Choose between two cruises-help

My bf and I are getting down to brass tacks in terms of picking a cruise. We "think" we've narrowed it down to: Uniworld cruise thru France, vineyards and chateaux or Viking on the Danube.

This will be our first cruise but probably not our last but you never know.

Could you kind people help us pick? I know this is very, very subjective and if disaster strikes no blame will be assessed. But I would really love hearing reasons for one or the other. Neither one of us have strong feelings one way or the other, that's why we're having trouble choosing.

Thank you.

My bf and I are getting down to brass tacks in terms of picking a cruise. We "think" we've narrowed it down to: Uniworld cruise thru France, vineyards and chateaux or Viking on the Danube.

This will be our first cruise but probably not our last but you never know.

Could you kind people help us pick? I know this is very, very subjective and if disaster strikes no blame will be assessed. But I would really love hearing reasons for one or the other. Neither one of us have strong feelings one way or the other, that's why we're having trouble choosing.

Thank you.

We have done both rivers and we enjoyed the scenery on the France cruise more than the Danube. If we had to choose between the two, France would be our choice (although the Danube would be somewhere on our bucket list). We have also traveled with Uniworld and cannot say enough great things about this company, their ships and especially their staff. Excellent customer service.;)

Cole

but would pick AMA(if possible).But Uniworld would be close second.

Have taken 10 river cruises and loved France trip.Very scenic and historical towns with great views.Also, less chance of strikes that have been occuring in Germany due to locks.Go for at least French balcony(if you can).Now prefer the 2 balcony on the long ships.Sorry,but Viking is usually rated mid range,while AMA,Uniworld,Scenic,etc. more top end.

Hope you like river cruising.:)

I also have done the South of France with Scenic, the Danube Canal/Moselle, part of the Rhine with AMA and the Danube with Scenic. All rivers have wonderful scenery. If you want Castles it is the Rhine. While I loved all 3 cruises, I think the South of France which I just completed, is my favourite but not because of the scenery. On Scenic, we did not cruise at night but had the opportunity to spend time in the towns, villages and cities that were on the itinerary. The Saone/Rhone is not nearly as crowded with river cruise ships and people as the Danube and Rhine. River cruising has become very popular and more and more ships are being added each year which I think has damaged the industry and the pleasure as well. So many ships, over crowded small towns and more 'touristy' ammenities takes away from the pleasure. I understand Viking is adding two more ships to the Rhone next year so even that will become more crowded. All the rivers have their own beauty. Keep in mind on the Danube you visit multiple countries while the Rhone/Saone, only France so you will have the opportunity to experience different cultures on the Danube. Tough choice. Do one next year and then the other the following year.

Both itineraries are pretty good. However for the first cruise I'd pick Viking. First and foremost it is less expensive than Uniworld. So if you see river cruising is not for you you won't regret much about money lost. And here is how you can save:

1. Booking with a TA: The Travel Agency we use has a standard $500 off the Viking cruise price which is on top of all other discounts you can get from Viking.

2. Referral discount: there is also a $200 per cruise discount if you use a referral which is combinable with the TA discount.

3. Viking Air could be very inexpensive. For this Christmas they are even offering it for free from certain cities: NYC, PHL, BOS, EWR...

Hope it helps.

Cruised with Uniworld this past June Burgundy & Provence . Loved the itinerary and we have cruised the Danube with AMA but our pick would be Uniworld you won't be disappointed.

THANK YOU (yes, I know I'm screaming) for your honest opinions. I really appreciate it.

We did the Rhone River with AMA and loved AMA and the trip. I would go with AMA or Uniworld over Viking on any cruise. We have also done Vantage Russia and Vantage China and loved those trips.

The Danube would be a great trip. It is like choosing Vanilla or Chocolate ice cream. Both are good.

How many pax on each ship? If there is a notable difference, choose the ship with the least amount of pax. This means there is more space in the public rooms for everybody.