Christmas Market River Cruise - Rhine or Danube?

[TopChop]

My wife and I have cruised approximately 4 times (Princess and Disney), but have never been on a river cruise. We want to do the Christmas Market Cruise and have narrowed it down to Viking, AMA and Uniworld. The question now is going on the Rhine River (Amsterdam-Switzerland) or the Danube (Prague - Budapest). We will want to stay and extra day or two at the start and finish - and for that reason the Amsterdam-Lucerne-Zurich cruise from AMA seems to be the way to go. But AMA charges a lot for the pre-post stays (when compared to cruise cost), so I am not sure whether to make our own pre-post hotel plans. Need advice on both the best tour (Rhine or Danube) and pre-post plans.

[LHT28]

I would ask on the river cruise forum

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/

[wheezedr]

I agree you should research this on the river cruise forum.  As to your second question, there is no reason to use the cruise lines pre and post packages.  I always look at them and invariably end up booking on my own.  Usually I not only get a better price package but often a better hotel and /or location.  Having recently stayed  in both Amsterdam and Budapest at the opposite ends of a Viking cruise I can guarantee you that I payed considerably less than Viking wanted for hotels of equal or better quality at decidedly better locations.

[TopChop]

25 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

I would ask on the river cruise forum

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/

Thanks  - I am new to Cruise Critic and will repost on that forum.

[Roz]

I book my river cruises thru my TA who works for a full service travel agency.  She puts together my pre-cruise stay at a fraction of what Uniworld charges.  

 

Roz