Amsterdam to Basel Questions

[knoxclone]

On 5/16/2023 at 10:25 PM, kiapghff said:

Host and Wings, I appreciate all the info you are spewing, I am sincerely taking it all in. Another question I have is Im doing this as a retirement gift/trip. I will be 50 but my wife will be 40 when we go. Will we (more her) feel out of place with older passengers? Based on your vast info, of the 4 cruise lines you just posted, is there a better line for the younger crowd? I can mingle with anyone, I dont want my wife to feel out of place.

I went on my first river cruise ( in fact my first cruise, period!) when I was in my late 40s on Viking.  Loved it and we have continued to river cruise - on several  lines.  I have never felt out of place - and we were definitely one of the younger guests on board. As multiple people have commented, the excursions are as active or relaxed as you choose. I do believe that the time of year and the length of the trip definitely impact the demographics of the pax. 

[CastleCritic]

Im 49 in a few weeks, my mother is 75.  We've done multiple cruises on Amawaterways going back to 2019 , Neither of us felt out of place.  On AMAwaterways ships the average age is usually 55-60 it seems, it really depends on ship (AMAmagna this month was a few years younger) and itinerary.   Sometimes you will have 90something on the ship, sometimes a few college age, it just depends.  The cruise line doesnt really have anything age catering, though I think their advertised higher activity levels (including biking) probably draws in a few younger passengers than some lines.

Edited May 20, 2023 by CastleCritic

[thepla]

We're doing this cruise in couple of weeks on A-Rosa. This is second A-Rosa and we loved last one. I travel with my son who is 14. He is free in lowest category. We got a free upgrade to next category and no charge for either of us.  We've done half dozen ocean cruises and we both like river better.

 

We are also doing an AMA in Asia in 2024.

[franski]

We have done Amsterdam to Basel twice - once with Uniworld, and once with Emerald.  The cruise with Uniworld was a Christmas market cruise, and it snowed so hard on the day we sailed through "castle corridor" that we couldn't even see the shore.  So - the next time, we went in September - and it was perfect.  Although, the Uniworld cruise was great - just not great for seeing the scenery.

 

As far as choosing which line to cruise with, there are more similarities than differences IMHO.  Things such as food, and quality of excursions are quite subjective. And something that can (and does) affect the overall experience is the cruise director.  The BEST cruise director we have ever had (and, we have completed 17 river cruises - with most of the major lines) was on our Tulip Time cruise with Scenic.  And the worst?  Also with Scenic. Food?  Believe it or not - the food that was the most memorable was in  Russia (with Uniworld).  Although, the deep fried insects on the buffet on the Mekong were memorable as well.... 🙂 Our 1st cruise with Uniworld on the Seine was wonderful from a food perspective. 

 

I think a spread sheet is a good way to start.  Look for things that you really want to see - and note which companies include them.  Look to see if they offer options for the tours. In Normandy (on our 2nd Seine cruise), my DH went to the beaches for a 2nd visit while I went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. Our 2nd Seine cruise was with Avalon - and we enjoyed the fact that there were choices for the excursions, so it was a different cruise - even though it was on a river we had already sailed. 

 

Look at cabins as well.  We almost always book Aquarium Class - as we are happy with a smaller window and saving money for the next trip.  If you do decide to go with Viking, look carefully at their cabin sizes.  Their French Balcony cabins are actually smaller that Aquarium class...  they move the corridor to allow for the "proper" balcony - with makes the French Balcony rooms smaller.

 

Good Luck - and enjoy your planning!!

 

Fran. 

[TravelWi65]

Can someone weigh in on whether I should use Viking’s airfare program or book airfare myself? I saw a review and then talked to a friend who said there isn’t enough time between connecting flights the Viking books flights. Thoughts?

[Host Jazzbeau]

No matter the cruise line, you will have more control if you book direct.  With Viking you have to pay two or three extra charges (one to talk to them, a second to 'deviate' your flights, and possibly a third if your preferred flights cost them more than the budget allows).  After reading too many horror stories (about many cruise lines), I am no longer even tempted by the 'free' or 'cheap' flight offers.  And don't expect them to be your lifesaver if the airline cancels or delays your flight – you are actually better off as a direct airline customer in such events.  I compare cruise prices in terms of the cruises themselves, and add my own airfare (which is the same for all cruise lines).

[Daisi]

On 5/16/2023 at 10:25 PM, kiapghff said:

Host and Wings, I appreciate all the info you are spewing, I am sincerely taking it all in. Another question I have is Im doing this as a retirement gift/trip. I will be 50 but my wife will be 40 when we go. Will we (more her) feel out of place with older passengers? Based on your vast info, of the 4 cruise lines you just posted, is there a better line for the younger crowd? I can mingle with anyone, I dont want my wife to feel out of place.

 

That was the age we were when we started cruising, and still working so we had to limit our time. We were on Avalon, and there was a couple who were in their early 30's, and a family with 2 older teenagers - one I think was just starting college or in first year, the other would be finishing High School. There were more in the later 50's and early 60's, and some older couples. Our last cruise in Sept, we had a family with 2 teens who would probably still be in High School, and a mix of 30's to mid to late 60's. There were a couple older ones who were travelling with younger family. The nicest thing about Avalon was the kids would take the bikes out and bike around the towns, and a large group went hiking, so there were excursions for all ages. 

[Canal archive]

kiapghff don’t forget regardless of our age now, we’ve all been there and most probably feel we’re still an awful lot younger than we really are. The last thing you would feel is out of place for age or anything.

[Host Jazzbeau]

AMA has certain sailings in conjunction with Adventures By Disney, so their newer ships have cabins designed for 3 or 4 and also connecting cabins [see gold box explanation in image below].  That should mean that those ships, even when not ABD cruises, would be more attractive to family groups.

 

 

[RobInMN]

Adventures by Disney's affiliation with Ama is exactly why we chose them in 2019 for a 3 generation cruise with 9 of us. It was not a Disney chartered cruise, but figured if it was good enough for Disney, should be good for us. We did Rivers and Castles from Nuremburg to Luxembourg. Our niece was the youngest at 10, my parents, the oldest (80's). There were a number of kids, probably a couple younger than her. There were 2 family groups larger than ours. I can't say that any particular age range stuck out with me. Ages ran the gambit.

My wife & I did the Grand Danube on AmaMagna in 2023 (From Vilshofen to Giurgiu). We were 54 at the time. First week was designated as a "Wine Cruise". Not sure if that had anything to do with it, but we felt the age range screwed younger that first week than the second week. We were probably right in the middle the first week, and maybe slightly on the younger side the second week. The second week's itinerary probably is not as attractive to the younger cruisers, so that might have had something to do with it. There were no kids on either week. Guess would be that the youngest might have been mid 30's?

We also did a Christmas Markets cruise on Grand Circle in 2022 with my family (minus our daughter this time). While overall the largest age group was probably older than us, there was a wide variety of ages and families, and the crew made a comment about having the most kids they've ever had on a cruise.

So, from my limited experience, while the cruise line you choose has a lot to do with it, as some don't allow kids at all, I think certain itineraries might lend themselves more to families or younger cruisers than others.

 

 

[kiapghff]

3 hours ago, Canal archive said:

kiapghff don’t forget regardless of our age now, we’ve all been there and most probably feel we’re still an awful lot younger than we really are. The last thing you would feel is out of place for age or anything.

Oh I’m definitely not afraid to be the youngest. I’ll talk to a wall. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, kiapghff said:

Oh I’m definitely not afraid to be the youngest. I’ll talk to a wall. 

Oh, you're married then? 🤣

[Canal archive]

I am yes to a marketing man and they never retire!