First River Cruise!

We will be going on our first River Cruise and are so excited. It will be in early November in France's wine country. We have been on many ocean cruises and are looking forward to this new experience. However, I would love any advice or insights that could help us really enjoy this new type of cruising. For example, is nightly dinning a more dresser affair? Are there tables for two? Evenings seem much quieter on a River cruise than an ocean cruise.Do most passengers all go on the ship sponsored excursions or do you plan your own excursions? Also, does the boat usually dock close enough to the town that we can walk to spend time on our own? Any other tidbits that you can share?! Thank you!

Can you indicate the line, ship and river? Are you talking about the Rhone? France has so many wine growing areas, there is barely one without vineyards. People who did this tour on 'your' ship will be able to give definite answers. I did just one and not in France, but I know France fairly well.

What I know: River cruises are usually not dressy. Many do not have tables for two. Excursions are often included that's why people do not necessarily go for extra excursion cost. They may walk or bike off on their own. Sometimes the ship is docked in town, sometimes it isn't.

which line .... you'll get more specific answers

we just did our first on Viking

shirt with a collar and long khakis was a dressed up as a man needed to get. Wife wore either slacks or capris at night ..... or a summer dress ....

our trip had a piano player in the main lounge at night, and a couple of nights entertainers came aboard. local musicians once, a troupe doing mini-plays another

most did the included tours - they are paid for, why not? "extra tours" offered by VIKING had maybe a 50% participation.

How close they boat was to town varied WIDELY from stop to stop.

Table for two .... not in the main dining room, but there was the alternate dining where there were tables for 4, and seldom was the area full.

What line, boat and itinerary?? Did you read the "New to River Cruising" thread/sticky at the top of this board. Many of your questions will be answered there and also by studying the many threads going back several months on this board.

Thank you for the responses! We will be on Vantage River Discovery II.It goes on the Saône and Rhône river through Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Provence. Has anyone done this in early November and can tell about the weather ?!

<It goes on the Saône and Rhône river through Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Provence. Has anyone done this in early November and can tell about the weather ?!>

We did the Rhone last November, later in the month. Weather was mild and pleasant, except in Paris which was rainy and nasty. We cruised with AMA and loved the itinerary! Lots of port time, overnight stays, fun excursions and great wines!

Thank you for the responses! We will be on Vantage River Discovery II.It goes on the Saône and Rhône river through Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Provence. Has anyone done this in early November and can tell about the weather ?!

Please post a review here when you return. We are following you a year later, 11/16. It will be our 6th river cruise, but first Vantage.

Please post a review here when you return. We are following you a year later, 11/16. It will be our 6th river cruise, but first Vantage.

And I can't wait to hear about the new ship!!! I will have completed cruise number 8 by then but always been on the Navigator.

<It goes on the Saône and Rhône river through Burgundy, Beaujolais, and Provence. Has anyone done this in early November and can tell about the weather ?!>

 

We did the Rhone last November, later in the month. Weather was mild and pleasant, except in Paris which was rainy and nasty. We cruised with AMA and loved the itinerary! Lots of port time, overnight stays, fun excursions and great wines!

That's encouraging! Thanks!!

Please post a review here when you return. We are following you a year later, 11/16. It will be our 6th river cruise, but first Vantage.

Hydrokitty and CPT Trips- I'll post a response when I get back. It all looks really nice!

We will be going on our first River Cruise and are so excited. It will be in early November in France's wine country. We have been on many ocean cruises and are looking forward to this new experience. However, I would love any advice or insights that could help us really enjoy this new type of cruising. For example, is nightly dinning a more dresser affair? Are there tables for two? Evenings seem much quieter on a River cruise than an ocean cruise.Do most passengers all go on the ship sponsored excursions or do you plan your own excursions? Also, does the boat usually dock close enough to the town that we can walk to spend time on our own? Any other tidbits that you can share?! Thank you!

I've done 7 cruises with Vantage....here's what I've learned:

Dinner: dinner is not as dressy as ocean cruises. I wear black jeans, a dressy top and black ballet slippers (they weigh nothing and fold in half) DH wears khaki slacks and button down shirt. Some people will be more dressed than I, but in this day and age of luggage rules, I prefer to bring only things that can serve more than one purpose.

Excursions: shore excursion is usually an orientation walk or a short bus ride to a nearby town or site. The optional excursions generally include a chartered bus, admission to a castle or other special place and usually includes a tour , usually also will include lunch off the ship in a restaurant or Vantage will give you "lunch money" to spend as you please. We usually do the optionals, there's not that many, and we've never been disappointed. You are free to join the included excursion or go out on your own, but I would suggest taking the orientation walk because it will show you where everything is, including how to get back to the ship, which could be important.

Ports: River cruises usually dock within walking distance of the port. In cases where they cannot/don't transportation is usually provided either by the cruise line or the port itself. In Vienna Vantage had its own bus that went from the ship to the heart of the city and back. In Rudesheim the city has a little train that takes you from the ship to the heart of the town. I know you're going to France but I imagine it will be the same...and with the new concierge system you have someone that can make dinner reservations or arrange a special tour. Best to contact the concierge as soon as you know who he/she is if you want something like a special tour.

General things I have learned: Bring a hanging cosmetic bag (Vera Bradley) that's big enough to hold all your stuff and hangs over the bathroom door. The cabins are a nice size, but there isn't a lot of bathroom storage.

Bring large zip lock bags. Bring an assortment of everyday drugs like cold pills, cough drops, immodium, Advil, dulcolax...small sizes. There will be at least two US type outlets one in the bathroom and one at the dressing table plus they have an Ipod charging station, which doesn't help us Kindle people at all. If you plan to buy your own wine bring a corkscrew so you can uncork it yourself. If you have more specific questions you can email me directly at chydro564@yahoo.com and I'll try to help.

I've done 7 cruises with Vantage....here's what I've learned:

 

Dinner: dinner is not as dressy as ocean cruises. I wear black jeans, a dressy top and black ballet slippers (they weigh nothing and fold in half) DH wears khaki slacks and button down shirt. Some people will be more dressed than I, but in this day and age of luggage rules, I prefer to bring only things that can serve more than one purpose.

 

Excursions: shore excursion is usually an orientation walk or a short bus ride to a nearby town or site. The optional excursions generally include a chartered bus, admission to a castle or other special place and usually includes a tour , usually also will include lunch off the ship in a restaurant or Vantage will give you "lunch money" to spend as you please. We usually do the optionals, there's not that many, and we've never been disappointed. You are free to join the included excursion or go out on your own, but I would suggest taking the orientation walk because it will show you where everything is, including how to get back to the ship, which could be important.

 

Ports: River cruises usually dock within walking distance of the port. In cases where they cannot/don't transportation is usually provided either by the cruise line or the port itself. In Vienna Vantage had its own bus that went from the ship to the heart of the city and back. In Rudesheim the city has a little train that takes you from the ship to the heart of the town. I know you're going to France but I imagine it will be the same...and with the new concierge system you have someone that can make dinner reservations or arrange a special tour. Best to contact the concierge as soon as you know who he/she is if you want something like a special tour.

 

General things I have learned: Bring a hanging cosmetic bag (Vera Bradley) that's big enough to hold all your stuff and hangs over the bathroom door. The cabins are a nice size, but there isn't a lot of bathroom storage.

Bring large zip lock bags. Bring an assortment of everyday drugs like cold pills, cough drops, immodium, Advil, dulcolax...small sizes. There will be at least two US type outlets one in the bathroom and one at the dressing table plus they have an Ipod charging station, which doesn't help us Kindle people at all. If you plan to buy your own wine bring a corkscrew so you can uncork it yourself. If you have more specific questions you can email me directly at chydro564@yahoo.com and I'll try to help.

Hydrokitty, Thank you,thank you,thank you!! Wonderful information!

DW is a firm believer in these for all the sundries, and sometimes even a pair of shoes . . . clear works best.

DW is a firm believer in these for all the sundries, and sometimes even a pair of shoes . . . clear works best.

 

Yup that works too. Reason I prefer the cloth one (mine is Vera Bradley 'cuz we have an outlet nearby) is the pockets are a little larger and zip closed. But both items will work just fine....it's being able to store stuff hanging over the door that makes it work!

I just got a Vera Bradley one :)

I just got a Vera Bradley one :)

Don't you just love it? I even take mine when I travel by car because I don't have to unpack all the cosmetic junk, just open it up and hang it. One disadvantage to shoe holder is the compartments are open. I like that I can zip them closed.

Yes! And it's pretty... I ordered a couple of the zippers cosmetic bags to match too. Going to get a workout on our Avalon river cruise in Sept.

Yes! And it's pretty... I ordered a couple of the zippers cosmetic bags to match too. Going to get a workout on our Avalon river cruise in Sept.

:D Hopefully you'll find an outlet nearby so you can save money on VB. another piece I love for travel is the small credit card holder with the clear slip in for ID. It zips all around and has a strap and clip that hooks around my belt loop and fits in my pocket making it hard to steal (or forget somewhere) and leaves me hands free.

Thanks for the tip! No outlet but eBay is a good place to start. We have a store with a huge selection so I like to go over there and pet (check out) my next piece :)

Thanks for the tip! No outlet but eBay is a good place to start. We have a store with a huge selection so I like to go over there and pet (check out) my next piece :)

:D You are too funny!!! (That's a good thing.)

:D Hopefully you'll find an outlet nearby so you can save money on VB. another piece I love for travel is the small credit card holder with the clear slip in for ID. It zips all around and has a strap and clip that hooks around my belt loop and fits in my pocket making it hard to steal (or forget somewhere) and leaves me hands free.

Ladies, I just looked on ebay for a VB organizer with zip pockets as I would like to get one for my mom for our upcoming trip. The only ones I can find are the standard cosmetic type organizers. Is that what you are referring to?

Ladies, I just looked on ebay for a VB organizer with zip pockets as I would like to get one for my mom for our upcoming trip. The only ones I can find are the standard cosmetic type organizers. Is that what you are referring to?

Hi CG: What I have is the hanging travel organizer...nd it is primarily for cosmetics and toiletries....it sells on verabradley.com for $48...if you have an outlet near by you can probably get it for around $30...interestingly I checked on Amazon Prime and it's $49!! They also have them for shoes, etc. but I think they would be too cumbersome for travel.

The other piece I mentioned is the all in one cross body, which has a front pocket for ID, a wrist strap (I think it also came with a x body strap that I never used) and inside is a zippered change purse, 3 credit card holders and a place for bills. It won't carry a lot of cash and I only take 3 credit cards with me when I travel, but it will hold about 6. I like it because the wrist strap can be strapped to a belt loop and it fits in a jeans pocket, which makes it very hard to steal or forget. VB says it's big enough for a phone.....mine would hold my old flip phone but NOT a smart phone of any kind. She probably makes one that will. This one costs $54 on VB.com and I couldn't find it on amazon. Problem is I bought both pieces at VB outlet and they carry mostly discontinued patterns, but sometimes discontinued pieces as well. Depending on where in Florida you are, you have some pretty amazing outlets down there....one of them has to have a VB outlet, no?

Hi CG: What I have is the hanging travel organizer...nd it is primarily for cosmetics and toiletries....it sells on verabradley.com for $48...if you have an outlet near by you can probably get it for around $30...interestingly I checked on Amazon Prime and it's $49!! They also have them for shoes, etc. but I think they would be too cumbersome for travel.

 

The other piece I mentioned is the all in one cross body, which has a front pocket for ID, a wrist strap (I think it also came with a x body strap that I never used) and inside is a zippered change purse, 3 credit card holders and a place for bills. It won't carry a lot of cash and I only take 3 credit cards with me when I travel, but it will hold about 6. I like it because the wrist strap can be strapped to a belt loop and it fits in a jeans pocket, which makes it very hard to steal or forget. VB says it's big enough for a phone.....mine would hold my old flip phone but NOT a smart phone of any kind. She probably makes one that will. This one costs $54 on VB.com and I couldn't find it on amazon. Problem is I bought both pieces at VB outlet and they carry mostly discontinued patterns, but sometimes discontinued pieces as well. Depending on where in Florida you are, you have some pretty amazing outlets down there....one of them has to have a VB outlet, no?

I am sure we do somewhere but I am an ebay gal so will do some searching. I bought her a cross body bag, a small change purse and a large tote already but the organizer makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

I am sure we do somewhere but I am an ebay gal so will do some searching. I bought her a cross body bag, a small change purse and a large tote already but the organizer makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

You're welcome....you're a good daughter :D I'm sure you'll find one on ebay.

I've done 7 cruises with Vantage....here's what I've learned:

 

 

Excursions: shore excursion is usually an orientation walk or a short bus ride to a nearby town or site. The optional excursions generally include a chartered bus, admission to a castle or other special place and usually includes a tour , usually also will include lunch off the ship in a restaurant or Vantage will give you "lunch money" to spend as you please. We usually do the optionals, there's not that many, and we've never been disappointed. You are free to join the included excursion or go out on your own, but I would suggest taking the orientation walk because it will show you where everything is, including how to get back to the ship, which could be important.

 

Just wondering general idea of optional excursions>