good in-flight food and service. The configuration on their 767s is 2-2-2 and the seats are angle-flat rather than lie-flat, so we're not anticipating a sublime experience. Still, we're looking forward to the flight, and keeping our fingers crossed, since we've already booked a couple of more flights with them, including a summer trip with three of our grandchildren.
We have a layover at Frankfurt that's hopefully long enough to visit a Lufthansa Senator Lounge, and then we fly Lufthansa to Munich, where we'll overnight at the MUC Hilton, a pleasant hotel we've visited in the past.
The next day we take a train to Regensburg, where we were supposed to board Gate 1's Monarch Empress for a seven-cruise along the Main River, ending in Frankfurt. It was such a bargain that we snapped it up. However, it turns out that German rivers have been suffering low water for several months, having a major impact on the river cruises. Gate 1 warned us via email a few days ago that the Monarch Empress may not be able to make it from Budapest to Regensburg, due to low water.
One of a couple of alternatives they offered was a transfer to the somewhat lesser Gate 1 Monarch Queen, where they promise to maintain the "deluxe" service on this "first class" boat. They will also refund us a couple of hundred dollars each, making the cruise almost as cheap as staying home (we exaggerate only slightly).
A number of cruise passengers have complained about spending most of their "cruise" on buses. That's an understandable feeling when people have spent several thousand dollars for the cruise experience. In our situation, even a bus ride will be a good deal. Of course, we're hoping to spend most of our time sailing over the bounding Main. Time will tell.
Condor is an Alaska Airlines partners, so we'll earn a lot of Alaska miles for flying in Condor's (very) cheap business class fares. While there are mixed reviews, to say the least, most experienced reviewers (and our next-door neighbors who just flew them) agree that Condor offers fairly good in-flight food and service. The configuration on their 767s is 2-2-2 and the seats are angle-flat rather than lie-flat, so we're not anticipating a sublime experience. Still, we're looking forward to the flight, and keeping our fingers crossed, since we've already booked a couple of more flights with them, including a summer trip with three of our grandchildren.
We have a layover at Frankfurt that's hopefully long enough to visit a Lufthansa Senator Lounge, and then we fly Lufthansa to Munich, where we'll overnight at the MUC Hilton, a pleasant hotel we've visited in the past.
The next day we take a train to Regensburg, where we were supposed to board Gate 1's Monarch Empress for a seven-cruise along the Main River, ending in Frankfurt. It was such a bargain that we snapped it up. However, it turns out that German rivers have been suffering low water for several months, having a major impact on the river cruises. Gate 1 warned us via email a few days ago that the Monarch Empress may not be able to make it from Budapest to Regensburg, due to low water.
One of a couple of alternatives they offered was a transfer to the somewhat lesser Gate 1 Monarch Queen, where they promise to maintain the "deluxe" service on this "first class" boat. They will also refund us a couple of hundred dollars each, making the cruise almost as cheap as staying home (we exaggerate only slightly).
A number of cruise passengers have complained about spending most of their "cruise" on buses. That's an understandable feeling when people have spent several thousand dollars for the cruise experience. In our situation, even a bus ride will be a good deal. Of course, we're hoping to spend most of our time sailing over the bounding Main. Time will tell.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Monday, November 19, 2018
Home Sweet Sehome
Gloriously sunny day in Birch Bay - the best weather of our trip!
It’s always nice to be home...
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Houston Airport (IAH): Landry’s Seafood
We detoured there for dinner. We now have a Hilton Amex credit card that includes some Priority Pass entries, and this is one of many restaurants that offers 2 x $28 in areas where there isn’t a lounge.
We’re now hanging out in an overcrowded United Club (thanks to our international boarding pass) and will head to the gate in a few minutes to board our five-hour flight to YVR on this rainy Houston Sunday.
This was beautifully cooked fried fish and fried fish (we split up the seafood) with terrific fries amd crinkly fried onions that tasted like onions, and we ate to the point of being stuffed. That and a couple of beers cost us net about $16.50 plus a tip.
A great deal while it lasts.
We’re now hanging out in an overcrowded United Club (thanks to our international boarding pass) and will head to the gate in a few minutes to board our five-hour flight to YVR on this rainy Houston Sunday.
Houston Airport (IAH): Landry’s Seafood
We detoured there for dinner. We now have a Hilton Amex credit card that includes some Priority Pass entries, and this is one of many restaurants that offers 2 x $28 in areas where there isn’t a lounge.
This was beautifully cooked fried fish and fried fish (we split up the seafood) with terrific fries amd crinkly fried onions that tasted like onions) and we ate to the point of being stuffed. That and a couple of beers cost us net about $12 plus a tip.
A great deal while it lasts.
MIA Avianca Lounge Gate J4
We enjoyed a painless disembarkation this morning and took an Uber to Miami Airport.
It’s a little early for beer or wine, but the bottled water and coffee look inviting.
Now at the gate...
Bulkhead on aa A320 - we’ll take it.
Our flight to Houston departs at 12:40, so we walked from the H gates over to J where, to our pleasant surprise, our Star Alliamce Gold status got us admitted to this attractive lounge, quite empty on Sunday morning.
(We were going to use two of our credit card Priority Passes, but since our United boarding passes say International for YVR, we didn’t need to.)
It’s a little early for beer or wine, but the bottled water and coffee look inviting.
Now at the gate...
Bulkhead on aa A320 - we’ll take it.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
On Board Insignia: Trivia Champs
Our great trivia team, Horse with No Name, was both talented and very congenial. Our Cruise Director, Shawn, asked great questions.
And now it’s on to Miami tomorrow morning and a flight home. Bon Voyage!
We had great fun and won the overall championship to boot.
Hurray for us!
And now it’s on to Miami tomorrow morning and a flight home. Bon Voyage!
Friday, November 16, 2018
Ashore in Charleston
Our final true port day of this cruise turns out to be a beautifully sunny one in Charleston, SC. The temperature overnight dipped down to 39, and the sunshine is welcome.
At one end is a confederate museum run by Daughters of the Confederacy. We saw it on our previous visit, found it frankly a little strange, and give it a miss this time. Quite an edifice though.
The old US Custom House is an impressive building.
Once back on board, we lunch outside at the Terrace Cafe on Deck 9, giving us a good view of the Custom House and a good chunk of this lovely low-rise City..
Insignia is docked only a couple of blocks from the public market, and we stroll through that. It’s not too wide, but it stretches for upwards of two or three blocks.
At one end is a confederate museum run by Daughters of the Confederacy. We saw it on our previous visit, found it frankly a little strange, and give it a miss this time. Quite an edifice though.
The old US Custom House is an impressive building.
Once back on board, we lunch outside at the Terrace Cafe on Deck 9, giving us a good view of the Custom House and a good chunk of this lovely low-rise City..
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