Question/advice - European cruise operators??

All-

My first post (actually re-posted in more specific location), great site. My husband and I have cruised several times, but all on major cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, etc) We are considering a European river cruise and would like your opinion on the various lines that operate river cruises. My research has surfaced Tauck, Uniworld, Avalon, Viking, and Abercrombie and Kent. We are most interested in France.

Any advise, tips or recommendations on what line to consider? We are fairly active and in the 50-55 age range. We are planning on short notice - probably the first part of September, 2011.

Thanks, in advance!

Hi, DianaS, and welcome to CC.

A few years ago, my wife and I did a French river cruise which started with a 3-day stay in Paris and then a cruise down the Rhone from Chalon to Nice where we stayed an extra 4 days on an extension. Although I wouldn't recommend the boat upon which we sailed, the itinerary is excellent. Beautiful scenery, quaint towns/cities, high-interest sightseeing, good food and delicious wine. What could be better?

We've also done river cruises with Avalon Waterways, and if we were to do that France itinerary again, I'd book it on Avalon. Amenities on Avalon are plentiful and a quick peek at their website would give you all the particulars.

Good luck, and bon voyage.

We did a Danube cruise with Tauck from Budapest to Prague from May 12-23, 2011. It was an amazing experience! The riverboat, the MS Swiss Jewell was beautiful. Having done over 20 ocean cruises we were a bit apprehensive about doing a riverboat cruise. We were more than presently surprised. We ate very well and were treated with utmost care. There were 91 passengers on the riverboat and attention to detail by Tauck staff was superb.

All-

 

My first post (actually re-posted in more specific location), great site. My husband and I have cruised several times, but all on major cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, etc) We are considering a European river cruise and would like your opinion on the various lines that operate river cruises. My research has surfaced Tauck, Uniworld, Avalon, Viking, and Abercrombie and Kent. We are most interested in France.

 

Any advise, tips or recommendations on what line to consider? We are fairly active and in the 50-55 age range. We are planning on short notice - probably the first part of September, 2011.

 

Thanks, in advance!

All-

 

My first post (actually re-posted in more specific location), great site. My husband and I have cruised several times, but all on major cruise lines (Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, etc) We are considering a European river cruise and would like your opinion on the various lines that operate river cruises. My research has surfaced Tauck, Uniworld, Avalon, Viking, and Abercrombie and Kent. We are most interested in France.

 

Any advise, tips or recommendations on what line to consider? We are fairly active and in the 50-55 age range. We are planning on short notice - probably the first part of September, 2011.

 

Thanks, in advance!

Check Vantage Deluxe World Travel for excellent river cruises. We are currently booked for September on our third cruise with them and have been very pleased with our past trips. They do not use travel agents and their target group is mature American travelers. Their prices seem high at first but almost everything is included so they are a good choice. River cruising is different than ocean cruising and you would benefit from reading posts on this board. A lot depends on your personal preferences. Vantagetravel.com or give them a call.

All the lines you mention have their own boats with the exception of A & K. You need to decide the amenities you must have. Dining is buffet for breakfast and lunch and plated for dinner. All meals are served at a specific time and are open seating. Some lines offer free wine and beer with dinner..some offer bikes. We did this trip with Uniworld on the River Royale...fantastic..great attention to details. We did Nice on our own. There was a promotion for past guests which gave us 3 nites in Paris. Do some research and then ask your questions here. Good luck finding the perfect trip for you. Pat