Crystal Debussy Basel to Amsterdam Port or Starboard

[wesport]

I am looking at the Debussy next year from Basel to Amsterdam. Just curious which side of the ship would be better?  Or, doesn’t really matter. 

[Roland4]

3 hours ago, wesport said:

I am looking at the Debussy next year from Basel to Amsterdam. Just curious which side of the ship would be better?  Or, doesn’t really matter. 

On a river cruise you truly only use your room to sleep, shower and change your clothes. The rest of the time you will be on the Sun Deck, or if it rains, in the lounge or the Bistro. 

[Keith1010]

3 hours ago, wesport said:

I am looking at the Debussy next year from Basel to Amsterdam. Just curious which side of the ship would be better?  Or, doesn’t really matter. 

I am sure this thread will be moved but just letting you know per Cruise Critic all River Cruise questions should be posted on the River Cruise Board.

 

Lots of good information on that board.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/

 

Keith

[tfred]

Doesn't matter as during the day you  are docked and touring or on deck.  There is one afternoon that you sail through the Rhine Gorge - everyone is topside since the castles are on both sides

 

We were on Debussy on this route a few years ago - you will enjoy it. It was one of the best traveling experiences that we have had.  It was so good that a few years later we did a Xmas markets cruise on Crystal on Mahler

 

Depending on your schedule, some people fly to Zurich and stay there to train to Basel.  Been to both and while Zurich is fun, it also bigger.  I would spend a night in Basel as well.  Smaller version of Zurich and nice in its own right.  I usually get to wherever I have to be the night before anyway just for safety.

 

We stayed in Hotel Spalentor in Basel.  Easy walk to town and rooms are very nice - not opulent but was clean and neat.  Try the Restaurant Kornhaus a few blocks from hotel.  Excellent food and lovely garden in back for dining

[wesport]

7 hours ago, tfred said:

Doesn't matter as during the day you  are docked and touring or on deck.  There is one afternoon that you sail through the Rhine Gorge - everyone is topside since the castles are on both sides

 

We were on Debussy on this route a few years ago - you will enjoy it. It was one of the best traveling experiences that we have had.  It was so good that a few years later we did a Xmas markets cruise on Crystal on Mahler

 

Depending on your schedule, some people fly to Zurich and stay there to train to Basel.  Been to both and while Zurich is fun, it also bigger.  I would spend a night in Basel as well.  Smaller version of Zurich and nice in its own right.  I usually get to wherever I have to be the night before anyway just for safety.

 

We stayed in HotelSpalentor in Basel.  Easy walk to town and rooms are very nice - not opulent but was clean and neat.  Try the Restaurant Kornhaus a few blocks from hotel.  Excellent food and lovely garden in back for dining

Great info. We will be in Basel for four nights before the cruise. Used BA Avios, and that is what was available. Good to relax and recoup from jet lag. We could I guess take the train to Zurich for a day trip. This will be our first river cruise. Might take the train to Paris from Amsterdam at the end and rent an apartment for one week post cruise. Haven’t been there in 20 years. 

[tfred]

50 minutes ago, wesport said:

Great info. We will be in Basel for four nights before the cruise. Used BA Avios, and that is what was available. Good to relax and recoup from jet lag. We could I guess take the train to Zurich for a day trip. This will be our first river cruise. Might take the train to Paris from Amsterdam at the end and rent an apartment for one week post cruise. Haven’t been there in 20 years. 

we did the reverse.  went to Paris first and then train to BSL.  A few extra nights in AMS then home

 

ZRH is an hour train ride and scenic enough so I would do it if you have the energy.  BSL is a days worth of sites and that is it - but it is nice.  

 

the food is excellent on board and the staff is super   Excursions are excellent.  Good news is there is self service laundry on board  - 2 sets .  Do it as soon as you get on board after the 4 days in a hotel.  It doesnt get crowded, but it will be busy.  Also - book any spa treatments asap since there is only one room and it does get busy

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Basel and Zurich are each nice, but Lucerne is the real winner in this area.  And the train connections Basel-Lucerne-Zurich are all good.

[sharkster77]

1 hour ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Basel and Zurich are each nice, but Lucerne is the real winner in this area.  And the train connections Basel-Lucerne-Zurich are all good.

Basel---Lucerne and Lucerne--Zurich airport are both one-hour train rides from each other.

[CILCIANRQTS]

We second Lucerne.

Doing 2 days there again pre-cruise in November ( hopefully!).

Beautiful, walkable city with plenty to see and do.

Don’t miss the Picasso museum - best collection anywhere.

And the chocolate shop at the train station is to die for!!

[sharkster77]

Another vote for Lucerne.  We did 2 nights in Lucerne after our Rhine cruise and LOVED it---so much to see and do.  We had sunshine the whole time, so we didn't really do anything indoors, except for entering the churches and shops.  Walked up along the medieval wall, walked along the lake, took a 1 hr lake cruise.  Hotel des Alpes, recommended by the Rick Steves book, was a 5 min. walk from the train, and it had a lovely breakfast.  Splurged and took a room overlooking Chapel Bridge.  Amazing.  Also recommend the brewhouse located under town hall.  Great German "comfort food", priced reasonably, and the unpasteurized unfiltered beer was unbelievable. 

 

And we did this all on our own for far less money than Viking wanted for the same length of time.

Edited May 4, 2021 by sharkster77

[Roland4]

18 hours ago, wesport said:

Great info. We will be in Basel for four nights before the cruise. Used BA Avios, and that is what was available. Good to relax and recoup from jet lag. We could I guess take the train to Zurich for a day trip. This will be our first river cruise. Might take the train to Paris from Amsterdam at the end and rent an apartment for one week post cruise. Haven’t been there in 20 years. 

A little "quirk" about flying into Basel is that the airport is "shared" by France and Switzerland. The result is there are two exits from baggage claim, one into France the other into Switzerland. We ended up doing a brief "visit" to France the one time we flew into Basel!🙂

[wesport]

2 hours ago, Roland4 said:

A little "quirk" about flying into Basel is that the airport is "shared" by France and Switzerland. The result is there are two exits from baggage claim, one into France the other into Switzerland. We ended up doing a brief "visit" to France the one time we flew into Basel!🙂

Love the info on cruise critic. Who Knew!

[tfred]

5 hours ago, Roland4 said:

A little "quirk" about flying into Basel is that the airport is "shared" by France and Switzerland. The result is there are two exits from baggage claim, one into France the other into Switzerland. We ended up doing a brief "visit" to France the one time we flew into Basel!🙂

separate Custom checkpoint and separate taxi line as well

[Roland4]

5 hours ago, tfred said:

separate Custom checkpoint and separate taxi line as well

This was back in 2015 and I don't recall there being a separate customs checkpoint. We were meeting a Tauck transfer, and when we realized the mistake, the French authorities allowed us to go back into the baggage claim area to the Swiss exit, and our transfer.

[gnome12]

18 minutes ago, Roland4 said:

This was back in 2015 and I don't recall there being a separate customs checkpoint. We were meeting a Tauck transfer, and when we realized the mistake, the French authorities allowed us to go back into the baggage claim area to the Swiss exit, and our transfer.

There are 2 exits; to France and to Switzerland. There are red and green lines to either side. You probably just walked out the green line, so you don't notice customs, but they are there.

[AnhaltER1960]

Back to the original question: The Rhine flows in northerly direction from Basel to Amsterdam. Means starboard cabins have morning sun, port cabins have evening sun. Docking ports are on either side of the river, so it is a coin throw, whether you see a quay wall or the open river (and another coin throw to see a rafting ship alongside or not).

The really interesting landscape of the Middle Rhine valley you will want to see from the sundeck with a 360 view anyway. Other parts of the Rhine are pretty boring, dykes or canal, so the cabin view does make a difference. If morning or evening sun make a difference to you, chose. Otherwise toss a coin.