River Cruise Company & Ship Ratings?

[twoatsea]

DH & I have traveled quite a bit in Europe, but on our own & land based. Now we are considering a river cruise (Russia or Prague/Budapest).

 

Would appreciate your advice on how to rank the companies & ships. Do you think the CC member ratings are more accurate, or the Professional Travel Critics - especially on food?

 

Any opinions on favorite companies & ships are more than welcome!

 

Do most of you book directly with the company or go thru a travel agent? We have never used a TA because if there is a problem, we like the security of being able to deal directly with the cruise company. Is that an issue with river cruising?

 

Just beginning this new adventure & have read some of the reviews & looked at the different cruises & companies available. But I always prefer hearing it directly from the CC folks!

 

Thanks

[Talisker92]

On most river cruises, you can book direct. The ones I am familiar with are Vantage, Grand Circle,AMA, Viking. We took 2 cruises, one in 2007 and one this year. Our stories are on our website http://www.stevekathytravels.com

[Kellie Poodle]

Though you can book directly with the cruise line, it may be to your advantage to look into one of the big on-line travel agencies. I saved myself a considerable amount of cash by doing this. I am also extremely happy with the service of the TA whom I can reach via email and who responds very quickly.

 

As for which cruise line is best, that's such a subjective thing. When I was looking for lines for our upcoming cruise on the Volga from Moscow to St. Petersburg, I read everything I could from this board, Trip Adviser and other reviews I found through Google.

 

Before I booked it with the TA, who is a river cruise specialist that only books river cruises, I asked her which line she would recommend.

 

My choice was narrowed down between AMA and Viking (Uniworld announced they were doing Russia in 2011 after I had booked) so I did more research on both lines, again using this board as part of it. (I had sailed on Uniworld's Budapest to Amsterdam cruise in 2008 and it was PERFECT!)

 

The reviews for AMA were significantly better than the reviews for Viking, but that could have been just because Viking does more sailings and more people posted. One thing that pushed me toward AMA was the fact that Viking's pricing program annoyed me. The "two-for-one" prices are the same prices that all the others charge, so though they made it look like a bargain, it wasn't.

 

Also, I like wine with my dinner and Viking would only include it if I paid for the entire cruise well in advance. I could make a few dollars on my money holding on to it until final payment is due rather than paying months in advance just to get "free" wine that other lines provided without such restrictions.

 

The TA advised me we would definitely prefer AMA. That helped my decision.

 

I made a list with a column for each company I was considering and added all the stuff I was finding on line and the TA's advice, too.

 

I am more than a little obsessive compulsive when planning a trip, and you may not be as nuts as I am. You might want to go online and find a TA who specializes in river cruises and talk to them. The advice is free.

 

If you want to email me, I'd be happy to give you the information about the TA I am using. My email is <kelliepoodle@yahoo.com>

[shoshona2]

To twoatsea,

 

We booked AMA for our Russian River Cruise in September 2011 from St. Petersburg to Moscow after doing intensive searches on line as Kellie Poodle did. AMA has a new ship set to do Russia starting next May. They took an old one and completely took it down to the metal to come up with a new ship. Go to http://www.AMAwaterways.com and read all about it. I went on Cruise Critic's section on Member's Reviews and looked at all the Russian River Cruise Reviews. I don't know about Uniworld, but Viking had some very bad reviews.

 

Sheila

[old grump]

I recommend doing a accounting 101 spreadsheet. On the Prague- Budapest trip almost all the stops are the same, so it boils down to living quarters(size and amenties), food and entertainment on board, offered excursions(included or optional), fees( port and other included or tacked on) and last tips, included on tauck, added to the bill on some, or just recommended amounts on others.

I like Tauck, but thats just me.;)

[shoshona2]

Hi Old Grump,

 

We did the Rhine/Moselle with Tauck last July and loved it!! We did a spreadsheet and AMA and Tauck came out to be $50 difference when we figured in all the inclusives. We are taking AMA to Russia since Tauck doesn't go there. Our friends did the Musical Danube River Cruise with Tauck and had a great experience. All the concerts were included and some were in castles.

 

Sheila

[MVPinBoynton]

We did the Blue Danube Discovery on AMA last year and thoroughly loved. So much so that we are doing the Europe's Heartland AMA cruise next year. AMA is a first class experience. You can see lots of photos and read about our experience on our website www.thepreismans.com .

[Kellie Poodle]

We did the Blue Danube Discovery on AMA last year and thoroughly loved. So much so that we are doing the Europe's Heartland AMA cruise next year. AMA is a first class experience.

 

I believe that AMA's rating and reputation were what made the TA steer us toward AMA and away from Viking. She knew that we had cruised with Uniworld and she said we would have a "better experience" with AMA.

[Katiecat26]

I've just returned from a Grand Circle river cruise- Prague to Budapest. I had a marvelous time, and have no complaints.

 

Grand Circle is a little different from the other companies. They are considerably less expensive, but also do not include all the excursions, as other companies do. But this was best for me, since I did not want to go on the optional excursions. I like to either rest, or explore on my own.

Grand Circle includes a tour every morning. But afternoon excursions are optional.

Therefore, when comparing prices, see what's included, and see what you want to have included.

Also, Grand Circle does not have any suites. All the rooms are the same size. Some do have balconies. The single beds can not be put together. A plus is, that the head of the bed can be lifted to any position, so you can read in bed.

Grand Circle includes some extra activities. On the way from Prague to the ship, we stopped in Cesky Krumlov. We were divided into small groups, and went to host families for lunch. This was an enriching experience.

On the ship one evening, we had some university students join us, and share their experiences in education, and life in general.

If we had arrived in Bratislava on a weekday, we would have visited a school.

I found the food excellent, better than on any of the big ship cruises. Wine was served at all dinners.

The Captain, program directors, and crew could not be more helpful.

[twoatsea]

Thank you so much, everyone. Great to have such good info. Definitely sounds like European river cruises are a big hit! I will look into the cruiselines all of you suggested.

 

Katiecat26, I like the special activities that you said were offered by Grand Circle. We also don't always want to take ship excursions. As Old Grump suggested, I'll have to compare G.C. + the addons with the all inclusive. We don't drink wine, so that is not an issue.

 

MVPinBoynton & SJGOCH, I'll check out your sites ASAP; thank you.

 

shoshona2, are there any addons to Tauck? I thought they included 'everything', except the airfare to & from. What are the addons for AMA? Over $6,000 per person for Tauck is difficult to get past!

 

Kellie Poodle, you are braver than I. I just feel so uncomfortable booking with an online agent & not in my town - if no answer to phone or email, I can pay them a visit! Also don't like that I have to go thru the agent rather than directly to the cruiseline, if/when there is a problem - expecially if the agent doesn't respond. Very generous of you to provide your email. Once I get some more info, I'll be giving you an email buzz. I'll put "CC-twoatsea river cruise questions" (or similar) in the subject. So, you like Uniworld. Have you taken the AMA yet. I'm interested in how you compare the two.

 

Thanks again everyone. Hope to have some time soon to look further into all of this.

 

Oops, I need to take off my sailed cruises!

 

Two more questions - clothes? Any dress up like on the big liners? How about laundry services or self service facilities?

[shoshona2]

Hi twoatsea,

 

AMA addons: gratuities, port charges, pickup at airport and return, and some additional shore excursions. Tauck is all-inclusive and is including one free night at a 5 star hotel next year for newbees and two nights for people who have never taken one of their tours.

 

Happy cruising with whichever line you pick.

 

Sheila

[Kellie Poodle]

Twoatsea,

 

I am not at all brave. You will read my trepidation about the Russian visa stuff all over these boards.

 

The on-lineTA has a brick and mortar facility in Houston, TX. They are licensed by the state of Texas. (I can't run down the street to Houston as it's 350 miles away.)

 

I have used a local, down the street, TA and I have to honestly say that while she is a very nice lady, it is much easier for me to reach and get a fast response from my on-line TA than it ever was with the local one.

 

Further, the local one never offered me the kind of discount that my on-line one did. I can't be sure, but I believe that these big on-line specialists get a better rate from the cruise line for multiple cabins and they pass some of that savings on to the consumer. Maybe someone else can answer this.

 

As far as dealing with the cruise company. There is no problem talking to the cruise line yourself. I've done that when I had a TA for my Uniworld cruise. The only thing you can't do is make changes to the reservation, but the cruise line will be happy to answer questions you have or tell you how your TA can request special needs items. I usually call the cruise line directly to make sure any special needs are taken care of and if not, I let the TA know.

 

The bottom line is that I am not so much driven by bravery as I am by thrift:)

[Kellie Poodle]

Oops, I need to take off my sailed cruises!

 

Two more questions - clothes? Any dress up like on the big liners? How about laundry services or self service facilities?

 

 

How do you remove them? I haven't figured this out yet.

 

 

The Uniworld boat we took, The River Princess, had little stacked washer dryers on board. I brought my own soap and dryer sheets as the machines were free but the soap was pricey.

 

The Uniworld cruise didn't permit jeans in the dining room for dinner and the ladies did get a little dressier for dinner. There were two dinners where the gents wore jackets. The welcome and farewell dinners. They only permitted one suitcase per person, too and that made packing a bit of a challenge.

 

I've been told that other lines are less formal. I hear AMA is fine with nice jeans in the dining room and I have not found a suit case limit in their literature.

[Big Al B.]

To remove the countdown clocks, you have to go to user cp and then choose the edit signature option. Delete the part of the signature that directs the clock. The ones like yours start with bracket URL=......and ends with bracket /URL bracket. There will be one set for each of your clocks.

[MMDown Under]

Which cruise lines have complimentary bicycles?

[gnome12]

I know Uniworld and AMA Waterways do. I'm not sure about the others.

Nomi

[franski]

According to their website, Scenic does as well.

[shoshona2]

Tauck does, also.

 

Sheila

[MMDown Under]

Thanks for that information.

 

Has anyone ridden on them?

[gnome12]

I rode on one on Uniworld. I haven't ridden a coaster brake bike since I was a kid, so it was a little awkward. The bikes are heavy, but I was in the Netherlands and everything is flat. The helmet was pretty crummy, and much too big for me (I have a very small head). You're not talking about a long ride; in general you are just doing a bit of exploring in the town you are in or a short ride from there.

Ama seems to have one guided tour on each cruise (at least the ones that I was looking at). Uniworld has one on my Great European Discovery tour.

Nomi

[twoatsea]

Thanks for answering my questions everyone. Sorry I didn't keep up with my thread responses. Since Wednesday, I've been down with a very bad gastritis attack (inflammed stomach lining) - all better now & from now on I'll be sure to take my medicine regularly - you betcha! :eek: I was only taking my Protonix every other day because my insurance company stopped covering it & nothing else worked. I now realize that if we don't mind spending our money on traveling, sure need to bite the bullet & spend it on my medicine! :rolleyes: Anyway, enough about me!

 

shoshona2, thanks for that info - will help with our choices, especially the Tauck new customer benefits.

 

Nice to know about the more casual dress. KelliePoodle, when you say only one bag, is that "only", or plus an airline carryon? We only take one bag per person anyway (24" or 26"), no matter how long we are traveling (even 6 weeks), but in addition we take a backpack carryon.

 

Are there any lines that do NOT require the men to wear jackets? Takes up too much room in the luggage. Plus, requires dressier (& bulky) men's shoes. If our travel is lengthy, jacket & dress shoes really move us from the 24", which we prefer, to the 26" luggage.

 

Is there any alternative to dinner in the dining room, such as, room service? If so, what is usually offered via room service & is it an additional charge? Some evenings we do not feel like going to the dining room.

 

KelliePoodle, you gave me the best laugh - which I needed! In your last post you started with - "How do you remove them? I haven't figured this out yet." Not looking thoroughly, all I noticed in my quote you gave was, "Two more questions - clothes?" :D Didn't realize when I posted that - looks like I am asking if wearing clothes is optional. :eek: Then I realized you were referring to "sailed cruises" in post signatures. What a hoot!

 

Anyway....I 'hope' I got my sailed cruises deleted. I went to "User CP" above in the site's banner bar. Clicked on "Edit Signature". Couldn't see how to delete them, so I dragged my cursor & highlited them. Then I hit "Delete" key on my keyboard - they disappeared. Then clicked "Save Signature". Hope it worked.

 

Sounds like a good online TA can save us some money, which is important to us. Thanks for the info & we will consider it. I'll get in touch with you.

 

Thanks again everyone

[shoshona2]

Hi twoatsea,

 

So glad you are doing better now. Just wanted to answer your post about dressing up for the dining room. You did not have to dress up for dinner on Tauck's riverboats. I think on the tours that do a concert in Vienna, the men will bring a jacket. We did the Rhine/Moselle and did not need dress up clothes.

 

One night we were tired of eating in the dining room and ate at the alternate casual dining in the Lido which is the room where the computer is and the snacks are served all day. It is aft on the top deck and had a beautiful view from the surrounding glass full length windows as we sailed. It holds about 20 and the six of us felt we were on a private yacht getting dinner served to us.

 

Stay well.

Sheila

[twoatsea]

Thanks Sheila & for your kind words. What kind of food was offered in the Lido dining spot? Also, is plenty of food available there via refills & choices - DH eats a good bit & thinks he is starving if not enough food is offered! He's not picky & doesn't need fancy though.

[Kellie Poodle]

Twoatsea,

 

I looked at my AMA brochure and the AMAKatarina says it has an "alternative restaurant"

 

I will email my TA and find out if AMA requires jackets for the gents at the welcome and farewell dinners. I have a feeling that the jacket business is optional.

 

We did manage to tote DH's navy blazer which he wore with khaki Dockers in our two suitcase limit. We also had carry ons that were permitted for air travel. We had one regular 28" "suiter" suitcase and one 26" rolling duffel. We were traveling in late October so I had one of those compression bags for sweaters. I am also a cube and folder packer. We did fine.

 

I bought a pair of black SAS walking shoes so I didn't need different shoes for dinner most nights, though I did sneak in a pair of low-heeled black pumps.

 

I worked my evening duds around black slacks (2 pair) and pretty tops for that trip, but from what I'm reading about AMA, I think I'll be fine with a more casual look.

 

I don't think we'll have more than 2 suit cases on the Russian trip. I spent 17 days in Israel in May with only one 26" rolling duffel, continually blessing the person who invented folders and cubes. My Israeli cousin was so impressed that I had to order her a set of cubes and a folder and send them to her in Israel when I got home.

[187harland]

AMA Waterways Volga River on the Amakatarina

Moscow to St. Petersburg July 15 - 26, 2011

We are Rissa and Alfie from Montreal QC Canada...quite excited about this river cruise, our first. We hope fellow passengers will find their way - your way - to this board and hop on! Finding these boards for river cruises is a bit more challenging than for other cruises.

 

We will be arriving in Moscow and staying in a hotel for 3 nights before the cruise and will remain in St. Petersburg a further 4 nights in hotel after the cruise. We are now planning private tours with guides in both cities to see more than we are given by AmaW. We will do this alone, the two of us, however it would be more economical and possibly more fun to find another couple or two other people to join us.

 

If you would like to know additional info on these plans please do not hesitate to email me at: oneputt at sympatico dot ca

Please put "Volga river info' or similar as the subject in your email. Also, you can reply here as well. I'll check back soon! Looks like an amazing journey. Best, RiS