Viking or Scenic Grand European Tour for first timers to river cruising.

[Kingofcool1947]

DW and I (early but active 50's) have never taken an European River cruise. We are considering either Viking "longship", or Scenic "spaceship" to see if we like the river cruise experience. Looking at a 18 day Grand European Tour either from Amsterdam to Budapest or Budapest to Amsterdam. With a few added days on both ends of the cruise. July-August-September 2018 time frame.

 

Would you recommend either a balcony or French Balcony for this kind of cruising? What about saving some money booking a standard cabin? Pros and cons of the cabins?

 

 

Pros and cons of Viking vs. Scenic for value, service, comfort of ship and cabins, included amenities, and quality of food? We like modern decor, thus our choice of Viking or Scenic. Our neighbors are big fans of Viking, having cruised both Viking river and ocean ships.

 

 

We do not drink alcohol or smoke. And I would prefer not to wear a suit and tie for dining. Would I be out of place wearing a short or long sleeve shirt, khakis trousers, maybe a sweater, to dinner? Or should I wear a sports coat/blazer to dinner?

 

As a point of reference, we cruise on Princess and Celebrity, in balcony or ocean view cabins, and have booked a 2018 sailing on Oceania to Cuba. We are "low key", not party animals, but enjoy the variety of shipboard activities, and fitness programs offered on ocean ships.

 

Thank you in advance.

Edited April 13, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[FuelScience]

Would you recommend either a balcony or French Balcony for this kind of cruising? What about saving some money booking a standard cabin? Pros and cons of the cabins?

I would not do a French Balcony on a Viking longship. We did one a couple of years ago, and 135 sq. ft. was just too small for us!

 

We do not drink alcohol or smoke. And I would prefer not to wear a suit and tie for dining. Would I be out of place wearing a short or long sleeve shirt, khakis trousers, maybe a sweater, to dinner? Or should I wear a sports coat/blazer to dinner?

River cruises are informal. Men wearing jackets are the exception. Most will wear casual slacks and a collared shirt.

 

You might consider lines like Avalon or AMA. We did our first Avalon cruise last year and will leave for another one in a week. Their standard cabins are 200 sq. ft. with beds that face the large sliding glass window/French balcony. AMA cruisers rave about the food and service. Since you don't drink alcohol I think that Scenic might be a questionable choice since they are generally more expensive, and a significant contributor to that is likely free alcohol all day.

[Kingofcool1947]

I would not do a French Balcony on a Viking longship. We did one a couple of years ago, and 135 sq. ft. was just too small for us!

 

 

River cruises are informal. Men wearing jackets are the exception. Most will wear casual slacks and a collared shirt.

 

You might consider lines like Avalon or AMA. We did our first Avalon cruise last year and will leave for another one in a week. Their standard cabins are 200 sq. ft. with beds that face the large sliding glass window/French balcony. AMA cruisers rave about the food and service. Since you don't drink alcohol I think that Scenic might be a questionable choice since they are generally more expensive, and a significant contributor to that is likely free alcohol all day.

 

Thank you.

I will look into Avalon and AMA. Since we dont drink alcohol, we'll omit Scenic.

[gregdude]

Stay away from Viking! 190 passengers per ship, take a look at Tauck, same size ship, but only 130 passengers, makes a much better less crowded experience. Also I'm not sure an 18 day river cruise would be my first choice for someone your age. River cruises are very quiet, nothing at all like an ocean cruises. A 7day first experience will give you a better idea of what to expect.

[acwmom]

I agree with Greg about a first river cruise being 18 days long, especially for a "younger couple" as river cruiser ages go. If you're a week in, and hate the concept, you still have 11 days to go. My DH and I are also early 50's and active. We usually do a 7 night cruise, with 2-3 nights on either end. We like Celebrity, and enjoy Uniworld for our river cruises. However, we do enjoy drinking and like the inclusiveness of alcohol, beyond lunch and dinner.

 

We sailed Avalon, once, and did love the space of the Panorama suite. But, for us, the cruise was otherwise not a good fit. We found Uniworld's food and service to be superior. As to cabin choice, we are rarely in our cabin, except to sleep and bathe. As far as ship "activities", most will have a fitness center, some will have small pools, some will have morning yoga/stretch, but that's about it. No evening production shows. Usually some local entertainment comes on board some nights, and the rest, there is a lounge piano player/singer.

 

If you want less inclusive, with active options, I do recommend AMA and Avalon. AMA partners with Backroads, which offers more in-depth bike excursions, if you like biking. And, both seem to be organizing more "active" cruising options this year and next.

 

Robin

[sunsetbeachgal]

We are ocean cruisers who tried our first river cruise last year. As others have recommended we did a one week cruise, Basel to Amsterdam with a week in Switzerland pre cruise (we had been to Amsterdam the year before). We chose Scenic and loved the all inclusive nature of this line, more for the tours, the special evening events and the tipping, which is more significant on a river cruise than an ocean cruise. We might only have a glass of wine or beer here and there, perhaps we didn't get our money's worth but the cruise was definitely worth it to us. The boat was lovely, modern and comfortable, and service levels excellent. We also enjoyed our fellow passengers very much, Always fun and good conversation

 

We are doing another Scenic cruise this September, can't wait!

 

 

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Edited April 13, 2017 by sunsetbeachgal

[Kingofcool1947]

We are ocean cruisers who tried our first river cruise last year. As others have recommended we did a one week cruise, Basel to Amsterdam with a week in Switzerland pre cruise (we had been to Amsterdam the year before). We chose Scenic and loved the all inclusive of this line, more for the tours, the special evening events and the tipping, which is more significant on a river cruise than an ocean cruise. We might only have a glass of wine or beer here and there, perhaps we didn't get our money's worth but the cruise was definitely worth it to us. We are doing another Scenic cruise this September, can't wait!

 

 

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Thank you for your reply.

 

Another poster suggested Scenic might not be a goof fit for us, since we don't drink any alcohol, and Scenic is more expensive because of the unlimited alcohol that's included in the fare.

 

Also now rethinking length of cruise from 18 days to maybe 10 days, as a first time river cruise experience.

 

Unless I misread your comment re: tipping, can you or others explain why the tipping is more significant than that on ocean cruising? We do pre-paid gratuities on our ocean cruises. Is the tipping policy not the same with river cruises?

 

Thanks again.

[gnome12]

Prepaid tipping may only cover the on-board crew. Fully included tipping also includes the daily excursion guides and drivers who would otherwise be tipped separately. When you have excursions included virtually every day these can add up.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Perhaps others who have cruised on other lines can comment about the actual amounts. Scenic covered tipping all employees on board, the tour guides and the bus drivers. Absolutely nothing owed at end of cruise and no one obviously expecting a tip or a tip basket!

 

 

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Edited April 13, 2017 by sunsetbeachgal

[acwmom]

Uniworld includes tips for all-cruise director, crew, tour guides and bus drivers. Avalon includes tips for tour guides and bus drivers, but not cruise director or crew. And, those have to be paid separately, if not done in advance, meaning, you turn in tips for the crew to the front desk, but tips to the cruise director to the cruise director him/herself. Personally, I felt that was a little awkward.

 

Robin

[FuelScience]

Prepaid tipping may only cover the on-board crew. Fully included tipping also includes the daily excursion guides and drivers who would otherwise be tipped separately. When you have excursions included virtually every day these can add up.

Avalon's prepaid tips cover excursion drivers and guides I believe.

[JVilleGal]

Nearly all the cruise lines include beer and wine at meals so you really need to verify what is included and what is ala cartel and don't assume Scenic is more expensive when considering all the inclusions. Also compare the # passengers and size of the cabin category. As noted Vikings Veranda cabin is very small.

 

 

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[FuelScience]

Just to give you an idea, for our upcoming Avalon cruise (7 nights on the boat, 1 night in Cannes pre-cruise and 2 nights in Paris post-cruise). Our prepaid gratuities were $129/person. Based on our last Avalon cruise, this included tips in the hotels we stayed in as well as tips for ship staff and excursion guides/drivers.

[Andona]

If you've considered Scenic but prefer something less inclusive you may like to look at Emerald Waterways, They are owned by Scenic but offer a less inclusive range of cruises. I.e alcohol only at meals and some tours ( but not all) are an extra charge. Their boats are fairly new and offer some unique facilities, eg the pool area converts to a cinema at night time. They are also reputed to appeal to a slightly younger demographic than many of the other lines. After a lot of research we chose Emerald for our upcoming Amsterdam to Budapest cruise with friends, ( all mid 50s) As we haven't done the cruise yetso I'm not in a position to give a proper opinion yet but thought you may like to inlcude them in your options. [emoji4] also, all tipping is included. Good luck with your research

 

 

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[Kingofcool1947]

If you've considered scenic but prefer something less inclusive you may like to look at Emerald Waterways, They are owned by Scenic but offer a less inclusive range of cruises. I.e alcohol only at meals and some tours ( but not all) are an extra charge. Their boats are fairly new and offer some unique facilities, eg the pool area converts to a cinema at night time. They are also reputed to appeal to a slightly younger demographic than many of the other lines. After a lot of research we chose Emerald for our upcoming Amsterdam to Budapest cruise with friends, ( all mid 50s) so I'm not in a position to give a proper opinion yet [emoji4] also, all tipping is included. Good luck with your research

 

 

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Great, thank you.

 

I'll definitely look at Emerald Waterways. :)

Are the demographics i.e. much older PAX on the other river cruise companies?

[nancyevans]

Don't discount Scenic just because of the included alcohol. Being analytical, I did a chart comparing prices. There is only one price for Scenic no additional prepaid gratuities. All tours included with a choice of tours in most ports. Evening concert in Vienna. Sundowners at a castle ruin high above the Danube. Included minibar stocked daily. Cold sodas after a hot day touring! We don't drink much alcohol either. Now every cabin gets a bag of laundry done. Transfers to and from the airport on the first and last day of the cruise even if you don't book airfare with them.

You also have to consider the size and location of the cabin and other amenities that are important to you.

Order the brochures, read the reviews on Cruise Critic, ask questions and make a chart to figure out which cruise is for you.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

It's harder than you think to compare prices of the different river cruise lines, because what's included seems to be different on every line. Uniworld includes more alcohol than AMA, but AMA includes all excursion choices while Uniworld has "extras." I have compiled several Stickies at the top of this thread to help with the decision-making, including a link to a Cruise Critic pdf that compares each river line to an ocean line and a hotel chain.

 

As to length -- I agree with the others that 18 days is very risky for a first river cruise. River cruising is so different from ocean cruising and while many people think it is equally good (or even better) in its down way, there are a few who find that it is not their cup of tea at all. If you really want a focus on German culture, I would recommend a 7-day cruise from Vilshofen to Budapest, with a pre-cruise extension in Prague and post- in Budapest and/or Vienna. Another approach would be 7-day Amsterdam to Basel with a post-cruise extension to Lucerne and Zurich. Both of these would give you a good introduction to river cruising, with in-depth stays in some exciting cities.

[CarolinaKathy]

We are getting ready to leave on our 3rd Avalon cruise at the beginning of May. We did Amsterdam to Budapest two years ago and with a 2 day extension in Budapest. We really enjoyed it and get as busy as we wanted. Every port has an included excursion and we chose to do several optionals. We met many interesting people both younger and older than us (early 60's). The small size made it easy to get to know most everyone on our ship. There was entertainment though not as varied as on a large ocean cruise ship. This year we are combing a 12 night cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, 2 nights in Zurich and then a 7 day train trip around Switzerland. We want to get the most of our airfare!

 

 

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[notamermaid]

Hello kingofcool1947,

 

to quote you: " We are "low key", not party animals, but enjoy the variety of shipboard activities, and fitness programs offered on ocean ships."

 

May I just point out that Viking, according to past cruisers, have no fitness room onboard.

 

And I very much agree that for a first river cruise a seven-day trip might be better for you.

 

For activities, well, there are many options out there now, from cycling to dancing lessons to evening concerts. We were offered an evening with typical wine and food in a tavern in Vienna, but I did not go. North-American lines offer this type of entertainment, as well, for example in Rüdesheim. Merry places, and you do not have to drink alcohol. Plenty to do and choose from, reading that you do not drink, you might want to have a look at European lines as well. They do not include unlimited alcohol and are also not all-inclusive in other ways.

 

As regards comfort - if you do not like heat - I would recommend mid-August to mid-September.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

[TravelerThom]

Are the demographics i.e. much older PAX on the other river cruise companies?

River cruises attract a lot of retirees (cost, length of trip, ease of travel). However river boats can be quite challenging for the mobility impaired, especially when rafted (docked tied up outside other boats), so unlike ocean ships virtually no wheelchairs. Some lines make more effort to appeal to more active passengers than other lines - others on this board can address that better than I.

[jeb_bud]

When I was researching for our first(and so far only) river cruise in August of 2015 I built a spreadsheet comparing a number of cruise lines. I wanted a balcony, and wound up comparing a Scenic Diamond Deck room with the nearest comparable room on the other ships. After factoring in tips, one or two optional excursions, and a drink each evening I found that Scenic was the most economical option.

 

We took the Scenic Gems of the Danube and loved it. We were a little conflicted about the length of the cruise. We were a little tired as we ended the cruise but the shock of re-entering the real world after a week of pampering was pretty jarring. Our next river cruise will be the 14 day Basel to Amsterdam cruise on Scenic.

 

 

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[Canal archive]

jeb_bud we did the same cruise in reverse a few years ago you'll love it, the itinerary has changed a little but don't miss Hockenhiem if your into motor sport. Enjoy CA

[Rorygirl4528]

Take a look at Vantage travel. We have gone on four tours with them....one land tour to Tunisia, one up the coast of Norway, one river cruise to see the tulips and windmills for 8 days. Loved it!! We are going on our second river cruise with them in another 12 days. Looking forward to a two week cruise.

We have been happy with their tours and feel the price is fair for what you get. Wine is included with dinner...other than that you pay for your drinks. Since we are not big drinkers it is fine for us.

[FuelScience]

Take a look at Vantage travel. We have gone on four tours with them....one land tour to Tunisia, one up the coast of Norway, one river cruise to see the tulips and windmills for 8 days. Loved it!! We are going on our second river cruise with them in another 12 days. Looking forward to a two week cruise.

We have been happy with their tours and feel the price is fair for what you get. Wine is included with dinner...other than that you pay for your drinks. Since we are not big drinkers it is fine for us.

We've done one Vantage cruise and they are a good bargain. They don't use travel agents, so you have to book directly with them.

 

Pros:

Excursions:

We've done included excursions on Vantage, Viking, and Avalon. In every case where we did the same excursion with 2 or more of the lines, Vantage always included more on their excursions. Ex. Amsterdam. Instead of the standard bus/walking tour and canal cruise, Vantage bused us to the Rijksmuseum for a guided tour and freetime, and then we were picked up by canal boats across the street from the museum and given a canal tour ending a block from our ship's mooring.

Payment options:

When we cruised with Vantage, we paid up a year in advance, and we got a 10% discount! I don't find many investments these days with a guaranteed 10% return.

 

Cons:

Older Demographic:

We only have one data point, but we felt that Vantage had an older demographic than we found on Viking (3 cruises) and Avalon (1 cruise)

Reserved Dining Rooms in Restaurant:

Vantage allowed large groups to reserve the prime tables in the dining room for the entire two-week cruise. One or two nights is OK, but they shouldn't allow people to save the best tables for the entire cruise.

[Kingofcool1947]

Thanks for all the helpful information re: a European river cruise for us "first timers". We are starting to narrow down cruise lines that focus on "mildly active" (Active 50's. We hike but don't bike), have modern hi tech decor, mostly inclusive offering daily tours, inclusvie tips and gratuties to all servers, tour guides/bus drivers, etc. We don't drink alcohol. We're not "foodies", as our point of reference is the cusine on Princess and Celebrity ocean cruises. :p

 

Reading jazzbeaus river crusing FAQ's:

Cabins:

"Staterooms tend to be smaller than oceangoing vessels, but they are not short on home comforts, particularly on the newest ships. Standard amenities include hotel-style beds, bathroom with high-quality toiletries, TV and entertainment system, hair dyer, safe and ample storage space. Some cabins have French balconies and proper walkout verandas, along with stocked mini-bars, suites with butler service and four-poster beds. If you're on a budget, the lower deck cabins have fixed windows but still provide a view, albeit at water level. Because cabin configurations and facilities vary from line to line, and ship to ship within a fleet, be sure to get all the details on how your stateroom will look before you book."

DW and I are considering either a French Balcony or "Aquarium" class cabin. We would probably spend most of our time in the public areas, or on the outside decks.

1. Just wondering, what is it like to be in an "Aquarium," i.e. water level cabin. Is it claustrophobic? They all have a window or porthole, correct? I ask, because considering the higher cost of a river cruise vs. ocean cruise.We usually book either a balcony or ocean view cabin but have never booked an inside cabin on Princess and Celebrity because I enjoy the view of ocean.
   

Thanks for your continued help and advice.

Edited April 15, 2017 by Kingofcool1947