MacMania 14 Itinerary

U.S. Department Of State Backgrounder on: France

Important details on entry and exit requirements for U.S. citizens, information on safety and security, crime, MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION, and more are located here. France is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter France for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. Obtain information on ENTRY/EXIT Document REQUIREMENTS for France for U.S. Citizens here. Non-U.S. citizens are asked to check with government agencies, embassies or consulates to determine documentary requirements related to the Schengen agreement. You may be denied boarding without proper proof of citizenship. For further information concerning entry requirements for France, contact the Embassy of France at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, tel. (202) 944 6000, or online Embassy of France in Washington ; or the French Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, or San Francisco.

U.S. Department Of State Backgrounder on: Germany

Important details on entry and exit requirements for U.S. citizens, information on safety and security, crime, MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION, and more are located here. Germany is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Germany for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. Obtain information on ENTRY/EXIT Document REQUIREMENTS for Germany for U.S. Citizens here. Non-U.S. citizens are asked to check with government agencies, embassies or consulates to determine documentary requirements related to the Schengen agreement. You may be denied boarding without proper proof of citizenship. For further information concerning entry requirements for Germany, contact the German Embassy in Washington at 4645 Reservoir Road N.W., Washington, D.C. 2007, telephone (202) 298-4000, or the German consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, or San Francisco for the most current visa information.

U.S. Department Of State Backgrounder on: The Netherlands

Important details on entry and exit requirements for U.S. citizens, information on safety and security, crime, MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION, and more are located here. The Netherlands is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter The Netherlands for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. Obtain information on ENTRY/EXIT Document REQUIREMENTS for The Netherlands for U.S. Citizens here. Non-U.S. citizens are asked to check with government agencies, embassies or consulates to determine documentary requirements related to the Schengen agreement. You may be denied boarding without proper proof of citizenship. For further information concerning entry requirements for The Netherlands, contact the Embassy of the Netherlands at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20008, +1-877-DUTCHHELP +1-877-388-2443, or one of the Dutch consulates in Chicago, New York, Miami or San Francisco

U.S. Department Of State Backgrounder on: Switzerland

Important details on entry and exit requirements for U.S. citizens, information on safety and security, crime, MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION, and more are located here. Switzerland is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Switzerland for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. Obtain information on ENTRY/EXIT Document REQUIREMENTS for Switzerland for U.S. Citizens here. Non-U.S. citizens are asked to check with government agencies, embassies or consulates to determine documentary requirements related to the Schengen agreement. You may be denied boarding without proper proof of citizenship. For more information on entry requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of Switzerland at 2900 Cathedral Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 745-7900, or a Swiss Consulate General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco.

U.S. Consulate General Strasbourg
15, Avenue d'Alsace
67082 Strasbourg
Telephone: 03 88 35 31 04
Telephone from the United States: (011 33) 3 88 35 31 04
Fax: 03 88 24 06 95
Emergency after-hours telephone: 01 43 12 22 22
Emergency after-hours telephone from the United States: (011 33) 1 43 12 22 22
 
U.S. Embassy Paris
4, avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris
Telephone: 01 43 12 22 22
Telephone from the United States: (011 33) 1 43 12 22 22
Emergency after-hours telephone: 01 43 12 22 22
Emergency after-hours telephone from the United States: (011 33) 1 43 12 22 22
Fax Passport Services: 01 42 96 28 39
Fax Passport Services from the United States: (011 33) 1 42 96 28 39
Fax Special Consular Services: 01 42 61 61 40
Fax Special Consular Services from the United States: (011 33) 1 42 61 61 40

U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt
Giessener Str. 30, 60435 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. (49) (69) 7535-0 (emergency services only)
Tel.(49) (69) 7535-2102 (routine calls and information requests, 2pm–4pm Monday–Friday)
Fax: (49) (69) 7535-2252
American citizen services email: GermanyACS@state.gov
Passport inquiries email: FrankfurtPassports@state.gov

Consulate General of the United States, Amsterdam
Museumplein 19
1071 DJ Amsterdam
Telephone: (31) (20) 575-5309
Emergency after-hours telephone: (31) (70) 310-2209
Facsimile: (31) (20) 679-0321

United States Embassy Bern
Sulgeneckstrasse 19, 3007 Bern
Telephone: (41) (31) 357-7011 (2pm–5pm) Emergency phone: after-hours/weekends — (41) (31) 357-7777
Facsimile: (41) (31) 357-7280
 
United States Consular Agency, Geneva
rue Versonnex 7, 1207 Geneva
Telephone: (41) (22) 840-5160 (10am–1pm)
Facsimile: (41) (22) 840-5162

For further information concerning entry requirements for France, contact the Embassy of France at 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007, tel. (202) 944 6000, or online Embassy of France in Washington; or the French Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, or San Francisco.

For further information concerning entry requirements for Fermany contact the German Embassy in Washington at 4645 Reservoir Road N.W., Washington, D.C. 2007, telephone (202) 298-4000, or the German Consulates in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, or San Francisco for the most current visa information.

For further information, contact the Embassy of the Netherlands at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20008, +1-877-DUTCHHELP or +1-877-388-2443or one of the Dutch Consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or Miami, in addition to various honorary Dutch consulates throughout the United States.

For more information on entry requirements contact the Embassy of Switzerland at 2900 Cathedral Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 745-7900, or a Swiss Consulate General in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco.

Please advise Insight Cruises of any special dietary requests at the time of booking. AmaWaterways will make every effort to accommodate your request, but please note that local conditions and seasonality can affect AmaWaterways’ ability to comply. In some locations, it is more difficult to accommodate dietary needs than in others.

Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) and a website give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. The CDC publication Health Information for International Travel is worth looking over.

Your doctor or health-care provider will determine what if any vaccinations you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the continent you will be visiting, and planned activities. Be sure your routine vaccinations are up-to-date. There are no specific vaccinations required for the countries on our itinerary.

U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC): Health information, with Recommendations or Requirements for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases for travelers to France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

CDC Travel Health Kit

The electrical current in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland is 220-240 volts AC. Wall outlets in France, Germany, and the Netherlands take plugs with two rounded prongs. Wall outlets in Switzerland may take plugs with two rounded prongs or a Swiss Type J converter with three rounded prongs. If you plan to use U.S. electrical appliances you will need to bring a converter and Type C Europlug, Type E/F European Schuko, and Type J Swiss adapters. However, many appliances and laptops can take 220 volts; if yours can, you only need the two-prong adapter.

Here was the weather for the corresponding days of our cruise, during the year indicated. Historical averages are from the mid ’90s to current day.

Amsterdam   2008   2009   2010
Historical Averages

Strasbourg   2008   2009   2010
Historical Averages

Basel   2008   2009   2010
Historical Averages

Geneva   2008   2009   2010
Historical Averages

Paris   2008   2009   2010
Historical Averages

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you buy trip insurance that provides appropriate coverage.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible.

There is no doctor onboard the AMAcello. The ship sails close to shore, and in the event of an emergency, medical services can be requested at once. The AMAcello can easily dock to receive a doctor or ambulance staff.

Check with your airline to determine the current fees, baggage allowances, and size restrictions for your luggage. Regardless of what your airline permits, you have to factor in the ground portion of your trip. Space constraints on trains and buses make it impractical to accommodate extra luggage. Experience leads to our request that you pack light, and limit your checked luggage to one average sized suitcase per person.

Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc rather than wheeled carry-on luggage or backpacks.

Every AmaCello stateroom is equipped with a monitor and a keyboard, and offers complimentary Internet access through the ship’s unique Infotainment System. Wireless internet is also available in the Aft Lounge free of charge. Since the internet system functions via satellite, there may be times, depending on location, when service is unavailable.

The Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam offers complimentary wired and WiFi access.

Le Meridien Etoile in Paris offers wird and WiFi access in rooms for 19 Euro per day, and WiFi in public areas at 20 Euro per day.

The Euro is the official currency of France, Germany, and The Netherlands. The Swiss Franc (CHF or SFr.) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland. Oanda.com is a reliable site at which to check the current exchange rate.

The international community does not adhere to the same accessibility standards that hotels, restaurants and public buildings do in the United States. Facilities and services for passengers with disabilities may vary by destination, and in some cases, are limited or nonexistent. Handicapped facilities on board riverboats are limited. River cruise vessels are not equipped with wheelchair ramps, and hallways and doors may not be wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs or scooters.

If you require individual assistance for walking, mobility assistance, dining or other personal needs you must be accompanied by an able companion who is responsible for and physically able to provide such assistance.

The MS Amacello has an elevator that operates between the Violin and Cello decks, but does not go to the Piano deck, where Category "D" and "E" cabins are located. The elevator does not reach the Sun Deck.

European motor coaches and minibuses used for transfers and shore excursions may not be equipped with wheelchair ramps, or specialized access.

To get the most out of this cruise and optional excursions, you should be in good health and able to walk/move considerable distances, often over unpaved and uneven surfaces such as stone block or cobblestone surfaces, in hilly terrain, and able to climb stairways. Whether you walk vigorously, with assistance, or use an assistive device for mobility, the amount of walking/rolling you do is at your discretion. For guests who attend the optional CERN post-cruise excursion, one must be able to stand and walk for more than four hours.

During the cruise, to accommodate passengers who prefer a more relaxed, gentle walking pace, AMAWaterways allocates one guide to lead a “gentle walkers” group wherever possible. For guests who would like more time to explore on their own or see more during the tour, we have an “active walker” group in certain locations that provide a faster-paced tour to either see more landmarks or, to offer more free time by condensing the duration of the tour.

AMAWaterways notes that transfers and shore excursions adhere to a predetermined timetable and participants in these activities should have no physical impairments that would affect the time schedules or interfere with the rights of other passengers on vacation. Without limitation, AmaWaterways, Insight Cruises and their affiliates are not responsible for any denial of services by airline carriers, cruise vessels, hotels, lodges, coaches, local guides or operators or other independent suppliers.

Please advise Insight Cruises of AmaWaterways of any special needs or other conditions at the time of booking.

• France:
  To call France from the United States, dial the international prefix, 011; then France’s country code, 33; and then the nine-digit phone number. To make an international call from France, you must dial 00, followed by the country code, the area code, and the telephone number. For example, to call InSight Cruises from France, you would dial 00-1-650-787-5665.
• Germany:
  To call Germany from the United States, dial the international prefix, 011; then Germany’s country code, 49; and then the area code and phone number. To make an international call from Germany, you must dial 00, followed by the country code, the area code, and the telephone number. For example, to call InSight Cruises from Germany, you would dial 00-1-650-787-5665.
• The Netherlands:
  To call The Netherlands from the United States, dial the international prefix, 011; then The Netherlands’s country code, 31; and then the area code and phone number. To make an international call from The Netherlands, you must dial 00, followed by the country code, the area code, and the telephone number. For example, to call InSight Cruises from The Netherlands, you would dial 00-1-650-787-5665.
• Switzerland:
  To call Switzerland from the United States, dial the international prefix, 011; then Switzerland’s country code, 41; and then the area code and phone number. To make an international call from Switzerland, you must dial 00, followed by the country code, the area code, and the telephone number. For example, to call InSight Cruises from Switzerland, you would dial 00-1-650-787-5665.

U.S. Department of State Emergency Assistance to American Citizens Abroad: American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS).

For information on airport and port-related declaration of goods, immigration issues, and more.