Looking for a new cruise line. Your help please.

[mozfoz]

We have previously sailed the Rhine and the Danube with Uniworld. While we had wonderful trips, there were things that we feel were missing. Maybe our expectations were too high. We are now looking at other lines for a Seine cruise to Normandy. Right now, Scenic and Tauck are looking as front runners, but we are asking for your help. We are open to all suggestions. All inclusive is not a requirement as we drink little. Town tours are fine, but churches, castles, and museums are no longer of interest. Attractive ship decor, attentive staff, good food is important and a little entrainment is welcome, though not local folk entrainment. Cabin size is also not important. Aquarium class or a French balcony is fine. Never done a suite! We would like to hear your prospectives and experiences.

[Daisi]

Attentive staff can vary from ship to ship, someone can sail on one ship and have fantastic staff, and then on the same line on another ship and just have staff that are good but....  

 

Food is a very personal thing, do you wish local food or more general American style ( I'm not talking hamburgers unless having a BBQ, but that would disappoint me if I was on an European cruise)? 

 

As for decor, that is also personal - look through YouTube videos (by passengers not the cruise line) to see how the ships are set up.

 

We've been happy with Avalon, 2 cruises and have had great staff (although we never saw our cabin attendant on the last one, and I will say the staff were interacting with the passengers more on our first cruise pre-covid). Food is good, with a lot of local dishes so we get to try stuff we've never had. Design is contemporary, so not fussy or plain. We always stay on the 2nd level to be close to the water but able to open the window.

 

Unfortunately, the excursions are going to be mostly around the local attractions which will include churches and castles. One of the things I do like most about Avalon is the ability to choose different tours when you are repeating the same town. Or you can always take a bike out (or do a full bike excursion), or hike, or just wander around the town.

[Roz]

What exactly was missing from your Uniworld cruises? 

 

All inclusive isn't limited to drinks.  It can include gratuities,  transfers,  shorex,  etc.

[ural guy]

Interested to hear the responses on tours.  

 

I would like the chance to kayak, bike, walking tour of street art...something different than 'ABC' (another bloody church/cathedral/castle).  Which if you've been to Europe a few times, you've probably seen quite a few of.

Edited January 28 by ural guy
Added detail

[mozfoz]

I know the questions are all subjective. I know all food is regional. I know the different ship decors. I read CC daily.  I know what all inclusive means or does not mean. I do look at You Tube and brochures, but all of that is staged advertising. Instead of telling what I prefer, maybe it would be simpler to have just asked your favorite line experiences, how well, and why you liked a line. We have traveled Europe multiple times, via land and ocean ship, but only 2 river cruises. I am asking for personal opinions on lines you were happy. Thanks for the replies.

[RobInMN]

Since you read CC daily, can I assume you have read people's reviews?

My wife and I are fans of AmaWaterways (we've done 3, 4th booked for Spring '25). We have not done any of the other lines you mention, so can't compare. We've done a Grand Circle with my parents. They love it, we hated the ship.

There are almost always multiple excursion options at each port. I think there are typically town walks, but if there is a significant cathedral, they will probably pop in. You can always wander on your own. Food is usually a bit more upscale than we like, but it's good and not super fancy (we don't go hungry). We are not big drinkers either, and that is not "all inclusive". There's a happy hour and wine with dinner.

The rooms are bigger and nicer than GC, and you are paying more for that. So that might not appeal to you if room size is not important.

Crew has always been super nice and attentive (but so was the GC crew). 

Some Ama cruises are designated as wine cruises, so avoid those if that is of no interest.

On the 3 Ama cruises, there was evening entertainment with an onboard piano player (and DJ). Once they brought on a glass blower, and I think there was local entertainment once. 

As for the sips themselves, AmaMagna (on the Danube only), was amazing! The other ship we were on was AmaDante, which is an older ship, but it was still nice. Much nicer than the GC ship.

 

[knoxclone]

Are you actually wanting to visit Normandy, or simply enjoy a Seine cruise? Normandy is a big area and is if you are looking to do WW2 sites - know that for most cruise lines, there is a lot of bus travel involved, and a long day, and you must chose between the US or British/Canadian sites. 

 

[mozfoz]

We want to do the Seine for a number of reasons. We like the easy non-stop, round trip to Paris, the Seine is relatively stable with water levels, so no bussing worries, the towns appear charming with French influence, and of course while the day would be long, Normandy is of interest. No complaints about our Uniworld sailings, both actually very good, but we know there are other great lines. We thought why not try another and have something to compare. I read reviews, and take each one knowing they are subjective, which is fine. I was hoping to extract additional info as many of the reviews are of Viking and of the Rhine and Danube. Maybe value for money thoughts. Thank you for your responses.

[CDNPolar]

I am probably going to meet some resistance and pushback from this comment, but I think that a river cruise is a river cruise is a river cruise.

 

They all do the same excursions in every port.  The cruise lines rarely design or curate a new excursion, they are all out of the box in each city and country fun by excursion tour companies.

 

For us it is about level of service from the crew and food on the ship.

 

I love the "ABC" statement - never heard it said that way before...  I would recommend that you book your excursions through Viator or a company like that as you can often choose something that is not offered by the cruise line and if it is, it is generally cheaper.

 

As for entertainment, most of the river lines are going to bring on local entertainment or it is the crew themselves.

 

We love Viking, but I cannot say that they are any better or different than Uniworld frankly.  Viking are not going to love reading that comment, but we love Viking for very specific reasons.

[mozfoz]

3 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

I am probably going to meet some resistance and pushback from this comment, but I think that a river cruise is a river cruise is a river cruise.

 

They all do the same excursions in every port.  The cruise lines rarely design or curate a new excursion, they are all out of the box in each city and country fun by excursion tour companies.

 

For us it is about level of service from the crew and food on the ship.

 

I love the "ABC" statement - never heard it said that way before...  I would recommend that you book your excursions through Viator or a company like that as you can often choose something that is not offered by the cruise line and if it is, it is generally cheaper.

 

As for entertainment, most of the river lines are going to bring on local entertainment or it is the crew themselves.

 

We love Viking, but I cannot say that they are any better or different than Uniworld frankly.  Viking are not going to love reading that comment, but we love Viking for very specific reasons.

 

 

I agree 100% with you. We all know the definition of" insanity", but I thought I would at least try one last time.

[Canal archive]

We traveled with Scenic (we’ve only ever cruised with Scenic) last year for their 11day  Paris to, Honfluer return. There are only five companies that actually moor in Honfluer. Bikes are available just ask at reception, entertainment is varied one afternoon the tour leader of the previous day did the most amazing presentation about WW1. Plenty of time to tour various ports especially Rouen. If gardens are your thing Giverney is a must or you could join a painting class. It’s a special cruise. We’ve cruised with Scenic since 2011their staff have been unfailingly excellent the food especial and because they change around the excursions we’ve repeated two and a half of the cruises - the half was our first cruise which we did again but twice the length. 

 

[Roz]

I've cruised Uniworld and Tauck.  I give a slight edge to Tauck.  Tauck does little things not included in the official itinerary or pre-cruise information that add to the experience.  For instance, on my recent back to back cruises thru The Netherlands and Belgium, we had a Belgian beer tasting one afternoon.  Days when we weren't back on the ship for lunch, Tauck gave us each $25 to buy lunch in town.  At the various holiday festivals, they made arrangements with a local vendor to give each Tauck passenger a sweet such as a waffle or oliebol and a coffee or hot chocolate.  All we had to do was show our ship pass key.  

 

As far as shorex, we had a lot of choices that weren't ABCs.  😄  As an example, in Rotterdam we could do a walking tour to view the city's quirky architecture.  It included 4 stops to sample local food.  We also could tour the Royal Delft Factory and paint our own Delft tile, with lunch onsite afterwards.  In Bruges we had the day to wander on our own.  I spent most of my time in an art museum, but most passengers shopped and ate mussels and chocolate.  

[YoungDubFan]

I did the Seine Paris to Normandy with Avalon back in 2016. That was the wettest May on record at the time. Unfortunately this contributed to very high water levels & flooding, which did impact the sailing. I posted a very thorough trip report. Avalon was amazing during this. They adjusted the itinerary as needed so that we still saw most of the cites. On the way to Normandy, the docking area for Les Andelys was flooded so we skipped it but then stopped on our way back to Paris. The ships couldn’t get into Paris because the water was so high, so Avalon bused us to Paris & put us up at a 5-star hotel. We were given partial refunds & money for lunch each day.

 

Avalon has bikes on every ship. There is always a scheduled bike ride with the fitness person & you can also check out bikes to do your own ride. They have regular & a few e-bikes. Avalon also offered yoga or some type of fitness class every morning.

 

I’ve done 3 river cruises with Avalon and enjoy them. They fit my style of vacation.

 

Good luck with your research. You may just want to try a different line and see how you like it.  

[Daisi]

2 hours ago, YoungDubFan said:

 

I’ve done 3 river cruises with Avalon and enjoy them. They fit my style of vacation.

 

 

"They fit my style of vacation."

 

This is the most important, and also the reason we love Avalon. Others will choose other lines (or avoid other lines) for the same reason. The only reason I think I would look at another line is for the itinerary - like CroisiEurope's cruise on the Loire. 

 

Edited January 29 by Daisi

[ural guy]

7 hours ago, YoungDubFan said:

 

 

Avalon has bikes on every ship. 

 

Sigh, this is what I miss about Vantage's demise most of all.  They had e-bikes and regular bikes to use, no additional charge.  The times I went off riding on my own were some of my favorite days.  I miss my motorcycles while away from home, an e-bike is a nice fix and really extends your exploring range.

[Host Jazzbeau]

AMA would fit your likes – they pioneered bikes on river ships and have a wide choice of excursions in every port especially for repeat cruisers who have already seen the big name church/cathedral/castle.

 

But for the Seine, I must plump for Scenic's 11-day itinerary.  The extra time adds more excursion choices, docking in Honfleur is a wonderful treat.  And they are the only cruise line to use Ben Baillie as a historical tour guide – he came dressed as Richard the Lionheart to lead a hike up to 'his' castle in Les Andelys [castle ruins, but he made them come alive], then as Rollo the Viking for a pre-Joan tour of Rouen [you are there two nights, so you can still do the Joan sites if you want], and finally as a WWI doughboy for an onboard lecture that made trench warfare come alive the day before the WWI-focused tours.  Here is my review and blog of that trip:

[CPT Trips]

20 hours ago, ural guy said:

Sigh, this is what I miss about Vantage's demise most of all.  They had e-bikes and regular bikes to use, no additional charge.  The times I went off riding on my own were some of my favorite days.  I miss my motorcycles while away from home, an e-bike is a nice fix and really extends your exploring range.

You might want to check Grand Circle. Some (maybe all) of their river and small ships have bikes. 

[BentPicketRanchGirl]

AMA Waterways is wonderful. It is my favorite river cruise line. Although it includes beer and wine with lunch and dinner, and has a happy hour the hour before dinner, it doesn't include all alcoholic drinks, so you aren't paying for drinks you may not use. It has at least 2 and usually 3 options for excursions, to suit different tastes. They have an easier pace/mild tour option as well as more active options, including bikes. 

[franski]

We have done the Seine twice...  The first time was our 1st river cruise - with Uniworld...  and it was amazing. The second time was with Avalon. Also great.  

 

We have cruised with most of the main players - Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald, Viking, Avalon & AMA.  While most stops are similar (and, many still want to take you to the "most magnificent" church or cathedral...) - there are some differences. We have found that we have had more options when we travel with Avalon, and have re-sailed some of the rivers with them.  So - same river, but different trip.

 

For the Seine, we had options in every port except Rouen. The included excursion there was a walking tour of the town, but we had already done that.  I discovered that there was a new (at least, new since we had been there before) interactive Joan of Arc exhibit at the Rouen cathedral.  We walked over and went through that and quite enjoyed it.  After, we picked up sandwiches and drinks at a small booth - and wandered down to the river and ate lunch sitting on a bench.  Nice to watch the world go by...

 

For the day in Normandy, there were multiple options. You could join one of 2 groups heading to the beaches (one went to the US sites, the other visited the UK/Canadian beaches) - or, you could head to Bayeux to see the tapestry, and then visit an apple farm - where Calvados was produced.  My DH did the beaches again (said it was good...) - and I did the tapestry.  Lunch was included...

 

It would have been nice to sail to Honfleur, but I was happy with the tour we did.

 

We almost always travel aquarium class...  And Avalon's lower end cabins are at the top end from a space perspective. 

 

Fran

[Daisi]

10 hours ago, franski said:

For the Seine, we had options in every port except Rouen. The included excursion there was a walking tour of the town, but we had already done that.  I discovered that there was a new (at least, new since we had been there before) interactive Joan of Arc exhibit at the Rouen cathedral.  We walked over and went through that and quite enjoyed it.  After, we picked up sandwiches and drinks at a small booth - and wandered down to the river and ate lunch sitting on a bench.  Nice to watch the world go by...

 

 

 

Fran

 

 

I was checking the Avalon Dining site the other day for someone and noticed they now provide picnic baskets. Will possibly have to check them out when we are duplicating some of the Rhine on our next cruise.

[Got2Cruise]

We had the pleasure of enjoying a Seine RC a few years ago. Fortunately maybe one cathedral we saw but only the outside.

What you need to do is read the day to day itineraries very carefully. The devil is in the details. Will you be taking the precruise extension in Paris? What does that include. My number one advice is to confirm that the vessel is docked in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower. 
 

 

[Canal archive]

Rouen Cathedral usually closed on Mondays, and Scenic picnic baskets are superb.

[Atlavon]

Following, we have enjoyed 5 Uniworld river cruises on Rhine, Mainz, Moselle, Danube, Eastern Danube…but we have tired of the “just barely adequate” food. All the fish, no matter the name, has been remarkably similar and not so great. We have been Suite passengers and the Butler service has been good to excellent. Researching the France itineraries and considering Tauck, Scenic and Riverside (formerly Crystal).  First world problem, trying to choose amongst luxury river cruise lines 😆 

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, Atlavon said:

Following, we have enjoyed 5 Uniworld river cruises on Rhine, Mainz, Moselle, Danube, Eastern Danube…but we have tired of the “just barely adequate” food. All the fish, no matter the name, has been remarkably similar and not so great. We have been Suite passengers and the Butler service has been good to excellent. Researching the France itineraries and considering Tauck, Scenic and Riverside (formerly Crystal).  First world problem, trying to choose amongst luxury river cruise lines 😆 

 

Really?  Just barely adequate food?  I know that food is highly subjective based on culture, upbringing, and just individual tastes, but Uniworld has always - in my mind - had the reputation of higher quality food???

 

The only Uniworld we have done is The Nile, and although I would have still rated Viking's food to be slightly above this experience, it was much better than barely adequate.  We really enjoyed the food.

[UDChE89]

On 2/1/2024 at 1:02 PM, Atlavon said:

Following, we have enjoyed 5 Uniworld river cruises on Rhine, Mainz, Moselle, Danube, Eastern Danube…but we have tired of the “just barely adequate” food. All the fish, no matter the name, has been remarkably similar and not so great. We have been Suite passengers and the Butler service has been good to excellent. Researching the France itineraries and considering Tauck, Scenic and Riverside (formerly Crystal).  First world problem, trying to choose amongst luxury river cruise lines 😆 

I’m glad I’m not the only one that was marginal on Uniworld’s food.  I felt I had better meals on my Viva cruise than on Uniworld.