Which River Cruiseline do you prefer and why?

[cruisinsforme2]

I'm wanting to cruise the Danube in June 2014, and I'm overwhelmed.

So I need help from River cruisers, which River cruise line and which Itinerary?:confused:

[Hydrokitty]

I'm wanting to cruise the Danube in June 2014, and I'm overwhelmed.

So I need help from River cruisers, which River cruise line and which Itinerary?:confused:

Wow....so many to choose from. Danube is one of most popular. I went with Vantage from Amsterdam to Budapest for 21 days and have booked 7 trips with them since. I love river cruising and I love Vantage. Reason we chose themvfirst time: they included shore excursions and went were we wanted to go. Most lines have very similar itineraries. A few things you should know: it's nothing like big ship cruising!!! Entertainment is minimal...no shows....very small dance floor if any. Entertainment is usually a keyboard artist with occasional local band of singer.

No pools or casinos on most ships. Everyone eats at the same time and it's unassigned seating. Average age group is retired professionals. Ships dock in of near cities so it's easy to get on and off in ports. It's highly addicting.

[Ozjohnno]

We cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest in September 2011 with Tauck and they were, in our mind, simply the best. We're cruising with Tauck again in August next year when we'll be on their "French Escapade" cruise that starts in Paris and ends up in Monte Carlo with 9 nights cruising southern France.

 

We chose Tauck because they were all-inclusive which to us is important, to others not so. We prefer to have all our gratutities looked after and not have to put our hands in our pockets during the cruise for "optional extras". With all the positives and negatives you'll read about river cruise companies on this board you will struggle to find any complaints against Tauck.

 

Your question has been asked many times and you'll find in following posts that people like me have our preferred company and others that have travelled with a number of companies and they'll all have good, sound, and if a bit biased (like me) accounts of their favourite cruise lines. My advice is to do a spread sheet. I do them all the time. List out what you want to see and where you want to go. Compare the itineraries and what you get for your dollar spent. Even after all our advice you will eventually choose the best trip for you.

 

Have fun on this quest.

[travelfirst]

I'm wanting to cruise the Danube in June 2014, and I'm overwhelmed.

So I need help from River cruisers, which River cruise line and which Itinerary?:confused:

 

I have taken four Viking River Cruises and I am happy with them.

I want to go on a Danube river cruise with Viking and have been looking at the Danube Waltz. I want to see where they filmed the Sound of Music as my youngest daughter and I have watched that show more times than we can count...

You only have to pay your gratuities at the end of the cruise.

 

Viking has wine or beer with lunch and dinner and if you wish to have more

drinks than that you have to pay for them.

River cruises are very busy and I don't think many people go to just drink although sometimes when I went to the talk before dinner I would have a glass of wine.

You are very busy as they take you on a tour each day and by the end of the day you are tired.

If you each want to get $100.00 off your Viking send me your e-mail and I will give you my Viking Number. Then after you have been on one you can give your Viking number to your friends, they will get $100.00 each off and you will get $100.00 off also on your next cruise.

[caviargal]

There are many threads on this subject already - try using the Search feature to access them.

 

We have been on 6, Avalon and AMA, and have two more booked with AMA.

 

We prefer AMA for:

 

- quality and variety of food - love their cheese boards!

- excursions which offer bike tours and active walker tours

- evening entertainment variety and quality

- Cruise directors

- Energy and personality of staff and crew

- Attention to detail overall

- Wine theme cruises, which are wonderful and truly focus on wine and food

- Power showers

 

We have two more booked, both with AMA.

[alexandra cruiser]

and have been on 11 river cruises with the major companies.In general,you get what you pay for.Find out whats important to you in your budget range.

We started on mid range lines like Avalon,Viking,Uniworld,etc. Now prefer the top range(can afford them finally).like Scenic,AMA,Tauck,etc.

Look at websites,get brochures,look at DETAILS and itineraries.

Remember, can always switch to another line next time.I use a TA that helps too.

I m one who has no FAVORITE line per se,ea.ship,country,itinerary, can be different in same line.Big job ahead of you,but have fun.;)

[seabreezer]

I thought Uniworld was usually lumped in with the other top lines as being among the best...it was a toss-up for me between Tauck and Uniworld so we liked the itinerary a bit better and chose Uniworld for next Sept. Will I be sorry?

[Ozjohnno]

I thought Uniworld was usually lumped in with the other top lines as being among the best...it was a toss-up for me between Tauck and Uniworld so we liked the itinerary a bit better and chose Uniworld for next Sept. Will I be sorry?

 

I truly doubt you'll be sorry about your choice of river cruise line. Everyone has a different set of criteria, desires and needs and if you chose Uniworld over Tauck you did it for good reasons. I'm pretty sure that you'll have just as good a holiday experience travelling with Uniworld as I will travelling with Tauck.

[Barrheadlass]

I don't think you'll be sorry you booked with Uniworld either, our 2 trips with them were wonderful.

[sippican]

I'm wanting to cruise the Danube in June 2014, and I'm overwhelmed.

So I need help from River cruisers, which River cruise line and which Itinerary?:confused:

 

 

This is a very common question on this forum, and one I had when first investigating a Danube cruise for 14. Be sure to use the search function, and read member reviews for ships you consider.

I found that making a spreadsheet was very helpful in finding a line that best met our needs and wants.

 

This thread was very helpful: see post #16 - Thanks to Jeep61

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1744727&highlight=spreadsheet

 

That being said, river cruises book up very far in advance, and you may find your choices limited. We booked with AMA the minute the 2014 itineraries were released, almost a full year ago. If you are flexible, I'm sure you'll find something perfect.

Be aware that the 2 for 1 "specials" advertised by some lines are not special at all, and rather the going rate.

[bobalink]

We've been on only one river cruise so far. We went with AMA Waterways, on the Blue Danube Discovery on the AmaLyra. We enjoyed it very much.

 

We have booked another river cruise for July 2014 - Paris & Normandy, on the AmaLegra.

 

I did a lot of research prior to choosing AMA. I was pretty convinced after looking at Mike and Carol Priesman's blog.

 

Here is a link to their excellent travel blog:

http://www.thepreismans.com/

 

Whatever river cruise line you choose for the Danube, I would really encourage you to spend additional time in Prague and Budapest.

 

We actually flew into Vienna, spent a few days there, then took the train to Budapest. We were in Budapest for 3 days prior to boarding the river cruise. Our cruise ended in Nuremberg, then we took a bus to Prague and spent 3 days there.

 

The small towns along the Danube are amazing. Vienna, Budapest and Prague are magical!

 

Have fun doing the research, and you will find the cruise line that fits your travel style.

[4774Papa]

We have done two Vantage river cruises (Russia and China). Both had fantastic Program Managers. The China trip involved a lot of internal China travel and hotels, only four days on the Yangtze. They handled it well.

 

Also, we always compare prices and what we get for those prices. Vantage always beats Viking and the other main line companies. Of course companies like Gate 1, budget lines, cost less, but don't give as much.

In Russia, Vantage had us in top hotels instead of on the boat and having to fight the awful traffic in Moscow or STP.

 

We have done one AMA cruise and loved them. AMA is a bit more expensive than Vantage. We took the AMA because of the timing of the cruise.

[fred111]

We have cruised with a couple of different lines but have found that we like Uniworld the best. It is a top quality company that goes out of its way to ensure that you have a good vacation.

 

I am sure that most of the cruise companies do a good job; however, you can tell a great company when thing go wrong, i.e. high or low water, etc.

 

The bottom line is you will enjoy your Danube trip whichever company you choose.

[caviargal]

 

The bottom line is you will enjoy your Danube trip whichever company you choose.

 

IMO, it is important to choose the line that is going to provide the experience you are looking for. We would not choose to spend a week sleeping in a Murphy bed, and prefer an upscale experience.

 

We don't always participate in the included excursions but do enjoy them a lot more when we have an option for active walkers or bike tours, as we prefer a fast pace.

 

We would not enjoy a river cruise on just any line offering the Danube as there are features and details that make a difference for us.

 

Research is important IMO. Read as much as possible about the lines you are considering and see which best fits your personal priorities.

[WarEagle76]

We've been on five Viking cruises Russia, China, Danube, Paris/Normandy and are currently on the last day of our Cologne extension post Heart of Germany Christmas market cruise. To put it simply, based upon our experiences, Viking has not given us a reason to try another line. This was our first cruise on one of Viking's new longships (Viking Freya) and it exceeded our expectations in every way (plan a review and pictures after the holidays), the food was excellent and the crew was outstanding. While we have nothing to compare with Viking, it was interesting listening to the experiences on other lines shared by our dinner companions. So for us, pricing, product, experience and at this point familiarity will see us going back to Viking.

[AttilaTheFun]

In terms of itinerary, there are probably only about 2-3 choices, with very little variation from those. As another poster mentioned, if you love The Sound of Music, look for one that includes a stop in Salzburg.

 

We did Uniworld's Romantic Danube itinerary and really enjoyed it because of the day in Salzburg and having an extra half day in Vienna. Uniworld will be at the high end of pricing compared to other cruise lines, but they are including open bar and all gratuities (onboard and onshore) for 2014 and beyond. I did two cruises with Uniworld and was very impressed by their attention to detail and the level of quality.

 

However, I have to caution that, like most posters on here, I've only experienced one river cruise line and obviously show a bias towards that one. I see a ton of Ama fans, but have to wonder if they've tried any other river cruise lines to compare against.

 

From my own bias opinion, based on reading threads on this board, Viking is the one cruise line that I would caution against, only because they don't seem to do well when things go wrong. If everything goes correctly, the Viking customers seem pretty happy, but I think the true test of a company is how they react when things go wrong.

 

Which ever cruise line and itinerary you choose, enjoy!

[Tom47]

Wow....so many to choose from. Danube is one of most popular. I went with Vantage from Amsterdam to Budapest for 21 days and have booked 7 trips with them since. I love river cruising and I love Vantage. Reason we chose themvfirst time: they included shore excursions and went were we wanted to go. Most lines have very similar itineraries. A few things you should know: it's nothing like big ship cruising!!! Entertainment is minimal...no shows....very small dance floor if any. Entertainment is usually a keyboard artist with occasional local band of singer.

No pools or casinos on most ships. Everyone eats at the same time and it's unassigned seating. Average age group is retired professionals. Ships dock in of near cities so it's easy to get on and off in ports. It's highly addicting.

Hi

I agree with Hydrokitty, we have been on 4 Vantage trips, including Amsterdam to Budapest, and enjoyed them all. We have 1 more Vantage trip (China) booked.

Tom:)

[Chelsea Cruiser]

To All:

 

My wife and I have always been on ocean cruises, but its been a dream of ours to do a RC particularly the Christmas Markets. We are planning to book very soon for 2014 in late Nov/Dec.

As we have never done this before obviously some of the questions we have relate to which Christmas Markets are the best, which RC company should we book with, and is there an itinerary that is more preferable than others?

 

Really appreciate any help you can pass along

[caviargal]

We have visited the Christmas markets in Europe many times, and love them. Five of these trips have been on river cruises, with independent extensions in Europe before and after.

 

The itinerary we have not yet done and that really appeals is Christmas on the Rhine and we are getting ready to book that with AMA for 2015.

 

We really enjoyed Budapest to Prague with AMA last year and spent three days in each city pre/post on our own. We have been to Prague several times and it is beautiful at Christmas and we enjoyed Budapest very much.

 

We enjoy Regensburg and Wurzburg and these are included on many Danube itineraries.

 

We did several Christmas cruises with Avalon and then discovered AMA when we did a wine cruise with them in 2011. In 2012, we cruised on the AmaCerto for the markets and found that AMA was much more festive aboard the boat and their small touches and attention to detail made for a really special trip.

 

We enjoy AMA in all aspects of the river cruise experience and look no further when we plan a river cruise.

Edited December 24, 2013 by caviargal

[AttilaTheFun]

To All:

 

My wife and I have always been on ocean cruises, but its been a dream of ours to do a RC particularly the Christmas Markets. We are planning to book very soon for 2014 in late Nov/Dec.

As we have never done this before obviously some of the questions we have relate to which Christmas Markets are the best, which RC company should we book with, and is there an itinerary that is more preferable than others?

 

Really appreciate any help you can pass along

 

I recommend starting a new thread to your specific topic, since the OP was requesting opinions on the Danube specifically and you may have better luck with a new thread.

[franski]

Hi

I agree with Hydrokitty, we have been on 4 Vantage trips, including Amsterdam to Budapest, and enjoyed them all. We have 1 more Vantage trip (China) booked.

Tom:)

 

Many happy Vantage customers here... but the OP is Canadian - and so would offer a suggestion if this is where they are leaning.

 

In Ontario, we have TICO - the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. They are sort of an extra insurance if things go wrong... (think being on a Caribbean Island, and the company you booked with with bankrupt... who would get you home???) Not sure what there is in Alberta - but, before you book with a US based company, see if your local/provincial travel group endorses them.

 

Our TA states her company has a policy that they will not book on any cruises that don't have TICO endorsements.... Most of the other players are TICO backed, so we are comfortable booking with them. We have travelled with Uniworld, Scenic, AMA and Viking so far. Our first sailing on Avalon is in June 2014.

 

BTW - if you are looking at travelling this June, you might want to see what your options are before deciding on a date/cruise/company. Many sailings already quite booked.

 

Have fun planning!!

 

Fran

Edited December 24, 2013 by franski

[Marty156]

All river cruises seem to be on a par, however when things go wrong and how the company treats you is the real telling factor.

 

At least one couple we know of cruised for a total of 6 hours during the 15 days! Others had varying times, we did not cruise for 7 of the 15 days.

 

Read the (dated) but nevertheless factual account of the behaviour of Scenic/Evergreen on:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1892421

 

During the 2013 floods, passengers with Scenic Tours and/or Evergreen Tours were treated to the most unsatisfactory behaviour of any company.

 

So much so, that there is going to be a CLASS ACTION against them in early 2014 due to the lies, mis-information and dishonest tactics to attempt to deafeat any claims against a refund.

 

They offered some a $500 refund on a $10,000 cruise! Some have never received any offer.

 

Anyone that was with Scenic Tours or Evergreen Tours during the 2013 floods and were basically ignored by the company after returning home, there will be a Class Action in Australia against this company in early 2014.

 

For more information regarding the abysmal performance of Scenic Tours during the floods in Europe, please message me directly to find out about the Class Action to be held against them.

 

It does NOT matter if you have actually received the offered pittance of the $500 refund, as it will cost you nothing to be included!

[notamermaid]

Hello,

 

Many happy Vantage customers here... but the OP is Canadian - and so would offer a suggestion if this is where they are leaning.

 

In Ontario, we have TICO - the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. They are sort of an extra insurance if things go wrong... (think being on a Caribbean Island, and the company you booked with with bankrupt... who would get you home???) Not sure what there is in Alberta - but, before you book with a US based company, see if your local/provincial travel group endorses them.

 

Our TA states her company has a policy that they will not book on any cruises that don't have TICO endorsements.... Most of the other players are TICO backed, so we are comfortable booking with them. We have travelled with Uniworld, Scenic, AMA and Viking so far. Our first sailing on Avalon is in June 2014.

 

BTW - if you are looking at travelling this June, you might want to see what your options are before deciding on a date/cruise/company. Many sailings already quite booked.

 

Have fun planning!!

 

Fran

 

Several years ago there were insolvencies of operators and / or cheap flights providers / airlines in Europe. Hundreds of people stuck in foreign countries not being allowed to fly home. Since then new European / German laws have been introduced for consumer protection. The UK has had a non-profit organisation called ABTA providing such consumer protection via code of conduct and law for decades.

 

I wonder if it might make sense for Australians to book through British TA's? The Australian situation seems to leave a few things to be desired. Or is it just Scenic? Are there any other Australian companies offering river cruises?

 

Us Germans, although small print is such a bore and tedious :(, have almost everything regulated on the last pages of every travel catalogue, including cruises. When I read what has happened to Australian travellers I prefer the convoluted German way. ;)

 

Good luck to the class action participants, 500 dollars is indeed a pitance.

 

notamermaid

 

Still waiting for proper winter here, temperatures too high and river level quite low for January.

[Marty156]

Winter?

We have just endured several days above 40 degrees C...

Picture postcards of European Christmas cards are in high demand to make us pretend its cooler -somewhere!

 

Yes, there are several other Australian companies that do River cruises, all the others (bar one -which has learned from their mistake) treated their guests properly with cancellations and full refunds.

[grand isle joe]

Hello,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still waiting for proper winter here, temperatures too high and river level quite low for January.

 

 

.....you are welcome to have some of our "chill".....-30 F.......Brrrrr...........Cheeers and Happy New Year.........:)