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Planning my first


JeffKoz
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First, I am a very experienced big ship cruiser and have taken the time to read the stickies and have become familiar with the river cruising differences and welcome the changes.

 

I am in the midst of planning my "bucket list" river cruise for 2018. Even though the itineraries are not available yet, I am sure they will not be that much different.

 

I believe have narrowed down my list to GCT, Vantage, AMA, and Viking. Now it is getting a bit more difficult to choose as the information I am getting is conflicting. So ... being a long time member of cruise critic, I am asking for your informed and intelligent opinions and responses... I know I will have more questions, and appreciate any and all decent responses. (I am also aware of the troll responses as I am not a newbie to this form of communication. If you plan to insult or make snide comments, please move on).

 

We are not the "luxury" type of people (I am diamond plus with royal carib and take advantage of some things, but we prefer relaxing over fou fou). I am much more interested in seeing things than sitting in a hot tub or getting a massage :) We are not foodies, but enjoy a good meal...

 

For all the lines I am looking at a 15/16 day Rhine cruise...

 

Grand Circle - I am bit enthralled with their excursions and the attention to the ports. I am less enthralled with twin murphy beds, and wonder about their comfort. I am also curious as to the age range, since it seems at 58 I might be the kid on the block. Does this "older" pax affect the level of excursions? Is tipping included in pricing? how many "extras" will all of sudden be a factor to cost?

 

Vantage - I am just starting to research them, so all opinions of prior passengers is welcome. I believe I have read they have open bar all the time - is this true? we are not big drinkers by any means, and usually stick to beer as wine is not real important to us.

 

Viking - Just out of the sheer volume of ships and apparently inexpensive cost they are on my list. I am unsure of comfort with the higher passenger count. I have read there will be more extras I'll need to pay for - is this true? Tips included? on excursions is it little groups are all 200 pax on one trip?

 

AMA - I have read some good things on this line, and even though they will be significantly higher in price I still have them on my list. Again - what extras will I have to pay for? how are they on excursions?

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Grand Circle - I am bit enthralled with their excursions and the attention to the ports. I am less enthralled with twin murphy beds, and wonder about their comfort. I am also curious as to the age range, since it seems at 58 I might be the kid on the block. Does this "older" pax affect the level of excursions? Is tipping included in pricing? how many "extras" will all of sudden be a factor to cost?

 

I have been on twelve river cruises with Grand Circle. The main reason is I'm a solo traveler and they fit my needs and price range the best. Some posters call them a budget cruise line but I call them affordable. I'm 6'2" and find the beds very comfortable. You will be on the younger side (as with most river cruise lines). On a few occasions the "older" pax have affected the excursions and the PDs sent them back to the ship. Tipping is not included. In 2017, house wine and beer are included all day long. Each cruise has 2-3 optional tours after the included ones have completed. These run $60-$100.

Whatever line you choose you will have a great trip and most likely stick with them.

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I have been on twelve river cruises with Grand Circle. The main reason is I'm a solo traveler and they fit my needs and price range the best. Some posters call them a budget cruise line but I call them affordable. I'm 6'2" and find the beds very comfortable. You will be on the younger side (as with most river cruise lines). On a few occasions the "older" pax have affected the excursions and the PDs sent them back to the ship. Tipping is not included. In 2017, house wine and beer are included all day long. Each cruise has 2-3 optional tours after the included ones have completed. These run $60-$100.

Whatever line you choose you will have a great trip and most likely stick with them.

 

Thanks for the response....so the pax that had issues got sent back but the tour was not really affected? Do the excursions typically include everyone or is it small groups?

 

Appreciate your opinions... :)

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First, I am a very experienced big ship cruiser and have taken the time to read the stickies and have become familiar with the river cruising differences and welcome the changes.

 

I am in the midst of planning my "bucket list" river cruise for 2018. Even though the itineraries are not available yet, I am sure they will not be that much different.

 

I believe have narrowed down my list to GCT, Vantage, AMA, and Viking. Now it is getting a bit more difficult to choose as the information I am getting is conflicting. So ... being a long time member of cruise critic, I am asking for your informed and intelligent opinions and responses... I know I will have more questions, and appreciate any and all decent responses. (I am also aware of the troll responses as I am not a newbie to this form of communication. If you plan to insult or make snide comments, please move on).

 

We are not the "luxury" type of people (I am diamond plus with royal carib and take advantage of some things, but we prefer relaxing over fou fou). I am much more interested in seeing things than sitting in a hot tub or getting a massage :) We are not foodies, but enjoy a good meal...

 

For all the lines I am looking at a 15/16 day Rhine cruise...

 

Grand Circle - I am bit enthralled with their excursions and the attention to the ports. I am less enthralled with twin murphy beds, and wonder about their comfort. I am also curious as to the age range, since it seems at 58 I might be the kid on the block. Does this "older" pax affect the level of excursions? Is tipping included in pricing? how many "extras" will all of sudden be a factor to cost?

 

Vantage - I am just starting to research them, so all opinions of prior passengers is welcome. I believe I have read they have open bar all the time - is this true? we are not big drinkers by any means, and usually stick to beer as wine is not real important to us.

 

Viking - Just out of the sheer volume of ships and apparently inexpensive cost they are on my list. I am unsure of comfort with the higher passenger count. I have read there will be more extras I'll need to pay for - is this true? Tips included? on excursions is it little groups are all 200 pax on one trip?

 

AMA - I have read some good things on this line, and even though they will be significantly higher in price I still have them on my list. Again - what extras will I have to pay for? how are they on excursions?

 

We have done three on Vantage and one on AMA.

I usually price AMA, Viking and Vantage before I select any cruise.

 

It always comes out from lowest to highest price:

Vantage,

Viking,

AMA

 

We loved AMA, but didn't find the quality that different from Vantage. All three lines are good, but Viking has the larger ship that have more issues when flooding takes place in central Europe.

 

Vantage's home office can be hard to get answers from, but their cruises and tours are always very well done, with great guides at five star hotels. Their ships are nice with great food. Vantage also goes out of its way to give you exposure to the local culture.

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We have done three on Vantage and one on AMA.

I usually price AMA, Viking and Vantage before I select any cruise.

 

It always comes out from lowest to highest price:

Vantage,

Viking,

AMA

 

We loved AMA, but didn't find the quality that different from Vantage. All three lines are good, but Viking has the larger ship that have more issues when flooding takes place in central Europe.

 

Vantage's home office can be hard to get answers from, but their cruises and tours are always very well done, with great guides at five star hotels. Their ships are nice with great food. Vantage also goes out of its way to give you exposure to the local culture.

 

Thank you for your input. Vantage just came on my radar recently and I am intrigued with their offerings. How are they for "extras" in terms of cost once we get on board? Are the excursions small groups are is it everyone together?

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Take a look at Scenic - yes they are more expensive but everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) is included. There are no "extras" to pay for. Have been on two of their cruises and both times walked off with nothing owing on my account. Excursions, drinks, tips (both onboard and land tour guides) all included.

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Take a look at Scenic - yes they are more expensive but everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) is included. There are no "extras" to pay for. Have been on two of their cruises and both times walked off with nothing owing on my account. Excursions, drinks, tips (both onboard and land tour guides) all included.

 

Thanks for your response...I will revisit them taking that into account. Not real sure how much the extras would be on the others to help me compare, but I will dig a bit further... :)

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First, I am a very experienced big ship cruiser and have taken the time to read the stickies and have become familiar with the river cruising differences and welcome the changes.

 

I am in the midst of planning my "bucket list" river cruise for 2018. Even though the itineraries are not available yet, I am sure they will not be that much different.

 

I believe have narrowed down my list to GCT, Vantage, AMA, and Viking. Now it is getting a bit more difficult to choose as the information I am getting is conflicting. So ... being a long time member of cruise critic, I am asking for your informed and intelligent opinions and responses... I know I will have more questions, and appreciate any and all decent responses. (I am also aware of the troll responses as I am not a newbie to this form of communication. If you plan to insult or make snide comments, please move on).

 

We are not the "luxury" type of people (I am diamond plus with royal carib and take advantage of some things, but we prefer relaxing over fou fou). I am much more interested in seeing things than sitting in a hot tub or getting a massage :) We are not foodies, but enjoy a good meal...

 

For all the lines I am looking at a 15/16 day Rhine cruise...

 

Grand Circle - I am bit enthralled with their excursions and the attention to the ports. I am less enthralled with twin murphy beds, and wonder about their comfort. I am also curious as to the age range, since it seems at 58 I might be the kid on the block. Does this "older" pax affect the level of excursions? Is tipping included in pricing? how many "extras" will all of sudden be a factor to cost?

 

Vantage - I am just starting to research them, so all opinions of prior passengers is welcome. I believe I have read they have open bar all the time - is this true? we are not big drinkers by any means, and usually stick to beer as wine is not real important to us.

 

Viking - Just out of the sheer volume of ships and apparently inexpensive cost they are on my list. I am unsure of comfort with the higher passenger count. I have read there will be more extras I'll need to pay for - is this true? Tips included? on excursions is it little groups are all 200 pax on one trip?

 

AMA - I have read some good things on this line, and even though they will be significantly higher in price I still have them on my list. Again - what extras will I have to pay for? how are they on excursions?

 

Hi,

We are also experienced ocean cruisers. Just had our 1st AMA river cruise ( Spain & Provenience)this July.The only extras were drinks at the bar-not during meals_& tipping. The food was outstanding ( we usually do Aqua Class-Blu Restaurant) on Celebrity and AMA food & just blew us away. The taste, quality and presentation were excellent. Service was amazing on all levels- housekeeping, dining room, cruise manager and tour guides.

I'm starting to look into either Paris & Normandy or Bordeaux on AMA.

Carole

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We have a month to go before our Vantage cruise, so I can't comment on the shipboard experience. But our pre-cruise experience has been problematic. We booked well over a year ago to take advantage of special pricing for the cruise and air.

First issue, last November/December, we were informed that or cruise was cancelled and offered another date. At that time we were promised "everything" about the cruise will be the same.

Then, a short time later we got our new air itinerary. Changed, and not for the better. I checked on-line, the earlier flight schedule was available, Vantage rescheduled after a couple phone calls.

Several months ago we were contacted again by Vantage. The rep reminded us that we had booked a cruise on the Rhone that was advertised as a special culinary cruise and reiterated the dates. Uh oh, what now. Then I was told they had a meeting and decided that the special culinary features would not be offered. We had several weeks to decide whether we wanted to cancel with a full refund. A call back a week or so later got us a small refund. We looked into booking the same itinerary with another line, unfortunately they were unable to accommodate the solo in our group.

Again, in fairness, we have yet to cruise with them. Folks here tell me they deliver a quality product on the cruise, and I am looking forward to them being correct.

 

All our other river cruises (6 with 2 others scheduled) have been with GCT including Great Rivers of Europe and the Rhein and Mosel.

GCT does emphasize "learning and discover" and the Program Directors (PD) often offer additional activities beyond what is promised on the itinerary. For us, the PDs are a big part of the GCT experience. Our trips have had 2 or 3 PDs with 40 or fewer pax per PD. The group for each PD stays the same throughout the cruise. The PD accompanies the group on all included tours even when there is a local guide. I think this is part of the reason they can act proactively when someone doesn't keep up with the group. Tips for the tour guide and bus driver are included.

Tips for Crew are not included and are be put on account so you may pay by credit card. Tips for the PD are cash. Our experience has been beer or wine is complimentary at lunch and dinner, not all day. I am tall and heavy; the beds are fine for me and I sleep well. We enjoy the food, it seems to be a blend of Americanized, local (German or French) cuisine with hints of Eastern European (depending on the chef).

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We too are big, no huge Ocean cruisers mainly with Royal and Celebrity and took our first then second river cruise this summer, both with Viking.

Loved it, even took the bottom deck, no problems.

Staff were excellent food very good not the huge choices as cruise ships but the evening meals were excellent as was their wine with lunch and dinner.

The breakfasts and lunches were good too.

We only had the gratuities to pay at the end and these we did with cash in envelopes

The included excursions were brilliant and varied from 4 full bus loads to a tour with just 12 of us, excellent knowledgable guides who all spoke excellent English.We gave a small tip to those who we felt were good but then you know us Brits and tipping but none of them seemed to expect it.

Next week we are doing our first with Avalon and will be very interested in the differences.

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Thank you for your input. Vantage just came on my radar recently and I am intrigued with their offerings. How are they for "extras" in terms of cost once we get on board? Are the excursions small groups are is it everyone together?

 

Vantage will usually have 2 or 3 optional tours. We had two for the Douro River and we took one, it was not that expensive.

 

You pay for bar drinks. Wine is served with dinner and there are no empty glasses, you drink as much as you want and you can carry a full glass into the bar from dinner. On tours, when lunch was required, lunch was not extra and wine was complementary.

 

Of course, tips were extra.

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...For all the lines I am looking at a 15/16 day Rhine cruise...My GCCL Rhine-Mosel cruise is one of my favorites (out of about 20 river cruises worldwide)

 

Grand Circle - I am bit enthralled with their excursions and the attention to the ports. I am less enthralled with twin murphy beds, and wonder about their comfort. I am also curious as to the age range, since it seems at 58 I might be the kid on the block. Does this "older" pax affect the level of excursions? Is tipping included in pricing? how many "extras" will all of sudden be a factor to cost? I have cruised with them Vienna-Amsterdam (twice), Antwerp-Basel, Linz-Budapest, Budapest-Black Sea and the Gironde. I am 6'3" and 220#. I found their beds comfortable. Beer and wine throughout the day is new to GCCL this year. I like the fact that GCCL still assigns you to a specific Program Director who establishes a relationship with the group of about 40. Local tips (eg 2 Euros to local guide, 1 Euro to driver are now included - it was always a pain to have correct change); tips to crew and Program Directors are additional. I think GCCL now includes port fees in the listed price.

 

Vantage - I am just starting to research them, so all opinions of prior passengers is welcome. I believe I have read they have open bar all the time - is this true? we are not big drinkers by any means, and usually stick to beer as wine is not real important to us. I have cruised with them Seine, Rhone and Douro; scheduled this fall on the Irrawaddy and Mekong. Vantage includes beer and wine with dinner ONLY. Port fees are extra, as are tips to local guides, drivers, crew and Tour Director.

 

Viking - Just out of the sheer volume of ships and apparently inexpensive cost they are on my list. I am unsure of comfort with the higher passenger count. I have read there will be more extras I'll need to pay for - is this true? Tips included? on excursions is it little groups are all 200 pax on one trip? I have cruised with them on Elbe and Dneipr (both older ships). Tips not included. Some reports that interior space is deficient when sun deck is closed and that dining room meal service can be slow. Some passengers love them.

 

AMA - I have read some good things on this line, and even though they will be significantly higher in price I still have them on my list. Again - what extras will I have to pay for? how are they on excursions? I have not sailed with them (but hear good reports)

I concurr with coments already made. I have commented in red above. Vantage and GC are owned by brothers (who reportedly sue each other often); their business model (no use of Travel Agents, mostly North American passengers) is very similar. Like most ocean cruise lines, the boats seem to operate much better than the sales offices.:rolleyes:

 

Thom

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I concurr with coments already made. I have commented in red above. Vantage and GC are owned by brothers (who reportedly sue each other often); their business model (no use of Travel Agents, mostly North American passengers) is very similar. Like most ocean cruise lines, the boats seem to operate much better than the sales offices.:rolleyes:

 

Thom

 

Thanks for your insights... Any experience with Scenic, since they are now on radar once I ge ta chance to dig into their website....

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First, I am a very experienced big ship cruiser and have taken the time to read the stickies and have become familiar with the river cruising differences and welcome the changes.

 

I am in the midst of planning my "bucket list" river cruise for 2018. Even though the itineraries are not available yet, I am sure they will not be that much different.

 

I believe have narrowed down my list to GCT, Vantage, AMA, and Viking. Now it is getting a bit more difficult to choose as the information I am getting is conflicting. So ... being a long time member of cruise critic, I am asking for your informed and intelligent opinions and responses... I know I will have more questions, and appreciate any and all decent responses. (I am also aware of the troll responses as I am not a newbie to this form of communication. If you plan to insult or make snide comments, please move on).

 

We are not the "luxury" type of people (I am diamond plus with royal carib and take advantage of some things, but we prefer relaxing over fou fou). I am much more interested in seeing things than sitting in a hot tub or getting a massage :) We are not foodies, but enjoy a good meal...

 

Viking - Just out of the sheer volume of ships and apparently inexpensive cost they are on my list. I am unsure of comfort with the higher passenger count. I have read there will be more extras I'll need to pay for - is this true? Tips included? on excursions is it little groups are all 200 pax on one trip?

 

We just did our first river cruise and we went with Viking. I can't speak for the other lines, because I have no experience with them. I can tell you that our Viking cruise and experience was top notch all the way.

 

We booked directly with them, and booked our air through them. We weren't wild about having to pay that far in advance, but we did. Now I have heard that it's kind of negotiable, so for our next one (and there will be a next one) I will speak to them about that.

 

We chose Viking because: a) they included a stop at Kinderdijk on their Rhine Getaway - which other lines I researched did not - and b) we liked the look & set up of the ships.

 

We weren't interested in pools or hot tubs - we barely used the Sun Deck. We did spend a lot of time on the Aquavit Terrace at the bow of the ship.

 

Our experience booking, and with the Viking Air Plus people couldn't have been better. No complaints there. I had one small glitch with an excursion conflict, but it was resolved quickly and to our satisfaction.

 

I had heard that they supplied L'Occitaine products on the ship and, because I have skin allergies, I bought some to try. I, then, learned that they had switched to a house brand, Freya. I asked on their Facebook page, if there was a place I could buy them to try. They had one of their reps call me and offer to send a set of samples. I gave him my address and in less than a week I had a FULL set in a little silver bag with a lovely note. The products were great, BTW.

 

We like luxury, but casual luxury - and that's what we found on Viking. Lots of pampering, but no frou-frou. We felt spoiled from the moment we boarded the ship, but there was never anything that took away from a comfy casual put your feet up, your at home feel.

 

The cabin (a Veranda on deck 2) was great - plenty of room for the 2 of us. We booked the veranda/balcony, because there was more room between the bed and the sliding door - also we had a chair inside. You don't get the chair on French balcony rooms. The balcony was adequate and we used it enough to make it worth the extra cost. I loved having it on the one night when I discovered we were going through a lock. I grabbed a wrap & my camera and snapped away without waking my husband.

 

The beds were comfy. We asked for and got an extra pillow, and my husband found the comforter too warm. The steward put a top sheet on the bed as well.

 

We also have done many ocean cruises, and are used to huge crowds, so 183 other passengers weren't a problem. The ship never seemed crowded. Once in awhile there was a short line for the buffet - but I'm taking maybe 10 people ahead of me. If you wanted a chair, it wasn't difficult to find one.

 

I found the food good to great, and I'm a bit of a foodie. My husband is fussy, and he always found something he liked. But food is always a personal thing.

 

You get beer & wine with lunch - no extra charge. I found the wine drinkable - not outstanding, but not plonk either :) My husband liked the beer - and since lunch time usually ran until 2pm (sometimes later) you could get quite a few. We didn't get the Sliver Spirits Liquor package. It just wasn't worth it for us. You can bring your own beer, wine, liquor with no issues. No corkage fee. We brought a bottle of brandy with us, and sometimes ordered a drink in the lounge.

 

We had a couple in their late 20s - early 30s who seemed to be enjoying themselves. I would say most people were 50s & 60s - some older, some younger. A decent mix of 40s on up. I'm 69 & my husband is 70. We're active and not old ;) We had a lot of repeat river cruisers.

 

We had no issues with excursions. They do have a slow walkers group for those who don't think they can keep up. We did Marksburg Castle, which is listed as difficult. And the hike in the Black Forest which was really a HIKE! No one got left behind and the only ones held up anywhere were the guides.

 

The staff were wonderful - they couldn't do enough for you. Just ask.

 

There's no nickle and diming. Other than wine and beer (lunch & dinner) you do pay for drinks. There is 24/coffee, cappuccino, machhiotto, latte and hot chocolate from a machine that did a great job. Juice in the morning, cold water (both still and sparkling) all day available at the station. Also a variety of tea and hot water for the tea. Muffins and pastries in the morning - cookies in the afternoon (we ate a LOT of cookies, they were so good). Also every morning you got a fresh bottle of water in the room and there is a fridge.

 

Tips are not included. They have a suggested list so you know beforehand what the average might be, but it's up to you. You can put them on your credit card, or hand out tips in envelopes. We usually tipped the guides & drivers, but there is no pressure to do so. We gave a little extra to our steward and the Cruise Director who went all out to help when my husband had his wallet lifted in Strasbourg. We were lucky - she helped us cancel the credit cards, right away on the bus going back, so we only lost a few Euros.

 

Our final bill on the ship was $315.78 - that included the tips, a few drinks in the lounge and 2 Future Cruise vouchers at $100 each. You pay $100, you get $200 off a future cruise.

 

So that's my tale. I'm happy to answer questions about Viking. My only criticism is that they need to change to a different kind of toilet paper dispenser. It was a pain to get more than one sheet at a time :D We really did have a wonderful experience - I know the mileage of others may vary!

 

If you are interested in seeing photos - I'm still putting them up and editing, but they are here http://cyberkatkreations.zenfolio.com/p203735650

So we have those vouchers and we are looking at Viking Ocean and a river cruise on the Danube. We will definitely sail with them again.

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We have also traveled with Grand Circle numerous times. They offer a discount for early payment and the % decreases after a 15 month period (might be 12 months ??) on a sliding scale. GC also offers a % of the trip cost toward a future trip. This can be a significant amount of money.

 

Many of their travelers are older, but very well traveled. On our last trip there was a lady who traveled 22 times with them.

 

We have also traveled with AMA and the people seem to be younger. They offer more excursion options in each port. Occasionally there will be an excursion that costs extra.

 

We usually look at the itinerary, date the cruise is offered and then decide who we will travel with.

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We have a month to go before our Vantage cruise, so I can't comment on the shipboard experience. But our pre-cruise experience has been problematic. We booked well over a year ago to take advantage of special pricing for the cruise and air.

First issue, last November/December, we were informed that or cruise was cancelled and offered another date. At that time we were promised "everything" about the cruise will be the same.

Then, a short time later we got our new air itinerary. Changed, and not for the better. I checked on-line, the earlier flight schedule was available, Vantage rescheduled after a couple phone calls.

Several months ago we were contacted again by Vantage. The rep reminded us that we had booked a cruise on the Rhone that was advertised as a special culinary cruise and reiterated the dates. Uh oh, what now. Then I was told they had a meeting and decided that the special culinary features would not be offered. We had several weeks to decide whether we wanted to cancel with a full refund. A call back a week or so later got us a small refund. We looked into booking the same itinerary with another line, unfortunately they were unable to accommodate the solo in our group.

Again, in fairness, we have yet to cruise with them. Folks here tell me they deliver a quality product on the cruise, and I am looking forward to them being correct.

 

All our other river cruises (6 with 2 others scheduled) have been with GCT including Great Rivers of Europe and the Rhein and Mosel.

GCT does emphasize "learning and discover" and the Program Directors (PD) often offer additional activities beyond what is promised on the itinerary. For us, the PDs are a big part of the GCT experience. Our trips have had 2 or 3 PDs with 40 or fewer pax per PD. The group for each PD stays the same throughout the cruise. The PD accompanies the group on all included tours even when there is a local guide. I think this is part of the reason they can act proactively when someone doesn't keep up with the group. Tips for the tour guide and bus driver are included.

Tips for Crew are not included and are be put on account so you may pay by credit card. Tips for the PD are cash. Our experience has been beer or wine is complimentary at lunch and dinner, not all day. I am tall and heavy; the beds are fine for me and I sleep well. We enjoy the food, it seems to be a blend of Americanized, local (German or French) cuisine with hints of Eastern European (depending on the chef).

 

Thanks for your reply...the excursions and small groups on GCT are really pulling me in that direction, but I have plenty of time for final decision.

 

I have heard some negatives about Vantage and it all seems to be with the customer service before and after - not hearing much on the cruise itself so I assume that part is well done. I plan on having reservations over a year in advance and would not be happy about cancellations and changes once I get them set. Why did the cancel the original? just curious.

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Hi,

We are also experienced ocean cruisers. Just had our 1st AMA river cruise ( Spain & Provenience)this July.The only extras were drinks at the bar-not during meals_& tipping. The food was outstanding ( we usually do Aqua Class-Blu Restaurant) on Celebrity and AMA food & just blew us away. The taste, quality and presentation were excellent. Service was amazing on all levels- housekeeping, dining room, cruise manager and tour guides.

I'm starting to look into either Paris & Normandy or Bordeaux on AMA.

Carole

 

Thank you for your input! good to hear they provided great service :D

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We just did our first river cruise and we went with Viking. I can't speak for the other lines, because I have no experience with them. I can tell you that our Viking cruise and experience was top notch all the way.

 

We booked directly with them, and booked our air through them. We weren't wild about having to pay that far in advance, but we did. Now I have heard that it's kind of negotiable, so for our next one (and there will be a next one) I will speak to them about that.

 

We chose Viking because: a) they included a stop at Kinderdijk on their Rhine Getaway - which other lines I researched did not - and b) we liked the look & set up of the ships.

 

We weren't interested in pools or hot tubs - we barely used the Sun Deck. We did spend a lot of time on the Aquavit Terrace at the bow of the ship.

 

Our experience booking, and with the Viking Air Plus people couldn't have been better. No complaints there. I had one small glitch with an excursion conflict, but it was resolved quickly and to our satisfaction.

 

I had heard that they supplied L'Occitaine products on the ship and, because I have skin allergies, I bought some to try. I, then, learned that they had switched to a house brand, Freya. I asked on their Facebook page, if there was a place I could buy them to try. They had one of their reps call me and offer to send a set of samples. I gave him my address and in less than a week I had a FULL set in a little silver bag with a lovely note. The products were great, BTW.

 

We like luxury, but casual luxury - and that's what we found on Viking. Lots of pampering, but no frou-frou. We felt spoiled from the moment we boarded the ship, but there was never anything that took away from a comfy casual put your feet up, your at home feel.

 

The cabin (a Veranda on deck 2) was great - plenty of room for the 2 of us. We booked the veranda/balcony, because there was more room between the bed and the sliding door - also we had a chair inside. You don't get the chair on French balcony rooms. The balcony was adequate and we used it enough to make it worth the extra cost. I loved having it on the one night when I discovered we were going through a lock. I grabbed a wrap & my camera and snapped away without waking my husband.

 

The beds were comfy. We asked for and got an extra pillow, and my husband found the comforter too warm. The steward put a top sheet on the bed as well.

 

We also have done many ocean cruises, and are used to huge crowds, so 183 other passengers weren't a problem. The ship never seemed crowded. Once in awhile there was a short line for the buffet - but I'm taking maybe 10 people ahead of me. If you wanted a chair, it wasn't difficult to find one.

 

I found the food good to great, and I'm a bit of a foodie. My husband is fussy, and he always found something he liked. But food is always a personal thing.

 

You get beer & wine with lunch - no extra charge. I found the wine drinkable - not outstanding, but not plonk either :) My husband liked the beer - and since lunch time usually ran until 2pm (sometimes later) you could get quite a few. We didn't get the Sliver Spirits Liquor package. It just wasn't worth it for us. You can bring your own beer, wine, liquor with no issues. No corkage fee. We brought a bottle of brandy with us, and sometimes ordered a drink in the lounge.

 

We had a couple in their late 20s - early 30s who seemed to be enjoying themselves. I would say most people were 50s & 60s - some older, some younger. A decent mix of 40s on up. I'm 69 & my husband is 70. We're active and not old ;) We had a lot of repeat river cruisers.

 

We had no issues with excursions. They do have a slow walkers group for those who don't think they can keep up. We did Marksburg Castle, which is listed as difficult. And the hike in the Black Forest which was really a HIKE! No one got left behind and the only ones held up anywhere were the guides.

 

The staff were wonderful - they couldn't do enough for you. Just ask.

 

There's no nickle and diming. Other than wine and beer (lunch & dinner) you do pay for drinks. There is 24/coffee, cappuccino, machhiotto, latte and hot chocolate from a machine that did a great job. Juice in the morning, cold water (both still and sparkling) all day available at the station. Also a variety of tea and hot water for the tea. Muffins and pastries in the morning - cookies in the afternoon (we ate a LOT of cookies, they were so good). Also every morning you got a fresh bottle of water in the room and there is a fridge.

 

Tips are not included. They have a suggested list so you know beforehand what the average might be, but it's up to you. You can put them on your credit card, or hand out tips in envelopes. We usually tipped the guides & drivers, but there is no pressure to do so. We gave a little extra to our steward and the Cruise Director who went all out to help when my husband had his wallet lifted in Strasbourg. We were lucky - she helped us cancel the credit cards, right away on the bus going back, so we only lost a few Euros.

 

Our final bill on the ship was $315.78 - that included the tips, a few drinks in the lounge and 2 Future Cruise vouchers at $100 each. You pay $100, you get $200 off a future cruise.

 

So that's my tale. I'm happy to answer questions about Viking. My only criticism is that they need to change to a different kind of toilet paper dispenser. It was a pain to get more than one sheet at a time :D We really did have a wonderful experience - I know the mileage of others may vary!

 

If you are interested in seeing photos - I'm still putting them up and editing, but they are here http://cyberkatkreations.zenfolio.com/p203735650

So we have those vouchers and we are looking at Viking Ocean and a river cruise on the Danube. We will definitely sail with them again.

 

Thank you for the great reply...you mentioned and excursion conflict which makes me ask if you have to register for the excursions (even the included) in advance?

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We have also traveled with Grand Circle numerous times. They offer a discount for early payment and the % decreases after a 15 month period (might be 12 months ??) on a sliding scale. GC also offers a % of the trip cost toward a future trip. This can be a significant amount of money.

 

Many of their travelers are older, but very well traveled. On our last trip there was a lady who traveled 22 times with them.

 

We have also traveled with AMA and the people seem to be younger. They offer more excursion options in each port. Occasionally there will be an excursion that costs extra.

 

We usually look at the itinerary, date the cruise is offered and then decide who we will travel with.

 

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I pretty much got to my list of possible by looking at itineraries first...and then the comparable across these lines. I'm pretty set on where - now it's the who :D older or younger does not really matter (unless its kids) but I got concerned the excursions on GCT might be affected if the pace was not to the liking of the pax

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Thank you for the great reply...you mentioned and excursion conflict which makes me ask if you have to register for the excursions (even the included) in advance?

 

We did, but I don't think you had to. The included ones are included, and they just add a tour. They announced each night when there were optional ones the next day that there was room if you wanted to do them.

 

We did 2 the Colmar tour - which was great. And the Mercedes Factory tour - which was interesting, but I just went along. Needless to say my husband wanted to do it.

 

I should mention that I'm a computer geek and a compulsive planner, so when they made it available (it's new) I was all over it! When I originally booked the the tours the Colmar tour and the Black Forest tour were both listed as being in the morning. I signed up for the Black Forest - which was included, and a Frieberg tour - which was optional - though I wanted the Colmar (not the WW II one, just the town)

 

Somewhere along the line they switched the Black Forest tour to the Afternoon - which made a conflict. I got an email from them, but I happened to look at the My Viking site I guess just after they changed it.

 

I called them and got a twit on the phone who kept insisting that I made the mistake and overbooked. I did not. Anyway I switched the Frieberg for the Colmar with ease. And got a credit right away for the $20 price difference.

 

The guy's attitude didn't sit well with me - I did customer service for too many years to put up with bad attitude. I emailed the link Viking always provides on these boards and told them that the issue was taken care of but the rep needed some more training.

 

I got an email and a phone call apologizing. They wanted to make sure all was well - it was. And that was the end of it.

 

We found out on the cruise that we were docked with another ship - same day, same time and so not to overwhelm the places, they swapped. They did the Black Forest in the am, and we did it in the afternoon. Worked our great for me because I got to see Colmar.

 

That was our only issue - aside from the wallet, which wasn't Viking's fault - the whole time from booking until we flew home.

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We did, but I don't think you had to. The included ones are included, and they just add a tour. They announced each night when there were optional ones the next day that there was room if you wanted to do them.

 

We did 2 the Colmar tour - which was great. And the Mercedes Factory tour - which was interesting, but I just went along. Needless to say my husband wanted to do it.

 

I should mention that I'm a computer geek and a compulsive planner, so when they made it available (it's new) I was all over it! When I originally booked the the tours the Colmar tour and the Black Forest tour were both listed as being in the morning. I signed up for the Black Forest - which was included, and a Frieberg tour - which was optional - though I wanted the Colmar (not the WW II one, just the town)

 

Somewhere along the line they switched the Black Forest tour to the Afternoon - which made a conflict. I got an email from them, but I happened to look at the My Viking site I guess just after they changed it.

 

I called them and got a twit on the phone who kept insisting that I made the mistake and overbooked. I did not. Anyway I switched the Frieberg for the Colmar with ease. And got a credit right away for the $20 price difference.

 

The guy's attitude didn't sit well with me - I did customer service for too many years to put up with bad attitude. I emailed the link Viking always provides on these boards and told them that the issue was taken care of but the rep needed some more training.

 

I got an email and a phone call apologizing. They wanted to make sure all was well - it was. And that was the end of it.

 

We found out on the cruise that we were docked with another ship - same day, same time and so not to overwhelm the places, they swapped. They did the Black Forest in the am, and we did it in the afternoon. Worked our great for me because I got to see Colmar.

 

That was our only issue - aside from the wallet, which wasn't Viking's fault - the whole time from booking until we flew home.

 

Thanks for the add-on.... We are one on the same as I am a 'puter geek as well and extremely into planning (which probably stands out considering I'm planning a trip for itineraries that are not even announced yet). I have had my next Alaska cruise booked for over a year and most of all my private excursions already planned - some paid already too :o

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Thanks for your response...I will revisit them taking that into account. Not real sure how much the extras would be on the others to help me compare, but I will dig a bit further... :)

 

Some more info for you - a friend of mine has been on Scenic and Viking; she actually spent more $$ going with Viking than the Scenic all-inclusive.

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Thanks for the add-on.... We are one on the same as I am a 'puter geek as well and extremely into planning (which probably stands out considering I'm planning a trip for itineraries that are not even announced yet). I have had my next Alaska cruise booked for over a year and most of all my private excursions already planned - some paid already too :o

 

Alaska is on my bucket list! I may have to pick YOUR brain once you've done yours! ;)

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