RichardandMark

....usually photos are taken at dinner,,,before and after dinner,,,at each port as you exit the ship...and in other areas around the ship...if you see a photographer, jump in line! LOL

,,,Hi everyone,,,NCL told me that as long as I am in the photo, I can have any photo I am in for my photo package,,, which was the policy on other cruise lines we were on. As far as buying a photo that I am not in? I didnt ask that because, I figured that we would share photos from each other's packages...as beachys suggested...so, all is good and will be purchasing several packages for our selves and another cabin as a gift.. Thanks all for your help! it is so nice to have such great interest and help...

yes, we knew that info,,,,some cruise lines will only allow you to collect photos of those registered in your cabin and some, any photo you are in...I will call them tomorrow to clarify,,,and post what I hear...thanks for your help,,,

Thank you blan2

...I have a question,,

are the photo packages of only the people in the cabin or do they include any photo you are in? including people in other cabins

ex. we are in 1 cabin ,,but, if we have a group photo with our family in the other 2 cabins, can we still get that photo?

thank ahead for any help.

we are sailing The Gem in October

we will be on the Luftner Amadeus Brilliant,,, Dec. 4th-12th,,, Frankfort then to Wurzburg to Vienna,,,we have been advised to dress in layers and be sure the outer layer is waterproof.

In my opinion unless you have traveled with every river cruse company, you cannot make a decision about which one is best. Then again, what is best for one person may not be best for another. Each line has its pros and cons.

 

Each has his/her favorite and will usually stick with that line because of finding a comfort level, whether that be price, food, tours, accommodations, etc. or a combination of any or all of those things.

 

I, for one, will be taking my first river cruise in five short weeks. I have done lots of research and have decided on Tauck. Does that mean I think the other lines are not good? Not by any means. Just that at this time Tauck seems to fulfill my needs and I can afford to pay their price.

 

Happy cruising to all.

Terri

EXCELLENT Points!

We have been on most company's ships (boats). We always choose a cruise for destination as we are relatively easy to please. All have been more than satisfactory in food and amenities. I can't tell the difference between 3 and 4-star food. The only companies that we haven't traveled with are the two 'best', Tauck and Vantage. It all comes down to what you want and are willing to pay for your trip.

Pick out where you want to go and choose that trip based on what you can afford. The same advice applies to anyone who can afford anything they want to afford.

After reading some of the posts on dress in the dress requirement board, I probably would not go on that line. The passengers would also not want someone of my ilk on the same boat as they area...an even swap.

Enjoy whatever you do, it's the best.

...we agree... Itinerary is the most important to us... I mean, isnt that why you go? to go somewhere special you want to see? after the Itinerary choice , we then look at who goes there and who we can afford.

...it appears that the reasons for favorites is as many as for Ocean liners... fun to read tho

DH and I have been on several ocean cruises and have enjoyed them for the most part (we certainly enjoy the smaller, upscale R class ships like Azamara and Oceania sail). That said, we have been seriously entertaining the idea of a European river cruise...

 

I think we have decided that AMA is the line we want to sail with. Looks very nice. Here's where I need some advice....

 

1) what are your opinions on AMA vs. the other players? I've read a bunch of posts and it seems that most are pleased with AMA. I've seen some negative stuff on Viking, but not sure if that is just a function of volume (AMA appears to be smaller than Viking). We are quite familiar with the various ocean lines, but completely new to the river cruise scene and kind of going on blind faith here...

 

2) I want to do a Christmas Market cruise in '14.... DH is worried it will be dreary and cold (we are Floridians, so unless we have skis on, we don't appreciate cold very much). His suggestion is a summertime sailing in '14. Is it very cold during December in this region? I think it would be be beautiful and need some help convincing him.

 

3) If we did want to do a summertime sailing, around 12 days (Danube most likely), what is the best time to do it? I would think late spring or early fall to avoid peak crowds and high temps - 60-70 degrees is perfect but I'm nitpicking. Is there pretty foliage colors in the fall out there? We love that since living in Florida it's pretty non-existent?

 

Thanks for any advice you can give! Looking forward to this trip very much.

We are doing our first one this Dec. We will be doing a Danube Christmas Market Cruise on Luftner. It appears to be a little known Company as far as the reports on here. We chose it because that is the line our local tour group was using. Which is booked through Collette Tours. We have read almost every post there is on C.C. about River Cruises and there is a wealth of info here. And, many very nice people willing to share info. Pick where you want to go, then who goes there, then read up on them here. Good Luck on your research and enjoy the planning!

Hi Marky63...we also are new to River Cruises. I actually saw the Christmas Market Cruises years ago and put them on our Bucket List. Well, FINALLY, we get to do one. We booked through Collette, which we have used for 3 other Tours, loved them, so we are going with them again. We are signed up to do the Danube Cruise and Christmas Markets in Dec. 2013. We cant wait. Good Luck with your research!