Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted November 6, 2013 #1 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Night life on a River Cruise is pretty much dead .Who wants to go to bed almost every night at 9pm??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tassietravellers Posted November 6, 2013 #2 Share Posted November 6, 2013 We had 14 nights on an Avalon cruise last year, there were a few entertainers that came onboard, but mostly just the guy on the piano. He was great played lots of rock and roll, plenty of people on the dance floor each night. We would always go to the lounge after dinner for a couple of drinks, socialising and dancing..we were rarely back in our room before about 10.30 or 11. That was our way of relaxing. River cruising isnt as relaxing as most people believe..most days theres plenty of touring and walking, plus the early starts, alot of people were just as happy to go back and relax in their rooms after dinner, dinner didnt finish to at least 9 anyway. I know river cruising doesnt have all the entertainment that ocean cruises do, I have never been on an ocean cruise, but believe river cruisers are at a lot busier during the day with less free time. I know its a personal preference, but I was fine with what we had available. Deb :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelBugM Posted November 6, 2013 #3 Share Posted November 6, 2013 We needed a holiday after our river cruise earlier this year. It was non stop all day most days. Some nights after dinner there was entertainment. A couple of nights went later. Really, we were exhausted each night and didn't miss extra evening activities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted November 6, 2013 #4 Share Posted November 6, 2013 We enjoy some nightlife after dinner. Our first 4 cruises were with Avalon and except for the resident piano player, some local acts, a beer tasting and skits by the CD, it was really dead. Even the New Year's Eve we spent aboard was dull. We were glad that we had met a few couples on our cruises that we had fun with in the lounge on two of those cruises and were traveling with an extended friends and family group on the others. When we were docked overnight, we were off the boat and enjoying the local pubs. Our two cruises with AMA were very different. There were some local acts but the piano player DJ'd after them and we were out dancing til after midnight most nights. One night they had a dance combo that was great and another was a 60s party that rocked! Have to say we have really enjoyed the lively evening atmosphere we have experienced on AMA so far. A-Rosa also markets themselves as being lively and they are on our list for a future trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pully8 Posted November 6, 2013 #5 Share Posted November 6, 2013 we have done 6 European river cruises and really believe you can be as busy as you want to be. some are busy trips lots of walking ashore, some more relaxing. we are not big alcohol drinkers so long periods in the bar at night would not be something we would seek to do. conversation with others we enjoy. most dinners ended at 9. many tours began early, everyone has a different need for sleep. we have yet to do an ocean cruise but would be very selective about which line we would use, to meet our needs. our trips to Europe are to see and experience the countries and we like river cruising, we get what we want from the experiences. we all like different things in travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted November 6, 2013 #6 Share Posted November 6, 2013 We have found that on river cruises that many of use congregated in the bar/lounge enjoying the entertainment and each others company until about 11pm. On river cruises, we tend to get to know many of our fellow cruisers, even more than on ocean cruises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseryyc Posted November 6, 2013 #7 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Have been on 15 ocean cruises and just returned from my first river cruise and I have to say that I much prefer the relaxed atmosphere of the river cruise. We never went to bed at 9 and found lots of folks to sit and talk to in the bar every night; if there wasn't entertainment onboard we just made our own fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexandra cruiser Posted November 6, 2013 #8 Share Posted November 6, 2013 between river and ocean cruises.Best of BOTH worlds, lots of entertainment 1 time and more laid back the next.Works for us. Personally, we like the local groups that come onboard(like singers,dancers,musicians,).Hey, if bored go up on deck and watch the scenery go by with an after dinner drink. Also, river cruises tend to cater to an older clientele.In overnite ports,can go off on own too.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ship's Wake Posted November 6, 2013 #9 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Night life on a River Cruise is pretty much dead .Who wants to go to bed almost every night at 9pm??? What changes would you like to see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyaheel Posted November 6, 2013 #10 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Who wants to go to bed almost every night at 9pm??? Well, me, especially if I'm up early and walking around all day and anti-social to boot. I've never participated in "night life" on ocean cruises (other than late dining....) and I'm not a night owl in my regular life or when I do land travel, so.....(and it has NOTHING to do with age - I was like this 20 years ago when I was in college too) If it's not for you, that's unfortunate:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted November 6, 2013 #11 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Night life on a River Cruise is pretty much dead .Who wants to go to bed almost every night at 9pm??? A lot of folks do and that is why the ship is so dead at night' date=' not because there isn't entertainment. I think it is the other way around. There isn't any entertainment because there isn't anyone to entertain--they have gone to bed. They aren't late owls at home and they aren't late owls on vacation--and are thrilled that they don't have to pretend to be. Riverboat late owls manage to find each other and 'make their own fun,' as cruiseryyc points out, and their ability to enjoy is not dependent on canned, pre-planned entertainment to make them 'happy'. I'm perfectly happy with the trio in the bar, the crew talent show and a night or two of local music on the nights when I do manage to stay awake beyond 9pm. In other words, I'm just as happy that my cruise fare not be spent on fancy entertainment that I am not going to partake in and would rather have it spent on something that will actually make my cruise more enjoyable--like more guides and buses so that we can have smaller groups on the tours--twenty would be a nice number as opposed to 30+. Finally, I like the differences between the small river boats and the large ocean going vessels and wish folks would stop trying to turn the quiet river boat experience into a mega-ship extravaganza. [i']Viva la difference!![/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterdkiwi Posted November 6, 2013 #12 Share Posted November 6, 2013 More than happy with level of evening activity on Avalon in July, we were never in bed before 10 and a couple of nights it was close to 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nixmuts Posted November 6, 2013 #13 Share Posted November 6, 2013 I was more than happy with the evening entertainment on our cruise back in July. When things were quiet in the lounge, I just went upstairs with a glass of wine and watched the scenery slip on by. Deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgenie Posted November 6, 2013 #14 Share Posted November 6, 2013 We are just back from the Forseti, our second Viking cruise and I like that there is not a lot of entertainment options after dinner. I prefer the low key atmosphere and getting to know the other passengers over some back ground music that is not distracting. In our society today, it seems like a lot of people need to be either entertained or connected to social media constantly, it was nice to get away from Facebook, the internet, Twitter, etc. and really talk with people one on one. Just my opinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talisker92 Posted November 7, 2013 #15 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I agree with travelgenie. It is nice to be face to face with people instead of electronically Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted November 7, 2013 #16 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I agree with travelgenie. It is nice to be face to face with people instead of electronically What in the world does technology have to do with nightlife??:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro cruiser Posted November 7, 2013 #17 Share Posted November 7, 2013 There was a guy on our Scenic cruise a couple of weeks ago who plays guitar, so he jammed with the paid entertainer every night until midnight or later. Some couples danced but most of us just hung around listening to them play, talking, playing cards, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marco Posted November 7, 2013 #18 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Some days, we were "too pooped to pop" after 9PM, anyway. Other nights, as most of the time we are docked overnight, or at least until the very wee hours of the morning, we had the opportunity to go out and enjoy the nightlife of the city we were in. And that's one of the reasons we like river cruising so much over European "ocean liner" cruising......we get to experience some local night life. Most ocean liner cruises leave port by 6PM-ish so you never get to experience a city at night. And that's probably why they don't offer a lot of onboard entertainment as local night life is readily and easily available. The guides are very knowledgeable about the cities and always offered us a variety of options depending on one's taste. We've gone to clubs beer gardens, operas, concerts, etc, etc. For us, this is one of benefits of a river cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted November 7, 2013 #19 Share Posted November 7, 2013 We've gone to clubs beer gardens, operas, concerts, etc, etc. For us, this is one of benefits of a river cruise. I agree and this is why we prefer itineraries with overnight stays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrokitty Posted November 7, 2013 #20 Share Posted November 7, 2013 A lot of folks do and that is why the ship is so dead at night, not because there isn't entertainment. I think it is the other way around. There isn't any entertainment because there isn't anyone to entertain--they have gone to bed. They aren't late owls at home and they aren't late owls on vacation--and are thrilled that they don't have to pretend to be. Riverboat late owls manage to find each other and 'make their own fun,' as cruiseryyc points out, and their ability to enjoy is not dependent on canned, pre-planned entertainment to make them 'happy'. I'm perfectly happy with the trio in the bar, the crew talent show and a night or two of local music on the nights when I do manage to stay awake beyond 9pm. In other words, I'm just as happy that my cruise fare not be spent on fancy entertainment that I am not going to partake in and would rather have it spent on something that will actually make my cruise more enjoyable--like more guides and buses so that we can have smaller groups on the tours--twenty would be a nice number as opposed to 30+. Finally, I like the differences between the small river boats and the large ocean going vessels and wish folks would stop trying to turn the quiet river boat experience into a mega-ship extravaganza. Viva la difference!! Viva La Peregrina!! I agree with every word!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KY Deb Posted November 7, 2013 #21 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Caviargirl, Could you email me with a question I have about who you use to book your AMA crusies? I've been lurking on the river cruise forum and am leaning toward AMA, and have seen where you have enjoyed your cruises with them. Debbiesuttonky@yahoo.com. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royal29 Posted November 7, 2013 #22 Share Posted November 7, 2013 My wife and I have been on two AMA cruises and have no qualms about the quiet evenings. As many people have said, the days are extremely busy, often two excursions a day, lots of walking and, on AMA, the occasional bike tour. Dinners are relaxed...ending late (at least for us) at 8:30 or 9. Actually, after touring and socializing all day and through dinner, we're ready for some quiet time. Plus, I rise very early, at times sitting on the top deck at 7 a.m. enjoying coffee and a sweet roll and often watching our arrival in port, while most folks are still sleeping. Can't beat that! Also, there are nights we go out in port...sometimes on ship's excursions, such as a concert in Vienna, a wine tasting. No need to change a thing, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathie859 Posted November 7, 2013 #23 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I like the calmness of the evening on a river cruise. I like hitting the lounge for a predinner cocktail and hors d'vouvre, then having a relaxed dinner and either retiring to the lounge for after dinner music or to the cabin to relax with a book. I'm usually pretty tired from the walking and touring of the day so the lack of evening entertainment isn't a concern. If a wanted night entertainment, I'd book an ocean cruise with a casino and production shows every night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caviargal Posted November 7, 2013 #24 Share Posted November 7, 2013 If a wanted night entertainment, I'd book an ocean cruise with a casino and production shows every night. Even when I used to ocean cruise, I never went to the casino nor the shows. If I want to see a show I will make a trip to NYC and I have no use for casinos. I enjoy some live music and dancing after dinner and IMO that type of entertainment is well suited to a river cruise. We also really enjoyed the piano player/DJ last two cruises who kept things lively for those of us who did not want to call it a night early. I believe that some river cruise lines are interested in expanding the demographic of river cruisers beyond the stereotypical senior crowd. To do so IMO, they need to offer a bit of entertainment after dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydrokitty Posted November 9, 2013 #25 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Even when I used to ocean cruise, I never went to the casino nor the shows. If I want to see a show I will make a trip to NYC and I have no use for casinos. I enjoy some live music and dancing after dinner and IMO that type of entertainment is well suited to a river cruise. We also really enjoyed the piano player/DJ last two cruises who kept things lively for those of us who did not want to call it a night early. I believe that some river cruise lines are interested in expanding the demographic of river cruisers beyond the stereotypical senior crowd. To do so IMO, they need to offer a bit of entertainment after dinner. I agree with you Caviargal, but I sure hope it doesn't happen.....I like river cruising just the way it is!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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