APT River Cruises & Tours
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Our first river cruise
Overall, our river cruise experience on the Polaris by APT was enjoyable, despite a change in our booking from the Vega to the Polaris. Our initial concerns about this change proved to be unfounded, as the Polaris turned out to be a modern, contemporary, and comfortable vessel equipped with all the necessary luxuries for a pleasant cruise. The staff were friendly and helpful at all times, including the excursions. The special mention regarding the lady who took us to Saltsburg who broke out in Sound of Music songs at various stages. She was absolutely brilliant. Please convey. We were a group of 6, and we never had trouble finding seating in both the lounge and restaurant, which was a relief. However, a notable disappointment during the cruise was related to the vegetarian meals we had requested during the booking process. Initially, the meals provided were highly unsatisfactory, to say the least—on the first evening, we were served a dry bun, one piece of carrot, and cucumber, hardly a fulfilling meal. Unfortunately, the issue persisted into the second evening, with little improvement. It was only on the third day, after voicing our concerns to the Cruise Director and the Restaurant Manager, that we felt our complaints were taken seriously. Regrettably, we felt as if we were being passed around without any effective resolution to our dietary needs. Ultimately, we had to insist on speaking directly with the Head Chef to express our disappointment with the meals. The head chef was understanding and accommodating, ensuring that for the remainder of the cruise, we were provided with well-prepared and varied vegetarian dishes. One major concern we had was that it seemed like the restaurant manager/head chef was not adequately informed about our dietary requirements, which led to the initial unsatisfactory meals. We hope that this communication gap can be addressed in the future to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable dining experience for all guests, especially those with specific dietary preferences or restrictions. Despite this initial hiccup, we appreciated the efforts made by the head chef to rectify the situation and were able to enjoy the rest of the cruise with satisfactory meals. The Polaris itself was a delightful vessel, and we look forward to potentially cruising with APT again in the future, hoping that any future dietary concerns will be promptly and effectively addressed.