Need river cruise advice

My wife & I are planning a European river cruise. Most of the trips include alcoholic beverages, but neither of us drink.

Is there a cruise line that offers a price without the booze?

A lot of the lines do, Avalon, Viking are 2. Just look for ones that are not listed as all inclusive. They will have alcohol for dinner and lunch, but otherwise you buy your drinks.

Check the sticker messages at the top, there are comparisons of various lines there.

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A lot of the lines do, Avalon, Viking are 2. Just look for ones that are not listed as all inclusive. They will have alcohol for dinner and lunch, but otherwise you buy your drinks.

 

Check the sticker messages at the top, there are comparisons of various lines there.

 

 

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Do you mean to say that there are 2 different prices for Viking river cruises - one with alcohol included (for lunch & dinner) and one without? I have never heard that before.

I think the OP is asking if there is a line where you can opt out of alcohol (as they do not drink) and pay less than if alcohol is included with meals - much like most ocean cruise lines where alcohol packages are extra if you want to buy them (and you don't pay for them if you don't drink at all).

I'm not much of a drinker either...

AMA Waterways provides a selection of white or red wine [sometimes more than one of each; they were quite good], beer, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner... Such drinks ordered outside of lunch and dinner times and in the dining room--as well as all other alcoholic beverages--are chargeable as ordered...

Their practice worked perfectly for me... Just returned from two AMA cruises--my first on the rivers--and was very impressed by the experiences...

I've posted this on other threads, but you will generally pay the same amount, or even more, for soda or water in an European restaurant than for the house wine or draft German beer. I would consider the dining room on a cruise the same as a restaurant. Tap water is not drunk in restaurants. So the alcohol offered during meals is not inflating your cruise cost much at all.

I've posted this on other threads, but you will generally pay the same amount, or even more, for soda or water in an European restaurant than for the house wine or draft German beer. I would consider the dining room on a cruise the same as a restaurant. Tap water is not drunk in restaurants. So the alcohol offered during meals is not inflating your cruise cost much at all.

I think is this accurate as far as those river cruise lines that only offer wine and beer at meals [which is most]. The 'all-inclusive' lines that offer an open bar all the time must be factoring in an extra cost in the fare that OP wants to avoid.

I've posted this on other threads, but you will generally pay the same amount, or even more, for soda or water in an European restaurant than for the house wine or draft German beer. I would consider the dining room on a cruise the same as a restaurant. Tap water is not drunk in restaurants. So the alcohol offered during meals is not inflating your cruise cost much at all.

I am sorry but I do not agree with you.

I might not drink tap water in a restaurant in rural Albania but I certainly would (and have) in Germany, France or the Czech republic (or on a boat in those countries). That locals choose not to drink tap water in restaurants but drink wine/beer instead is a different issue and their choice/preference. Thus a person drinking tap water with meals IS subsidizing an alcohol/soda drinker (just like on an ocean cruise ship). Bottled water may be expensive in restaurants but is a lot less than wine/beer when bought in supermarkets.

Alcohol and shore excursions on river boats are INCLUDED but not FREE.

Do you mean to say that there are 2 different prices for Viking river cruises - one with alcohol included (for lunch & dinner) and one without? I have never heard that before.

I think the OP is asking if there is a line where you can opt out of alcohol (as they do not drink) and pay less than if alcohol is included with meals - much like most ocean cruise lines where alcohol packages are extra if you want to buy them (and you don't pay for them if you don't drink at all).

Viking does have an alcohol package that you can purchase that would include drinks at the bar as well as finer wines at lunch/dinner. River cruises are very different from ocean lines, where a lot of stuff is included (shore excursions, dining, etc.). There are some that include all alcohol, and others that only include it for dining/lunch. I don't know of any that would give a discount for not having alcohol.

Back to the original question. Why not just compare prices and go with the best deal. If the best deal includes drinks, who cares. There is something on every cruise that people pay for and do not use. If you didn't use the entertainment or the wifi, there would not be a special price. Just compare the total cost and be a good consumer.

River cruises (as opposed to ocean cruises) are more prix fixe than a la carte, to borrow a restaurant analogy.

Roz

We are going on gate 1 amsterdam to budapest and our group of 8 consist of 2 who like the odd wine with meals and 6 non alcohol drinkers.

I emailed the company as their info said beer and wine unlimited with dinner. They emailed back that we would also be able to have unlimited soft drink at dinner.

Drinks at other times is chargable. Not an issue for us as we expect to be off exploring during the day anyway.

I am sorry but I do not agree with you.

I might not drink tap water in a restaurant in rural Albania but I certainly would (and have) in Germany, France or the Czech republic (or on a boat in those countries). That locals choose not to drink tap water in restaurants but drink wine/beer instead is a different issue and their choice/preference. Thus a person drinking tap water with meals IS subsidizing an alcohol/soda drinker (just like on an ocean cruise ship). Bottled water may be expensive in restaurants but is a lot less than wine/beer when bought in supermarkets.

Alcohol and shore excursions on river boats are INCLUDED but not FREE.

The tap water in restaurants issue is a little tricky. Yes, it is a matter of choice in many countries that have perfectly good tap water. But it may not be customary, and that does sometimes lead to waiters not knowing what to make of your request for tap water. Sometimes you may not be able to get it or may get charged for it. Other times they are used to the odd requests of Americans and serve it without charge or confusion. It depends. I would assume that on the ship you can get whatever you want. I would consider it a matter of "included beverages," and as soda is at least as pricey as wine in Europe, it does not seem as if non-drinkers are subsidizing the rest.

mlld3536 is correct. In Germany and Austria, soft drinks are often the same price as beer and wine. In restaurants, you would normally order mineral water, not tap water although tap water is potable everywhere.

Just go with the flow and drink what the locals drink which is often local fruit juices (apple, rhubarb, red or black currant) mixed with sparkling mineral water. The river boats seem to have adopted the pricing of the shore side restaurants and consider soft drinks equal to wine and beer when it comes to price.

In Germany (similar rules are in place in Austria and Switzerland) there is a law in place which makes alcohol-serving establishments offer at least one non-alcoholic beverage the same price or lower than the equivalent amount of the alcoholic beverages. It is called the Apfelsaft-Paragraph "apple juice section" in everyday language. Beer tends to be the same as soft drinks, wine will mostly be a little more expensive (or the same as beer if cheap, meaning not exactly good stuff), alcohol above that alcohol content, for example liqueurs, are more expensive.

And yes, other than in France for example, tap water is not drunk in restaurants in Germany.

I also think that with a river company that offers soft drinks, beer and wine included with lunch and dinner you need not feel to be subsidizing the drinkers. And you should not feel obliged to drink alcohol at all, never feel that you are sticking out being a non-drinker, a river cruise ship is not a British pub. ;)

Have fun planning.

notamermaid

In Germany (similar rules are in place in Austria and Switzerland) there is a law in place which makes alcohol-serving establishments offer at least one non-alcoholic beverage the same price or lower than the equivalent amount of the alcoholic beverages. It is called the Apfelsaft-Paragraph "apple juice section" in everyday language. Beer tends to be the same as soft drinks, wine will mostly be a little more expensive (or the same as beer if cheap, meaning not exactly good stuff), alcohol above that alcohol content, for example liqueurs, are more expensive.

 

And yes, other than in France for example, tap water is not drunk in restaurants in Germany.

 

I also think that with a river company that offers soft drinks, beer and wine included with lunch and dinner you need not feel to be subsidizing the drinkers. And you should not feel obliged to drink alcohol at all, never feel that you are sticking out being a non-drinker, a river cruise ship is not a British pub. ;)

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

Though I generally drink their wonderful ales, I have been known to drink lemonade or coke in British pubs! Not always up for alcohol at lunch. I have noticed more people sticking to mineral water, as opposed to wine or beer, in French and Italian restaurants than I did back in the '90's when we started European travel. More vegetarian options as well, if that is an issue. Of course, this doesn't have much to do with meals on the ship, but there I have no experience. That will change in December!

Tap water is available at restaurants.

I always ask for une carafe d'eau at restaurants in France and never have a problem.

 

I also think that with a river company that offers soft drinks, beer and wine included with lunch and dinner you need not feel to be subsidizing the drinkers. And you should not feel obliged to drink alcohol at all, never feel that you are sticking out being a non-drinker, a river cruise ship is not a British pub. ;)

notamermaid

What DO you ask for at lunch on a river cruise if you are a non drinker and don't want a soda?

Do they have bottled water (still or sparkling)?

What DO you ask for at lunch if you are a non drinkers and don't want a soda?

Do they have bottled water (still or sparkling)?

They do on AMA, Uniworld and Scenic. Not sure about the others.

They do on AMA, Uniworld and Scenic. Not sure about the others.

Thank you.

We will be on an AMA cruise but also on a Viking.

Does anyone know about Viking?

TIA

I know Avalon has unsweetened ice tea and juices available if you want, but not sure if they would charge for them. Coffee and tea are available according to the menus I've seen.

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On Uniworld they have unsweetened ice tea at lunch and dinner.

Same here. Iced tea, still water, sparkling water was no charge. Coffee. Hot tea. Obviously, all the lines profit when I am on board! Bottled water was offered always before shore excursions, and always in our cabin too.

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Thank you.

We will be on an AMA cruise but also on a Viking.

Does anyone know about Viking?

TIA

I just got off a Viking cruise less than two weeks ago. You can have "still" water (no bubbles) any time of day. The people I traveled with had the house wine or beer for lunch and dinner but I don't like wine or beer so either I had Coke or water. No problem.

The tap water in restaurants issue is a little tricky. Yes, it is a matter of choice in many countries that have perfectly good tap water. But it may not be customary, and that does sometimes lead to waiters not knowing what to make of your request for tap water. Sometimes you may not be able to get it or may get charged for it. Other times they are used to the odd requests of Americans and serve it without charge or confusion. It depends. I would assume that on the ship you can get whatever you want. I would consider it a matter of "included beverages," and as soda is at least as pricey as wine in Europe, it does not seem as if non-drinkers are subsidizing the rest.

Yep. In Switzerland we were charge 3 Euros per glass for tap water.

Viking offer still or sparkling water with meals and on the Aquavit terrace at mealtimes there was an iced tea dispenser with a different flavour every day. There is also a station available all day for self service still or sparkling water, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and muffins and cakes, all free of charge. There is also still water provided in the room which they replenish a couple of times a day. When you go on an excursion Viking provide bottled water free and bottles were available on their coaches too. You can take your own drinks on board- no corkage fee- no problem getting a few glazes from the bar to take your own wine to dinner or the bar.