Jan 2: Vienna

Morning excursion
Crystal reserved half the Cafe Sacher for the group at 10am. Despite the queue outside waiting to get in, we were again to walk straight into our tables.

 

This was followed by wine tasting with cheese and ham.....

 

Wine tasting before lunch is not necessarily a good idea

Needed a healthy lunch to soak up the alcohol once we were back on board the Mozart.

Crystal Exclusive Event at the Belvedere Palace
The reception at the entrance hall...

                   

     

                    

 

followed by the tour of the art and finally the concert. The concert programme was strictly Mozart and Johann Strauss II.

                     

  

                      

  

                        

 

                        

 

                      

 

                     

 

Jan 1: Vienna/Bratislava

I am sure it did not party too much last night. However, I did not get up until 10 am.

There were shuttle busses into town during the morning.

After lunch, the first set of buses set off for Bratislava at 1:30pm. These covered Bratisalva sight-seeing only and Bratislava sight-seeing plus dinner and New Year Day's Concert. We took the 3:30pm bus for Bratislava covering dinner and New Year Day's Concert.

It was very cold and foggy throughout the trip. Bratislava was all white when we arrived.

                                

 

The view from our dinner table at the Sheraton in Bratislava.

 






Arrived at the Sheraton in Bratislava at about 4:40pm. Dinner was a buffet style at the restaurant at the Sheraton from 5pm after the other bus doing the sightseeing arrived. Wine, water and soft drinks were included. The Tiramisu for dessert was particularly nice.

An 6:15pm, we headed off the Slovenská Filharmónia. Doors were opened on the dot of 6:30pm
Lovely interiors

                       

                      

The concert hall

The programme from the website.

A great way to see in the New Year!

Dec 31: Budapest and New Year's Eve on board the Mozart

There were the option of two tours this morning. As we did not get to sleep until 3am last night after a visit to the bars, we slept in.

Left the hotel at about 11:30am and the bell staff took our bags to the conference room that Crystal was using to store our bags before departure at 1:30pm

Walked over to St Stephen's Cathedral where we found another large Christmas Markets. This market was more focused on food than Christmas items

Sausages are a very popular here - all kinds for sausages but all of the very large variety.

 

A very novel way to grill fish

Did I mention sausages ?

And lots more sausages.......













We found a restaurant nearby for lunch where we over-ordered with decanted wine even. Crystal did pick up the bill after all. We handed in the receipts on our return to the Mozart at reception and got cash in euros.

 

After lunch, it was a short walk back to the hotel to get the bus. A slight delay to our departure as the two coaches were leaving from the hotel and two coaches were leaving from the City Centre. Crystal excursion staff had to coordinate the numbers on each coach to ensure we left Budapest with the same number who went there. Two guests were missing for a while....

A 3.5 hour drive back to the Mozart in Vienna and a nice welcome back by the crew who were lined up to greet us and held signs spelling out Welcome Back.

Time to shower and change in time for pre-dinner cocktails with entertainment by Neal Fullerton.

The Mozart set sail at 6pm and sailed along the Danube around Vienna until 2 am.

Everyone made an effort and dressed up for the evening festivities and based themselves in the Palm Court

Dinner was really nice and party favours were handed out as your left the restaurant.
The Paul James Band and Neal Fullerton entertained the crowds until 2 am. What was a surprise were the fireworks going off all evening along the riverbank. However, midnight saw the massive fireworks going off all over Vienna. The Mozart gave us prime viewing from the middle of the river.

The Master and the Hotel Director did the countdown to the New Year. Seeing the New Year in on the Danube was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. Trays of champagne were brought out at about 11:45pm. A German member of staff dressed up as a chimney sweep. You had to touch her for good lunch and she handed you a New Year cute gift.

If you needed warmth and sustenance, there was a rather vegetable soup in the Bistro, just outside the Palm Court.

The crew had their own party at the back of boat at Blue.