Considering River Cruising...

[GLOCKer]

My wife and I have been interested in visiting locations in Europe such as Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. I've never been on a river cruise, but the idea seems attractive to me. So far my wife and I have done two Caribbean cruises and a Northern Baltic cruise; all with Royal Caribbean. We know this style of cruising would be very different.

 

My first concern would be the age group the cruises are aimed at. Are these cruises geared towards older retired people or would we "fit in"? I'm 35 and my wife is 43. We aren't crazy partiers or anything. And for us this kind of cruise is all about the destination and not the ship. But I'm concerned about how boring the ship may be during the evenings.

 

Also, are the tours included in the cost of the cruises on most of the lines? If you participate in tours, is there time to do both some guided touring and some exploring on your own?

 

Any other tips or information to consider? How do the river cruises compare to train tours?

Edited October 18, 2015 by GLOCKer

[caviargal]

I suggest you start by reading the "Stickys" at the top of this forum to give you a general overview of both the lines and river cruising in general.

 

We have been on many ocean cruises and ten river cruises so far. We took our first when I was barely 50. We are both very active and I in particular bore easily.

 

I would choose my itinerary very carefully. Look for extended times in port and some overnight stays. Entertainment after dinner is quite limited and we enjoy being able to walk into town in the evenings and enjoy some local wine bars, pubs, street parties, etc.

 

We have found AMA to have the most diverse and enjoyable entertainment in the evenings. Their theme cruises are a lot of fun (we like their wine cruises) and we meet lots of like minded guests on those sailings. Also, IMO and IME the demographic has skewed younger on those and the Christmas market sailings.

 

For evenings off the ship, we enjoyed our Rhone cruise with AMA (great onboard evenings several times as well as an enthusiastic staff and crew).

 

I personally do not care for a lot of daytime sailing and really prefer lots of time to enjoy the destinations, particularly overnight stays.

[GLOCKer]

caviargal

 

Thank you! You actually gave me some information I never considered. I assumed that the river cruises work like the other cruises I've been on. You do your destination during the day, then get on the ship for dinner as it sets sail for the next port. I like the idea of getting back off the ship after dinner for a little bit of night life exploring.

[Talisker92]

If you look at the top of this topic there is a sticky called new to river cruising. It will answer a lot of your questions

Edited October 18, 2015 by Talisker92

[GLOCKer]

If you look at the top of this topic there is a sticky called new to river cruising. It will answer a lot of your questions

 

Thank you, I didn't see that. But I was hoping for more of an insider's view and not the broad strokes.

[Hoyaheel]

My husband and I did a river cruise in December. I was 41 and husband 46. My husband loved the cruise (I did not, but my reasons have nothing to do with that fact river cruises tend to be populated by people our parents' age - in fact, we traveled with our parents). I don't cruise (river or ocean) for the entertainment on a ship, so I've never cared about shows or music or nightclubs. Pick your travel options (cruise or anything else) based on what your top priorities are, not on the age of your fellow travelers. We actually did have a variety of ages on our cruise - family trips, presumably due to the time of year?

 

I see so many questions related to "age" - I have to assume it's a proxy for other things (entertainment, accessibility, comfort in walking tours?)- because are we all SO narrowminded that we must travel with people exactly like us?

[notamermaid]

Hello GLOCKer,

 

good point from caviargal as regards the daytime - nighttime cruising. Your interests point to the typical Danube cruise: you start with Prague with possibly a pre-cruise stay in the town then make your way to (usually Nuremberg or close to there) by coach and start your cruise. You end in Budapest with a possible post-cruise stay. Or vice versa, of course. Several companies do very similar itineraries on the Danube.

 

I agree with caviargal that looking at a theme cruise might give you more entertainment options. Also, you are likely to meet like-minded people on a themed cruise when - if you have lots to talk about - the evening is spent talking. Which can be very entertaining. :)

 

From what I have gathered over the last two years here on CC, Viking appears to have the highest age average of their cruisers. Yes, you will be much younger than average with most companies. But for example on my cruise there was a couple that was around thirty and two others around fourty.

 

In Budapest companies often do an evening tour to see Budapest lit up at night. Just fabulous!

 

Season is a major factor for some people when deciding on their cruise.

 

Compare the companies carefully and perhaps get help from a good agent. I have read here that people have made spreadsheets to help them in the planning. You might like to get paper copies rather than just online brochures.

 

N.B.: 1. The glossy pictures do not tell the full story. :(

 

2. River cruising can become addictive. :D

 

River cruising I would consider to be quite different from a train tour through a company / an operator. However, so far I have only done train journeys that I have planned on my own. Train travel in Europe is easily organized and in First Class very enjoyable. Yet, you carry your luggage around with you, on the ship, well, the ship sails it along. ;)

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

[Hydrokitty]

Hello GLOCKer,

 

good point from caviargal as regards the daytime - nighttime cruising. Your interests point to the typical Danube cruise: you start with Prague with possibly a pre-cruise stay in the town then make your way to (usually Nuremberg or close to there) by coach and start your cruise. You end in Budapest with a possible post-cruise stay. Or vice versa, of course. Several companies do very similar itineraries on the Danube.

 

I agree with caviargal that looking at a theme cruise might give you more entertainment options. Also, you are likely to meet like-minded people on a themed cruise when - if you have lots to talk about - the evening is spent talking. Which can be very entertaining. :)

 

From what I have gathered over the last two years here on CC, Viking appears to have the highest age average of their cruisers. Yes, you will be much younger than average with most companies. But for example on my cruise there was a couple that was around thirty and two others around fourty.

 

In Budapest companies often do an evening tour to see Budapest lit up at night. Just fabulous!

 

Season is a major factor for some people when deciding on their cruise.

 

Compare the companies carefully and perhaps get help from a good agent. I have read here that people have made spreadsheets to help them in the planning. You might like to get paper copies rather than just online brochures.

 

N.B.: 1. The glossy pictures do not tell the full story. :(

 

2. River cruising can become addictive. :D

 

River cruising I would consider to be quite different from a train tour through a company / an operator. However, so far I have only done train journeys that I have planned on my own. Train travel in Europe is easily organized and in First Class very enjoyable. Yet, you carry your luggage around with you, on the ship, well, the ship sails it along. ;)

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

Welcome to CC GLOCKer...notamermaid has covered all the bases!! We've done 8 river cruises on Vantage and loved them all. I do agree Castles on the Rhine/Danube is a marvelous first cruise. As to the ages, I think there are a few reasons most of the passengers are retired people: We have both the money and the time and most of us are interested in history, scenery and moderate to low impact activity. There is little evening entertainment and what there is will not in any way compare to ocean cruise entertainment..but a themed cruise will give you a chance to meet people with at least one shared interest....and remember age is a state of mind!

 

Note to Notamermaid: could I contact you privately? I am currently looking at a brochure from Great Train Trips in Europe and would like some of your input. I can be reached at Chydro564@yahoo.com. Thank you.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Welcome to the River Cruising forum! One part of the newbie sticky is a pdf:

http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

which discusses each cruise line and compares them to ocean cruise lines and hotels. This comparison is hard to get from the first-hand experience here, since only a few cruisers have sampled several lines -- most of us liked our first river cruise and just stayed with that cruise line. At first glance it may seem that all the cruise lines are pretty much alike, but there are real differences in both inclusiveness and quality, and the prices don't vary as much as it first appears because the more expensive lines include more things that cost extra on the "cheaper" lines. Also there are real sales from time to time [not the fake constant "2 for 1" sale] that can bring a supposedly expensive line right into your budget.

[Got2Cruise]

Hi Glocker,

One thing about River Cruising. . .once you unpack that's it! So, to me that's a big plus concerning train travel. . .that and the fact that everything is planned for you, no logistics problem.

 

The cities you mentioned would be a Danube cruise. . .You can stay extra in the beginning and ending cities to do more individual exploring on your own. No need to book the cruise line extensions.

 

The nights are usually not boring. . .because usually your are so tired from waking up early to be out the door by 8:30 a.m. and then by drinking the never ending wine at dinner. :-)

 

If you are interested in bicycling, both AMA and Uniworld carry bicycles on the ship. Talking from folks from different walks of life from different cities or countries than your own makes it an interesting experience also.

 

Traveling in the summer you will have families with their college age children, and teachers traveling. Also Aussies on vacation travel during our summer months. . .

[English Tim]

Welcome to the River Cruising forum! One part of the newbie sticky is a pdf:

http://pdf.cruisecritic.com/travel-guide/UltimateGuidetoRiverCruising.pdf?et_cid=1262487&et_rid=99616845

which discusses each cruise line and compares them to ocean cruise lines and hotels. This comparison is hard to get from the first-hand experience here, since only a few cruisers have sampled several lines -- most of us liked our first river cruise and just stayed with that cruise line. /QUOTE]

 

You make a very good point about most cruisers sticking to their first cruise line.

 

Initially we went with Carnival, then Princess, now several others and while they have all been excellent experiences, they have been different in many ways. By diversifying, one gets to find what suits one best.

[GLOCKer]

Thanks for the great replies everybody. The age thing doesn't bother me in the least, and the thought of hanging out in the evening chatting with new people over beverages sounds perfect. My fear would be if everybody packs it in very early and my wife and were to find ourselves just sitting on deck bored. :)

[papa B me]

Thanks for the great replies everybody. The age thing doesn't bother me in the least, and the thought of hanging out in the evening chatting with new people over beverages sounds perfect. My fear would be if everybody packs it in very early and my wife and were to find ourselves just sitting on deck bored. :)

 

We took our first river cruise last July 2014 at the age of 50 with Uniworld on the SS Antoinette for the Castles on the Rhine. Glad we chose this itinerary as our first river cruise. We were on the younger end of the demographic although there was a honeymoon couple in their 30's and maybe another couple in their 40's. Age was never an issue as it was a great group of people.

 

The first night about 6 of us stayed in the lounge for the piano/singer/dancing. The second day a few couples asked us if we were going to be there that night. So went from about 6 to about 12 the next night. By the end of the week there were probably about 30 or more each night till about 11:00. I think midnight was the latest night but paid the price the next morning as the itinerary really does wear you out.

 

If you are not expecting a party atmosphere, casinos, or shows each evening then river cruising is a wonderful experience to get the most out of the excursions and not have to pack and unpack every few days.

 

We are leaving on our next river cruise with Uniworld on the Danube in 5 weeks and have one scheduled for Venice Italy next September.

 

When looking at river cruise lines I would certainly look at the ones who have more active itineraries with bikes, hikes, kayaking, etc...I know you will find that with Uniworld but I believe you would also find them with AMA, Scenic, and Tauck.

 

Have a great time researching and planning.

[jpalbny]

GLOCKer, this is a complicated question. We're in your wife's decade and while we enjoy river cruises, we also like to do independent, self-guided trips. You can probably see and do a lot more on your own if you're comfortable doing that. We enjoy river cruising when we're in the mood for a trip where we don't have to plan everything, and we want to relax and have many of the details taken care of for us. Or, we combine time on our own in the embarkation / disembarkation city / cities, with more structured time on the boat.

 

As others have posted, you'll have more options on trips with late-night departures and/or overnight stays in port. When we river cruise, we enjoy having time to do our own thing in towns, and we take advantage of that when we can. Sometimes we do leave the ship's tours partway through if we want to move faster (tell the guide). Sometimes we don't mind the slower pace. Go with whatever you want; river cruising is casual enough to allow you that flexibility.

 

Though we probably should do this more, we don't tend to eat meals off the ship, because we find that the onboard meals do reflect local cuisine to an extent, and we find them enjoyable. We may also be too cheap to turn down included food and wine, but that's another story... :rolleyes:

 

We've found sufficient entertainment to keep us happy - but we also spend some evening time off the ship, or relaxing in our cabin playing on the internet. Entertainment certainly is low-key and if you're not fond of a keyboardist with a vocalist, some impromptu dancing, and drinking wine there aren't many other options! Read a book, plan your next day of touring, or get an early night so that you're awake early for touring.

 

Let me also agree with many others who don't let the age of their fellow travelers concern them. On our last Rhone cruise we befriended a couple who were 70 and 80, and we ate dinner with them every night. Many older people are plenty active, and most are well-traveled. Even if you run off on your own all day, it's still fun to meet a bunch of well-traveled people. If nothing else you get great ideas for your next dozen trips!

Edited October 19, 2015 by jpalbny

[Host Jazzbeau]

Judging by the comments about the entertainment on other river cruise lines, it appears that AMA has more varied entertainment than most. One both our cruises there was a resident piano player/singer, but in addition local entertainment was brought on board for a majority of the evenings. Not ocean-cruise type production shows, but a classical trio or a chanteuse or a pop group -- a varied selection on each cruise, and adding a little more local color.

[Hydrokitty]

Judging by the comments about the entertainment on other river cruise lines, it appears that AMA has more varied entertainment than most. One both our cruises there was a resident piano player/singer, but in addition local entertainment was brought on board for a majority of the evenings. Not ocean-cruise type production shows, but a classical trio or a chanteuse or a pop group -- a varied selection on each cruise, and adding a little more local color.

 

This is pretty much what we had on Vantage too except no more live piano player, now there's a free juke box...but we did have local dance groups and musicians perform..we enjoyed it too, it gives a taste of what local entertainment is like as opposed to the professionals on the ocean trips...but it was really nice to be able to talk to them after they finished performing.

[caviargal]

GLOCKer, this is a complicated question. We're in your wife's decade and while we enjoy river cruises, we also like to do independent, self-guided trips. You can probably see and do a lot more on your own if you're comfortable doing that. We enjoy river cruising when we're in the mood for a trip where we don't have to plan everything, and we want to relax and have many of the details taken care of for us. Or, we combine time on our own in the embarkation / disembarkation city / cities, with more structured time on the boat.

 

 

I completely agree. We enjoy independent land trips and rely on the mostly excellent public transport to get around. We tend to travel for two weeks at a time (I cannot bear to leave our pup for longer) and choose to base for 3-4 nights in one location, doing day trips as we please. It is really our first choice for travel in Europe.

 

For us, we choose river cruising when we include my mom in our trips as independent travel with her has become too stressful for her as well as for us. We also will sometimes choose a cruise for a theme we enjoy, such as the excellent wine cruises AMA offers. Those have been some of our best river cruises so far. On occasion we don't want to expend the extra effort involved in an independent land trip and will opt for a week on the river instead. I am not good at relaxing though and cannot imagine a river cruise longer than a week.

Edited October 19, 2015 by caviargal

[Got2Cruise]

Judging by the comments about the entertainment on other river cruise lines, it appears that AMA has more varied entertainment than most. One both our cruises there was a resident piano player/singer, but in addition local entertainment was brought on board for a majority of the evenings. Not ocean-cruise type production shows, but a classical trio or a chanteuse or a pop group -- a varied selection on each cruise, and adding a little more local color.

 

 

Avalon offers that also but sitting quietly is passive. We like to chat. Lol.

[Hydrokitty]

Avalon offers that also but sitting quietly is passive. We like to chat. Lol.

 

We do too and we've made some permanent friends, unfortunately all but one from the West Coast....but you do get more opportunity to get to know people on a river cruise. :D

[Host Jazzbeau]

Avalon offers that also but sitting quietly is passive. We like to chat. Lol.

 

It's not either/or. The performance is fairly short, and the bar stays open long after ;) I just meant to give OP the perspective that chatting in the lounge isn't the only evening activity available.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[papa B me]

It's not either/or. The performance is fairly short, and the bar stays open long after ;) I just meant to give OP the perspective that chatting in the lounge isn't the only evening activity available.

 

I think our experience on Uniworld was similar as well. Many of the nights they did bring local entertainment on board but it was normally fairly early after dinner and short. We were often walking or bike riding off the ship until dark which was close to 10 pm in July and so often missed the local entertainment as we arrived in the lounge either after it was over or towards the end. At this point the singer and piano player would begin and continue until the last person left(usually our small group that had formed).

 

Our next cruise is in 5 weeks and it will be dark by 4:30-5:00 and will most likely be cold so I think we will get a better feel for the entertainment Uniworld brings on board and will report back.

[Hoyaheel]

Don't forget there's usually an aft lounge as well - on Avalon it's where the coffee & pastries are. After dinner, we went there for a decaf cappuccino (or still drinking wine from dinner) and to chat, away from music. Often people playing cards there, talking with each other, or reading.

[Hydrokitty]

The evening performances generally last between 60-90 minutes and begin around 9 p.m.....after it's over the majority of people head to their cabins...leaving the lounge available for quiet conversation and drinks. On Vantage I've been told the bar stays open until the last person leaves, but I've never been there that late so I don't really know. :D

[caviargal]

Don't forget there's usually an aft lounge as well

 

The aft lounge - The Leopard Bar - was our favorite spot on our recent Uniworld cruise. We would have enjoyed enjoying the outdoor seating more often it it were not for the smokers that congregated there. :cool:

 

Luckily The Leopard Bar was a real bar with indoor seating as well as outdoor. The bartender there remembered us from an Avalon cruise about 6 years prior. We enjoyed chatting with her over an after dinner drink.

Edited October 20, 2015 by caviargal

[Hydrokitty]

The aft lounge - The Leopard Bar - was our favorite spot on our recent Uniworld cruise. We would have enjoyed enjoying the outdoor seating more often it it were not for the smokers that congregated there. :cool:

 

 

Was there nothing you could do about that? That's awful that you couldn't enjoy it because of smokers and I'm surprised that Uniworld allowed it.