European River Cruises???

[Kruz Guys]

Have you ever done a European River Cruise? Which cruise line (Uniworld, Vantage, Avalon, Viking, etc) did you use? What was your impression of river cruising, especially being a member of GLBT? Any issues there?

 

We are used to the larger ships (NCL, RCI, Celebrity) and are wondering about the intimacy / small groups we would encounter.

 

 

Thanks for any information and sharing of experiences you might be able to prvovide.

 

Kruz Guys

[WarEagle76]

Kruz Guys, you probably saw the other link discussing River Cruises in this forum, but we've been on four river cruises, our most recent on the Danube from Budapest to Passau last November on Viking. We've had a great experience on all our river cruises, and enjoy them as much as larger ships but it is definitely a different experience, and have always been treated well by other passengers and crew. The European river cruises will have far fewer passengers, night life will usually consist of cocktails, lectures and/or sometimes local musicians/dancers. You usually dock right in the heart of the town/city so getting around on your own when not partaking in a tour is pretty easy. Food has been good, many now include wine with dinner in the price and usually cruises will offer an option to spend more time in city of departure or disembarkation. Our next targeted river cruises are Vietnam/Cambodia and Northern France from Paris including Normandy which we'll work in between the cruises on larger ships and when time/money allow.

[Kruz Guys]

Kruz Guys, you probably saw the other link discussing River Cruises in this forum, but we've been on four river cruises, our most recent on the Danube from Budapest to Passau last November on Viking. We've had a great experience on all our river cruises, and enjoy them as much as larger ships but it is definitely a different experience, and have always been treated well by other passengers and crew. The European river cruises will have far fewer passengers, night life will usually consist of cocktails, lectures and/or sometimes local musicians/dancers. You usually dock right in the heart of the town/city so getting around on your own when not partaking in a tour is pretty easy. Food has been good, many now include wine with dinner in the price and usually cruises will offer an option to spend more time in city of departure or disembarkation. Our next targeted river cruises are Vietnam/Cambodia and Northern France from Paris including Normandy which we'll work in between the cruises on larger ships and when time/money allow.

 

 

Thanks so much for this information. It sounds so interesting. Thanks for sharing. Best regards,

Kruz Guys

[my crow's nest]

Hello Kruz Guys,

First, our river cruising history. In September 06 we did a two week cruise from Budapest to Trier on the Sound of Music, which is now operating under different management. In October 07, as part of a trip to Dubai and

Egypt, we did a 4 night Nile cruise on the Sunboat IV. We just finished an Eastern European trip that included a 14 day cruise on Uniworld's River Countess from Vienna to Bucharest.

Secondly, i did look at your profile to get some idea about you which was helpful.

I think that WarEagle76 was quite on target with his info. River cruise itineraries are very organized and inclusive. You will be doing a lot of sightseeing with a group. In large cities such as Vienna, you can, of course, go on your own, but in smaller towns, it is group oriented. So, look at the itinerary carefully.

On all three of the cruises we took, we had a great time. Most of the clients were older, but we never had a bad experience. On the last trip we were catered to by the entire staff and crew. Even had dinner at the Captain's Table.

Uniworld does a wonderful job. The food was really good with many choices. Wine was included with lunch and dinner, but they also had a limited but good selection of wines to purchase. Sightseeing was well organized with well informed guides. A lot of local entertainment was brought on board. And there was a great masseur to boot! A small gym and a new and sauna.

Hope this will help you make a good decision. Joe

[Kruz Guys]

Hello Kruz Guys' date='

First, our river cruising history. In September 06 we did a two week cruise from Budapest to Trier on the Sound of Music, which is now operating under different management. In October 07, as part of a trip to Dubai and

Egypt, we did a 4 night Nile cruise on the Sunboat IV. We just finished an Eastern European trip that included a 14 day cruise on Uniworld's River Countess from Vienna to Bucharest.

Secondly, i did look at your profile to get some idea about you which was helpful.

I think that WarEagle76 was quite on target with his info. River cruise itineraries are very organized and inclusive. You will be doing a lot of sightseeing with a group. In large cities such as Vienna, you can, of course, go on your own, but in smaller towns, it is group oriented. So, look at the itinerary carefully.

On all three of the cruises we took, we had a great time. Most of the clients were older, but we never had a bad experience. On the last trip we were catered to by the entire staff and crew. Even had dinner at the Captain's Table.

Uniworld does a wonderful job. The food was really good with many choices. Wine was included with lunch and dinner, but they also had a limited but good selection of wines to purchase. Sightseeing was well organized with well informed guides. A lot of local entertainment was brought on board. And there was a great masseur to boot! A small gym and a new and sauna.

Hope this will help you make a good decision. Joe[/quote']

 

Joe, we appreciate all of your information. This is great and will be helpful in our planning. Thanks again. Stephen and Tom :D

[Kruz Guys]

Kruz Guys, you probably saw the other link discussing River Cruises in this forum, but we've been on four river cruises, our most recent on the Danube from Budapest to Passau last November on Viking. We've had a great experience on all our river cruises, and enjoy them as much as larger ships but it is definitely a different experience, and have always been treated well by other passengers and crew. The European river cruises will have far fewer passengers, night life will usually consist of cocktails, lectures and/or sometimes local musicians/dancers. You usually dock right in the heart of the town/city so getting around on your own when not partaking in a tour is pretty easy. Food has been good, many now include wine with dinner in the price and usually cruises will offer an option to spend more time in city of departure or disembarkation. Our next targeted river cruises are Vietnam/Cambodia and Northern France from Paris including Normandy which we'll work in between the cruises on larger ships and when time/money allow.

 

Thanks so much for your information . This is very good and will help us make decisions when we start our serious planning. Thanks again. stpehen and Tom