Amsterdam to Basel cruise with Scenic Cruise line

[doreman]

Has anyone taken this cruise  ? If yes, how was it and  the itinerary of things to do? We have taken the Scenic cruise from Nuremburg to Budapest and we thoroughly enjoyed ever aspect of it.

[pontac]

We took a Viking River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam last week of April this year. Then Amsterdam Schiphol was a crowded mess and we only just made our flight even thogh we got to the airport 3 hours before departure.

 

Hopefully it will be better when you fly home from Amsterdam but I'd be inclined to take a tour in the opposite direction. (the scenery gets more attractive in that direction too)

 

I don't know if you can fly non-stop from the USA to Basel but even if you have to connect at Amsterdam, it will surely be better as you should be checked through to Basel and will not need to handle baggage or get a boarding card.

Edited August 25, 2022 by pontac
correct spelling error

[CJANDH]

We did the Scenic cruise from Amsterdam to Basel plus a detour down the Mosel back in June this year. It was a great cruise with the Mosel leg being by far the most scenic and enjoyable. If you can afford the extra three days I would strongly recommend it. The Rhein has a few days of good viewing, but is a bit industrial a lot of the way. Wishing you a great cruise.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I agree with @CJANDH – while it's very convenient to fly into Amsterdam [most years...] the sail from Amsterdam to Cologne is pretty boring.  I would choose either of Scenic's alternative itineraries:  Charming Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle (Frankfurt to Basel in 7 nts) – with a few days at the end to see Lucerne and then fly home from Zurich – or if you've got lots of time Romantic Rhine & Moselle (Amsterdam to Basel with extra time in Holland and Belgium, and on the Moselle in 14 nts) – and still try to fit in Lucerne.

[notamermaid]

5 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Charming Castles & Vineyards of the Rhine & Moselle (Frankfurt to Basel in 7 nts)

That sounds really nice. How come, though, that they sail on the Main and Rhine but call it Rhine and Moselle??

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

14 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

That sounds really nice. How come, though, that they sail on the Main and Rhine but call it Rhine and Moselle??

 

notamermaid

 

Aren't Cochem and Bernkastel on the Moselle?

 

[I may be wrong – I'm an American, and they covered Geography during the Baseball Season so, you know...]

[notamermaid]

2 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Aren't Cochem and Bernkastel on the Moselle?

Yes of course. I see. The map reveals they sail through the Gorge onto the Moselle and back and then up the river to Basel: https://www.scenic.ca/tours/charming-castles--vineyards-of-the-rhine--moselle/13495

 

Scenic got me confused there...

 

Really nice this itinerary, forget big, dirty Cologne. I do not recommend hanging around the Frankfurt main train station area for too long, but other than that the city on the Main is a great place to start a cruise from.

 

From me another vote for the itinerary with the detour onto the Moselle or Frankfurt to Basel as an alternative. I am an armchair traveller these days but judging from land trips I would make my choice like that.

 

If you would like to see magnificent Cologne Cathedral and a few Roman ruins, go for Amsterdam to Basel. Worth exploring for sure.

 

notamermaid

 

[3Shelaghs]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

I do not recommend hanging around the Frankfurt main train station area for too long, but other than that the city on the Main is a great place to start a cruise from.

 

 

 

Frankfurt train station?? Are there some problems? If one had a day, would you spend it in Frankfurt or Mainz??

[notamermaid]

9 minutes ago, 3Shelaghs said:

Frankfurt train station?? Are there some problems?

You know, big train hubs attract unpleasant folks...  As well as a couple of streets around there. I have felt uncomfortable with begging and some guys being under an obvious influence of substances. Friend of mine was threatened and nearly got mugged there some years ago. Just be more vigilant than you would be in a small town.

 

Frankfurt and Mainz differ from each other a lot in some ways and are similar in others. For choice of Cathedral and other architecture as well as the old ships' museum I would go to Mainz, for shopping, a bit more financial elegance, art museums and the river view I would go to Frankfurt. As regard atmosphere and laid-back feel definitely Mainz.

 

I have had a look at the itinerary the OP is inquiring about and I see Mainz is not in, but neither is Rüdesheim! Which IMO is a plus. At Koblenz you can choose an excursion to Cochem. Really nice.

 

Hopefully a past cruiser of this itinerary will give their input.

 

notamermaid

 

[CPT Trips]

There are several reasons that Frankfurt is referred to as Mainhatten, some good, some not.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

There are several reasons that Frankfurt is referred to as Mainhatten, some good, some not.

That's all I need to know [and I live near 'Gotham' – but won't go there any more...]

[Canal archive]

I’m pretty sure that in any city in the world one has to be alert and watchful. Once on the outskirts of Cape Town (during the Mandela era) a lady who ended up on our Safari (worse luck) was leaving a restaurant after having just paid and was mugged, okay not a nice experience but if she had put her wallet in her purse before exiting and not had her concentration on doing that, such a little thing then maybe she would have been okay. 
Pity there are no cruising rivers there, it’s a beautiful country.

[notamermaid]

Vigilance and basic rule of not displaying valuables are important everywhere, indeed. I am certain that Mainhattan is nowhere near as hattan as the other one. That is just the powerful financial district with the skyscrapers in the skyline that gave it its nickname. On a pleasant Summer's day in the shopping area or old town, Frankfurt is as pleasant as any other big town in Germany. As I indicated, it is a good place to start a river cruise.

 

I have not sailed Amsterdam to Cologne but I have often thought that it is a long way without a stop, why not rearrange it and through in Nijmegen or Xanten? Anyway, Cologne is a fascinating place to explore, but Romantic it is not.

 

I am sure Scenic does offer a great product here, just the stops alone would make me choose that over Viking or Avalon, no doubt about it.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, notamermaid said:

I have not sailed Amsterdam to Cologne but I have often thought that it is a long way without a stop, why not rearrange it and through in Nijmegen or Xanten?

What AMA did on our cruise was a canal cruise, walking tour of Amsterdam and bus to see some windmills and then rejoin the ship in Wiljk bin Duurstede in time for lunch (after the ship had transited the boring canal stretch).  That way our introduction to river cruising was on an actual river, and the afternoon sail was a good chance to catch up on jet lag.

[ural guy]

Regarding the Moselle, by far my favorite river cruising we've done.  It was November, gorgeous weather, and we didn't see another cruise ship the 4 days we sailed on it.  We want to go back and explore this region further.