When is a 14 day cruise only a 7 day ?

[ddande]

I am really getting tired of searching for advertised river cruises that state "14 days" when in reality you are only cruising for 7 days and actually paying for the time you are flying to the commencement point (airfares are not included in the deal so why should travelling time be included in the 14 days?)Upon arrival (which they consider day Two you sit in the commencement port for 3 days (we're up to 5 now and haven't left the dock)and when you reach the end port you are there for a further Two days sitting in that port that the cruise line consider "sailing" making a total of 7 days where the riverboat doesn't move an inch? If I were to advertise a coach tour and you sat in my garage for 7 days I would quickly go out of business so how come River cruises are able to advertise 14 day "cruises" when essentially they are only 7? Additionally for the prices they charge you (while you are flying at your own expense) you could sit in a five star luxury hotel in the same cities for an extra couple of days. Is there a reputable River cruise company out there which will actually give you a 14 day cruise when they advertise 14 day? :confused:

[LHT28]

I would ask on the river cruise forum

 

Our river cruise was listed as 15 days..we overnighted in Amsterdam, Vienna & Budapest which was fine

The rest of the days were cruising & stopping in other towns along the way

Not sure if there are any that cruise for the whole 14 days

 

On Scenic tours you embark in the afternoon on day 1 then overnight giving you day 2 in the embarkation port ...disembarkation is day 15 ..which is not really a day on the ship you are off by 9am

Edited July 16, 2014 by LHT28

[Shmoo here]

I am really getting tired of searching for advertised river cruises that state "14 days" when in reality you are only cruising for 7 days and actually paying for the time you are flying to the commencement point (airfares are not included in the deal so why should travelling time be included in the 14 days?)Upon arrival (which they consider day Two you sit in the commencement port for 3 days (we're up to 5 now and haven't left the dock)and when you reach the end port you are there for a further Two days sitting in that port that the cruise line consider "sailing" making a total of 7 days where the riverboat doesn't move an inch? If I were to advertise a coach tour and you sat in my garage for 7 days I would quickly go out of business so how come River cruises are able to advertise 14 day "cruises" when essentially they are only 7? Additionally for the prices they charge you (while you are flying at your own expense) you could sit in a five star luxury hotel in the same cities for an extra couple of days. Is there a reputable River cruise company out there which will actually give you a 14 day cruise when they advertise 14 day? :confused:

 

Well, I don't know about 14 days = 7 days, but Vantage has a 14 night (13 days) Bucharest/Budapest that, while you depart on day 1 and arrive on day 2, you board the boat on day 3 and depart the boat on day 13. You can add pre & post cruise days to add on, but you're onboard for 11 days.

 

Different itineraries will have different tour options that are still considered part of the cruise, even if you are in a land hotel.

[CruiserBruce]

I wonder if this is advertised as a "cruise tour" or a "cruise vacation" or something similar that doesn't actually imply you are on board for 14 days.

[ddande]

As mentioned when a cruise line count the time it takes you to reach the departure point as "part of the cruise" (which you are paying both the airline and the cruise co. for I think that is a bit rich). I have been looking for a River cruise for quite a while now that gives us more than seven days cruising (as we always arrive a couple of days early in departure port anyhow due to logistics of flying to Europe from Australia) so when we get there we want to optimise our actual cruise time. To date we have found Ten days offered which turn out to be Seven. Seven days that are actually Four and a Nine day that was actually Five. I understand and accept (and enjoy) Two day stopovers along the voyage however sitting in the departure port and end port for extra days and being considered part of "a cruise" I just cannot accept.

[navybankerteacher]

Counting your overnight flight as day one is a stretch, but as long as they make it clear that you will be spending a coupled of days (presumably with accommodations provided) what's the problem? Assuming the start and end points are in cities worth spending a couple of days to see, it makes sense. One problem with cruises which are going all the time is that there are many cities which genuinely require more than the 8 hours or so allotted.

[LHT28]

I understand

Some tours start counting the days when you leave home ...

The one we did although day 1 was really 1/2 day because you board the ship late afternoon then we spent day 2 in the same port as they did offer tours

but we arrived early & did some of the sights on our own

day 2 evening we left heading for the next port

If it does not work for you then maybe a river cruise is not the answer

 

Even some ocean cruise have an overnight in the embarkation port

Finding the right cruise may be a struggle

 

Best of luck in your quest

 

lyn

[ddande]

I understand

Some tours start counting the days when you leave home ...

The one we did although day 1 was really 1/2 day because you board the ship late afternoon then we spent day 2 in the same port as they did offer tours

but we arrived early & did some of the sights on our own

day 2 evening we left heading for the next port

If it does not work for you then maybe a river cruise is not the answer

 

Even some ocean cruise have an overnight in the embarkation port

Finding the right cruise may be a struggle

 

Best of luck in your quest

 

lyn

 

Thanks Lyn, we love our cruising (think we're up to 14 or so Ocean cruises) however a River Cruise is an item still to be ticked off our bucket list. Our main costs have always been the Airfares and pre/post accommodation hence trying to squeeze every travelling minute out of our work breaks :D coming from Australia

 

Best Regards

Dave d

[LHT28]

Thanks Lyn, we love our cruising (think we're up to 14 or so Ocean cruises) however a River Cruise is an item still to be ticked off our bucket list. Our main costs have always been the Airfares and pre/post accommodation hence trying to squeeze every travelling minute out of our work breaks :D coming from Australia

 

Best Regards

Dave d

I hear you

I have enough trouble with 8 hr flights I do not know how you do those long flights

My friend from Brisbane will do a B2B just to make the most of the travelling time ..do not blame her but flying 36hrs would kill me :D

 

Lyn

[ddande]

I hear you

I have enough trouble with 8 hr flights I do not know how you do those long flights

My friend from Brisbane will do a B2B just to make the most of the travelling time ..do not blame her but flying 36hrs would kill me :D

 

Lyn

 

And that's exactly what we try and do the B2B -we try and combine a cruise of interest with a repositioning that way we get to see new places and get relaxation time together. Last year we went to Iceland from Copenhagen then did the Transatlantic repo. Iceland in an Ocean view and the Transatlantic in a Penthouse and the TA was cheaper than the Iceland cruise.

 

All the best

Dave d:)

[dancinman66]

It's a 14 day trip and they all class from leaving to arriving when including flights plus land and sea content

 

Just got to ensure you read carefully

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ddande]

It's a 14 day trip and they all class from leaving to arriving when including flights plus land and sea content

 

Just got to ensure you read carefully

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Dancinman the River cruise I looked at did not include airfares however counted the flight as "day One" arriving day Two" !!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Most of the ocean cruises count arrival day as day 1.

 

Sometimes the river cruises allow one day of sightseeing in the departure city and/or one day in the arrival city which, in my opinion is a good idea as it saves switching to and from hotels. It's ideal for people who fly in directly to join teh cruise and fly out again immediately afterwards.

 

We did a 7 night cruise on the Rhine (Basel to Amsterdam) with Avalon Waterways and thoroughly enjoyed our day of sightseeing in Amsterdam on the last day. Their Magnificent Europe Itinerary looks very interesting - part of it is on the Rhine and I know that section is great.

Edited July 17, 2014 by OzKiwiJJ

[Donray]

I am really getting tired of searching for advertised river cruises that state "14 days" when in reality you are only cruising for 7 days and actually paying for the time you are flying to the commencement point (airfares are not included in the deal so why should travelling time be included in the 14 days?)Upon arrival (which they consider day Two you sit in the commencement port for 3 days (we're up to 5 now and haven't left the dock)and when you reach the end port you are there for a further Two days sitting in that port that the cruise line consider "sailing" making a total of 7 days where the riverboat doesn't move an inch? If I were to advertise a coach tour and you sat in my garage for 7 days I would quickly go out of business so how come River cruises are able to advertise 14 day "cruises" when essentially they are only 7? Additionally for the prices they charge you (while you are flying at your own expense) you could sit in a five star luxury hotel in the same cities for an extra couple of days. Is there a reputable River cruise company out there which will actually give you a 14 day cruise when they advertise 14 day? :confused:

 

Why don't you post the link to the site that has this 14 day river cruise and is only 7 days. Hope your not looking at like Viking China that is 14 days with a 7 day river cruise.

 

I have never seen what you state, so I would like to see what you are reading on the description of this 14 day (7 day) river cruise.

[marco]

I kinda' get what you're saying, as I've seen the brochures some of the lines send out, but if you read the brochures thoroughly, if it's the case, it will say it's a 14 day TRIP that includes 4 days in one city, a 7 day river cruise and 3 days in the ending city. Regardless if you are on moving boat, docked boat, or a hotel, the trip is 14 days and you see everything they say you're going to see in those 14 days. The only thing I do kinda' disagree with their advertising is that "day one" is your transatlantic flight. As far as I"m concerned, "day one" is the day our arrive in the city the trip starts in.

[Calgon1]

IWhen is a 14 day cruise only a 7 day ?

 

 

Smart A$$ Answer - Ah, when you pi$$ off the Captain so badly, that you are thrown off the ship on the seventh day ?

A "14-day cruise" does not refer to the time spent sailing. It refers to the number of nights you have lodging available on a vessel (which 'cruises', i.e. - travels on the water from location to location).

[ddande]

Smart A$$ Answer - Ah, when you pi$$ off the Captain so badly, that you are thrown off the ship on the seventh day ?

A "14-day cruise" does not refer to the time spent sailing. It refers to the number of nights you have lodging available on a vessel (which 'cruises', i.e. - travels on the water from location to location).

 

"It refers to the number of nights you have lodging available on a vessel"

And that is one of my points - if airfares are not included as part of the 15 day "cruise" why is "departure from the USA" day 1 and why is arrival day 2 where you spend the night in a hotel ?

Regards

Dave d

[buggins0402]

I get what you are saying. It is like the "India Express" tours from the US...advertised as 9 days, but 6 hotel nights. Two overnights on a plane and a brain dead arrival day.

[Calgon1]

Understand now.

A lot of travel agencies sell packages as "XX day cruise to Xxxxxx" and include the pre- and post-cruise travel as part of the number of days in the package title. What they are doing is misleading. To be accurate, they should advertise as a 12-Day Xxxxxx cruise (XX days air included).

 

Example: Next July, we're taking a 12-Day British Isles. We're also doing one day travel and 3 days touring London, pre-cruise. And 6 days touring England and France and another day travel post-cruise. That doesn't make it a 23 day cruise, just a 12-Day cruise with 9 days in expensive hotels and 2 days of overpriced air travel.

 

You need to read the package (fine print) carefully. There's an old adage, "Let the buyer beware".

I suppose my thought is, if they are misleading/misrepresenting before they even make the sale, how honest will they be in other matters?

Edited July 21, 2014 by Calgon1

[ddande]

Understand now.

A lot of travel agencies sell packages as "XX day cruise to Xxxxxx" and include the pre- and post-cruise travel as part of the number of days in the package title. What they are doing is misleading. To be accurate, they should advertise as a 12-Day Xxxxxx cruise (XX days air included).

 

Example: Next July, we're taking a 12-Day British Isles. We're also doing one day travel and 3 days touring London, pre-cruise. And 6 days touring England and France and another day travel post-cruise. That doesn't make it a 23 day cruise, just a 12-Day cruise with 9 days in expensive hotels and 2 days of overpriced air travel.

 

You need to read the package (fine print) carefully. There's an old adage, "Let the buyer beware".

I suppose my thought is, if they are misleading/misrepresenting before they even make the sale, how honest will they be in other matters?

 

Agreed, the point to my post was not about the content of the river cruise but about trying to find a river cruise by the initial search information given by the cruise company . For instance if I look on VTG or S Cruiser for a Ocean cruise it will say "14" nights which is the time you expect to arrive and board (not necessarily sail) however on a number of river cruises it will say 14 days but when you read into it you may find your actual onboard time can be many days less due to the inclusion of "depart and arrival" being counted as day One and Two. Some Posters on here are advocating that this gives the vacationer notification that they require that amount of time to join the River Cruise and return home (even though flying is not part of the package) my question then becomes "why doesn't the ocean cruise companies 14v day cruise get advertised as a 16 day cruise" giving you the same amount of warning that it will take that time to join the ship and return home -there is no consistency (not even between the river cruise companies)and when you search for a certain length cruise you never know what you are actually getting (length of cruise wise) and have to then go into the fine detail to find out and that is what I find frustrating you think "great there's a cruise I've been looking for only that fits with my timing dates etc. only to find the actual cruise is not that length at all (and despite some doubters this can be anywhere from one to six days difference.)