Selection of River Cruise Cabins

[DW1111]

Hi! I plan to take a Tauck River Cruise on the Danube River.

 

Does in pay to take a cabin on the top deck? Can anyone comment on the cabins on the second deck?

 

Thank you!

[Ozjohnno]

We have taken a couple of cruises with Tauck and on both occasions we had a cabin on Ruby deck. The cabins are 150 sq ft but we didn't find them small. The suites on the top deck are twice the size but also almost twice the cost but they look very nice. I did a couple of reviews on Tauck here on CC and they may help you.

 

All the best for your future cruise. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with Tauck.

[DW1111]

Thank you for the quick response! I'm new to river cruising and appreciate receiving this feedback!

 

Enjoy the evening...

[4774Papa]

Hi! I plan to take a Tauck River Cruise on the Danube River.

 

Does in pay to take a cabin on the top deck? Can anyone comment on the cabins on the second deck?

 

Thank you!

We have never done a Tauck cruise. However, we have done Vantage and AMA.

River cruise boats generally have three decks with cabins. The higher the deck, the more pricey.

 

We always pick the cheapest cabin located in the lowest deck, since we don't spend much time in our cabin.

 

Most river cruise boats house 130 to 160 persons and people generally congregate in the bar or outside deck when not on tour.

 

Prices for the upper decks, even with the same size cabins can cost quite a bit, for example compare the middle deck to the lower, can be $1000 per cabin more. I can't say about Tauck, but I would go to their website and check prices and cabins.

[DW1111]

Thank you for this quick response! I've never been on a river cruise and I appreciate hearing from river cruise experts!:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We're doing Tauck next year, and chose the Ruby Deck as well, a category 5, forward. It's 183 square feet with a french balcony. Since we're used to larger cabins on ocean trips, we thought we'd spring for a bit more space. It's still going to be the smallest cabin we've cruised in.

[diane.in.ny]

We also have never sailed with Tauck but have sailed with Viking and Uniworld.

 

That said, the ship is so small, we just take the least expensive cabin. So easy to get a seat topside and enjoy both sides of the river as we go by.

 

There could be reasons to chose a more expensive cabin, such as a French balcony or a real balcony. Actually we even considered moving to a cabin with a French balcony on an upcoming trip but at an add'l 30% on an 8 night trip, didn't feel it was worth it .... even though on large ships we almost always sail with a balcony.

[Host Jazzbeau]

diane.in.ny hints at a difference from ocean cruising that may be relevant to your question: unlike ocean ships where all the top deck spots are grabbed by "chair hogs," you can always find a good place to sit on the top deck of a river ship -- and it's the best place to watch the scenery because you can see 360 degrees. That's a big reason why cabin location and balconies are so much less important on a river cruise.

[Hydrokitty]

We have never done a Tauck cruise. However, we have done Vantage and AMA.

River cruise boats generally have three decks with cabins. The higher the deck, the more pricey.

 

We always pick the cheapest cabin located in the lowest deck, since we don't spend much time in our cabin.

 

Most river cruise boats house 130 to 160 persons and people generally congregate in the bar or outside deck when not on tour.

 

Prices for the upper decks, even with the same size cabins can cost quite a bit, for example compare the middle deck to the lower, can be $1000 per cabin more. I can't say about Tauck, but I would go to their website and check prices and cabins.

 

And for the other side of Papa's point of view: I haven't traveled with Tauck but have done 6 river cruises with Vantage. We always pick the cabin with a french balcony on the top deck because I get claustrophobic if I can't open a door or window and feel the outside. We don't spend much time in our cabin but according to DH I'm like a dog in a car, if I can't stick my head out the window then I'm bouncing around like crazy!! :D

[papa B me]

It really is a matter of personal preference, budget, and expectations. Like many of the other posters I haven't sailed on Tauck but have sailed on Uniworld. The cabins on the top deck are either suites or at least larger cabins. We had a suite last July and have booked a suite on our next two river cruises. Unlike so many others I really do enjoy spending an hour or two each day sitting on the balcony in the early morning with a cup of coffee or before dinner while my wife is getting ready with a drink. I also enjoy opening the windows and enjoying the fresh air. I believe that the suites on Tauck are similar to Uniworld in that they are 300 sf vs the 150-200 sq ft of the other cabins. We found that it was worth it to us for the larger cabin, balcony, and in Uniworld's case a bath room with two sinks(we have discovered this is one of the secret's to having a 32 year happy marriage-lol). Also keep in mind that the suites do usually come with other perks that are nice. In Uniworld's case that is butler service, free laundry service, daily fruit trays, daily cookie trays, stocked mini bar, premium bottles of alcohol, daily news paper, etc... With all of this said, if you don't care about the extra space, balcony, perks, etc... the location probably doesn't matter much like it does on an ocean cruise since the ships are so small and there really isn't a bad place as far as location. The only negatives to location I've gleaned in reading reviews the past several years is that some mention on the lower levels toward the rear of the ship that they experienced more vibration and noise. But that issue isn't mentioned often. So again just a matter of personal choice, budget and expectations. From what I've read don't think you can go wrong with Tauck

[DW1111]

Hi! Thank you for this thoughtful post. I appreciate hearing about your experiences!!

[DW1111]

Hi! Thanks you for sharing these thoughts. We actually we thinking of category 5 on the Ruby Deck, as well! Perhaps we'll meet on the ship!!

[DW1111]

Good points! Thanks for sharing. Having never been on a river cruise, I appreciate hearing your perspective!!

[DW1111]

Hi! Appreciate the comment about the balcony and French doors. My husband is a big man....and needs space!!

 

Enjoy the day!

[DW1111]

Thank you for this quick response! I've never been on a river cruise and I appreciate hearing from river cruise experts!:)

[pinotlover]

I would like to make a correction, or at least an addition to Jazz's comment on sitting up top. On our last Viking cruise, the upper deck was closed for almost all of the river cruising time due to river levels. Seats in the Aqualounge, where one could actually see the scenery, was at a premium and difficult to come by. Thank heavens we had a cabin with a verandah to sit on so that we could enjoy the river scenery we looked so forward to seeing. When the upper deck is closed, the longship does NOT have ample space for all passengers to have public viewing space. You are on your own. Don't know about the boat you are sailing specifically, but I doubt the answer is different. As stated in a movie " Are you feeling lucky", if so save money and skip the verandah. If not, it can be cheap insurance to ensure you see what you paid to see.

[caviargal]

I would like to make a correction, or at least an addition to Jazz's comment on sitting up top. On our last Viking cruise, the upper deck was closed for almost all of the river cruising time due to river levels. Seats in the Aqualounge, where one could actually see the scenery, was at a premium and difficult to come by. Thank heavens we had a cabin with a verandah to sit on so that we could enjoy the river scenery we looked so forward to seeing. When the upper deck is closed, the longship does NOT have ample space for all passengers to have public viewing space. You are on your own. Don't know about the boat you are sailing specifically, but I doubt the answer is different. As stated in a movie " Are you feeling lucky", if so save money and skip the verandah. If not, it can be cheap insurance to ensure you see what you paid to see.

 

I have not experienced this issue with AMA but they don't pack in the people like Viking does. I can imagine this changes the experience quite a bit.

[Rebel54]

We are cruising with Avalon next summer and I went for the largest cabin with "balcony" we could get. This is my first river cruise but I really love enjoying my morning coffee in the peace and quiet of my own room on the balcony. I'm also claustrophobic and with a 6'2, 300 lb husband, I need all the space I can get. Avalon has the ceiling to floor windows that open up the length of the cabin so you have an open air balcony without losing space in your cabin. I like that. For me, it's worth the cost because we do enjoy relaxing in our cabin and enjoying the view.

[Grothj]

We just finished a 26 day trip with Tauck on both the Seine and the Rhone. We had one of the Cat 7 cabins on the top deck ( not including) the sun deck. This is a fantastic cabin with a walk-in closet, a couch and chair, plus a larger bath.

 

We found that while we could sit on the sun deck for some of the afternoon cruising, they can't put most of the sun shades up so it is hot. And a there are low bridges on both rivers.

 

The lounge had seats for everyone but not as many in the front. The balconies are "French" meaning you can open the sliding doors but you can't step out. In Cat 7 you have balconies by the bed and by the sitting area.

 

There extra perks for Cat 7. On our trip we were guaranteed a sea view room in Monte Carlo and it was beautiful. Also get a laundry credit.

 

Tauck does such a fabulous job of taking good care of you that I don't think you can go wrong with them. There was a group traveling together and they had a reserved table for dinner

 

 

 

The only down side of the top deck is that you do hear folks walking around, sometimes early in the am if your cabin is close to wheelhouse location.

[CPT Trips]

We are cruising with Avalon next summer and I went for the largest cabin with "balcony" we could get. This is my first river cruise but I really love enjoying my morning coffee in the peace and quiet of my own room on the balcony. I'm also claustrophobic and with a 6'2, 300 lb husband, I need all the space I can get. Avalon has the ceiling to floor windows that open up the length of the cabin so you have an open air balcony without losing space in your cabin. I like that. For me, it's worth the cost because we do enjoy relaxing in our cabin and enjoying the view.

 

Do those windows have insect screening?

[Hydrokitty]

 

The only down side of the top deck is that you do hear folks walking around, sometimes early in the am if your cabin is close to wheelhouse location.

 

This is true, I think no matter who you sail with. Our french balcony cabin on the top deck (not sun deck) is a nice size and I love it, but the down side is I can definitely here the early risers doing their laps on the walking track. I can also hear the crew working if we have an early port arrival. But it's worth it to me to smell the fresh air.

[IrishFrau]

We just finished the Viking Portraits of Southern France. We opted for a balcony on the 2nd deck, which we were only able to use 2 days. Due to high water conditions and river traffic congestion, for 4 days/nights, we were tethered to other boats in port. (If the numbers don't seem to add up, it is because when the ship could not move out of Lyon, we opted to leave early so we could make connections for the next part of our trip). Not only could we not use the balcony, we couldn't really open the curtains if we wanted privacy. Next time, we will just go for a French balcony, maybe on 3rd deck. Those folks had views of the river the whole time.

[AirGorilla]

Hi folks --

 

One thing that has not been mentioned so far in this thread is the effectiveness of air conditioning on the top deck. We were on a Tauck river cruise in July, on the Esprit, and had a cabin on the Ruby (middle) deck. Our air conditioning worked fine.

 

We met some folks who had a cabin on the top deck, and they commented that their air conditioning wasn't keeping their cabin cool enough. They thought it might be due to the sun beating down on their roof, causing their cabin to heat up, which isn't a problem on the bottom or middle decks.

 

This is probably not such a big problem in spring or fall, but I thought I would mention what I heard.

 

Have a fine trip!

 

AG

[Viking Cruises]

Dear IrishFrau,

 

Welcome home! We hope you found your overall experience to be enjoyable, despite the slight adjustments to your itinerary and early disembarkation. We appreciate your comments about the balcony usage and regret to hear your veranda stateroom fell a bit short of expectations. If you haven’t already, please contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com so that we may discuss the details of your experience further.

 

We look forward to the pleasure of speaking with you and hope you will join us on another river in the future!

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

 

We just finished the Viking Portraits of Southern France. We opted for a balcony on the 2nd deck, which we were only able to use 2 days. Due to high water conditions and river traffic congestion, for 4 days/nights, we were tethered to other boats in port. (If the numbers don't seem to add up, it is because when the ship could not move out of Lyon, we opted to leave early so we could make connections for the next part of our trip). Not only could we not use the balcony, we couldn't really open the curtains if we wanted privacy. Next time, we will just go for a French balcony, maybe on 3rd deck. Those folks had views of the river the whole time.

[Rebel54]

Do those windows have insect screening?

 

I don't believe so. I live in Hawaii. I am not skerrd of bugs and I plan to carry an epi pen just in case I have a run in with a bee.