New to Europe and river cruising - Advice please

[CruisenWahoos]

My wife and I are interested in our first trip to Europe and thought a good first European trip would involve a river cruise itinerary so that we can see some of the smaller towns and associated history. We are both 55, non-smokers and are thinking about a river cruise / extension that would be somewhere in the 7-12 day range. We are interested in history and scenic beauty (and of course wine!). Would love to get some advice on the following:

- Which itinerary would you recommend for first time Europe travellers?

- We are both active and enjoy walking and biking and don't want to be "stuck" in a more inactive group. Are some river cruise companies and itineraries geared toward active folks?

- Once we pick an itinerary it looks like the prices are based on room size/balcony and which deck it's on. Other than that, is it better to stay fore or aft? It seems like there may be engine noise aft? Also, we've read some reviews that suggested that you ask for a cabin on the river side when it docks as opposed to the town side. Recommendations?

- We have read some comments about smokers on board. Since we are both non-smokers we want to be able to eat or sit outside on deck without being around a lot of smoke. Are some cruise lines better than others for non-smokers?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. This is a great forum!

[Talisker92]

We took a Vantage cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in 2010 and enjoyed it thoroughly. We spent time in Budapest and Vienna, both very interesting cities. Then cruised through the Main-Danube canal to the Rhine.

As far as smokers, the only place allowed is at the very rear of the sundeck, where tha smoke will be blown aft.

As far as asking for one side or the other, the ship may dock on either side depending on docking space.

You do not want to be on the lowest deck, as the windows are high up and slightly above water level.

If you have any questions, please e-mail us

[paul929207]

I guess my question for you is where in Europe do you want to go? There are many navigable rivers, so much of the continent is reachable by river cruise.

[webfoot]

Our first cruise was also from Amsterdam to Budapest with Avalon and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Since then we have taken cruises from Amsterdam to Paris (well, train to Paris), both the Seine and the Soane/Rhone river cruises and this year we took the Danube from Vienna to the Black Sea.

 

Our first cruise was 16 days which is too long for some people. There are shorter cruises.

 

Choose your itinerary and then look at the cruise line amenities and cost and find what works for you.

 

I am sure that whatever your choose, it will be a great trip! We are already looking at cruises for next year!

[cbb]

We cruise with Avalon and I know that some of their cruises are "wine" themed. I think other cruise lines do the same thing. Some of the cruises naturally lend themselves to a certain theme so you might look for those on several cruise lines for comparison of itinerary, price, optionals, ship age.

 

One of the cruises you might like is Paris to Provence since there are many opportunities to visit vineyards and/or wine tastings. It will be hard to sail any of the European rivers and not be surrounded by history!

 

On Avalon there is a "slow walkers" group that might have older folks or those who have recently had knee/hip surgery and need to take it easy on the cobblestones. The rest are pretty active and shouldn't slow you down.

 

Since most of the stops are at town central you and your wife can also do your own thing and be as active (or inactive!) as you wish. If you do get bused (to Giverny, for example or to Salzburg) you can still do your own thing- just ask where and when to meet the bus. That's what we always do.

 

Smoking is at the rear of the top deck and never in the cabin or other rooms.

 

I would encourage you to arrive a few days early in whatever city your cruise begins since most of those cities are among the most beautiful in Europe. We, too have been on the Budapest to Amsterdam and we arrived a week early so that we could see Prague, Vienna and Budapest independently through Monogram Tours. You'll want time to see Paris, or Basel, or Amsterdam etc.

 

Bikes are offered on some of the cruise lines but not all of the tours lend themselves to biking. Talisker92 is correct--the ships will dock on either side so don't try to base a cabin selection on "river side" and we too, do not book cabins on the lowest level. I don't think there is a big difference in fore and aft.

 

Europe is extraordinary but we don't go in the summer months--too crowded with tourists!! April& May or Sept & Oct. are great.

 

Sorry this is so long! Have fun researching and even more fun river cruising. c

[cbb]

Webfoot,

Did your "Black Sea" cruise end in Istanbul and did you sail with Avalon? We're looking at that one for 2013 going in either direction. When we took the Budapest to Amsterdam we wished that we could have gone from Istanbul to Amsterdam but it wasn't offered.

 

Thanks for your feed back! c

[newfirsttimer]

My first trip to Europe and first river cruise was last year. Spent 4 days in Prague and then 7 nights cruise from Nuremberg to Trier and then 3 nights in Paris. All taken with AMA Waterways. Smoking allowed at back of the sun deck and in the open deck area at the front of the ship when the upper deck was closed due to low bridges. Absolutely fantastic trip. Going this year Amsterdam to Budapest with Scenic Tours and we are staying on the lowest deck, aquarium class, since I don't believe in spending money on a balcony (french or real) when I won't be spending much time in the room other than to sleep and shower. Between the 2 trips, I will have covered many of the main cities/towns. Next year it is Paris again and the south of France.

[caviargal]

My wife and I are interested in our first trip to Europe and thought a good first European trip would involve a river cruise itinerary so that we can see some of the smaller towns and associated history. We are both 55, non-smokers and are thinking about a river cruise / extension that would be somewhere in the 7-12 day range. We are interested in history and scenic beauty (and of course wine!). Would love to get some advice on the following:

- Which itinerary would you recommend for first time Europe travellers?

- We are both active and enjoy walking and biking and don't want to be "stuck" in a more inactive group. Are some river cruise companies and itineraries geared toward active folks?

- Once we pick an itinerary it looks like the prices are based on room size/balcony and which deck it's on. Other than that, is it better to stay fore or aft? It seems like there may be engine noise aft? Also, we've read some reviews that suggested that you ask for a cabin on the river side when it docks as opposed to the town side. Recommendations?

 

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. This is a great forum!

 

AMA Waterways has bikes on board and offers escorted bike tours in port (12-18 miles). We found the demographic to the youngest of any of our 5 river cruises and this was reflected in entertainment, onboard ambiance and staff; food and service were excellent with good regional variety. Included wines were of good quality as well.

 

We are active and among the youngest of passengers on our cruises and have learned to look for itineraries that include overnight stays, extended port times and less day time cruising as we prefer to be out and about instead of sailing, especially by day.

 

Last year we went on our first theme cruise and it was the best ever. It was a lot of fun to sail with like minded people and the extra events that the cruise line had for us to enjoy both on board and in the ports of call made it a really great experience. Ours was a wine theme cruise on AmaDante.

 

I do recommend you stick to a 7 night itinerary for your first river cruise and add time in Europe on your own before and after. We did one longer cruise and would never do so again. Others love long cruises but we are ready to go after 7 days and get to a city and start exploring on our own.

 

We have been on both sides of a boat and really just prefer midship. This trip we booked the lowest level cabin as we prefer to use the savings and spend it on hotels. The difference more than paid for us to spend 3 nights in both Budapest and Prague at centrally located and highly rated 4 star hotels - with enough left after that to cover a private guide and some meals.:)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Took our first and booked a second one..

[webfoot]

Cbb: we did not do the Istanbul extension ax we rented a car to tour Romania on our own. I did talk to someone who did go and they loved it!

 

 

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[cbb]

Thanks my Webbed Friend--we're thinking of taking the Istanbul to Vienna Fall '13. Have a deposit on Oceania Black Sea but the itinerary doesn't have us in Istanbul long enough to suit us and we can't decide whether to stay some extra days on our own. The itinerary of Avalon's gives us what we want so we're really looking into that. Thanks!! c

[Rxgrad98]

Webfoot, what did you think of Romania and were there any issues getting around on your own? We're interested in the Budapest to Bucharest cruise that Viking offers and would like to spend a few days in Romania post-cruise. Have checked into private guides, but we prefer to do things on our own. Any suggestions?

 

Tim

[trekkerman]

My wife and I (first time cruisers) just returned from Vineyards of the Mosel and Rhine on AMA. Started with three days in Paris, just boarded the ship in Luxembourg, spending seven days on the Mosel and Rhine.

Our description in one word? Astounding! the service, the food, the locale.

I would recommend this itinerary as it is relatively short (10 days).

Noticing your handle, CruisenWahoos, May I ask where you are from?

Doug

[shoshona2]

Hi Tim,

 

We are leaving for Bucharest on August 17th for a Tauck river cruise to Budapest. We are going in two days earlier since my DH's family was originally from Romania. I would be happy to tell you about our sightseeing in Romania after we return.

 

Sheila

[cbb]

We love Budapest and would return in a second. It is a beautiful city and so easy to do on your own. We walked across the Chain Bridge and visited Buda and the mass transit takes you everywhere in Pest and then you can use mass transit to get to Buda as well. Loved it, loved it! Don't miss the Central Market!

[CruisenWahoos]

First, all of these replies are really helpful and we appreciate it.

 

trekkerman, you asked where we are located: we are in Virginia, how about you?

[CruisenWahoos]

First, all of these replies are really helpful and we appreciate it.

 

trekkerman, you asked where we are located: we are in Virginia, how about you?

[webfoot]

Crusin wahoos ... We live at Lake Monticello!

 

 

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[bocatraveler09]

Webfoot,

 

I see you cruised on Avalon Creativity in April a few years ago. Did you like the ship? What about the weather and the Giverny gardens. Appreciate any input.

[4774Papa]

My wife and I are interested in our first trip to Europe and thought a good first European trip would involve a river cruise itinerary so that we can see some of the smaller towns and associated history. We are both 55, non-smokers and are thinking about a river cruise / extension that would be somewhere in the 7-12 day range. We are interested in history and scenic beauty (and of course wine!). Would love to get some advice on the following:

- Which itinerary would you recommend for first time Europe travellers?

 

##There are many great itineraries. Many more in central Europe due to the Rhine, Elbe and Danube rivers, however France has some great rivers for cruising. Would you prefer Germany and Holland, or Austria and Hungary, or France?

 

- We are both active and enjoy walking and biking and don't want to be "stuck" in a more inactive group. Are some river cruise companies and itineraries geared toward active folks?

 

##We are about ten years older than you but DW and I bike 30 miles every other day. We like AMA's approach. They provide a slow walker's group that tends to attract most of the more deliberate sightseers, that way the other groups don't have anyone slowing down the tour. Check out AMAWaterways.

 

- Once we pick an itinerary it looks like the prices are based on room size/balcony and which deck it's on. Other than that, is it better to stay fore or aft?

 

## For river cruises there is little turbulence, but if you are concerned the middle of the ship is best.

 

It seems like there may be engine noise aft?

 

## We had a very forward lower deck cabin on our Russian River cruise that was not a problem, but when they had to drop the anchor one night, it was very loud and woke us up.

 

 

Also, we've read some reviews that suggested that you ask for a cabin on the river side when it docks as opposed to the town side.

 

## It is difficult to predict the side on which the boat docks, the port may be on the port or starboard side and even then the boat may do a 180 and dock in reverse. It is difficult to find the river side.

 

Recommendations?

- We have read some comments about smokers on board. Since we are both non-smokers we want to be able to eat or sit outside on deck without being around a lot of smoke. Are some cruise lines better than others for non-smokers?

 

## Most river cruise companies have one are for smoking, usually on one side of the top deck, other than that smoking is not allowed.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. This is a great forum!

 

Enjoy your cruise whatever you decide.

We like Vantage and AMA Waterways, but there are several good companies.

[Rxgrad98]

Hi Sheila,

 

That world be great! Really appreciate the offer. Hope you have a safe and wonderful trip. Looking forward to hearing about it.

 

Tim

[webfoot]

For boco ... We loved every minute of our trip! The trip to see where Monet worked and some of the scenery he used for his paintings, i took a picture of the pond that I use on one of my credit cards!

 

 

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[CruisenWahoos]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. It's really helpful.

 

Webfoot...you asked where we are....we are actually down the road from you in Crozet (Old Trail). Small world!

[beverlyjack]

Take a look at this thread, if you haven't already. There are a couple of goo articles in the August Conde Nast Traveler.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1674839

[franski]

Tim - we just booked that cruise this week - starting in Bucharest. We leave here on April 25th- arriving in Bucharest on the 26th. We are staying one extra day in Budapest at the end - as we have been there before.

 

Fran