Impossible question I know! Tauck v. Viking v. AMA v. Avalon, etc.

[cool cruiser 14107]

Hi,

I realize it's a tough question, but in general, I'm wondering which River cruise line is considered the best, cream of the crop, in GENERAL!

 

Tauck?

Viking?

Avalon?

AMA?

others I've not listed?

 

how would you rate them?

 

For instance I would put Crystal at the top of most 'regular cruise line' lists; with others as a close second, that doesn't mean they are necessarily the best, but they just have earned that reputation.

 

Is there a similar ranking for River Cruise lines? I know very little about River Cruising.

 

thanks!

[Host Jazzbeau]

At the moment, I think it is generally agreed that Tauck is the cream of the crop. [Although there may be a few dissenters who plump for Scenic.] But starting this spring Crystal is getting into the river cruising business and my guess is they will make sure they outdo Tauck and Scenic and claim the "Blue Danube Riband" [a prize I just made up ;)]

[Hydrokitty]

At the moment, I think it is generally agreed that Tauck is the cream of the crop. [Although there may be a few dissenters who plump for Scenic.] But starting this spring Crystal is getting into the river cruising business and my guess is they will make sure they outdo Tauck and Scenic and claim the "Blue Danube Riband" [a prize I just made up ;)]

 

As long as they don't strike a floating log and sink in the process!! :D (can't help it, sometimes the devil just takes control of my fingers)

[Host Jazzbeau]

As long as they don't strike a floating log and sink in the process!! :D (can't help it, sometimes the devil just takes control of my fingers)

 

We're on the road back to NY, so maybe my brain is stunad? I don't get it.

[dolllover]

Tauck is very pricey so I'm not surprised they would be considered one of the best.

[caviargal]

There are a zillion threads on this forum comparing lines and the best place to start is with the sticky that compares river cruise lines to ocean cruise lines and hotel chains. IMO, it is well written and has good info.

 

What is "best" for one is not for all and many of us have our favorites.

 

If you equate luxury and start to end inclusions with "best" than Tauck, Scenic and very likely the new Crystal would be a good fit.

 

Like anything, the devil is in the details.

 

For us, AMA is currently the best as it fits our tastes and travel style best. We also really enjoyed Uniworld and would cruise with them again. We will know what we thing about Scenic next month.

[4774Papa]

Hi,

I realize it's a tough question, but in general, I'm wondering which River cruise line is considered the best, cream of the crop, in GENERAL!

 

Tauck?

Viking?

Avalon?

AMA?

others I've not listed?

 

how would you rate them?

 

For instance I would put Crystal at the top of most 'regular cruise line' lists; with others as a close second, that doesn't mean they are necessarily the best, but they just have earned that reputation.

 

Is there a similar ranking for River Cruise lines? I know very little about River Cruising.

 

thanks!

 

We have cruised on AMA and it was great. I only know the others by reputation and from others that have cruised them.

 

We prefer Vantage, since they provide a quality product for a nice savings. If money is no object, Tauck seems to be quite good.

Viking is good, but I don't think it is the best value for the dollar.

[Alberta Quilter]

You'll get lots of opinions here. I can't offer an opinion as I've only sailed one river cruise line. I won't say that my cruise line is best, because I have nothing to compare it to, but it worked beautifully for us.

 

Do lots of research here and on your own. For our last trip, to France, I knew where we wanted to go, that we wanted pre and post tours in specific locations, and at a price that we were willing to pay. I set up a spreadsheet that listed the cruise line, dates, length of trip including pre/post time, cost (for the same cabin category, and any other information that was of value to me. Being all inclusive was not as important as we don't drink a lot and are fine with included beer/wine served with meals only. I priced out the cruise lines most recommended here and whittled it down to two based on cost alone. What decided it between the two was that one ended in Barcelona and the other ended in Nice (for the post cruise extension). For us, we wanted Nice, so that's how we ended up with Viking.

 

So, while one says Tauck and another AMA or Viking, just do your own research and ensure you are comparing items of importance to you. What is important to some is not important to others. Know of extra charges. Some include all shorex, some, like Viking, have optional excursions at a cost. Some include gratuities, some do not. And, even take a look at the decor of the ships. I took a dislike to another one just because of the decor! I can't believe I did that (well, it was beyond my budget, too) but the decor is so over the top that there was no way I could stand being on a ship for two weeks with that decor!

 

Good Luck with the research!

Edited March 3, 2016 by Alberta Quilter

[bubbulz]

We chose Uniworld after lots of research on this board and others, and were so pleased with our first cruise we came home and immediately booked another with them. Although we still have several more on our wish list with Uniworld, I wouldn't hesitate to consider AMA, Tauck, Scenic, Crystal and a couple of others based on the particular itinerary we were interested in down the road. Even on a particular line, not all boats are equal in terms of age, condition, decor, and facilities.

 

All of that said, the only line I would not consider would be Viking. I've heard too many horror stories and seen too many of my friends disappointed.

[cool cruiser 14107]

wow; thanks!

these are all great answers so far!

 

I tried searching for the 'comparison threads' someone mentioned, but I haven't use this site much, and I couldn't find it.....where would those be?

 

thanks!

[Cyber Kat]

Do lots of research here and on your own. For our last trip, to France, I knew where we wanted to go, that we wanted pre and post tours in specific locations, and at a price that we were willing to pay. I set up a spreadsheet that listed the cruise line, dates, length of trip including pre/post time, cost (for the same cabin category, and any other information that was of value to me.

 

LOL - I thought I was the only one who did things like this on a spreadsheet! Nice to have company in that area!

 

We chose Viking because on the Rhine River cruise they stop at Kinderdijk and we wanted that. I also liked the decor of their ships - and I think I know which one you didn't like, because there was one I rejected for the exact same reason!

 

Everyone has different reasons for selecting their line - at least for the first one. Who knows, maybe we'll do another on Avalon, Vantage or AMA.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Cyber Kat

[Redtravel]

I like Viking best. My recent trip was perfect. Everything was handled well. Great ship, good cruise director, and great food. Included excursions were excellent. I didn't experience any problems on Viking cruise. I also enjoyed the extension in Paris. The St. James Albany Hotel was very good. AMA has beautiful ships and can be very good. I enjoyed AMA most of the time. However, the included tours were not always good. The extension hotel L'Meridien Etoile in Paris is a dump. Tauck can be wonderful or not. When everything goes as planned, it is superb. If any problem happens, Tauck is not helpful. We lost our luggage on a flight booked by Tauck. That was on a Friday. Their 24/7 emergency number only works during business hours. Needless to say, we won't be using them again. When reading the reviews, read carefully.

[Ozjohnno]

Tauck is very pricey so I'm not surprised they would be considered one of the best.

 

There is quite a deal of myth in this statement. If you take some time and a spreadsheet you'll find that Tauck is not always the most expensive. In fact for their 2016 sailings many of them were not as expensive as either Scenic or Uniworld. IMO they are very competitive in price and superior in what they offer and Yes! that is a biased opinion.

[bitob]

There is a website that rates riverboats and it has the best information I have seen. They rate Tauck as best but state that Crystal may set a new standard.

 

I don't think I can mention the website. Sorry

[Damaris1900]

There is quite a deal of myth in this statement. If you take some time and a spreadsheet you'll find that Tauck is not always the most expensive. In fact for their 2016 sailings many of them were not as expensive as either Scenic or Uniworld. IMO they are very competitive in price and superior in what they offer and Yes! that is a biased opinion.

 

Denise, the advice to do your own research is really key. Our upcoming river cruise isn't until September, but when we were doing research ( and creating our spreadsheets)we found minuscule differences in pricing between AMA, Tauck and Uniworld when we factored in the things that were important to us and to the friends we will be traveling with. While we are expecting to have a wonderful time on our Rhine cruise with Tauck, we wouldn't hesitate to travel in the future with AMA or Uniworld, depending on the itinerary. The bottom line here, I think, is that they all offer a quality product.

[cool cruiser 14107]

Hi,

"bitob" mentioned there's a site that rates riverboats; I don't think that's against any rules to post that is there? please post if it's ok! thanks:confused:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

There is quite a deal of myth in this statement. If you take some time and a spreadsheet you'll find that Tauck is not always the most expensive. In fact for their 2016 sailings many of them were not as expensive as either Scenic or Uniworld. IMO they are very competitive in price and superior in what they offer and Yes! that is a biased opinion.

 

That was our experience when we priced our upcoming AMS-BUD itinerary. Tauck was competitive with Uniworld and AMA.

[waverly]

just google your question and you will get a big list of answers. I am not allowed to list here all the rating sites you will find.

[bitob]

There is a website that rates riverboats and it has the best information I have seen. They rate Tauck as best but state that Crystal may set a new standard.

 

I don't think I can mention the website. Sorry

 

 

It has a connection to a travel agency although the reviews are not related to sales. Cannot mention for that reason. Google and you will probably find

[zoncom]

Just do an online search for this . CN does extensive reader review issue yearly. Even shows artist rendition of Cryst.al

[JPH814]

wow; thanks!

these are all great answers so far!

 

I tried searching for the 'comparison threads' someone mentioned, but I haven't use this site much, and I couldn't find it.....where would those be?

 

thanks!

 

check out this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2320682

[Got2Cruise]

Host Jazz's sticky on top explains it nicely by comparing the various lines to hotel brands. Cruise critic reviews are also very helpful. Of course focus on the whys a poster liked or disliked something.

[JVilleGal]

The only one that should not be on the same playing field in the OP's question is Viking!

[dolllover]

The only one that should not be on the same playing field in the OP's question is Viking!

 

We know you dislike Viking. You mention it often LOL. I booked my first river cruise with Viking because several of my friends cruise this line and are very happy with them.

[JVilleGal]

We know you dislike Viking. You mention it often LOL. I booked my first river cruise with Viking because several of my friends cruise this line and are very happy with them.

 

Great that it works for you however comparing Howard Johnson to the Four Seasons is what the OP was attempting to do.

 

I've been on a Viking Longboat, they are beautiful. They looked very lonely last Fall as they sat stuck and the other companies cruised past right into the Port in of Budapest! Then of course there were all those poor Elbe River cruisers that boarded their boats never knowing the ship could not sail and had not sailed for weeks.

That of course is just my opinion based on what I saw personally and what was posted on this very forum (and Facebook) last summer & fall.

 

A company who can't tell their guests the truth does not deserve YOUR loyalty, glad you have been lucky as have many others I'm sure. The true test of Excellence is how customers are treated when things go wrong and that seems to be my one and only issue with Viking!