Which river cruise line to chose?

[ggo85]

We've done Viking on the river and Tauck on land.

 

The key question is whether Tauck is worth the significantly higher price tag. Based on our experience, here's our take:

 

Tauck has more innovative excursions. They offer things that you will NOT get on the "mainstream" lines and can be a great experience. Read what you'll get and, if that appeals to you, this may be a great option. If you are more into exploring a town on your own or simply want to see the major sights, Viking (and other similar lines) will be fine. For example, we recently took Viking to Normandy; reading the Tauck tour description for Normandy. . . it was identical. Since that was our main purpose in the cruise, we took Viking and saved $$ for the same experience.

 

Tauck is first class all the way. And you pay for it. Not a criticism, just reality. So, if you are ok with mainstream -- decent food, good service, etc., you'll be fine with a cheaper line. If you want better food, outstanding service . . . go with Tauck.

 

Tauck has their own ships so everyone on board is, obviously, Tauck. That tends to lend itself to a particular type of traveler -- someone who is used to traveling and who expects to be taken care of with high quality at every turn. Again, not a criticism, but a fact. On Viking (or other lines), you'll have a greater mixture of passengers and expectations, which can be both good and bad. :rolleyes:

 

IMO, it really comes down to two things: excursions and food. And maybe the cabins but, seriously, on a river cruise, you spend very little time in your cabin. Read the details for the cruise(s) you want to take. If there is an excursion on Tauck that speaks to you, then go for it. You won't be disappointed; they do it right! Otherwise, save the money and go with a mainstream line.

[Ozjohnno]

I realise that every opinion on the "best" river cruise company is based on the great experience that the customer experienced but it's also true that opinions of Tauck are most times based on a deal of false premise. On every occasion I've read about peoples opposing thoughts on Tauck it's based on the premise that Tauck is the most expensive and that you may get a similar experience with a cheaper company. That is true but the false premise particularly in Australia that Tauck is the most expensive is simply not true. If you price an apples v apples cruise down here you will find that both Scenic and APT are as expensive if not more so than Tauck. To take that another step to 2014 pricing Uniworld is now in that category as well.

 

I apologise in advance ggo85 if you take this the wrong way but Tauck does not own their boats. The Tauck boats are built and sailed by Scylla, a Swiss company. Tauck staff on board number just four, a Cruise Director and three Tour Directors. I cruised with Tauck in 2011 and again contrary to popular opinion the passengers on board (there were 108) were a mix of Nationalities and I would guess not, I'm certainly not, all affluent. It's true that they are an all-inclusive company but then again so are the majority of companies marketing in Australia. I cruised with Tauck because I knew exactly what I was getting for my dollars spent and they exceeded my expectations.

 

I'm sure that whatever river cruise company a customer selects that 99% of the time they will experience the holiday of a lifetime. If you want a true an honest assessment of the cost of a river cruise then you need to look at everything included in the price then add on all that isn't and there can be quite a lot and I'm sure you'll find, as I have, that most river cruise holidays are not all that far apart in the "total cost".

[editor@cruisecritic]

Totally agree!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn Spencer Brown

Editor in Chief

Cruise Critic

 

 

Wow! One of the most informative posts I've ever seen on this forum. Thanks for posting!

[Familygoboston]

Wow! Thanks Swamp- I missed this till now! A glad to read your comparisons...lots of folks have a favorite and after a while you can suss out strengths and weaknesses, but to have the same person travel 4 lines is very helpful! I believe strongly, that there aren't too many clunkers out there, so it's a matter of figuring out what line matches your needs most closely. Your review it confirms what I thought and my TA felt about the line we picked to cruise.

Thanks for writing for a 1/2 hour- it was very helpful!:D

[pacmom]

River cruise #15 coming up this June on the Gironde in France. We have traveled with AMAwaterways, Lueftner, Gadventures, Uniworld, Vantage and Viking. This June is with Road Scholar. Next year's trips are back to back on two lines---Avalon on the Mekong and GCT in Burma. Still think Uniworld and AMAwaterways are at the top of our favorites. GAdventures was the Peruvian Amazon, so won't try to rank it. Vantage was very nice--liked the idea of 4 program directors and the Christmas holiday fun--food was soso. Viking in Europe was hot and cold--service wise not temp. When it was good, it was good. When it wasn't, any complaint was you don't know what you are talking about--from Engineer about plumbing smells and a CD about people running over our heads at 6am--turned out to be the head tour director. Uniworld and AMA show a great amount of attention to detail--cold treats to welcome you back on 100 degree plus weather and hot drinks when chillier temps. Lueftner was an Alumni trip--only reason for sailing with them. Very hot Aug., a/c didn't function the entire trip--fortunately we were on the Aquarium deck. We have been on 2 Christmas market cruises--Vantage and AMA--lots of Christmas fun on both, but food on AMA was far superior. There are many reasons to try a cruise line--itineray, food, recommendations by friends. While we have enjoyed all but one cruise tremendously, if you can do it--go with Viking to China. Pat