monarch empress river cruise

MS Monarch Empress

The deluxe MS Monarch Empress is Gate 1's first privately owned river cruise ship. Cabins range in size from 140 to 210 square feet and include large bathrooms and most rooms offer French balconies. The ship is designed with the view in mind, with large windows in the cabins, dining room, lounge, and other public space – and with few exterior visual obstructions on the outside decks. At mealtimes, guests will have full outdoor views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Lounge on the sun deck and watch the passing scenery. Curl up with a book or surf the internet in our generously sized library or share a drink with fellow travelers in the lounge. The MS Monarch Empress promises all the comforts and pleasures of a deluxe floating hotel.

• Detailed Information
• Dining Info

Monarch Empress

Gate 1 Travel is best known for its endless array of guided land tours, from Chile to China. They’ve offered Europe river cruises for years, too, but this is the first ship it has wholly owned and operated. Here’s a look…

What We Love Attractive Design: Decor on The Monarch Empress feels like a nicely appointed, modern city apartment — never over-the-top, and equally suitable for relaxing with a cup of tea, listening to a lecture, or even partaking in a (small-ish) nighttime dance party.   Great Value: This new ship, which joined the Gate 1 Travel fleet in 2016, offers a cruising experience that feels high-end without an extravagant price. 

Best Known For Guided Tours: Gate 1 Travel has a long history of offering every kind of land tour throughout the world, but especially in Europe. This is a real strength for the line, and the options — from simple included walking tours to farther-flug optional excursions — are plentiful, and will suit many interests and budgets.    Owned and Operated: The Monarch Empress is wholly owned by Gate 1 Travel, not chartered. This means consistency of service between Gate 1 Travel’s land and river cruise offerings, and the ability to seamlessly weave your cruise into a larger guided Europe getaway.    Friendly Staff: The affable onboard crew on this ship is delightful accompaniment to the sights and sounds of the Danube. They are eager to help, quick with a joke, and attentive without ever being overbearing or fussy. 

Who It's Best For Couples: Older and retired couples are the core crowd here, with a few multi-generational groups and groups of friends.    Those Who Like Traveling With Other Americans: Gate 1 Travel’s legacy of catering to American travelers is evident here. Most of your cruising companions will likely come from the U.S. 

Don't Say We Didn't Warn You There are No Spa Services: While other lines have spa treatment rooms or offer in-room services, it’s not available on this ship. 

Laura Motta Deal Expert / Travel Blogger Laura Motta has been with ShermansTravel since 2011 and has served as its Director of Publishing since 2014. Follow her travels on Instagram at @lauramariamotta.

• River Cruising

New Gate 1 River Ship 'Monarch Empress'

By Oak Hill Cruisers , May 25, 2016 in River Cruising

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Oak Hill Cruisers

Just got new glossy Gate 1 European River Cruises brochure. Their new Monarch of the Seas river ship looks really nice.

Anyone been on this boat or are considering it?

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• 2 weeks later...

We're considering the brand new Gate 1 Monarch Empress from Budapest to Amsterdam over 14 days (it's listed as 16 days, but the two additional days are for flying) in November. Two questions:

1. Has anyone been on the brand new Gate 1 Monarch Empress and can give us a review?

2. Has anyone done the Budapest to Amsterdam river cruise in November and can comment on how it was in November (too cold, markets closed, which river cruise line, etc) and whether you'd recommend the itinerary to first time river cruisers?

• 1 month later...

Surely someone has been aboard and would just love to report......

I did the river cruise in 2007 Amsterdam to Budapest and had a wonderful time. Yes it was cold but beautiful. Snow in many places but dress appropriately and you will be ok. Think we left Amsterdam mid November and the Christmas markets were up and running in most towns.

Haven't been on gate 1 as they are not well known in Australia. However I just booked the same cruise on monarch baroness for October 2017 taking 7 friends.

Very happy to be repeating the same itinerary.

Can anyone give me some info on the company gate1.

It was such a great price we really didn't stop to think and now I'm worrying about what I have done. Absolutely recommend the itinerary for first river cruise.

Marigold252

I did the river cruise in 2007 Amsterdam to Budapest and had a wonderful time. Yes it was cold but beautiful. Snow in many places but dress appropriately and you will be ok. Think we left Amsterdam mid November and the Christmas markets were up and running in most towns. Haven't been on gate 1 as they are not well known in Australia. However I just booked the same cruise on monarch baroness for October 2017 taking 7 friends. Very happy to be repeating the same itinerary. Can anyone give me some info on the company gate1. It was such a great price we really didn't stop to think and now I'm worrying about what I have done. Absolutely recommend the itinerary for first river cruise.

We are booked with Gate 1 for a land tour/Danube river cruise on the Monarch Empress in September. So far I've been impressed with the company both on the phone and online response and info. The hotels all look good and appear to be in good locations for venturing out on foot. I'll be posting a review when I return. I had my eye on this trip for at least four years and finally booked it in January. It's been sold out for a while.

Thanks Marigold, I look forward to reading your review.

We just returned from a Budapest to Regensburg sailing on the beautiful Monarch Empress. This was our first river cruise. We could not have asked for anything more. We had a deck 3 cat A cabin. The crew was exceptional. We had 3 cruise directors which each took care of about 40 people for tours. The food was very good and soups exceptional. Local guides were very accommodating to pace and temperature. Lots and lots of walking, not much down time.

One tip if you are not on a prior land tour, your documents say not to check in before 3 p.m. but when we arrived at 2:45 there was sandwiches and soup available from noon to 3. Promptly removed at 3.

luvn2cruzzz

We just returned from a Budapest to Regensburg sailing on the beautiful Monarch Empress. This was our first river cruise. We could not have asked for anything more. We had a deck 3 cat A cabin. The crew was exceptional. We had 3 cruise directors which each took care of about 40 people for tours. The food was very good and soups exceptional. Local guides were very accommodating to pace and temperature. Lots and lots of walking, not much down time. One tip if you are not on a prior land tour, your documents say not to check in before 3 p.m. but when we arrived at 2:45 there was sandwiches and soup available from noon to 3. Promptly removed at 3.

We are sailing on her in September so wonderful to hear your review. Thanks so much for posting! Wondering if you can tell us your experience on outlets in your cabin. Was there a 110v outlet or just 220v? There seems to be a contradiction in what Gate 1 says and what we have heard from a passenger. Did you do any of the optional tours?

There is one 110 in the bathroom for a shaver. We carry adapters but the ship had a basket full that folks were returning at the end.

We did two optional tours, Vienna evening music and Cesky Krumlov. Loved Cesky Krumlov.I wanted to do a different music one on our own in Vienna but didn't have the departure time prior to arrival. I had read about the venue being small and on one floor, not tiered, which it was. Still enjoyable. The ship left as soon as we returned. There is a train walkable to ship's dock that one couple did take back in the afternoon. Vienna's 1/2 day included tour was half bus and half walking.

I booked the tours onboard. It is 10% more to do so but if I booked them ahead the cost was added into the insurance and it was 10%, so it was a wash. No problem waiting to booking onboard. There will be a talk the first morning on all tours and you are given a form to fill out and hand in by noon.

Thanks, CeeTee. Appreciate the information. We will have adapters and won't need converters with what we are bringing so we should be good to go.

We are thinking about going to Cesky Krumlov. It is my understanding that there is a lot of uphill and hence downhill walking. Wondering if my DH can manage. What do you think?

Thanks, CeeTee. Appreciate the information. We will have adapters and won't need converters with what we are bringing so we should be good to go. We are thinking about going to Cesky Krumlov. It is my understanding that there is a lot of uphill and hence downhill walking. Wondering if my DH can manage. What do you think?

In Cesky, the bus parks at the top and the walking is all downhill, through the castle and into town. Great photo ops along the way. My husband has been having some leg and knee issues and didn't have a problem here. Some up and down in town but not long or severe. Try the local fried dough pastry for 2-3 euros. Lunch is provided in a medieval cave like restaurant that was very good. Choice of trout or pork. Had one of each. Whole trout was the best.

Durnstein, we tried to walk up to the castle ruins but only made it half way. Steep and uneven staired path. Folks who made it raved about the view. Make sure to go in the cemetery in town. A good 15-20 minute walk back to ship.

Passau, the castle across the river is walkable or a shuttle is available for 6 euro. We didn't go since it wasn't open and just for the view but after lunch we did a nice leisurely walk to the point which is a confluence of two different color rivers.

Melk Abbey, bussed up and down. One set of stairs up & down from the parking lot and one set inside with the rest level. Fascinating library. Gorgeous church.

Bratislava, another castle on a hill we didn't go to. The town had slight grades.

Pretty lit up at night as we sailed out.

Regensburg, the ship parked the furthest from town, maybe because it stayed overnight. It was a good hoof back and forth twice, once for the walking tour and then after lunch to see the cathedral (it was closed?) and to get a big pretzel we passed on the tour (gone) and an ATM ( good one inside bank with 6 machines).

Bravo - Another ship on the crowded rivers of Europe. Look forward to longer waits to get through locks and more rafting at the ports. :(

In Cesky, the bus parks at the top and the walking is all downhill, through the castle and into town. Great photo ops along the way. My husband has been having some leg and knee issues and didn't have a problem here. Some up and down in town but not long or severe. Try the local fried dough pastry for 2-3 euros. Lunch is provided in a medieval cave like restaurant that was very good. Choice of trout or pork. Had one of each. Whole trout was the best.   Durnstein, we tried to walk up to the castle ruins but only made it half way. Steep and uneven staired path. Folks who made it raved about the view. Make sure to go in the cemetery in town. A good 15-20 minute walk back to ship.   Passau, the castle across the river is walkable or a shuttle is available for 6 euro. We didn't go since it wasn't open and just for the view but after lunch we did a nice leisurely walk to the point which is a confluence of two different color rivers.   Melk Abbey, bussed up and down. One set of stairs up & down from the parking lot and one set inside with the rest level. Fascinating library. Gorgeous church.   Bratislava, another castle on a hill we didn't go to. The town had slight grades. Pretty lit up at night as we sailed out.   Regensburg, the ship parked the furthest from town, maybe because it stayed overnight. It was a good hoof back and forth twice, once for the walking tour and then after lunch to see the cathedral (it was closed?) and to get a big pretzel we passed on the tour (gone) and an ATM ( good one inside bank with 6 machines).

Thank you so much for the invaluable information. That will help us make some decisions. In Regensburg, was there any transportation available to get you into town, cab, etc.? Hope you don't mind all the questions!

Thank you, ceetee, for the detailed info on walking in the towns and on the excursions. Hope we are up for it! The last time we did a trip with this kind of walking was the Baltic Cruise several years ago. We were so tired in the evening we skipped most of the shows but it was by far our favorite cruise.

ElmwoodPark

We are booked for the Monarch Empress on 8/21. The transfers through Gate 1 from Munich Airport to Regensburg are are $95 per person.

I have checked and we can use a shuttle through Airport Liner that would only be around $45 per person which is a substantial savings.

Has anyone used transportation to/from Regensburg other than what is provided by Gate 1? Obviously I don't want to have issues with getting to the ship, but Gate 1 even seems to admit their fare is high.

Thanks for any information or suggestions.

Depending on where the ship docks, the town is right there on the river. The stone bridge is in sight. Do eat at the Wurstkuche. The ship can call you a cab which they did for us to go to the train station. Pretty reasonable 7.20 euro.

Please don't hesitate to ask anything. I had wished there were some postings before we sailed.

We did the Baltic also and I agree on the extreme fatigue after the second day in St. Petersburg but so worth it.

We are booked for the Monarch Empress on 8/21. The transfers through Gate 1 from Munich Airport to Regensburg are are $95 per person. I have checked and we can use a shuttle through Airport Liner that would only be around $45 per person which is a substantial savings.   Has anyone used transportation to/from Regensburg other than what is provided by Gate 1? Obviously I don't want to have issues with getting to the ship, but Gate 1 even seems to admit their fare is high.   Thanks for any information or suggestions.

Check out the trains on DB Bahn. Terminal 1 to Regensburg is 20 euro pp. 1 1/2 hr trip. We took the train to Venice, Italy with a quick change in Munich for 50 euro pp.

The train station in Regensburg is about a 20 min walk but took a cab (7.20 euro)on the recommendation of our CD who was leaving on a train that day too.

Thank you so much for the information. That sounds very easy and is much less money than the ship transfers.

Ceetee, may I ask another question, please? Which port were you in when you went to Cesky Krumlov? We want to go but we would also like to see Passau but our itinerary calls for that day to go to CK. I hope it is wrong!

Not Ceetee, but my itinerary says that the Cesky Krumlov excursion is from Linz on the 15th, and the Salzburg excursion is on the 16th from Passau. We are already booked on the CK trip, and want to explore Passau on our own. Please tell me I don't have things mixed up! 5 weeks to go!

Not Ceetee, but my itinerary says that the Cesky Krumlov excursion is from Linz on the 15th, and the Salzburg excursion is on the 16th from Passau. We are already booked on the CK trip, and want to explore Passau on our own. Please tell me I don't have things mixed up! 5 weeks to go! Marie

Thanks! I see where my confusion came from. The original itinerary I received when we booked was just the opposite but the most recent one clearly says what you stated. So I am now up to speed!

Can you advise how the passengers dressed at dinner? I'm trying to follow Rick Steves' advice and not pack too much, and thus, don't want to pack another set of clothes to wear in the evening at dinner. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

ckapmyworld

Hi we are also booked towards the end of November from Budapest to Amsterdam 16 days flight time inlcluded as stated on Gate 1 itinerary. Any body familiar with Budapest river docking location for Gate 1, are they on random first come basis.

Any tips on Hotels in Budapest. Any tips on self service laundry, we are traveling Europe and we will have about 10 days of dirty laundry prior to boarding and most hotel laundry services very very expensive.

Do MS Monarch Empress have laundry facility.

has any body been on Ms Monarch Empress yet

How is the MS Monarch Empress compare to the other river boat, with boat being new that's gotta a plus, and how are their service.

I know they have optional tours at a cost, but are the tours included with the cruise package sufficient. Hotels by the Danube River are they easy access and safe to walk cross to the boat docks, or a should you get a taxi.

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MS Monarch Empress

The deluxe MS Monarch Empress is Gate 1's first privately owned river cruise ship. Cabins range in size from 140 to 210 square feet and include large bathrooms and most rooms offer French balconies. The ship is designed with the view in mind, with large windows in the cabins, dining room, lounge, and other public space – and with few exterior visual obstructions on the outside decks. At mealtimes, guests will have full outdoor views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Lounge on the sun deck and watch the passing scenery. Curl up with a book or surf the internet in our generously sized library or share a drink with fellow travelers in the lounge. The MS Monarch Empress promises all the comforts and pleasures of a deluxe floating hotel.

• Detailed Information
• Dining Info

MS Monarch Empress

The deluxe MS Monarch Empress is Gate 1's first privately owned river cruise ship. Cabins range in size from 140 to 210 square feet and include large bathrooms and most rooms offer French balconies. The ship is designed with the view in mind, with large windows in the cabins, dining room, lounge, and other public space – and with few exterior visual obstructions on the outside decks. At mealtimes, guests will have full outdoor views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Lounge on the sun deck and watch the passing scenery. Curl up with a book or surf the internet in our generously sized library or share a drink with fellow travelers in the lounge. The MS Monarch Empress promises all the comforts and pleasures of a deluxe floating hotel.

• Detailed Information
• Dining Info

MS Monarch Empress

The deluxe MS Monarch Empress is Gate 1's first privately owned river cruise ship. Cabins range in size from 140 to 210 square feet and include large bathrooms and most rooms offer French balconies. The ship is designed with the view in mind, with large windows in the cabins, dining room, lounge, and other public space – and with few exterior visual obstructions on the outside decks. At mealtimes, guests will have full outdoor views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Lounge on the sun deck and watch the passing scenery. Curl up with a book or surf the internet in our generously sized library or share a drink with fellow travelers in the lounge. The MS Monarch Empress promises all the comforts and pleasures of a deluxe floating hotel.

• Detailed Information
• Dining Info