European River Cruises

[Daisi]

@pontac, that sounds like what I put my TA through... 🙂 Good thing she puts up with me, although I am doing more and more of the research for her.

[Canal archive]

Pontac I tried to find an emogie that was - laughing, crying, tearing its hair out and sticking its tongue out at the same time but failed, so my advice - should you wish to take it - keep on whatever hair you have left and do what us Brits always attempt to do - chin up and carry on, think a certain wonderful suite of films!

[Nippy Sweetie]

@pontac at least she's keeping you busy! 

[pontac]

14 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We have stopped trying for perfection in travel. 

 

Maybe you'd pop-over here and have a word with Mrs P 😉

 

I meant to quote the bit from my earlier post about  the river and excursions not having importance to us....

 

Then I discovered that just getting to the cruise is of top importance to Mrs P. 

 

As an aside, the none of the Cruise line's websites give all the info.....

 

 

Edited March 24 by pontac

[pontac]

14 hours ago, Daisi said:

, that sounds like what I put my TA through

 

I can understand  why people use TAs.

[Nippy Sweetie]

I don't know re TAs. We just don't use them much over here. I quite enjoy all the detective work putting together a cruise or other form of holiday (they do exist!). It's part of the anticipation and enjoyment of it all.

[Daisi]

2 hours ago, pontac said:

 

I can understand  why people use TAs.

 

1 hour ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

I don't know re TAs. We just don't use them much over here. I quite enjoy all the detective work putting together a cruise or other form of holiday (they do exist!). It's part of the anticipation and enjoyment of it all.

 

 

I'm actually probably a TA's worse nightmare. I research (like 2-3 years ahead) so I know what to expect and what I can possibly see. So when I email my TA to tell her I'd like to book "x" cruise, she goes ahead and pre-books it, so when I stop in later that day to go over things, she *thinks* she is starting off well. She knows what cabins we like, so that's ok, but it's all the double checking I do for sales etc. that keeps her on her toes...and the flights. We always ask Avalon to make a note on file that we may be using their air, but even for my cruise next May (2025) I've been checking the flights they provide so she will know what ones to check. 🙂 

 

Pontac, would Mrs. P like travelling by train instead of plane? You are lucky in Europe, your trains are so much better than ours.

[pontac]

2 hours ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

I don't know re TAs. We just don't use them much over here.

 

I'm in the country bordering your south, and we don't use TA's. For the 16 river cruises we've taken I have booked direct with the cruise line. 

 

But the work involved in this one trip makes me envy those who've found a good TA who knows their business.

[pontac]

54 minutes ago, Daisi said:

would Mrs. P like travelling by train instead of plane?

 

Mrs. P likes (the idea) of train travel. In fact that was what swung her agreeing to the Bordeaux trip with Scenic.

 

But I found out that Eurostar arrives in the north of Paris but the train to Bordeaux leaves from the south of the city. So I called Scenic and found they didn't provide transfers. When pushed they suggested using the Metro but I didn't reckon two old codgers would enjoy manoeuvring cases down to the Metro, up at the other end, then dragging them to the station, finding the platform and hauling them onto then off the train...

 

Anyway the cruise in 2020 was nixed by Covid and again in 2021. For 2022 I unilaterally switched to air as there's non-stops London to Bordeaux and all we needed was to get our cases to check-in.

 

However Scenic booked us indirect flights involving an outward change at Paris and inward change at Amsterdam and flew us out a day early. (see Review of Beautiful Bordeaux 11 day cruise on Scenic Diamond from 17 August to 27 August 2022 with comparisons to Viking - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community for the story.)

 

Since Brexit Eurostar travel hasn't been so easy and Eurostar have recently reduced the numbers of passengers per train because of long delays at passport control.

 

[Daisi]

OK, I have been avoiding Paris as long as I can...big cities terrify me, to many people. I was thinking more of your cruise for the Douro. 🙂 

[pontac]

 

38 minutes ago, Daisi said:

I was thinking more of your cruise for the Douro.

 

We'd still have to cross to mainland Europe with Eurostar if we were going by train all the way. That'd involve 3 trains London>Paris>Madrid>Porto - 21+ hours

 

If we fly to a nearby city then train then that's worse than taking a connecting flight. 

[Nippy Sweetie]

@pontac Peebles can be nice at this time of year 😄

[Canal archive]

We Eurostared it for our South of France cruise that was London to Lyon and return but I’m not to sure if they still offer this service. What may be of interest to Mrs P would be to have your luggage couriered it has to go a bit before and arrives back after you do and of course you to pay but it’s absolutely brilliant no cases to lug around they arrived on time really good service this was for our Seine cruise.

[CDNPolar]

18 hours ago, Daisi said:

OK, I have been avoiding Paris as long as I can...big cities terrify me, to many people. I was thinking more of your cruise for the Douro. 🙂 

 

I get this...  the terrify comment.

 

I was born and raised in Toronto.  Largest city in Canada.  Small by other cities that I have visited like Beijing, Tokyo, New York, etc., but big to me.

 

My niece was raised north of Toronto in a small rural town.  The first time as an early teen that she was in Toronto with me to see a stage show, she grabbed my arm walking down a busy Yonge Street downtown Toronto and asked me:  "Why does everyone look at you like they want to kill you?"

 

I never looked at it like that.  I just saw the looks on people's faces as the persona of the city.

 

Paris is a beautiful city.  I actually find the hoards of people around to be a comfort.  I am more concerned if I am walking or moving about in a deserted area of a big city.  The crowds are comforting to me.

[Canal archive]

Now Porto is a small compact interesting city not a bustle in sight. Salamanca is similar! Some of these small European cities are really quaint no fuss no bother wonderful eatery’s and bars and occupants who actually have time to stop and chat. Or go out to the countryside to the local villages it’s well worth it. I really don’t do big cities now but at heart I’m a Londoner born and bred I remember full well following my mum through the inner city at first really scary but I soon got used to it as our capitol city is really an amalgamation of small villages and towns.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Paris is so beautiful though. However, Paris CDG airport is terrifying. We once had a 45 minute connection time and I  still have nightmares about it. Staff stunningly unhelpful! Luckily, OH has nerves of steel and pushed his way to the top of the passport queue while I trailed behind apologising to everyone. Others were crying as they'd missed their flight. It was really awful. We made it just as our gate was closing. That was for a cruise on Azamara Onward and with flights organised by them. Never again.

[Canal archive]

I’ve found the French quite pleasant as long as they’re not in Paris! 😆

[pontac]

Update:

 

I've never been to Peebles, so I hope @Nippy Sweetie will forgive me but I booked Unforgettable Douro 28JUN24 - 08JUL24 with a balcony cabin with Scenic today.

 

Our host on this board @Host Jazzbeau has recommended this cruise as being the only one that takes a bit longer than the others 7 day zip up and down the Douro.

 

Mrs P won't fly TAP after being bumped last time, so we are flying BA/Iberia Business Class via Madrid. This avoids early starts and has the benefit to us of using LHR instead of LGW.

 

The lousy (I don't know if I'm allowed to say 'crap') Scenic website doesn't have ship floorplans, so when offered the choice of two cabins I couldn't see where they were, but I've since dug out the brochure and see I've got the rearmost middle deck. Just glad to get any,

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

@pontac glad you found something that ticked all the boxes.  I can understand the issues about flying TAP, although I made it even worse by booking an Azores Airlines flight through TAP – neither one has great customer service and both sent me to the other on every question!

[Nippy Sweetie]

Glad you found something that meets your OH's stringent stipulations@pontac.

I remember being on a TAP plane and actually seeing my case being left on the runway! It was returned to me the next week looking rather the worse for wear. Needless to say, they'd loaded OH's case! TAP? Grrrrr!

[Daisi]

Glad you found something. To tell the truth, the websites for both Scenic and Emerald are so bad, I gave up even looking to see what they have. I am amazed that they are so user UNfriendly.

[Canal archive]

What is even more disturbing is they didn’t use to be, okay you had to look but it was all there. Do you think it’s something to do which the qlitches last year? Plus haven’t they just announced changes in how they talk about their cabins. I’m beginning to think I’ve had the best years of what used to be an excellent company which now seems to have been taken over by dolts. I can understand them directly employing their staff  but I have a horrible feeling they are letting their cruise directors have to much control, they are not directly employed and switch between cruises as they require and decide. Over the years we’ve watched their various captains grow and gain experience (there must be something with the company because they stay) we watched the young man on the Douro Cruise gain his experience with the company from our first Seine cruise to being more qualified than the full Captain as he returned to the ship to navigate through the Napoleon bridge, whilst on our second Seine cruise two of the captains gained their qualifications to navigate Honfluer harbour. I’m beginning to think a ********* company starting to go to pot.

[franski]

On 3/21/2024 at 7:27 AM, pontac said:

Well, are they each so different?

 

And to really know one would have experienced them, and few/none  of us have been on them all...

I think, from reading this forum, that they are all much of a muchness, and they differ only in minor ways.

We have travelled with AMA, Avalon, Uniworld, Scenic, Emerald and Viking. As I mentioned before, DH & I feel there are more similarities than differences.  We have travelled some rivers twice (Seine, Rhine, Danube between Nuremburg & Bucharest...).  We just love river cruising - and look for different experiences.  For example, our 1st river cruise was with Uniworld on the Seine. We re-sailed the Seine with Avalon - and had different stops... so - same river, different vacation.

 

The VERY best cruise director we ever had was on Scenic - when we did a Tulip Time cruise with them.  Conversely, the worst one we had was also on Scenic. Local tours guides are usually quite good with all lines, but sometimes you get a dud.  Again - no control over this. 

 

We have only done one AMA cruise.  It was OK, but not phenomenal.  We are booked on our 2nd with them this May --> on the Douro.  I went looking for dates, then prices - and compared the 2 companies that had what I was looking for. AMA is a bit more money, but we are getting extra days on our pre & post-cruise portions. Just happy to be on the rivers...  

 

Fran