Vantage and other brands -- opinions?

Never been on a River Cruise -- I keep trying to figure out what to do : where to go and which one to book. :confused:

Curious if any of you have used Vantage and how it compares to any of the others.

If you have used more than one brand -- what did you think -- how to compare? It seems over whelming to me!

We are considering the Rhine..........

Thank you so much for taking time to post ---- and I'll keep searching.....

I just got off a Vantage cruise two weeks ago. It was my first Vantage after three Viking cruises. You can seem my review with some comparisons at the link below.

FuelScience

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=511659

You will find people here pretty loyal to "their" cruise line so will find many varied opinions. There are some great lines and great cruises. Enjoy discovering about them.

Our "favorite" happens to be Vantage... we have scheduled our 13th trip with them (not all cruises). We find them affordable with great itineraries and have had wonderful experiences with them. They own their own ships in Europe and we have found them very comfortable. We did the Rhine River cruise several years ago and loved it.

Vantage does not used Travel Agents... book online or on the phone. We have never had an issue doing this. Sign up for their catalogs (as well as other companies) and check out the websites.

If you have specific Vantage questions feel free to email me at pbnj00 at gmail dot com.

Happy planning!! :)

I just got off a Vantage cruise two weeks ago. It was my first Vantage after three Viking cruises. You can seem my review with some comparisons at the link below.

 

FuelScience

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=511659

I enjoyed your review -- thank you!!

You will find people here pretty loyal to "their" cruise line so will find many varied opinions. There are some great lines and great cruises. Enjoy discovering about them.

 

Our "favorite" happens to be Vantage... we have scheduled our 13th trip with them (not all cruises). We find them affordable with great itineraries and have had wonderful experiences with them. They own their own ships in Europe and we have found them very comfortable. We did the Rhine River cruise several years ago and loved it.

 

Vantage does not used Travel Agents... book online or on the phone. We have never had an issue doing this. Sign up for their catalogs (as well as other companies) and check out the websites.

 

If you have specific Vantage questions feel free to email me at pbnj00 at gmail dot com.

 

Happy planning!! :)

Thank you for your comments -- I see you have a lot of experience with Vantage so it must meet your expectations just fine! ;) I met someone on a different line (not a river cruise since I've never been on one) who told us each passenger makes a commission for referrals -- I noticed that plan online. I suppose they do not need TA since it is based on word of mouth and a referral system.

We will keep reading and looking. Thanks so much.

Thank you for your comments -- I see you have a lot of experience with Vantage so it must meet your expectations just fine! ;) I met someone on a different line (not a river cruise since I've never been on one) who told us each passenger makes a commission for referrals -- I noticed that plan online. I suppose they do not need TA since it is based on word of mouth and a referral system.

 

We will keep reading and looking. Thanks so much.

I can only speak for Vantage and Grand Circle in that they do have a referral system that pays the referrer and the referee (I believe it's about $100 each) If you get enough referrals it can translate into a free trip. (I've only ever had 2 referrals) There is a link here for referrals if you wish to check it out.

This is an excellent place to start! Info on all the major players.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233868

We have done two Vantage cruises and one on AMA.

We did Vantage Russia and Vantage China, two of the best trips ever.

AMA is great, but they prices now are substantially higher than Vantage.

I always compare Vantage, AMA, Viking, and a couple of others and Vantage always comes out the lowest cost, sometimes with more days on the tour.

Also, Viking requires payment in advance, which is ridiculous.

I would advise you to closely review the cruise you want compare how many days on tour are included. Look at the quality of hotels offered as well as river boat.