Carribbean cruiser going River Cruising, what to look for?

[oracer]

Long time mega ship cruiser mainly in the Caribbean ports, we are going to take 2022 cruise somewhere in the France, Germany, etc. type ports on something like a Viking cruise.   We are in our 50's and love wine and relaxing.  Excursions could be food/wine related or just seeing sites.    Price is not a problem other than we don't want to be gouged based on the room amenities.  We like getting Balconies on regular Caribbean cruises and usually have the drink package and the specialty food packages.   Many questions, but here is just a few:

 

• What is the best area to go for like 14 days and what cruise line?'
• What is the best time to go?
• I see some land/cruise options like going to Paris first, is this fun given that you have to take buses to eventually get back on the river cruise ship.

 

Thanks for any advise.  If the virus concern is dissipated by a vaccine, hopefully late 2021 or 2022 maybe a good option.

[SuiteTraveler]

I recommend either a Danube cruise or a Rhine River cruise for your first river cruise.  River cruising is not much like your mega ships. in the Caribbean, though. There is no 24x7 buffet and no one hangs out at the pool if the river ship even has one.   This is more of a luxury all-inclusive experience with 150 - 200 guests at. most.. All food and most beverages are included as are the tours. You should be aware you will be off the ship most mornings for a tour and often not get back onboard until  lunch and then another tour after lunch or time on your own.   I think Crystal and Uniworld are two excellent river cruise lines.  Crystal ships are sleek and modern,  Uniworld ships are modern with upscale antique furnishings that fit the area in which you are cruising.  Viking river cruises have upcharges and extra charges for everything from what I have read and you would need to buy a beverage package.  Their food is more American than Crystal and Uniworld which tend to serve food from the area in which you are cruising.  To me,  Crystal and Uniworld's approach to food makes more sense to me, but to each their own.  I also feel that Crystal's food is just a tad better than Uniworld's food, although both are excellent.  I have seen reviews of Viking where they are serving hotdogs, hamburgers or Chinese food on a European cruise. That doesn't really suit our food preferences.  River ships are narrow and long, so there's really not a lot of balcony. cabins, but many have French balconies -  doors that open to the outside in your cabin.   It is generally cheaper to fly in and do your own thing for several days before your cruise than to buy the pre or post cruise extensions.  Early spring is the best time to do the Rhine, IMO.  If you do a Rhine River cruise, you might find one that departs from Amsterdam and stay there several times - take in the. Keukenhoff flower show which is amazing with tulips everywhere in the gardens and show buildings.  Check online for dates for the Keukenhoff.  There is an unbelievable number of things. to do in Amsterdam from the Ann Frank museum to the Van Gogh museum but that's only the tip of the iceberg.  Do your research and buy your tickets in advance and I know you will love it there!  Another great cruise is the Danube river.  We went on the Crystal Ravel a year ago in November - Vienna roundtrip.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fine wine, excellent food and incredible tours.  We stayed in. Vienna ahead of the cruise and it is such an easy place to get around and explore.  We loved the Sisi tour -that was amazing.  But there is so much to do and see you will be spoiled for choice in Vienna. If you want to do both, Crystal offers a 16 night Multi-river cruise that starts in Amsterdam and goes to Budapest so you get the best of both rivers.  Uniworld offers a Main, Danube and Rhine discovery cruise of 15 nights.   Uniworld also offers cruises that are specifically for wine aficionados.  I would say, we enjoyed both Crystal and Uniworld almost equally but for different reasons.   There is no tipping onboard, btw, but we did tip bus drivers and tour guides.   In terms of Cabin, we had a Junior Suite on the Uniworld SS Antoinette and an S2 on the Crystal Ravel.  Both cabins were about the same size (I think the cabin on the Ravel was may 12 feet smaller than the suite on the SS Antoinette) and really perfect for us with a large bathroom with double sinks and walk in shower.  Here's video from the Crystal Bach, sister ship to  the Ravel:https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/CDC-Conditional-Sail-Order_10_30_2020-p.pdf

here's the Uniworld ship which does the Danube: 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

One other point about 14-day cruises:  Amsterdam to Budapest must go through the worst low-water stretch of the Danube.  If any area has to cease cruising, that will be the place [only the Elbe is worse].  Even 7-day Danube cruises that start in Nuremburg or Regensburg go through the low-water stretch.  If you decide on the Danube, my suggestion is Vilshofen to Budapest with some pre-cruise nights in Prague.

[Coral]

I would recommend buying one of the river cruise books out there.

[texasstar]

I would suggest you might want to start with a 7 day cruise, since you have not taken a river cruise.  I love them, but not everyone does.  We always add several days prior to our cruise to see the area of embarkation on our own.  There are "stickys" at the top of the boards that will give you good guidance on how to choose your cruise.  Another good site is "River Cruise Advisor".  They have a very good comparison chart of the different lines, so you can compare them.  We have taken 3 river cruises and AmaWaterways and highly recommend them.

[Roz]

@oracer, you've received some good advice.  Several river cruise lines offer beer, wine, and liquor as part of the cruise fare, so no need for a drink pkg.  Very few ships have specialty restaurants, only one main dining room, so no need for a specialty dining pkg.  As far as being gouged, river cruising is a lot more expensive than ocean cruising.  Not sure what you mean about room amenities.  Suites may come with a butler, so that adds a lot to your cost.  I've stayed in a variety of cabins and am fine with the bottom level "aquarium" rooms.  On a river cruise you're going, going, going every day, so not much time for lounging and relaxing.  If you choose a balcony cabin, be aware that your ship may be "rafted" to another ship when in port so you may have close neighbors and no privacy. 

 

Just do your homework and know what you're purchasing.  There are several good videos on YouTube that illustrate the difference between ocean and river cruising.  

 

Viking does a lot of advertising.  Nothing wrong with them, but there are other cruise lines out there that may meet your needs - Avalon, Ama, Uniworld, Scenic, Tauck, etc. - to name a few.  

 

All three of my river cruises have been in late Oct./early Nov.  Students are back in school, tourists are fewer, and temps are cooler for touring.  

 

Let us know what you decide.  Lots of helpful people post in this forum, so ask away.

 

[franski]

Welcome!!  So many options, and so many things to consider.   And - all of the (great) advice you have received so far might be moot given the changes expected in the industry.  For example, most lines have a buffet style breakfast and lunch (or, at least a hybrid of buffet and menu for lunch...).  I understand that buffets will not be the norm going forward!!

 

Almost all lines offer free flowing wine & beer at lunch and dinner.  Some offer an open bar - Uniworld & Scenic for sure --> but, I think Tauck may as well.  I am unsure about Crystal - they are fairly new on the market.  Scenic does offer a "specialty" dining experience - they turn the front of the  lounge into a small restaurant.  But, it is a set menu each night. 

 

Balconies are a subjective thing.  Some people will not sail without at least a French Balcony - others are ok with a fixed window in Aquarium Class.  If you do a common itinerary (ie: the Danube) - your chance of rafting is high - depending on the season.  So, the balcony may not be that useful.  But, you always have the lounge, and the top deck. 

 

There is an included excursion in each port.  Usually, sightseeing with a local guide.  So - if you are used to choosing an excursion based on your interest - you will be out of luck.  You may have some options available, but usually the choices (even if they are available) are quite limited.  And, arranging your own excursion isn't always possible as you may only be docked for a few hours.

 

If you like wine - and relaxing - you can always buy your own wine on shore and bring it on board.  It is allowed - they just ask that you don't drink it in the bar or on the top deck.  So - if this is what you are looking to do - it might be worth looking into a suite - where you can relax and drink your wine.  But, river cruising is an expensive way to have this type of time together.  

 

If you are used to cruising the Caribbean, you might prefer warmer weather in Europe.  So, June & September would be my suggested times.  Although, you might want to look at doing the south of France over harvest.

 

One other thing to look at is final payment.  Although you have indicated that price is not an issue, you might want to review final payment dates (ie: Viking usually wants full payment months - even a year - ahead) and cancellation policies.  Also - river cruising is *not* like ocean cruising in that you you can ask for a cheaper price after you have booked if the price drops. 

 

Whatever you decide... enjoy!!

 

Fran

 

[ljandgb]

It's a small detail, but I'll add that excursions can be nearly impossible to arrange on your own also because you may not know exactly where or when the ship docks.  River cruise docking is fluid, and can change quickly, and sometimes the ship drops you off in one town but may meet you in another.

 

I prefer itineraries that either spend the night or leave very late from towns at least some of the time, so that we have the option of eating dinner out in town and poking about on our own.

[notamermaid]

24 minutes ago, ljandgb said:

...

 

I prefer itineraries that either spend the night or leave very late from towns at least some of the time, so that we have the option of eating dinner out in town and poking about on our own.

There is an important aspect - daytime cruising and nighttime cruising. Rule of thumb is daytime - popular scenic stretches rarely more than six hours in one go - in Europe. Nighttime - to "cover ground", usually from dinner/after dinner to early morning. River cruise ships are relatively slow, they hardly ever do more than 25km per hour downstream and manage no more than 21km per hour upstream (and that is stretching it, 16 to 18 is more likely). So trying to get from Budapest to Amsterdam in 15 days is a lot of nighttime sailing. You can look at some lines and see how far they travel in seven days/nights. It gives you an indication of how intensive a port visit can be. Vienna and Budapest are typical overnight stays, Rüdesheim is often used for late sailing after a long musical dinner, Koblenz and Cologne are also often used for evening excursion and pub crawl, respectively. There will be others.

 

notamermaid

 

[oracer]

Wow, a lot of great advise.  Some of my questions have been answered around room as I am pretty sure the Aquarium type seems just fine as long as we have a view.   The reason on Caribbean cruises that we choose the balcony is just to relax at night, maybe get some fresh air as the ship is going from port to port.   With these river cruise ships being so small, I would guess a lot of people just relax on the top of the ship as it is going from port to port.   

 

One thing I didn't ask is about entertainment during the cruise.  Does the ship port in each area from say 8am to 10pm, so you find entertainment in the town that your ported at?  Doesn't seem that there are shows or other forms of entertainment on these types of cruises.   

 

Another aspect is food/wine.  I am more about some of these cruises that talk about a wine themed cruise (red wine would be preferred) that goes to multiple regions and say the wine that night for dinner is from that region.  We also like tastings as well and not sure if that is done then in your excursions to wineries or if it is done on the boat.   I also would rather have a cruise that has themed food from the region that we are going to then say a traditional steak, fish, chicken (maybe us style) dinner. 

 

For the ports, we are all about sightseeing that may have culture or some other aspect that we can only see if we are on these types of cruises.   We have been all over Italy and being in either Rome or Florence allowed us to see the normal sightseeing places but we also liked the not so normal places.   Seeing old castles, paintings, older artifacts are more our taste than to go shopping in congested small cities.   I liked the option of starting say in Paris, but the issue with having to board a bus to go to the ship in another town doesn't sound that great.  I did like the start of maybe in Amsterdam where we have never been before.  

 

Someone said to start at a 7 night cruise, we are more likely to do a longer one 12-14 day as it gives you time to just unwind.   I am almost positive that a river cruise will be relaxing and very enjoyable, so I know the extra 5-7 days will just enhance our experience.   We did Caribbean due to most of the time we had our middle age to now adult kids with us.   This cruise will be strictly the wife and I and probably two other couples with no kids.    

 

So, I will check out these other sites, but any chance of naming specific cruises and maybe lines might be helpful.  THANKS!!!!!

[Coral]

12 minutes ago, oracer said:

Someone said to start at a 7 night cruise, we are more likely to do a longer one 12-14 day as it gives you time to just unwind.   I am almost positive that a river cruise will be relaxing and very enjoyable, so I know the extra 5-7 days will just enhance our experience.   We did Caribbean due to most of the time we had our middle age to now adult kids with us.   This cruise will be strictly the wife and I and probably two other couples with no kids.    

I disagree with the advice for 7 nights. My first river cruise was 14 days and my last was 10 nights (wish it was longer). I think 12-14 nights will be fine. 

[gnome12]

16 minutes ago, oracer said:

One thing I didn't ask is about entertainment during the cruise.  Does the ship port in each area from say 8am to 10pm, so you find entertainment in the town that your ported at?  Doesn't seem that there are shows or other forms of entertainment on these types of cruises.

Generally entertainment is no more than a musician (or 2) in the lounge after dinner. Occasionally they will bring on local entertainment, but you will not find shows. Unless you are overnighting in a town, or unless there is a late excursion, you are usually on your way much before 10pm.

[oracer]

Is Viking considered lower scale?   I was looking at the Grand European Tour which is lower cost but is 14-15 days.   Food seems to be a little less quality, but that just looking at different youtube views that I have seen.

 

Crystal seems to be the highest quality with sort of everything is high-end.   I think you pay for it, but is there a considerable difference between say Viking and Crystal.   All cruises (especially in October) seem to be just 7 days.

 

AMAWaterways seems to be somewhere between the two above.   Its harder to find a lot more information about this line.

[Coral]

15 minutes ago, oracer said:

Is Viking considered lower scale?   I was looking at the Grand European Tour which is lower cost but is 14-15 days.   Food seems to be a little less quality, but that just looking at different youtube views that I have seen.

 

Crystal seems to be the highest quality with sort of everything is high-end.   I think you pay for it, but is there a considerable difference between say Viking and Crystal.   All cruises (especially in October) seem to be just 7 days.

 

AMAWaterways seems to be somewhere between the two above.   Its harder to find a lot more information about this line.

I strongly recommend you purchase a book. This is great: https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-River-Cruising-Handbook-formula/dp/1983943231/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ralph+grizzle&qid=1605041382&sr=8-1  and someone mentioned Berlitz.

 

There is a variety of levels. For example, on Crystal - I walked out of the cruise not spending a cent. Everything I did (tours) were included, all drinks included all the time, all tips included, etc... There were some tours that did have a cost but not the ones I did. On my Amawaterways, I did have to buy several tours, pay gratuities, etc... 

 

Gratuities on river cruises are more expensive per day than regular cruises. 

 

I recommend a book to explain the differences in the lines.

 

Some people do not like Viking due to their payment policies. They often require payment a full year in advance. I have not sailed on them to have an opinion.

[Coral]

25 minutes ago, oracer said:

Is Viking considered lower scale?   I was looking at the Grand European Tour which is lower cost but is 14-15 days.   Food seems to be a little less quality, but that just looking at different youtube views that I have seen.

 

Crystal seems to be the highest quality with sort of everything is high-end.   I think you pay for it, but is there a considerable difference between say Viking and Crystal.   All cruises (especially in October) seem to be just 7 days.

 

AMAWaterways seems to be somewhere between the two above.   Its harder to find a lot more information about this line.

Viking would be mainstream. They have a huge advertising budget and due to that, they are the only river company that many people know the name of. They also have a ton of ships that are identical. Amawaterways, Uniworld, Crystal are all higher quality.

 

I do have a friend that did that Grand European tour and was pleased.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Coral

[notamermaid]

What differentiates Viking and AmaWaterways in food, etc. I need to leave to others to comment on. A crucial difference is in the passenger capacity. The Viking Longships of 135m have up to 190 passengers, the recent AmaWaterways ships of 135m up to 158 passengers.

 

Crystal is high end and I believe the only line with a special butler service. You pay for that within the all-inclusive product and attention to detail which they have brought over from the ocean ships, so Crystal people say - and love it. Also in ship design and the attention to the outfitting. It sounds great to me but I personally would not sail with them for experiencing that, the prices that I have seen do not justify it for me. Coral can tell you all about Crystal.

 

You mention AmaWaterways: there is the Australian company APT that uses the AmaWaterways fleet and they have an itinerary which I love. Their Amsterdam to Budapest has so-called signature events that are exclusive, among them a train ride in Austria and a castle dinner at Namedy on the Rhine.

 

Oh, and I need to congratulate you on having already made the decision on a long cruise! If you think you will like it, go ahead. A first decision, now you need to see to the other categories like company... You have looked into this a bit already I see. May I just point you to Tauck and an itinerary I also find very interesting. It is their Rhine and Moselle itinerary: https://www.tauck.com/tours/rhine-moselle-river-cruise

 

I find it very interesting as they go to places exclusively and I know they focus on history a bit more than other lines. On this itinerary they do not stop in Rüdesheim, which I do not like (the town that is) as it is small and overrun. Some enjoy it as the museum is good and the wine and singing can be fun. I do not like this - I skipped the offer of doing such an evening which was offered on my itinerary in Vienna.

 

There are also the European companies, not all do a 14 day Amsterdam to Budapest. Their food focus will be slightly different. CroisiEurope more French, Riviera Travel more British, A-Rosa more German/European. But that is a guideline only.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited November 10, 2020 by notamermaid
clarification i.e. all-inclusive

[Ritabob]

oracer,  What an opportunity you have now to browse all the different river cruise company  brochures at your leisure.   Daydreaming and planning are great escapes from our present reality.

Our first river cruise was springtime in France.   A few days pre cruise in Paris and then 7 days through Burgundy and Provence.   Way too short.  You just got  over jet lag, into the groove and it was over.   

If you have done your research, know generally  what to expect, and you go with an open mind,  then a two week cruise is great.

You asked about evening entertainment.   As others have said that is not something most cruise companies boast about.  Most days you will have breakfast early because first tours of the day get going 8:30 or 9.  You could be on the go all day. 6pm cocktails and info briefing about the next day. Dinner at 7 that usually is drawn out until 9.  Nightcap and then you fall into bed exhausted by 10.  We love it!

RB

[Coral]

You asked about food. The river cruises I have been on have incorporated local cuisine along with cuisine that appeals to their passengers (a line that caters to North American's will have food North Americans eat). I absolutely loved the German and Austrian food on my river cruise. It is fun also to eat off the ship when you can.

[Coral]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

 

You mention AmaWaterways: there is the Australian company APT that uses the AmaWaterways fleet and they have an itinerary which I love. Their Amsterdam to Budapest has so-called signature events that are exclusive, among them a train ride in Austria and a castle dinner at Namedy on the Rhine.

APT has a financial interest (partial ownership) in Amawaterways. On my river cruise, half of the passengers were from Australia. Not sure if they still do that or not. I do know APT has several sailings that are entirely APT passengers.

[Roz]

Most river cruise lines offer dishes at lunch and dinner from the region you're sailing thru that day,  along with appropriate wine pairings.  You don't necessarily have to seek out a wine or culinary themed cruise.  

 

"Aquarium" class cabins only have a window along the wall at the top; you're right at the water line.  You can still see out but not like the deck above.  

 

I've only sailed in cooler temps, so most people tended to congregate in the lounge rather than the top deck.  However, when we were going thru the Rhine Gorge and the Iron Gates, we did go topside and huddled under blankets to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

[sharkster77]

@oracer Also, your assumption that the ship will be in port from 8AM to 10PM is unrealistic.  In some cases, you  may be dropped in one port and bused to the ship in another town.  The ship may have to queue up to navigate locks, for example, and there is no better time to do that while passengers are on excursions.  Some days we left port just before dinner.  Many times departure times are determined by local authorities, subject to change at any time.  That makes booking independent excursions impossible.

 

As many have said, the only similarity between ocean and river cruising is that the ships both float on water.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

As many have said, the only similarity between ocean and river cruising is that the ships both float on water.

And even that's an overstatement, because in one case it's salt and the other fresh! 😉

[Daisi]

21 hours ago, oracer said:

Someone said to start at a 7 night cruise, we are more likely to do a longer one 12-14 day as it gives you time to just unwind.   I am almost positive that a river cruise will be relaxing and very enjoyable, so I know the extra 5-7 days will just enhance our experience.   We did Caribbean due to most of the time we had our middle age to now adult kids with us.   This cruise will be strictly the wife and I and probably two other couples with no kids.    

 

 

Enjoyable yes, but to tell the truth, it's not "relaxing" in the general sense of the word.  As others have said, you are up early for breakfast, out on tour, back to the boat for lunch, usually back out again in the afternoon for another tour, back for the next day's review (and a quick cocktail if you wish), dinner, then maybe a bit of catching up with friends you have met, and off to bed to get ready for the next day.  

 

We relaxed the day after our cruise by taking the "milk run" train from Basel to Amsterday, re-tracing our route and seeing bits of the river we had missed.  To be  honest, we needed a holiday once we got home....but were already planning our 2nd cruise, as we liked it that much!

 

Travelling with friends is great, as even if you do seperate tours, you can compare over dinner or after what you had seen.  We met one couple that we had breakfast with every morning, and would compare our tours from the previous days.  It was a great way to get to know the ports you visited.

[Roz]

On my Danube cruise from Bucharest to Budapest there was an Australian couple who were miserable.  Clearly they didn't understand what it was they were purchasing, which is a shame given how far they traveled.  They were expecting a casino, production shows, room service, etc. similar to an ocean cruise.  They made their unhappiness know to anyone within earshot. 😒

[Daisi]

3 minutes ago, Roz said:

On my Danube cruise from Bucharest to Budapest there was an Australian couple who were miserable.  Clearly they didn't understand what it was they were purchasing, which is a shame given how far they traveled.  They were expecting a casino, production shows, room service, etc. similar to an ocean cruise.  They made their unhappiness know to anyone within earshot. 😒

 

We have seen many posters come here who haven't done their research and complain about the terrible experience they had.  This is why the 7 days for a first time cruise is good.  Long enough to know you want it to be longer, but short enough that if you don't enjoy it, you know it's over soon.