Amsterdam to Basel Questions

[knoxclone]

On 5/16/2023 at 10:25 PM, kiapghff said:

Host and Wings, I appreciate all the info you are spewing, I am sincerely taking it all in. Another question I have is Im doing this as a retirement gift/trip. I will be 50 but my wife will be 40 when we go. Will we (more her) feel out of place with older passengers? Based on your vast info, of the 4 cruise lines you just posted, is there a better line for the younger crowd? I can mingle with anyone, I dont want my wife to feel out of place.

I went on my first river cruise ( in fact my first cruise, period!) when I was in my late 40s on Viking.  Loved it and we have continued to river cruise - on several  lines.  I have never felt out of place - and we were definitely one of the younger guests on board. As multiple people have commented, the excursions are as active or relaxed as you choose. I do believe that the time of year and the length of the trip definitely impact the demographics of the pax. 

[CastleCritic]

Im 49 in a few weeks, my mother is 75.  We've done multiple cruises on Amawaterways going back to 2019 , Neither of us felt out of place.  On AMAwaterways ships the average age is usually 55-60 it seems, it really depends on ship (AMAmagna this month was a few years younger) and itinerary.   Sometimes you will have 90something on the ship, sometimes a few college age, it just depends.  The cruise line doesnt really have anything age catering, though I think their advertised higher activity levels (including biking) probably draws in a few younger passengers than some lines.

Edited May 20, 2023 by CastleCritic

[thepla]

We're doing this cruise in couple of weeks on A-Rosa. This is second A-Rosa and we loved last one. I travel with my son who is 14. He is free in lowest category. We got a free upgrade to next category and no charge for either of us.  We've done half dozen ocean cruises and we both like river better.

 

We are also doing an AMA in Asia in 2024.

[franski]

We have done Amsterdam to Basel twice - once with Uniworld, and once with Emerald.  The cruise with Uniworld was a Christmas market cruise, and it snowed so hard on the day we sailed through "castle corridor" that we couldn't even see the shore.  So - the next time, we went in September - and it was perfect.  Although, the Uniworld cruise was great - just not great for seeing the scenery.

 

As far as choosing which line to cruise with, there are more similarities than differences IMHO.  Things such as food, and quality of excursions are quite subjective. And something that can (and does) affect the overall experience is the cruise director.  The BEST cruise director we have ever had (and, we have completed 17 river cruises - with most of the major lines) was on our Tulip Time cruise with Scenic.  And the worst?  Also with Scenic. Food?  Believe it or not - the food that was the most memorable was in  Russia (with Uniworld).  Although, the deep fried insects on the buffet on the Mekong were memorable as well.... 🙂 Our 1st cruise with Uniworld on the Seine was wonderful from a food perspective. 

 

I think a spread sheet is a good way to start.  Look for things that you really want to see - and note which companies include them.  Look to see if they offer options for the tours. In Normandy (on our 2nd Seine cruise), my DH went to the beaches for a 2nd visit while I went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Our 2nd Seine cruise was with Avalon - and we enjoyed the fact that there were choices for the excursions, so it was a different cruise - even though it was on a river we had already sailed. 

 

Look at cabins as well.  We almost always book Aquarium Class - as we are happy with a smaller window and saving money for the next trip.  If you do decide to go with Viking, look carefully at their cabin sizes.  Their French Balcony cabins are actually smaller that Aquarium class...  they move the corridor to allow for the "proper" balcony - with makes the French Balcony rooms smaller.

 

Good Luck - and enjoy your planning!!

 

Fran.