Viking Pre: Amsterdam Vs. Post: Lucerne

[Cruiseoholic000]

I would like to extend my cruise with Viking and am trying to decided between Pre: Amsterdam Vs. Post: Lucerne . I would like to go with Viking and not by ourselves. Our sailing is from Amsterdam to Basel in summer.

 

I will be coming from the states on the east coast so I should arrive in the am in Amsterdam. Will Viking have a tour option and if so what is covered in the tour? When do you have to be back on the ship? If there is no tour with Viking would there be time for a Amsterdam tour company tour and any recommendations on a company? Anyone know the last time slot for Anne Frank House tickets (going to buy online)?

 

With Lucerne I think I can get a direct flight back to the states. I have just started looking into Lucerne and it looks beautiful.

 

As always thank you CruiseCritic friends for all your help ;-)

[gnome12]

You wouldn't be flying back from Lucerne. Viking would transfer you to Zurich airport for a direct flight to North America.

 

If you are flying directly from North America, your flight into Amsterdam shouldn't be too much of an issue since you have no connections to worry about, but not doing a pre-cruise means that you have 6 hours of jet lag to overcome at the beginning of your cruise. That might tip the balance that way.

 

The pre-cruise extension in Amsterdam wouldn't entail any additional transportation, so would be simpler to do on your own at some future time. The post-cruise extension to Lucerne includes transportation from Basel to Lucerne (with presumably some sightseeing on the way) as well as a transfer to Zurich (likely fairly early in the day). It would be more difficult for you to replicate this on your own.

[sewon]

We did this cruise several years ago with the Lucerne add on at the end of the cruise. Lucerne is beautiful. The tour included a short introduction tour and a longer tour up into the mountains with a cog train trip back down (I think that's what it was called....can't remember the exact term right now). Hotel was nice with a great breakfast. Lucerne is an expensive area.

Amsterdam on your own is easy. Stay there a day or two and get over the jet lag.

 

 

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[wheezedr]

Another vote for DIY pre cruise in Amsterdam, which I will be doing starting 2 weeks from today. A wide variety of hotel options, easy local transport, a number of local tour entities for walking, riding, boating, etc. Even the transport from Schipol to town on the train is simple and inexpensive.

[Copaguy]

I vote for DIY in Amsterdam, easy to get around. We did a Uniworld Rhine cruise 2 years ago ending in Basel then on our own took the train to Lucerne. We then did a boat ride to the cog wheel train up Mt. Pilatus and the gondola down. Very nice. Got the tickets at the tourism office. As indicated above, you will probably want to fly back via Zurich, a train ride from Lucerne.

 

 

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