Suggestions for line

I am planning a 2 to 3 week Danube cruise in 2020 and considering Uniworld or Viking. I would be interested if anyone has suggestions for other lines to look at. I will be traveling alone, and am not really interested in having a lot of free time to wander. More planned excursions, but with enough time to actually see the museums or other sites we visit. I am kind of a picky eater so having some simple options for meals is important. I am also kind of a grazer, so having food available at other times would be nice, but not essential. I don’t drink, so the quality of wine or alcohol inclusions don’t matter. I want at least a French balcony, so most lines’ single rooms won’t work, so I expect a large supplement. I have reviewed the various articles on here, already but would be interested in anyone’s comments or suggestions.

As a solo river cruiser, you will probably get better pricing on AMA, Uniworld, Vantage, and Gate 1. Viking charges solos double, and can end up being more expensive than some of the more premium lines that offer no single supplement or a discounted single supplement.

I've done 2 solo cruises on Uniworld and have a 3rd booked for this fall.

Roz

I am planning a 2 to 3 week Danube cruise in 2020 and considering Uniworld or Viking. I would be interested if anyone has suggestions for other lines to look at. I will be traveling alone, and am not really interested in having a lot of free time to wander. More planned excursions, but with enough time to actually see the museums or other sites we visit. I am kind of a picky eater so having some simple options for meals is important. I am also kind of a grazer, so having food available at other times would be nice, but not essential. I don’t drink, so the quality of wine or alcohol inclusions don’t matter. I want at least a French balcony, so most lines’ single rooms won’t work, so I expect a large supplement. I have reviewed the various articles on here, already but would be interested in anyone’s comments or suggestions.

I would suggest you take a look at Avalon. We had a wonderful time on our Avalon cruise last year and are planning another cruise with Avalon next year. Many of Avalon itineraries waive the single supplement for all cabin classes. I had booked my last cruise with a friend and a couple weeks later my daughter decided she wanted to join us. She had a regular cabin with the single supplement waived. There are daily excursions planned in each stop. We did all of the excursions with the group. The tour guides were excellent! As for food we were very pleasantly surprised! My friends and daughter are vegetarians and I am a picky eater- meat and potatoes for me. All of us loved the food! Breakfast and lunch are huge buffets with enough choices for everyone. At dinner there were specials every night and also steak, chicken or fish for the less adventurous eaters. As for timing... Cruise Critic just posted an article about Avalon introducing flexible dining times in 2019. You should check out the article. On our cruise there was the three meals and “cake time” served about 4pm. There was also a lounge at the rear of the ship that had cookies, muffins, coffee, tea etc that was open all the time. We took advantage of that lounges a few times during the trip for a late night night treat[emoji4] I think the bottom line is that you will have a wonderful time no matter which cruise line you choose. Read some reviews, chat with a travel agent and check out the different lines websites. Planning is half the fun. I am sure you will find a cruise line that is just right for you.

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To piggyback on what Reesaroo just posted about Avalon, my general advice to a solo river cruiser is to look at lines other than Viking. Is there a reason you've narrowed your search to Viking and Uniworld?

Roz

Also if this is your first river cruise, I would suggest a 7 day cruise with land days on either end. 3weeks can be a monumental commitment if 2 days into it you find this is not what I want.

I agree that you need to look at lines that offer no single supplement. We have traveled on all the lines mentioned and really like AMA Waterways and Uniworld. Good luck and keep asking questions. Pat

I haven't really narrowed down the search to those two lines. It was more that what I was reading suggested they would have what I was looking for. I will be working with a travel agent, but am doing the initial reading now before meeting with an agent. All of the comments have been helpful, and I will be following up on them (and any to come). Thank you.

I haven't really narrowed down the search to those two lines. It was more that what I was reading suggested they would have what I was looking for. I will be working with a travel agent, but am doing the initial reading now before meeting with an agent. All of the comments have been helpful, and I will be following up on them (and any to come). Thank you.

Also if this is your first river cruise, I would suggest a 7 day cruise with land days on either end. 3weeks can be a monumental commitment if 2 days into it you find this is not what I want.

I agree that you need to look at lines that offer no single supplement. We have traveled on all the lines mentioned and really like AMA Waterways and Uniworld. Good luck and keep asking questions. Pat

Excellent advice, Pat. I had done a number of ocean cruises before I river cruises, and thought I would enjoy it, but also recognized there would be significant differences. For that reason I booked an 8-day cruise for my first one, spending a day ahead of time in Budapest. Fortunately it exceeded my expectations and now I'm hooked. :D

Roz

I would tend to suggest that an 8 to 10 day cruise is better for a first-timer. As you still have quite a bit of time to make plans I would like to mention Riviera Travel UK. They have added North-America to their market and have a very modern fleet. One still needs to see how popular they will become with US and Canadian cruisers but what is good for you is that they have a very favourable policy for solo cruisers: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2599552

https://www.rivieratravel.co.uk/river-cruises

In 2020 there is the Oberammergau Passion Play and some lines offer special itineraries around the event.

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

As a solo river cruiser, you will probably get better pricing on AMA, Uniworld, Vantage, and Gate 1. Viking charges solos double, and can end up being more expensive than some of the more premium lines that offer no single supplement or a discounted single supplement.

 

I've done 2 solo cruises on Uniworld and have a 3rd booked for this fall.

 

Roz

Roz, the only cabins on AMA that have no SS are with windows.....I think the original poster said they want a French Balcony so they would definitely be more money.

Thanks for pointing that out, Lois. I missed the part about the balcony. If someone is intent on booking a certain category of cabin, that limits choices.

On my first Uniworld cruise, I was able to book a French balcony cabin without a single supplement. It was the last cruise of the season before the Christmas markets cruises started, and the ship wasn't fully booked.

The next cruise I booked a lower level (aquarium) cabin with a narrow upper window and it suited me just fine. For my upcoming cruise I booked a lower level again and got a decent reduction on the supplement.

Notamermaid, I really appreciate your informative posts and alerting us to lines most of us probably haven't heard of. Opens up more possibilities.

Roz

This April, AMA staff were over the top in service. I have dietary needs that the chef discussed with me on arrival and the entire dining room staff handled well.

All other things being equal, I vote for AMA as best in it's cost class because of the high level of staff service.

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. They are all definitely food for thought as I continue my research and planning.

I have to put a plug in for Tauck. Great tour company be it by land or river / small ship cruising.

I will be traveling on Avalon’s Illumination on the Danube as a solo traveler in a couple of weeks. I am doing the pre-cruise to Prague and leave the states on the 20th of May. I am booked in room 305, a panoramic suite. I will be happy to share my experiences with the group as it happens. I also will extend my trip after Budapest by flying to Amsterdam, Paris, and Edinburgh for two nights each. Crazy busy trip but it is my retirement bucket list. I only hope this will be the first of many. There is so much I want to see and experience.:hearteyes:

PS....they waived the single supplement on my cruise.....

I will be traveling on Avalon’s Illumination on the Danube as a solo traveler in a couple of weeks. I am doing the pre-cruise to Prague and leave the states on the 20th of May. I am booked in room 305, a panoramic suite. I will be happy to share my experiences with the group as it happens. I also will extend my trip after Budapest by flying to Amsterdam, Paris, and Edinburgh for two nights each. Crazy busy trip but it is my retirement bucket list. I only hope this will be the first of many. There is so much I want to see and experience.:hearteyes:

PS....they waived the single supplement on my cruise.....

We are going on our fourth Avalon Cruise, Province to Paris, in August. Our first cruise was Prague to Budapest five years ago. Next year we plan to do Budapest to Prague. Enjoy and I will be interested in your live experiences.