pontac

W Well, blow me down. The packet for our April 2023 cruise has arrived and we've got real leather luggage tags again!

Regarding 'adventurous', we booked Viking across the Great Lakes, from Duluth to Toronto in September this year the found out it was too adventurous for us with paddling ones own canoe and trekking in virgin forest.. We rebooked a more sedate Rhone cruise. Viking Expeditions.. They even have a submarine, but you don't get to drive it, they do that for you... Just Saying......

If the city that is being toured is not on the river then no matter which cruise company you go with, since they all travel on the same rivers, passengers need to travel to that city to do the tour. So perhaps you should look at rivers where boats can moor in or a short distance from major cities. I'm thinking Budapest, Vienna, Amsterdam, Paris... I can't help with cool and unusual adventures, tho'. 😐

Since you are Scenic's greatest cheerleader on this board, and since you think he should know and since you know how to contact him, perhaps you could give him the link to my report and ask him to comment - in particular why were indirect flights used instead of the available non-stop flights? why were the cabins not ready till 17:30? why did the boat run out of food at two meals? why was a sparkling substitute served when Champagne was specifically requested? what was used to refill the breakfast Moet & Chandon bottles, and is this official Scenic practice? link https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2879417-review-of-beautiful-bordeaux-11-day-cruise-on-scenic-diamond-from-17-august-to-27-august-2022-with-comparisons-to-viking/

I've no idea who this person is.

What you get varies from year to year. In 10 years of river cruising Viking have never given a back, they used to give various small packs for passports, valuables etc, then a cloth bag that could also be used for an electronic tablet . Last year they didn't give these. But they've always given bright red luggage tags. Since we never used the various bags and wallets from Viking we didn't mind not getting them. The luggage tags are great for spotting your luggage on an airport carousal and we have them permantly on our cases. They also send a self adhesive large badge for you to stick to your shirt so you can be identified by the Viking welcome team at the airport. Since they are all in bright red Viking clothes, carry red Viking clip boards and stand right outside the arrivals channel we've never had a problem spotting them, and the red tags on our cases identify us. So we do not wear the badge.

No one's room was ready. We all sat in the lounge for three+ hours. No one came to update us, serve drinks or snacks. Every 40 minutes or so someone would go to reception, then come back shaking their head at the expectant faces in the lounge. So Scenic had two black marks from us even before the cruise started. We finally got access to our room at 17:30. Dinner was at 19:00 and there was a 'welcome' briefing before that. As this was the first time we'd been with Scenic we went along. The tour manager’s talk was before dinner but didn’t contain anything useful, except that daily schedules weren’t printed but a copy would be on reception desk each morning and we should photograph it so we had a copy. Also to photograph the gate code of the landing jetty so we could get on board if the gate was closed. And no we didn't ask the Butler for a light snack in our cabin because we didn't have a cabin and because we'd had a decent lunch at 12:30 in a restaurant. 'Our Butler' is Scenic marketing hyperbole for a member of the crew who serviced the entire floor. Detailed report on the cruise is here

It's wise to check, of course. But I've never known one done in the dark, or on the first day. People are flying in from all around the world, some will be delayed so people might be arriving quite late. Scenic (& Viking and I expect others) serve a light lunch for early arrivals. But Scenic carefully arranged our hotel pickup to be at 14:00 so we arrived too late for the free lunch. You will get the time for your pickup in your travel documentation that will be sent to you. If you decide to miss it you will have to arrange your own travel to the boat. Best phone the boat - number in the documentation and as per the link above = to let them know tour ETA/

There never is anything crucial said at such meetings. Go ahead and do what you want to do. You can always ask the Cruise Director later if you missed anything and they'll tell you. You won't have missed anything.. It's not rocket science. If you are savvy enough to arrange an evening at the opera on your own, then there's nothing of any import that you'll miss. Everything is in your pre-cruise documentation. And that's dross.

Unfortunately a lot of cruisers now are not. I've pondered elsewhere on this forum that whereas the first cruises were packed with people wanted to immerse themselves in Bordeaux - and also immerse a lot of Bordeaux in themselves - now there are many now who take this cruise because they've been on all the other rives and this is one more. Bilbao is the only Guggenheim I've been to, so cannot compare. There's a lot of Jeff Koons tat (perhaps I should say art) and there was an exhibition of a US street artist who died young and whose scribbles (art) is now worth a fortune. Guess I wasn't knocked out. But Rioja is bliss!

Some River Cruise companies accept families, some don't. Viking have an 'over-18' policy. I like that because it means there are no screaming babies and young children running about, and meal times are calm. but it does mean that there aren't youngish adults that have families. It means adults whose children have grown up enough to look after them selves or who can be left with others. But you'll find that passengers are active; after all many have flown halfway across the world to walk around historic cobbled cities. Make your choice, but with three meals a day plus sightseeing trips the age of other passengers is something that has never affected me. And now I am 11 years older than when I first started river cruising.

No, Viking suggest that as a tip per day. We suggest €2 per person per day for local guides and €1 per person per day for drivers. If you go for a 30min coach drive then a 90 minute walking tour then 30 mins back to the ship, then that's not a day. Re small coins: it might be worth asking friends/acquaintances if they've been to Europe and brought back loose change. And in your 'free time' that all walking tours have, buy a coffee/beer/glass of wine and pay with a note to get change. The tour guide will point out public toilets, tell you how much they cost and usually have some change with them.

Vikings 'Danube Waltz could be what you are looking for. Travelling from Budapest to Passau it has tours of these places also Vienna, which are three of the four places you mention. Prague is a distance from the Danube but Viking do a post cruise extension to Prague which means they will organise transport to Prague from the boat. Budapest is not a 'small port', and the international airport is well served and very close to the river and city, likewise Prague has a major international airport. I don't know whether you can fly non-stop from your home city, you may need an intermediate airport but you should be able to fly into/outoff both Budapest and Prague so you won't need to make land travel arrangements. If you want to spend a couple of extra days in Budapest before the trip, again Viking have a pre-extension in Budapest. If you want to do this on your own, a taxi from the airport is quick and cheap/ Viking are reasonably priced. The Danube Waltz cruise is 8 days so falls within your parameter. There is a large lounge with a dance floo and an on board musician so you can dance after dinner . I have cruised the Danube with Viking sveral times and have no hesitatin recommending them, but there is fierce competion now from the many river cruise companies and I've been with only two of them, Viking and Scenic. People on this board all have their personal favourites.

Bilbao and Bordeaux have more in common than just both commencing with the letter B They're both on a river and both were the port for the export of local wines that gained worldwide fame. Plus Bilbao's wine came from the nearby Rioja wine region that became the new home of Bordeaux winemakers after Phylloxera devastated the vineyards of Bordeaux. In Bilbao you'll probably want to visit the Guggenheim art museum, which is close to the river. There's a big collection of stuff by Jeff Koons. Regarding the river cruise, I've been twice,once with Viking and once with Scenic. Bordeaux is famous for its wines and all river cruise companies tend to stop at the same places, only the wineries visited differ. Bordeaux cruise is unlike the other Europen river cruises in the it only travels a short distance, starts and ends at the same place and the riverside views are nothing special, apart from the giant castle at Blaye where no doubt you'll moor and tour. Is there something specific you want to know?

I've twice got a taxi from the rank at Bordeaux airport. I was staying at a hotel by the river bank. The aitport is on the edge of the city and the journeys were swift and not expensive. I'd suggest getting a taxi whan you arrive as it's one less thing to arrange or worry about and it doesn't matter if your flight lands early or late. Leaving arrrivals hall note that you walk through a vineyard on the way out to the taxi rank.

I posted a long time ago asking what use was a butler, and got nothing that convinced me. We had a butler on our Scenic cruise and used him only once to get us a coffee when the guests' single coffee machine had a long queue. I though he could get one from a bar: he eventually delivered two coffees but it was a long wait. If one wants butler service then it's worth checking how many cabins that butler services. As far as I could see, that one staff member designated as a butler served all the cabins on that deck. So one can imagine that if every cabin requested something at the same time, the majority would be disappointed by getting their service late. Again check about wine. Riviera standardly do not include drinks with meal. Others do but only with meal, other include drinks at all times. As you so correctly say, wine quality varies. 'Fine' wines are promised by some, but if you know about wines, you'll find they are not. If you don't know about wines then by using winesearcher.com you may find the so-called 'fine' wine on the list is available in the local supermarket for peanuts. I'm not a wine snob: I'm happy to have a local 'house' wine, but I take umbrage when that wine is touted as coming from the 'region’s best wineries' (Scenic).

As you've already argued flights with Scenic then questioning them about the discrepancy between self booking advice and their flight bookings should hold no fears for you. Myself, when a river cruise company includes air travel and books the flights I take it that they can achieve it. And if there's a problem then they'll sort it. I can see that there's a fear that their 'sorting it' will be by putting you on the indirect flights you previously rejected. BYW - congrats on getting them to give you direct flights. When we travelled with Scenic to Bordeaux they booked us Air France via CDG out and KLM via Schiphol on the way back yet there's a non stop flight between London and Bordeaux with BA. I also assumed that the connection times would be suitable but we only made our connection at CDG because the onward plane was late. What we said about Scenic putting us through that stress can't be repeated here. In 11 cruises with Viking the only time we had to have an indirect flight was Ukraine and only because there was no non-stop flight.

Impossible to answer, as someone would need to have travelled with every line, or with every line that claimed to be luxurious. And, as offerings change over time, a cruise experiences a few years ago might not be the same today Then there is what you mean by luxurious. You mention length of cruise, but whether a cruise is 5 days or 15 days isn't a measure of luxury IMO, as all companies offer both long and shorter cruises. I prefer long cruises because it seems on a week long cruise I have just got to wind-down and relax in the comfort of everything being there for me when I'm ejected into the real world. There's nothing like being on day 7 of a cruise and knowing one doesn't have to go to the airport but can instead enjoy another week of life on the cruise. Luxury has to be paid for, and some of the things offered by the more expensive lines are things I don't want and won't use, so why should I pay for them? An expensive cabin on a cheaper line might offer more than a cheaper cabin on an expensive line. Are there different dining places open to different cabins? If you are wondering what line to book, then I suggest you draw up a list of non-negotiable wants and 'nice to haves' and go through the various cruise lines web sites to see which offer what you want at what cost. Oh, and expect a degree of hyperbole in their claims......

No, Yes, Definitely No. Every day at least one included tour, and there's always sights to see on the river banks as you cruise along. Bored? Relaxed and tired more like! Yes, it's a floating hotel. You'll unpack on-board in Amsterdam, visit all the intermediate sights, and not have to pack until you reach Basel. There's no on-board casino, no theatre, no lavish floor shows but plenty of sightseeing and much to eat and drink. You can have as much interaction with other passengers as you wish. Beyond talking with some when sharing a dinner table, we had hardly any so ages of fellow guests didn't register. The only way you're going to be certain if river cruising is for you is to take a river cruise. I'm betting before you get to Basel you'll be planning your next. Bon Voyage! (we've cruised this route with Viking twice before, last time in April 2022 from Basel to Amsterdam)

Yes and Yes. And the tours include 'free time' so you can take the guided tour and still have an hour or 90 minutes to do things on your own. When the boat is moored you can walk off any time and do your own thing. Make sure you get back before boat casts off. If the town centre is a bus ride away then - if staying in the area, they'll likely be shuttle buses laid on. Strasbourg was some way from the river and we were bussed for the included Strasbourg tour in the morning ( with free time); we could go back to the boat for lunch and there were shuttle busses to Strasbourg in the afternoon - or one could stay in Strasbourg all day and come back on the last shuttlebus. As @cruiser02 says, make sure you book all included tours on MVJ, you can decide on the day not to go.

We went on the Viking 'Grand European Tour' Budapest to Amsterdam in 2016 but sorry, I didn't keep a copy of the dailies. It was a jolly enjoyable cruise, but even had I kept a copy of the dailies I don't think they'd be a guide to your cruise as the offerings change from year to year. The tours offered on MVJ or the web site are a better guide to what will be avaiable on your tour.

What do you mean by better side? Myself - I'd say it was one that faced the water when moored, rather than the land. River boats generally (but not 100% of the time) moor racing the flow, i.e., they face up river. A Captain explained that it was to protect propellers from being damaged by logs/debris brought down river by the current. But the boat can moor either bank, but assume that if the boat moors by a riverside town then it'll moor on that side of the river, so you could look at a map and see where the overnight stops are and which direction you are travelling. So if you are travelling down river and the town is on the left bank, the boat will pass the mooring point, and turn around and come back to moor so cabins on the left side face the water But - there are many more boats and companies cruising the same rivers and rafting is becoming common, so it could be that after all your research you get a cabin that doesn't face the land yet get another cruise boat along side you. (Make certain to close curtains before going to bed!). This is true for all companies today, and even though Viking has some dedicated mooring jetties, there might be more than one Viking boat moored. At least Viking has its reception on the main deck which means it aligns with many other lines so one can just walk through the other boats reception if moored on the outside, unlike Scenic whose between-deck reception makes its passengers ascend to the sun deck to cross the the other boats sundeck and descend their external stairs.

I think @jpalbny has the solution - take two cruises so you can go to both. Bordeaux was my first wine love and I have been on tours with both Viking & Scenic. See my report on the Scenic Bordeaux tour in August 2022 here Review of Beautiful Bordeaux 11 day cruise on Scenic Diamond from 17 August to 27 August 2022 with comparisons to Viking - River Cruising - Cruise Critic Community Be aware that winery visits and excursions change from year to year. I think Vikings dinner at Ch Kirwan - a third growth Margaux - accompanied by Ch Kirwan wines, including the grand cru - was a highlight, much better than Scenic's classical concert. So check comments from people like me about cruise tours against what is being offered on the date you intend taking the cruise. Not everyone agrees, but I think the river scenery on the Bordeaux cruise is the least interesting. The land is mostly flat and the estuary gets wide and wider so all you can see on the bank is the trees lining it. But if your heart races - as mine does at the village names of Bordeaux then its a must. I've also taken the Rhone cruise from Lyon to Avignon and I am doing it again later this year the other direction. I think the scenery you'll see from the boat on the Rhone is prettier. A expedition to Chateauneuf du Pape winelands was a highlight. As to which cruise line - well' people here have their favourites and will recommend them. The boats all moor at many of the same locations - especially in Bordeaux. I don't think you'll get a bad cruise with whichever you choose, so you have to decide which suits you, what you want to pay for and what you don't.

Thanks for revealing where to 2024 conference will be.

If there was a smiley for "shrugs shoulders in a Gallic manner" then it'd be here.* Could be different stock levels in the various places they warehouse their tags and mail their joining instructions. They've got 80 river ships each holding about 190 pax against 9 ocean ships with 930 pax, so more passenger journeys on rivers so leather tags could run out faster. *and here Viking have been cutting back on their largess, The bags for the tags declined to a soft cloth pouch and now there are none. The after cruise gift has ended. But we received our Viking 2023 calendar in December. When they make passengers row their longships, then I'm going to book a different cruise line, till then......