Which river cruise Iines should I consider now?

[SuiteTraveler]

I considered Crystal and Uniworld direct competitors, but, now that Crystal is gone are there others as well or others which are better than these two lines?  Looking for:  All inclusive (except perhaps a shore excursion or two), gourmet food and wine that is from the region in which the ship is traveling, elegant staterooms and public rooms (style doesn't matter to me as long as they are newish and well furnished) and good service.  What river lines should I consider now?

[Gourmet Gal]

Tauck and Uniworld are definitely in the same league at the top of the heap.  Tauck is a tour company known for their excellent excursions and logistics and they’ve taken that expertise to the rivers.  Service is excellent on both lines.  In my experience food on Tauck is superior to Uniworld but neither is what I would call gourmet.  They both serve wines of the region but Tauck does a slightly better job.  Onboard entertainment is also superior on Tauck and I prefer their more modern decor to Uniworld’s British tea room or French parlour style. I just completed Tauck’s Douro cruise and their new ship Andorinha is the most beautiful river ship I’ve ever seen.

 

You may also consider Scenic and Ama. They might be close to the same level of luxury as Uniworld and Tauck but others will have to chime in because I’ve never sailed with either.

[beesKate]

I just finished a Uniworld cruise and although they still provide a great product, I would not recommend them as being top of the line.  Perhaps the eastern europe itinerary made a difference, but our tour groups were huge (25-30 people), I don't think the menu options were as extensive or superior as on previous cruises.  If the (mostly) all-inclusive alcohol is important, they are a great value, but I don't think they can really consider themselves all-inclusive (although they still proudly advertise that).  I'm still gathering my thoughts on a review and post.  I suggest looking at AMA Waterways.  I think they were able to ride out the Covid downturn better where I think it was evident Uniworld was cutting corners on some of their offerings.  

[Gourmet Gal]

Just a thought but I wonder if staffing shortages are still a problem, especially tour guides.  That could explain the large groups we’ve all experienced lately.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We didn’t experience any apparent staffing shortages on Scenic on the Seine in May, and they are a truly all inclusive line. 

[Gourmet Gal]

I’m talking about the size of excursion groups which is a reflection of the number of local tour guides available.  The excursion groups were quite large on the two cruises I just finished.  There are some staffing shortages on ships still.  On SS, no manicurist so my pedi was cancelled.  Of course he or she could have had Covid, too.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I was referring to the size of the tour groups on Scenic – small groups, lots of room on the coaches.  Because Scenic offers so many choices of excursions in each port (all 'free,' unlike Uniworld) none of the groups get too big, and if one is really popular they break it up into smaller groups.  There was no sign in May that staffing shortages were affecting this policy.

[Canal archive]

Scenic try for faster paced, medium paced and slow as I’m a bit oh a photographer I always choose the slower paced tour.

[Gourmet Gal]

I see.  Just for reference, Tauck offers choices, too and when groups are subdivided one can choose which pace.  I would be interested to try Scenic but we think we’ve cruised all the rivers we’re interested in.

[Wings55]

@SuiteTraveler I have always been interested in Tauck but have yet to book one of their offerings. We have sailed with Ama, Scenic and Uniworld In my opinion Scenic is the winner when it comes to excursions, wine and being truly, 'all inclusive'. Uniworld is a great option, but they do charge for some excursions, and they don't have the 'extras' offered by Scenic. We liked our AMA cruises too but I didn't think they were offered a true luxury experience. Good luck with your search and I hope you find the perfect cruise line for your tastes and expectations

Paul

[Gourmet Gal]

I believe Tauck is all-inclusive as well.   There are no additional charges.  If you book a suite you receive a $100 credit but I’ve never used it.  If you book within a certain timeframe you will also receive a pre or post hotel night.  

[Host Jazzbeau]

Scenic and Tauck are the only river cruise lines that I consider to be truly 'all-inclusive.'  I haven't sailed with Tauck because their offerings never lined up with my itinerary/time needs.  I really love Scenic's 10-day itineraries, which IMHO put all other (7-day) itineraries in the shade.

[Gourmet Gal]

I prefer longer cruises, too.  Scenic is not the only line to offer longer cruises.  Tauck and Uniworld offer them as well.

[Canal archive]

Our first river cruise was for 8 days we disembarked at Nuremberg and left all of our new found Aussie friends on board. My husband decided that day to never to take a short cruise again, and we haven’t!

[SuiteTraveler]

On 10/18/2022 at 9:14 PM, Gourmet Gal said:

Tauck and Uniworld are definitely in the same league at the top of the heap.  Tauck is a tour company known for their excellent excursions and logistics and they’ve taken that expertise to the rivers.  Service is excellent on both lines.  In my experience food on Tauck is superior to Uniworld but neither is what I would call gourmet.  They both serve wines of the region but Tauck does a slightly better job.  Onboard entertainment is also superior on Tauck and I prefer their more modern decor to Uniworld’s British tea room or French parlour style. I just completed Tauck’s Douro cruise and their new ship Andorinha is the most beautiful river ship I’ve ever seen.

 

You may also consider Scenic and Ama. They might be close to the same level of luxury as Uniworld and Tauck but others will have to chime in because I’ve never sailed with either.

Thank you for this great suggestion!  I will definitely look into Tauck - not just for river but land as well!

[SuiteTraveler]

On 10/19/2022 at 6:20 AM, beesKate said:

I just finished a Uniworld cruise and although they still provide a great product, I would not recommend them as being top of the line.  Perhaps the eastern europe itinerary made a difference, but our tour groups were huge (25-30 people), I don't think the menu options were as extensive or superior as on previous cruises.  If the (mostly) all-inclusive alcohol is important, they are a great value, but I don't think they can really consider themselves all-inclusive (although they still proudly advertise that).  I'm still gathering my thoughts on a review and post.  I suggest looking at AMA Waterways.  I think they were able to ride out the Covid downturn better where I think it was evident Uniworld was cutting corners on some of their offerings.  

Thank you for suggesting AMA Waterways.  I'll definitely check them out!

 

[SuiteTraveler]

On 10/19/2022 at 1:59 PM, Canal archive said:

Scenic try for faster paced, medium paced and slow as I’m a bit oh a photographer I always choose the slower paced tour.

My husband's hobby is photography.  This might be especially good for him.

[SuiteTraveler]

On 10/21/2022 at 10:26 AM, Wings55 said:

@SuiteTraveler I have always been interested in Tauck but have yet to book one of their offerings. We have sailed with Ama, Scenic and Uniworld In my opinion Scenic is the winner when it comes to excursions, wine and being truly, 'all inclusive'. Uniworld is a great option, but they do charge for some excursions, and they don't have the 'extras' offered by Scenic. We liked our AMA cruises too but I didn't think they were offered a true luxury experience. Good luck with your search and I hope you find the perfect cruise line for your tastes and expectations

Paul

Paul, 

Thank you for your opinion on these, it is helpful!  I see you are from McKinney - we are in Frisco!

 

[Wings55]

45 minutes ago, SuiteTraveler said:

Paul, 

Thank you for your opinion on these, it is helpful!  I see you are from McKinney - we are in Frisco!

 

Well, hello neighbor!! I hope you're enjoying the rain today. 🌧️

Do keep us posted on what you decide for your river cruise. While I have my favorites, we have enjoyed every river cruise we've taken. 

Paul

[SuiteTraveler]

1 hour ago, Wings55 said:

Well, hello neighbor!! I hope you're enjoying the rain today. 🌧️

Do keep us posted on what you decide for your river cruise. While I have my favorites, we have enjoyed every river cruise we've taken. 

Paul

We have a yard full of Halloween animatronics, so not too sure how it will go with the rain. If we had known, we would have put tarps on everything.  At least it was all unplugged.  We have loved our river cruises, though!  River cruising is awesome!

 

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by SuiteTraveler

[CruiserFromMaine]

We’ve were very happy with our AMA cruise in the Before Times. We have a long cruise booked with them next spring. It’s not all-inclusive; tips are extra and while beer and wine are included at dinner and lunch, cocktails are not. Shore excursions were vary good and they took great care of us from airport to airport. Meals were very good to excellent. Cabins were small but well-load out. Some cabins are bigger than others. 

[TriMomma]

I have just disembarked from my first river cruise on the Emerald Harmony, Mekong Delta.   I have done a lot of ocean cruising.   I was nervous because I was led to believe that Emerald was the 'lower' version of Scenic.   My worries were unnecessary.   Ship was beautiful.  Service was top notch and the food and wine were fantastic.  I was very, very impressed.   We were docked next to a Uniworld ship at one point and didn't think it looked as nice, yet had always heard they were one of the best.   If other Emerald ships are as nice as the Harmony I would totally recommend them.