Luftner River Cruises

[RichardandMark]

Thank you Countess,,,we cant wait to hear what you experience.

[Fanpower]

Going October 17 on the Brilliant from Amsterdam to Nuremberg. Will be looking for your wonderful reviews.

 

Please post weather report at the time of your cruise. I'm wondering how cool/cold it gets on the river. :)

[CountessOz]

Hi Fanpower

The friends we are going with friends (if that makes sense) are on the same cruise as you I believe. Just look for the Oz’s from Sydney.

One of my staff member s went with another cruise line the same time last year and she said it was cold very cold during the night. She said it was not so much of a problem during the day as you are walking and moving etc. But gloves, hat, warm shoes are a necessity during the day. (Opps that sounds like other clothes are optional) Must be getting middle age when I laugh at my own jokes.

I have done a fair bit of cruising but I am so excited about this trip. Maybe we can do a high 5 in Amsterdam as we pass each other.:D

[Meg50]

you'll find loads of information here:

http://www.lueftner-************/en/your-voyage/reise-a-z.html

[Meg50]

that link doesn't seem to have worked..... here's their home page:

http://www.lueftner-************/en/home.html

 

 

not sure why the **** are there! where they are should say:

************

[RichardandMark]

...THank YOU! excellent info,,,

[Meg50]

I'm not sure why the links won't 'take'.

 

Luftner have an excellent website including an A-Z of useful info (the first of my links).

 

We are travelling with them in a few weeks - Rhone and Saone. They have been very prompt and helpful answering my questions

[RichardandMark]

I just copied the link you provided and deleted the ***s,,,,it worked just fine

[denrob]

Has anyone any feedback or information on Luftner. I have had trouble finding any reviews and am interested in doing a cruise on the Danube in 2013. Luftner has an across Europe cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest I would love to get information on. Thanks

 

 

We are also doing that cruise in September 2013 except from Budapest to Amsterdam. The cruise line is LEUFTNER CRUISES. If you google that it will come up and show the ships used for this tour.

 

WE hope it will be a good one too.

[KCcruisin07]

I'm not sure why the links won't 'take'.

 

Luftner have an excellent website including an A-Z of useful info (the first of my links).

 

We are travelling with them in a few weeks - Rhone and Saone. They have been very prompt and helpful answering my questions

 

We are also doing that cruise in September 2013 except from Budapest to Amsterdam. The cruise line is LEUFTNER CRUISES. If you google that it will come up and show the ships used for this tour.

 

WE hope it will be a good one too.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise. I would love to take the Rhone-Saone cruise.

Can't wait to hear about it. Please post a review!

[CountessOz]

Hi

I have spoken to a friend of a friend about canal cruising. She stated that even though one walks a great deal she still managed to put on 14lb (1stone) 10kg. I think I have the conversions right? So I have decided to start dieting on Saturday. Maybe Sunday Oh well soon. I still have not lost the weight I put on whilst on QM2 in February. :eek:

[RichardandMark]

Hi

I have spoken to a friend of a friend about canal cruising. She stated that even though one walks a great deal she still managed to put on 14lb (1stone) 10kg. I think I have the conversions right? So I have decided to start dieting on Saturday. Maybe Sunday Oh well soon. I still have not lost the weight I put on whilst on QM2 in February. :eek:

 

..oh oh.. I can see that happening,, the ships are smaller and less walking to everywhere,,,I think we lost weight on the Oasis... she is a big ship!

[CountessOz]

For those who are interested the saving we are making on Luftner is unbelievable. A very well know river cruise company here is Australia have just released their sale prices for the same cruise and it leaves the same day with the same itinerary etc. and it is more than double what we are paying. GO LUFTNER.:)

[RichardandMark]

...cant wait to hear of your experiences on Luftner...

[lilybob]

Thank you Otterdance for a terrific review! Thank you all for many informative posts. We are considering our first RC so all info is helpful. I will search Leuftner (sp?) now. Hope those traveling this year post reviews:)

[Meg50]

we're back!

 

there were many problems with the river levels which meant that the itinerary was changed drastically.

 

HQ and the crew were magnificent - I heard not a single complaint!!!!!!!!!

 

they worked their socks off to make sure we knew what was happening (having offered a cancellation if we preferred not to go at all)

[RichardandMark]

...good to know they were on the ball... glad you had a good time!

[kiwik8]

Have the option to go on the amedeus brilliant for new years much cheaper than viking. Any ideas?

[Meg50]

can't comment on that ship, but the company were great.

[Marty156]

Have the option to go on the amedeus brilliant for new years much cheaper than viking. Any ideas?

 

Check out this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1892421

 

The Brilliant is a sister ship, it is older and smaller than the Amadeus Silver, but run by the same company.

[Meg50]

we sailed on Amadeus Symphony on the Saone/Rhone - except we didn't do the Rhone because of the river level probs mentioned by Marty....

 

BUT Luftner were brilliant and offered us a free cancellation or if we travelled free excursions. They couldn't do enough for us in a difficult situation.

 

So Marty seems to have TA probs rather than Luftner probs

[Marty156]

we sailed on Amadeus Symphony on the Saone/Rhone - except we didn't do the Rhone because of the river level probs mentioned by Marty....

 

BUT Luftner were brilliant and offered us a free cancellation or if we travelled free excursions. They couldn't do enough for us in a difficult situation.

 

So Marty seems to have TA probs rather than Luftner probs

 

Nooo, no TA involved. We booked direct with the Australians, Scenic Tours.

[Meg50]

sorry, I misunderstood.

But Scenic were intermediaries who should have passed on messages form Luftner.

I booked with GoRivercruise who passed on the messages (despite being holed up on another non moving river cruise on the Rhine at the time!)

[Meg50]

I realised I forgot to post my review:

Rhone- Saone cruise.

8 May - 16 May 2013

starts with an email from the TA 2 days before sailing:

LUFTNER and all other companies have a problem on the Rhone and Saone with high water which may cause changes to the sailing schedule for the sailing on Thursday

They have offered

-a total refund of the cruise price if you wish to cancel

or

- free transfers from Lyons to the ship further North in Macon ,free excursions and to sail as far as possible South as soon as the water level drops,

Luftner will not refund travel costs and will do everything possible to offer a full programme – as always all the meals are included so the ship remains a great Hotel

Weds May 8th

Set off by tram/train for St Pancras/Paris/Lyon Part Dieu. Walked to Hotel Helder. Wished we'd known the tram from Part Dieu stops almost outside - it would have saved us a half hour walk…

Hotel adequate. Not a lot of restaurants nearby - 2 day bank holiday not helping…. Weather humid and damp.

 

Thurs 9th

Breakfast curious no staff anywhere - just help yourself. Luggage left in a lock up while we explore town. No sign of ship or rep… Lyon a lovely city - we walked miles. Will return to do the Botanical gardens if we come back with the ship…

3pm we collect luggage from hotel and make for Quai Claude Bernard - as we approach I see a lady with a Luftner sign heading our way at speed. Coach to Macon to pick up ship thee - it's been there for at least 2 weeks cos water level too high to get under the bridhges. Last week's cruise went nowhere so people were bussed/tgv'd around the area.

Eventually joined by an assortment of people and set off at 4 for Macon. Lots of flooding in fields on the way.

Hand sanitiser as board. Shown to cabin by stewards. Once luggage arrived ( about 5 mins) we set off to explore - unpacking can wait….

Very welcome tea and pastries/ savoury snacks available so exploration postponed a wee bit!

Dinner at 7.30, then safety talk/daily briefing for english speakers at 9.30.

Hope to sail tomorrow at 6pm (normal itinerary says Macon tours so they'll go ahead as planned). Hope we get to sail - it's peeing down with rain.

 

Friday 10th

Declined the vineyard tour and explored the town instead.

After lunch C set off on a Cluny trip while M decided to stay and sun bathe - eventually driven indoors by the lowering temperatures…. Notices have appeared saying 'be back on board by 5.30' - promising…

 

Yes!!!!!!!! We sailed at 6pm - northwards through Tournus and a lock. The reflections in the water are spectacular

Arrived at Chalon Sur Saone at bedtime

 

Sat 11th May. Chalon Sur Saone.

Just about to disembark when we were stopped cos the ship needed to move to make room for Viking Europe on our inside - they'd chickened out of moving from Macon until we'd proved it was possible. The purser was delighted it was their carpets that would have the extra foot fall rather than ours!

We explored the town and after lunch went for a massage and after thew obligatory post massage wind down we went back to do the bits of town we'd missed on the first trip.

At today's briefing it was announce d that tomorrow we sail for St Jean de Losne

 

Sun 12th May

Sailing , then St Jean de Losne.

As we sailed up stream the crew laid on a 'Taste of Provence - Moules, cheeses, wine (all at 10am!) not surprisingly, not many came to lunch!

This is the first 'large ship' to have ventured this far up the Saone and we caused a sensation - people kept rushing out along the banks with cameras, and once in town ( tiny, only 1000 or so inhabitants) every one came for a look!

After lunch we went off on a trip to Dijon. A wonderful town and totally unexpected - not on the original itinerary!

Tomorrow we sail south at 12.30 pm

 

Mon 13th May St Jean de Losne

A trip to Louhans Market was on offer, but it appeared to only have 30 mins free time, so we declined, exploring the Marina instead.

I overheard an American passenger announce that the problem wasn't bridges or water levels, but that the ships are too big!

At the afternoon briefing the possibility of sailing to Lyon was mooted….

By 930pm it was in stone.

There was a pirate dinner - complete with waiters waving cutlasses! Followed by crew entertainment for the passengers.

 

Tuesday 14th May. Macon until lunchtime when we set sail for Lyon. The sun blazed down and we sat out on the sundeck and roasted while listening to the birds singing - heaven.

As we sailed into Lyon during dinner we realised the extent of the problem as we cleared one bridge with only millimetres to spare. Then it started to rain…

 

Weds 15th May - and rain and rain. Our planned trip to the botanical gardens was cancelled and we walked to Part Dieu shopping centre instead.

 

Thursday 16th May

Home time - tram to Part Dieu stn, TGV to Lille Europe (horrible place), Eurostar to St Pancras,

 

 

Stats:

129 booked, but only 81 coming after being offered cancellation

24 Hebrew

18 US (Gate 1)

23 UK

2 Chilean

Rest German

 

Crew mainly Eastern European - Bulgarian Hungarian, Romanian

[Marty156]

sorry, I misunderstood.

But Scenic were intermediaries who should have passed on messages form Luftner.

I booked with GoRivercruise who passed on the messages (despite being holed up on another non moving river cruise on the Rhine at the time!)

 

Scenic (and Viking) were not interested in the facts, they took it upon themselves to force people to use busses, so they could claim that the 'tip' was completed. I'd like to see a definition / comparison of the words "Trip" and "Cruise" as stated in their contract.

 

If they had only given guests the choice, we could have claimed from travel insurance.

Or better yet, if they had done like APT and cancelled and given guests full refunds.....

 

All we saw of messages was false and misleading, re river levels and that we 'were on a ship' - even though not moving!