Europe river cruises, are all created equal?

Looking to book Rhine River cruise for the first time. Definitely, want ALL INCLUSIVE (including alcohol ). All the cruse brochures seem to state the same benefits. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with one company vs another?

Good morning,

Not all cruise lines are created equal. If you haven't already, please read the 'sticky' above...new to river cruising. Then find a travel agent with river cruise experience and pick their minds. Then start searching through the many threads started here on CC. Then have a drink because you will either have a clearer picture of the direction to go or you will be totally confused. 😊

I have only travelled with one river cruise company, Uniworld, on numerous itineraries and have not wanted to try any others. Why mess with something really good? It is an all inclusive...beverages, gratuities, tours, etc. Yes, there is an occasional extra tour that has an additional charge, but usually these are for a limited number of spaces, so they cannot extend it to all on board to include it as part of their regular tours.

Good luck,

RB

Welcome to Cruise Critic, Sally, I seen this is your first post. This is an especially helpful forum.

In answer to your basic question, no, river cruise lines aren't all equal, even though they may do many of the same itineraries.

I echo what Ritabob just posted. I've cruised twice on Uniworld and have a 3rd booked for this fall. An all round class operation.

Roz

I have done 20+ river cruises on 4 continents with a number of companies (Viking, Uniworld, Vantage, Grand Circle, Douro Azul, etc and most non-European cruises on companies very few people have heard of). I enjoyed them all. Food ranged from very good to excellent, with the priceier lines generally better. Same for service. Re alcohol keep in mind that days are filled with sightseeing (no "river days") and due to the full days the majority of people are in their cabins by 10pm. Drinks on-board are not as over-priced as on most ocean ships, All in all bar bills on non-inclusives are pretty reasonable, but it's your cruise and your selection criteria. ENJOY

Many of the river cruise lines include wine and beer with lunch and dinner, but that is it for the inclusive alcohol. Anything else will have a charge. Other lines include all alcohol. If you read in detail about the various lines you can determine which is which. I have done just one river line, Crystal, and it is truly all inclusive. The food is also of the highest quality. You do, however, pay for it with the basic fare.

Hi Sally,

As stated above: not all river cruise lines are created equal. We've taken 2 river cruises with a 3rd booked for this July, all with Uniworld. Top notch all inclusive all the way from start to finish (except for a rare extra tour as Roz pointed out). Our last trip we left the ship without owing a cent. (Well, except for some jewelry that my husband bought me for my b'day a few weeks later). Whatever line you choose to go with, enjoy your research, planning & eventual trip!:D

Also pay attention to the number of passengers on each line's ships. Most new river ships have the same outside dimensions (135m long, to fit the locks), but the passenger count ranges from as few as 130 to as many as 190. Cabin sizes are affected, and so are public spaces – some river ships don't have enough seats in the lounge for everybody [that's important for the daily meeting about upcoming tours etc].

Finally, I will echo the thought that all-inclusive alcohol isn't as big a deal on river ships because you have so little opportunity to use it. And some all-inclusive alcohol lines wipe out that savings by charging extra for certain tours – those two charges could easily balance each other out on Uniworld and AMA. Gratuities are the other big item that may or may not be included: for that, just add in the charge as you compare costs.

This is my two peneth worth, I have only sailed with Scenic our seventh coming up and as another contributor said why change a good product. Scenic is truly all inclusive. From the alcohol, even filling your cabin mini bar with your preference and refilling as required to all excursions with choices, laundry, several different eateries and room service not forgetting your butler. Enjoy your cruise with whoever you choose but be warned it is addictive. CA

Looking to book Rhine River cruise for the first time. Definitely, want ALL INCLUSIVE (including alcohol ). All the cruse brochures seem to state the same benefits. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with one company vs another?

They are similar but not exactly the same. Even if the itineraries are similar, the included tours might not be the same. Some lines offer basic tours while other lines add extras. Also when you say all inclusive, not all include the tips. Also some lines offer free or discount airline promotions. If you use your trusty calculator you can compare accurately. There really isn’t a bad cruise line but some are more luxurious than others and the cost reflects that.

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We've taken three cruises with Uniworld and have just booked two more for next year. All have been wonderful and one great thing they do is keep their tour groups small. When compared with other companies, Uniworld's groups are smaller. Uniworld's service is excellent start to finish.

Like much of life you get what you pay for, but not entirely. River cruises are not cheap but for many they are value for money in terms of convenience and service. On most lines you get that lines same food, same tours, same service (some exceptions) no matter what cabin you book. ALWAYS consider the TOTAL cost - I really enjoy the convenience of not being expected to tip tip each tour bus driver a few Euros when all I have is 20, but if the “suggested” big tips to the crew and Director or cocktails or whatever are not included I just figure that into my pre-trip cost analysis and don’t consider that a big deal. Entirely possible to get a smaller cabin on a luxury line at a comparable price to a larger cabin on a mainstream line. A year ago an experienced ocean cruiser but first time river cruiser moaned on this board for weeks - they had gotten a suite on a mainstream line and had no room service, fixed dinner hour, etc etc. There are many people on this board who can help with the pros and cons of various lines, but only you can decide how you spend your money.

UniWorld which has gotten several votes on this thread gets consistently high marks, but is known for almost over the top fussy decor that varies from boat to boat. Almost at the other extreme is Viking’s Scandinavian minimalist decor. Me, I am a lot more concerned with passenger loads and food, but we each have our important issues. ENJOY!

Thom

I've done one river cruise, with Croisieurope, which would be considered a moderate level line. Definitely not luxury. That said, a small selection of beer and wine was free all day, not just with meals. We went thru quite a few while cruising thru the Rhine gorge watching all 37 castles go by one day. There was extra cost for other wines or hard liquor. The service was impeccable by a young and friendly crew, there were only 76 people on board, the food ranged from good to great.

Moral of the story, do your research and decide what's important to you.

Looking to book Rhine River cruise for the first time. Definitely, want ALL INCLUSIVE (including alcohol ). All the cruse brochures seem to state the same benefits. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with one company vs another?

Others have already chimed in with lots of great advice but I'll add my comments too. Before we took our first river cruise I spent lots of time comparing an assortment of cruise lines from basic to upscale. We decided the added features were well worth the cost so we booked with Scenic. We couldn't have been more pleased. Once on board we didn't spend any money other than for souvenirs when we were off the ship. The staff, the food, the service, the decor.., all were perfect for us.

The following year we sailed with Uniworld because we found a great 'last minute' offer. We were not excited about the decor on their ships and it wasn't quite as all inclusive as Scenic but it was still a marvlous experience and we would return to them again.

Do your homework, figure out what's important to you and book what fits your style. It seems that everyone raves about their river cruise experience as long as they have chosen a line that matches their expectation. Have fun!

Paul

Looking to book Rhine River cruise for the first time. Definitely, want ALL INCLUSIVE (including alcohol ). All the cruse brochures seem to state the same benefits. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with one company vs another?

Mustang Sally. Google Scenic River Cruises. They are by far the best river cruise company you will find.

EVERYTHING is included. Spirits and wines including in your cabin, not just beer and wine at dinner , shore excursions extrordinare, gratuities, fabulous food, butler service and entertainment. This is 6 Star river cruising.

Their ships are beautiful. Staff are amazing. We have done 2 trips with them and are going on the inaugural voyage this fall on their new ship, the Eclipse. These people who book Viking or Uniworld or others are" clearly missing the boat" so to speak. You will LOVE Scenic.

Another vote for Uniworld, having sailed with them four times now. Their Savoir beds are the most comfortable I have ever slept in, and we are always ready to plan our next cruise before we even leave the ship. We have found their prices to be lowest for same season in the spring, and for the following season in the fall.

I don't feel like I've missed the boat at all:D

Robin

Mustang Sally. Google Scenic River Cruises. They are by far the best river cruise company you will find.

EVERYTHING is included. Spirits and wines including in your cabin, not just beer and wine at dinner , shore excursions extrordinare, gratuities, fabulous food, butler service and entertainment. This is 6 Star river cruising.

Their ships are beautiful. Staff are amazing. We have done 2 trips with them and are going on the inaugural voyage this fall on their new ship, the Eclipse. These people who book Viking or Uniworld or others are" clearly missing the boat" so to speak. You will LOVE Scenic.

As someone who has cruised 2x with Uniworld w/ a 3rd booked for this July I echo acwmom & do not believe I have "missed the boat" AT ALL.

As someone who has cruised 2x with Uniworld w/ a 3rd booked for this July I echo acwmom & do not believe I have "missed the boat" AT ALL.

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people on these boards who think there is a “best” cruise line, or a “best”itinerary, or the “best” food, service, excursions, beverages, etc,etc,etc.

The good news is that we have choices.

Apparently the bad news for many is that we have choices.

I read these threads for ideas, not the “right”answers.

Great taste! Less filling! [emoji41][emoji6].

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We just booked our second Scenic cruise. We didn’t compare companies this time since we are confident that Scenic will provide a great experience.

When we were shopping for our first cruise I did a lot of research. We wanted a balcony. When I compared balcony suites and added prices for the non-included items on other lines, Scenic was actually the best value.

In the end, when we got off the ship we owed $20 for laundry.

I did note one hidden advantage of the all-inclusive cruise. You should take this with a grain of salt since my sample size is so small. We were usually rafted to one or two other ships while in port. I noticed that there were very few people in the lounges of the non inclusive ships where people had to pay for cocktails. On our Scenic ship there was much more activity and socializing. I attributed that difference to the free booze on Scenic.

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Mustang Sally. Google Scenic River Cruises. They are by far the best river cruise company you will find.

EVERYTHING is included. Spirits and wines including in your cabin, not just beer and wine at dinner , shore excursions extrordinare, gratuities, fabulous food, butler service and entertainment. This is 6 Star river cruising.

Their ships are beautiful. Staff are amazing. We have done 2 trips with them and are going on the inaugural voyage this fall on their new ship, the Eclipse. These people who book Viking or Uniworld or others are" clearly missing the boat" so to speak. You will LOVE Scenic.

On my Uniworld cruises, all alcohol was included, unless you wanted some high-end beverages. Gratuities also included, and the food was excellent. What are shore excursions extrordinare? How do they different from regular excursions? Do all cabins on Scenic get butler service?

I'm sure Scenic is an excellent line, but you seem to think that they are the only one with inclusions. That's just not the case.

Roz

If you look at River Cruise Adviser on their chart admitadly not showing all cruise lines Crystal comes closest to Scenic but they do not include a service guarantee.

All cabins types have butler service on Scenic although the level varies depending on your cabin type. We chose Scenic the first time because all port charges, all excursions, all gratuities were included and now a bag of laundry. Our cabin this year includes two items pressed every day. We also, because we have traveled with Scenic a few times automatically get extended transport from home to airport.

We who travel with Scenic completely understand that Scenic is not the only company with inclusions but what we do appreciate the Scenic product. CA

Important elements when considering a river cruise

- all inclusive (alcohol all day and all night long?)

- is a proper balcony required

- importance of evening entertainment

- size of room (all river boat rooms are smaller than than ocean ships for the same category of rooms)

- availability of room service to all passengers

- alternative dinning venues

There have been many votes for Uniworld here. The one element of Uniworld that puts me off is the evening entertainment. Their entertainment host is usually european and for someone used to American/English quality entertainment, I found the evening events really poor. Many passengers go to bed after dinner for a full day's touring and this may not be important to them. This is also where your all-inclusive preference kicks in as well as the evening entertainment will take place where the bar is. Do you want decent evening piano bar-style entertainment while you enjoy for favourite tipple all night long. I love my single malt whiskies.

Crystal, which I love, does not have proper balconies. This is a deal breaker to many passengers. Various boats offer "french balconies" where you can open the floor to ceiling doors but you just have metal railings so you are always within your room area.

Alternatively dinning venues on a river boat. Most river boats have one restaurant for lunch/dinner and that is it. Some river boats now offer alternatively dinning venues which I think is great adds to the experience. You have a choice.

I never cease to be amazed by the number of people on these boards who think there is a “best” cruise line, or a “best”itinerary, or the “best” food, service, excursions, beverages, etc,etc,etc.

The good news is that we have choices.

Apparently the bad news for many is that we have choices.

I read these threads for ideas, not the “right”answers.

Great taste! Less filling! [emoji41][emoji6].

 

 

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What I have noticed is that many river cruisers tend to be a loyal bunch. That leads me to believe that most offer a very good experience, and often your first experience becomes your line of choice (Yeah, Viking!).

Differences are subtle: fancier decor/more clean lined, include everything/include most things, slightly more active/ somewhat less demanding, a bit older on average/ a bit younger. For you, it will depend on how important any of those small degrees of difference will be to you.

Only rarely have I seen people dislike river cruising altogether, usually because they do not recognize the significant difference between river and ocean cruising. Sometimes, people will have a problem with a particular cruise line, and often that is a result of a problem linked to one of the hazards of river cruising: interruptions due to high water/ low water on the river.

I think river cruising is a great way to travel. Do your research, pick a cruise, and enjoy!

Looking to book Rhine River cruise for the first time. Definitely, want ALL INCLUSIVE (including alcohol ). All the cruse brochures seem to state the same benefits. Has anyone had good/bad experiences with one company vs another?

We just booked the Rhine...Looked at AMA, Uniworld, Viking, Scenic, and Crystal.....# are all inclusive, with Viking and AMA NOT....WE went with Crystal...best value for the $$....We have done Viking on the Danube and loved it, but we wanted all inclusive this time:D:D. You can't beat the Crystal brand.....Crystal had the newest ship, and for the same size as the others...less passengers. We booked a petite suite on the top deck....ENJOY!!