River cruising shore excursions/schedules

[50_state_tour_momma]

We are taking Viking on the Danube from Prague to Budapest for the Christmas markets this December. This is our first river cruise, although we have taken a number of ocean cruises. I don't understand the schedules and inclusions at the ports. I haven't gotten any specific on arrival/depart times or about the shore excursion offerings. Is this common for river cruising? How do I know if I want to book something separately ahead of time if I don't know what is offered? For example, I have heard that there is an optional offered by many lines in Vienna that is a little concert, but I have no details to figure out if planning on that versus doing our own reservations is a better plan. Likewise, what time do we get into Budapest (last port)? As a controlling type, this is making me kind of crazy. Suggestions?

[Host Jazzbeau]

Welcome to the River Cruising Forum! It's too late for the #1 suggestion, which is to ask these questions before you book. So, to fill you in: the Danube has suffered from a lack of water all summer which has thrown many of the river cruises dramatically off-schedule. What will the water levels be like for the Christmas cruises?--only God knows. But even in the best of times, river currents and lock schedules make it impossible for any cruise line to publish docking schedules like you are used to on ocean cruises. Since this is your first river cruise, my advice is to stifle your control gene and decide to go with the flow. Viking will do their best to take care of you, and if you go with an open mind and take advantage of all that they offer you will have a great time [without needing to do the advance planning that will only be frustrating anyway].

[Hydrokitty]

do

We are taking Viking on the Danube from Prague to Budapest for the Christmas markets this December. This is our first river cruise, although we have taken a number of ocean cruises. I don't understand the schedules and inclusions at the ports. I haven't gotten any specific on arrival/depart times or about the shore excursion offerings. Is this common for river cruising? How do I know if I want to book something separately ahead of time if I don't know what is offered? For example, I have heard that there is an optional offered by many lines in Vienna that is a little concert, but I have no details to figure out if planning on that versus doing our own reservations is a better plan. Likewise, what time do we get into Budapest (last port)? As a controlling type, this is making me kind of crazy. Suggestions?

 

As one control freak to another, let it go!!! :D I've done 8 river cruises and believe me when I tell you that port schedules are not released ahead of time because there are too many variables on the river to change arrival times, like locks for instance. Every night after dinner you will get a daily schedule which will say what time you will reach port and what time you will depart. Where you dock is up to the port/harbor master who will assign the dock when the ship is close to port. You should be able to look up your trip on Viking and find out what optional excursions are available in each port. There's usually only 1 or 2 to choose from since you usually don't stay over-night. As for the concert in Vienna it's usually a private concert, (ours was at the Kursalon and it was wonderful) so if you elect not to go with your Viking group, in all probability you will not be able to buy tickets on your own. Usually because the docks in Vienna are quite a ways from the City Square there will be a shuttle back and forth. I haven't done any winter trips so I'm not 100% sure on what is available. My feeling is anything that involves a ticket is probably cheaper to do with a group than on your own, but that's just me. Ships will be arriving in Budapest at all different times usually we would arrive in Budapest in the afternoon and spend 2 nights there so we would have 1 full day of sightseeing and then disembark the next morning any where from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. One thing I can tell you about Budapest...make sure you are up on deck bundled up of course, with your camera once it starts getting dark. Budapest lit up for the night is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen and at Christmas it must be even better. :D

[xpcdoojk]

Agree with Hydrokitty completely.

 

River cruising does not lend itself well to doing your own excursions in ports unlike ocean cruises. The cruise line will include tours (or optional tours sometimes for extra cost) that will cover the highlights. However, the best plan is to do a pre cruise stay and then you can book your own guides or do whatever you want. Same post cruise.

 

On my cruise last year, we did a few days on our own in Bucharest before the cruise, toured several things. Then post cruise, we had a guide for the first full day in Budapest, where we lived off his advice the remaining 3 days there, then we took the train to Vienna for 3 more nights on our own.

 

We leave in 2 weeks for our second river cruise (in fact we will be killing the day in Chicago in two weeks waiting for our over night flight). We will spend a couple of days in Prague on our own, then after the cruise, we will rent a car in Metz after the cruise, and drive for 3 nights to Verdun, the Loire Valley and end up in Versailles, where we will ditch the car, and take the train into Paris for a final few days before flying home.

 

I spend zero time planning the time while we are on the river cruise itself. I spend all of my time planning every detail of the pre and post time when we are on our own.

 

I believe for this type of vacation that is the best plan.

 

jc

[twinkletoes4445]

We are taking Viking on the Danube from Prague to Budapest for the Christmas markets this December. This is our first river cruise, although we have taken a number of ocean cruises. I don't understand the schedules and inclusions at the ports. I haven't gotten any specific on arrival/depart times or about the shore excursion offerings. Is this common for river cruising? How do I know if I want to book something separately ahead of time if I don't know what is offered? For example, I have heard that there is an optional offered by many lines in Vienna that is a little concert, but I have no details to figure out if planning on that versus doing our own reservations is a better plan. Likewise, what time do we get into Budapest (last port)? As a controlling type, this is making me kind of crazy. Suggestions?

 

Like the above posters said, it's hard to say what your arrival times and even docking locations will be. River cruising is so different than ocean cruising, but we are now totally hooked on river cruising. One thing we did was hire a private guide for Prague (set up by the Uniworld rep in the hotel), Salzburg, Vienna, and Budapest, but we did not do that until we were on the boat. Our concierge set those up for us. It was pricey, but worth every penny (for us). I had a knee issues going on on that cruise, and it worked better for us to do our own thing. On our next cruise we are not doing private guides, other than maybe Paris, the rest of our stops we are going with the included tours.

 

We also did the Prague to Budapest cruise and we loved it. I can only imagine how magical it will be during Christmas! I would love to do that one in the future...

 

Edited to add: I used to come up with minute-by-minute plans for our vacations. I would hand everyone in our family a color-coded itinerary with everything planned! So I understand your concern. :) But it is really nice to not think about much of anything. They will take care of you and if you want to do more or branch out more, ask the concierge for suggestions and assistance.

Edited October 13, 2015 by twinkletoes4445

[jklc123]

I agree with all if the advice above. I do research each port in case there is free time after the included tours (there often at least an hour or more, depending on the ship schedule), so I have a feel of the place and additional sights we'd like to explore, or what we'd like to do on our own; sometimes we've started with the included tour and then let our guide know we're going off on our own, which isn't a problem. Some of the ports are so small that a pre-booked guide isn't necessary. The ship staff will provide you with a map of each port, with the docking spot clearly marked.

 

Bon voyage!

[JVilleGal]

Have you gone onto the Viking Website and set up your "booked passenger" account. While I don't cruise Viking and can't tell you what you will find.... Here is what I believe you will find. Once logged into your Acct you should be able to find Excursions "normally" offered if yours aren't book able yet. Yes to the Vienna evening concert, All the Cruiseline do that one. All the excursion info SHOULD be online once you are logged on. The actual booking of those excursions may not be available until 60, 45, or maybe even 30 days before sailing.

 

A prior Viking cruiser may be able to jump in here and tell you this. All your excursions will also be available once on board. Unlike Ocean cruising these for the most part do NOT sell out.

 

As to knowing times in port, exact times are hard to judge but in reading the itinerary you will know whether you will wake up in a port or set sail for another port "after lunch onboard " read the published itinerary closely.

There is ALMOST no way to arrange tours on your own, sorry just the nature of river cruising. The leisurely stroll into town from the boat in most ports is a fantasy. You need to be bussed to town and you are docked mostly in a location that getting a cab will not happen. Having an hour or two on your own is at best (sometimes maybe) is all you will get, if that .

Right now everything depends on the water levels and normal docking places are not always available because of this.

Edited October 13, 2015 by JVilleGal

[CPT Trips]

SNIP.

The leisurely stroll into town from the boat in most ports is a fantasy. You need to be bussed to town and you are docked mostly in a location that getting a cab will not happen. Having an hour or two on your own is at best (sometimes maybe) is all you will get, if that .

Right now everything depends on the water levels and normal docking places are not always available because of this.

 

Maybe we have been lucky and live in Fantasyland." The vast majority of the cities we visited on GCT river cruises involved either relatively short walks or an easy tram ride to the "sights" or the town center. Nuremberg and Vienna are exceptions that come to mind.

 

That isn't say that charter buses were not used to sights in some cities, primarily because they were up a hill and/or a fairly long walk. Excursions out of the town where we docked of course involved busing.

Edited October 13, 2015 by CPT Trips

[Hoyaheel]

Maybe we have been lucky and live in Fantasyland." The vast majority of the cities we visited on GCT river cruises involved either relatively short walks or an easy tram ride to the "sights" or the town center. Nuremberg and Vienna are exceptions that come to mind.

 

That isn't say that charter buses were not used to sights in some cities, primarily because they were up a hill and/or a fairly long walk. Excursions out of the town where we docked of course involved busing.

 

It really depends on each cruise and where the Captain is instructed to dock each time. Sometimes plans change at the last minute and even when you think you'll be in a walk-off into town dock, you're not. So you can plan and plan and...still need to be flexible about what the reality will be on the day you actually dock.

 

I think our cruise (Avalon, NUE to BSL) was about 50/50 on able to walk vs needing other transport....

Edited October 13, 2015 by Hoyaheel

[JVilleGal]

There would have been some very very very long walks... No strolls!

[CPT Trips]

Sorry, didn't have a Fitbit. Didn't seem long . . ., I guess our Captains made the port authorities unrefusable offers. ;)

[JVilleGal]

I did!!

[Hydrokitty]

There would have been some very very very long walks... No strolls!

 

It really does just depend on where you're docked. For instance in Vienna the river is too far from the main square to walk, unless you're an avid walker, which most of us seniors aren't at least not any more. But other ports like Passau, Budapest, Bratislava, Speyer and Cologne, we were able to get on and off the boat as we pleased being mindful only of the time we had to be back on board.

[twinkletoes4445]

There would have been some very very very long walks... No strolls!

 

I think the only place I would consider a stroll was Passau. It was still a bit of a hike, but it was so pretty there along the Danube.

[Hydrokitty]

I think the only place I would consider a stroll was Passau. It was still a bit of a hike, but it was so pretty there along the Danube.

 

It was one of my favorite stops too. I enjoyed just sitting on the park bench watching the rivers go by... also the organ concert at St. Stephen's, although they did arrange a taxi for me to the cathedral and I walked back. In Regensburg they had a little train/trolley that ran back and forth every 15 min. or so. It wasn't far, but it was steep.

[twinkletoes4445]

It was one of my favorite stops too. I enjoyed just sitting on the park bench watching the rivers go by... also the organ concert at St. Stephen's, although they did arrange a taxi for me to the cathedral and I walked back. In Regensburg they had a little train/trolley that ran back and forth every 15 min. or so. It wasn't far, but it was steep.

 

It was very pleasant n Passau. We just walked the area. But we weren't part of the walking tour. We just did our own thing there. We walked around and then stopped and had lunch at Blauer Bock. One of the shopkeepers recommended it. I could have sat there all day and watched people and the boats going up and down the Danube. It was good food and a lovely view.

 

We've not been to Regensburg but would love to visit there one day. The train/trolley sounds convenient. There are a lot of steep roads in the places with visited ... and most seemed to be cobblestone, which was a bit tricky to navigate. At least for us.

 

I hope one day we return to that area. It was our favorite so far (of our vacations).

[50_state_tour_momma]

Thank you so much for the information. My blood pressure went down (although the comment about low water levels now has my attention, thanks, JazzBeau) and I am working hard to get my need for control under control. I am going to chill-ax. I am really looking forward to the trip and all the details you provided on the general flow of the trip and your knowledge as helped alot. As usual, Cruise Critic comes through. Thanks to all.

[twinkletoes4445]

Thank you so much for the information. My blood pressure went down (although the comment about low water levels now has my attention, thanks, JazzBeau) and I am working hard to get my need for control under control. I am going to chill-ax. I am really looking forward to the trip and all the details you provided on the general flow of the trip and your knowledge as helped alot. As usual, Cruise Critic comes through. Thanks to all.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!