A River Cruising Newbie

My wife and I have never taken a River Cruise before and about a year ago we decided that we wanted to take one in 2017 as this is a special year for us.

Since that time I have posted on this board asking for input on 2017 itineraries and river cruise lines and was provided with a wealth of information.

Also I started to read review that people wrote so from time to time I would post comments such as nice review.

We do cruise a lot and have taken several Crystal Sailings so when we heard the news a few months ago that Crystal Cruises was entering the River Cruising Market we decided that we would see what they announced and just yesterday a short while after the itineraries were released we booked not one but two of the Inaugural Cruises in 2017. The first one is in early June R/T Paris and the other one begins in late August from Budapest to Amsterdam.

I plan to continue to read reviews on this board and to post from time to time to ask questions.

Yes, we will be "newbies" when it comes to River Cruising and I know I will have lots of questions.

I know that I will learn a lot from this board.

Also, based on a recommendation from Host Jazzbeau I purchased a few months ago the River Cruising In Europe book written by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz. I have been reading Douglas Ward's annual books on Cruising since the early 1990's. Since this is his first edition, it is not as extensive as those books, but still provides a lot of information.

We are very excited to begin the next chapter in cruising.

Keith

My wife and I have never taken a River Cruise before and about a year ago we decided that we wanted to take one in 2017 as this is a special year for us.

 

Since that time I have posted on this board asking for input on 2017 itineraries and river cruise lines and was provided with a wealth of information.

 

Also I started to read review that people wrote so from time to time I would post comments such as nice review.

 

We do cruise a lot and have taken several Crystal Sailings so when we heard the news a few months ago that Crystal Cruises was entering the River Cruising Market we decided that we would see what they announced and just yesterday a short while after the itineraries were released we booked not one but two of the Inaugural Cruises in 2017. The first one is in early June R/T Paris and the other one begins in late August from Budapest to Amsterdam.

 

I plan to continue to read reviews on this board and to post from time to time to ask questions.

 

Yes, we will be "newbies" when it comes to River Cruising and I know I will have lots of questions.

 

I know that I will learn a lot from this board.

 

Also, based on a recommendation from Host Jazzbeau I purchased a few months ago the River Cruising In Europe book written by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz. I have been reading Douglas Ward's annual books on Cruising since the early 1990's. Since this is his first edition, it is not as extensive as those books, but still provides a lot of information.

 

We are very excited to begin the next chapter in cruising.

 

Keith

Welcome Keith! I can see by your posts that you've been around a while....still that first cruise is always a mystery!! Our first cruise was with Vantage and we sailed from Budapest to Amsterdam and, 8 cruises later (with Vantage) it still remains one of our favorite cruises! Ward's River cruising in Europe is a great tool. Haven't done a Paris cruise because we pretty much covered France on a land tour but since I've been to the places listed on most itineraries I know it will be a wonderful trip as well. Any questions, you know we're here to help. What's YOUR specialty? (so we can pick your brain when we want something different!:D)

Welcome to River Cruise board Keith! Never have experienced Crystal Cruises, but I'm sure the product will be outstanding. Our first River Cruise was r/t on the Seine from Paris and we were hooked. So enchanting plus the visit to the D-Day landing beaches was a very moving experience. Can't wait to hear about the Crystal river cruises.

Hi Keith! You were a maven for me before our Crystal ocean cruise, so it's fun to be able to return the favor now on the River Cruising forum. Having read your blogs, the biggest differences you (personally) will find with river cruising is the absence of a large gym with workout classes and a paddle board court. Together they would completely fill a river cruise ship!

Hi Keith:) I am taking my first River Cruise in April:D....after all these

years of ocean cruises, I am really excited about this new adventure:)

Keith, those both sound like great itineraries. We did the BUD-AMS a few years ago and enjoyed it.

Here is the link to our story and photos

http://stevekathytravels.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/europe2010.pdf

We are always happy to answer questions.

Thank you so much Hydrokitty, Got2Cruise, Host Jazzbeau, Lois, and Talisker92.

Lois, I can't wait to hear what you think of your first River Cruise.

Talisker92, I am going to check out your link and photos right now.

Host Jazzbeau, thanks for the additional thoughts about the fitness/paddle tennis. Your analogy makes perfect sense.

Got2Cruise. Glad to hear how much you enjoyed the river cruises starting with your very first one.

Hydrokitty, I have taken Ocean Cruises pretty much around the world and have over 3 1/2 years at sea as a passenger. We mainly sail Crystal now but have sailed a wide range of cruise lines over the years including mainstream lines, premium lines and other luxury lines.

I do have a question that I had not really thought about. When I made the bookings for a Paris R/T voyage and then for the Budapest to Amsterdam Voyages I thought through cabin size and also its placement on the deck but I didn't consider which side of the boat to be on. I guess I thought that we would enjoy the views from public areas inside and outside the boat.

So my question is is one side of the boat preferable over the other side for one or both of these itineraries and if so which side?

These are the itineraries.

R/T Paris.

http://www.crystalcruises.com/river-cruises/round-trip-paris--7S05

Budapest to Amsterdam

http://www.crystalcruises.com/river-cruises/budapest-to-amsterdam--7D03

Thank you very much.

Keith

Addressing the "side" of the riverboat... I've never found that a particular side makes a difference. On our cruise in France last year we actually docked part of the time on one side of the river and then moved to the other side of the river. Unfortunately there are times when you can be tied up to other ships and your "view" is the ship next to you. :(

When cruising I've always found the best place to be is on the upper deck to be able to get a view of front/back and all sides of the beautiful river scenery!

Enjoy your river cruise! (you will love Honfleur!!)

I do have a question that I had not really thought about. When I made the bookings for a Paris R/T voyage and then for the Budapest to Amsterdam Voyages I thought through cabin size and also its placement on the deck but I didn't consider which side of the boat to be on. I guess I thought that we would enjoy the views from public areas inside and outside the boat.

 

So my question is is one side of the boat preferable over the other side for one or both of these itineraries and if so which side?

 

Keith

I agree with your original thought above, reinforced by pbnjrockette.

Cabin side doesn't really matter that much IME. Go outside for the best views. There have been times where we stayed put and enjoyed the view from our cabin, but we did not plan for this. If there's a nice view out your window, enjoy it; if not, head upstairs.

Good to see you on the River Cruise boards. We are on the Danube in April of next year. I think you will enjoy this!

Hi Keith,

For us cabin size is important after taking 2 river cruises. They are typically VERY small, therefore, I saw that Crystal has some larger S1 or PH. For comfort, I would suggest the larger cabins.

As to which side is preferable, it really depends on the route. Example: for the Bordeaux cruise we are taking, it goes back and forth so it will not matter.

Docking is another issue: We went for the top and best cabins on our 1st river cruise. A bit astounded to wake up in the morning and open the curtains for the view and the view was looking into another river boat cabin! Just something to be aware of because it takes the glamour away from your specially selected cabin. LOL!

We were not in love with river cruising, but will try again with Crystal and the itinerary, ease of unpacking once, and ability to get off the boat and tour easily is the reason why we are going again. I guess it is our love of travel that is most important.

I agree with the above posters that you really can't know which side of the ship will have better views when docked. The only constant is that no matter which direction your itinerary is sailing, you will always dock facing upstream (so that the river flow divides at the bow). However if there is a particular sight on your itinerary that you will be sailing by, that might lead you to choose a cabin on that side of the ship -- but I don't know of anything comparable to the Napali Coast in Hawaii along these lines.

Thank you so much Hydrokitty, Got2Cruise, Host Jazzbeau, Lois, and Talisker92.

 

Lois, I can't wait to hear what you think of your first River Cruise.

 

Talisker92, I am going to check out your link and photos right now.

 

Host Jazzbeau, thanks for the additional thoughts about the fitness/paddle tennis. Your analogy makes perfect sense.

 

Got2Cruise. Glad to hear how much you enjoyed the river cruises starting with your very first one.

 

Hydrokitty, I have taken Ocean Cruises pretty much around the world and have over 3 1/2 years at sea as a passenger. We mainly sail Crystal now but have sailed a wide range of cruise lines over the years including mainstream lines, premium lines and other luxury lines.

 

I do have a question that I had not really thought about. When I made the bookings for a Paris R/T voyage and then for the Budapest to Amsterdam Voyages I thought through cabin size and also its placement on the deck but I didn't consider which side of the boat to be on. I guess I thought that we would enjoy the views from public areas inside and outside the boat.

 

So my question is is one side of the boat preferable over the other side for one or both of these itineraries and if so which side?

 

These are the itineraries.

 

R/T Paris.

 

http://www.crystalcruises.com/river-cruises/round-trip-paris--7S05

 

Budapest to Amsterdam

 

http://www.crystalcruises.com/river-cruises/budapest-to-amsterdam--7D03

 

Thank you very much.

 

Keith

Not really Keith. Because the rivers aren't that wide you will have scenic views from both sides. When docked you may be looking at the port or across the river or at another boat!!! River boats dock facing upriver and what we lovingly refer to as "rafting" is common in the busier seasons. When you're cruising the Danube or Rhine Gorge you will definitely want to be on the top deck because the castles are on both sides of the river and sometimes fairly close to each other.

Not really Keith. Because the rivers aren't that wide you will have scenic views from both sides. When docked you may be looking at the port or across the river or at another boat!!! River boats dock facing upriver and what we lovingly refer to as "rafting" is common in the busier seasons. When you're cruising the Danube or Rhine Gorge you will definitely want to be on the top deck because the castles are on both sides of the river and sometimes fairly close to each other.

Also the ship is so tiny it only takes minutes to get from one place to the next. If you want to go from your cabin to the deck or lounge no biggie. Don't forget that when you go through the locks your balcony is not usable either unless you like looking at a wall.

Also the ship is so tiny it only takes minutes to get from one place to the next. If you want to go from your cabin to the deck or lounge no biggie. Don't forget that when you go through the locks your balcony is not usable either unless you like looking at a wall.

Ummmm...what balcony??? :D Our Vantage ships only have french balconies and with those you can actually reach out and touch the walls of the lock....everyone should do that once....but once is enough! :D It certainly is easier to go from your cabin to the dining room on a river boat as opposed to an ocean cruiser!! You could starve to death trying to find the dining room on some of them. :D

Welcome to river cruising.

Doesn't really matter what side when docking. Everyone gets off the ship anyway.

Also, there is some incorrect information in that Berlitz guide, so don't take it as gospel.

Thank you all so very much. I appreciate the words of wisdom and advice you have provided about room location.

Pbnjockette, that's great to hear about Honfleur.

jpalbny, I look forward to hearing about your river cruise of next year.

portofinoitaly, great point about cabin size. We did go with S1 on both our bookings for the reason you mentioned.

HostJazzbeau, thank you for the additional thoughts which make a lot of sense.

Hydrokitty, great thoughts about spots to see castles from and how the ships dock. Again, all of this is new to me.

Got2cruise, appreciate your thoughts about the size of the boat. That will be an adjustment. We have sailed the 200 passengers former Seabourn Ships but normal sail ships that carry between 900 and 1,000 guests so yes we'll have to remind ourselves that the size of the river boats is much smaller.

RyrCrzr, thank you for your thoughts on the new Berlitz Book.

This board is a wonderful source of information. I have been visiting this board for several months reading experiences of others such as their live reports or their reviews.

I know I will be back with lots more questions and will also visit the ports of call board for River Cruising. We have been to very few of the ports we will visit other than a couple that we have done as either a post cruise land package or in one case a visit to the area involving a 2 and 1/2 hour drive each way from the port of call we had an overnight at.

Thank you all.

Keith

Keith1010, you will also enjoy Giverny and Claude Monet's home and gardens. The Normandy beaches and invasion sites and museums are awe inspiring. Those men truly were the "Greatest Generation".

dan4182, thank you so very much.

Keith

Keith1010, you will also enjoy Giverny and Claude Monet's home and gardens. The Normandy beaches and invasion sites and museums are awe inspiring. Those men truly were the "Greatest Generation".

I second Monet's home and gardens and I didn't see it on your itinerary but if you have an opportunity to see the Bayeaux Tapestry, take it!! It's amazing and the audio tour explains everything very well.

The Normandy beaches and invasion sites and museums are awe inspiring.

If you go there, try to find time to visit the German cemetery at La Cambe near Omaha Beach and our cemetery there. It's very different from ours, but very moving. My late uncle (who landed on June 6, had an absolutely dreadful time, but managed to come back at the end of the war with only minor wounds) went there in 1984, and was struck both by how peaceful and beautiful it was, and by the thought that he was possibly standing near the graves of men he had killed forty years earlier. I first went there when I was stationed in Germany in 1971-73 with the 8th ID, and was stunned by the enormity of the carnage on both sides.

If you go there, try to find time to visit the German cemetery at La Cambe near Omaha Beach and our cemetery there. It's very different from ours, but very moving. My late uncle (who landed on June 6, had an absolutely dreadful time, but managed to come back at the end of the war with only minor wounds) went there in 1984, and was struck both by how peaceful and beautiful it was, and by the thought that he was possibly standing near the graves of men he had killed forty years earlier. I first went there when I was stationed in Germany in 1971-73 with the 8th ID, and was stunned by the enormity of the carnage on both sides.

We visited the German Cemetery in Luxembourg, also a very moving experience. Did you make this visit on your own or part of a cruise? If a cruise, which line?

I did this on our own, since in 1971-73 I was living 5 hours east of Paris by train (now it's probably much faster) and I had a weird job in the army where I could take a week off every six weeks or so (all very unofficial, but parts of the army in Germany in those days was sometimes like an episode of M*A*S*H). My wife and I would take a train from Paris to Caen, rent a car for several days and just wander.

Thanks, I know what you mean about Germany in the early 70s. 24/7 operation and rotating shifts resulted in several consecutive days off and travel opportunities.

Guess I'll as our PD about a stop at La Cambe before we head to the beaches. We just needed to consider whether a big convoy was scheduled as that could mean extra staffing.

Thanks, I know what you mean about Germany in the early 70s. 24/7 operation and rotating shifts resulted in several consecutive days off and travel opportunities.

Guess I'll as our PD about a stop at La Cambe before we head to the beaches. We just needed to consider whether a big convoy was scheduled as that could mean extra staffing.

Shazbat, bad thumbs . . .

The convoy has nothing to do with our trips to the beaches. :o It belongs in the first paragraph, not that ancient history matters.

Ancient history isn't always so ancient for some of us...

Remember the Reforger exercises? Which sometimes ended early because the $ budgeted weren't sufficient to pay for all the damage? I would occasionally be sent out with my driver to pay German farmers for things we had accidentally done ("Ah, yes, Herr Somethingorother, I do see the tank treads on that dead cow. Our bad. How much do you estimate it will take to replace it? Oh, yes, and bury it, too. No, I suppose you can't be expected to eat it. Well, look at it this way: If you people hadn't been so naughty in the 1940's we wouldn't be here now, would we?" (That last one got me a reprimand--though verbal only--from my C.O. Someone actually talked about making a poster with that quote to hang in the O Club, but cooler and more diplomatic heads prevailed.)