Is A River Cruise on Your Bucket List For '18?

[need2cruisesoon]

I've done many a ocean cruises in the past 10 years but a river cruise still eludes me to this time.

 

Perhaps I'll have the fortitude and courage to try navigating the Danube on one of those Viking long boats.

[mom says]

Wed love to do a river cruise some time. My only hesitation are the problems that arise when the rivers are either to high to get under the bridges, or too low to navigate. Which apparently happens more frequently than we thought. And I'm not paying that much to be schlepped around on busses if that happens.

[Keith1010]

A river cruise is on our bucket list. We planned to do it in 2017 but it didn't happen as our cruise was cancelled.

 

We are not sure if we will do one in 2018 or 2019 but it is on our radar screen.

 

Keith

[easyboy]

Wr are also eyeing a Vikings cruise, mostly influenced by its TV and print ads.

 

 

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[need2cruisesoon]

Wr are also eyeing a Vikings cruise, mostly influenced by its TV and print ads.

 

 

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Which itinerary are you considering ?

[easyboy]

Which itinerary are you considering ?

 

Rhine Getaway

 

 

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[6rugrats]

No, my DD and I took a Christmas Markets cruise this year on AMA. River cruising is not for me.

[new_cruiser]

No, my DD and I took a Christmas Markets cruise this year on AMA. River cruising is not for me.

 

What was it about the river cruise that makes it different from ocean cruises you've taken and not for you?

 

I've never done a full scale river cruise.

 

We did take a 2 night Three Gorges trip in China as part of a 3-week Intrepid Travel land tour in China. That was on Chinese ship. We took a ferry cruise on the Rhine - we cruised during the day admiring the scenery, got off in a town to spend a couple of nights there and sight see, then another day on the ferry. I don't think either experience is very similar to a week on a river cruise ship.

[Bizmark'sMom]

I did the Rhine Getaway on Viking last November, and loved it. But I am a port intensive kinda lady. I find sea days boring.

 

Some differences from an ocean cruise;

You are off of the ship seeing a new place every day.

Most of the tours start early -- 8:30 am.

There is no evening entertainment beyond a trivia game and a piano player. (Because you need to be up in the morning to see your new port.)

There are no formal nights, and no expectation to do more than find a clean shirt (or readjust your scarf) and run a brush through your hair.

 

I, personally, use a ship as a floating hotel. I don't care at all about the various shows, and one decent bar is plenty. (And no, I don't do formal night.) I am all about the new places I get to see. People who do like the shows, the nightlife, and enjoy sea days will find a river cruise to be very different.

[need2cruisesoon]

I did the Rhine Getaway on Viking last November' date=' and loved it. But I am a port intensive kinda lady. I find sea days boring.

 

Some differences from an ocean cruise;

You are off of the ship seeing a new place every day.

Most of the tours start early -- 8:30 am.

There is no evening entertainment beyond a trivia game and a piano player. (Because you need to be up in the morning to see your new port.)

There are no formal nights, and no expectation to do more than find a clean shirt (or readjust your scarf) and run a brush through your hair.

 

I, personally, use a ship as a floating hotel. I don't care at all about the various shows, and one decent bar is plenty. (And no, I don't do formal night.) I am all about the new places I get to see. People who do like the shows, the nightlife, and enjoy sea days will find a river cruise to be very different.[/quote']

 

Thanks for the good info, I appreciate your remarks.

[Shmoo here]

What was it about the river cruise that makes it different from ocean cruises you've taken and not for you?

 

I've never done a full scale river cruise.

 

We did take a 2 night Three Gorges trip in China as part of a 3-week Intrepid Travel land tour in China. That was on Chinese ship. We took a ferry cruise on the Rhine - we cruised during the day admiring the scenery, got off in a town to spend a couple of nights there and sight see, then another day on the ferry. I don't think either experience is very similar to a week on a river cruise ship.

We just did the China trip, including the 3 night stint on the Yangtze. It's very similar to the river cruise experience, just shorter. Much like taking a 3 night (ocean) cruise instead of a 7 night.

[pseudoware]

Are tracksuits allowed on river cruises?

 

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[puppycanducruise]

We did a Rhine River cruise several years ago on Avalon.

We are looking at doing a river cruise in 2019, hoping to combine a cruise on the Seine with a few days in Northern France trying to find the area where my hubby's father was injured during WWII (he has a lot more research to do, FIL didn't speak of his experiences).

But, nothing booked yet.

[capriccio]

OP - cruise critic has a River Cruising Board where river cruises are discussed 24/7. Take a look: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191.

[Bizmark'sMom]

Are tracksuits allowed on river cruises?

 

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Absolutely. Especially when padding down the hall for that first cup of coffee.

[mom says]

Absolutely. Especially when padding down the hall for that first cup of coffee.

 

I think pseudoware was making reference to one of the OPs earlier, more, um, unusual threads. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2571652

[jdvmd]

Did an AmaWaterways cruise a year ago. It was a wonderful time. Wish it had been a bit warmer as we went in November. Just a lovely experience.

[Roz]

For those of you considering taking a river cruise, don't limit yourself to Viking. They do all the advertising, but there are several good lines out there. I've done 2 rivers cruises on Uniworld and have a 3rd one booked. Look at what's included and what isn't, and how the line handles situations when they arise, such a high and low water levels.

 

Take a walk over to the River Cruising forum. Lots of helpful folks and information.

 

Roz