gregdude

I don't think it is possible to do a real spreadsheet because of all the variables.

By the way I would add Tauck to your list. Perhaps the best would be the total cost divided by the number of days and then compare what is and is not included. We are doing a Tauck "Blue Danube" cruise next year and compared it to Vicking. Tauck includes two nights in Prague and two nights in Bufapesst with tours, dinners and all transfers. When I added the extra days to the Viking cruise price and then added their optional days in the two cities the price was very close, but Tauck included all gratuities, ALL Drinks, and all excursions. In the end Tauick was a better deal for us.

 

The big problem with comparing is that all the lines on the Danube are different lengths and different itineraries. Good luck with your search, but I would find a line that best meets your type of travel expectations and goes to the places you want to see.

It has all been said, but we were on a Tauck cruise last May and they handled high water very well. Viking had their boats docked for several days in one port and bused every day. Viking also seems to have a lot of low water problems because of the deeper draft of their boats. Check the boards, there are numerous reports on water level and companies. Certainly never pay for a cruise more than 90 days out unless you have great insurance or don't mind them having your money to invest rather than you. One more issue, don't be fooled by some low fares, they usually are not very inclusive.

We did the Rhine cruise last May and never needed binoculars. The river is fairly narrow so nothing was far away. A few excursions were high up (Heidleburg Castle, Mt. Pilatus) but again binoculars would have made the excursions more painful!

You may also want to check out Tauck, "Blue Danube" cruise. Truck did very well during high and low water level situations plus Tauck is all inclusive and their cruise includes two nights in Pague and two nights in Budapest. We have booked this trip for next spring after having a fabulous Rhine River cruise last May.

Agree completely with previous posts. We did a Tauck Rhine River cruise last year and have not booked their "Blue Danube" cruise for 2017. If you add all the extras that tauck includes you will find the pricing the same or better. I did a comparison with viking for our Danube cruise and found that they were the same or better when you added two nights in Prague and two nights in Budapest and Tauck included excursions and fancy meals in both cities. We enjoy arriving a day eary and leaving a day late on our tours and have found Tauck very willing to make airport pickups and drop offs at no additional cost.

 

Our experience with Tauck has been that once you are off the plane you get a white glove experience. Having no additional costs once on the boat was a marvelous and very liberating experience!

 

Hope this helps!

The best answer to your question is be prepared. We were on a Tauck trip down the Rhine leaving from Basel last may. It had rained for ten days before our arrival so the water level in the Rhine was very high. None of the river boats could reach Basel because they could not use the locks between Basel and Strasbourg. We stayed at the same hotel that you are using and it was a Tauck pre-cruise hotel. On the day of departure Tauck arranged buses so that we could join the boat across the river from Strasbourg (about 30 miles up stream). We never missed a step once we met the boat, all excursions were completed, even those to Lake Lucerne, south of Basel (just required a longer bus ride). Bottom line, no one can tell you in advance where the boat will be, but the cruise line will give you the best information the morning of your departure. Have a great cruise, we loved every minute of our Rhine trip and have now booked the Danube!

No one has mentioned Tauck river cruises? We took a Rhine cruise with Tauck last year and found their product to be exceptional. Some people think Tauck is expensive, but in planning for a Danube cruise in 2017 I discovered that the Tauck price (12 days Prague to Budapest) all inclusive cost the same as Viking. Viking only offers the river portion of the trip. If you want two nights in Prague and two nights in Budapest you pay extra (a lot extra) and these additions do NOT include tours, special dinners, or city walks. By the time you add these extra days to Viking you have reached the Tauck price and still need to add tips, tranfers, all inclusive drinks, and all tours (a variety to pick from at each stop).

 

The other issue that we found interesting had to do with passenger count. Viking ships carry 180 passengers while the Tauck ships max out at 130 for the same size vessel. We also noticed on shore excursions that Viking land tour groups had 40 or more passengers with one guide while our Tauck excursions were never more than 20 passengers per tour group.

 

Bottom line is, as many others have said, do your homework and make absolutely sure you are comparing every aspect of the product. It's really nice, for example, to be sitting on the sun deck at 2:00 PM and order a cold beer or mixed drink without wondering what the cost will be. Not having to wonder and plan for tips on and off the ship is not only a time saver, but it totally takes this concern off the table (I loved it). It is also nice to know that if high or low water becomes an issue what the history of the company you select has done in the past (often overlooked, but on river cruises a real life concern).

 

As for independent travelers, we found that (with Tauck) you could go and do as you like. In Salzburg France, Tauck planned a morning tour of the city and an afternoon tour in Baden-Baden Germany. Three couples decided they wanted to stay in Salzburg for the afternoon instead of returning to the ship. Tauck arranged for a separate bus to pick us up in the afternoon and return us to the ship which had moved twenty five miles up the river. In Heidelberg one couple wanted to stay in town and catch up with the ship sixty miles down river at our overnight stop. The tour guide provided them with train information so that they could meet us without issue. These are the kinds of things that some companies will allow and assist with.

 

Happy cruising!

We just returned from a Tauck Rhine River cruise, Basel to Amsterdam. We added at day at both ends and were very glad we did. Basel is a great city to see and easy to get around and Amsterdam has so much to offer. Tauck has a new Rhine cruise next year that includes several days in Switzerland prior to boarding the ship in Basel! I wish they had offered this cruise this year, it's a fantastic itinerary and Tauck is FULLY all-inclusive. Just because their price seems high it is not when you add all the perks that Viking just does not offer.

My wife and I just returned from a Tauck, Rhine River cruise and I doubt it can be beat. The all inclusive nature of their river cruises made the trip effortless and completely satisfying. The level of service that Tauck provides from airport pick ups and returns (even if you go early and stay late) is a fantastic perk at no extra cost. The attention to detail at every level of the cruise was amazing and while wine and food are individual tastes, we found both to be very very good. If you don't like the white and red wine offerings just ask for a wine menu and select something different. A bloody mary on the sun deck at 11:00 AM, no problem just ask the drinks waiter and up it comes (at no charge). This is the way to travel.

 

The two things I would caution you about are the age of the guests and the lack of entertainment. We are in the upper 60 range and felt at home although many were older. Most nights the entertainment consisted of one, two, or three instrumentalists, but that was fine for us. After a very busy day of touring towns, walking, and watching the river go by we were almost always in the cabin by 11. Even though we had an LED TV in the cabin we never turned it on!

 

Planning is half the fun of traveling, good luck with your future trip!

Tauck's newest ships have a category 3, lowest deck cabin, at 225 square feet with a window that is two decks high and opens remotely at the top. They are called loft cabins and look very interesting, check them out.

I'm not sure that the move from a category 3 Loft stateroom to a category 5 stateroom is worth the $900.00 per person up charge just so you can see the river from your bed? After all the loft stateroom gives you the double high window and private seating in the loft. The $1,600 savings has gone a long way toward covering our airfare. The prices above are for our Rhine River cruise next month.

Don't count Tauck out because they may seem expensive. They include everything, tips, all drinks 24 hours a day, all excursions ( no up-selling at all), all transfers from airports trains and hotels even if you arrive and depart days before and after the cruise. Their customer service is outstanding and their reputation for providing an outstanding product speaks for itself. Tauck's new ships are equal in size to all the others, but the max passenger load is 130 compared to Viking(same size ship) with 180.

Looke for "Inspire" not Inspiration!

I'm on board as well and have been very pleased with everything so far. Arrived at port T 11:15 and was on board by 11:30. My luggage was outside my cabin by 1:00 when the rooms were ready. Only issue was my 6:00 performance of MaMa Mis was canceled due to an ill cast member. They added a performance later in the cruise and I was automatically booked for it. My problem was that I had reserved dinner at "Chic" for 9:00 weeks ago. As hard as I tried I could not change the reservation on line. At 7:00i decided to go down and see if I could be seated. There was no line and I was immediately seated at a table for two. The food was very good, much better than previous RCI cruises of the past. There were many open tables, so I concluded they try to stager folks. Great ship great cruise so far, and very friendly staff. (Ps if you use Verizon E-mail forget about it! Their system will not, can not, communicate with Verizon. I had to use my G-Mail account to send and get e-mail at sea). If you don't have G-Mail or Yahoo mail, get it before you leave home.

Actually, if you read about the January 23 cruise, you will see that Quantum did sail passed the Statue of Liberty. Instead of tuning down the river and departing, she turned up river all the way passed the statue and then did a 360 turn before departing down river. My guess is that there may have been a traffic issue going through the narrows and so needed more time before arriving at the bridge.

Now try having dinner at a free restaurant at 8PM with out reservations and ask for a large table and see what happens.

 

The Grande is a free restaurant! What are you talking about?

I live about 15 miles from Birmingham, so for goodness sake don't let Fox News know about the Black Country

 

FOX News is a total joke on this side of the Atlantic as well (for those with a brain in their head). The twenty four hour news stations should be called news creators. Most of the time they makeup the news not report it.

I guess it's a promotional tool really, they've bragged up the super fast internet but most won't experience it, but by giving it free, people might talk about the ship while onboard/upload photos etc

 

Yes, I think that is precisely why we are seeing so many positive posts from people on the last and current cruises. People are posting reviews and many photos that were simply not possible before Quantum. I am with you Ollie, only your own experience really matters when it comes to a cruise line or a ship. Given that over 4,000 people have cruised on Quantum each cruise and that Quantum has only completed approximately ten cruises, the number of negative reviews seems extremely small.

 

Here is to a great experience on 2/2!

As there are so many threads about what is and what isn't included in Drinks Package someone suggested a "dot chart" which shows you what is in what, so I've made one, might save a few threads!

 

 

PDF Version for Printing: http://olivercaveney.co.uk/RCI_Drinks.pdf

 

Great job! Great chart, makes everything very clear something RCI really does not want to do!

Interesting, I have cruised on a variety of ships and cruise lines. Often I cruise alone, but even when I am with my wife I prefer "open dinning" a different table and different people every night. Sitting with the same people can be a drag, but sitting with six of eight new people every night allows for a much broader social experience. I am sailing on 2/2 and am looking forward to a new experience each night. How it all works remains to be seen, but the most recent reviews seem to indicate Quantum of the Seas is maturing!

I wonder if the next new RCI ship will feature "Non-Dynamic Dinning"! Perhaps they just need to remove the reservation system for dinning from their web site and force everyone to wait until they board.

That could be a problem for those wanting to book because she is being moved to China this spring. We get "Anthem of the Seas" at Cape Liberty in the fall!

I agree with cool cruiser, but panic set in when I looked at dinning times and found very few options on some days. I am also booked on the 2/2 cruise and just had to do a lot of homework to get reservations for each night. Some meals are much latter than I would normally select, but with luck they may be changed once aboard. I wonder if part of the problem is the website? Trying to make dinner reservations takes a little time and a lot of jumping around to accomplish. I actually enjoyed the challenge, but I could see that some folks might not appreciate the time and energy required.

Have you checked the United fares with economy plus? We are doing a Tauck tour Basal to Amsterdam flying out of Newark in May. I found the fares considerably less expensive by going through the airline than then through Tauck. We have seats already reserved in economy plus in both directions and decided to fly through Munich to Basal because we wanted more time between connections. Of course you will be going in the other direction!

Go a day early, just to catch your breath before boarding. We are doing Basel to Amsterdam next May and going a day early. Tauck will pick us up at the airport, take us to the hotel, and then the following day take us to the boat. All of this even though we are booking the hotel in our own but are using the hotel that Tauck uses.