RIVER CRUISING THE Rhine/mosel

The term "cruise" may mean different things in different contexts. We normally go to K-D Line for travel on both rivers, though there are other companies running at least on the Rhine.

here's my 'copied' reply any time this question is asked . . .
We LOVE Tauck. Viking is the biggest & most advertised - and you are on a RiverCruise in Europe, so you really can't go wrong. Do your research & know the differences, but go with what works for your budget & schedule.

Tauck is a family run company here in the USA who have been doing tours since the 1920s . We have been on many of their USA tours & they are truly wonderful. When we began researching RiverCruises in 2013, Tauck was definitely high on our list, but we still wanted to explore ALL the options. We went to AAA & they recommended Tauck, Avalon, or Uniworld to us. Because of our past experience with them, we chose Tauck. They've won the BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE from TRAVEL & LEISURE for several years now.

Tauck is also TOTALLY ALL INCLUSIVE. No extra expenses or hidden fees - all tips, port fees, taxes, excursions, food, wine, is included in the price. There are extra excursions/fees/etc that are available on some of the other river cruise lines, so just be sure you know that. Know what is & is not included in the price. They are not cheap, but SO worth it & we spoke with others who were doing 'back to back' river cruises using multiple cruise lines & they said by the time you added in the extras (excursions, tips, etc, that TAUCK was no more expensive). We chose a CHRISTMAS MARKET RIVER CRUISE on the Danube because the prices are SO much better in December & how can you go wrong seeing the Markets!!??

The whole experience was top notch & we are saving to do the Christmas Market Rhine Cruise for Dec2016. The ship was beautiful, the staff went above & beyond. We chose the cheapest room category (we wanted to spend money on other things & the room isn't that important to us), but it was VERY nice w/a great bed (amazing linens) & bathroom w/large shower (tile & granite). The food was fantastic. Breakfasts were both buffet & 'cook' stations w/every imaginable food, plus all the regional specialties & great coffees. You could go back to the boat for lunch, but we chose to eat in the towns. Dinners were 5course, order from a menu with 3-5 selections for each course - always the region favorites, but you could aways get steak, chicken, salads, etc - & unlimited red & white wines from the area we visited that day. The time spent in the ports was done very well. Along w/the Tauck staff - they hired "local guides" to guide us, show us the highlights, teach us the history, take us into the churches, abbeys, etc. We spent the mornings with the guides & then at lunch, the guided tour was over & we had time on our own to explore the town, Christmas Markets, etc. Shuttles were provided every 30min back to the boat for those who wanted to return to the boat.

We were given 'surprises' everyday either in transport to the city, or left on our bed during dinner/bed turndown . . . Gingerbread from Nurmburg, Salt from Salzburg, Chocolate Apricots from Melk, etc - & a wonderful book about the European Christmas Markets. We can't speak highly enough about our experience with Tauck. The Tauck staff, local guides, boat staff were all amazing & took great care of us.
http://www.tauck.com/river-cruises.aspx

My mom and I did a river cruise of the Rhine with Avalon in fall 2013 and it was outstanding. We are taking a Christmas Market cruise of the Main River next month, also with Avalon. Can't wait!

Paul, I just found this book at our local library: River Cruising in Europe. Issued by Berlitz, first edition, copyright 2014, author is Douglas Ward. This book is very comprehensive and, with a 2014 copyright, likely very up-to-date. It is a tutorial for the first-timer and rates cruise companies, describes and rates many individual ships, Europe's rivers and waterways, what to see along the rivers and much more. I found it really interesting and am definitely tempted to take a cruise. If your library doesn't have it, you can probably order it.

Here's some people's experiences with low water.

My mom and I did a Rhine-Mosel cruise with Grand Circle Travel - their prices are lower than some [Viking, for example] but we have been extremely happy with their cruises. The Rhine-Mosel cruise was our third with them, and probably our favorite!