First River cruise - please help to select!

[ak1004]

Hello all,

 

After 14 ocean cruises, we are planning our first river cruise for June 2020 (probably the first half of the month). After doing some research, we decided to go with Ama. But selecting the exact itinerary is a challenge. We are debating between the following 4 options:

Enchanting Rhine 11 nights 2 Lucerne 2 Zurich  

https://www.amawaterways.ca/destination/europe-river-cruises/2020/enchanting-rhine/dates-prices    

 

Captivating Rhine 11 nights 2 Lucerne 2 Zurich

https://www.amawaterways.ca/destination/europe-river-cruises/2020/captivating-rhine/dates-prices  

 

Melodies of the Danube 12 nights 2 Budapest 3 Prague

https://www.amawaterways.ca/destination/europe-river-cruises/2020/melodies-of-the-danube/dates-prices 

 

Gems of SouthEast Europe 13 nights 2 Vienna 2 Brasov 2 Bucharest

https://www.amawaterways.ca/destination/europe-river-cruises/2020/gems-of-southeast-europe/dates-prices  

 

The first two (Rhine) are basically the same, just different direction. Any pros/cons between those 2 options? The last two are on the Danube. Prices are the same for the cruise and slightly different for the extensions.

 

Any advice/tips would be appreciated.

 

[The Other Tom]

Can't comment on AMA but several people have mentioned that if you sail downstream, you get to each port quicker and perhaps have a little more time in port.  So everything else being equal, I'd sail downstream.  

I didn't look at your dates, but I've read on this forum that the Rhine is dam controlled more so than the Danube, so you don't have to worry about low or high water levels so much.  If the water is too low or high, the ships won't sail and you'll be riding a bus to the next port.  

For what it's worth, we sailed the Rhine from Basel to AMS (downstream, in the spring) and loved it.  That was our first river cruise, hopefully not our last.

[texasstar]

We have done both the Rhine, Moselle, (Sept. 2019) and the Danube Budapest to Prague on Ama.  We loved them both, so I will probably not be much help.  If you do the Rhine, I would encourage you to include the Moselle, which the 2 you have listed do.  We loved the small towns on the Moselle.  We also loved Amsterdam at the end of the cruise.  It is a beautiful city.

The Danube was our first river cruise, on a ship that was only a month old, so we were sold on river cruising after that experience.  If you choose this itinerary,  plan on spending a few days in Budapest.  There is so much to see.

I would suggest that you look in to doing the pre and post trips on your own, if you feel comfortable with independent travel.  You can do this part a lot more economical on your own.

I agree with The other Tom,  be cognizant of the time you are cruising in regard to water levels.  Late May, early June are generally good times in that regard.

[G.M.T.]

If I had to choose, then Melodies of the Danube. The Danube is a great river lots to see and do, but the icing on the cake is Prague & Budapest, these are two wonderful cities with their old world charm.

 

But don't leave it too long for a visit, as both are becoming very popular and in the future will be saturated with tourists.

[Roz]

You can't go wrong with any of those itineraries.  But be warned.  River cruising can become an expensive hobby. 

[AF-1]

ak1004,  we are doing our first river cruise next May.  we're doing the Enchanting Rhine; Basel to Amsertdam.  Ama was recommended by my friend who has sailed three times with them. We are also doing the 2nights Zurich and 2 nights Lucerne pre cruise

Edited October 8, 2019 by AF-1

[ak1004]

4 hours ago, G.M.T. said:

If I had to choose, then Melodies of the Danube. The Danube is a great river lots to see and do, but the icing on the cake is Prague & Budapest, these are two wonderful cities with their old world charm.

 

But don't leave it too long for a visit, as both are becoming very popular and in the future will be saturated with tourists.

 

Melodies of the Danube would definitely be our first choice. The reason for the debate is that we have been in both Prague & Budapest, but only for 2 days each (with Gate1 tour 3 years ago). We would gladly come back, but Lucerne & Zurich extensions which are the "icing on the cake" of the Rhine cruise are new for us.

 

So now the big question is: are the places on the Rhine cruise itself nice enough to visit, and sacrifice coming back to Prague & Budapest (plus couple another nice places on Danube cruise)? On both cruises, the extensions look very attractive, can we say the same about the ports of the cruise itself? This is the main dilemma: the ports on the Rhine vs. the ports on the Danube? 

 

2 hours ago, Roz said:

You can't go wrong with any of those itineraries.  But be warned.  River cruising can become an expensive hobby. 

 

Yes, I can definitely see it. Although when you compare it to good ocean lines like Oceania, and consider all costs included, the difference is not that big.

[notamermaid]

ak1004,

Comparing the two itineraries on the Rhine I have noticed that on the downstream one, the "Enchanting Rhine" they manage to squeeze in a visit to Lahneck Castle. Of those two choices I would go for the downstream one. http://www.burg-lahneck.de/html/gb.html

 

People have noted on CC many times that Amsterdam has good air travel connections which you might want to consider as the airport to travel home from.

 

Others might disagree.

 

Tough choice, I must admit. One thing on the Danube choices: three days in Prague sounds long to me in an overcrowded city. But then again, you could have a trip out to Plzen, etc.

 

Budapest I would gladly stay three days in...

 

All itineraries sound great and all places I know in those make me think that you will enjoy any one you choose.

 

Perhaps go for the most exotic one, the Rhine being such an easy river to do in later years?

 

Or go for the tried and tested, with Lucerne being raved about here on CC many times?

 

Or is there something you particularly like, like horses (Vienna shouts "here!") or castles till they come out of your ears (the Rhine gorge shouts "here!"), technical stuff (see Speyer on the Rhine for an amazing museum), or landscape sailing - for which I would personally choose the lower Danube as I expect it to be different from my West-European area, including flora and fauna?

 

One note on river levels. In June you need not worry about drought on either river, but might, just might, encounter late Spring flooding.

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

notamermaid