Are all river cuisers so snobby?

[Talisker92]

We bought a photo frame and have it on our breakfast bar. I put each trip's photos on a 2GB chip. We can watch while we eat!

I used to have albums, but gave up because after I am gone, nobody will be interested.

I also write trip stories and post them on our website to share with others

I have never found river cruisers to be snobby, and am a little suspicious about the OP's intentions.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Talisker92

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I found most to be very nice on Vantage ..

[pacmom]

Experienced this only once on our first Christmas cruise. There was a man who appeared to "look down his nose" at most of his fellow travelers, especially those whose clothes had no external labels. Part way thru the trip we decided he really didn't want to be there. That is once on 20 river cruises on various lines. Travel is what you make it. Go and enjoy--life is too short to worry about "snobs". Another explanation--maybe they need glasses and won't admit it. This topic needs to be laid to rest. Please, Host Jazzbeau. Pat

[Hydrokitty]

I found most to be very nice on Vantage ..

 

With the exception of maybe 1 or 2 people, I've never met anyone who was a snob on ANY trip whether it was a river cruise with Vantage or a land trip with Trafalgar or Club ABC.....people who travel frequently are rarely snobs, they cant be bothered and they've learned what a waste of opportunity it is. Since OP hasn't been back since his original post, I suspect he was not a bona fide poster.

[mimmy52]

I am going on my first cruise this fall. I booked a trip on the Danube that cost quite a bit of money. I have been reading posts on this site for the last couple of months and I am surprised at the amount of posts about how (I am going to group you all as you) you all just don't like tourists..

 

As we are all on a tour of a European river and most likely do not reside in Europe, I think that everyone on the boat qualifies as a tourist.

 

As far as how people dress...I have paid for a full package of walking tours, I will dress for a full day out (comfortable shoes shorts and tee), as well as have my camera gear and a pack. I honestly can't understand how an American can walk around Europe without a lot of camera gear.

 

I have another 10 days to explore Europe after the cruise, but I hope that the first eight aren't made miserable by a bunch of stuffy old people that judge people by their clothing.

 

 

I think you will find a ship full of people excited about traveling and being on a river cruise. I traveled solo on Viking and, although I'm shy, I made it a point at meals to sit at a table where two or three (or more) people were already seated. Everyone I talked to during the week was interested in learning more about the others at the table.

 

I talked to people who were well traveled, to people who had saved for years to be able to afford the trip, and to people who were recovering from cancer and were celebrating with a cruise. Yes, the age group tended toward 50 plus, and many older, but age doesn't make a person stuffy.

 

Keep looking forward to your cruise. You'll have an amazing time.

 

And to some of the people on this board, I'll say that I don't blame the OP for not posting again. If I were getting the comments he is, I'd think twice about posting again too.

[G.M.T.]

I am going on my first cruise this fall. I booked a trip on the Danube that cost quite a bit of money. I have been reading posts on this site for the last couple of months and I am surprised at the amount of posts about how (I am going to group you all as you) you all just don't like tourists..

 

As we are all on a tour of a European river and most likely do not reside in Europe, I think that everyone on the boat qualifies as a tourist.

 

As far as how people dress...I have paid for a full package of walking tours, I will dress for a full day out (comfortable shoes shorts and tee), as well as have my camera gear and a pack. I honestly can't understand how an American can walk around Europe without a lot of camera gear.

 

I have another 10 days to explore Europe after the cruise, but I hope that the first eight aren't made miserable by a bunch of stuffy old people that judge people by their clothing.

 

Totally agree with the OP. You need all the photo gear you can carry (you ca always hirer European porters), you need those big zoom lenses to capture the really wild European natives swinging through the tree (we are damned fast). Although it would be much easier to photograph us after our shift has ended, most likely you will find us in the local beer garden throwing bits of Bratwurst to the touris.

 

All Big White Hunters wear shorts all the time, even on Christmas Market cruises.

 

On the wild reaches of the Danube, no one carries a lot of camera gear anymore (we moved into the digital age lon ago). Time you have set up your tripod and reach for your camera, the local Pavians (sorry I mean Bavarians) will have nicked the former.

[cruiserfromalabama]

I am not sure what the OP was really asking, but I did not find river cruisers to be snobby at all. I have found that most travelers are usually people that love life and new experiences(just like I do)! I liked talking with people and finding out where they had traveled-it gave me ideas on where I would like to take a trip in the future. Not one person told me their incomes or social standings in life-nor did I disclose mine(which is not very impressive to say the least)! I really enjoy people and I seldom meet anyone that I can not carry on a conversation with and I would not judge any person on the outfits they chose to travel in. I do go for comfort, but not sloppy outfits and I would hope no one would judge me for that. I do not carry a camera, but my husband has one strapped to his hand on each trip like it was an oxygen tank. That is his love and mine is being glued to the tour guide and soaking up all the knowledge that I can. After all-I am a tourist! Tourist all look like tourist in a foreign country no matter how they dress once they open their mouths to talk(especially me being from the south)! Big deal-I pay hard earned money to travel and so does everyone else(we are all in the same boat-no pun intended). Also, I have found it very hard to not look like a tourist when I am in a group with a tour guide-lol.

[TravelerThom]

I have read the OP's other post, and it seemed quite reasonable. I (and perhaps most of us) have posted things that came across entirely wrongly, so I'll give the OP some slack.

 

I was delighted in the 1980s when decent pocket-sized 35mm cameras came out, and it was possible to take snap-shots (not quite professional, but quite good) without lugging all that camera stuff. And small cameras have gotten even better in the digital ago (I love to snorkel with my pocket sized waterproof camera with 12x optical zooming, and it takes great above water pictures, cost less than $200, weights next to nothing and holds thousands of pictures!).

 

Dressing to blend in as much as possible allows a much more intimate experiencing of the local culture. Like it or not, people are judged by their clothes every day - if you go into a cafe and there are two seats, one next to somebody dressed pretty much like you, and one in a manner that says they don't give a hoot about anybody else, who do you sit next too? Not surprisingly most people are turned off by those who dress as if they don't give a hoot about anyone else.

 

I hope you go on the trip, see lots of nice places from Passau to Budapest (and take some pictures along the way as souvenirs), and discover that most of the people both on and off the boat are actually pretty nice (even if some of them are older [or younger] than you). The cruise will be pretty much whatever you choose to make of it.

 

Thom

[janetcbl]

If you check out Clay74's first post to CC in August, he appears to be a newbie to this way of travel....he enjoys fishing and is from the NW US.....I imagine he is a bit anxious about this new experience, not an unkind person.

[CPT Trips]

Totally agree with the OP. You need all the photo gear you can carry (you ca always hirer European porters), you need those big zoom lenses to capture the really wild European natives swinging through the tree (we are damned fast). Although it would be much easier to photograph us after our shift has ended, most likely you will find us in the local beer garden throwing bits of Bratwurst to the touris.

 

All Big White Hunters wear shorts all the time, even on Christmas Market cruises.

 

On the wild reaches of the Danube, no one carries a lot of camera gear anymore (we moved into the digital age lon ago). Time you have set up your tripod and reach for your camera, the local Pavians (sorry I mean Bavarians) will have nicked the former.

 

Germans do have a sense of humor . . . and here is more evidence

 

[lahlah57]

Clay74 has not responded since his post. Hope his feelings didn't get hurt :rolleyes:

[JVilleGal]

Clay74 has not responded since his post. Hope his feelings didn't get hurt :rolleyes:

 

 

Sorry you post something as " Snarky" as his post then I'm not sorry at all.... And am hoping he does not turn up on my sailing ;)

[lahlah57]

My sarcasm hopefully didn't hurt his feelings too......lol!;)

[Hydrokitty]

Germans do have a sense of humor . . . and here is more evidence

 

 

 

LOVE IT!!! What a clever ad....in a macabre sort of way. :D

[TravelerThom]

LOVE IT!!! What a clever ad....in a macabre sort of way. :D

Do I recall correctly that one of the modern stained glass windows in St.Vitus Cathedral in Prague shows all sorts of catastrophes (fire, flood, death, etc) and I'm thinking that the message is God will comfort the afflicted - and then I discovered it was underwritten by an insurance company as an ad to buy their insurance:eek:. I don't think I made that up, but I can't seem to find any pictures,so now I'm wondering:confused:

[TravelerThom]

For those thinking that all Europeans are the same: one evening the river boat entertainment was a quite accomplished "ziter" player ("th" is difficult for most Germans to pronounce, so zither comes out ziter), who said "No German can play the ziter, only Austrians and Bavarians!" I asked one of on-board guides about this and she said (perhaps seriously) "Why are you asking me? I'm not Bavarian, I'm Franconian." (Franconia is part of the state of Bavaria, but don't count on getting a Franconian to admit that.)

[41Rainbow]

I am going on my first cruise this fall. I booked a trip on the Danube that cost quite a bit of money. I have been reading posts on this site for the last couple of months and I am surprised at the amount of posts about how (I am going to group you all as you) you all just don't like tourists..

 

As we are all on a tour of a European river and most likely do not reside in Europe, I think that everyone on the boat qualifies as a tourist.

 

As far as how people dress...I have paid for a full package of walking tours, I will dress for a full day out (comfortable shoes shorts and tee), as well as have my camera gear and a pack. I honestly can't understand how an American can walk around Europe without a lot of camera gear.

 

I have another 10 days to explore Europe after the cruise, but I hope that the first eight aren't made miserable by a bunch of stuffy old people that judge people by their clothing.

 

I understand where your coming from. I've booked our first cruise for Sept 2016.. i too have been reading about people judging by what people wear...but dont let that bother you. I'm sure they are the minority.Some people like to really dress up to the 9's for dinner.....I know I dont....I'd go in trackers if I could...I find them way more comfortable if you stuff yourself with all the good food Ive read about

 

I think I will be in the younger end of the average passenger age but I dont intend to let that stop me from meeting some interesting people. lets face it we are all doing these cruises to see some great sights and meet some wonderful people.

 

wow only 555 days till we are off

Edited March 2, 2015 by 41Rainbow
left something out

[Fairfield Nana]

I just read his one and only other posting about a Viking river cruise this summer, and he didn't come across as snarfy at all--just a bit lost and befuddled about the new experience of cruising. One thing I love abut this site is all the wonderful advice and "opinions". There is truth in what they say about showing a little blood on the water and attracting sharks.;)

[JVilleGal]

OP has not done much to endear himself here.... Hard to understand his motivation for posting such a thing :(

[G.M.T.]

Germans do have a sense of humor . . . and here is more evidence

 

Germans and a sense of humour, questionable - but we Brits do.:rolleyes:

 

One of the few German jokes:

 

"Do you know why the Brits drink so much tea? No! Have you ever tried their coffee."

[Hydrokitty]

 

"Do you know why the Brits drink so much tea? No! Have you ever tried their coffee."

 

I lived in London....I can personally attest to the fact that this is not a joke!! :D

 

But their hot chocolate is to die for!!

Edited March 2, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[MaxBuck]

Germans do have a sense of humor . . . and here is more evidence

 

Interesting that the sign is in English on the Berlin subway.

[CPT Trips]

Interesting that the sign is in English on the Berlin subway.

 

45 years of occupation by US and UK (ok, France and USSR too)?

[Floridiana]

Almost 70 years comes closer to the truth (1945). English is fashionable, has more to do with music than occupation. French used to be "in" in the distant past. Russian never was.

[Hydrokitty]

Interesting that the sign is in English on the Berlin subway.

 

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter where I go, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, advertisements, in store ads for sales and warning signs are in native language AND English.....many times also in French. I think it has more to do with tourism, music, movies and tv than occupation after WWII.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Hydrokitty