Going On My First River Cruise

[twinkletoes4445]

Since you're used to paying river cruise prices, you could consider a small-ship Alaska cruise out of Juneau or Sikta:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1449

 

Thank you for the link! I had no clue there was anything like this available. While we have enjoyed our ocean cruises, we have decided to make a jump to another cruise line. Our last cruise had issues. We were thinking of Oceania, but we haven't really settled on anything yet.

 

I appreciate the link. Very interesting! We do love river cruising and the smaller boat is appealing to us. It is expensive, but we found it worth every penny we spent.

 

Thanks!

[janecambridge]

Since you're used to paying river cruise prices, you could consider a small-ship Alaska cruise out of Juneau or Sikta:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1449

 

Great link thanks.we have looked at Princess,but too big for that trip for us and Regent but not happy last time so this is great...

 

Getting back to first river cruise,we have just returned from ours.Very different to ocean cruise ships.

The company,Emerald were very good,but we did not take to the dining room,tables,times and layout.Also lack of quiet areas.

If it is your first cruise,do your research about everything.

It's a long way off but we booked ours 14 months beforehand and it came round really quickly.

Enjoy.

Edited August 2, 2015 by janecambridge

[Lois R]

Great link thanks.we have looked at Princess,but too big for that trip for us and Regent but not happy last time so this is great...

 

Getting back to first river cruise,we have just returned from ours.Very different to ocean cruise ships.

The company,Emerald were very good,but we did not take to the dining room,tables,times and layout.Also lack of quiet areas.

If it is your first cruise,do your research about everything.

It's a long way off but we booked ours 14 months beforehand and it came round really quickly.

Enjoy.

 

Hi, thanks for the reply:).....everyone has different priorities.....what

was it about the dining part that you didn't "take to"?

Sailing on my own, I enjoy dining with other people so hopefully

I won't be eating by myself every night;)

[papa B me]

Lois

We went on our first river cruise last July(next one in December) and one of my greatest concerns was that I had ready a number of reports that people didn't like the dining experience because of the lack of 2 person tables. My wife and I actually found we loved the dining experience as we got to meet different people at dinner and actually made a number of friends as a result. Because of the open seating you can easily avoid sitting with people you don't enjoy being around(that happened to us once). Since you are traveling alone I think you will really enjoy how river cruising dining works. Have a great trip.

[Lois R]

Lois

We went on our first river cruise last July(next one in December) and one of my greatest concerns was that I had ready a number of reports that people didn't like the dining experience because of the lack of 2 person tables. My wife and I actually found we loved the dining experience as we got to meet different people at dinner and actually made a number of friends as a result. Because of the open seating you can easily avoid sitting with people you don't enjoy being around(that happened to us once). Since you are traveling alone I think you will really enjoy how river cruising dining works. Have a great trip.

 

 

Thanks so much:)

[CPT Trips]

Totally agree with papa B me. And our cruise always seemed to have a fair number of solo travelers that we shared tables with from time to time.

[caviargal]

IMO river cruising offers a much more relaxed and welcoming experience to singles. The lack of assigned tables; lack of queuing for almost everything; convenient docking locations; a front desk staff that knows your name after the 1st day; included excursions that lack the regimentation of ocean cruises - these all contribute to an environment that makes it easy to meet people.

 

That and the main lounge, which becomes a kind of expanded living room for everyone, is conducive to mingling and socializing.

Edited August 2, 2015 by caviargal

[janecambridge]

Hi, thanks for the reply:).....everyone has different priorities.....what

was it about the dining part that you didn't "take to"?

Sailing on my own, I enjoy dining with other people so hopefully

I won't be eating by myself every night;)

 

You are absolutely right about different priorities.Our ship was brand new and no soft furnishings in the dining room and lower ceilings.Very noisy. It was a shouting match every meal time.We also had to be there strict at 7pm or you were sent to the naughty table at the back..We also had buffet most of the trip only having meals served 4 times out of 21..There was always a queue at 7pm with people rushing to get the same table etc..

We liked sharing tables and we often had someone who was travelling solo.No problems mentioned from any of them..They all seemed to enjoy it immensely had no qualms about travelling alone again..In fact two were recently widowed and were very apprehensive about going,but settled in to it very well,pleased to have had their first solo holiday on a river cruise..

[Lois R]

IMO river cruising offers a much more relaxed and welcoming experience to singles. The lack of assigned tables; lack of queuing for almost everything; convenient docking locations; a front desk staff that knows your name after the 1st day; included excursions that lack the regimentation of ocean cruises - these all contribute to an environment that makes it easy to meet people.

 

That and the main lounge, which becomes a kind of expanded living room for everyone, is conducive to mingling and socializing.

 

What a wonderful post:D:):D...and being that I am quite outgoing,

it should be even better;)

[caviargal]

You are absolutely right about different priorities.Our ship was brand new and no soft furnishings in the dining room and lower ceilings.Very noisy. It was a shouting match every meal time.We also had to be there strict at 7pm or you were sent to the naughty table at the back..We also had buffet most of the trip only having meals served 4 times out of 21..There was always a queue at 7pm with people rushing to get the same table etc..

 

We have never had that experience on our river cruises. Yes, some dining rooms are louder than others but that is the extent of it.

 

On AMA, there are ala carte options at every meal and never a buffet for dinner. On Uniworld, one could order from the menu at breakfast and dinner and there was a light lunch served in the lounge, and never a buffet for dinner. On Avalon, buffet breakfast and lunch but never for dinner.

[Lois R]

Have some clothing questions:)...food, clothes, etc....all part of the

cruise;)

I will check the weather at that time of year for that part of the world

but for those of you who have traveled in April...daytime highs? (avg)?

Would cotton pants (sort of a cargo style) be good for during the

day? And evenings? I know it is more casual but I sill try to look

nice...I have several pairs of nice slacks in different colors that are

easy to pack....black, charcoal, merlot.......with some nice tops......

would this be AOK?

Edited August 2, 2015 by Lois R

[Lois R]

We have never had that experience on our river cruises. Yes, some dining rooms are louder than others but that is the extent of it.

 

On AMA, there are ala carte options at every meal and never a buffet for dinner. On Uniworld, one could order from the menu at breakfast and dinner and there was a light lunch served in the lounge, and never a buffet for dinner. On Avalon, buffet breakfast and lunch but never for dinner.

 

I am sure everything will be fine:)

 

Oh, sent you an email last night....just making sure you received it.:D

[caviargal]

Have some clothing questions:)...food, clothes, etc....all part of the

cruise;)

I will check the weather at that time of year for that part of the world

but for those of you who have traveled in April...daytime highs? (avg)?

Would cotton pants (sort of a cargo style) be good for during the

day? And evenings? I know it is more casual but I sill try to look

nice...I have several pairs of nice slacks in different colors that are

easy to pack....black, charcoal, merlot.......with some nice tops......

would this be AOK?

 

For my April Tulip Time cruise I wore jeans and leggings during the day with tops I could layer. I am fan of golf and athletic clothing and my tops are mostly half zips that I can wear a cami under if needed. An all weather jacket was perfect for this trip. I also throw in a sweatshirt to wear on deck for cool days.

 

For evenings I pack a nice pair of black slacks with pretty tops. We always dress up a bit for dinner and the evening and take it up a notch for the two Captain's receptions and the Chef's Table restaurant. I always pack a simple black dress or skirt as an alternative to slacks. In April I packed a black jersey wrap dress with 3/4 sleeves that I accessorized with jewelry, scarves, etc.

[Lois R]

For my April Tulip Time cruise I wore jeans and leggings during the day with tops I could layer. I am fan of golf and athletic clothing and my tops are mostly half zips that I can wear a cami under if needed. An all weather jacket was perfect for this trip. I also throw in a sweatshirt to wear on deck for cool days.

 

For evenings I pack a nice pair of black slacks with pretty tops. We always dress up a bit for dinner and the evening and take it up a notch for the two Captain's receptions and the Chef's Table restaurant. I always pack a simple black dress or skirt as an alternative to slacks. In April I packed a black jersey wrap dress with 3/4 sleeves that I accessorized with jewelry, scarves, etc.

 

Thanks so much!....I don't have golf/athletic wear but I do have

attire that will work just fine:)

[denims]

Lois it's great seeing a familiar name on these River Cruise boards! We too are taking our first River Cruise in April! (Viking Paris to Basel)

I have followed your post's for a few years on the Celebrity's boards. These boards/treads are a little different because of the smaller ships.

Have a great trip!!!

[Got2Cruise]

Lois, I think I remember you on the Alaska boards years ago. Lol. I remember because you think of good questions and I just copied down the answers. Anyways just like in Alaska it might be wet and chilly. I actually still own the gortex jacket I bought for Alaska. I always pack it just in case. Also I believe on the Alaska boards they recommend scotch waterproof spray for your shoes.

[Lois R]

Lois it's great seeing a familiar name on these River Cruise boards! We too are taking our first River Cruise in April! (Viking Paris to Basel)

I have followed your post's for a few years on the Celebrity's boards. These boards/treads are a little different because of the smaller ships.

Have a great trip!!!

 

Hi Larry:) nice to see you as well:D...oh so you are stepping outside

the box too;)....hope you have a great trip too!!!

[Lois R]

Lois, I think I remember you on the Alaska boards years ago. Lol. I remember because you think of good questions and I just copied down the answers. Anyways just like in Alaska it might be wet and chilly. I actually still own the gortex jacket I bought for Alaska. I always pack it just in case. Also I believe on the Alaska boards they recommend scotch waterproof spray for your shoes.

 

Hi:)....funny, I just went back to Alaska in May......it had been

6 years since I was there.....it was awesome:D....we got soooo

lucky (weatherwise)......it was sunny EVERYDAY!.....and in the 50's

and 60s during the day....it drizzled once in Ketchikan.....other than

that? Just spectaculor weather!

 

I don't own any Gortex products and as for shoes? I didn't spray

any of them...LOL.......I wore regular "KEDS" during the day and

they worked just fine for my excursions;)...on the ship? I normally

wore a mule (closed toe, open back) like a clog but lighter in weight.

[Ine]

Some reactions on other postings.

Weather is very unstable beginning of April. You might have some sunny days, but most likely it still will be very chilly/rather cold. Rain of course is also very likely.Details of weather in the past: http://www.wunderground.com/

So bring shirts etc. you can wear in layers, also bring an umbrella.

It is too early to tell how the flowers will be blooming that time of the year. So much depends how winter will be/was. In general the best time is the 2nd part of April/beginning of May.

But yes we have had some winters that flowers bloomed earlier, but also a few times flowers bloomed much later.

In any case in Keukenhof they have glasshouses where you certainly will see many flowers blooming.

 

And no, there are no trains from London to Amsterdam, you will have to change en route, probably Brussels.

From the Amsterdam Schiphol airport to your hotel you might use a frequent train to Amsterdam Centraal and from there maybe tram, walk or bus. http://www.ns.nl/en/travellers/home

Depending on what hotel you will be staying, this shuttle is also an option:http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/ToFromSchiphol.htm

Or use the populair Tinkercab, they serve only to and from the airport: https://tinker.travel/en/

Regular cab from the airport might cost you around E. 50,- or more.

Riverboats dock in the vicinity of Centraal Station, too early to tell where exactly.

If you need more information, let me know.

 

Have a great time in Amsterdam.

[Lois R]

Hi Ine, thanks for the help...on here and over on the Europe forum too:)

[Lois R]

I was just reading on the AMA website all about the company and

on the Press Release portion it says they have 2 new ships coming out

in 2016.....I knew one of them was the ship I am sailing but I didn't

know this.....I am on the MAIDEN VOYAGE:D:eek:.....I have never sailed

a Maiden Voyage......I emailed my TA to see if she thinks everything

will be "up to snuf";).....so, my first River Cruise is a Maiden Voyage!

Pretty exciting:)......oh the website also says the first cruise is April 6th

but I just booked and it is the date of April 7th.......wonder if the

PR/Marketing people made an error:confused:

[DrivesLikeMario]

I guess because I just booked the cruise I felt like I had to book

the flights right now but after giving all this some thought I am going

to wait a bit......it is now August 1st.....lets see what happens as

the rest of the summer goes by and we get into fall. Who knows,

maybe I will be surprised and prices will drop a bit;)....it is still 8

months away from the cruise.

 

Prices are expected to drop in a month or so when the government starts investigating the Big Four and the recent allegations of price gouging. You might do better to wait a little while. ;)

[Lois R]

Prices are expected to drop in a month or so when the government starts investigating the Big Four and the recent allegations of price gouging. You might do better to wait a little while. ;)

 

I am going to wait:)

[Host Jazzbeau]

oh the website also says the first cruise is April 6th but I just booked and it is the date of April 7th.......wonder if the PR/Marketing people made an error:confused:

 

April 6 is the date of this cruise in the first column (labeled Depart USA/Canada). April 7 is listed in the middle column (labeled Embark Ship). It's confusing, and some people have complained that it makes it seem that the cruise is longer than it really is -- but it is clearly shown as 8 days (7 nights) and the Detailed Itinerary shows Day 1 as the day you arrive in Amsterdam. I think they want to make sure you don't mistakenly buy airfare for April 7, which would miss the cruise.

 

Most people (including me) would advise that you depart one or more days before April 6, so that if there are flight delays you won't miss the cruise. There's lots to do in Amsterdam.

Edited August 3, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[Lois R]

April 6 is the date of this cruise in the first column (labeled Depart USA/Canada). April 7 is listed in the middle column (labeled Embark Ship). It's confusing, and some people have complained that it makes it seem that the cruise is longer than it really is -- but it is clearly shown as 8 days (7 nights) and the Detailed Itinerary shows Day 1 as the day you arrive in Amsterdam. I think they want to make sure you don't mistakenly buy airfare for April 7, which would miss the cruise.

 

Most people (including me) would advise that you depart one or more days before April 6, so that if there are flight delays you won't miss the cruise. There's lots to do in Amsterdam.

 

I am definitely booking my flight for April 5th in order to arrive on

April 6th.:)........Oh, I saw that part on the columns.....I am

actually talking about the Press Release I read on their site too.

It said the Maiden Voyage of AMA Stella is April 6th.....now that

is misleading......(to me anyway).......

Edited August 3, 2015 by Lois R