What is the"Crystal" of the river cruise world? The "Oceania" ? the "Celebrity" the

[hondorner]

This goes to show you that different folks have different strokes.

 

Perhaps it was a bad two weeks for the crew, but I have never been told by a dining room staff person: 'You are taking too long, I need to clear the table'. This was a young lady who was from Rumania. She glared at us as if we were dirt. We were having desert and a nice conversation (six of us), but it stopped us in our tracks. I made mention of this to the dining room host, who smiled and just shrugged his shoulders.

At approximately what time in the evening did this happen?

 

 

Similar treatments happened a few more times, but the worst was the unruly behaviour during the disembarcation in St. Petersburg. We were a 'private party' and were absolutely refused to leave the ship until the ship's tours had left. That meant a delay of more than one hour while our host was waiting at the dock. The fault was with 'Passport Control' we were told afterwards. But then I found that others had just walked off the ship with no problems.

Why do you think that others were able to walk off and your group was 'absolutely refused'? Were you not all 'private parties'?

 

 

You want me to go on with my complaints about the ship and crew (such as the strange layout on top deck that you have to reserve with big bucks in order to look forward)? Please don't.

You have over 900 posts on cruise critic; you are not inexperienced. There are many threads about the cabanas on the Oceania forum. Did you not do due diligence to see whether you would fit Oceania in the same way that tens of thousands of others have found it?

[Lair Bear]

At approximately what time in the evening did this happen?

 

 

 

Why do you think that others were able to walk off and your group was 'absolutely refused'? Were you not all 'private parties'?

 

 

Look, I don't care to explain all the gritty details to you. Obviously you are one of the 'different folks'. This is a thread about river cruising, so let it be. But let me at least mention. that the staff on the Regatta compared with what we have experienced on the Windstar ships, for example, was terrible.

[kiawahdon]

Look, I don't care to explain all the gritty details to you. Obviously you are one of the 'different folks'. This is a thread about river cruising, so let it be. But let me at least mention. that the staff on the Regatta compared with what we have experienced on the Windstar ships, for example, was terrible.

 

I would just observe that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, your experience clearly does not track with the vast majority of Cruise Critic readers, the annaual reader surveys of Conde Nast Travel & Leisure, World Ocean and Cruise Liner Society and many other publications. Why go out of the way to trash an excellent cruise line because you had a questionable bad experience? The Original post delt with RIVER CRUISING, not your Oceania experience.

[hondorner]

Look, I don't care to explain all the gritty details to you. Obviously you are one of the 'different folks'. This is a thread about river cruising, so let it be. But let me at least mention. that the staff on the Regatta compared with what we have experienced on the Windstar ships, for example, was terrible.

I'm sorry you felt you had to drag up your Oceania experience on a River Cruise post, but you did that, not me. I was just confused by some aspects of your report and asked some simple questions. If that bothers you, no need to answer. I think most people get it.

[Lair Bear]

I'm sorry you felt you had to drag up your Oceania experience on a River Cruise post, but you did that, not me. I was just confused by some aspects of your report and asked some simple questions. If that bothers you, no need to answer. I think most people get it.

 

If you really want to know the details, have a look at what I said about the staff on the Regatta during our Baltic trip. That should take care of your confusion. http://www.*****.com/Kiel%20review.html#regatta

 

To refresh your memory, it was the person who started this thread who 'dragged up' the question about Oceania as being the 'Crystal' of cruise ships and I just gave my opinion. Perhaps I should have used the term 'ferry boat' rather than tugboat.

[hondorner]

If you really want to know the details, have a look at what I said about the staff on the Regatta during our Baltic trip. That should take care of your confusion. http://www.*****.com/Kiel%20review.html#regatta

 

To refresh your memory, it was the person who started this thread who 'dragged up' the question about Oceania as being the 'Crystal' of cruise ships and I just gave my opinion. Perhaps I should have used the term 'ferry boat' rather than tugboat.

Sir, I did read your web site description of the cruise; that was what led to my confusion. At the time, you described the attitude of one staff waitress in one venue as being rude to you; that hardly qualifies Oceania as a "ferry boat" let alone a tugboat. I found that description so unusual that I wondered how late it was that you were still sitting in the restaurant; yu refused to answer, which leads me to believe that you were the inconsiderate ones who reacted badly to the plight of a waitress that had been on her feet all day and was standing around waiting for your group so she could d her job and get some much-needed rest.

 

You also mentioned the forward view when even the most shallow review of the ship would have revealed and, according to your website, your were rarely on board long enough in daylight hours to encounter. Finally, you also mentioned waiting at the airport for your transportation to the ship' surely, as much as you have traveled, you understand that cruise line transfers wait until there are enough passengers to fill the bus before leaving the airport. You may be more accustomed to mass-market cruise lines that have thousands of passengers arriving at one time; any advance consideration of Oceania, or even the slightest amount of thought at the airport that day, would have led you to the conclusion that perhaps, with only 684 passengers (many of whom make their own arrangements), that there might be a good reason for the delay in filling the bus. Or did you feel entitled to a private limousine?

 

Sir, I did not intend to be so harsh with you, but you are the one that referred to one of the finest premium cruise lines as a "tugboat", without adequate justification, and I will not let it stand.

[eandj]

To refresh your memory, it was the person who started this thread who 'dragged up' the question about Oceania as being the 'Crystal' of cruise ships and I just gave my opinion. Perhaps I should have used the term 'ferry boat' rather than tugboat.

 

 

Ahem....Lair Bear, you misunderstood the title of the thread. :rolleyes: The OP was asking which river cruise line was equivalent to ...Crystal, Oceania, NCL etc. Nowhere are O and Crystal mentioned as being comparable.:confused:

 

Now lets get back to river cruising, shall we? :)

[letsgo39]

We really try to play nice here so it would be good if the people who have come over from the big ship forums either play nice or go back where they came from.:D

[shoshona2]

I agree! Let's all be nice or this thread will disappear!!!!

 

Sheila

[Lair Bear]

I agree! Let's all be nice or this thread will disappear!!!!

 

Sheila

 

I agree also, and I retract my comparison with a 'tugboat', and will be nice from now on.

But I am also sure you agree that one of the purposes for this forum is so people who want to express their opinions can do so and give advise based on experience. This post will not disappear because of differences in opinion.

[yorkiemomjn]

stipmom,

No river boat is ever going to be like an ocean liner. It is like comparing apples and oranges. Most of us research the itinerary, the time of year you can go, and the cost. Some put one of the three first. We have cruised with 5 river cruise companies, using those 3 criteria. There are three lines considered to be more luxorious: Scenic, Premicon Queen and Tauck. The luxury lines are Uniworld,AMAwaterways and Avalon. Mass market appeal are GCT, Vantage and Viking. Many will travel with only one line, no matter what. I have probably forgotten to mention someone's favorite line. We have 2 more cruises booked for this year bringing our total to 15. Also will add a new line Amadeus--booked because it is an Alumni cruise. Pat

 

Thank you! This is very helpful. I really did not know which ones were considered the most luxurious, etc. Of the five different cruise companies you have cruised with, which was your favorite as far as the ship itself goes?

 

Judy

[pacmom]

Company favorite was Uniworld because the boats on the whole were the best in upkeep and for many other reasons. Their River Royale was my favorite. Another close second was Vantage's Odyssey. The only one Ireally didn't like was the Viking Sun--long staircases, no elevator. Dining room dark, decor drab and monochromatic. More and more the lines are refitting their boats trying to get them to look hotel chic. Pat

[MVPinBoynton]

Company favorite was Uniworld because the boats on the whole were the best in upkeep and for many other reasons. Their River Royale was my favorite. Another close second was Vantage's Odyssey. The only one Ireally didn't like was the Viking Sun--long staircases, no elevator. Dining room dark, decor drab and monochromatic. More and more the lines are refitting their boats trying to get them to look hotel chic. Pat

 

pacmom,

Have you been on AMA yet? We just loved it and wonder how you feel it compares to your favorites.

[pacmom]

Mike,

We have been on AMA in Portugal. Since all those boats are clones and rentals, I did not think it fair to rate the whole line on that one boat. It was an excellent trip. Pat

[MVPinBoynton]

Mike,

We have been on AMA in Portugal. Since all those boats are clones and rentals, I did not think it fair to rate the whole line on that one boat. It was an excellent trip. Pat

 

Pat,

You are correct. The Amaduro used in Portugal/Spain is quite different from the ships that AMA uses on most of their European cruises. The cabins are a very small 135 sq. ft. compared to the normal 170 on the one I took.

[webfoot]

Avalon is going to be offering a Douro River trip in 2011. I don't know any of the details yet but I'll will be interested in the itinerary and the ship.

[winegirl]

Thanks for all the opinions on Uniworld. We are taking an Oceania cruise soon, which I anticipate will be awesome. We have also done a river cruise with Amadeus, in Holland and Belgium. They have a high quality ship, the cabins were very nice, although smaller than on an ocean liner. The excursions were included, a big savings, and they served complimentary wine with meals. We are not big drinkers aside from wine with dinner so this cruise was very economical for what you paid, in my opinion. The only disappointment there was the dining, which was just OK.

 

My TA suggested we try Uniworld for a proposed Danube River cruise next year. I am grateful for the input about that line, since we are taking our daughter and want a good experience but also need to watch the budget to some extent. It seems like good value for the money.

[nyfeds]

Thanks for all the opinions on Uniworld. We are taking an Oceania cruise soon, which I anticipate will be awesome. We have also done a river cruise with Amadeus, in Holland and Belgium. They have a high quality ship, the cabins were very nice, although smaller than on an ocean liner. The excursions were included, a big savings, and they served complimentary wine with meals. We are not big drinkers aside from wine with dinner so this cruise was very economical for what you paid, in my opinion. The only disappointment there was the dining, which was just OK.

 

My TA suggested we try Uniworld for a proposed Danube River cruise next year. I am grateful for the input about that line, since we are taking our daughter and want a good experience but also need to watch the budget to some extent. It seems like good value for the money.

 

Winegirl, I must concur with your Amadeus (which is now AMA) assessment. We've not cruised yet on Oceania (but hope to do so!). We have river cruised with Peter Dielmann. Most regretably, Dielmann is not in the river cruising business any longer, as they catered to a predominently European clientele and were unable to adequately capture clientele outside of Europe to make it profitable. An unfortuante loss in the river cruise arena. The company is now focusing on their ocean cruises. Dielmann was a stellar, 5-star experience in each and every way! We've ocean cruised, solely, with Regent. We've had 5 very gratifying cruises with them.

 

I've heard a few TAs suggest that AMA would please those who've cruised on Regent and Oceania. Two years ago, we cruised with AMA Amacello on their Danube Discovery itinerary. While the cabins on AMA were acceptable to us and service was good, our dining experiences on AMA was tremendously dissatisfying. Food preparation and quality faltered, consistently. I realize that food is subjective; however, for us it was a real disappointment. That being said, I doubt we will cruise with AMA again. I believe Tauck would be a better fit for us, should we plan a river cruise in the near future.

 

I've read and heard glowing Oceania reviews, both on CC and through friends who have cruised with Oceania. Based upon those reviews and experiences, we will give Oceania a try when our travel plans take us back to ocean cruising. Comparing ocean cruises to river cruises, IMO, is not a fair comparison. Each differ in numerous ways.

[judie43]

'NCL" Am doing river cruise research for a Danube cruise Interested in making sure I see Vienna , Prague and Budapest. . I have had alot of experience with standard cruise ships but no nothing about river cruising. Have seen AMA waterways, Avalon, Vantage, Uniworld and Tauck mentioned but have no idea how they compare in price and quality. Any other suggestions please add them to the list.Please help! Thanks

We are sailing on the Avalon Tapesty in August. From what I read on these boards it seems like Avalon is a good middle of the road choice. We will be leaving from Budapest,after a 2 day stay,and then on the Nurmeberg by way of Vienna. After the last stop we will go,by coach,to Prague for a 3 day stay. Sound like it might be what you are looking for.

[TravelingAnn]

We and emckeeve would like to know -- why not Vantage? We have just booked our first river cruise with them on the Burgundy - now Maribelle. We have previously ocean cruised with Renaissance and Oceania. We are well aware that the ships are not outfitted the same and are not expecting luxury. But why the dismissal "don't even consider Viking"?

[pacmom]

We took a Vantage Christmas market cruise. It was good. My only hangups with Vantage are they do not work with TAs and only sell to US citizens. We like travelling with an international mix of passengers. The food was good, tour directors were excellent. Pat

[TravelingAnn]

Sorry, Pat. I miswrote in the first message. Margate Cruiser said to avoid "Viking." An earlier poster - emckeeve - asked why. And me too since we are going next month.

[pacmom]

Ann,

Viking is not top of the line. Their Elbe cruise is wonderful and will be better after another refurb this winter. Viking in Europe does not have any elevators--there is a chair lift on the Schumann. Our last cruise had 198 pax--felt it was too many for a river cruise. After 13 of them we prefer the 150 or less size boats. The Viking Sun is so long that she berths in industrial areas and at the far end of many towns--no just walk off the boat and there is town. The decor is very bland. Yes, I know the Viking theme, but too much beige tones. The staff seemed very overworked. Plumbing noises were aweful and never encountered before. Maybe we have become very picky. You will enjoy your trip. The smaller boats are more friendly, easier to meet people. Pat

[mimie]

Just returned from a Tauck rivercruise - Belgium to Amsterdam. It was 1st class. All inclusive, great personalized service, wonderful food, etc. We were 1st timers on a Tauck tour (the majority were Tauck loyalist & very friendly- which says a lot). We would definitely tour with them again. Many of the guests also cruise on Regent or Crystal for ocean cruises. Tauck leases the boats and the rooms are smaller than AMA - but we didnt really spend a lot of time in the room. Also, no "selling" of optional tours. They included some nice touches including lunch at a Chateau (not just dining on the ship); and flexibility - (they changed the Captain's farewell dinner to an earlier date, due to the number of guests who had early morning flights on departure).

 

Previous river experience was on AMA (Budapest to Prague). New ships, good itinerary, food - was hit and miss. Not on same level as Tauck.

 

Hope to write a more comprehensive review of our Springtime in Holland trip. Highly recommend Tauck as an option. Hope to book an Egypt or China trip with them in the future.

[shoshona2]

Hi Mimie,

 

So glad you enjoyed your first Tauck Tour -- we have been on 13 now and are leaving on July 13th for their Rhine/Moselle River cruise. We are really looking forward to it. Just wanted to let you know that we did Tauck's Egypt/Jordan tour with a Nile River Cruise that was just fantastic!!!! My photos are on my computer and I get a thrill out of seeing them everyday since we have returned. It was an OMG trip!! They don't advertise that much, but go on word of mouth and that's why you met so many repeaters.

 

Sheila