Best river

[toler34]

If you have taken a European river cruise what is the best cruise line:) & the best river:) that you enjoyed?

Thanks,

Pat

[caviargal]

If you have taken a European river cruise what is the best cruise line:) & the best river:) that you enjoyed?

Thanks,

Pat

 

Very subjective based on so many factors!

 

We have been on 10 and our favorite line is AMA followed closely by Uniworld. We would happily sail with either line again.

 

We really enjoyed both the Rhone and Rhine with AMA. The Rhone offered lots of time in port and several overnight stays as well as a focus on wine and a nice mix of small towns and larger cities. The Rhine offered 4 countries and a real diversity of ports. Both itineraries had a great choice of included excursions.

 

We also had a great cruise with AMA from Budapest to Nuremberg with an added DIY extension in Prague.

 

Detailed reviews of our cruises are posted here in the review section on CC.

Edited July 21, 2015 by caviargal

[Host Jazzbeau]

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the River Cruising forum!

 

I suggest you start by reading the sticky New to RIVER CRUISING??? at the top of this forum, especially the downloadable pdf:

http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-g...t_rid=99616845

which discusses each cruise line and compares them to ocean cruise lines and hotels [this will give you a frame of reference]. The range among river cruise lines that market in the US is fairly small -- but there are differences from the bottom to the top, and the prices don't vary as much as it first appears because the more expensive lines include more things that cost extra on the "cheaper" lines. For information on choosing a river, read the sticky River Cruise Basics articles on Cruise Critic at the top of this forum. I also recommend the book Berlitz River Cruising in Europe by Douglas Ward, which may be found at your public library.

 

I agree with caviargal that the Rhine and the Rhone are the best choices for a first cruise. I would avoid the Danube because it has the most high- and low-water issues, and you want to start off with a cruise that goes according to plan to give you a real idea of what river cruising is all about.

[Hydrokitty]

If you have taken a European river cruise what is the best cruise line:) & the best river:) that you enjoyed?

Thanks,

Pat

 

Hi Pat, welcome aboard....be prepared to get a bunch of replies, all of them different:D

 

I've done 6 river cruises with Vantage and loved every one of them! My favorite was Castles on the Rhine and I recommend it, along with many other CC regulars, as a great first cruise experience. I like Vantage because they don't use travel agents, you deal with them directly. I won't go into the pros and cons of this, suffice to say I'm a control freak and this system works best for me. They also include most shore excursions, with only a couple of optional trips that usually involve a chartered bus, admission and guided tour of someplace like a castle, and lunch off the ship for which they will either take you all to a local restaurant or give you money to buy lunch when you want it...we've found that all were worth the money. The boats are spotlessly clean (as are most of them) the food and service are great and quite honestly, if you love your first cruise no matter who it's with, you'll probably book your next cruise with the same company. We're all here to help you, so if you have any questions regarding a specific line or itinerary, don't hesitate to ask.

[deec]

For 5 couples our first cruise was Budapest to Amsterdam with time in each of those cities on our own. We all loved the itinerary and mode of transportation.

 

I am sure we wil all river cruise again!

[4774Papa]

We like Vantage as well. We don't cruise in Germany, since we lived in Germany for four years and have seen all the ports on all the cruises on the Rhine and Danube.

 

Our favorite trip, of all, including ocean cruises, land trips, river cruises, etc. was Vantage China. Fantastic trip. The river cruise is only four days, but excellent, while the ship is good, not great.

[rogerdawhip]

Having now been on fifteen river cruises my favorite river is the Moselle. It seems to be less crowded with great scenery and many small villages to stop at.

 

As others have stated the best cruise line is very subjective. I have my favorite (GCCL) but it may not be yours.

[davidrw]

It is a bit of a trick question as a lot of cruises go on multiple rivers. When we did Budapest to Amsterdam my favourite part of it for scenery and towns was the Main as the Rhine and Danube are big and busy!

 

On a recent Rhone / Saone trip, the Saone was a more pleasant river.

 

It really depends what you are looking for:-

 

Large Destination towns versus quaint small ones

Superb coach trips to great destinations versus a stroll from the boat.

Sailing along a lovely river with very few boats in site versus your 10th lock of the day.

 

However all river cruises are great fun and the small numbers on the boat leads to a relaxed friendly environment.

 

As to cruise lines, read the brochures to see whether they emphasise what is important to you and then read this BB to see any downsides !!

[texasgal01]

I tried the pdf and it said it wasn't available?

[Host Jazzbeau]

I tried the pdf and it said it wasn't available?

 

I just double-checked, and it came right up.

[Got2Cruise]

I loved the Seine because we were never in Paris, and such varied and interesting things to experience in the area.

[ea6b5]

I just double-checked, and it came right up.

 

It did not come up on my computer either. It all depends on what type of security measures you have installed. Have to go back to the other board and pick it from there.

[FuelScience]

Having now been on fifteen river cruises my favorite river is the Moselle. It seems to be less crowded with great scenery and many small villages to stop at.

 

As others have stated the best cruise line is very subjective. I have my favorite (GCCL) but it may not be yours.

 

I'm with you rogerdawhip!!

 

FuelScience

[caviargal]

The Moselle was very scenic when we cruised there with AMA several years ago. It was fall and colors were lovely! That being said, we did not enjoy the ports as much as in other destinations.

 

The least attractive scenery was on our Tulip Time cruise. Very industrial. But we really enjoyed the ports visited.

Edited July 24, 2015 by caviargal

[Hydrokitty]

Having now been on fifteen river cruises my favorite river is the Moselle. It seems to be less crowded with great scenery and many small villages to stop at.

 

As others have stated the best cruise line is very subjective. I have my favorite (GCCL) but it may not be yours.

 

Thanks Roger, I'm going on the Rhine and Moselle from Amsterdam to Basel next month on Vantage. Can't wait. :D