ddande

Understand now.

A lot of travel agencies sell packages as "XX day cruise to Xxxxxx" and include the pre- and post-cruise travel as part of the number of days in the package title. What they are doing is misleading. To be accurate, they should advertise as a 12-Day Xxxxxx cruise (XX days air included).

 

Example: Next July, we're taking a 12-Day British Isles. We're also doing one day travel and 3 days touring London, pre-cruise. And 6 days touring England and France and another day travel post-cruise. That doesn't make it a 23 day cruise, just a 12-Day cruise with 9 days in expensive hotels and 2 days of overpriced air travel.

 

You need to read the package (fine print) carefully. There's an old adage, "Let the buyer beware".

I suppose my thought is, if they are misleading/misrepresenting before they even make the sale, how honest will they be in other matters?

Agreed, the point to my post was not about the content of the river cruise but about trying to find a river cruise by the initial search information given by the cruise company . For instance if I look on VTG or S Cruiser for a Ocean cruise it will say "14" nights which is the time you expect to arrive and board (not necessarily sail) however on a number of river cruises it will say 14 days but when you read into it you may find your actual onboard time can be many days less due to the inclusion of "depart and arrival" being counted as day One and Two. Some Posters on here are advocating that this gives the vacationer notification that they require that amount of time to join the River Cruise and return home (even though flying is not part of the package) my question then becomes "why doesn't the ocean cruise companies 14v day cruise get advertised as a 16 day cruise" giving you the same amount of warning that it will take that time to join the ship and return home -there is no consistency (not even between the river cruise companies)and when you search for a certain length cruise you never know what you are actually getting (length of cruise wise) and have to then go into the fine detail to find out and that is what I find frustrating you think "great there's a cruise I've been looking for only that fits with my timing dates etc. only to find the actual cruise is not that length at all (and despite some doubters this can be anywhere from one to six days difference.)

Smart A$$ Answer - Ah, when you pi$$ off the Captain so badly, that you are thrown off the ship on the seventh day ?

A "14-day cruise" does not refer to the time spent sailing. It refers to the number of nights you have lodging available on a vessel (which 'cruises', i.e. - travels on the water from location to location).

"It refers to the number of nights you have lodging available on a vessel"

And that is one of my points - if airfares are not included as part of the 15 day "cruise" why is "departure from the USA" day 1 and why is arrival day 2 where you spend the night in a hotel ?

Regards

Dave d

Please list the exact cruise that you think is only 7 days and advertised as 14 days. Post the link to this cruise.

 

I think you might be exaggerating a little.

Donray, first of all I don't lie !! I have no reason to exaggerate either.

I stated in my original post that I was getting tired of looking at websites where it showed 14 day River cruises for sale however when you actually start looking through the details that the actual "cruise' time was considerably less than was advertised and that in fact many counted the time you were in the air to meet the vessel as "day one" and arrival at the airport was "day two" even though airfares were not part of the deal and in fact paid for and arranged by the consumer -so how can it be counted as "day one & two" of the cruise ? that I consider at the best to be misleading. I post on cruise critic as an interested and experienced traveller -not to have my character judged by people like you.

It's a 14 day trip and they all class from leaving to arriving when including flights plus land and sea content

 

Just got to ensure you read carefully

 

 

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Dancinman the River cruise I looked at did not include airfares however counted the flight as "day One" arriving day Two" !!

Many folks in the US only get 14 days annual vacation, so in a way this is actually truth in advertising to show them that this trip will use it all up.

I agree as to why they may want to ensure that customers are aware that this will fill their vacation time however the fact remains that a 14 day cruise is in fact less than 14 days -if they were to advertise 14 day vacation including cruise I could handle that however it (the 14 days)would still include flying time which is not part of the vacation advertised. You pay for that yourself separately.

I hear you

I have enough trouble with 8 hr flights I do not know how you do those long flights

My friend from Brisbane will do a B2B just to make the most of the travelling time ..do not blame her but flying 36hrs would kill me :D

 

Lyn

And that's exactly what we try and do the B2B -we try and combine a cruise of interest with a repositioning that way we get to see new places and get relaxation time together. Last year we went to Iceland from Copenhagen then did the Transatlantic repo. Iceland in an Ocean view and the Transatlantic in a Penthouse and the TA was cheaper than the Iceland cruise.

All the best

Dave d:)

I understand

Some tours start counting the days when you leave home ...

The one we did although day 1 was really 1/2 day because you board the ship late afternoon then we spent day 2 in the same port as they did offer tours

but we arrived early & did some of the sights on our own

day 2 evening we left heading for the next port

If it does not work for you then maybe a river cruise is not the answer

 

Even some ocean cruise have an overnight in the embarkation port

Finding the right cruise may be a struggle

 

Best of luck in your quest

 

lyn

Thanks Lyn, we love our cruising (think we're up to 14 or so Ocean cruises) however a River Cruise is an item still to be ticked off our bucket list. Our main costs have always been the Airfares and pre/post accommodation hence trying to squeeze every travelling minute out of our work breaks :D coming from Australia

Best Regards

Dave d

AMA's Magnificent Europe from Amsterdam to Budapest is a 14 night on the ship cruise. We did it on the AMA Prima in May 2013 and are doing it again (In reverse) in December 2014 on the AMA Sonata. And we are getting an extra two nights on the boat as it is docked in Amsterdam because it will be New Years Eve. So you get 16 nights on the ship. The price is about half what we paid in 2013 as well. I think there is still room as well.

 

 

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Thanks for the information. I guess what I get annoyed with is that even with this cruise you have kindly shown me -on the AMA itinerary Day 1 is "board your overnight flight from USA to Amsterdam" my point is Travel/Airfares are not included in this offer so why is the travel time to the departure city included as "day one" of the river cruise? Even the Ocean Cruise lines indicate Cruise/Tour which at least indicates that not all the time is spent cruising but River cruises can be tied to the dock without moving and are allowed to advertise a 7 night cruise as a 14 night cruise. Do you get where I'm coming from? I just think it is wrong and deceitful!!

Best Regards

Dave d

Thanks OzJohnno, will check it out. You spend so much time flying and so much expense to get to these places that really all you want to do is maximise your time sailing and seeing different places not pay for being tied up to a dock for 4 or 5 days before you actually go anywhere.

Regards

Dave d

I am really getting tired of searching for advertised river cruises that state "14 days" when in reality you are only cruising for 7 days and actually paying for the time you are flying to the commencement point (airfares are not included in the deal so why should travelling time be included in the 14 days?)Upon arrival (which they consider day Two you sit in the commencement port for 3 days (we're up to 5 now and haven't left the dock)and when you reach the end port you are there for a further Two days sitting in that port that the cruise line consider "sailing" making a total of 7 days where the riverboat doesn't move an inch? If I were to advertise a coach tour and you sat in my garage for 7 days I would quickly go out of business so how come River cruises are able to advertise 14 day "cruises" when essentially they are only 7? Additionally for the prices they charge you (while you are flying at your own expense) you could sit in a five star luxury hotel in the same cities for an extra couple of days. Is there a reputable River cruise company out there which will actually give you a 14 day cruise when they advertise 14 day?

As mentioned when a cruise line count the time it takes you to reach the departure point as "part of the cruise" (which you are paying both the airline and the cruise co. for I think that is a bit rich). I have been looking for a River cruise for quite a while now that gives us more than seven days cruising (as we always arrive a couple of days early in departure port anyhow due to logistics of flying to Europe from Australia) so when we get there we want to optimise our actual cruise time. To date we have found Ten days offered which turn out to be Seven. Seven days that are actually Four and a Nine day that was actually Five. I understand and accept (and enjoy) Two day stopovers along the voyage however sitting in the departure port and end port for extra days and being considered part of "a cruise" I just cannot accept.

I am really getting tired of searching for advertised river cruises that state "14 days" when in reality you are only cruising for 7 days and actually paying for the time you are flying to the commencement point (airfares are not included in the deal so why should travelling time be included in the 14 days?)Upon arrival (which they consider day Two you sit in the commencement port for 3 days (we're up to 5 now and haven't left the dock)and when you reach the end port you are there for a further Two days sitting in that port that the cruise line consider "sailing" making a total of 7 days where the riverboat doesn't move an inch? If I were to advertise a coach tour and you sat in my garage for 7 days I would quickly go out of business so how come River cruises are able to advertise 14 day "cruises" when essentially they are only 7? Additionally for the prices they charge you (while you are flying at your own expense) you could sit in a five star luxury hotel in the same cities for an extra couple of days. Is there a reputable River cruise company out there which will actually give you a 14 day cruise when they advertise 14 day? :confused:

My husband and I went on our first cruise a few weeks ago on the Ruby Princess. Loved it. Have decided we will take the kids next spring break. (ages 9, 11, and 13). Would like to sail out of New Orleans or Houston/Galveston and our choices are Carnival Dream, NCL Jewel or Dawn, Navigator of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, or Emerald Princess. The best deal price wise is NCL Dawn because they have the family suites, but I have read a lot of negative things about that ship. Would appreciate and thoughts or suggestions

Hi my wife Evelyn and myself have cruised on most lines including Seabourn & NCL and we would have no hesitation in going with NCL again -the reason I mention Seabourn along with NCL is, to us they had similarities in an area that is missing in many cruise lines, that being, they made us feel welcome -that they were there to ensure we enjoyed ourselves, sure huge difference in meals etc. but we always felt "special" by kind acts of the crew and nothing was too much trouble - that's what you want from Airlines, hotels ,cruise lines when you have earned a nice holiday

Regards Dave d

Celebrity Infinity: "Skarfabakki 312"

 

http://www.faxafloahafnir.is/wp-content/uploads/Skip-2014.pdf

Wow, that was quick. Excellent, most appreciated

Thank You

Dave & Evelyn :D

Hi my wife and I are visiting Reyjavik on the cruise ship Celebrity Infinity arriving on 6th June departing 7th June -we have booked a tour however the tour operator is asking where we are berthing -do you know how I can find this out please ?

Thanks & Regards

Dave & Evelyn