We recently returned from a Seine Cruise. Having completed the evaluation form I wanted to mention how excellent I thought the entire staff of the Monarch Countess was. And beyond that - Bartel, the tour director and Nad, the activities director, were absolutely outstanding. We also had a remarkable guide on our tour of Auvers-sur-Oise, Audrey, who was perhaps the best tour guide we've ever experienced. Thank you so much!

Thank you for your email. Our trip was outstanding. Thank you for all your help with arrangements. Every single Gate One representative and contractor was exceptional! I am a 30 year travel industry retiree (travel agency owner, airline airport operations supervisor), I know a good solid product when I see it. Gate One is exceptional!! We have a Danube River Cruise booked for next year and I am looking into booking a River Cruise as a retirement gift for my brother. They are very lightly traveled and I know Gate One would be a good fit and they would be well taken care of.

We loved our 11 Day Rhine River Cruise with Amsterdam. Kate our tour director/cruise director was wonderful. She was highly organized, friendly and had a wonderful sense of humor. I am quite certain that some days she felt like she was herding cats, but she was ALWAYS so caring and kind. Amsterdam is a beautiful, vibrant city. The whole river cruise was wonderful, and they are always feeding you so much great food and drinks!! Our favorite cities on the cruise were Cologne and Speyer Germany and Strasbourg France. All the crew took such good care of us and went out of their way to make sure everyone was having an amazing time! A special thank you to our cabin steward Farjai for all of the adorable towel animals he made for us every day and folding the washcloths to look like shirts. It's all the extra little things that really make your Gate 1 vacation extra special.

This was our sixth trip with Gate1. The river cruise experience far exceeded our expectations .....on land or on the water our tour guides and staff were A+. The Monarch Princess crew was absolutely amazing- so friendly, helpful and upbeat! The total experience was superb!

Our trip was amazing. We enjoyed every minute of it. This was our first trip with Gate 1 and it will definitely not be our last. We were impressed by the organization of the trip and how smoothly everything went. We also appreciate the affordability of traveling with Gate 1. The Gate 1 representative ,Mira, for the land portion in Prague was pleasant, easy to work with and very efficient. She gave us many helpful hints as we set out on own in the city. We can not say enough about our cruise director, Adrien. She worked tirelessly each and every day and was clearly visible at all hours. Her daily port talks were informative and easy to understand. Adrien went above and beyond to help us with the challenges of navigating in foreign places. In addition to being exceptionally competent at her job, she was pleasant, approachable and it was just a delight to be in her company. Adrien is truly an asset to your company. We felt extremely fortunate to have been entrusted to her care. We throughly enjoyed, Daniele, our activity director. His personality and sense of humor put everyone at ease. His planned activities were fun and just enough after a long day of touring. There was always laughter when Daniele was around. He joined us on tours, taking charge of a group and always making sure nobody got lost. Daniele and Adrien were a perfect match and it was obvious that they enjoyed working together. The Monarch Queen was clean and the accommodations were wonderful. The meals were delicious, beautifully presented and choices were great. Chef Vladimir Gamolov did an excellent job. The Maitre'd, Marius Miren, could always be found checking to make sure each of us enjoyed our meals. The breakfast buffet provided a variety of delicious choices to start our day. Every member of the wait staff was pleasant and attentive to details. They ,too, worked hard to make meal time a nice experience. This trip has convinced us to travel abroad more and to travel with Gate 1. Thank you for providing us with the opportunity to make such great memories.

I just want to say that our Hospitality/Activity Director onboard the Douro Cruiser, Eva, was fabulous. She really motivated and encouraged participation in activities and we all had a lot of fun joining in. She has a sparkling personality and was friendly, professional, and sincere. All the staff were amazing, but she really stood out.

We have done several Gate 1 river cruises as well as Viking, and Gate 1 always comes out on top! The ships and itineraries are comparable, but, the value offered by you is so much better! We usually take coach tours with Gate 1, but, the river cruises are such a treat, we will have to do more of them! Thank you for a wonderful trip and I can't say enough about the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. Everyone we came into contact with was wonderful. Al and Bojan at reception can solve any problem! The staff in the dining room are efficient and unobtrusive! Slavi, Katrina, Andre are the people I can remember, but, they were ALL excellent!! Thanks again, and see you next year!

Thank you! Trip was amazing. It exceeded my expectations. I guess it is because we got lucky with wonderful crew and trip managers Laura and Martin.

I enjoyed it very much. Bartel is an excellent tour manager, calm and reassuring and always willing to help. And Jorge made the time on the ship a whole lot of fun! Thanks very much.

Our vacation trip on the Monarch Countess was fantastic. We enjoyed everything about the trip. All our accommodations were excellent and the staff on the ship were all excellent. We loved all of the sightseeing excursions as well. The most noteworthy person was our Cruise Director, Bartel. He was outstanding in all respects. He was a complete professional who was prepared for any situation any tour member could encounter and made each of us feel we were the most important person on the trip. He was "everything, everywhere, all at once". I think he was the first one up in the morning, available to all of us at any time, and I am sure the last to get to sleep, if he had the chance. He has the perfect personality and temperament for an outstanding Cruise Director. His group presentations were excellent, interactions with passengers and crew always right, and always projecting positively in all situations. We hope that we have Bartel or someone just like him on any future vacations that we go on.

Porto River Cruise was fantastic. Gate 1 did a great job. The river was spectacular, the stops very historical and informative, the ricver boat was comfortable, food was outstanding, and activities on board fun. Optional tours were outstanding.

My trip was fantastic. Our tour guides were beyond excellent. The staff on the ship were beyond excellent. I am allergic to onions. The restaurant manager made certain that my portions did not contain onions. The waiters made certain that our requests for special food preparation were met. Our rooms, although small, were just what we needed. Very comfortable with plenty of storage space. I love the sliding glass door to let the fresh air in. Very appreciative of the safety bars. The 24/7 hot cocoa and tea and cookies are also greatly appreciated. I really enjoyed the ship board activities (our group won most of the contacts :) ) The Activity director was a lot of fun and the Tour manager Kurt was very helpful. The pace of the cruise was great -- Visit a Castle in the morning, have lunch and then we had free time. Optional activities. So relaxing. In short, I would rate this trip 11 of 10 and our tour guide and Activity Director and the Staff well above that!

Our 15 Day Danube cruise was FANTASTIC. The hotels in Berlin, Dresden and Prague were perfect, the Governess River boat was wonderful. However, the reason the trip was especially great is our tour guide Martin. He was present all the time, never too busy to answer any questions and always went above and beyond when we wanted to know where to find a toy store, museum or restaurant. I have been on many, many tours and this was just the best !

Our Cruise with Gate 1 was great. We spent a few days on our own after the trip and I can tell you that we are spoiled by Gate 1 and know we certainly would rather have the structure of the tours, meals, etc that Gate 1 gives. All the staff are outstanding and really do go out of their way to make our stay very enjoyable. Now we just have to think about what our next adventure will be and know we will be using them.

I am very happy I took the wonderful opportunity to travel with Gate1. I had heard good things and I was not disappointed. In fact I was very impressed. We were taken care of from the moment we cleared customs until we arrived at the airport for our flight home. The Monarch Princess is a lovely ship. The common areas are well lit, comfortable, nice decorated and were kept pristine .Our cabin was well laid out, our bed very comfy and the ac worked amazing. Our cabin attendant Nick and his helpers kept it looking ship shape. Even to the chocolate on the pillow. Our tour manager Kate was efficient, had a great sense of humor , knew us all by name ,and kept our tour running smoothly. She made it look easy but I know she worked hard to make everything work. I had even mistakenly booked a tour in Lucerne on my own. It turned out this tour was already part of our itinerary. I explained to Kate and she called the company and I received a full refund. Wow!! I sure appreciated her doing that for us. The meals on board were incredible. The servers could not have been better. We tended to sit in the same area so Patrick, Sasha and Mon were our wonderful wait staff most days. The weather man co-operated and we were able to enjoy our ship and each stop to the fullest. Thank You Gate 1 . You have a wonderful product and I can't wait to travel with you soon

Our trip was absolutely wonderful and definitely up to the high Gate-1 standards. Our tour managers were excellent particularly Betti who was efficient, caring, and very professional. More than that she was fun to be on a trip with, totally positive outlook no matter what. I would also like to specially mention our room attendant Nura on the Monarch Empress. She was simply fantastic!!!! Don't know how she managed to be outside our door every time we left our room, but she was and freshened it up even when we didn't realize it needed it. I don't know how she possibly could have been more attentive or nicer. She made our stay on board particularly pleasant and went above and beyond for all our requests although she anticipated almost all of them! What a wonderful person as well.

We had a great time on our 9-Day Danube River Cruise- Aug 31- Sep 8, 2023. We went to very beautiful places, lucky to have good weather every day. Good food at Monarch Governess. We are happy with the Cruise Director and Activity host. Enjoyed the evening activities. Crew was very helpful and pleasant. Very satisfied with Gate 1 for this trip. Planning for another trip next year, Hope you could help us next time again.

Excellent. Everything was perfect. Professional staff that looked happy at all times. Food was excellent. Room was comfortable and spotless clean. Bedding was soft. Ship was spotless. Entertainment was great. Everything was at its best!

We had a fabulous time. Jorn and Daniele were absolutely fantastic. They made our trip even more enjoyable. The food was delicious and the crew was great. Our guides on our excursions were very knowledgeable and we enjoyed them. The recital in Vienna was beautiful. We will definitely be booking another trip with Gate 1. Thank you for all of your help.

My family and I returned from a Danube Fiver cruise on the Monarch Queen August 25th to September 1. The cruise could not reach its final destination, Regensburg, because of some heavy rains which caused the Danube to rise. Nevertheless on extremely short notice there was little inconvenience to us and our fellow passengers. The Captain, crew, service, food and staff on this ship were outstanding. The accommodations were much better than anticipated. The Cruise Director and Activities Director Soma and Daniella were a credit to whomever hired them. They went out of their way not only to help, but to entertain and made all feel that we were part of a large close knit family. My thanks for providing an exceptional experience. I will recommend Gate One to anyone and most certainly come back.

It was fantastic thanks to George, the Cruise Director, on the 9 day Rhine River Cruise, that did an outstanding job during the cruise. He always greeted you with a friendly smile, and exceeded my expectations. He was always available to help you with any requests. His evening meetings were always very informative, interesting, and humorous. We've been on over 50 worldwide cruises with Viking, Gate 1, Princess, Celebrity, Carnaval, and Holland America and he's the best Cruise Director we've ever had. He deserves a really big raise.

This Rhine River Cruise trip from 8/12 - 8/23 was THE best trip among all the 8 Gate1 trips I have had so far. The Tour Director (Bart) and the Activity Host (Nad) were great! Bart was humorous and knowledgeable about the route of this trip and all the current and historical events of the people and places. I would not miss any of his talks or port update information during the trip. Moreover, he took care of requests to see the completion diligently. Nad was creative and very personable. His laugh, passion and enthusiasm were contagious. The lounge was always full of joy and laughter when Bart or Nad conducted a program or performed an activity. The crew from the ship (Monarch Empress) was excellent and polite (always smiling) from the lady (Thae) who cleaned the room to the staff from the dining hall. The crew's manager was very customer-oriented. He took care of every single detail with patience and kindness. I believe Gate1's success has been built upon people and their professional manners , such as Bart, Nad, Thae, etc. Since me and my roommate loved this Rhine River Tour so much, we just booked another Europe cruise trip - 9 Day Seine River Cruise for September 19, 2024!

Our Danube River cruise was fabulous, with perfect weather. Our cruise ship, the Monarch Queen, was top notch, as were our Cruise Director, Kris and our Activities Director, Niko! Special appreciation goes out to Amr, who took wonderful care of our dining needs. He will always hold a special place in our hearts. We cannot wait to book again with Gate 1. Your motto "See more of the world for less", definitely holds true, and makes you stand out as a "cut above the rest"! Thank you again, for making our 1st European Cruise a remarkable adventure!

This was my 50th Gate 1 trip, and from the moment I was greeted so warmly at the Milan airport by our pre-stay tour manager Remo, I knew it would be special. Two nights in charming Baveno on Lake Maggiore, followed by two nights in lovely Lucerne before proceeding to Basel for a city tour and boarding of my home for the next week on the Rhine River cruise to Amsterdam, the "Monarch Empress". Your flagship and what a beautiful ship: pristine, comfortable, so well designed and with a crew that run it like a Swiss clock. There were so many standouts from start to finish, the great, efficient and personable crew led by our Ukrainian Capt. Igor, Pavel, Marius, George, Kris, Nora, Nura, the wonderful guys at reception, and all who did their part, our head chef and his staff and his delicious menus - every meal was so good and dinners were very special and wine plentiful, and of course not forgetting the G1 staff, our fantastic Cruise Director Soma, fun, knowledgeable, kind and supremely organized and the delightful Activity Director, Laura. Above all they are both just wonderful human beings. The Rhine River cruise is not as picturesque as the Danube, but it is the beating heart of Europe and there is a lot of commercial barge traffic and industry along the way, but port calls were very charming, well thought out and so interesting, and there is a very beautiful stretch between Rüdesheim and Koblenz with so many castles and a constant castle alert from our leader Soma! It was a fabulous trip and as always sorry to see it end, but I know that it is just until the next one and more adventures with G1 - my special thanks for this one and for truly being treated like a Queen, who doesn't love that!

Just a few additional comments about our Rhine trip: Our room steward, Lily, couldn't have been more available, kind & cheerful, or hard working. She's an asset to your company. Krismanto, waiter, actively went out of his way to be kind, funny, & remembered your personal preferences ( my iced tea in the a.m.). He sought me out to ensure I had what I liked. Even when I wasn't at his table. He's a very hard worker & a ray of sunshine. He reminded me of my early cruising days with the level of service & attention to detail. Thank you Kris. At the end of our trip our driver was wonderful. His name was Robert. Excellent driver. Funny & kind. He even went out of his way to return items that my friend left in the van. Thank you Robert. Laura was our entertainment director. Another truly kind person. She just made things fun. From stretch / yoga in the a.m. to games & activities at night...she was great. Our only reservation about sailing Gate1 again was the lack of activities at night. With this new position ( & Laura especially), that was no longer a concern. Bart is pleasant & knowledgeable. Ever present. But, if you are observant, you realize how much work & coordination he does behind the scenes. Well done.

Just some special recognition for several individuals that always seemed to go out of their way to make this a wonderful experience. EVERYONE was amazing and attentive. But, Miklos, our tour director was superb in every way. Always available, upbeat, quick with answers and ahead of the game at every step. Loved being with him. In the dining room, we had the pleasure to be served by Dino, a most experienced and excellent captain of our table. He made every meal exceptional and so fun. Open, happy, smiling and offering advice and illumination when wanted. His level of attentiveness and powers of observation are off the charts. He sees everything and is there with what you want before you can even ask for it. He is more than a server but his serving skills are truly exceptional. His assistant, Joko, was the happiest person I saw every day. Same as Dino, attentive and always thinking ahead for my group. The housekeeping staff person, Desy, also made our trip more enjoyable. It's people like these that puts the overall experience in the A+++ category for me. I'll remember them all as we travel with Gate 1 again.

We recently returned from our second Danube River cruise and wanted to compliment you on your hiring such talent in in the Cruise Director and Activities director capacities. Martin was the perfect combination of professionalism and presentation as well as one of the most knowledgeable guides we've ever had (and this was our 10th trip with Gate 1) . His group clear and "non-repetitive" presentation style enhanced our trip tremendously with his appropriate humor, information, group management and availability to make our trip so easy and memorable. It was also great to see Amir (from our 2019 trip) and experience his friendly and amazing energy and activities onboard the ship once again. We were also extremely impressed with the quality of the MS Governess, the ship's captain and crew, and everyone from the behind the scenes people in the kitchen and housekeeping to the waitstaff in the restaurant, bar, and reception desk. We traveled with family to whom we had recommended this trip, based on our previous cruise on the Empress, and this trip is one to remember for all of us. Thank you! We are currently looking forward to our next trip in September with Gate 1 and planning more for the future! Keep up the quality so we can enjoy "more of the world for less" without compromise!

We thoroughly enjoyed our Danube River Cruise. We have gone on many many ocean cruises, but this was our first river cruise and thanks to the ship staff and all the port guides, we will plan more river cruises. Our son had a separate cabin and the staff made it easy for us both to be kept together in every aspect of the trip. The ship was nice, the food was very good and the entertainment onboard was fun. The director arranged for us to tour Durnstein early in the morning, which was the absolute best time for photography of the lovely village before more tourists arrived. The Gate One representative, Mira, at the Cosmopolitan hotel in Prague was exceptionally helpful with every detail for our group staying there several days. I want to especially thank the tour guide we had for the Salzburg excursion. I did not keep her name, but she was a delight. She was dressed in the traditional Austrian ladies dress. She entertained us with history and jokes on the bus ride to and from Salzburg. During the tour of the city she provided interesting details about the making of Sound of Music movie in Salzburg. She had our group singing the Do Re Mi song on the steps of the Mirabell Palace. She made Salzburg come alive for us with a memory we will never forget.

Comparing our recent Gate 1 Rhein River cruise with another Legendary Journeys Danube River cruise gives me a basis for comparison. Your river boat has more amenities with 2 lounges,2 main outdoor seating/viewing areas, and 2 coffee dispensers. Gate 1's cabins have more storage and bigger showers. The food selection is better on Gate 1. And, finally, the Gate 1 river boat crew provided better service and was more friendly. The bottom line is we received a more relaxing and memorable trip than anticipated which now allows us to "spread the word " about this Gate 1 trip. Keep up the great work!!

Our Danube River Cruise was wonderful. The ship, Monarch Governess was clean and in good condition. The staff was excellent, especially the dining room staff, Ega, Dino and George. They were very friendly and personable, while at the same time being very professional and providing excellent service. The chef, Ketut, prepared delicious meals every day. We also would like to compliment the pastry chef, whose name we do not recall, for making the most delicious desserts. Our cruise director, Soma, was a lot of fun and full of information and advice. We will be recommending Gate 1 river cruises to our friends and family, and we are already thinking about booking the Eastern Danube cruise in the future. Thank you!

Our trip was lovely! I loved being on the Monarch Queen. The crew was warm and friendly. The accommodations were terrific- well thought out and so clean and comfortable! Thank you Gate1!

I wrote a review about our 9-day Danube River Cruise that I would like to submit. Please see below. My husband and I are 70, and we had never gone on a cruise before. When choosing one, I knew we didn't want to be on one of those floating cities with ten different pools and a zillion people. We wanted something with a few planned excursions and some free time - a good combination of activity and relaxation. Also, our early-30s kids were going with us, so we didn't want it to feel too "senior;" however, my husband has some walking issues, so we had a concern about the pace being too fast. One of my friends, who is an experienced cruiser, suggested looking into Gate1 river cruises, so we did. When we signed up for the 9-day Danube River Cruise, we didn't know exactly what to expect, but I'm happy to say that the experience exceeded our expectations. From easily finding the Gate1 representative at the airport when we landed and being shuttled to the boat to the departure on the last day, everything went like clockwork. The boat was very in excellent condition, the rooms were comfortable, the crew provided stellar service, and the food was excellent. Dinner time was relaxed and intimate, without formal attire, which was what we were looking for. We were kept abreast of the next day's activities in a group meeting each evening, so we knew where to be and when. The crew was especially professional, pleasant, and helpful. Our cruise director, Mick, was willing to drop everything when he was dealing with something very important, to contact someone at Gate1 who could help with a flight change issue for us. Danielle, the activities director was perfectly suited for that role; he was very creative, personable, and kept the evening activities lively and fun. Our waiters in the dining room, Budi and Albin, were excellent and gave us very personal service. The bar servers, Alexander and Jacinta were very attentive and fun. ALL of us, including the young people in our group, loved it. It was everything we wanted! My friend who recommended Gate told me it was "the best cruise ever," and I believe that sums it up! We absolutely loved it and would do another one in a heartbeat!

One of my best Gate one tours because everyone one on the boat really cared that my travel companion and I had the best time. At all times our needs were met. A big thank you.

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for Krisztina and the unforgettable trip from Munich to Budapest aboard the Monarch Queen rivers cruise. It was an incredible experience, and I can't thank her enough for being our tour director and guide throughout this journey. Her knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication truly made this trip exceptional. Her storytelling and insights about the places we visited brought history and culture to life, making each destination even more meaningful. The attention to detail and seamless organization of the itinerary made everything run smoothly, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the beauty of the cities and landscapes along the Danube. The Monarch Queen was an impressive vessel, and the cruise itself was a delight. From the breathtaking views on the sundeck to the comfortable cabins and delicious meals, every aspect of the journey was top-notch. Krisztina went above and beyond to ensure that each traveler felt comfortable and had their needs attended to. Her friendly demeanor and approachability made us feel like a close-knit group, forging lasting connections with fellow travelers.

My trip was fantastic with no disappointments. The boat was clean everywhere; the food was varied and well prepared; the daily and optional tours were interesting and well described by the local guides, and the hotels were well chosen for location and amenities. The trip was my first with Gate1, and I don't see the need to look elsewhere on future trips. My highest compliments to our Cruise Director, Adrian, who left no stones unturned when it came to the safety of the passengers; the efforts to make everyone feel comfortable and satisfied with the trip, and her daily reminders of being aware of personal belongings and their location. She went out of her way to always answer a question or concern with the utmost patience, considering she was tending to 120 travelers. I can't name all the ways she contributed to the success of everyone's trip, but she truly was a great part in making it a wonderful and unforgettable experience. In addition to Adrian, I can't forget to mention the Entertainment Director, Daniele. He was an absolute delight and his comedic ability put everyone in a jolly and friendly mood. He truly enjoyed making us all laugh and have a good time. To that I can add, he was a warm hearted and empathetic man when a situation called for it. His responsibility to help ensure passengers belongings got transported with each new location was never neglected. He is a real asset to Gate1. Lastly, but certainly to be remembered, was our housekeeper, Satria. He was always cheerful and friendly and it was always pleasing to come into our well-appointed room, which he refreshed and tended to at least twice a day. He did a great job. All of the staff are to be commended for their friendliness, efficiency and a job well done. Gate1 has my 100% satisfaction. I hope to see you again in 2024.

Our trip was excellent! I would have to say that the on-ship experience greatly exceeded our expectations. We cant come up with a single disappointment in terms of food, quality of room, or service. Cruise manager/trip leader was excellent, and waiters and all service people were excellent, very friendly and caring. Low water did keep us from sailing all the way to the last port, but that was not Gate 1's fault. In fact, they adjusted things relatively smoothly. The weather that we encountered was nothing like what we saw predicted prior to leaving the US, so we ended up being over-dressed for the mid to high 90s that we faced for the majority of the trip. Again - not Gate 1's fault. Would we do another Gate 1 river cruise? Absolutely - though we might opt for a more predictably cooler time of year. Finally - thanks for all of the support and info you provided, the questions you answered, leading up to the trip. It all surpassed our hopes.

The Monarch Empress was so comfortable, the staff & crew were very friendly and helpful, the service was exemplary, and the delicious meals were presented beautifully. We enjoyed each ground tour and learned something during each one. Our tour director was Bart. He was always helpful and available for questions, was very patient, had a great sense of humor,. We appreciated Chris in the dining room, who seemed to know all the traveler's names. The activities director, Nad, was extremely energetic and talented. Justin took such good care of our room!

Thanks for asking about my trip. I had a wonderful time; the whole experience was enjoyable. The Monarch Empress is a lovely ship. Though the cabins are not quite as spacious as those on the Monarch Queen we were very comfortable. A 2nd chair in the room would have been great, and if possible a little space between the twin beds. All the crew worked to make our trip the very best. The meals in the dining room were excellent, tasty, with sufficient variety and choices. The Maitre de, Krismanto, and his team did an exceptional job. The food was always fresh and delicious, the service was attentive and helpful. It was lovely to have staff who remembered my name and preferences, particularly Claudiu. The tour leader, Bart, saw to it that our trip was memorable and a great experience. He was always well organized with a well designed program of tours and activities. The local guides chosen, brought to life the history and culture of the places we visited and added to our enjoyment of the trip. We enjoyed the benefits of Bart's knowledge and experience of Europe in general and the locations we visited, and he was always helpful to us in so many ways.. Nad is a great activities director and was always looking for ways to include us in interesting and fun activities. Bart, the captain, hotel manager and maitre de, as a great team, were able to ensure that we continued to enjoy our program under the difficult circumstances of a power failure. Their ability to adapt and adjust allowed us to continue seamlessly, without inconvenience and is a credit to all concerned. I highly recommend Gate 1 Travel, and in particular, the 16 day Classic European River Cruise and look forward to my next trip with Gate 1 Travel.

My trip was absolutely splendid, thank you! I've answered the survey with the numerical ratings of everyone, but just wanted to write and say how wonderful Nora, our Cruise Director was. She was so knowledgeable, warm, friendly, and super organized. She knew exactly how much information to share with the group each night, setting us up for the next day, and was super helpful answering all of our questions or supplementing our materials with marked up maps of places to go, etc. Daniele planned excellent fun events for us in the evenings and he was also very helpful on our tours and other excursions. He was hilarious. Both Nora and Daniele worked so well with ALL the passengers. Watching them converse (and laugh) with different groups of people or helping certain passengers in different situations was very inspiring. (I wish I could be that good with people!) Lastly, Ismail kept my room SO BEAUTIFULLY CLEAN. I felt like a princess. Like Nora and Daniele, he was also super friendly and helpful. The waitstaff were excellent as well, but I never mastered all of their names. Everyone who helped and/or served us in the dining room or bar was just lovely. And the food was DELICIOUS. I've never been on a cruise before, but I most certainly will go on another one (with Gate 1 of course) because of the fascinating places I visited (which were made all the more interesting by the tour guides, Nora, and Daniele's extra information) but mostly because of the warm welcome I experienced aboard ship. Thank you. And please, please send my extra thanks to Nora, Daniele, and Ismail.

Our lasting memory of this cruise will be the quality and approachability of all the crew / staff on board. The Captain, the soon- to- be- appointed captain Louis and the other crew always greeted us like friends. The Bar staff brought great pleasure, especially Amalia, who perpetually radiated happiness and a welcoming attitude. A picture of her is attached that epitomizes her personality. The restaurant and cabin staff were also friendly and happy to interact. I think that the attitude of all the crew/staff created a happy atmosphere on board that led to general content among all passengers. I was also very impressed with Sonia, who demonstrated a great love and knowledge of her country, that resonated with me (born in England), as Portugal and England form the longest lasting alliance in history.

Our trip from Bucharest on the Monarch Queen was wonderful. We enjoyed everything, from our stay in Intercontinental Athenae Palace, Bucharest and river cruise to Budapest. Anna, our hostess/tour leader in Bucharest was extremely helpful and accommodating. We appreciated her assistance with all our needs. On the Monarch Queen, George, our cruise director was also extremely welcoming, knowledgeable and very efficient in ensuring a smooth and happy cruise. Everything was organized so well. Nico, our activities director ensured that we had a fun and interesting time and was appreciated greatly. The local tours were excellent, interesting, well organized, and the local guides were very well educated and informed and communicated well. All the crew of the Monarch Queen were exemplary, from the captain to our room steward, Kenneth, who looked after us very well. All were friendly and helpful and ensured an enjoyable time for us. I highly recommend Gate 1 Travel for any tours, and I am at present, continuing our time on tour with Gate1, now on Monarch Empress from Budapest to Amsterdam.

This was our first vacation with Gate1 and definitely will not be our last. From the to time we were picked up from the Milan Airport to departing Paris it was seamless. The tour Managers were excellent, the excursions fascinating and the Monarch Express was fantastic including the crew and food! Kudos to Gate 1!

My wife and I just completed the Rhine/Danube river cruise on the Monarch Queen and I'd like to compliment some Gate 1 staff specifically: Soma did an excellent job as Cruise Director; very organized, punctual, knowledgeable. He did an amazing job when we ran into our high water problem and had to disembark. Kudos to the captain for navigating through terrible weather to get the ship to catch up to us. We only missed one night on the ship. Daniele is a super-talented activity director. This is a very funny guy, always entertaining. He made every night's activity fun because of his sense of humor. Zsussane (hotel mgr), Amy, and Christina were wonderful hosts. Satria did a great job cleaning our room every day. Amr, Made, and Jacintha stood out, but everyone was wonderful in the dining room. Dejan was amazing in the bar/lounge area. This was an amazing staff assimilated for this ship and it was the trip of a lifetime. Thank you!

Our Entertainment Director Daniele made our trip very special. Memory of each passenger by name made everyone feel special. Plus he seemed genuinely interested in talking to us. His humour was constant and so entertaining. Our dining experience was superb with the personal service we received from Firman and Heri. They remembered our special likes and their smiles and good humour were infectious. Firman even made paper flowers for the ladies out of napkins. We entered the dining room early to ensure we had their table Very enjoyable trip except for some unusually cold rainy weather.

In Amsterdam we had nice weather, were greeted by the Monarch Queen staff and enjoyed the half day tour of the city, especially the canal tour. Each stop along the rivers was memorable even though the weather didn't cooperate. Rain most every day didn't stop us from enjoying the sites. But the sun finally came our to end our trip in Budapest. One highlight was as we entered the Danube we were notified that the river was too HIGH to get under the next bridge. No one had expected that!!! Soma, our cruise director, and staff made arrangements for all of us to stay in Lenz while the captain waited for the water to go down in hopes of guiding the boat under the bridge while we continued our day touring. He was successful and the next day we returned to the boat. Everyone was cheering! Have to say all of the travelers on our tour took it all in stride and heard no complaining. Hats off to the crew that made that all happen. The Gate 1 staff was amazing! From the captain to the hotel director to the wait staff, all made us feel so comfortable and pampered. Soma, our cruise director, went out of his was to attend to every detail. He was very knowledgeable, helpful and very approachable. He truly enjoys his job. And then there was Danielle, the activity director. He knew all our first names by the second day. What a character. He made everyone laugh all the time. He and Soma have worked together on and off for five years and were good friends. Their chemistry showed as they worked together as a team. We hope to meet up with them again on another tour. We're so glad our rescheduled cruise was 14 days instead of 7. It was so relaxing and enjoyable we had a hard time leaving.