KathyK13

We have done 3 Avalon cruises and used the same online TA.  She gave us a 15% discount off the price of the cruise (in addition to Avalon discounts), so for us it was well worth it.  Not sure if you can get the same discount on a Viking cruise.

On 8/25/2019 at 7:27 PM, superchel said:

Actually, I am the poster and YES we were sitting on the boat, non stop until they finally took us to Nurembeg.  See my second post.   The part of Roth they tied us too was an industrial waste dump.  The trip to Nuremburg did take two hours.  But thank you for making assumptions on something you know nothing about.  It is well known, (see the other posts here) that Tor was tied there for several days before our swap, and didn't move until our last day...and only then by backing down the canal.  What else would you like to discuss?  I only asked why the other boats we were encountering did true swaps while we were tied there, not moving...

Just to clarify...did Viking provide any excursions during the three days you were moored in Roth?    How many days were you able to actually 'cruise'?

20 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

Thanks for all the above replies.

 

So it is possible to order 2 main entrees on Viking?

Assuming there'll be no real food (we can't eat cakes nor cookies) between 9pm - 6 am?

 

Sorry to ask since we're in the process of booking our next Europe river cruise for later in the year for a group of very active health conscious athletic types in their mid 40's to late 50's cruisers.  Some are Very fussy eaters who won't eat bread & desserts, nor cakes & cookies.  They love the high-end ocean cruises, but wanted to try out the river cruising experience.  Some like Viking from their ads, but were concerned about no fitness center onboard, no bikes, & no late night food.  

So maybe Viking is not the right river cruising line for them?

 

I would add Avalon to the list of lines that cater to active cruisers.  They offer active Rhine and Danube cruises that include things like kayaking, hiking, etc.  Although it wasn't marketed as an 'active' cruise, Avalon had an activities director (i think that was what he was called) on our recent Moselle and Rhine cruise.  Every morning he led a yoga or cardio class in the lounge and most days there was an active excursion option like a vineyard hike or bicycle ride.  Avalon does have an 'evening snack' which we only had once; usually we are too full from dinner.   We found the food to be excellent with healthy options available at each meal.

On 5/21/2019 at 12:08 PM, notamermaid said:

Hello KathyK13,

I like that itinerary, if it is the Avalon waterways one! Although I think going South from Koblenz to Basel is a bit more scenic IMO. The Moselle is lovely, I am sure you will enjoy it. Will you be coming from Paris with the company or independently? I always think that it is a pity the Lorraine area of the Moselle is not given more attention. But a bit of news to follow in the thread on the Moselle.

 

notamermaid

 

Hi Notamermaid,  

Yes, we are taking the Avalon Canals, Vineyards, and Castles cruise.  This will be our third Avalon cruise.  Pre-cruise we will be spending a few days with friends who live in Munich, then visiting Berlin with them.  We leave them in Berlin and take a train to Trier where we have rented an apartment for 2 days before the cruise.  We won't have much time to visit the region, we mostly plan to see the sights in Trier, do laundry, and relax!  The weather looks cool and rainy but we will pack accordingly and plan to have and awesome vacation..

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

It has been an unpleasant day so far in the Middle Rhine valley. Rain and mild storms with me and on the weather maps. The rain is supposed to ease tomorrow but it will not be dry with more rain forecast after a hopefully dry Thursday.

 

The river: Hauenstein on the High Rhine (upstream from Basel) is on flooding status, so are three tributaries coming from the East in the Upper Rhine valley. The Ill running through Colmar and Strasbourg has risen much. West of the Ill the Vosges mountains stop the clouds thereby forcing the rain down into the valley. Fortunately this means that no rain is coming from the mountains themselves or via the Moselle.

 

Maxau gauge has risen to 630cm. This means it is over flood mark one and traffic slows down. The graph is showing a further rise. A river closure is still not anticipated but the level could get close. Tomorrow will tell us more.

 

notamermaid

 

Thank you Notamermaid for keeping us up to date with the Rhine water levels.  We are doing a Moselle and Rhine cruise from Remich to Amsterdam starting on June 6.  The weather forecast shows many days with showers; hope there are enough dry days to keep the river from flooding!

Thanks, Fuelscience, for this extensive review.  We are taking our third Avalon cruise in June, Canals Vineyards and Castles.  We love the Avalon product but they have become more expensive since they switched to the Panorama suites.  We have friends that are interested in doing a river cruise with us but Avalon is out of their price range.  I think the only thing we would miss is the tours as we have enjoyed the tours we've done on Avalon. But I suppose we could arrange for our own port tours.  Does Teeming let one know the port times in advance so that private tours may be arranged?  Looking forward to your Nicko review!

Brita makes water bottles with filters.  It would be easier to take one or two of these instead of a pitcher.  Just Google 'Brita travel water filter' and you'll see lots of options.

We put our laundry out for pickup in the morning and it was washed, ironed, and back in our room before dinner.

On 3/12/2019 at 4:09 PM, FuelScience said:

If you're adventurous, you might also consider a flight from Berlin to Frankfurt and a train from there to Remich. I did a quick check, and you can fly from Berlin to Frankfurt for less than $100. Then you can take a train from there to Nennig Perl via the Bahn (FRA to Trier, Trier to Nennig) for 20-26 Euro. According to google maps, the Nennig train station is just across the river from Remich (1.1 km).

I thought of that but my DH hates the hassles of flying and would rather spend more time on a train than deal with security, luggage, long lines, etc at the airport.  So we have decided to take the train to Trier; we can get there in around 7 hours.  I found a  great AirB&B apartment in Trier close to the center that has the added bonus of a washer and dryer, which will come in handy since we will have over a week's worth of dirty clothes by then!  We can spend some time seeing the sights in Trier but also just enjoying some down time between our visit to Munich and Berlin and the start of our river cruise.  Thanks to all who made suggestions!

1 hour ago, Karie12 said:

A 110V curling iron doesn't have three prongs.

I'm sorry to learn this. I'm considering a river cruise for 2020, but this could be a deal breaker. I don't want to look like a scarecrow. 😞

Avalon allows them as long as they meet requirements. For our first Avalon cruise, I bought a dual voltage hair straightener (found on AZ) and a 2 prong plug and it worked fine.  I have since used the straightener along with the plug in hotels in Europe and I plan to use it on our upcoming Avalon cruise in June.  I did a search of the documents I have received from Avalon as well as the FAQ on their website and found the following information on curling irons, etc.

Electricity: Onboard electricity is 220v. Wall sockets take a European 2-prong plug. To use any small personal appliance such as an electric razor, curling iron, or electric plug-in type alarm clock, you will need an adapter to plug in to the wall sockets for dual voltage appliances and a converter as well as an adapter for appliances that are not dual voltage. Converters must be EU certified. Cheap, non-certified converters may damage your appliance and are a fire hazard on the ship. Bathroom sockets are solely for razors (and/or battery chargers for digital cameras, mobile phones); the use of hairdryers, curling irons, etc., is only permitted in the stateroom bedroom. For specific details on voltage requirements on land for each of the countries you are visiting, please refer to the “Know Before You Go” section.

JPAlbany and Notamermaid,

Thanks so much for your suggestions!  I'm going to sit down with a map and look at some of the places you've suggested.  Since my original post our German friends suggested that we all stay an extra night in Berlin and do a day trip to either Dresden or Potsdam.  We agreed and now have one less free day before our cruise begins in Remich.  We had originally planned to drive to Trier but stopping somewhere along the way for one night.  Looked at making the trip by train but it takes longer.  Now with less time we might pick somewhere in between Berlin and Trier to stay for 3 nights before making our way to Remich.  Lots to consider1

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

That was a record, but 8-10% is normal.  That's why I don't understand the posts about not wanting to use a TA...

We received a 12% TA discount on our Avalon cruise, and it was deducted from the invoice.  We don't usually use TAs as we prefer to make our own plans, but the discount made using our TA a no-brainer.

Taking Avalon's Canals, Rivers, and Castles in June.  This will be our third Avalon cruise, very excited!

On 3/8/2019 at 9:02 AM, FuelScience said:

Headed for the Netherlands in just over two weeks for 9 nights with Teeming (Amsterdam to Amsterdam), followed by a six-hour train ride to Saarbrücken for 7 nights on the Saar, Moselle, Rhine, Neckar rivers with German line Nicko.

I'm looking forward to your review of these cruise lines.  The itineraries are interesting and seem to be more budget conscious than other cruise lines.  

On 2/19/2019 at 9:57 AM, notamermaid said:

Things are quite on the Moselle, we have no flooding and a warm spell, pushing the temperatures up to figures that are unusual for February. But this is likely to change and flooding can happen in March or even later.

 

If you have not had of looking at Trier yet, here is a little video to enjoy (or whet your appetite if you have not been yet): https://www.dw.com/en/trier-from-above/av-44042799

 

notamermaid

 

We are taking Avalon's Canals, Vineyards, and Castles cruise from Remich on the Moselle to Amsterdam in June.  Pre-cruise we will be in Berlin with friends, then have 4 days free before boarding the ship.  We plan to rent a car and drive to Trier, possibly stopping somewhere overnight along the way.  We are thinking of staying in Trier for 2 or 3 nights and touring the region.  Is there enough to see in Trier or within an hour or so drive? Or would there be more to see in the Heidelberg area?  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

4 hours ago, gnome12 said:

The only hassle of course is driving across the border! I’ve driven that route often (I live in Toronto and my sister in Fairport) and sometimes it is really terrible. 

We live in Pittsford, right next to Fairport!  Yes, the border crossing can be a hassle.  We  were lucky on our last trip, breezed right through with no traffic.  We usually leave home in the morning and drive to Niagara on the Lake for lunch and a stroll before heading to the airport. Much more pleasant than making connecting flights from Rochester or Buffalo. Of course we wouldn't attempt driving to Toronto in the winter!

1 hour ago, FuelScience said:

That's a great cruise. If you're interested, the link below will take you to the dailies from our Paris to Amsterdam cruise back in 2016. This cruise had a slight diversion from the normal itinerary. We had to leave Bernkastel early due to a wine festival, so we had an afternoon in Zell. 

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0nz16ahW1fiNWxTRklRY0pTVU0

Thanks, FuelScience!

I remember reading your review of the cruise; it's one reason we decided to take it.  Thanks for posting the dailies, they will help us plan for the trip.  We are not doing the Paris portion of the trip as we will be traveling in Germany before the cruise.  This is our third cruise with Avalon, the first time on a Panorama ship. Very excited! 

On 2/18/2019 at 4:08 PM, Kenster said:

Most tour companies block bulks of seats on plane but no seats are assigned.  Basically, if the company books 40 seats, the 40 seats they end up with are what are left over from the "retail" passengers.  Also, it's unlikely that you'll get the award miles for seats at super discounted prices.  IF, you can get your confirmation number far enough in advance, you MIGHT be able to change your seat.  BUT with the coming of the "Basic Economy" fares, seats at that price aren't assigned until boarding time anyway.   It might be possible to pay a a premium to be able to reserve a seat.  Talk to your travel agent or Avalon.   Then decide if it's worth it to save several thousand dollars by sitting in a middle seat for a twelve hour flight.

We are taking Avalon's Canals, Vineyards, and Castles in June and have booked our own flights out of Toronto.  We live in western NY and with the favorable exchange rate, we were able to get premium economy seats on direct flights for $500 less than it would cost us to fly out of Rochester in basic economy.  It's worth it for us to have the peace of mind knowing we will be comfortable for the 8 hour flights  rather than take a chance on having Avalon assign us flights.  Looking forward to our cruise!

I suggest you do some searches on this forum about Russian river cruises.  It's on my bucket list, so I've read several reviews As Coral has stated, the Viking ships dock far from the Moscow and St. Petersburg centers.  I've seen complaints about the time spent sitting in traffic.  There are some cruise lines that include hotel stays in both cities, making it easier to tour without long bus rides.  Vantage Travel has a 2 week tour that starts and ends with hotels.  There may be other lines that do the same.

On 1/30/2019 at 8:20 AM, notamermaid said:

It is snowing in the Rhine valley and the perfect winter day to get comfy on the sofa with a hot chocolate, watching telly or in the old-fashioned way listening to stories about elves, fairies and treasures. Here is Deutsche Welle's high five of lost treasures around the world. Close to home for me is of course the story of the treasure of the Nibelungen that was dropped by Hagen into the Rhine. Some of the legend is based around the city of Worms and while most of it is really just a legend some people belief that there is some truth in possibly, potentially, perhaps, hopefully there being a gold treasure somewhere in the Rhine that could be found.

 

https://www.dw.com/en/high-five-the-mysteries-behind-famous-lost-treasures/a-47176455

 

notamermaid

 

Interesting stories!  Thanks for sharing.

There are many factors to consider when comparing cruise lines; as others have mentioned, reading the stickies can help you decide what is important to you.  There are many posts about both lines in this forum which might also help you decide.  We have done 2 Avalon cruises, none on Viking.  I can't give you a comparison, but I can tell you how we made our choice.

When we were looking at river cruise lines prior to our first river cruise we narrowed down our choices to Viking and Avalon. and ended up choosing Avalon for several reasons.   The  French balcony room on the Avalon Luminary was 172 square feet while the Viking rooms were only 135 square feet.  Having never been on any kind of cruise, we were concerned that the Viking room would be too small.  Also, Viking ships carried 190 passengers while Avalon only carried 130.  On one of our cruises, we were in sync with a Viking ship and encountered their tour groups on several excursions.  Their groups were about twice the size of our group.  I also liked our tour guides better. That might not always be the case but it was our experience.  We also got a better price for the Avalon cruise and didn't have to pay so far in advance.  We loved everything about our Avalon cruises and are looking forward to our next cruise in June on the Moselle and Rhine.

Of course things that were important to us may not matter to you.  We have several friends who cruised with Viking and had nothing but good things to say.  I wouldn't rule out a Viking cruise if an itinerary was offered that was not available on another line.  The sticking point for me right now is their US policy requiring payment a year in advance.

Whichever line you choose,  I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Interesting!  Please let us know how well you liked the information provided by the app.  We are doing Avalon's Canals, Vineyards, and Castles in June and would be interested in information on the Moselle.

On 12/23/2018 at 6:35 PM, suspaul said:

 

Weve always enjoyed Viking, having done 9 river cruises and 3 ocean cruises with them so far, we do have #10 river cruise April 2019.  That said we will not be traveling with them in the future, no way will we pay in full for travel 18 months away and pay in full now.  Too many other lines to choose from.  

 We made a $500 down payment in November for an Avalon cruise June 2019.  Final payment is due 90 days before start of the cruise. I can't imagine giving them the full price 18 months in advance.  I don't think any other cruise company requires the final payment that far in advance.  I wonder if Viking is trying to recoup some of the money they likely lost due to the low river levels this fall.

6 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

 

I hope AMA learned from that when they designed AmaMagna. 

I've been wondering how the AmaMagna would fare  in low water conditions on the Danube...

9 hours ago, FuelScience said:

I recently submitted a claim with Trip Mate. They weren't extremely fast, but they did pay in full. I actually preferred contact by email since I had records of all the "conversations."

I remember your post about your Trip Mate claim.  I was pleased that Avalon uses Trip Mate based on your review.  We decided to arrange our own trip insurance mainly because we are doing pre and post travel and it would be easier to have only one policy.  BTW, we just put a down payment on Avalon's Canals Vineyards and Castles for June 2019.  I think I read that you took this cruise and enjoyed it!