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River Cruising - Sweet 16?


chicagoplatinumprincess
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I somehow promised my daughter a trip to Paris for her 16th birthday. I am a travel agent, but usually OVERplan for our own trips. We planned to cruise Christmas 2016, but I thought I would suprise her with the River Cruise to Paris - Heart of Normandy from Viking for her Sweet 16 gift. She is mature, she is well-travelled, she is an avid learner taking French now. Question for the group - would this be the right cruise? Her birthday is Nov 13, and the cruise is Nov 20.

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At 16 she will probably be the youngest, or one of the youngest, passenger on any river cruise. But my guess is that the overall demographic would be closer to her age on Emerald than Viking. If she goes to the gym a lot, she would probably prefer one of the river cruise lines that includes a gym onboard (Viking does not), and especially one that includes bicycles and bicycle excursions (such as AMA, Avalon and some others).

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Hello,

 

welcome to the river cruise forum.

 

I tend to agree with our host and would vote against Viking in your case.

 

For an active outgoing 16-year-old I do not regard that trip as ideal. Monet is great but the gardens are apparently overrun by tourists in certain seasons, however, as you are going in November might they be closed anyway? A trip to the Normandy beaches could be "boring" if the girl cannot relate to that specific history. I am not trying to be blunt, but from my experience at 18 and 19 I can say that one can be overloaded with tragic history. That is something very individual. Weather at this time of year is something to consider as well.

 

If museums and art are her thing then Paris on a land trip with a Seine day cruise might be better.

 

How about Roman history in sunny South of France? That could be something to look at. Magnificent in my opinion. And as you can fly into Paris and take the TGV train to the embarkation port this might be feasible depending on your time frame and budget.

 

The Paris to Normandy cruise is a short distance travelled on the river Seine compared to other cruises. I think it will be worthwhile having a look at the threads of last year concerning that trip and the "Viking does not dock in Paris" issues JVilleGal has pointed at.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

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I took my first trip to Europe at 16, as an exchange student in Austria. That was the official start of my travel addiction. :D

 

At 16, I would be bored to tears on any river cruise, and I was a quiet and studious teen, who was quite happy with a book. However, the average demographic and onboard ambiance is not something I would have enjoyed at all.

 

I agree with Notamermaid that a stay in Paris with a day cruise would be far more fun and interesting than a river cruise for most any teen.

 

Viking would be my last choice for many reasons. If a river cruise is what you decide, AMA has active tours and bike tours (our host says Avalon does as well but that was not my experience and i have not read that these have been added) and Emerald seems to market to a younger demographic. She will likely be the only teen aboard.

 

Our Rhone cruise with AMA was my favorite itinerary to date. We had lots of overnights in port, which allowed us to be off the boat in the evenings, and there was little daytime sailing, which maximized our time in port. Avignon and Lyon both had a young and active vibe and would be enjoyable IMO for a 16 year old.

 

It is not a choice I would make for any 16 year old.

Edited by caviargal
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We traveled Avalon Paris Normandy during July and there were teenagers on board Uniworld offers a familyParis to Normandy. A river cruise is one million times better than your standard bus tour. It's not like an ocean cruise but there is free wifi to occupy the teenager during the down time. Bottom line look for the weeks that are family weeks or at least go during summer vacation.

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On my Paris to Normandy cruise there was a 13 year old girl traveling with her grandmother. While on the ship she spent most of her time alone reading. I talked with her once about the trip and she indicated enjoyment on seeing Paris and the villages/towns we visited but missed talking with people her own age.

 

As a laugh she told me many older people are grumpy and complain a lot.

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Hello,

 

welcome to the river cruise forum.

 

I tend to agree with our host and would vote against Viking in your case.

 

For an active outgoing 16-year-old I do not regard that trip as ideal. Monet is great but the gardens are apparently overrun by tourists in certain seasons, however, as you are going in November might they be closed anyway? A trip to the Normandy beaches could be "boring" if the girl cannot relate to that specific history. I am not trying to be blunt, but from my experience at 18 and 19 I can say that one can be overloaded with tragic history. That is something very individual. Weather at this time of year is something to consider as well.

 

If museums and art are her thing then Paris on a land trip with a Seine day cruise might be better.

 

How about Roman history in sunny South of France? That could be something to look at. Magnificent in my opinion. And as you can fly into Paris and take the TGV train to the embarkation port this might be feasible depending on your time frame and budget.

 

The Paris to Normandy cruise is a short distance travelled on the river Seine compared to other cruises. I think it will be worthwhile having a look at the threads of last year concerning that trip and the "Viking does not dock in Paris" issues JVilleGal has pointed at.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

I agree with notamermaid...at 16 I think she would miss having someone to socialize with and river cruises are well known for NOT having evening entertainment that would appeal to her...I would look at a company like Uniworld that has family geared trips...OR... if it were me .... take her to Paris and take day trips to Versailles, Giverney (if it's still open in November) and possibly rent a car and drive to Normandy and Bayeaux. There's so much to see and do and she would be able to enjoy some of the night life as well....I mean like a river cruise at night...definitely not the Moulin Rouge!!! :D

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thanks all!

 

I forgot to mention that I have limited mobility.....car accident. I know I can't do a great deal of walking, so it was really working out for me! I do understand that there will be few, ir any other teens onboard - so I'm going to hold off a bit to book and see if I can find a tour package for Thanksgiving or Christmas week. Although I agree that summer or spring would be great, I want to give it to her at her Paris-themed Sweet 16 party in November. I checked other ships, and no one sails for thanksgiving or christmas week. Back to the drawing board..........

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We started river cursing in our early fifties. Our first river cruise was down the Rhine for Christmas Markets. There were very few people younger than us including two young girls (maybe 10 and 13?). They were very well traveled and had a blast at the markets!! I think the Paris to Normandy might be a little much, I loved Rouen on this cruise.

 

Second seating

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We started river cursing in our early fifties. Our first river cruise was down the Rhine for Christmas Markets. There were very few people younger than us including two young girls (maybe 10 and 13?). They were very well traveled and had a blast at the markets!! I think the Paris to Normandy might be a little much, I loved Rouen on this cruise.

 

Second seating

 

I agree...I can see two well traveled girls of those ages loving the markets....but most of the other types of river cruises not so much.

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I lived overseas twice and traveled with my children and stop-children extensively. We took them on all our travels. My Son was 5 when we first went overseas, my Daughter 11. My Son doesn't remember a lot of what we did back then (he is 40 today), however, my Daughter was old enough to enjoy our travels quite a lot.

 

The second overseas tour, my kids and step children were teenagers in Junior High School, Hight School and early college. They all loved the travel.

 

I always set out to explain to the kids where we were going and the historical importance of the sites. All four of them were interested in History and culture. I can still remember how much they were in awe of the Sistine Chapel or going up the Eiffel Tower.

 

Sure, boys would likely be more interested in Normandy with the WWII history, but the Bayeux Tapestry is awesome.

 

I believe that exposing them to such things will prove to be a benefit to expanding their understanding of the World.

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I somehow promised my daughter a trip to Paris for her 16th birthday. I am a travel agent, but usually OVERplan for our own trips. We planned to cruise Christmas 2016, but I thought I would suprise her with the River Cruise to Paris - Heart of Normandy from Viking for her Sweet 16 gift. She is mature, she is well-travelled, she is an avid learner taking French now. Question for the group - would this be the right cruise? Her birthday is Nov 13, and the cruise is Nov 20.

We did a river cruise a few years ago we are in our fifties but very active, we felt we were about forty years too young. It was very boring although the stops were good there was little to do onboard, there was a gym but very small and limited, one rowing machine and one cross trainer and very hard to get to use it. I cannot imagine how a sixteen year old would be able to stand it.

 

I took my first trip to Europe at 16, as an exchange student in Austria. That was the official start of my travel addiction. :D

 

At 16, I would be bored to tears on any river cruise, and I was a quiet and studious teen, who was quite happy with a book. However, the average demographic and onboard ambiance is not something I would have enjoyed at all.

 

I agree with Notamermaid that a stay in Paris with a day cruise would be far more fun and interesting than a river cruise for most any teen.

 

Viking would be my last choice for many reasons. If a river cruise is what you decide, AMA has active tours and bike tours (our host says Avalon does as well but that was not my experience and i have not read that these have been added) and Emerald seems to market to a younger demographic. She will likely be the only teen aboard.

 

Our Rhone cruise with AMA was my favorite itinerary to date. We had lots of overnights in port, which allowed us to be off the boat in the evenings, and there was little daytime sailing, which maximized our time in port. Avignon and Lyon both had a young and active vibe and would be enjoyable IMO for a 16 year old.

 

It is not a choice I would make for any 16 year old.

 

 

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

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I lived overseas twice and traveled with my children and stop-children extensively. We took them on all our travels. My Son was 5 when we first went overseas, my Daughter 11. My Son doesn't remember a lot of what we did back then (he is 40 today), however, my Daughter was old enough to enjoy our travels quite a lot.

 

The second overseas tour, my kids and step children were teenagers in Junior High School, Hight School and early college. They all loved the travel.

 

I always set out to explain to the kids where we were going and the historical importance of the sites. All four of them were interested in History and culture. I can still remember how much they were in awe of the Sistine Chapel or going up the Eiffel Tower.

 

Sure, boys would likely be more interested in Normandy with the WWII history, but the Bayeux Tapestry is awesome.

 

I believe that exposing them to such things will prove to be a benefit to expanding their understanding of the World.

 

Your last sentence says it all, Papa.....and I agree with everything else too.....BUT you didn't mention you took them on a river cruise!!!:D We traveled all over the U.S. with the kids and a camper and we all had wonderful times visiting National Parks, Historical places and museums, but I think if I had two teen-age girls on a river cruise in France (or anywhere else) I would have to jump over-board. :D

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Your last sentence says it all, Papa.....and I agree with everything else too.....BUT you didn't mention you took them on a river cruise!!!:D We traveled all over the U.S. with the kids and a camper and we all had wonderful times visiting National Parks, Historical places and museums, but I think if I had two teen-age girls on a river cruise in France (or anywhere else) I would have to jump over-board. :D

 

Well, we never took them on a river cruise, except for a Nile Cruise in 1985 that my Son then age 11 loved.

I agree that the down time (not site seeing) on the river boat would be somewhat boring for teens. However, most of that time would be in the late afternoon or early evening. With the age difference, a teen could miss the companionship of other teens, but I still think the overall experience would be great.

 

One caveat, I have always been a history buff and my kids and step kids turned out to be as well, however if your teen hates history, that could be more of a problem.

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I am going to be the opposite as I would have loved this as a teen. I love travel and history.

 

Also realize that you can book your own tours or go off on your own, if you prefer.

 

You may want to look at Tuack as they are running some "family river cruises". I looked at one for France and it is pretty booked.

 

I work with college students and several have gone with parents and enjoyed it. They are not the partying type but those who liked learning and visiting new places.

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I am going to be the opposite as I would have loved this as a teen. I love travel and history.

 

Also realize that you can book your own tours or go off on your own, if you prefer.

 

You may want to look at Tuack as they are running some "family river cruises". I looked at one for France and it is pretty booked.

 

I work with college students and several have gone with parents and enjoyed it. They are not the partying type but those who liked learning and visiting new places.

 

I was going to mention Tauck too...Trafalgar also has family trips and I read a post somewhere that the children formed permanent friendships with other children on the trip.

 

I've had a wanderlust since I was a child and read my first National Geographic magazine but my family couldn't afford to travel much so I didn't start traveling until after college and marriage...our children love nature and the National Parks more than history and museums and 3 of them are now teachers! Of course, it all depends upon the children as to whether or not they will enjoy a river cruise. I know mine would not have when they were teens, while I would have loved it.

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Paris at any age is a wonderful experience so much to see, especially if she is interested in history/culture/fashion/food etc. the cruise is a short 1 so not much of a risk albeit the weather in November? not sure if you are male/female but can see many mother daughters loving a river cruise or/and a trip to Paris.

sit down and discuss it with her, as others have said multigenerational trips are becoming more common and being promoted as such. travel is a great education and age is just a number.

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OP mentions limited mobility from a car accident. Being a TA hope she has investigated the availability of elevators on the boat they pick. Also if Viking Paris, the boat is berthed in LePerq--a good distance from Paris. Possibly time in Paris with some good tours and then the boat. We have been on 3 Christmas market cruises--all had multigeneration groups.

 

River cruisers are so different from ocean liners--most are built in Europe and have no concept of ADA. Can't think of one line that has HA cabins and lift type access to all decks. If I were 16 and offered Paris as a trip it would be Paris--not a river cruise. Find a good hotel with a really good front desk, enjoy being pampered. With mobility issues, would not even think of renting an apartment.

 

Five years ago with took 2 granddaughters on a HS graduation trip--they wanted Greece. Our TA helped us plan three islands plus Athens--lodging and transportation only. We did meals and tours on our own. This June it will be soccer playing grandson's turn. So off to England to visit the various Premier League sites and possibly send him to the under 18 Arsenal camp. If he goes to the camp, we will have a week on our own.

 

We are blessed to be able to travel and see river cruise number 21 in Sept. Pat

Edited by pacmom
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OP mentions limited mobility from a car accident...

 

There is a Cruise Critic article on Accessible River Cruise Basics:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/v-2/articles.cfm?ID=1959

This is also mentioned in both of my stickies at the top of this forum (New to RIVER CRUISING??? START HERE!!! and River Cruise Basics articles on Cruise Critic)

Edited by Host Jazzbeau
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River cruisers are so different from ocean liners--most are built in Europe and have no concept of ADA. Can't think of one line that has HA cabins and lift type access to all decks. If I were 16 and offered Paris as a trip it would be Paris--not a river cruise. Find a good hotel with a really good front desk, enjoy being pampered. With mobility issues, would not even think of renting an apartment.

 

Five years ago with took 2 granddaughters on a HS graduation trip--they wanted Greece. Our TA helped us plan three islands plus Athens--lodging and transportation only. We did meals and tours on our own. This June it will be soccer playing grandson's turn. So off to England to visit the various Premier League sites and possibly send him to the under 18 Arsenal camp. If he goes to the camp, we will have a week on our own.

 

We are blessed to be able to travel and see river cruise number 21 in Sept. Pat

 

Vantage has an elevator between lower and upper decks and a chair lift between upper and sun decks....but in now way would I describe them as "accessible". I'll pray your grandson makes it into football camp....a week in London is magical!! We're finally going back to London next year to spend a week before taking the Eurostar to Zurich for a week long train trip. I don't know what I was thinking when I booked Moselle river cruise....the Alps are on the other side of Switzerland!!!! :D:D

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Host Jazz,

That article about mobility was very good. It should be mandatory for all with mobility issues to read and make a copy to take to TA when thinking about a river cruise. If I had limited mobility, would think twice about a river cruise--only because on board activities are also limited. We are blessed to know our limits and with the aid of a cane seat able to go on all tours and keep up. A side note, AMA has a small number of these seats on the boats.

Thanks for reminding us about the article. Pat

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