First River Cruise - Two Basic Questions

[Tedferg]

We are planning a river cruise in 2019 and feel Prague then Danube down to Budapest is best choice.

 

1. Believe September is a better time to go 'water level wise'

 

2. Believe we need to book a year or more in advance.

 

Would you agree with these points?

[acwmom]

No. With some lines, this timing may be best, for others the best discounts come later. We tend to go early season, and haven't had water level issues (Late March to early May) we usually book 6-7 mo in advance

 

Robin

 

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[seawob]

I posted earlier on the Danube water levels topic about a cruise I took early in September 2017. When we boarded we were told the water level would probably be too low and if so, we would be switching boats. It rained (and not a whole lot) after we started the cruise, and the water level became too high so, guess what - we had to switch boats.

[Tedferg]

Thanks for the input I thought with smaller vessels that they would fill up quickly.

[Lois R]

Good morning,:) if you want to book a year in advance that is fine....Robin was not saying "Don't" but she was giving her timeline.... River Cruises probably do book up more quickly than ocean liners but that doesn't mean you must book 12 months or more ahead of time.

 

I am looking at a River cruise for the spring and haven't booked anything yet. When I get back from upcoming

cruise (leaving for Venice next Saturday:D) I will do some more hard research on my spring cruise.

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for the input I thought with smaller vessels that they would fill up quickly.

 

 

 

Smaller vessels do fill up quickly. If you have your heart set on a certain sailing that is “in season” booking early does give incentives. If you choose to cruise early or late in the season these might be unpopular times and then later incentives are added to fill the ship. You should research what exactly you want to see, and if the venue will be open.

[gnome12]

Also generally the suites and the cheapest cabins fill up first.

 

 

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[acwmom]

Correct, I was saying you don't "have to." I know from experience that Uniworld's best prices come in October/November, 5-6 months before sailing. Since we travel early in the season, availability isn't an issue. We have also still been able to find flights easily, using miles. OTOH, my TA has told me Ama's best prices are when they first release them.

 

Lois, have a great cruise! Which like are you sailing, and what's your itinerary?

 

Robin

 

 

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[Tedferg]

Thanks again for clarifications. We cruise with another couple and they have a conflict Aug/Sep 2019 and so I was thinking 2020 might be a better option for our first river cruise. Looks like we still have some flexibility for 2019.

 

Have not done a lot of research but thinking AMA is a good choice.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks again for clarifications. We cruise with another couple and they have a conflict Aug/Sep 2019 and so I was thinking 2020 might be a better option for our first river cruise. Looks like we still have some flexibility for 2019.

 

Have not done a lot of research but thinking AMA is a good choice.

 

AMA is an excellent choice for your plans, especially because their ships handle low water better than most and their itineraries for this part of the Danube start in Vilshofen (which is past the lowest point).

[Tedferg]

Thanks Jazbeau - any thought on May versus Sept ?

[Lois R]

Correct, I was saying you don't "have to." I know from experience that Uniworld's best prices come in October/November, 5-6 months before sailing. Since we travel early in the season, availability isn't an issue. We have also still been able to find flights easily, using miles. OTOH, my TA has told me Ama's best prices are when they first release them.

 

Lois, have a great cruise! Which like are you sailing, and what's your itinerary?

 

Robin

 

 

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Hi Robin, I am sailing out of Venice with stops in

Dubrovnik

Malta

Chinque Terre

Sorrento

Siracusa

Trapani

Rome

Cruise ends in Nice, France

[DaKa2002]

We are very choosy about our cabin type and location, so we tend to book when a river cruise is first announced (same with ocean cruises). Our TA will go to bat for us if there is a major price reduction later before final payment; sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.

 

Pricing in our experience seems often to be a 'crap shoot.'

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks Jazbeau - any thought on May versus Sept ?

 

Nothing specific to this itinerary – maybe notamermaid can chime in on typical water levels [but that has varied year to year]. Both are good from the 'school's in session' aspect. One difference is that in May all the flora is greening up while in September it is harvest time – each nice in its own way. [Except when I went to Provence in September and missed the fields of lavender in bloom as shown in every marketing brochure :loudcry:]

[Lois R]

Hi Robin, I am sailing out of Venice with stops in

Dubrovnik

Malta

Chinque Terre

Sorrento

Siracusa

Trapani

Rome

Cruise ends in Nice, France

 

Robin....I am sailing on Silversea...…..forgot to answer you.

[texasstar]

We have been on two AmaWaterways cruises and loved them. On both cruises when I tried to book them a year out, they were booked, so I had to go on a later date. It worked out fine on the Danube (early June), but on the Rhone cruise (early Oct.) the weather was less than desirable. I would book them as soon as you know for sure that you want to go. They do have early bird discounts also.

[notamermaid]

Hello Tedferg,

 

 

others have already mentioned to you that you do not need to book a year in advance, but can. From what I have read it really does depend on where you want to go (you have chosen already), with which cruise company (you have not specified or chosen yet) and when (you have posted us your preferences).

 

 

If the cruise you are looking at with AmaWaterways (hostjazzbeau has mentioned this) and you are leaving from Vilshofen to go downstream you should be fine in a low water level situation hopefully as downstream from there the level is controlled by locks. This does not mean you cannot encounter it but it is less likely.

 

 

Hostjazzbeau, I read the water level question yesterday and immediately thought "this is a tough one to answer". Flooding as regards the logic of the river goes does not normally happen in September as snow melt is long over, it does not rain much and the heat from Summer keeps the level low. But recent years have been so unpredictable that I need to say that prolonged rain can get you in a sticky situation even in September now, but low water is more likely. In May low water is rare, flooding more likely but does not happen every year and might only last a day or two.

 

 

 

A good idea is to look at the smaller ships of 110m, they have an advantage due to their lower draft. But all the companies and their ships have a plan B for any river level situation. When you have chosen, do not worry, just be aware of the possibility.

 

 

One note on payment policies: do compare what the companies offer as time frames for final payment. It might influence your decision.

 

 

 

Have fun planning.

 

 

notamermaid

[Tedferg]

Once again I am very grateful for the information on CC Boards - Thank You

[Otis]

Do not underestimate the opportunity to book very close to departure date....we booked an AMA cruise with friends

and were able to get suites three weeks before we left. There are frequently last minute cancellations for various reasons, along with cancellations when final payment is due. It was a lot of fun to do this on the fly.

[Hoyaheel]

Do not underestimate the opportunity to book very close to departure date....we booked an AMA cruise with friends

and were able to get suites three weeks before we left. There are frequently last minute cancellations for various reasons, along with cancellations when final payment is due. It was a lot of fun to do this on the fly.

 

The downside is that last minute airfare can be quite expensive. But if a cruise company is trying to fill cabins by reducing prices, they might also offer decent airfare options (we always book our own airfare, but my in-laws have taken advantage of some very nice last-minute pricing on Uniworld that came with air for a good value.....)

 

If you know what you want/have a particular ship/itinerary/cabin - it's best to book early. If you're flexible, you might be able to scoop up a good bargain. We are & have been both - just depends on what we're doing;p We booked our Christmas markets river cruise 18-20 months in advance (much less supply for those cruises, and we knew we needed 3 cabins, so....) But I also keep my eye out for last minute options (thankfully my work is pretty flexible in terms of leave). It's been 4 years since our river cruise and though I originally said I didn't want to do it again (I'm a diy-er and think river cruises are priced high because so many things are included - but I don't necessarily want the things that are included so they're not always a good value to me) But anyway, I want to get my husband to Budapest & Prague because I love those cities, and a river cruise might be an easy way to get him to agree....We'll see.....I still think they're priced too high:*

[Denny01]

For the OP: Agree with the comment about issues with booking Euro river cruises close to sail date due to getting decent flights. Unless the Line offers a great deal, you could be stuck with expensive tickets and there is No Way of knowing about Line flight discounts for late bookings. Those that do that a lot can chime in, but my experience is getting discount flights required much earlier bookings, or the Line offered great deals, but well prior to the cruise. Also, do try to stay in Prague at least a few days prior to the tour. We did 4 days prior on our own and joined the cruise, and had a grand time in a fantastic city that has great costs for hotels in the Old Town area that are much cheaper than ‘normal’ departure cities.

 

For Lois - sounds like a great cruise! We loved Malta. If you haven’t been there, I’d strongly suggest going to the Hypogeum, which is an underground prehsitoric site. Unbeleverable. It only allows 10 people per hr, so you’ll need a private tour well ahead of port call time. Malta is the type of port with a Ton of things to do and see.

 

Den

[Lois R]

For the OP: Agree with the comment about issues with booking Euro river cruises close to sail date due to getting decent flights. Unless the Line offers a great deal, you could be stuck with expensive tickets and there is No Way of knowing about Line flight discounts for late bookings. Those that do that a lot can chime in, but my experience is getting discount flights required much earlier bookings, or the Line offered great deals, but well prior to the cruise. Also, do try to stay in Prague at least a few days prior to the tour. We did 4 days prior on our own and joined the cruise, and had a grand time in a fantastic city that has great costs for hotels in the Old Town area that are much cheaper than ‘normal’ departure cities.

 

For Lois - sounds like a great cruise! We loved Malta. If you haven’t been there, I’d strongly suggest going to the Hypogeum, which is an underground prehsitoric site. Unbeleverable. It only allows 10 people per hr, so you’ll need a private tour well ahead of port call time. Malta is the type of port with a Ton of things to do and see.

 

Den

 

Hi Denny:)…..I am going to 3 different sets of Gardens in Malta. It is a tour with the cruise line and sounds lovely.