Confused on the different lines

At this point I think I have analysis paralysis. I have read too many posts, and gotten too many brochures in the mail.

I need help and I am back to square one. I have never been on a river cruise and am looking to do some in Europe. I am hoping I will like it and do more. These are a pretty penny, so I want to get it right.

I am more interested in having the best experience, and would gladly pay 20% more. If I am spending several thousand dollars, spending 1000 more is not the issue. Note: I am not looking for the most luxurious or most pampered experience, just don't want to say, I wish I did it differently or get turned off.

So I am really confused with all of the different lines. For ocean cruising, there is a big difference between carnival and Crystal. Not only the service, but also demographics of who they are catering to.

Is there the same thing for river cruising? Is one line known for its food, another for excursions, another for best pricing, etc? Does one do France really well and another specializes in the Danube?

I am trying to narrow things down and would appreciate input from those who have the experience.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the River Cruising forum!

I suggest you start by reading the sticky "New to RIVER CRUISING???" at the top of this forum, especially the downloadable pdf:

http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

which discusses each cruise line and compares them to ocean cruise lines and hotels [this will give you a frame of reference]. There is no Carnival of river cruising -- all lines are quite sedate compared to the rah-rah ocean cruise lines. And the range among lines that market in the US is fairly small -- but there are differences from the bottom to the top. The prices don't vary as much as it first appears, because the more expensive lines include more things that cost extra on the "cheaper" lines -- and don't believe Viking's "2 for 1" sale which is their regular price. Finally, search this forum for "poor customer service" to see which lines to avoid unless you are sure everything will go perfectly on your cruise.

Figure out which itinerary you think you want, and what time of year works for you. Then find who travels that route and compare!

A 7 Day Danube would be a good place to start.

No line discussed on this board will disappoint, all provide a great experience. So just include more in the price than others.

So narrow down the itinerary and time frame and go from there.

Have a great time planning!

 

So I am really confused with all of the different lines. For ocean cruising, there is a big difference between carnival and Crystal. Not only the service, but also demographics of who they are catering to.

 

Is there the same thing for river cruising? Is one line known for its food, another for excursions, another for best pricing, etc? Does one do France really well and another specializes in the Danube?

 

I am trying to narrow things down and would appreciate input from those who have the experience.

<No line discussed on this board will disappoint, all provide a great experience. So just include more in the price than others.>

I disagree and this is not the case for us when choosing a cruise of any sort.

Some posters put itinerary at the top of the list. Personally, I believe that the devil is in the details when it comes to cruising on rivers or the ocean. I am spending a lot on a river cruise and view it as an overall experience and not just a way to move from place to place. Others take a different view and choose accordingly.

The article Jazzbeau pointed out is very helpful as an overview.

On the ocean, we do not choose mass market cruises. You could not give me a Carnival cruise and we now stay away from all the mass market lines as they no longer provide the onboard experience we prefer. Oceania is our choice when taking an ocean cruise these days. We would also consider Crystal, Regent and Windstar.

On the river, we expect a certain level of luxury from our experience. That eliminates the budget lines which are IMO, GCT, Vantage, Amadeus, CroisEurope. We won't sail with Viking for a number of reasons and were disappointed with Avalon overall on our last few cruises with them.

We don't need or care about an end to end inclusive experience as we prefer a good bit of DIY. We look for overall high quality, great service and food, large and well appointed staterooms, some entertainment and a diverse range of excursions.

We have found AMA to be the best fit so far for our tastes and priorities and have 5 completed cruises with AMA and one more booked. We will be on Uniworld this summer for the first time and would also consider Scenic for a future cruise. I have very detailed reviews posted for our river cruises if you are interested in reading about the day to day experience aboard.

Our favorite so far was the AmaCerto Budapest to Nuremberg. We loved the itinerary and onboard experience and extended our stay in Budapest and then went to Prague on our end at the end of the cruise, both DIY. We also very much enjoyed our Provence cruise. Lots of port time and overnights which allowed us to enjoy the local spots after dinner enhanced our experience. The Rhine Basel to Amsterdam was a great mix of 4 countries and cultures.

Good luck with your decision!

The number one reason to eliminate a cruiseline is the way they handle problems on the river. One thing I didn't realize when I booked my first RC is that high wAter levels, low water levels, problems with the locks can affect your sailing greatly. You're not paying for a low level bus tour. Do your research. There is one big and popular brand that handles issues unsatisfactorily.

'

 

<No line discussed on this board will disappoint, all provide a great experience. So just include more in the price than others.>

 

I disagree and this is not the case for us when choosing a cruise of any sort.

 

Some posters put itinerary at the top of the list. Personally, I believe that the devil is in the details when it comes to cruising on rivers or the ocean. I am spending a lot on a river cruise and view it as an overall experience and not just a way to move from place to place. Others take a different view and choose accordingly.

 

The article Jazzbeau pointed out is very helpful as an overview.

 

On the ocean, we do not choose mass market cruises. You could not give me a Carnival cruise and we now stay away from all the mass market lines as they no longer provide the onboard experience we prefer. Oceania is our choice when taking an ocean cruise these days. We would also consider Crystal, Regent and Windstar.

 

On the river, we expect a certain level of luxury from our experience. That eliminates the budget lines which are IMO, GCT, Vantage, Amadeus, CroisEurope. We won't sail with Viking for a number of reasons and were disappointed with Avalon overall on our last few cruises with them.

 

We don't need or care about an end to end inclusive experience as we prefer a good bit of DIY. We look for overall high quality, great service and food, large and well appointed staterooms, some entertainment and a diverse range of excursions.

 

We have found AMA to be the best fit so far for our tastes and priorities and have 5 completed cruises with AMA and one more booked. We will be on Uniworld this summer for the first time and would also consider Scenic for a future cruise. I have very detailed reviews posted for our river cruises if you are interested in reading about the day to day experience aboard.

 

Our favorite so far was the AmaCerto Budapest to Nuremberg. We loved the itinerary and onboard experience and extended our stay in Budapest and then went to Prague on our end at the end of the cruise, both DIY. We also very much enjoyed our Provence cruise. Lots of port time and overnights which allowed us to enjoy the local spots after dinner enhanced our experience. The Rhine Basel to Amsterdam was a great mix of 4 countries and cultures.

 

Good luck with your decision!

@caviargal: Thanks so much for this post, this is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to find. I know everyone's experience and expectations are different, but hearing real life experience is so much better than just looking at the brochures.

We too like to do things ourselves. When we travel to other countries, i research all the things we want to see, and usually walk 3 to 5 mi each day, packing in as much as we can. I was very disappointed with the tours when we did alaska cruise, they went way too slow (we were probably 15 to 20 yrs younger than average to be fair), saw too little, and were way to inefficient for my liking. Only people can tell you things like this.

BTW, which is the cruise line that doesn't handle things as well as the others?

I'll take a guess that PP is referring to Viking. They seemed to take a lot of hits for their performance during river level crises back a couple years ago.

I'll agree with Caviergirl that if you want luxury, you need to target certain lines. But, if you enjoy sea cruising on main stream lines then you should be satisfied by the lines discussed here. You won't find a stereotypical budget party cruise among the lines discussed here. At ten grand for a two week prime time cruise, "budget" is a misnomer for those lines that do not provide a luxury experience.

Since you seem to have read up on the various lines, did you see anything that eliminates a line because of some "deal breaker" in terms of cabin layout or ship amenity? Do you have any certain price point?

ETA: our first river cruise was two weeks and I'm glad we did the longer one.

@caviargal: Thanks so much for this post, this is exactly the kind of information I was hoping to find. I know everyone's experience and expectations are different, but hearing real life experience is so much better than just looking at the brochures.

 

We too like to do things ourselves. When we travel to other countries, i research all the things we want to see, and usually walk 3 to 5 mi each day, packing in as much as we can. I was very disappointed with the tours when we did alaska cruise, they went way too slow (we were probably 15 to 20 yrs younger than average to be fair), saw too little, and were way to inefficient for my liking. Only people can tell you things like this.

 

BTW, which is the cruise line that doesn't handle things as well as the others?

You are most welcome! I think that personal taste and priorities are major factors to consider when choosing a line. Also, boats can differ greatly within the same line so be sure to evaluate that as well.

We were on the younger age range when we did our first cruise on the river and still are on some trips we take. We like to have the option for active excursions but still often choose to strike out on our own. We are adventurous and well traveled and enjoy using public transport. We don't limit ourselves to what the lines include.

We average 10-12 miles walking a day when we vacation in Europe. I can't wait til our next trip as I now have a Fitbit which will be interesting in tracking our activities. It is the best way we have found to burn off those extra calories we consume enjoying local wine and cuisine. :D

I am of the opinion that if the better experience is 12k rather than 10k I will spend the money. However, I am not into opulence, I don't really care for fancy gourmet dishes, in fact I prefer not to each rich. (I am happy eating at denny's and applebees.) So having unlimited fine wine is not important. When I travel I just want a clean room, hampton inns are great.

What i look at the river boat cruise is a place to sleep, and what i want to do is see the cities. So who has the best tours, and can offer the best experiences are what I am looking for.

From the overview article, it seems grand circle, ama, avalon, and viking have the best excursions? Are they all using the same tour companies? Are they in big motor coaches that move you like herd of cattle, or can you get intimate with the destinations and really see the sights?

I am of the opinion that if the better experience is 12k rather than 10k I will spend the money. However, I am not into opulence, I don't really care for fancy gourmet dishes, in fact I prefer not to each rich. (I am happy eating at denny's and applebees.) So having unlimited fine wine is not important. When I travel I just want a clean room, hampton inns are great.

 

What i look at the river boat cruise is a place to sleep, and what i want to do is see the cities. So who has the best tours, and can offer the best experiences are what I am looking for.

 

From the overview article, it seems grand circle, ama, avalon, and viking have the best excursions? Are they all using the same tour companies? Are they in big motor coaches that move you like herd of cattle, or can you get intimate with the destinations and really see the sights?

You may want to very seriously take a hard look at Tauck... Viking has the most passengers on a ship, nearly 200 passengers, where other lines have from 120 to 160 so look hard at how large those tours will be.

I am of the opinion that if the better experience is 12k rather than 10k I will spend the money. However, I am not into opulence, I don't really care for fancy gourmet dishes, in fact I prefer not to each rich. (I am happy eating at denny's and applebees.) So having unlimited fine wine is not important. When I travel I just want a clean room, hampton inns are great.

 

What i look at the river boat cruise is a place to sleep, and what i want to do is see the cities. So who has the best tours, and can offer the best experiences are what I am looking for.

 

From the overview article, it seems grand circle, ama, avalon, and viking have the best excursions? Are they all using the same tour companies? Are they in big motor coaches that move you like herd of cattle, or can you get intimate with the destinations and really see the sights?

I didn't chime in before because from your original post I thought you were more into luxury than you indicate in this one. So....We've traveled 6 times with Vantage (they do not advertise and do not use travel agents) and have found them to be more middle road when it comes to luxury (think 12K rather than 10K). Their ships and rooms are more than comfortable but not luxurious. No pool, spa, massages or fabulous chandeliers. All of the lines from the top to the bottom will offer shore excursions in every port, Vantage doesn't charge extra for them like some do. This is not to say that Vantage doesn't offer "optional" excursions, they do, but they usually include a further coach ride, admission to someplace special (like Peterhof, in St. Pete) and frequently lunch in a restaurant....we've taken most of them and never been disappointed. The included tours most often are walking tours of the port so you know where the ship is located and points out points of interest as well as cafes, shops, etc. They often will also include a coach ride to a nearby historic site (Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg is included) The coaches are all luxury type with reclining seats, tray tables and on board bathroom (except for Russia where the bathrooms were locked) The food in the dining room is not nouveau cuisine, but is excellent quality and wine is included with dinner on some of their itineraries but not on all. The menu will always include a meat, fish and vegetarian choice (and if I could steal the veg. chef, I would). B'fast is always a buffet with choices ranging from cereal, yogurt and fruit to eggs to order. Lunch is a salad bar with everything from lettuce to meats, cheeses and salads of all kinds, a hot or cold soup and a hot entree if you prefer. Dinner is always sit down menu service with choice of appetizer, soup, salad, entree and desert. In 6 cruises I have never had a bad meal. As for pricing, you just have to do the math...but I will say that I did it on a previous post comparing Vantage and Viking on the same cruise, same date and cabin level and Vantage was considerably less!

I am of the opinion that if the better experience is 12k rather than 10k I will spend the money. However, I am not into opulence, I don't really care for fancy gourmet dishes, in fact I prefer not to each rich. (I am happy eating at denny's and applebees.) So having unlimited fine wine is not important. When I travel I just want a clean room, hampton inns are great.

 

What i look at the river boat cruise is a place to sleep, and what i want to do is see the cities. So who has the best tours, and can offer the best experiences are what I am looking for.

 

From the overview article, it seems grand circle, ama, avalon, and viking have the best excursions? Are they all using the same tour companies? Are they in big motor coaches that move you like herd of cattle, or can you get intimate with the destinations and really see the sights?

I think that based on this additional information you have lots of options. I would take Viking off the list based on complaints re how they handle high and lower issues and density of passengers on their longships.

We like the Limited Edition Tours with AMA which limit the number of participants and are focused on more off the beaten path experiences. Some of the general tours are in standard tour buses. I believe that Tauck offers smaller group tours but have not cruised with them personally. Someone should be able to address this specifically for you.

If a Hampton Inn works for you then you should be comfortable in accommodations on most lines.

I am of the opinion that if the better experience is 12k rather than 10k I will spend the money. However, I am not into opulence, I don't really care for fancy gourmet dishes, in fact I prefer not to each rich. (I am happy eating at denny's and applebees.) So having unlimited fine wine is not important. When I travel I just want a clean room, hampton inns are great.

 

What i look at the river boat cruise is a place to sleep, and what i want to do is see the cities. So who has the best tours, and can offer the best experiences are what I am looking for.

 

From the overview article, it seems grand circle, ama, avalon, and viking have the best excursions? Are they all using the same tour companies? Are they in big motor coaches that move you like herd of cattle, or can you get intimate with the destinations and really see the sights?

River cruise quality levels tend to run throughout the ship, so you are likely to find the better excursions on the ships with the gourmet food and fine wine. [it's like cable TV in that respect, not a la carte.] It's hard to sort out how excursions differ from the website descriptions, but size matters and the higher-end lines hire more guides for smaller groups. Some lines also offer more optional excursions (some free, others at extra cost). I just got a list of the "limited edition" tours for my upcoming AMA Rhone cruise:

• guided bike tour of the ViaRhona bike path through the vineyards and orchards near Vienne (minimum 2 guests; maximum 20 guests)

• wine tasting in Tain Hermitage (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• red wine and chocolate tasting at Le Chateau de Tournon (minimum none; maximum 50 guests)

• Boulangerie/Patisserie Baking Experience with baguettes and Nougat in the evening in Viviers (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• Culinary Studio of Cabestan to prepare and sample aperitifs and wine in Avignon (minimum 8 guests; maximum 20 guests)

I'm working all of these (except the bike tour) into my schedule right now!

• wine tasting in Tain Hermitage (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• red wine and chocolate tasting at Le Chateau de Tournon (minimum none; maximum 50 guests)

• Boulangerie/Patisserie Baking Experience with baguettes and Nougat in the evening in Viviers (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• Culinary Studio of Cabestan to prepare and sample aperitifs and wine in Avignon (minimum 8 guests; maximum 20 guests)

I'm working all of these (except the bike tour) into my schedule right now!

Sounds fantastic. I would need a wheelbarrow to get me off the boat at the end of this!:)

River cruise quality levels tend to run throughout the ship, so you are likely to find the better excursions on the ships with the gourmet food and fine wine. [it's like cable TV in that respect, not a la carte.] It's hard to sort out how excursions differ from the website descriptions, but size matters and the higher-end lines hire more guides for smaller groups. Some lines also offer more optional excursions (some free, others at extra cost). I just got a list of the "limited edition" tours for my upcoming AMA Rhone cruise:

• guided bike tour of the ViaRhona bike path through the vineyards and orchards near Vienne (minimum 2 guests; maximum 20 guests)

• wine tasting in Tain Hermitage (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• red wine and chocolate tasting at Le Chateau de Tournon (minimum none; maximum 50 guests)

• Boulangerie/Patisserie Baking Experience with baguettes and Nougat in the evening in Viviers (minimum none; maximum 30 guests)

• Culinary Studio of Cabestan to prepare and sample aperitifs and wine in Avignon (minimum 8 guests; maximum 20 guests)

I'm working all of these (except the bike tour) into my schedule right now!

I love the sound of those excursions! Are they all optional?

I love the sound of those excursions! Are they all optional?

Just got through adding them to the daily itineraries, so here's the complete list:

• day 1 board ship in Lyon; welcome dinner

• day 2 tour of Lyon (no time given, probably leaves free time in the afternoon); ship sails in the evening

• day 3 tour through Beaujolais wine region to the village of Oingt, with wine tasting at local winery; ship sails in the afternoon; free evening in Vienne

• day 4 choice of walking tour of Vienne or limited edition guided bike tour; ship sails in the afternoon; free evening in Tournon

• day 5 choice of Red Wine & Chocolate Pairing or Hermitage Wine Tasting; ship sails in the afternoon; evening choice of Viviers Ghost Walk or Boulangerie Baker's Experience

• day 6 excursion to Grignan [which was just profiled in the April issue of National Geographic Traveler] and a truffle farm; ship sails at midday; afternoon choice of walking tour of Avignon or excursion to Pont du Gard or limited edition Culinary Studio of Cabestan small group course; ship sails to Arles overnight

• day 7 choice of excursion to Les Baux and an olive farm or Impressionist Experience tour to Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum and Carriers de Lumbers; afternoon city tour of arles; free evening in Arles

[Edit:]You can't register for the limited edition tours until final payment, but they are included in the fare. [Thanks caviargal for clearing that up.]

<red wine and chocolate tasting at Le Chateau de Tournon (minimum none; maximum 50 guests)>

This was the least favorite on our Rhone trip with AMA in November. I would not recommend it. Presenters at the Chateau were like watching paint dry.

<• day 7 choice of excursion to Les Baux and an olive farm or Impressionist Experience tour to Saint Paul de Mausole Asylum and Carriers de Lumbers; afternoon city tour of arles; free evening in Arles>

We did the olive tour and our friends the Carriers. We so wished we had chosen Carriers as they are still raving about it!

I love the sound of those excursions! Are they all optional?

The Limited Edition Tours are included. They can be booked after final payment has been made online.

The Limited Edition Tours are included. They can be booked after final payment has been made online.

Thanks caviargal, I updated my post above. And thanks for the advice -- I plan to follow your suggestions.

Gee, watching paint dry or watching lumber carriers... Neither sounds that exciting! ;) Gotta love that auto-correct!

A shame about the Château de Tournon... We were there on Saturday and the setting is just beautiful.

why not try a short river cruise say 7 nights and see how you like it?

so many variables can impact, season/weather/cruise director etc. its a great way to travel and the time goes so fast. about to do no 7 and 8. we have to travel along way to get to Europe but feel its worth it for the experiences.

good luck.

Thanks pully8 for getting us back on topic (says one of the chief offenders!). So now we're talking about which itinerary to take on a first river cruise. All the advice I got in preparing for my first river cruise was to go for one week -- river cruises are so different from ocean cruises that some people really don't like them, so why subject yourself to the possibility of 2 weeks in hell? And even though our first, 7-day, cruise was wonderful I still think this is good advice. But limiting a European trip to just 7 days also seems like too little, so my advice is to fly in early (always a good idea anyway) and enjoy your embarkation city -- then add on some time to see a little more of the area at the end of the cruise.

Our first river cruise, based on this advice, was AMA's Enchanting Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel. We flew into Amsterdam on the day of (risky, wouldn't do that again) and had a little time for sightseeing before the welcome dinner -- an extra day would really have been better. Then at the end we took the AMA extension from Basel to Lucerne and Zurich and are very glad we did so -- we loved Lucerne and liked Zurich, and our wonderful Cruise Director came with us (as did 80% of the passengers) so the community feeling continued -- this made the extra cost of booking the extension through AMA worth every penny. Since that worked out so well for us, that's the advice I give to other river cruise newbies.