Stepping outside of the box?

[Lois R]

These replies are giving me some food for thought, for sure.

I know my budget...whether on mainstream lines or others.....I will have

to stay within that budget no matter which way I sail.

[Peacemkr59]

Rogerdawhip,

 

I don't think its necessary to actually sail on a cruise line to know its not what you want. I don't think that Caviargal is putting down either GCT or Vantage, just simply stating that they are not for everyone and certainly not for her. She is just giving an opinion. You said yourself that you spent extra money on AMA for things you didn't feel were of value to you. Everyone is different and only you know what it important to you!! I happen to want a hotel style bed and would pay extra to have one. But that's me!

 

Thank goodness we all have so many great choices!! :)

 

 

Caviargal.....just one question. Have you ever said on GCT or Vantage?

 

I have sailed on Vantage, AMA, and GCT. Of the three I prefer GCT because of their exceptional service and had always had a higher end experience with them. Their fold down Murphy beds may be a drawback for those that want a hotel style bed.

 

My experience on AMA was less than memorable due to a few passengers thinking they were better than others because they had a suite and should be treated as such. On large cruise ships these so called elite passengers are easy to ignore and avoid but not on smaller river ships.

 

As has been said many times...people tend to stay with their original river cruise line unless they had a real bad experience.

 

I went on different lines due to friends wanting the other ships. I gave in to them and regretted spending the extra dollars for not much more.

[caviargal]

Caviargal.....just one question. Have you ever said on GCT or Vantage?

 

I have sailed on Vantage, AMA, and GCT. Of the three I prefer GCT because of their exceptional service and had always had a higher end experience with them. Their fold down Murphy beds may be a drawback for those that want a hotel style bed.

 

My experience on AMA was less than memorable due to a few passengers thinking they were better than others because they had a suite and should be treated as such. On large cruise ships these so called elite passengers are easy to ignore and avoid but not on smaller river ships.

 

As has been said many times...people tend to stay with their original river cruise line unless they had a real bad experience.

 

I went on different lines due to friends wanting the other ships. I gave in to them and regretted spending the extra dollars for not much more.

 

AMA was my fourth cruise, not my first. I am very happy with AMA and other than A-Rosa, I am not personally interested in trying any other lines. A river cruise is an investment of time and money and if it ain't broke, don't fix it applies to us and how we choose our vacations.

 

I have seen Vantage and GCT boats many times docked with us in port and walked through a couple of them. I have no interest in either line but of course respect that they are the perfect choice for others. No way I want a small cabin and a Murphy bed and we have looked into those cabins and the public areas on many occasions. Their boats look well maintained and well kept but just not what we look for and that is a personal choice. We simply prefer an upscale experience.

 

Also, GCT markets to seniors. I am not a senior and am not interested in a line that structures their cruises for seniors.

 

On the other end of the spectrum is Tauck, the most upscale IMO and most inclusive. Their boats look beautiful and I imagine the overall experience is excellent. That being said, we are not interested in how inclusive they are. We book our own transfers, our own hotels and could not care less about more included group excursions. We are independent travelers and we would not pay the extra that Tauck charges as their inclusions have no value to us. Again, to others, it is the ideal line.

 

River cruising is not one size fits all.

[Lois R]

Hi Kim, so is AMA one of the higher end River Cruiselines?

[caviargal]

Lois, in my personal and professional opinion, yes, AMA is a premium line. They are not the most expensive nor the cheapest and in general fall in line with Uniworld and Avalon in many aspects as well as price point.

 

If you want to cruise for the best overall value, go in the off season and look at the promotions for the lines that interest you. Some are bogus, like Viking's never ending two for one sale. Compare apples to apples and decide what works best for you. Plan well ahead for the best deals.

[Lois R]

I emailed AMA this afternoon and so hopefully I will receive a reply

in the next couple of days. I would be looking at 2014.....depending

on pricing.

 

I will look around and see what I find.

 

Thanks for all the replies:)

[Lois R]

Well, I have found 3 I am looking at.........one is on the Danube but

not till Nov 2014...that is AMA

 

One is on Avalon, Rhine....Amsterdam to Amsterdam........April 2014.

 

One is on Uniworld...actually they have 2 itineraries I am looking at....

but one is in the lead....a new itinerary for them.....April, Bordeuax, France.

 

The Avalon and Uniworld are shorter....wondering if I should try them

first before going on a longer one......(the Danube is longer).

 

Any input would be fine:D:);)

[Ship's Wake]

Well, I have found 3 I am looking at.........one is on the Danube but

not till Nov 2014...that is AMA

 

One is on Avalon, Rhine....Amsterdam to Amsterdam........April 2014.

 

One is on Uniworld...actually they have 2 itineraries I am looking at....

but one is in the lead....a new itinerary for them.....April, Bordeuax, France.

 

The Avalon and Uniworld are shorter....wondering if I should try them

first before going on a longer one......(the Danube is longer).

 

Any input would be fine:D:);)

 

Many 2014 dates are already sold out for some river cruise lines. Unfortunately, this information is not always reflected on their websites.

 

I would first call each cruise line direct and verify if they have availability and are still offering the single rate for the sailings you are considering, if you haven't done so already.

 

This will likely narrow down your choices for you.

 

That being said, the three lines you've chosen are all highly regarded. Pick the itinerary you like the best - that's what I would do.

[caviargal]

Well, I have found 3 I am looking at.........one is on the Danube but

not till Nov 2014...that is AMA

 

One is on Avalon, Rhine....Amsterdam to Amsterdam........April 2014.

 

One is on Uniworld...actually they have 2 itineraries I am looking at....

but one is in the lead....a new itinerary for them.....April, Bordeuax, France.

 

The Avalon and Uniworld are shorter....wondering if I should try them

first before going on a longer one......(the Danube is longer).

 

Any input would be fine:D:);)

 

You don't say how long but personally I would never recommend a first river cruise of more than 7 days. It may or may not be the right vacation style for you and only by trying it out will you know.

[Lois R]

Hi...looking at 7 nights on Avalon.....Amsterdam-Amsterdam.

[MareT]

Our first was 7 days with a 2 day pre and 2 day post added on. In the future we definitely would look for a longer cruise . . . we enjoyed it so much.

 

Maryann

[Lois R]

Our first was 7 days with a 2 day pre and 2 day post added on. In the future we definitely would look for a longer cruise . . . we enjoyed it so much.

 

Maryann

 

Hi Maryann, I have spoken with quite a few folks this week and I am

dumbfounded about one thing.....every person I have spoken with said

most Rivercruisers arrive in the city of sailing on the "day of" the cruise.

Makes no sense to me:eek:....flying across the Atlantic to arrive at the

airport the same day as the cruise? No way:rolleyes:.....even if it is not part

of a cruise package, I want to arrive at least a day early. What happens

if there is a flight issue:confused: and then there is jet lag. I want to sleep one

night before sailing.

[Conejored]

Our first cruise was a 14 night Budapest to Amesterdam on AMAWaterways. I can tell you that after 7 days, we felt like we had just barely started and we would have certainly been in no hurry to get off at that point! I would not be afraid to start with a longer river crusie, especially if you think this will be a "once in a lifetime" cruise, but if you have concerns start with a shorter one (especially if you have the resources to go on additional trips if you find you like it).

 

We arrived in Budapest the day before (and we were only coming from London where we had been for a few weeks at the Olympics) so would definatley recommend that you arrive at least the day before (our friends who were coming directly from Los Angeles arrived two days before to get over jetlag before sailing).

 

I would also give a great recommendation for AMAWaterways. We had an minor issue with LOW water (vs. the current high water issue) during our cruise that AMA handled very well (see my comments on thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1864787 for more details). We loved the CD and the entire crew were great!

[Lois R]

Thanks for the reply and glad you had a good time:) I cruise at least

2 to 3 times a year. And price is a big factor. I found one with Avalon

that is in my $$...there was one on AMA too but it is more than I want

to spend........(at this time anyway).

There were 2 others as well on Uniworld.........but for some reason,

Amsterdam, Holland and Belgium sound really good to me:D Avalon

has one that looks very good:)

 

And I sail solo.....there are some deals out there but of course many

are already booked and others? The timing is not good for me:rolleyes:...work

seems to get in the way.

[MareT]

Hi Maryann, I have spoken with quite a few folks this week and I am

dumbfounded about one thing.....every person I have spoken with said

most Rivercruisers arrive in the city of sailing on the "day of" the cruise.

Makes no sense to me:eek:....flying across the Atlantic to arrive at the

airport the same day as the cruise? No way:rolleyes:.....even if it is not part

of a cruise package, I want to arrive at least a day early. What happens

if there is a flight issue:confused: and then there is jet lag. I want to sleep one

night before sailing.

 

No matter where we cruise we learned to arrive at least a day ahead of time not only to rest but we're cautious with the weather. When we went this past November we had an early snow storm the day before we were leaving from Newark. Flights the day of the storm and the next mornings flights were cancelled but the evening flights left as scheduled. We were on pins and needles. Those rivercruisers who arrive the same day know the vessel doesn't leave until very late in the evening (ours was 11pm) and maybe they have visited the port before and are content with an afternoon stroll around the city. I know you're going to love river cruising. Wish they weren't so expensive. Can't wait to read which river cruise you choose.

 

PS - I have read many of your posts on the other boards - your experiences have provided a lot of informative advice - thank you!

[Lois R]

No matter where we cruise we learned to arrive at least a day ahead of time not only to rest but we're cautious with the weather. When we went this past November we had an early snow storm the day before we were leaving from Newark. Flights the day of the storm and the next mornings flights were cancelled but the evening flights left as scheduled. We were on pins and needles. Those rivercruisers who arrive the same day know the vessel doesn't leave until very late in the evening (ours was 11pm) and maybe they have visited the port before and are content with an afternoon stroll around the city. I know you're going to love river cruising. Wish they weren't so expensive. Can't wait to read which river cruise you choose.

 

PS - I have read many of your posts on the other boards - your experiences have provided a lot of informative advice - thank you!

 

Hi, first, thanks for the kind words. I try to help when possible:)

 

Glad it is just not me then:D.....to fly across the Atlantic the same

day? No way!

[caviargal]

Hi, first, thanks for the kind words. I try to help when possible:)

 

Glad it is just not me then:D.....to fly across the Atlantic the same

day? No way!

 

We are doing just that at Christmas. Due to DH's work schedule and the great deal AMA is offering on their Dec. 25 sailing, we booked flights to arrive on Christmas morning and are headed home directly upon debarkation.

 

We have travel protection just in case of weather delays or cancellations and are used to the flights overseas and adjusting to jet lag.

[Mark_T]

Hi Maryann, I have spoken with quite a few folks this week and I am

dumbfounded about one thing.....every person I have spoken with said

most Rivercruisers arrive in the city of sailing on the "day of" the cruise.

 

Although we too would always choose to arrive the day prior just to allow for jet lag, given the relatively slow pace of river cruising, a delayed flight is not the huge problem it would be with a sea cruise as your river boat is not going to be all that far away :)

[Lois R]

Hi ya'll....everyone does what is best for themselves:) and that is

great:)

I just know I want to fly in a day early and though I haven't booked anything yet, all these places are new to me:D.