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I see that AMA and Uniworld offer family cruises. Are there other lines that do? In two years we will be taking a graduating grandchild on a trip so we are considering this as we really like river cruising but I worry he may be bored. if there are other older teens around, that would help. Or maybe we'll have to consider an ocean cruise. Kind of depends on what part of the world he'll want to see too. Thanks for any suggestions!

I have done river cruises with AMA, Grand Circle, Teeming and Viking. My next one, if I'm fortunate enough to do another, will be on Gate 1. I have a friend who loves them and on our last trip, several recommended them. We didn't care for Teeming and Viking and AMA was very nice but much more expensive than Grand Circle and Gate 1. The advantage of Gate 1 over Grand Circle is that Grand Circle only has twin beds.

We did a Viking Christmas markets cruise from Prague to Paris (Main & Moselle) right after Thanksgiving. Luckily we didn't have to do a ship swap or bussing due to high water levels. But the first half of the cruise the Christmas markets weren't open yet and many passengers were very upset about that.

I've been on the Main twice and thoroughly enjoyed it. Five years ago with Teeming (Nuremburg, Bamberg, Wurzberg, Wertheim, Miltenberg, Dusseldorf and I can't remember the others!), and last year with Viking on the Main and Mosel, starting in Prague, bussed to Nuremberg, then on to Bamberg, Wurzberg, Heidelberg, Mainz, Cochem, Bernkastel and Trier. That being said , I think of the rivers I've been on (also the Rhine, Danube and the Rhone), the Douro had the most spectacular scenery.

I've been on 7 river cruises (Grand Circle, AMA, Teeming and Viking) and I'd suggest Grand Circle (if twin beds are ok with you) or Gate 1. We have seen people younger than 40 on only 3 cruises-a family with 2 teen girls, a grandma with her high school graduate grandson, and a family of 11 Filipinos, 3 generations, some from the US and some from the Philippines, where there were 2 college aged ones.

I think maybe we're too close to sailing date. I'll just do it onboard. Thanks!

Hmmm, it won't let me check any of the options.

We’ll be on Viking . First time for us. Thanks!

Thank you!

What do you do if you need distilled water for a CPAP machine or a nasal rinse ? Do you find a local pharmacy or grocery store and lug it to the pre -cruise hotel and on the bus to the port?

I stand corrected. I just saw 89 and 98 passengers and didn’t realize they were ocean- going vessels.

It may have changed from about 10 years ago when I took a couple of GCT river cruises but back then, it was about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of AMA. I didn't think the slight difference was worth it. Now it's hard to see AMA's prices-you have to Request a Quote.

I found two GCT that have queen size beds -the M/V Corinthian and the M/V Clio. https://www.gct.com/about/leader-in-river-cruising/our-fleet/corinthian https://www.gct.com/about/leader-in-river-cruising/our-fleet/mv-clio

Thank you!

Sorry, I haven't been on in a LONG time and I didn't know this Cruise/Travel Insurance forum existed. Maybe it's new.

Grand Circle (GCT) has great per person per day costs and I didn't see much difference from the pricier AMA. (Maybe the wine was not quite as good and most only have twin beds). They usually have some 7-10 nt Christmas Markets cruises. Their others tend to be longer. I've not taken a Gate 1 cruise (we had to cancel summer of 2020 due to the pandemic ) but a friend loves them and they are reasonable. This year we got what we think was a great deal on a Viking river cruise, compared to others ($300/pp/nt).

What do the Main & Moselle water levels look like now?

Does all trip cancellation insurance come with medical insurance? We don't need the medical part but I'm wondering if they are all bundled. TIA!

Is Perry Grant on any ship now?

I hate to book a ship that’s going to be put out of service soon ( or refurbished) and then they end up putting you on another one . Thanks everyone!

i am looking at some RCCL ships and see they were last refurbished in 2012. Is that pretty standard?

Today I was searching for info on Canada / New England cruises and itineraries popped up on Grandeur and Serenade. But then more searching brought this up- “Royal Caribbean International announced that the Grandeur of the Seas will leave the company's fleet in spring 2021 and join sister brand Pullmantur Cruises.Oct 23, 2019

RE: I took a Viking and a Scenic cruise last year and I thought the Viking was more upscale. Depends on measurement criteria, and cabin booked. And cost!" And I've taken 2 GCCL (Grand Circle Cruise Lines) and 3 AMA river cruises and didn't see much difference, outside of GCCL was about 1/3 the cost! And only has twin beds. They save by not using travel agents and by not advertising (except to past guests ) and pass those savings onto guests.

And there are others- Avalon, Gate 1, Tauck….

So are you saying that the European lines like CroisieEurope , Amadeus , Riviera are not as upscale as the American lines like Viking and AMA?