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2019 Basel to Amsterdam - which Line?


Denny01
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Hello all. We are mainly ocean cruisers and are looking at taking the Basel - Amsterdam 7-8day cruise in 2019, probably in August. We plan to tour on our own in Czech Rep for 3 or 4 days, then tour Munich area for a few days and train to Basel.

We’ve done one Euro river cruise on Viking (Prague to Paris - loved it), and will have a Crystal Ocean cruise prior. We have done over 30 ocean cruises and 22 on Celebrity, to give you a quick background and what we like for cruising and which Lines. We’ve never been on a bad cruise ship, but do enjoy the low key Celebrity approach.

 

So my question: Looking at Crystal, Viking or UniWorld. Pricing of course.is a factor but can you give me a feel of what are the postiives. I’m just not familiar with most river cruise LInes except one Viking cruise (and one on the defunct Cruise West Line). We don’t do Suites, and can go with a French Balcony type since I don’t think the SR matters too much on a river cruise....I think. We enjoy nice dining but aren’t gourmets; enjoy socializing and meeting people (traveling on our own) .

 

So feedback will help.....Help!

 

Den

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Den, if you haven't already read the post...new to river cruising, start here...read it. It is just a few up the page from this one.

According to some posters you are looking to compare apples to oranges with your selected lines. The above noted article might help you narrow it down.

Whichever one you end up with, enjoy the cruise!

RB

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This is a case of you get what you pay. Viking river boats have 190 passengers and Crystal's have 106, all on the same foot print. You know Crystal. I have over 30 Crystal ocean cruises and 2 on their river boat (the Mozart, which is larger than the ones on the Rhine) and I can tell you that the food on the river boats is even better than the food on the ocean ships.

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Hi Denny:)…..I would not overlook AMA Waterways. I sailed with them in 2016 and LOVED IT:)...food, service, excursions, everything about it was fantastic.:)

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We don't do suites either, but love the cabins with balcony on Avalon. The entire wall is a window and the bed faces that window, so the views are excellent. You also have a French Balcony. So, you might want to add them to your list of comparisons.

Cole

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This fall I'm booked on a 9-day Remarkable Rhine on Uniworld - Basel to Amsterdam. This itinerary has the added advantage of being a Jewish Heritage cruise, so we the option in each port of doing a Jewish heritage focused excursion. I like the idea of getting a different perspective.

 

I noticed that in 2019, the itinerary is 11 days long, and includes more stops in Holland. Had this been available in 2018, I would have booked it.

 

Roz

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Thanks for the info, and Lois, I’ll add AMA to my list. Going to pass the options to my TA and see what they have as options on deals. Good to hear from you again.

 

Going to read the thread on New to River Cruising and see what that has. Realize a bit of my question had the apples-oranges choices, and many of the ‘go with this Line’ is based on subjective such as dining quality and so on.

 

 

So of the Lines look like they have more overnights in ‘ports’. I think the one issue I had with Viking, and it could have to do with the actual itinerary of Prague to Paris, but we spent a good deal of time on a bus heading to various tour cities while the boat went to the next city and so on. I’d like a tour that is more focused on the port, but of course that depends on itinerary more and what is on the river. the Rhine looks like the tours are more set in the actual cities.

 

 

Den

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We are just back from our Basel to Amsterdam trip on Crystal. The weather was wonderful and so was the cruise.

 

I agree with Texas Tillie that the food on Crystal's Debussy was even better than on Crystal's Symphony and that's saying something. I thought the liquor selection was better, too. Not just the delightful European wines, but I was tickled to have 14-year Oban scotch on Debussy and I don't remember seeing that on Symphony.

 

We found our Debussy petite suite cabin to be noticeably smaller and a little less comfortable than our ocean view stateroom on Symphony. The bathroom sink/toilet area was a little tighter and tougher to navigate. The flat screen TV, big shower, and the huge & inventive window system were nice features in our Debussy cabin. We probably spent more time in our Debussy cabin that we did on Symphony. On a riverboat, there are far fewer options for public spaces.

 

On our trip down the Rhine, we spent almost no time on busses except to take shuttles to the center of town.

 

We found Crystal River Cruises to be a great product.

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Hi Den!

 

I can't speak to the other CR but we loved our Amsterdam to Basel cruise on Viking (although not quite as much as Viking's Budapest to Passau cruise - simply due to the sights/countries on the routes). Viking does a great job with the food and the atmosphere. Great but not too fussy. We liked the fact that Viking features regional specialties, along with a nice variety of other food. The people are friendly (passengers and crew).

 

It seems most of the passengers are from the US but there is a nice mix of folks from the UK and Canada which we appreciate.

 

The included excursions are a big factor for us. We find they give us a nice overview and then often we have more time in the afternoon to explore on our own. We've found on some trips the cost of the excursions nearly double the cost of the trip which is ugly. For Viking, we appreciate the offerings of optional excursions for other interests but we've done fine with mostly what's included. On the Amsterdam to Basel we only purchased one optional excursion (a trip to Colmar - we highly recommend that as the homes along the canals were lovely). We feel we get great value for our trips. Plus, we love the fact that Viking isn't always trying to upsell us like we've run into on ocean cruises. Even the costs of the extra excursions seemed reasonable.

We spent extra days in Amsterdam which was fabulous. Of the rest of the trip, our favorite location was probably Kinderdijk where we watched the sunrise over the windmills. Magical!

We had the French balcony which was dandy for us. Great to open the window to take pictures. Our cruise was in December so sitting on the balcony wouldn't be an issue, anyway. One thing to mention is the cabins are much smaller on the river cruises than they are on the ocean vessels. We'd been on a river cruise before and even we were surprised about how tight the space was. It was completely fine for us but thought I should mention it. As you've said, we weren't spending much time in the cabin anyway. There was plenty of storage space in the cabin and in the bathroom. We loved the heated floors in the bathroom.

Is Europe travel in August an issue? I'd heard so many people take that month off for vacation in some regions that scenic spots are either packed with people on holiday or places are closed for the month while people head to the coast.

Good luck with your planning!

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So my question: Looking at Crystal, Viking or UniWorld. Pricing of course.is a factor but can you give me a feel of what are the postiives.

 

I have done Uniworld and Crystal. I am a Crystal loyalist but I do not think my views are particularly biased.

 

Crystal is my preference since

a) there is more that one dining venue (All meals on the Uniworld cruise I was one were in the one restaurant) and different types of meals at each dining venue.

b) Crystal employs British/American entertainment host that they have tested out on the ocean ships. There are proper branded baby grands so you get decent piano bar music. On Uniworld, we had a German host playing his electric organ. We had to run and seek refuse on the top desk most evening to escape the painful experience. We are late sleepers and late risers so this is important to us.

c) Uniworlds and Crystal are all inclusive but I think the complimentary choices on spirits on Crystal is better.

d) Crystal River Cruises were offering meal that far exceeded anything on the ocean ships in terms quality of food and presentation. For me, Uniworld had decent food but was slightly below the standard on a Crystal ocean ship. Crystal, for the most parts, have managed to transfer their service standards from the ocean ships to the river boats. Still miss the "pleasure" response to thank you. Hehe.

e) Crystal provides evening canapés (don't get too excited as it is not that fancy but is nice touch) to all rooms on most evenings.

 

Wine is included with lunch/dinner on Viking but everything else is extra.

 

Tip: On Crystal, you can do your own laundry but get the butlers (available to all rooms) to press (i.e. iron) the clothes. No charge.

 

I love the Toto toilets with warm seats on Crystal. Ok so maybe I am a bit bias.

Edited by JohnKen3
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We're definitely biased as well, but loved our Amsterdam to Basel cruise on the S.S. Antoinette. The one note I would add to the prior posts is to also compare the particular boats you'd be on for your individual itinerary. We were on one of Uniworld's Super Ships and the boat itself was wonderful in addition to everything else. I could have spent a week just cruising the river and watching the world go by from the outstanding glass-enclosed pool deck.

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Crystal & Uniworld would be considered high end - Viking is more mid-range imho. If you are interested in the higher end experience, perhaps you should also take a look at Scenic. Completely all inclusive - boats a little less "fussy" than Uniworld. Décor doesn't bother us - but it does some people.

 

If you aren't set on completely all inclusive, and price is a factor, take a look at Avalon and AMA as well as Viking. Those would be better comparables. I suggest looking at number of passengers, stops (and what is included), size of rooms etc.

 

Do you want a balcony? We book lowest category (aka Aquarium Class) as we don't spend much time in our cabin. Many won't even look at the lower level for various reasons, but we would sooner save the money and put it towards the next trip. Rooms are often the same size - just the window size is different.

 

We have only done 1 ocean cruise, and decided after that we prefer the ambiance of a river cruise. So, can't speak to what you would prefer based on your big ship preferences. But, you mention "low key approach" - so perhaps one of the mid-range would be better?

 

We have travelled with most of the major lines - many of them multiple times (river cruise # 14 is booked for this fall...). We find Avalon to be a good fit for us, as it is relaxed - and often offers "options" for their stops. We are duplicating some rivers, and having options means we are sailing the same river, but not doing the same trip. Also, DH and I can (and will) go on different excursions if we are interested in different things.

 

Many are brand loyal, and once they have a good experience won't look elsewhere. We look at itinerary, then dates and then price. Not all Rhine cruises are the same.

 

Have fun planning - and enjoy!!

 

Fran

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As mentioned by RitaBob, I read the new river cruisers which has great info. This itinerary looks great. One I’m leaning towards is the Crystal Amsterdam to Basel. At first I thought being 10 days was too long and expensive but it stays 3 overnights in Amsterdam. We’d like to stay in Amsterdam for extra days so going to check if it’s worth the extra cruise costs compared to staying on our own.

 

Your posts have been very helpful and greatly appreciated.

 

Den

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OP mentioned that late nights in cities would be a plus. On a seven night cruise this is less likely than on a longer, say 12 day cruise when less kilometers need to be made each day. Just something to consider.

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Hi Denny:)…..I would not overlook AMA Waterways. I sailed with them in 2016 and LOVED IT:)...food, service, excursions, everything about it was fantastic.:)

 

 

 

Ditto to Lois R’s recommendation that you consider Ama Waterways. We sailed on the Ama Legro in 2013 (Paris to Normandy) and in 2015 on the Ama Prima from Vilshofen to Budapest.

 

Both were great trips, Ama’s food and wines are second to none!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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We looked at all of them as well....And we looked at AMA....It came down to Crystal...new ship, bigger rooms, ALL inclusive, and pretty sure you can't beat the Crystal brand... we booked the Debussy for the Rhine next year!! We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam, as we are spending 8 days in Switzerland prior, and a couple of extra days in Amsterdam at the end.....ENJOY

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We looked at all of them as well....And we looked at AMA....It came down to Crystal...new ship, bigger rooms, ALL inclusive, and pretty sure you can't beat the Crystal brand... we booked the Debussy for the Rhine next year!! We are doing the Basel to Amsterdam, as we are spending 8 days in Switzerland prior, and a couple of extra days in Amsterdam at the end.....ENJOY

 

Hi,:) what date did you book?

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Again, appreciate all the inputs... Working with my TA to finalize my pick next week. One major plus to taking Viking right now is the major discount for their flights. Looking at AMA as direct completion with Viking, and Crystal as a luxury line pick because it also stays 2 nights in Amsterdam. But may decide to stay in Amsterdam on our own, or most Lines have pre/post stays.

 

Will come back and let you know since all of you helped out. Great threads that give good comparisons of these LInes.

 

Den

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But may decide to stay in Amsterdam on our own, or most Lines have pre/post stays.

 

Den

 

In Amsterdam it is very easy and much cheaper to make your own arrangements. Pre and post cruise stays arranged through a cruise line are expensive.

 

Take a look at the British Isles/Western Europe Ports of Call board for suggestions on where to stay and what to see in Amsterdam: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233. You can also start a new thread here for recommendations.

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In Amsterdam it is very easy and much cheaper to make your own arrangements. Pre and post cruise stays arranged through a cruise line are expensive.

 

Take a look at the British Isles/Western Europe Ports of Call board for suggestions on where to stay and what to see in Amsterdam: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233. You can also start a new thread here for recommendations.

Yup, looking at that Board and am tracking a few of the hotels listed. Going to pick our own and stay 3 nights prior. Same with Basel, staying two then training to Munich.

 

Den

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Yup, looking at that Board and am tracking a few of the hotels listed. Going to pick our own and stay 3 nights prior. Same with Basel, staying two then training to Munich.

 

Den

 

Our usual river cruising companions (my brother, sister-in-law and her mom) are on a Uniworld Amsterdam to Basel cruise right now (we already had an Alaksa cruise with our kids, their spouses, and our granddaughter scheduled for the end of the month so we unfortunately had to pass on the river cruise) and they made DIY arrangements in Amsterdam and Basel. When they get back next weekend I'll ask for recommendations.

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Just returned from our first river cruise (Uniworld Castles Along the Rhine) and loved it. Great food, tours, accomodations, staff. No issues at all. If you go upstream to Basel, the Gorge portion takes about 5 hours vs. 3 hours going downstream. Glad we went upstream as the views are fantastic.

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Just returned from our first river cruise (Uniworld Castles Along the Rhine) and loved it. Great food, tours, accomodations, staff. No issues at all. If you go upstream to Basel, the Gorge portion takes about 5 hours vs. 3 hours going downstream. Glad we went upstream as the views are fantastic.

 

Glad you enjoyed it! Now you're hooked;p Where's your next one going to be?

 

Robin

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