Carribbean cruiser going River Cruising, what to look for?

[franski]

Food & wine are subjective...  I have travelled on most of the lines, and it can even vary from boat to boat within the same company.  The kitchens are small - and the head chef often brings his own crew - so menus play heavily on the strength(s) of the the kitchen crew.  Most offer some type of local fare - and most also have a "basic" offering (steak/chicken/fish) if you don't like the menu that night. 

 

In 15 river cruises, the best food we had was on the Seine (Uniworld), the Elbe(Viking) and, believe it or not, Russia (also Uniworld).  The other cruises had areas of brilliance, and some of mediocrity as far as food goes. I wouldn't (personally) choose a line just for the food.  Although it is important, I would look for other things in making a decision.  Itinerary is important.  And, although I can appreciate the point that people are making about a 7 day itinerary, I think - since you have done your homework - you would be ok with a 14 night cruise. We love river cruising, and 7 days isn't long enough for us.  And, I agree with Daisi... it can be busy.  But - so much fun.

 

We always travel Aquarium Class...  You spend so little time in your room that we don't miss having a bigger window.  And, we always have the lounge and/or top deck if needed.

 

I would suggest you also look at Avalon.  Their price point is similar to Viking (perhaps even a bit better when they have a sale...) but don't require final payment until 90 days ahead.  We like the package they offer.  Relaxed - options for excursions. Good quality for the money. 

 

Fran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12, 2020 by franski

[ljandgb]

We have a 14 day Danube cruise scheduled with Avalon for September 2021.  I haven't sailed them yet, but the 90 day PIF was enticing in this uncertain world, as is the fact that you can transfer your deposit to any other Globus offering without penalty.

[oracer]

Thanks again for everyone's comments.  I am going to get that book on Amazon.   I am talking with a rep from Crystal and he does make good points of having a first class style treatment on there cruises, just not sure of the price point given that I still have to pay for flights.   Some of the others have airfare included at Free or discounted.   

 

Right now I am thinking the Adventure Cruise with Viking as it has 14 days at the same price as a high end Crystal.  Yes, I understand the service will be less, but we are thinking more about the ports and the sightseeing opportunities.   I can always ask where a great restaurant in the port is and pay a little there to get a high end food opportunity.   

 

I will have to look at all 12-14 day trips in October timeframes to verify.

[Roz]

1 hour ago, oracer said:

I am talking with a rep from Crystal and he does make good points of having a first class style treatment on there cruises, just not sure of the price point given that I still have to pay for flights.   

 

After taking 3 cruises on Uniworld, I can't imagine what Crystal does that makes them worth thousands of dollars more than Uniworld, Ama, Tauck, etc. 😄  Maybe someone who's sailed Crystal river and some other lines can do a comparison for us or explain the difference.

 

On my last Uniworld cruise I got upgraded to a suite with a butler in exchange for taking a bump at the last minute to a different date.  It was nice having a larger room, and the butler was an added extra, but would I pay for it?  Honestly, no.  

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, oracer said:

Yes, I understand the service will be less, but we are thinking more about the ports and the sightseeing opportunities.   I can always ask where a great restaurant in the port is and pay a little there to get a high end food opportunity.

 

Not so fast.  A high end restaurant at lunch will cut out a large portion of the time for sightseeing.  And a high end restaurant at dinner may have you watching your river ship sail without you, as they generally sail right around dinner time.

[sharkster77]

Agree 1000% with our esteemed moderator---- @oracer,  erase from your mind the ocean cruise model of being in port for an entire day, with an arrival/departure schedule that is known months in advance.

 

Two ships from the same cruise line may both be in port at the same time, headed in the same direction, and have completely different schedules based on traffic levels passing through locks, availability of berths at the next stop, etc.   You may even be told one departure time in the morning, and then be advised of a change at lunch------it's all very fluid.

[Roz]

One of the keys to enjoying a river cruise is flexibility.  As @sharkster77pointed out things can change on a daily, even hourly, basis.  On my last river cruise, the Rhine was at record low levels.  We were one of the few ships to make it the whole way from Amsterdam to Basel without it becoming a bus trip.  Some ports were skipped, others were added at the last minute, and times in port adjusted.  There was no evening entertainment because we never knew where we would be docked and when.  It was still a great cruise and I didn't hear any complaints from the passengers.  We were just glad our captain got us to Basel on time and no one had to change plane reservations at the last minute.  

[trivia addict]

Lots of great advice here. Have only done one river cruise after nearly 40 ocean cruises. That cruise was a Viking Christmas Market cruise last year. 
It was enough to convince  me that most future cruises will be river cruises.

It is  more culture oriented  than entertainment, so before going you must realize that.

Our onboard entertainment each night was unlike any of that on Celebrity, etc.

One night, we each decorated a Christmas ornament for the ship tree, another was a demo of how to make apple strudel, another was a local children's choir singing carols....you get the idea!

Other than Included beer and wine, we had to purchase an alcohol package. But it was much less than the ocean ships and the quality of the alcohol was much higher.
Our cruise took us from Nuremberg to Budapest where we spent 3 extra days. I highly recommend a stay in that city if you are a history buff.

BTW, a “Sisi Tour” is great, as are the books on her by Alison Pataki.