Have heard many opinions on staying in lower vs higher stateroom accommodations.on the Longships
Is it worth the difference in price? Considering the very small windows, and how much time is really spent in the room though?
I look forward to responses and experiences,
I would suggest heading to Cruisecritic.com and find a thread for the specific company that you are looking at, room selection is always a big topic, it will vary by the company, the boat, and the river you are cruising on.
Some comments I see repeatedly, first, no, you are rarely just sitting on your balcony "cruising", and when docked, you are likely to be within arms length of another docked boat, and docks are not usually in the most scenic part of town anyway.
For days when you are cruising through the most scenic stretches of river, you are better off being up on the top deck, better view, you can see both sides of the river, maybe some drinks or snacks, maybe they even have some guide/narration going on.
YouTube also has a number of "river cruise" videos, ranging from pretty good to the typical YouTube slop. Room selection is often mentioned, if I recall the general advice, it is don't pay for the most expensive rooms unless you need more space, the mid range rooms are popular, experienced "cruisers" watching their budget just get the waterline rooms, and stay away from the engine room.
We have done several river cruises and always book the cheapest. cabins that are usually located in the deepest part of the ship.
There is a window that is above the water line.
Reason number 1: we don't spend much time in our cabin. We like to see sights and watch those on the river go by as well as socialize with other passengers.
Reason number 2: it is cheaper.
If by "Longships" you mean Viking, I have not taken a Viking river cruise, but I did take a river cruise last year, on a ship which is probably similar to the Viking ships, and I noticed that for the staterooms with outside balconies, they took some space out of the room in order to accommodate the balcony. You pay extra for a smaller room just so you can have an outside balcony you won't use, because it is so much better up on deck. Secondly, you aren't going to be spending much time in that stateroom except to sleep. My next river cruise I'm getting the absolute cheapest room possible.
We've only taken one river cruise so far, but the thing that characterized that trip the most was that it was very much a social event. That to me was the best thing about it. The people on our boat were very sociable and unexpectedly interesting. That to me was the most enjoyable aspect of the whole thing. So why would I be spending my free time in my stateroom when drinks are free in the lounge and there are lots of other interesting people on that boat?
So my answer is an emphatic NOOO it is not worth the difference in price.
IMO this is a personal decision:
Do you enjoy watching the world go by while in your PJ's with a cup of coffee? Or do you prefer to socialize and hang out with other guests?
Is the size and location of the room important or is saving money to use in other ways more important?
Unlike an ocean cruise, you won't have issues (usually) with turbulent waters or face land only from one side of the ship. But beware: sometimes water levels or too high or too low and you may not be able to go up to the top deck or you may need to be bused to destinations instead of sailing.
Happy to help!
I took a river cruise on the Danube with Gate 1. I was very glad that I opted for a room with the full window on the middle deck. I loved watching the river scenery as we traveled. Those on the lower decks would usually go to a public space on the ship and sit to watch the scenery. It’s true they don’t spend much time in their cabins, because the cabins have no view….. There are other places to get a view from the ship and if budget is tight that is an option.
I’m doing the Rhine this summer (also Gate 1) and I again opted for the middle deck.
The boat cruises mostly at night, so you don’t see a lot from your balcony unless there is a full moon. There isn’t room service so would have to go to dining room for coffee or the bar to buy a drink. The boat is small so walking/taking the elevator is not an issue. The experience is very different from a sea cruise on a large ship.Other reasons identified also make spending less money for an already more expensive way to travel make sense. It’s your choice…..enjoying your travels!
We have done several river cruises and some involved the boat traveling only at night, but others like our Danube cruise last year with Gate 1 Travel, did some cruising in the day.
Again, I always find the extra cost for a cabin on a higher level with a balcony was just not worth the cost. Why pay several hundred dollars more when we are not in the cabin except to sleep?
I'll voice a counter argument. We have done 2 river cruises and will take another this fall. In all cases we booked a cabin on the middle deck. I am a bit claustrophobic, and I'm short, so not being able to see out the window is a big deal for me. Plus, so far, we've found even the mid level cabins to be smaller than their ocean going counterparts. And unlike some, I do spend time in the cabin besides just sleeping. I'm not antisocial, but being surrounded by a couple hundred other people from morning to night wears on me. An hour or so of solitude in the afternoon or evening is welcome. YMMV.
I would have hated the lower rooms. Unlike an ocean cruiseship we found the river boat too small with too little evening entertainment that interested us. After dinner we were glad to have a room with floor to ceiling windows to watch the world go by.
Only you know your personal travel style—we spend evenings in our cabin and husband will also spend free time during the day there. I’m an eariy riser and don’t want to disturb him so we get the one-bedroom cabin and have more space. On a recent cruise he had a cold and spent the better part of two days in the cabin and was very comfortable. These accommodations work so much better for us and are worth it for us.
We took a Viking River cruise through France and opted for a balcony. In several cities, we were tied up next to another ship and found the balcony to be unusable. The other thing was that the ship sailed at night so there was really no scenery to sit outside and enjoy. I think the next time we will go for a French balcony with floor to ceiling windows.
We’ve done 3 Viking cruises. The first was the French balcony, the second was the Veranda. The Veranda didn’t work out so well for us. In addition to being tied up next to other ships,our room was the furthest aft during sailing the fuel smell was off-putting. So, for trip #3 we went back to the French balcony.
We've done several river cruises, all on Uniworld. After the first one, we always spent the big bucks on a suite, which was the size of two standard staterooms and had a nice balcony. The balcony was one of the best things about those ships to my thinking. I spent a fair amount of time drinking (ahem) tea and watching the happenings on the riverside. Great time, and for me absolutely worth the added cost.
