rogerdawhip

There is more to being considered the best other than price.

If you want a true Amazon River Cruise trip, check out Overseas Adventure Travel (http://www.oattravel.com). Their Amazon River Cruise and Rain Forest trip cruises the Amazon in Peru. You will have 5 nights land and 6 nights on a 24 passenger ship.

For that matter, why can't a moderator have an opinion? If he/she has experience on a topic, share it. The reader should just take the opinion like anyone else's.

The moderator of this thread has very little river cruising experience and then only on one line that he continues to hype.

I travel with GCT and always wear my name tag while on ship. It helps to get to know peoples names and for them to get to know mine. If someone is not wearing their tag I do not try and talk to them because I figure they either do not to be bothered by strangers.

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.

On the river trip I just returned from I took sandwiches and cold cuts up on deck or back to my cabin to eat lunch on the balcony most every day. I don't like hour long lunches and enjoyed the solitude for that hour.

I just returned from my 12th river cruise with GCT....all solo. GCT allows one solo cabin per category. They have six categories meaning six solos. Due to this, I had to book 15 months in advance to get the cabin and date I wanted. They always have last minute deals but not for solo travelers. You can book one of their last minute deals as a share and hope you don't get a roommate. These deals can save you up to $2500 on some trips.

I have done the Amsterdam to Vienna/Budapest cruise four times and leave on my fifth tomorrow. I have gone in different directions and at different times of the year. Each has been great in it's own way. Many sights were repeated but on many included tours I just go out on my own.

No offense, what kind of yutz goes to Europe without a corkscrew and bottle opener? ;)

I'm the kind of yutz you are referring to. I dislike wine and drink little beer. Why would I need these?

When I recently shopped GCT for a cruise for three of us based on their late 2016 specials, they would not take a reservation for a single even when I asked specifically about a single supplement. All they would reserve for was a "male share" request.

When I booked my last trip with GCT they told me that only one SS is allowed per rate class. Most of their ships have four rate classes so only four SS would be booked for each cruise.

Also, most of their last minute deals only apply for double occupancy.

I have been traveled on 15+ river cruises as a single since 2001. I have found the best deal has always been GCCL. Their single supplements are usually only 15% of the full fair. You don't get all the bells and whistles that other lines have (I really don't need a pool or spa on a river cruise) but for me they are the best fit.

I misread the brochure from GCCL. It says there is more than 70 hours of daylight cruising. This is a 14 night trip so that averages to only 5 hours a day.

The second day is cruising all day from Cologne to Kaub arriving a 6 pm. That would be approx 12 hours of cruising on that day.

GCCL has two trips this summer from Amsterdam to Vienna that include 80 hours of daylight cruising. I am book for the August cruise. I've done this itinerary four times (different directions, different times of year) ad am looking forward to their alternate itinerary.

Once again I'm not sure exactly your purpose? Mine was simply to provide info to the poster and let them know there is more than one company sailing the rivers of Europe!

I'm sorry JvilleGal. I misread you note as "forget them"....again I'm sorry.

I just wanted to know why we should forget them.

With the variety of companies out there for every budget and every taste finding a company/ship and itinerary that meets ones needs is not always easy.

Grand Circle, completely forgot!

I don't know why you say this. Have you ever traveled with GCT? I have been on 11 GCT river cruises since 2001 with 2 more reserved. They are not for everyone but the fit me to a tee. They are not a budget line as many suggest but well respected and give you a great product. I've traveled with two other river cruise companies just to check them out and IMO I wasted the extra money these trips cost me.

I agree that GCT Paris to Normandy includes more that most others and at a much lower price also.

The Aria is a very nice ship. Although launched in 2001 is still looks new due to it's fantastic upkeep. It's main drawback for some is the fold-down pull man styli beds. I am 6'2" and have no problem with them. These beds give you more room in the cabin during the day. If you want bells and whistle's, like a pool or sauna, this ship is not for you.

For me the ship is always secondary. GCT's crew always makes the trips. By the second day they know your name and preferences.

On my 2004 GCT Rhine and Moselle river cruise we had an included excursion to visit the Remagen bridge and its 's museum. We also visited the nearby walled village of Ahrweiler. This was one of my all-time favorite tours on a GCT river cruise. I'm disappointed they no long do it.

Along with my 15+ river cruises I have also done 7 TAs. I've never combined the TAs with a river cruise yet because the max I want to be away from home is about 17 days. I love the TA's because I just sit on my balcony and veg. I load lots of books o my kindle and pretty much become a hermit for the 7-8 crossing. I usually travel east to west because I get the long flight out of they way first.

I did GCT's Paris to Normandy cruise two years ago and prefer it because it is 10 nights on the ship one way form Paris to Honfleur or reverse. Most other lines are only 7 nights and they are roundtrip Paris. We were able to spend more time at each stop as well as more day time cruising. GCT is not a luxury type cruise but their ships are well maintained, the food great and the crew fantastic.

I have only traveled with AMA once and booked direct with them. I was traveling with some friends who used a TA. AMA charged me $500 less than my friends paid (they got a $200 OBC) for the same cabin category.

CC has a very nice article on it cover page today comparing Viking vs Vantage.

They cover just about every aspect both good and bad. I'm strictly a GCT cruiser but enjoyed the article.

I tried to put in a link to the article but had problems with it.

My experience as a traveler on 10+ river cruises, all as a single, is that GCT has always has the lowest prices for singles. They have a very low single supplement but even with this their costs are lower then other companies single cabin fares or those with no single supplement.

Many travelers do not like their fold down murphy style beds but a single traveler should have no problem with these.

I would chose the GRAND mainly because all three of my cruises on the Crown had large norovirus outbreaks. I promised myself I would never to on the Crown again.

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.

Looking forward to the rest of you review. I've done this cruise with GCT twice and can't wait to do it again.

The last time (2011) I did this cruise BA lost my luggage. I was not as lucky as you. It took a week for it to find me. The hotel manager also gave me free laundry service since I only had 2 changes of clothes.

I have heard the BA often swaps passenger luggage for paying freight at Heathrow.