Hard decision for 1st trip!

[Lovetotraveltami]

Hi: It will be two couples traveling together and our 1st river cruise.

 

1st time to Europe for two of four. Want to see as much as we can but also enjoy and learn the culture. Planning Basel to Amsterdam. Then plan to venture on our own for a couple of days.

 

Looking at Viking or Avalon. Will tour in 2015 late September. I have read many reviews on both cruise lines, visited with a travel agent and one company still doesn't win out over the other. Avalon wins over on price by less than $200. Appears Viking is a long ship.

 

Any other ideas to help make the decision?

 

Thank you to all who have posted about your experiences.

LTTT

[rudeman]

We just completed our first river cruise, Budapest to Amsterdam, on Avalon. We had settled on three "finalists" - Tauck, AMA and Avalon. We settled on Avalon pretty much based on bed configuration and room size; I.e., no living space lost to an external balcony. We were extremely pleased with everything. Stops were great. The tours were great. Great food and service, etc.

 

We have no first-hand knowledge of Viking so can't do a real comparison. I'm sure you won't go wrong with either company.

 

 

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[Got2Cruise]

Hi: It will be two couples traveling together and our 1st river cruise.

 

1st time to Europe for two of four. Want to see as much as we can but also enjoy and learn the culture. Planning Basel to Amsterdam. Then plan to venture on our own for a couple of days.

 

Looking at Viking or Avalon. Will tour in 2015 late September. I have read many reviews on both cruise lines, visited with a travel agent and one company still doesn't win out over the other. Avalon wins over on price by less than $200. Appears Viking is a long ship.

 

Any other ideas to help make the decision?

 

Thank you to all who have posted about your experiences.

LTTT

 

Hi, two things. 1. the itinerary of the Viking v. Avalon even though same similar itinerary not exactly the same. With Avalon one full day on the ship is spent in Amsterdam (including a canal cruise) plus other optionals can be done in the afternoon. Also, Avalon starts in Zurich, they pick you up from the Zurich Movenpick hotel so you fly directly into Zurich. You can choose a pre cruise in Zurich or Lucerne. We flew in the same day and started right from Zurich. 2. as a long ship, the Viking ship with have more passengers on the ship than Avalon. I don't know how Avalon came out cheaper, it certainly not considered a budget line. Also check the square footage of the cabins Viking v. Avalon.

[nana541]

Don't delay to long in booking. DH and I are sailing Amsterdam to Budapest Sept 2015 and last I looked my sailing was sold out. September is a very popular month and those cruises sell out fast or at best have very little left to choose from in the way of cabin categories.

 

Another consideration is that Viking requires full cruise paid in full almost immediately upon booking while Avalon wants pmt 90 to 120 days out.

 

We chose Avalon due to fewer passengers onboard and larger cabin size.

 

 

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[notamermaid]

I would also say, look at the itineraries closely, especially the Strassburg / Breisach part. I think Avalon sails during the evening where Viking sails at night, depending on direction of cruise. What might you prefer to see in daylight? Any special interests that you can only do in a specific port?

 

For Viking day-to-day itineraries you can go to the my trip section on the website. Avalon might have such an option as well.

 

I have not looked at the interior of Avalon ships on the Rhine, but saw the Viking longship Rinda "live" while docked in Koblenz. The interior is modern and a Scandinavian cool white in the literal sense.

 

notamermaid

[caviargal]

Of those two lines, I would choose Avalon for cabin size and fewer passengers on board. And IMO they offer a better all around product than Viking, with a much better reputation for customer service.

 

We have cruised with Avalon several times. In instances where high water created issues on the river, Avalon dealt with it professionally and satisfactorily. This was during a period where all kinds of complaints were being seen on CC regarding Viking's handling of the situation.

 

The ability and reputation of a line when dealing with problems weighs heavily IMO.

 

We are cruising Basel to Amsterdam with AMA in December. This is a new itinerary for us and we are very excited!

[joanne2]

Avalon is not in the top 5 of the recent Travel and Leisure awards (see post below for complete info). Viking is #2 and Tauck #1.

[nana541]

Avalon is not in the top 5 of the recent Travel and Leisure awards (see post below for complete info). Viking is #2 and Tauck #1.

 

 

I think the river cruising public is so small that you can't depend on these so called "travel awards".... Though I agree that both Tauck and Viking have there cheerleaders...obviously the Viking massive TV ads have paid off in Brand Recognition. To say that the Avalon product rates below Viking is a HUGE matter of opinion..... Read the River Board threads and you will see lots of very very happy passengers from all the major brands. I think it's like comparing Holiday Inn (Viking) to Hyatt (Avalon).

 

JMHO (but you would likely be happy with either...just be sure and compare cabin size and boat passenger count)

 

 

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Edited July 24, 2014 by nana541

[caviargal]

I think the river cruising public is so small that you can't depend on these so called "travel awards".... Though I agree that both Tauck and Viking have there cheerleaders...obviously the Viking massive TV ads have paid off in Brand Recognition. To say that the Avalon product rates below Viking is a HUGE matter of opinion..... Read the River Board threads and you will see lots of very very happy passengers from all the major brands. I think it's like comparing Holiday Inn (Viking) to Hyatt (Avalon).

 

JMHO (but you would likely be happy with either...just be sure and compare cabin size and boat passenger count)

 

 

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I take rewards from those sources (magazines that accept paid advertising ) with a cup of salt.

 

Check out Berlitz for a source on non-biased ratings as well as the many reviews on this and other forums.

 

This is a good article IMO: http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

 

I have been onboard several Viking boats while in port. I have no interest in cruising with them based on what I have personally seen, what I have read on these forums and what I have heard while cruising with passengers who have sailed with Viking and other, upscale lines.

Edited July 24, 2014 by caviargal

[rudeman]

Avalon is not in the top 5 of the recent Travel and Leisure awards (see post below for complete info). Viking is #2 and Tauck #1.

 

If a ranking from one magazine is important to you, by all means, go with Tauck. Why even consider Viking?

 

Every reputable cruise line wins awards from somewhere - just look at their websites!

 

Only YOU can decide what's important. Is it room size? Bed configuration? Number of passengers? Cruisers' reviews? Itinerary? Cost? Included tours? Included beverages? Optional excursions? Awards? etc.

 

We did our (extensive) homework and made our choice. We were ecstatic with the results but have no actual experience with other lines.

[nana541]

If a ranking from one magazine is important to you, by all means, go with Tauck. Why even consider Viking?

 

Every reputable cruise line wins awards from somewhere - just look at their websites!

 

Only YOU can decide what's important. Is it room size? Bed configuration? Number of passengers? Cruisers' reviews? Itinerary? Cost? Included tours? Included beverages? Optional excursions? Awards? etc.

 

We did our (extensive) homework and made our choice. We were ecstatic with the results but have no actual experience with other lines.

 

 

I think it would be great to know who you picked and what caused you to choose that company??? That's what CC is about.... Won't you share with your fellow cruisers ?

 

 

From checking your profile it would seem Avalon is the winner! (Those of us on the CC app can't see your signature unless we actually pull up your profile)

 

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Edited July 24, 2014 by nana541

[rudeman]

Nan541 - post #2 of this thread clearly states it was Avalon and several of our reasons. This last post was just reinforcing that it's a personal decision based on what's important to you. Didn't want to repeat my prior post.

 

 

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[Floridiana]

 

This is a good article IMO: http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

 

 

Thank you for posting this website. Very good descriptions. By just looking at the cabin photos, I excluded the fussiest décor from my list. Food was the next deciding factor ... that led me to AMA.

[caviargal]

I suspect "fussiest decor" means Uniworld :). I agree that it is a turn off.

 

I found the article to be spot on when describing AMA and Avalon, the two lines we have experience with.

 

Oceania is our line of choice when we ocean cruise (very rare these days) and we like boutique hotels like Four Seasons. AMA fits that profile IMO.

 

We have been delighted with the food on our three AMA cruises (have done 7 total), as well as staff, CMs, and overall experiences. They are now our go to line for river cruises.

Edited July 24, 2014 by caviargal

[nana541]

Nan541 - post #2 of this thread clearly states it was Avalon and several of our reasons. This last post was just reinforcing that it's a personal decision based on what's important to you. Didn't want to repeat my prior post.

 

 

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Your right! I read the whole thread and somehow did not connect post # 2 to you :)

 

 

 

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[seabreezer]

Avalon is not in the top 5 of the recent Travel and Leisure awards (see post below for complete info). Viking is #2 and Tauck #1.

 

Two totally different markets...doesn't seem right to rank them this way.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Two totally different markets...doesn't seem right to rank them this way.

 

It's like the TripAdvisor restaurant rankings for a city. McDonalds or Waffle House is often ranked higher than the gourmet places. But the people are ranking them on completely different standards: it's easy for McDonalds to get 5 stars because they almost always deliver exactly what you have come to expect from them; it's very hard for a gourmet restaurant to get 5 stars because you expect perfection.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Host Jazzbeau

[joanne2]

It's like the TripAdvisor restaurant rankings for a city. McDonalds or Waffle House is often ranked higher than the gourmet places. But the people are ranking them on completely different standards: it's easy for McDonalds to get 5 stars because they almost always deliver exactly what you have come to expect from them; it's very hard for a gourmet restaurant to get 5 stars because you expect perfection.

 

The OP was considering Avalon and Viking which was why I cited the Travel Leisure article which rated Viking but Avalon didn't make the cut. Of course it has to be invalid because it rates Viking higher than Avalon.

 

But Tauck was rated #1 so what is your point about McDonalds? The gourmet line got the 5 stars.

[nana541]

Well they also said Grand Circle was # 3 so I have to wonder exactly how this study was done??? And AMA # 5, soooo hello I would not be giving this any credibility ..... JMHO

 

Here it is:

 

Top River Cruises

 

RANK '12 NAME SCORE

1 3 Tauck93.71

2 2 Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection92.87

3 5 Grand Circle Cruise Line92.79

4 1 Viking River Cruises91.66

5 - AmaWaterways90.02

6 - Avalon Waterways86.23

 

Sorry this just makes no sense!

 

 

 

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[Got2Cruise]

The OP was considering Avalon and Viking which was why I cited the Travel Leisure article which rated Viking but Avalon didn't make the cut. Of course it has to be invalid because it rates Viking higher than Avalon.

 

But Tauck was rated #1 so what is your point about McDonalds? The gourmet line got the 5 stars.

 

http://www.travelandleisure.com/promo/pdfs/Worlds-Best-Methodology-2014.pdf

I tried to copy the methodology to paste here but was unable to. Bottom line it was based on a survey, that readers decided to send in, or not. In Viking's case it is sheer numbers. They have so many more passengers compared to all of the others because they have so many more ships on the river than all the others. The survey simply counted the numbers.

 

To say that Avalon "did not make the cut" to imply they have a highly inferior product based on this survey is incorrect. But each can read the methodology and decide themselves. Kudos to T&L for publishing the methodology as opposed to one we saw on CC recently with no explanation.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Got2Cruise

[nana541]

I think due to the massive TV Ad campaign, Viking has huge (and valuable) Brand recognition. To my knowledge "NONE" of the other River Cruise lines advertising on TV.

 

This alone would affect voting for Viking by folks who likely (in some/many cases) would be voting...

Having never done a river cruise.

 

Certainly not implying they don't have a very good product. They just have a different style and business model.

 

 

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Edited July 25, 2014 by nana541

[CPT Trips]

Well they also said Grand Circle was # 3 so I have to wonder exactly how this study was done??? And AMA # 5, soooo hello I would not be giving this any credibility ..... JMHO

 

Here it is:

 

Top River Cruises

 

RANK '12 NAME SCORE

1 3 Tauck93.71

2 2 Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection92.87

3 5 Grand Circle Cruise Line92.79

4 1 Viking River Cruises91.66

5 - AmaWaterways90.02

6 - Avalon Waterways86.23

 

Sorry this just makes no sense!

 

 

 

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Hmmm . . . always a bad bad word about GCT. ;) Based on the methodology, maybe they just do a better job meeting expectations than the lower ranked lines?

Edited July 25, 2014 by CPT Trips

[nana541]

Read pages of experiences on various river cruise lines right here on CC as reported by people who have actually posted their experiences, both good and bad. Those are the reports I am going to believe!

 

By the way I don't know that there is anything at all wrong with Grand Circle, they are a very minor player in the English speaking market which is what really causes me to suspect exactly how many votes actually happened in the River cruising category???? Something is very wonky with the votes because GC is a very very tiny player, do they even own their own boats or just Charter tour groups.... Some is wrong with these figures ?

 

JMO

 

 

By the way GC do have many very small ships and are really well thought of.... Not much of a presence on Cruise Critic.

Edited July 25, 2014 by nana541

[Host Jazzbeau]

The OP was considering Avalon and Viking which was why I cited the Travel Leisure article which rated Viking but Avalon didn't make the cut. Of course it has to be invalid because it rates Viking higher than Avalon.

 

But Tauck was rated #1 so what is your point about McDonalds? The gourmet line got the 5 stars.

 

My point was that Viking delivers a consistent product most of the time, and that judging from CC most of its customers have never cruised on any other river cruise line. So their ratings show that Viking meets their expectations, not their comparative judgment that Viking is better than other lines. That may be true of all of the ratings, although many more posters here have sailed on AMA and Uniworld, or Avalon and Tauck, etc.

 

Tauck isn't that big in river cruising, so their rating is probably based more on image than actual experience [by which I mean if only Tauck customers could vote for Tauck, they wouldn't have gotten enough votes -- good or bad -- to make the top five]. I share that high opinion of Tauck, even though I haven't sailed them. I don't share a high opinion of polls like this that happily compare apples to oranges with votes from people who may not even eat fruit!

[notamermaid]

Subjective poll indeed, in my opinion.

 

American poll by a US-American magazine (?) for American customers, as it appears. This is fine, I just wanted to mention this. How close did number six get to number five? How many companies were actually included in the poll? What about ARosa which is new to the American market, were they considered?

 

I would treat such a poll with caution and not base a decision on this at all.

 

notamermaid