Vantage Rhine Discovery

Hi I am researching river cruises--have done many ocean, but no river cruises. I really appreciate this forum as it has provided much useful information. I do have a few questions for now and probably many more later!

I can only find March itineraries for Vantage's Rhine Discovery. Although prices are really good, won't it be really cold then? Is there a reason they don't do this itinerary for the whole season? (Or is just something I am doing in searching?!!)

I would prefer to do Spring or Fall, but also don't want to have to bundle up. What are some opinions on the best times for cruising (and why)? Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi I am researching river cruises--have done many ocean, but no river cruises. I really appreciate this forum as it has provided much useful information. I do have a few questions for now and probably many more later!

 

I can only find March itineraries for Vantage's Rhine Discovery. Although prices are really good, won't it be really cold then? Is there a reason they don't do this itinerary for the whole season? (Or is just something I am doing in searching?!!)

 

I would prefer to do Spring or Fall, but also don't want to have to bundle up. What are some opinions on the best times for cruising (and why)? Thanks in advance for your help!

From their website, this looks like the inaugural for a new ship, but if you are interested in also taking advantage of a side trip to the Keukenhauf Gardens, then from mid-April until early May is the best time to take this cruise. I agree - even though the prices seem to be a really good deal, it would be a bit cool!

Cole

Hello jules71,

for the Rhine discovery in March I would not say it will necessarily be very cool. But the weather will certainly be unpredictable! Expect anything from the last snowfall of that winter to the first lovely Spring days in the South of Germany's valleys (where the weather tends to be milder than in the North of Germany) with up to 20 degrees at lunchtime.

I would be a bit more worried about the water level. March can bring a lot of snow melt from the Alps and the Vosges mountains. Tricky business to decide, I live on the Rhine and personally would not go to the expense of a week-long cruise in March.

Having said that, you could be lucky and the cruisers at the beginning of April might get the flooding problems.

A lot of cruise lines focus on trips in the Netherlands in April and beginning of May, that might well be the reason why the new ship only has this cruise itinerary in March.

Have you checked with the cruise company directly about this intinerary, yet? If not, perhaps they can provide you with more information.

For the Rhine any season is nice in general, but the autumn is certainly great when you have the option to go then. For the colours October is preferable to September. the wine festivals and the grape harvest start some time in September.

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

Thank you for this info. Much appreciated!

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Hi I am researching river cruises--have done many ocean, but no river cruises. I really appreciate this forum as it has provided much useful information. I do have a few questions for now and probably many more later!

 

I can only find March itineraries for Vantage's Rhine Discovery. Although prices are really good, won't it be really cold then? Is there a reason they don't do this itinerary for the whole season? (Or is just something I am doing in searching?!!)

 

I would prefer to do Spring or Fall, but also don't want to have to bundle up. What are some opinions on the best times for cruising (and why)? Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Jules, welcome to CC! I'm a frequent sailor with Vantage and I checked my web page...I would say that the March dates are inaugural cruises only...but I don't really understand why they wouldn't be advertising the regular season in this expensive new catalog they sent!!! I would hesitate to go in March, it's even early for the tulips! It could be fine or it could be rainy and damp. Also as notamermaid pointed out, you could run into river level problems. I would rather travel in April for Holland, we went around the 15th, and the tulips were magnificent, although the day we went to Keukenhof it was quite cool and breezy. Another thing to consider: I love Vantage and have gone on 7 trips with them with another booked for August....I would hesitate to go on ANY ship's inaugural sail. If there are any bugs to be ironed out, guess who's going to pay for the ironing!! I know there's the whole "maiden voyage" thing, but I'd rather let them work out all the kinks so that I don't have to pay for their learning experience....but that's just me.

Jules,

We took the Vantage cruise a few years ago. Below is the link to the trip story and pictures.

http://stevekathytravels.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/europe2010.pdf

There is a great book called Castles Along the Rhine which gives the history of all the castles you will be seeing.

We are always happy to answer any questions.