Please point me to the right place

I'm very interested in a European River cruise, but not sure where to start. I'd love to have some help, perhaps point me to the right place (threads?) that might compare the various riverboat cruise companies & how one is different from the other, pros/cons, etc. Is there a specific place to find such things, or am I there? :)

Thanks so much!

Look to the right above your post and use the SEARCH button to read all the old comparison threads.

Dear Can't,

It is such an open ended question, like which is the best ocean cruise line, but I will try to help.

The best way is to go to the individual cruise lines website, and find a cruise you are interested in.For example if you are interested in a Rhine cruise, you have to decide how many days you want to cruise. There are cruises offered from 9 to 14 days, with the longer cruises stopping in more cities. Then look at your budget and see which line meets your requirements.

Look to see what is included on each line other than the cruise fare, such as airfare, transfers, excursions, etc.

There are a number of lines you could look at (in no particular order) AMA, Viking, Vantage, Tauck, Grand Circle, to name a few.

We have done a number of river cruises, and the stories and pictures are on our website.

We are always happy to answer any questions.

I found this thread very helpful when I first started to think about River Cruising. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1792215 There are a few others, just scroll down this forum and look at the title of the thread.

Yes, the matter is rather open-ended, I know. But at this early point in planning, I really am looking for general help. I've cruised a number of times before, but never river cruising. I've visited a number of spots in Europe, but never from the river. I purposely didn't ask specific questions, like "which river cruise is best?" or "where should I go?". because I think that I can probably find answers later on to those, or ask them later.

Right now, I have absolutely no idea which type of cruise, or which river, because at this point, I have no preference at all yet. I'm looking for general comparison info like "Viking River cruises are known more for _______, while AMA concentrates heavily on ________". Or general info like what makes a Rhine itinerary more/less interesting than for example a Danube. I just thought maybe there had been some previous posts for that type of thing that someone would remember & be able to lead me too. In the meantime, I've started searching through this category on Cruise Critic to see if such a thing exists.

"Got2Cruise" thank you for the link. That, at least gives some ideas on when (what weather conditions) one might consider to take certain cruises.

Yes' date=' the matter is rather open-ended, I know. But at this early point in planning, I really am looking for general help. I've cruised a number of times before, but never river cruising. I've visited a number of spots in Europe, but never from the river. I purposely didn't ask specific questions, like "which river cruise is best?" or "where should I go?". because I think that I can probably find answers later on to those, or ask them later.

 

Right now, I have absolutely no idea which type of cruise, or which river, because at this point, I have no preference at all yet. I'm looking for general comparison info like "Viking River cruises are known more for _______, while AMA concentrates heavily on ________". Or general info like what makes a Rhine itinerary more/less interesting than for example a Danube. I just thought maybe there had been some previous posts for that type of thing that someone would remember & be able to lead me too. In the meantime, I've started searching through this category on Cruise Critic to see if such a thing exists.

 

"Got2Cruise" thank you for the link. That, at least gives some ideas on when (what weather conditions) one might consider to take certain cruises.[/quote']

 

Welcome to the River Cruise side of the house....

 

Based on your post, it appears that you are looking for the river cruise experience itself instead of the cruise being taken to see difference parts of Europe. It does make it a bit challenging to make suggestions - if you are not sure what you are interested in seeing on your cruise....

 

There are as many similarities as differences IMHO. There are a number of people who are very loyal to one company, and some who would never travel with "X" company based on previous experiences or perceptions. There is a thread here on an interview given by the CEO of Viking that has resulted in LOTS of comments.

 

There are some significant differences... and I will try to offer some insights.

 

1) All inclusive: Tauck and Scenic are all inclusive this year (include airport transfers, gratuities etc). Uniworld is becoming all inclusive for 2014 - although airport transfers have always been included ( even if you purchase your own air....)

 

2) Payment policies: Viking has the infamous "2 for 1" sale that never ends. But - you usually have to pay in full to take advantage of the price (that isn't, by the way, a significant saving over everyone else's regular price...). Some companies offer better discounts if you pay in full (ie: Uniworld) but you do not have to pay in full - just put a deposit down. Most companies ask for a deposit (usually around $250/pp) with the final payment due 60-90 days before sailing.

 

3) Age of ships: This used to be more significant, but most companies are either bringing new-builds out regularly, or doing regular re-furbs. Not much sailing these days that is "old" - with the exception, perhaps, of the boats sailing the Dneiper.

 

4) Mix of Passengers: Some companies (Grand Circle, Vantage) market almost exclusively in the US - so your fellow passengers are Americans. Scenic is an Australian company, so passenger group is primarily Australian - with some Brits and Canadians along for the ride. They are just starting to market in the US - so very few Americans on board. Most of the others (AMA, Avalon, Uniworld, Viking) have a wider mix of passengers.

 

5) Balconies??: When is a "balcony" not really a "balcony"?? When it is a FRENCH balcony... Think sliding patio door with a railing across it. Scenic has led the way with balconies on all of their ships - but Uniworld and Viking are starting to follow suit. Choosing to book a balcony (or not) is a very personal decision. Many won't consider a river cruise without at least a French balcony, but we prefer to save our money for the next trip, so usually book lowest category (aka Aquarium Class). It still has a window - so we are good....

 

6) Misc: Some boats have bicycles. Some have a hot tub on the top deck. Some have an alternative dining venue (no charge....). Some have a gym. Some have tables for two - others have tables for 4 as the smallest table available. Most have hotel style beds - but some of the older ones have twin beds that are attached to the wall.

 

If you have an idea of the type of experience you are looking for, that might be a good way to start.

 

Just a word of warning.... If you are thinking that you want to book and travel this year - options might be very limited. If you have some flexibility in your dates, you might be OK. If you decide you want "X" line, on "Y" itinerary on "Z" dates, you might be challenged - unless you are willing to wait to get what you want.

 

Have fun planning!!

 

Fran

I will tell you my experience and hopefully you can glean some ideas.

We too are frequent ocean cruisers, but wanted to try a European river cruise. We decided that the itinerary was most important to us, so we narrowed down to a river cruise through Germany. I then reviewed each lines cruises that included Germany. I created a spreadsheet with the itinerary (cut and paste is my friend!:eek:) I included optional excursions and ship details.

What I found was that the itineraries are very similar....blah, that's no help. So I moved on to the subjective s of what each line; cabin size, food, service....but alas, I found that they are all GREAt! We eventually decided on Avalon's Highlights of Germany as I wanted to see Neuschwanstien! Funny that such a trivial thing would be the tie breaker!

As I read these boards I am struck with the hoist ability of the posters. Ocean lines have their "cheerleaders" and are quick to tell you that if you don't choose their line of choose, you've made the wrong choice! Here people do have their line of choice, but a quick to say that each line is great and you need to pick that one that suits YOU. It is quite refreshing!

Anyway, do your research, ask around....people here are happy to assist......and when you decide, tell us what you decided any why......someone else is right behind you with the same questions!

I'm very interested in a European River cruise' date=' but not sure where to start. I'd love to have some help, perhaps point me to the right place (threads?) that might compare the various riverboat cruise companies & how one is different from the other, pros/cons, etc. Is there a specific place to find such things, or am I there? :)

Thanks so much![/quote']

 

Hi can'tcatchup,

We are planning our very first river cruise. I started my research by reading everything on Cruise Critic. I came across well written posts by CC member, MVPinBoynton (Mike Preisman).

 

I then went to Mike and Carol's website and read their review of the AMALyra. I was convinced that AMA Waterways would be a great river cruise company to seriously consider.

 

It seems many people on Cruise Critic attribute their decision to go on a river cruise after reading Mike and Carol's wonderful website.

 

Here is the link: http://www.thepreismans.com/amalyra.htm

 

When I return in August from our first river cruise on AMA Waterways, I will write a review.

 

Have fun researching.

I'm going to play "javelin catcher" here and offer some commonly-voiced comments based on my research about some of the river cruise lines. Please feel free to criticize my remarks, as the criticism should also prove to be informative.

Tauck - pampers their passengers and provides unparalleled academic-quality information about the different debarkation spots - for a price that exceeds pretty much everyone else's, though it's all-inclusive, which may make the price differences a bit illusory

Uniworld - also pampers their passengers, though perhaps in more crowded ("cozy?") space and with very baroque-style decor and furnishings - also for a relatively high price; perhaps the best cuisine of the major lines; one of the major river cruise lines for USA customers and also my wife's selection for our cruises (full disclosure here)

Vantage and AMA - also pamper their passengers (see a trend here?) but have some little differences from the above that aren't easily quantified until and unless you cruise with them

Viking - has the largest market share, has a very businesslike approach to the business of river cruising; largely the market maker, as their marketing has also built business for their competitors; takes flak from fans of other lines who perceive Viking as "the low-cost spread" or the "Wal-Mart of river cruising," neither of which is particularly accurate

Scenic - Great line to choose if you're an Aussie or Kiwi, but apparently more difficult to deal with for USA cruisers

GCT - the most economical and Spartan of the major river-cruise lines, but a great idea if you're a bit strapped for cash but still want to cruise the rivers of Europe

There are other suppliers also, but these gross and largely inaccurate characterizations should provide everyone the chance to post their reactions ...

At the end of the day, you should look at the cruise lines' itineraries of the specific cruise region you want to visit. You might then pick the most interesting, unless you have other priorities (like an academic approach - Tauck; or perhaps catering to a kosher diet) that dictate another choice.

like your descriptions max....add Avalon. to your list..nice comfortable boats, good service & they have a nice mix of Americans, Canadians, Aussies , Brits & and any other english speaking nationality ( don't want to leave out you folks from the land of the long white cloud) Only been on Viking & Avalon..going on Avalon again next year. Had a very good time on Viking...had an even beter time on Avalon.. Again..don't be fooled by "two for one pricing marketing"..compare...most of them are close in price when comparing apples to apples....also sometimes a great cruise director can make a difference...but that is the luck of the draw in most cases.

I'm not going on my first river cruise until 2014, but I just went through the process of narrowing down which cruise and cruise line to take. Although this is my first RC, I travel a lot on both ocean cruises and land vacations and always do my research before cruising. The first thing I did was narrow down which country(ies) and river(s) I wanted to cruise on; then the time of year. Narrowing down the choices makes it a little less overwhelming. After that, I looked at the stops each cruise makes and did a little research on the towns and cities. After narrowing down the general itineary, I researched the cruise line through the message forums and the member reviews. Each of us has a style and when you read the reviews, you'll probably see which line appears more appealing.

I originally wanted to go on a Tauck cruise, but Tauck would not let me separate the land portion from the river portion. My DH and I want to do the land portion on our own, so we ended up going with an AMA cruise, which was our 2nd choice.

We are planning our first river cruise for 2014. We narrowed our choice to the Danube river mainly because of the itinerary. Still doing research on which cruise line -- AMA, Viking or Avalon. I created a excel spread sheet to provide comparisons between the cruise lines which helps point me in the right direction. Still it's the intangibles that you must also consider. As previously stated, some lines include items that are extra and while others do not (i.e. bikes, etc.). If you feel uncomfortable with your research consider a TA with river cursing experience. The comments and ideas presented on this tread are very informative. Many great ideas.

Good luck in your research!

John

In May, we embark on our first river cruise. I went through a great deal of reading, and comparing 8 different companies and two different routes: Amsterdam to Basel or Amsterdam to Budapest/Vienna. I created my own spreadsheet to compare all the factors important to me. Franski has an excellent breakdown.

On an ocean cruise, we generally select a semi-obstructed cabin. I prefer to cruise cheaply and often. I have thought and planned and agonized about this river cruise trip and the big bucks it will cost for well over a year. While at the same time, I jumped at a cheap Circle Great Britain cruise on Princess. We hopped a plane and sailed within 10 days of finding out about the bargain fare. Go figure.

You need to decide what is important to you.

All-inclusive - Wine and beer with lunch and dinner is not that important to me. I prefer to select my own kinds of wine, sometimes I prefer a Pepsi or a margarita. So I chose a line that did not provide this and cost me less.

Balcony - Although I seldom pay for a balcony on an ocean ship, I wanted a French balcony on this riverboat. It won't be just ocean and clouds. I want to see the passing scenery from my big window. I want to stick my head out the sliding glass doors and look up and down the river. DH wonders how he will sleep at night when there is always something to see.

Comfort - I wanted to have 2 whole weeks on the riverboat, a longer time = less time moving luggage. Our floating hotel will move us from place to place. I wanted a hotel style bed. Found a 2 week trip, on a new ship. We will be on it's second cruise. I hope the beds are comfortable.

Passengers - I enjoy meeting people and learning about them. I like that they have open seating so we can hopefully meet lots of people. This was not a criteria for me. Money was. My only concern would be if there is a large group of people who only want to interact with their own group members.

Miscellaneous - Bad knees, so I can't ride a bike. When I last was on the Rhine River (43 years ago) I was a teenager traveling through Europe by bicycle. We loaded our bikes on a riverboat and cruised through the Lorelei area. It was a magical afternoon. Wish there was a hot tub, but will settle for hot showers!

Cost - If we paid in advance, we saved even more. That money was not earning me 10% in the bank. The cruise we chose was never offered at a cheaper price and it is sold-out until mid-September.

That is a little bit about our thought processes. When I get back I will write a review. Good luck on selecting your riverboat adventure.

I'm very interested in a European River cruise' date=' but not sure where to start. I'd love to have some help, perhaps point me to the right place (threads?) that might compare the various riverboat cruise companies & how one is different from the other, pros/cons, etc. Is there a specific place to find such things, or am I there? :)

Thanks so much![/quote']

 

we did our research kinda backwards,,,,we have always done Ocean Cruises,,,but when a River cruise was offered by our TA as a feature trip,,,especially a Christmas Market cruise we jumped on it. We even had an Antiques and Christmas Shop here in Western New York at one time due to my love of the Season. Anyways, once we signed up, we camehere searching for info. We have read and read and read and have picked up such good info. We just selected a weekend and sat down and started reading anything that related to 2012 and 2013 River cruises. While we have found little about our Cruise line, Luftner, yet, there is a wealth of info on here by very generous people that have taken the time to explain things. We will be on the Luftner Brilliant for a Danube Christmas Market Cruise/Tour,December 4th,from Wurzburg to Vienna. A trip I read about 12 years ago and only thought we'd dream about....Keep reading,,,write down other's thoughts. I have an Empty Book that I write down general info and info on every port and city others have been to. That way I have it handy to reread and learn from. Takes a little time, but well worth the effort. We cant wait to go on this cruise and report back on this little known cruise company.

RichardandMark - I had not heard of your company (but I had read the Amadeus riverboat name), always learn something new on cruisecritic.com. The Christmas markets cruises are intriguing. Looking forward to reading your review.

I'm going to play "javelin catcher" here and offer some commonly-voiced comments based on my research about some of the river cruise lines. Please feel free to criticize my remarks, as the criticism should also prove to be informative.

 

Tauck - pampers their passengers and provides unparalleled academic-quality information about the different debarkation spots - for a price that exceeds pretty much everyone else's, though it's all-inclusive, which may make the price differences a bit illusory

 

Uniworld - also pampers their passengers, though perhaps in more crowded ("cozy?") space and with very baroque-style decor and furnishings - also for a relatively high price; perhaps the best cuisine of the major lines; one of the major river cruise lines for USA customers and also my wife's selection for our cruises (full disclosure here)

 

Vantage and AMA - also pamper their passengers (see a trend here?) but have some little differences from the above that aren't easily quantified until and unless you cruise with them

 

Viking - has the largest market share, has a very businesslike approach to the business of river cruising; largely the market maker, as their marketing has also built business for their competitors; takes flak from fans of other lines who perceive Viking as "the low-cost spread" or the "Wal-Mart of river cruising," neither of which is particularly accurate

 

Scenic - Great line to choose if you're an Aussie or Kiwi, but apparently more difficult to deal with for USA cruisers

 

GCT - the most economical and Spartan of the major river-cruise lines, but a great idea if you're a bit strapped for cash but still want to cruise the rivers of Europe

 

There are other suppliers also, but these gross and largely inaccurate characterizations should provide everyone the chance to post their reactions ...

 

At the end of the day, you should look at the cruise lines' itineraries of the specific cruise region you want to visit. You might then pick the most interesting, unless you have other priorities (like an academic approach - Tauck; or perhaps catering to a kosher diet) that dictate another choice.

Mac did a good job of discussing the various lines.

We have done tours and river cruises on Vantage (Russia and China) and AMA (Burgundy and Provence, France).

We highly recommend both lines. Vantage is great with the land portion of the tour and AMA's ships are great.

From my research, I generally compare pricing and what you get for the price on a spread sheet. Sometimes it is like comparing apples to oranges. Still, you can narrow it down to $$$ per day and number of days on the cruises.

We compare Viking, but dislike their pricing and generally find that Vantage beats Viking head to head on what's in the cruise for what $$$.

We tend to go for the cheapest, lower deck cabins, since on river cruises no one spends much time in your cabin.