River Cruise Spring 2020

I have done three of them-Russia, Danube and Mekong. Favorite was Mekong with AMA Waterways, Viking for the other two. Liked Russia best in Europe, Danube less. Russia was a new experience for me so very interesting while the Danube went to Germany, and Austria where I had traveled before. Hungary was interesting though. AMA Waterways offered a better experience than Viking, better amenities and service. Also went on one in China but it was a Chinese company.; it was OK.

We have been on 2 with AmaWaterways and have the third planned for 2019. We really enjoyed them because they go in to the country and you see smaller towns rather than the large cities that you see on ocean cruises. We love AmaWaterways. The service and food is exceptional. Another plus for AmaWaterways is that their draft is shallow, so they are generally not affected by low water levels that some lines are experiencing this year. There are around 120-148 passengers on board, so it is a low key experience. If you like evening entertainment, you might not like a river cruise. The evening entertainment is usually local entertainers that come on board, which we enjoy. We have done one on the Danube from Budapest up the Danube and then ended the cruise after a bus trip in Prague. The other one was on the Rhone in France. We have one planned next year on the Rhine and Moselle. I would suggest that you look at the boards on Cruise Critic. There is a special section for river cruising. Jazzbeau, the moderator, has "stickys" at the top that will answer any question you might have. Also, River Cruise Advisor is a good source for information.

We have done four river cruises. All included a land tour as well.

They were
A Russian River Cruise with days in Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Baltic countries.
China and The Yangzee River.
The Rhone and Saone Rivers in SW France.
The Douro River in Northern Portugal.

We always compare several cruise lines before we buy.

We have used Vantage World Travel out of Boston for three of our trips and they were wonderful. Also, Vantage had the best prices and more benefits. Don't just book with Viking, compare Viking with AMA, Avalon, Emerald, Scenic and more. Gate 1 is frequently the cheapest, but compare with benefits.

The Rhine cruise, Amsterdam to Basel or reverse is quite popular. If you just watch TV, you might think Viking is the only one, but as others have pointed out, AMA and Avalon do it as well as others.

Admittedly, I have not done a river cruise...not yet, so no personal experience. If you want a German river cruise, I suggest those going on the Elbe and Oder rivers. Interesting and historical/cultural cities on both.

We did one on the Danube six years ago with Leuftner. Viking is the heaviest (only?) advertiser on American TV but there are others. We also did one on the Yangtze but that's another continent. We've done lots of saltwater cruises but that's another experience.

Advantages of a river cruise vs. land travel: Unpacking once; all breakfasts and dinners included; walking tours of cities usually included; gliding past nice scenery; potentially enjoyable travel companions.

Disadvantages: Only one or maybe two days in great cities where you could spend a week; always having dinner in the same place; inability to stop and enjoy scenery you're gliding past; potentially not-enjoyable travel companions.

We enjoyed our Danube cruise and we're glad we did it, but I doubt if we'll do another, at least as long as we're mobile enough to get around on land. Big European cities deserve more than a day or two, and we like the option of staying a little longer somewhere instead of having to move on (or vice versa). If you decide to do one, you might consider a company that doesn't attract mainly Americans (i.e. Viking) so you'll meet more Europeans as you glide along.

I haven't done any cruise (river or ocean). But it seems to me a lot of people's reactions has to do with their perspective. Are they comparing it to a land tour by bus? To an ocean cruise? To touring on their own? To never having traveled at all? Etc.

It is important to understand exactly what you're getting. For instance, I have a coworker who really loves ocean cruises with big ships. She was prepared for the much smaller river cruise boats - or so she thought. But she was disappointed in the onboard entertainment; had she done more research, she would have realized it usually consists of local talent brought on board for the night, and that the quality of the local talent is more variable than on a bigger ship (where they hire entertainers who travel with the whole cruise).

I have never been on a cruise (river or sea), but I do live in a city which is frequented by river cruise boats (see left). So these are my comments on "cruisers". They are not meant to be positive or negative, it is up to you how you spend your time and money, just make sure you get what you want.

River cruises are catering for those travellers who want to see many places, but do not want the stress of coping with alien environments, foreign food, foreign languages etc. The cruises provide you with a comforting environment, you don't have to change hotels or cope with transport, everybody speaks English (there are different boats for different languages) and you can understand the menu.
They take you in groups to the towns and sites. Transport is provided to and from the ship, you are taken around in groups of 10-20, with a tour guide speaking your language (they usually have radio earphones for everyone so they don't have to shout). I have seen these groups walking around the city many times. You don't have to interact with the locals at all. From the outside, they look like they are travelling in a bubble, they don't even have to know what the local language is (I have encountered cruisers who were ignorant of this). You can forego the trips and go your own way, but that requires you to arrange your own transport, and if you are late back the ship won't wait.
They even provide buses to and from the airports, so you don't need to stress about that. I once encountered someone who thought he was cruising from Zürich, because that was where they landed and had a bus provided from the airport to the boat.
All this TLC is labour-intensive and costs.

Your decision whether this is what you want, or it would feel like a straitjacket.

P.S. River cruises allow you to bring a lot of luggage. I have seen the cases being unloaded from the buses and taken to the ship, by crew members. Some really big cases, not practical for DIY transport.

Are you over the age of 75? If so, I'm sure you'll love it. :)

This is a reply written by DougMac to a similar question. I was also considering a river cruise in 2020 - comments like these changed my mind.

We were invited by another couple to join them on the Basel to Amsterdam VRC. We have never been on a cruise since passive activities like cruises and theme parks aren't our cup of tea. We determined on this trip that cruising isn't a good fit for us. Viking did a good job, the ship was well run, but you get average food. Since you pay for three meals, the sightseeing schedule revolves around them. Days are rushed so you can make it back for lunch or dinner. Sometimes you can choose to stay in town, but you have to make your own arrangements to get back to the ship.

If you haven't been on a river cruise and are thinking about it, carefully consider what kind of traveler you are. If you are resourceful and independent, you may find yourself frustrated. Also, this trip costs us three times as much as our self planned trip to Tuscany that lasted the same amount of time.

Chris F - thank you for the differing perspective. Having traveled 3+ weeks in Europe in the last 3 years (our son and daughter-in-law live in Kandern, Germany) and having planned it all ourselves, traveling with backpacks, by train and staying in Airbnb’s. And having traveled on large cruise ships where there is a lot happening and lots of choices, I no longer think a river cruise would be a good fit us at this time

6 kids, huh? (I'm guessing from your sig). I have 6 sibling cousins. They were great fun to visit, but my aunt and uncle were braver than us!

Since I was quoted, I thought I'd say a word. As I mentioned, it is a matter of your tourist style and I think you came to the right decision based on you ability to plan independently.

There were a few things not included in my quote and Chris, who lives at the terminus of Rhine river cruises can confirm. We paid a premium for a higher deck and a balcony. There were a few early mornings where we enjoyed the balcony, but we spent most of the time on the top deck, which afforded a better view. There are a number of cruise ships on the Rhine and frequently when we docked, we were tied up with a sister VRC ship. At these moorings, instead of having a lovely view of the river or the city, we found ourselves mere inches from the bedroom of passengers on the other ship. Cruise ships downplay or fail to mention this.

Also, Chris pointed out that you visit a city with a group of 20-25 and a tour guide. What he didn't mention is that there may be 4 or 5 groups from your ship all in the same square at the same time, plus a couple of hundred from other cruise ships as well.

Finally, there is really no opportunity to have meaningful interaction with the citizens of the country you visit. Our fondest memories of our travels are all the new friends we've met, some of whom we still correspond with regularly. I remember the couple who ran the B&B on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. We spent a wonderful evening in their cozy kitchen around their AGA stove, helping them prepare crab salad from freshly caught crabs. I remember the staff at our Tuscan agriturismo. We were the only guests for the entire week and formed a great friendship, even exchanging Christmas presents. I remember the wonderful couple who rented the top floor studio of their charming home in Paris. They bought fresh pastries every morning and we shared breakfast together with their cat "Boo" sitting in our laps, purring away! None of these experiences can be had on a cruise ship.

I'm in my late 50s, I've traveled a fair amount in Europe. I have taken one river cruise and it was on the Rhine. We used Viking, Basel to Amsterdam. I am very able bodied and most on the ship were. We were among the youngest. It didn't bother me as the older folks were well traveled and interesting. At this point in my life, I don't need to do the river cruises and I won't often until I "need" to. Two exceptions, I would consider a cruise when I'm concerned about the safety or logistics of a particular area, or secondly, when I think a cruise might be more cost effective in an expensive destination.

I thought the cruise was a relaxing change of pace. We made it our own by adding days on both ends and by researching the cities at the start/end and the cruise stops. This way I was able to efficiently see parts of the cities on our own when we had independent time. On Viking we did typically did have half a day in each stop. There were optional tours that I thought were expensive and took time from my own plans. One tour in Cologne for beer tasting. They did a meal somewhere and tasted beer at three different places. I did some research and found my own Kolsch places to sample. We had a nice time and it probably cost 20Euro for both of us and I'm sure the optional tour was at least 50 euro a person.

Because I added days to the beginning and end, the air and local transportation was all up to us. Viking often has deals on the air. At our time they offered a flight for about $700. I did my own and paid $800. Getting into most European cities from the airport is extremely easy and relatively inexpensive. That was the case in Basel. After we explored Basel, we were easily able to take a tram to the place the ship was docked. I was quite shocked at the absolutely lousy itineraries the people that did air and local transportation through Viking had. Some people were getting up at 4am to get to the airport at the end of the cruise.

Having extra days at the beginning of the cruise does a few things. It allows you to explore the city at the start of the cruise, it helps ensure that a delayed air flight doesn't impact the start of the cruise, and allows you to get over some of the jetlag before you start your expensive cruise.

In terms of my choice of the Rhine, It was a good one. Cruising the middle Rhine was a memorable experience. For the most part, I saw enough of each city we stopped at. I will at some point go back and stay probably in Koblenz, because I'd like to spend some time on the Mosel during harvest time. I would also take a day and visit some of the little towns that we didn't spend any time at that looked appealing.

I'm surprised when I hear people say the Viking food was mediocre. I'm a "foodie" and I thought the food was fantastic. However, I did hear a side conversation that the veteran head chef on our particular cruise was considered the best in the company. In fact, I watched a travel video which had a short clip of the Viking Rhine cruise and our chef was shown.

We choose inexpensive room class with a smallish window. It was fine for us (and I'm actually a bit claustrophobic). We were in the room very little and when we wanted a view, we went to the top of the ship for fantastic views.

In terms of choosing a river cruise, I wouldn't do one that puts you on a bus to visit a lot of destinations. (The Portugal, Cities of Light and other cruises spend a lot of time moving around on land) I wouldn't do ones to cities that are very easily visited on your own. I might consider a cruise for places that I would probably hire a guide for anyway (like Rome, when getting the details and history beyond what I learn on my own is important to me). I also might do one on the Mediterranean (note that would be an Ocean cruise) where I'm interested in seeing certain cities for just a short time, like the French Riviera. On the top of my list right now is the Russia River cruise.

Emily,

I am well over the age of 75 and I do NOT like cruises (except for small, 40 passenger, ship cruises in Alaska).

My wife and I have thought several times about river cruises. Perhaps the Mekong or the Yangze, since we know nothing of Asian languages. We are very comfortable in Europe, we like to travel cheap. All of this is quite interesting. Perhaps in 10 years, when we are less able to get about on our own, we will consider.

My parents are in the 'let's spend it on our own fun and the kids before the nursing home gets it' part of their lives and we're signed up to do a family cruise with Viking (Basel to Amsterdam) for 2019. The idea of big ship ocean cruising makes me cringe but I'm looking forward to trying something different next year since the river cruises seem to be a saner scale, and we're spending time on out own in Amsterdam and Lauterbrunnen/Basel on either side of the cruise, and my parents are taking an extra week at the end to go visit some old friends near Dortmund. Flights are through Viking and if you're willing to pay a fairly modest upcharge, you can pick the flights you want rather than just whatever bulk fare tickets are easiest for the company to give you. (We're going into Zurich to start the Switzerland ramble specifically on my request because it's the only way to have only one connection between my home airport and a place close to the cruise departure)

I figure that like many things, a lot of it is what you decide to make of it, and I'm going to opt to make it a good time.

Have not done the European river cruise, but did a small ship (our trip had 33 passengers) in Alaska. It was way more expensive than we wanted to do, but we also thought it would be the only type of ship cruise in Alaska we would do, and there was no way we wanted to do the big ship (glitz, stay on the ship and get a massage, etc.). It was everything we would want to do and see in Alaska.

That being said, we have recently talked with multiple people who have worked, traveled and vacationed in Europe, both on tours, on river cruises, or a combination.

Our observations have been:

Is there a specific trip that you are interested in? Does taking a ship make it easier? Most of these people traveled with friends and went off once the ships docks to do their own thing and not bother with the boats "excursions". They found their own sights, pubs, etc. Once or twice, the boats excursions made it easier to visit some sights they were interested in. Also, were they included in the price?

That being said, I'm looking at another bad hip, and a good river cruise trip with the right itinerary might work for us.

But until then, I'd opt for a RS trip to Sicily.

We've done two river cruises, with a seven year gap, at the request of friends. I still have mixed feelings, but as Selkie says, it's all in how you choose to look at it. We did an 8 day cruise in France and a 15 day cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Exceptional staff and felt on both cruises the food was well above expectations. On both trips we added our own pre-post tours and those days were my favorite. I think some of it depends on your personal travel style.

Our friends like to unpack once and enjoy dressing up a bit. We have become comfortable with what fits in a carry-on and don't mind packing and unpacking. They prefer having some one else handle to stress of how to maneuver around unfamiliar cities and are not as mobile as they once were. We don't mind sorting out our own directions (with the risk of occasionally getting lost) and can still put some miles on each day (although stairs can be wearing). They prefer a comfortable bed over a central location, we value a central location at the risk of a lumpy bed or evening noise. We appreciate a knowledgeable guide that acts like a host throughout the trip, they are happy with quality local guides at each stop.

Hope this help with different viewpoints.

We just returned yesterday from a Viking River Cruise from Budapest to Bucharest Romania.. we’re spoiled with a company called odysseys unlimited and traveling on our own with Rick Steves. Our flights were screwed up, poor location of hotel in Budapest, and too many people. Food wasn’t great. We won’t take another river cruise . Enjoyed seeing Bulgaria and Romania but was disappointed with Viking.