Tell me about River Cruising in Europe

[ILoveScotland]

On another thread I asked and received responses that let me know that river cruising is a real option for DH and me even though he's in a wheel chair.

If we did a cruise it would probably be on the Danube or Rhine in Europe, but I have no idea how river cruises compare with ocean cruises. I am particularly interested in:

dress code
meal times and options
on board entertainment and/or lectures
amenities such as spas, exercise rooms, hair salons, etc.
casinosFor those who've done several river cruises I'd be interested in what you see as the pros and cons and anything else you think would help us make a decision about a river cruise next year.

Thanks.

[paul929207]

On another thread I asked and received responses that let me know that river cruising is a real option for DH and me even though he's in a wheel chair.

If we did a cruise it would probably be on the Danube or Rhine in Europe, but I have no idea how river cruises compare with ocean cruises. I am particularly interested in:

dress code
meal times and options
on board entertainment and/or lectures
amenities such as spas, exercise rooms, hair salons, etc.
casinosFor those who've done several river cruises I'd be interested in what you see as the pros and cons and anything else you think would help us make a decision about a river cruise next year.

Thanks.

Dress code - casual on most (all?)
Meals - Breakfast & lunch are buffets on most. Dinner usually a menu with several choices, but not as many as the big cruise ship. All meals are open seating.
Entertainment - not much. Usually a couple of local groups will come on and do folk dance demos. Lectures about the ports to be visited are the norm. Also, running commentary while sailing during the day.
A couple of excecise bikes, treadmills etc. No spa or hair salon that I recall.
No casino. You are always in some country's territiry, so they prohibit casinos. Same on big ships where casinos are closed while in port.

[steamboats]

ILoveScotland,

It depends on the cruise company

- dress code: casual, Deilmann has more suit/tie nights and a real formal night
- meal times/options: usually only one seating, many have open seatings, Deilmann has assigned seating, options: depending on the company app. 3 choices for entrées, no other dining options as there is only one restaurant
- entertainment: do not expect any big shows, no room for that on a river cruise ship (the only ones having a small show are the ones in the US - Majestic America Line), local entertainers, some cruise lines offer one or two lectures, some offer demonstrations like wine tasting, apple strudle demonstration
- amenities: depending on the company, no real spas, most ships don´t even have a pool, some have a sauna, Deilmann has a hairdresser and offers beauty treatments (MS MOZART has an indoor pool), exercise rooms are small usually one or two bikes, one treadmill and some weights
- no casinos on river cruise ships, you´ll find casinos in Austria, Hungary, Czech Republik, Slovakia; as for Germany: gambling is a state affair and there´s no casino close to the rivers

steamboats

[Nippy Sweetie]

Hi, I suppose that with river cruises and ocean cruises you are comparing apples with pears. They are just different. We`ve only been on Cunard (X3) so find the quickest summary of the difference to be river cruising is just more relaxed.
There are less amenities as the boats are necessarily smaller due to having to fit in the locks. However the compensations are the companionability and the ever unfurling views. Nightlife & big noisy shows would seem somehow inappropriate (to us anyway we are always wiped out after long days and lovely meals in interesting company)
River & Ocean cruises are both excellent but in different ways and for different reasons.

[ILoveScotland]

Thanks for the responses. Actually we don't go to the big production shows on ocean cruises, and we might go to the casino once or twice. None of the other amenities are required, I was just curious.

We prefer laid back, less formal experiences, so it sounds like river boat cruising might be for us.

[bz]

We were on a Viking southern France river cruise a few years ago with my sisster-in-law part time in a wheelchair and these are our experiences:

From the ship disagram it looked like the elevator went to the bottom floor, which it did not. No way could she manage the stairs. There was an empty cabin on the uppermost level which they very kindly made available at no extra cost. We just got off the Viking Fontane which had no elevator, but did have a chairlift to all floors.

The crew could not have been more helpful in helping to push the wheelchair up & down the ramp to leave/enter the ship. There were "curbs" across the ramp so people wouldn't slip & it was esp. hard to get the wheelchair over them. Getting on/off the tour buses was another hassle. The stairs are very steep, didn't seem to be any accommodations for anyone disabled. They did not "kneel" the way some of our buses do. Also, many of the streets are cobblestones, some were steep. We managed, but it wasn't easy. She simply had to skip some of the excursions & stay on the bus. Most of the churches had an elevator somewhere, hopefully the guide will know where.

I don't wish to discourage you, but just to make you aware. She certainly enjoyed the trip. Luckily there were 2 of us to help her along. As I said, the crew was wonderful, but there are certainly some barriers.

[ILoveScotland]

Thank you, BZ. We did an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on the Celebrity Galaxy last fall and spent 4 nights in Rome pre-cruise. My husband and I talked before we left about his limitations, and we worked around them. He can get on and off busses okay with a little help, but sometimes he had to stay on a bus or van while I went off to see a site on an excursion. At Pompeii he sat in a coffee shop while I toured. He even stayed on the ship at 3 ports.

However, we knew this would be the case before we went, so we accepted the restrictions, and he had a great time. The most difficult part of the journey was the time in Rome as we had to take taxis which proved expensive, and I had to push his wheelchair over all those cobblestones. But even that we handled with grace and lots of kindness from strangers.

[DonfromNC]

We have been on both the Rhine and the Danube/Main/Rhine cruises with Viking and enjoyed them immensely. However, both were small ships due to the nature of the rivers and neither had an elevator. The Neptune had a split floor plan where it was be necessary to go up and down at least half a flight of stairs going to and from the restaurant, lounge and lobby. On the Sun the restaurant and lobby were on the same level as the "B" cabins, but the lounge was on "A". Plus the best views are from the top deck. Some of the larger Viking ships on other itineraries have elevators, but be sure you know ahead of time whether yours does or not. Floor plans are available on the Viking website.

That being said, there was a lady with a wheelchair on our Danube/Main/Rhine trip, but she was mobile enough to manage the stairs and buses with help from her family. My wife has a lot of trouble with stairs and we've had experience with relatives in wheel chairs, so we notice (and plan for) such things. It's our observation that -NOTHING- in Europe is handicapped-friendly.

Good luck and don't take a 1-week trip. As long as you're going that far, make it worth your while and take a longer cruise. You won't regret it.

[StarTrkGeek]

We have been on both the Rhine and the Danube/Main/Rhine cruises with Viking and enjoyed them immensely. However, both were small ships due to the nature of the rivers and neither had an elevator. The Neptune had a split floor plan where it was be necessary to go up and down at least half a flight of stairs going to and from the restaurant, lounge and lobby. On the Sun the restaurant and lobby were on the same level as the "B" cabins, but the lounge was on "A". Plus the best views are from the top deck. Some of the larger Viking ships on other itineraries have elevators, but be sure you know ahead of time whether yours does or not. Floor plans are available on the Viking website.

That being said, there was a lady with a wheelchair on our Danube/Main/Rhine trip, but she was mobile enough to manage the stairs and buses with help from her family. My wife has a lot of trouble with stairs and we've had experience with relatives in wheel chairs, so we notice (and plan for) such things. It's our observation that -NOTHING- in Europe is handicapped-friendly.

Good luck and don't take a 1-week trip. As long as you're going that far, make it worth your while and take a longer cruise. You won't regret it.

Some of the newer ships actually have elevators; a definite plus for those in a wheel chair. For example, Amadeus Waterways (www dot amawaterways dot com) has several new ships with elevators (e.g., ms Amalegro and ms Amadagio). Other cruise lines are starting to offer elevators; e.g., Uniworld (River Royale, River Countess, etc). I do not know if any of the Viking River ships have elevators.

[webfoot]

Avalon's newest ship, Scenery, just launched this year does have an elevator ... and two additional ships being launched next year (Affinity and Creativity) will also both have elevators.

[ILoveScotland]

Continued thanks for great information. Now we have some decisions to make about next summer.

[dlhamlten]

Continued thanks for great information. Now we have some decisions to make about next summer.



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EMail me at Dlhamlten@comcast.net for details.

Dennis ( son of a Glaswegian ):)