If you sailed Celebrity and have taken a river cruise

[Bridge Maven]

If you have sailed on Celebrity ships and have also taken a river cruise, what was your opinion of the river cruise. Realizing that they are both very different kinds of experiences, which did you like better and why?

 

I am curious because my husband and I are planning to take a river cruise since we feel it will give us an opportunity to see places that are not as accessible by large ships.

[cruisestitch]

Apples and oranges. Other than the fact that you are sleeping on a moving vessel and only have to unpack once, they have very little in common.

[Bridge Maven]

Apples and oranges. Other than the fact that you are sleeping on a moving vessel and only have to unpack once, they have very little in common.

 

cruisestitch, I realize that , but did you like one better than the other or like them equally for different reasons.

[A Sixth?]

If you have sailed on Celebrity ships and have also taken a river cruise, what was your opinion of the river cruise. Realizing that they are both very different kinds of experiences, which did you like better and why?

 

I am curious because my husband and I are planning to take a river cruise since we feel it will give us an opportunity to see places that are not as accessible by large ships.

 

I too would like to hear some first hand observations.

 

The first thing I noticed was that those river cruises are A LOT more expensive... :eek:

[Grumpy7]

We have been cruising since the mid 1980's. We've been on Home Lines, Princess, NCL, RCL, Celebrity, Disney. We have taken Viking River Cruises Down the Danube and in China. The cruises are very different except the people are basically the same. Most of the people on the river cruises were seasoned travelers who went on several vacations a year. There were few children since the main activity during the day is sightseeing. There is no pool. Dining is casual with no reserved seating. When you get back in the evening you simply sit down with people you were with or others. You get to meet almost everyone on the ship.

 

We went on these river cruises and will continue to go on them because, as compared to larger ships, you dock right in town. The crew tends to have several jobs to attend to so you may see a person loading your luggage and then serving you dinner. It is very pleasant. At night, there may be some local entertainment or folk dancing or nothing.

 

Dressing is casual.

 

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. We just came back from an RCL cruise to Bermuda and am headed for a Celebrity Solstice

to the Caribbean in January. The different types just serve different purposes and there is room for both.

[Bridge Maven]

We have been cruising since the mid 1980's. We've been on Home Lines, Princess, NCL, RCL, Celebrity, Disney. We have taken Viking River Cruises Down the Danube and in China. The cruises are very different except the people are basically the same. Most of the people on the river cruises were seasoned travelers who went on several vacations a year. There were few children since the main activity during the day is sightseeing. There is no pool. Dining is casual with no reserved seating. When you get back in the evening you simply sit down with people you were with or others. You get to meet almost everyone on the ship.

 

We went on these river cruises and will continue to go on them because, as compared to larger ships, you dock right in town. The crew tends to have several jobs to attend to so you may see a person loading your luggage and then serving you dinner. It is very pleasant. At night, there may be some local entertainment or folk dancing or nothing.

 

Dressing is casual.

 

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. We just came back from an RCL cruise to Bermuda and am headed for a Celebrity Solstice

to the Caribbean in January. The different types just serve different purposes and there is room for both.

 

Grumpy, thanks so much for your helpful response to my question :)

[cruisestitch]

AMA was our company -- Danube --

 

included were wine and beer at dinner, champagne at breakfast, guided walks in each town, (only a couple of optional excursions available, otherwise all included)

 

the feel was more of gliding, not cruising, no waves, no rocking motion

 

yes, liked them both equally and for different reasons

 

suggest you take a look at the Preisman's website -- they have extensive photos and reviews of both Celebrity cruises and AMA river cruises -- they should be travel writers they do such a good job of explaining what each trip is all about

 

be sure when looking at prices you check out the cruise-only option, not just the brochure descriptions which include pre-and post-cruise hotel stays. We did cruise only and booked all our own air and hotels and transfers

[suec12]

We were European land travelers before we were E cruisers - numerous trips to Italy, France and Spain. We really wanted to go to Eastern Europe but were thinking we might not like the cuisine so we decided to do a river cruise. We chose Grand Circle Tous which I think is more of a budget option but we were happy with our trip. We cruised the Danube from Budapest to Prague (well the last part was by bus). On river cruises almost all tours are included - I think we had one every day - sometimes an escorted walk, sometimes a bus. The food was certainly not as bountiful - usually buffets at breakfast and lunch, dinner at a set time every night with usually two chocies of entrees and appetizers - sometimes local cuisine but not always. GCT always has a meal with locals in their homes - lunch or dinner. We were in our mid fifties when we did these trips - many on board were older but for the most part quite pleasant. Entertainment? a local musician or meybe even a sing-along. So its different but as you note - a good way to travel to parts of the continent not near the water. We did a second GCT river cruise from Paris to Nice (obviously the beginning and end were overland) and we like that too - that ship only had about 40 people and the food was rather disappointing - but there were plenty of tasty bites to be found on the land!

 

The experience is not as luxurious as an X cruise - you will have a tour director tho to give you personalized attention and alot of included excursions. We probably PREFER the X experience but we did really enjoy Budapest and the other places visited on our trips.

[Onessa]

We DH(60's), DD(teen) and me(50's) cruise almost exclusively for the itinerary. We've cruised the Baltic (1), Med (4) and Danube (1).

• For shipboard activities the larger "sea" ships have no competition from the river boats.
  
• But for time in port, the river boats win easily. River boats tend to dock smack dab in the middle of the city and you tend to spend more time in port.
  
• Sea ships have the "wow" factor, Riverboats make for a more relaxing time on board.
  
• Easier to get to know people in the more intimate accomodation of the river boats (but since there are fewer people there may be fewer that you "want" to know :))
  

[suec12]

one poster stated the river cruises were alot more expensive - you might want to check out Grand Circle Tours - the trips we took with them were less than our X trips. Esp. on the French trip - the cabin was quite large.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hi Bridge Maven,

 

Interesting topic !!

 

Based on what I've read, and research I've done, Ocean Cruising and River Cruising would be vastly different, not only because of the vessels involved, but also because of the mix of people and destinations visited... and Destinations would vary greatly across the board. In that this type of cruising is offered the world over.

 

Would imagine it would be difficult to compare for example the experiences in Europe to China, or South America to Egypt or Russia, even here in North America there are immense differences... one on the Mississippi to those offered here in Canada on the St Lawrence River thru the 1000 Islands, or on one of Ontario's Historic Canals.

 

All would be vastly different when it comes to location, scenery, vessels, accommodations, pricing and activities.

 

Might be helpful, to tell us more about the "vision" you have of where in the world you might wish to explore.

 

Cheers!

[Twice_a_year]

We’ve only done one river cruise and that was with Viking. We did Budapest to Amsterdam (14 day). It was excellent. The weather was beautiful: the crowds were manageable; the docking “in town” was most convenient; and the fellow passengers were most interesting. We would do it again in a NY minute.

 

That being said, there are some caveats to be considered - Namely the weather. There is little to do on the boat if the weather is bad. Also, the river/canal water levels can drastically impact the tour.

 

It was a great experience for us. We have done many land vacations, bus and train tours, private vehicle tours, and many deep water cruises. We loved them all and would put our river cruising experience on the par with the best of the others.

[Freecall]

As has already been said - apples and pears but the big difference in our experience lies in the fact that at the end of the day a riverboat is just a means of transport and accommodation.

 

On a sea going cruise ship there is a definite nautical feel to the whole experience which you just don't get on the river.

[Sloop-JohnB]

Hi Bridge Maven,

 

Note that there is also a Board here on CC dedicated to RIVER CRUISES as well... you can find it in the SPECIAL INTERESTS Section = http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=191

 

Good chance you'll find many cross-over cruisers in that Forum.

 

Hope this is helpful,

 

Cheers!

[Buranogal]

Hi just returned from a river cruise down The Rhine and Danube. Started in London onto Belgium met rivership in Amsterdam onto Budapest then bus to Praque(loved it there). As for cost I would say the cruise we are going on in July is twice as expensive per person celebrity Silhouette. We paid $170 day eachwith APT.

We like the larger ships more dining options as only 1 restautant on river ship who served steamed cauli brocc and carrots every night with mains :( More entertainment river ship has locals come on board and play violins dances of their country. Everyone seemed to disappear after dinner. We are late 50's hubbie mid 60's old but dont class as over the hill. We got a little group going after dinner for drinks and chat.Well organised tours and the towns on the way are the best medieval towns etc but way too many churches cathedrals amd they try to tell you too much info with those headsets.All included. Sometimes we did a morning afternoon and after dinner walked into a winery. So really enjoyed it for a once trip. Hope this helps you decide cheers

[Can'tstopcruising]

Although many of my friends have done (and loved) river cruises, we have yet to do one. I do check them out, but feel it is important to go at the right time for good weather. Those dates are usually very expensive.

 

The concept is entirely different from an ocean cruise. If you want the on board experience that you get on Celebrity, you will miss it. On the other hand, if visiting smaller towns along a river appeals to you, I say Go for it!

 

I would love to do the Mekong River cruise in Vietnam. However, My DH refuses to fly 29 hours to get to a destination.

 

I would like a Rhone cruise in Provence, but they don't go to enough towns & villages for me.

 

Just a thought. We were in Budapest a few years ago, in October at the Marriott facing the Danube. Many Riverboat pax were put up at our hotel because the water level was so low that the boats couldn't go anywhere! So if you plan to go in that direction, check that you are not going at a time when the water level could be low!

[Bridge Maven]

Thanks everyone for the abundance of information you have provided me with. I really appreciate it. The lack of activities on a river cruise does not bother me as long as the food is reasonably good and we have nice cabins. I went to Vienna, Austria many years ago and it was one of my favorite cities, so we are thinking of a river cruise in that part of the world.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Thanks everyone for the abundance of information you have provided me with. I really appreciate it. The lack of activities on a river cruise does not bother me as long as the food is reasonably good and we have nice cabins. I went to Vienna, Austria many years ago and it was one of my favorite cities, so we are thinking of a river cruise in that part of the world.

 

Choose one of the better lines and the food and wine should be fabulous! Choose a lesser line if you want to watch your weight!!!

[MVPinBoynton]

Bridge Maven,

We love Celebrity and we have taken three river cruises. The European river cruises we took with AMA were absolutely wonderful. They are different from ocean cruises in some ways but quite different in others as you have already heard from the previous informative posts. They are a combination of an ocean cruise and a land tour. Quite enjoyable!

 

You can see lots of photos and read about what we experienced in our reviews on our website www.thepreismans.com. The Danube cruise goes into a bit more detail on the river cruising experience, because it was our first experience on one of the owned AMA boats. Our AMA cruise in Egypt was on a leased boat and was a very different experience and not one that AMA does anymore.

[MVPinBoynton]

I should have mentioned that there are photos of the food and menus also in the review. The food was very good, even with the more limited selection.

[jgnova]

We've done 4 sailings on Celebrity and a Danube cruise on the now-defunct Peter Deilmann Mozart. As others have said, they're completely different. I think the food is better on the river cruise. Do not take a river cruise unless you're up to a lot of touring and seeing new things and places. We had a ball and would do it again in a second.

 

For a very detailed description of our experience, see my review here.

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

j

[CAPinBoynton]

...suggest you take a look at the Preisman's website -- they have extensive photos and reviews of both Celebrity cruises and AMA river cruises -- they should be travel writers they do such a good job of explaining what each trip is all about...

 

 

Cruisestitch, thank you very much for those kind words! :) We love cruising, both ocean and river!

 

 

I don't really feel that it is fair to either one to try and compare them. We have done three cruises with AmaWaterways: Egypt / Nile River; Budapest to Prague on the Danube / Main; and just this past Aug., Paris to Prague on the Mosel, Rhine, and Main Rivers. You can look at my signature below to see where we have been on our ocean cruises. All of the reviews are on our website with loads of pictures. www.thepreismans.com

 

I love the excitement, glitz, and glamor of the ocean cruises. There's always something going on, something to do, whether it's in port or on the ship itself. I love the production shows, and I love the fancy restaurants, and even enjoy dressing for formal nights. Mike likes to research the ports we will be visiting in such depth, that before he gets off the ship he knows exactly where he wants to go and what he wants to see. We almost always arrange private tours. I like surprises, so I just let him tend to all of that pre-cruise planning, and I just go! He has told me that although he enjoys planning, he also enjoyed not having to plan at all for our river cruises since the excursions are included. The river cruises are much more casual and it's nice not to have to pack his tux, etc. Although the river is more relaxing, don't think for a moment that it's boring. We were on the go all day long. The excursions seem to me to "contain" more. By the end of dinner, we were exhausted and didn't really miss the late night entertainment of the big ships. One thing you won't find on the riverboats are a bunch of fancy shops and a huge spa. The upside of that is there is no one constantly pressuring you to buy something! The best thing is that you get to know and mingle with the crew, even the Captain. It's like a big family.

[dpryo319]

If you have sailed on Celebrity ships and have also taken a river cruise, what was your opinion of the river cruise. Realizing that they are both very different kinds of experiences, which did you like better and why?

 

I am curious because my husband and I are planning to take a river cruise since we feel it will give us an opportunity to see places that are not as accessible by large ships.

 

If you are going a a cruise for traveling purposes, River Cruise. I went on a week long cruise as part of a 3 week excursion of France this summer, down the Rhone River, and it was fantastic. Such great staff, great experience, and was really nice being able to visit smaller, not so known cities and not have to move luggage every other day. You get to see A LOT too!! Great for traveling...but tons of walking and tours and information...and it kind of got too "routine" for me. A lot of activity for older folks too, not a great plan for some one with mobility issues, as my grandmother found this out :(

 

BUT if you are doing it for more of a relaxing vacation versus traveling to see the world, then a bigger ship I think was nicer. It's easier to relax and have your privacy...because everyone doesn't know who you are, or when you're not "with the group". I loved the big and fancy feel of the big ship too (Silhouette). And I honestly thought the food was better on Celebrity than on the river cruise...contrary to the above post. You can basically do your own thing. Yes, you don't get to see smaller ports, but you still are traveling.

 

It basically depends what kind of vacation/experience you want!

 

I loved both...but being in my early 20's, the BIG SHIP experience was better for me...only because the average age of the River Cruise was mid-70's ;) and there was a lot more "night life" and activity.... than going to bed at 10pm with the rest of the "family" :rolleyes: Both were fun experiences though!

 

P.S. I went with Grand Circle Travel for the River Cruise last July (Paris to the French Rivera) , and it was a great company! Really get a lot for your money.

[dpryo319]

We were European land travelers before we were E cruisers - numerous trips to Italy, France and Spain. We really wanted to go to Eastern Europe but were thinking we might not like the cuisine so we decided to do a river cruise. We chose Grand Circle Tous which I think is more of a budget option but we were happy with our trip. We cruised the Danube from Budapest to Prague (well the last part was by bus). On river cruises almost all tours are included - I think we had one every day - sometimes an escorted walk, sometimes a bus. The food was certainly not as bountiful - usually buffets at breakfast and lunch, dinner at a set time every night with usually two chocies of entrees and appetizers - sometimes local cuisine but not always. GCT always has a meal with locals in their homes - lunch or dinner. We were in our mid fifties when we did these trips - many on board were older but for the most part quite pleasant. Entertainment? a local musician or meybe even a sing-along. So its different but as you note - a good way to travel to parts of the continent not near the water. We did a second GCT river cruise from Paris to Nice (obviously the beginning and end were overland) and we like that too - that ship only had about 40 people and the food was rather disappointing - but there were plenty of tasty bites to be found on the land!

 

The experience is not as luxurious as an X cruise - you will have a tour director tho to give you personalized attention and alot of included excursions. We probably PREFER the X experience but we did really enjoy Budapest and the other places visited on our trips.

 

 

My family was on that Danube trip with GCT I do believe! Don, and Kay Pryor? And Diane my aunt.. :)

[dpryo319]

Although many of my friends have done (and loved) river cruises' date=' we have yet to do one. [i']I do check them out, but feel it is important to go at the right time for good weather. Those dates are usually very expensive.

 

The concept is entirely different from an ocean cruise. [/i]If you want the on board experience that you get on Celebrity, you will miss it. On the other hand, if visiting smaller towns along a river appeals to you, I say Go for it!

 

I would love to do the Mekong River cruise in Vietnam. However, My DH refuses to fly 29 hours to get to a destination.

 

I would like a Rhone cruise in Provence, but they don't go to enough towns & villages for me.

 

Just a thought. We were in Budapest a few years ago, in October at the Marriott facing the Danube. Many Riverboat pax were put up at our hotel because the water level was so low that the boats couldn't go anywhere! So if you plan to go in that direction, check that you are not going at a time when the water level could be low!

 

I did the Rhone river cruise (provence, cote d'azur ) through GCT. SUCH a great experience! And we went to plenty of cities! 15, I believe in 2 weeks!

 

I'm in my early 20's and we did it as a family trip with my 16 year old cousin...and she even loved it! Loved France. Loved the cruise!