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The Rhine cruise on Viking has one castle tour, to Marksburg, which is a restored castle. I was there in September, and so I don't know anything about Oktoberfest.

I took one about ten years ago, from New Orleans up to Vicksburg and back again.. It was on the American Queen, but then the boat was run by the Majestic Line, which has since gone out of business. On the whole, it was very similar to a European river cruise. The boat was bigger. There were more places to hang out. The entertainment was better. I enjoyed the ports of call.

There were a fair number of old people onboard. River cruises do draw an older crowd. The boat had an elevator and accessibility features, which may have made it more attractive.

Let me know if I can answer any specific questions.

If you dine on the Aquavit Terrace, it generally takes a lot less time than it does in the dining room. That was one of the reasons we chose to do that.

Look in the gift area near the main desk. You could get a sweater, mini-binoculars, and the like.

From our own experience and everything I've read is that river cruise ships go 8-10 knots/hr. No way 15-20mph!

Perhaps I exaggerate. Even so, if you're standing in an 8-10 mile wind, you will know it.

The cruise boats travel at 15-20 mph. It's going to be windy on the sun deck, just from that.

--Dav

Excursions vary, but, yes, they are more likely to be in the morning, assuming the boat is docked. Sometimes there is another one in the afternoon. There was an optional evening concert excursion in Vienna, unless I'm getting things mixed up.

Tips: Linz is a great place to visit. If you aren't interested in Sound of Music stuff, I'd skip that excursion and just stay in Linz. If you are interested in military history, hop the Vienna subway to their military museum. When we were there, they had a special exhibit featuring Archduke Ferdinand's car, but I don't know if that's still going on.

If you plan to visit the ruins of the castle in Durnstein (where Richard Lionheart was imprisoned), don't dawdle in the town. It's a long climb to the top of the hill.

--Dav

As others have said, no one will prevent you from staying onboard, but you could probably find a more interesting place to hang out.

Viking's river boats have a buffet lunch in the lounge as well as the sit-down lunch in the dining room. We always found it better to go to the lounge. It doesn't take as long, and it isn't as filling. I do it meat, but there is always a salad, fruit, bread, etc. in the buffet.

Here are a couple of photos from the Delta Works.

--Dav

We will also go into the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp and the Church of Our Lady in Bruges. I can't tell if we will visit any other attractions or just"see" them from the outside. Can you remember if you went inside any other attractions that were on your guided walk? Did you go inside anything by the Delta Works or just view them from the boat?

 

May I also ask what cities/towns (besides Amsterdam and Brussels) you felt you really could have used more time on your own to properly see?

Keep in mind that this was ten years ago.

Yes, the walking tour did go into the cathedral in Bruges, although it didn't stay long. You get to see one of the few Michelangelo statues outside of Italy. And, yes, you go inside the Delta Works.

Bruges and Antwerp deserve more time. We spent two days in each in 2015 (on our own), and we could have spent more. Bruges is a good starting point for a tour of the World War I sites in Flanders--take a look at Quasimodo Tours.. We haven't been to Ghent, but every time we see pictures we regret skipping it.

--Dav

I dont see the link

Hmm. Oh, I see--the attachment was too big. Try this link:

http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?233@@.ee6d255/703!enclosure=.1ddc89cf

--Dav

If you look near the end of the attached report, you'll see some comments about Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Hilton (which is where Viking put us in our post-cruise extension).

There is a cocktail party. It's not on the first day, as that's usually pretty hectic. I don't remember any security or bouncers. :)

You used to get a pin, but they seem to have stopped that. I was hoping to get enough to cover my shoulder bag. I put one on my white fisherman's cap. It sometimes gets me mistaken for a navy veteran or a grizzled old sailor. I am a bit on the grizzled side.

I took the cruise ten years ago, and so my information is probably out of date. Some highlights included Palais Het Loo, the Kinderdijk, and the Delta Works. Bruges is a beautiful place, but the visit was too short--we spent three days there on our own in 2015. When we stopped in Arnheim, we took a bus on our own to visit the museum on Operation Market Garden.

I've uploaded a feedback document that I sent Viking, back then. It has comments on specific excursions.

--Dav

Tulips and Windmills Cruise Feedback.doc

The literature tells you what you're getting when you book cruise extensions, either before or after the cruise. I wouldn't call it crafty. Personally, I enjoy the opportunity to dine in local restaurants. Extension days are often the best part of the trip.

--Dav

Most airlines let you present your boarding pass on the screen of your phone or tablet. You don't have to print it on paper.

A point to consider about checking in ahead of time is that once you do that, you're committed. If you miss the flight, it's your fault.

We are also trying to decide between Viking and Emererald. Do either of them have evening entertainment of any sort?

Viking ships have a guy who plays a synthesizer-enhanced piano in the lounge in the evenings. There will usually be a couple of evening performances by local musicians during the cruise. There are some informational lectures or slideshows. River cruises don't have the kind of shows that ocean cruises do. --Dav

I'm glad you got what you wanted. Personally, I don't find these incentives to be very important. I will take onboard credit and small discounts when offered, but $200 more or less is not going to make a difference when I decide what cruise to book.

I haven't traveled on Emerald, but I just did the Viking Rhine cruise in September. I can comment on that side of it.

The previous post's description of Viking's cruise is about right. I didn't see the need for more time in Rudesheim--there isn't that much there. We had time for the cable car ride and dinner.

Here is a link to a long narrative I wrote about our Rhine trip: http://talk.consimworld.com/WebX?233@@.ee6d255/703!enclosure=.1ddc89cf

1. The Terrace is a very nice option. We had all of our meals there.

2. Can't say about Emerald. I am 62. We fit in well on Viking.

3. Viking has coffee and some little snacks available all day.

4. You can bring on your own wine. You can order wine (extra cost) in the lounge at just about any time.

5. I don't remember the sun deck ever being closed on this trip.

6. I like river cruises exactly because it isn't the big ship experience. That may not be the best thing to tell your husband.

--Dav

There is usually a day or two when the ship is cruising through the particularly scenic parts that they arrange for it be in the daytime.

There are a some that do Mississippi River cruises. There are also cruises on the Columbia, the Great Lakes, and ocean cruises in New England and the southeast.

I pretty much agree with everyone else. 1. You have to look at the tours and compare them with your interests. On our recent Rhine cruise (7 days), we opted for two, and we were pleased with them. We also decided to opt out on some included tours, as we found more interesting things to do. 2. While you can charge your Viking tips to your account, if you want to tip particular people, you should tip them directly. You will also want to have some cash to tip the tour guides and bus drivers. 3. We don't drink much either--during meals and maybe a beer once in a while (not every day). We found the house wines acceptable. $600 sounds like a lot of credit. I don't think you would spend that much, although you might want to do the math for how much the tips for the staff would add up to. --Dav

My experience is similar to the two previous responses, in four Viking cruises. Tipping is mentioned in the literature. It is mentioned as part of the disembarkation briefing near the end of the cruise. I don't recall it being urged upon us at other times.