Question on DIY on river cruises

We are experienced ocean cruisers looking into river cruises for the first time. As part of that process I am researching the different companies and it appears that one difference on river cruises is the inclusion of shore excursions. We hardly ever do shore excursion via the cruise lines on ocean cruises, they tend to be cattle calls, much more expensive, don't cover as much ground etc.. Do any river cruise companies offer cruises that allow for more independent adventuring? I know I am not obligated to take the shore excursions but I also know I am paying for them whether I take them or not ;). Thoughts? Thanks!

Cannot talk about the River Cruise lines that are popular in the North American market but from my experience of Croisieurope excursions are not included.

that have an extra charge and inc.(free).Some like Tauck and Scenic inc.all(with a few optional too)??

You can always go on own,since usually dock in town.

Or go on excursion and then go on own,just let guide know,and get back to ship yourself after.This is what we do a LOT,for instance,take bus to a museum with group....see what YOU want,tell guide,then go on own to see rest of town. We get guidebooks for the area and have plan in place to see and do what we want and get back IN TIME.

Maps are provided at desk,plus short review of hi lites in port.

So its VERY flexible and they do break groups down in smaller ones(such as 20 for ea.guide):)

Also remember that a lot of the tours will be walking tours and they will usually break up into smaller groups of slow walkers and fast walkers.

All river cruise companies focusing the US market do include shore excursions - at least basic ones.

The river cruise companies on the European market (meaning Germany, Austria and CroisiEurope which is French based) don´t include the shore excursions but offer them individually.

steamboats

All river cruise companies focusing the US market do include shore excursions - at least basic ones.

 

The river cruise companies on the European market (meaning Germany, Austria and CroisiEurope which is French based) don´t include the shore excursions but offer them individually.

 

steamboats

Thanks that is what I am seeing in my research.

We've found that on river cruises the tour groups are smaller the guides are much, much more knowledgeable about what they are bringing you to see. In fact, after a couple of excursions I was expecting 3 college credits (LOL) They are much more indepth and informative with lots of history and background as compared to a lot of "ocean liner" tours where they wisk you through and then allow WAY to long for "shopping opportunities". We found that the time in most cities is ample enough to do the included tour as well as a lot of DIY exploring. Again, the guides are most knowledgeable, and once they know your interests will tell you where to go, what to see, how much the entry fee is what the hours are, how to get there and how much it will cost to get there.

We've found that on river cruises the tour groups are smaller the guides are much, much more knowledgeable about what they are bringing you to see. In fact, after a couple of excursions I was expecting 3 college credits (LOL) They are much more indepth and informative with lots of history and background as compared to a lot of "ocean liner" tours where they wisk you through and then allow WAY to long for "shopping opportunities". We found that the time in most cities is ample enough to do the included tour as well as a lot of DIY exploring. Again, the guides are most knowledgeable, and once they know your interests will tell you where to go, what to see, how much the entry fee is what the hours are, how to get there and how much it will cost to get there.

Totally agree. Plus you can always break off anytime you want. Since the tours do not involve buses in most cases, since the boat is usually docked near town, it is easy to do. Most of the guides were happy to give advice on where to get a bite to eat or other things to see after the tour.

To get the most out of your days (and nights) contact the river cruise line or have your TA do so and find out the exact port times for each day. Uniworld will provide port times if asked - I would assume other cruise lines will as well.

This will give you a better idea on how to plan your time if you decide to go off on your own. Also, since dinner is usually one seating, around 7pm, if you want to dine on the ship you'll need to make it back on time, or simply enjoy a dinner in the town on your own. If you know the ship will be docked until midnight or so, then you can enjoy the evening on your own if you wish.

We will often head back into town after dinner (around 8:30 or so) to experience the towns as locals do. It's rare that an ocean cruise will dock at a port late, but not rare for a river cruise boat. Since the boats often dock in the heart of the town, logistics are rarely a problem as it's simply a matter of walking off the ship and you're there.

Thanks for all the replies!

I have to echo what the other posters have mentioned. On my Rhine river cruise earlier this year, we had at least 1 and sometimes 2 included excursions per day. These were wonderful 1 1/2 - 2 hr walking tours that gave a nice overview of the town and often admission to someplace. We always had at least 1 hr of free time and often more after the tour to explore on our own. There was only 1 town where we had a morning stop (Speyer) and did not have an included tour. The town was small enough and the ship docked just 10 min walk from the town center, that it was very easy to explore on our own.

Another point to consider on river cruises is that you are basically already paying for these included excursions up front in the cost of your cruise. River cruises cost more than ocean cruises but you have a lot more things included in that price, including shore excursions and wine and beer with dinner and sometimes lunch.

Our cruise had some optional excursions as well, and I went on three of these as well. They were all wonderful and I'm glad that I did so. When I talked to people who passed on some of the optional ones, then seemed to regret not going because they really didn't have much else to do.

Sometimes river boats must leave a port early due to river conditions. We almost had dinner in a small town on the Danube. The river level was rising due to rain upriver. Luckily we decided to return to the ship for dinner because it left early to be able to go under bridges on our route.

Also, sometimes riverboats reposition a bit during the day to accommodate other riverboats so if you are out on your own you may have to look for your ship.

Neither of these situations would prevent do your own excursions. You just have to pay attention. On our two river cruises, as with posts above, we greatly enjoyed the quality of included tours and usually had plenty of time to explore on our own with no tour time devoted to shopping.

Hello All,

First time having a cabin in Cabin E, first level. Anyone ever stay at the bottom? On any of the river cruises?

Any answers will help.

Thanks

stayed on middle floor.Did talk to those on bottom and (sad to say) really REGRETTED their choice when they saw OUR CABIN...with 2 balconies..it was WONDERFUL.

But,if the choice is to go in bottom category due to price and NOT GO...NO CHOICE,,,GO GO GO.

Just remember,when docked the window will be blocked and can be dark,,but (hey) ..always top deck. Loved the boat by the way.:)

We always take the included tours -- afterall, you paid for 'em in the long run! Most companies (Uniworld, Avalon and I imagine others) use the quietvox systems so you can stroll a bit further away from the tour leader and still hear everything and quickly catch up.

Uniworld did separate folks into those who had trouble walking -- they still had a walking tour but much abbreviated. This was something that those of us who didn't have a problem much appreciated.

Usually after the tour ends, there's some time to be on your own so you can stop at a cafe for coffee or something stronger.

If you've been to a particular city before, you could always just wander on your own. We lived in Europe for 16 yrs. (Paris, Vienna, Luxembourg, Brussels), but there's always something new or something we had forgotten. Plus being with a guide to point out history and such makes it so much more interesting.

We've done 2 Uniworld, 1 Avalon and will be doing another Uniworld and Viking (for the first time) next year.

We were in the "aquarium level" last May on Viking Odin and our friends were one level up with a balcony. We had no issues at all with our cabin. If we were cruising during the day, we joined most of the other passengers on the top deck or in the lounge where we had wonderful views and photo ops. The balconies were nice for the view but only a few feet wide so not as big as ocean liners. We would not mind staying in the aquarium again at all!

We were on Viking several years ago and took all of the walking tours. In most cases the guides were fantastic. In Mainz we were greeted by a young woman who was a lawyer. she explained how she enjoyed showing off her city to visitors.

In Nuremberg the guide was also fantastic, but she refused a tip. I told her I wanted to give her something extra because she had done such a wonderful job.

For all walking tours we were in small groups of no more than a dozen or so. They were not overly long or boring and we had tim,e to explore on our own, often with good advice from the tour guide.

We have taken 2 river cruises and now booked on a third. Ours have all been with Jerry Van Dyke, a Canadian company. They seldom travel at night. We can only echo the advice here. Guides are knowledgeable, University professors, professional people, etc. Generally small groups of <25, mainly walking tours. Sometimes buses to a central point and then broken up into smaller groups for the walk. J van D includes tips for ALL staff & guides, as well as wine, etc., so, while up front cost is high, overall value is good. Our bill at the end of the first cruise was 8 Euros and 11 Euros the second time.

Bumping this thread. Some family members are considering a Jerry Van Dyke Europe cruise but I was wonder how comfortable/uncomfortable the Pullman beds are? Given that this is Scottish Cruiser's third time, I guess they can't be all that bad?

We were in the "aquarium level" last May on Viking Odin and our friends were one level up with a balcony. We had no issues at all with our cabin. If we were cruising during the day, we joined most of the other passengers on the top deck or in the lounge where we had wonderful views and photo ops. The balconies were nice for the view but only a few feet wide so not as big as ocean liners. We would not mind staying in the aquarium again at all!

So glad to hear you say you didn't mind your "aquarium level" cabin (I will be stealing that wonderful description!). We are two high school girlfriends checking off two boxes on our bucket list-- Uniworld river cruise and Christmas Markets. We figured if it was daytime, we would be up in the lounges being socia or touring around,l and in the evening, we'd be up in the lounges being social or drinking gluhwein with the locals! Since we are traveling in the winter, didn't seem worth it to spend extra for a balcony room. Hope we enjoy the aquarium as much as you!

So glad to hear you say you didn't mind your "aquarium level" cabin (I will be stealing that wonderful description!). We are two high school girlfriends checking off two boxes on our bucket list-- Uniworld river cruise and Christmas Markets. We figured if it was daytime, we would be up in the lounges being socia or touring around,l and in the evening, we'd be up in the lounges being social or drinking gluhwein with the locals! Since we are traveling in the winter, didn't seem worth it to spend extra for a balcony room. Hope we enjoy the aquarium as much as you!

Come over to the Roll Call Section and join the Christmas Markets 2013 group.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1760693

Sharon

stayed on middle floor.Did talk to those on bottom and (sad to say) really REGRETTED their choice when they saw OUR CABIN...with 2 balconies..it was WONDERFUL.

 

But,if the choice is to go in bottom category due to price and NOT GO...NO CHOICE,,,GO GO GO.

 

Just remember,when docked the window will be blocked and can be dark,,but (hey) ..always top deck. Loved the boat by the way.:)

Last time on Viking, I was as high up on deck cabin-wise as you could get and really regretted it because right above me was the jogging trail. Needless to say, at 6a I was awakened by the movement of chairs scraping across the deck and then bang bang bang every time someone went around one lap!

Certainly something to think about!

Felicia

We did two back-to-back Viking cruises in France last summer. We went on all the included excursions, and they were all good--local guides were usually very good--only one mediocre one in our tours. And, in many cases, how else are you going to get to the point of interest, such as Monet's house and gardens? We passed on all the Optional Excursions you had to pay extra for. One overall tip -- get off the ship for dinner! (Of course, this depends on where you are). We were amazed at the number of people who still ate the mediocre food on the ship when they could have sampled the fine cuisine of Rouen or Lyon!

MIAtraveler, we are inRouen on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, where did you eat?

We went to two Michelin-starred restaurants. The first was Gill, right on quai de la bourse, near the boat dock. Very good, fancy, nouvelle cuisine, expensive; exquisite service. An exceptional experience. It's currently ranked #3 on TripAdvisor. Second was La Couronne, in a 14c building on the place Vieux Marche, across from the Joan of Arc church. Traditional French, in a lovely setting. Food was very good; some reviewers said that it is resting on past laurels, but we enjoyed it. We missed the opportunity to have lunch in Rouen, tho. It was rainy that day and the ship was having a "Normandy specialties" lunch -- which was a joke.