The ever increasing popularity of river cruising

[Coral]

16 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Let us hop over the language devide and have a brief look at the German river cruising market, the company 1AVista Reisen: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/river-cruise-news/21531-1avista-expands-in-german-market.html

 

If you speak passable German and would finally like to bring your dog along on a cruise, this is the line for you.

 

notamermaid

 

That is so cool (about the dogs). When my Mom was alive, she had a Seeing Eye dog (well, technically 2, not at the same time). She had some other disabilities and would often only do half the port days. I would then take the dog off the ship on the days she stayed in the cabin. I have pictures of the dog all over North American ports. Her 2 dogs were very well traveled dogs. They loved to travel. They also liked being the only dog on the ship and everyone wanting to pet them when they were not working. They thought everyone came on the ship because of them.

 

I wish I spoke German!

Edited October 23, 2019 by Coral

[notamermaid]

AmaWaterways will have a new ship, the AmaSiena, and the godmother has been chosen: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/world-travel-holdings-fiorino-is-godmother-of-amasiena/

 

The company is also offering a cruise for those with special dietary needs: https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Insights/AmaWaterways-to-host-a-gluten-free-river-cruise

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Let us cross the channel and have a look at how a British tour operator is making the headlines this week. Saga has announced its first new-built on the river, she will be called Spirit of the Rhine. This is the press release in one version: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/featured/saga-orders-newbuild-river-cruise-ship/

 

And cruise critic in the UK has covered the news like this: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/4713/

 

The info is, well, the usual marketing stuff, but the photos (renderings) on Saga's own website do look nice. The info I am missing is - size! How big will the ship be? Could not find the overall measurements anywhere. Perhaps when the cabins (their size is mentioned) go on sale in December - yes, this year already for 2021 - we will know more.

 

notamermaid

 

[xmaser]

Unfortunately, the beds do NOT face the windows.

[notamermaid]

News from CroisiEurope: While the ship is not new, the route in Italy is. In 2020 the company will offer a trip from Venice to Mantua through the canal for the first time: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/river-cruise-news/21542-new-waterways-for-croisieurope.html

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

News from CroisiEurope: While the ship is not new, the route in Italy is. In 2020 the company will offer a trip from Venice to Mantua through the canal for the first time: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/river-cruise-news/21542-new-waterways-for-croisieurope.html

 

notamermaid

 

 I like this quote from CroisiEurope's NA general manager:

With a river cruise boom in Europe, DaCosta said: “We have basically stopped adding more ships on the Rhine and the Danube, but we have introduced new ships on the Rhone and Douro this year. In addition, we are going to more new rivers and tributaries to the big rivers. We are one of very few companies on the Elbe and the only company on the Loire. We are also going off the Danube on the Tisza into Hungary’s wine region. And we do the Sava river in Croatia. These are rivers that are not that much explored by other ships.”

 

That is a good way to deal with the 'ever increasing popularity of river cruising' and the resultant crowding!

[Canal archive]

If anyone’s is interested we and another couple are hiring a barge on the Canal du Nivernais next year, we are all competent boaters but if anyone is interested in how we get on let me know and I can post a report. CA

[Coral]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

If anyone’s is interested we and another couple are hiring a barge on the Canal du Nivernais next year, we are all competent boaters but if anyone is interested in how we get on let me know and I can post a report. CA

We definitely want a review!

[notamermaid]

On 11/18/2019 at 12:42 PM, Canal archive said:

If anyone’s is interested we and another couple are hiring a barge on the Canal du Nivernais next year, we are all competent boaters but if anyone is interested in how we get on let me know and I can post a report. CA

Please do.

 

notamermaid

 

[G.M.T.]

Maybe some of the over crowded river ports could follow the example set by Amsterdam:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/4812/

 

 

[notamermaid]

40 Percent is a lot. But with the tax being 8 euros per 24 hours per passenger, I mean can these cruise lines not afford 16 euros per passenger (presuming they stay a maximum of 48 hours)? Why not calculate it into the cruise price? Will a passenger notice? A tourism tax is a bone of contention in many places. And Amsterdam needs to start somewhere. Management of ocean cruise and river cruise passengers is easy compared to all others. More problematic I see the mood being shifted against cruisers, enforced by deliberate negative journalism. Fortunately, this targeting is still a minor issue along the Rhine for example. But river cruise companies and towns need to be beware. Cologne will in all likelihood never have a problem with it, but a town like Rüdesheim, although used to mass tourism, could reach tipping point for mood and locals "revolting" in my opinion.

 

Harbour docking fees I already find quite high, an additional tax would not be a good idea I think.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

As for Passau, there I think tipping point has been reached and it is one of the towns where river cruising plays a considerable part in the overall spectrum of tourists. But it is a case of "die Teufel die ich rief werd' ich nicht mehr los"*. The town council and harbour master should be in a position to limit and manage docking. River cruise companies do not force you to allow them to dock. In my opinion, to put it bluntly, prestige, statistics and money are the driving forces behind offering docking spaces.

 

Next up, a British Association has identified another increase in the interest for this type of travelling. (Surprise, surprise (sarcasm)).

 

notamermaid

 

*A well known saying from the "Zauberlehrling" by Goethe

 

[notamermaid]

I mentioned it in my last post. The interest in river cruising among UK citizens is still rising: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/350667/abta-predicts-demand-for-river-cruises-to-grow

 

ABTA is the Association of British Travel Agents.

 

Next let us have a look at some companies eyeing the Anglo-American market - they are coming, ze Germans!

 

notamermaid

 

[G.M.T.]

To paraphrase Fawlty Towers:

 

"Don't mention the cruise"

[kentchris]

Saga's Spirit of the Rhine cruises are now on sale: https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/river/our-ships/spirit-of-the-rhine.aspx

[notamermaid]

Thanks, Chris. I have had a look at the itinerary of the Rhine, standard route Basel to Amsterdam.

 

Thumbs up for the excursion offered to Obernai rather than Riquewihr (Alsatian villages), a slightly better route, albeit as touristy, and thumbs up for the boat trip on Lake Titisee in the Black Forest, really nice idea.

 

I must say the website looks easy to navigate with much info given on the ship. The photos are of course still computer generated.

 

I think this will be a nice, comfortable option for UK river cruisers.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

On 12/9/2019 at 3:16 PM, kentchris said:

Saga's Spirit of the Rhine cruises are now on sale: https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/river/our-ships/spirit-of-the-rhine.aspx

The keel has been laid:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/river-cruise-news/22053-riverboat-spirit-of-the-rhine-keel-laid.html

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

And while we are at it, new ships that is, we know Viking will have new ships on the Seine, but here is the official announcement as printed by cruise industry news: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/river-cruise-news/22058-viking-announces-new-seine-river-ships-for-2020.html

 

Custom-built to navigate the Seine, really? The river Seine is deep, not sure what they need to do there, as far as I know they do not dock in Honfleur (only for 110m ships allowed) and do not sail close to it, which has nothing to do with the ship, but the fact that you need to be allowed to sail the maritime bit of the Seine with an expert of the area on board, is that not what we have learnt recently on another thread? If you know details, anyone, let us know. As far as I know the only problem was sailing into Paris with the 135m ships, the authorities refused to change the rules on safety grounds and kept the maximum at 125m. The new Viking ships are 125m long which means they can finally use the "Eiffeltower parking lot".

 

notamermaid

 

[sharkster77]

@notamermaid, You are correct----the issue with Viking has always been the 135 m longships being forced to dock in Le Pecq, as opposed to Paris proper.  110 m ships (from other companies) have not been exiled to the suburbs.  I believe I read somewhere that there will be two types of Seine cruises:  some using 135 m longships that will continue to dock in Le Pecq, and others using the newer 110 m ships that will dock in Paris center.  I also think I saw on the website that cruises on the newer, shorter ships will also cost more.

[pinotlover]

1. I hate the long ships! I could care less where they have to dock. 

 

2. Uniworld has continued to dock midtown.

 

Size matters in both river and ocean cruises in where ships can dock. 

[notamermaid]

sharkster77,

2 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

I also think I saw on the website that cruises on the newer, shorter ships will also cost more.

I now recall this having been mentioned, I think it was in

Everything Viking France: Normandy, Paris, Provence

 

 

Slight correction, if I may: the new Viking longships for the Seine are 125m.

 

Quote from article mentioned in my post above: "... opening doors around the world at places that may otherwise have been difficult to visit." That may be the case but as regards venturing into places that need innovation, new thinking outside the box and offering rivers that have not been "trodden on" before, first price goes to CroisiEurope.

 

The innovation on the Seine had been to send the Viking Rinda via the ocean to Paris, she was transferred from the Rhine, she was the first 135m river cruise ship on the Seine, it was big news in the area. It did not work out as planned...

 

A-Rosa Cruises (German company) followed with 135m ships that dock in LePecq. They did so despite the Viking problems and do not seem to have a problem with it, i.e. the passengers accept it as a given.

 

54 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

2. Uniworld has continued to dock midtown.

You are of course right. Uniworld led the way and introduced the first purpose-built 125m ship on the Seine.

 

CroisiEurope has been sailing the Seine for many years with their 110m fleet and will continue to do so.

 

1 hour ago, pinotlover said:

Size matters in both river and ocean cruises in where ships can dock. 

Size matters indeed, very much so to CroisiEurope, who public announced in an interview many months ago that they will not upsize to 135m in Europe.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Let's have a quick look at something joyous. Another ship on her way to meet her first passengers. The Andorinha is complete, she is now in Rotterdam awaiting her transfer to the Douro. According to Binnenschifferforum she will be travelling on the Rolldock Sun: https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel/imo/9393981 

 

Travelweek.ca says this about the Tauck Andorinha: https://www.travelweek.ca/news/this-is-what-it-looks-like-onboard-taucks-new-andorinha-riverboat/ 

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

IG RiverCruise looks back at 2019 with good news. Yes, Germans again sailed the rivers more than they had in the previous year. And the organisation also looks ahead to what will be after the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is over. How to re-start cruising in Europe? Most likely scenario is a return of the Germans to the river, i.e. the inland market. One could argue that the French could also restart their own cruises on their rivers again, but in this article at least Germany looks more likely: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/could-europe-river-cruising-restart-homeland-market-data-promising

 

Overall, 19 vessels were to debut in 2020!

 

While we in Germany are not allowed to travel (in groups) until much after Easter - no end date to the restrictions decided as of today - there is hope of a slow return to normal if not in May than in June. There is a surprisingly great number of ways in which us Germans could spend time on inland rivers and canals without having to go to Amsterdam (the port of which is closed) or take an excursion to Strasbourg. The Elbe cruise downstream to Hamburg, or for those with more time the great Northern route from Berlin to the last dock before the Dutch border - or as an alternative "dropping down" South via the canals to the Rhine, or the West to East route from Trier to Nuremberg with possible extension to Passau if so wished. Or indeed the Saar, Moselle, Rhine, Neckar sailings. There is much to discover "at home".

 

But perhaps this is also a chance to promote the "home sailings" to US citizens on the Mississippi and on the Great Lakes.

 

Stay positive, there will be a "time after" in which we can return to exploring other rivers around the world. For now let us make do with the small ponds and streams in our back yard. And perhaps some glorious you tube videos...

 

Stay safe.

 

notamermaid

 

[gnome12]

We were being told last week to expect 12 more weeks of social distancing, which puts us basically to the end of June. I think after that it will take a while to ramp things up again, and large crowd events might be farther into the future.

 

My bike and barge trip has been officially cancelled; my sister and I are in the process of moving our reservation to Sept 2021, with a slightly modified itinerary that was actually our first choice when we booked last year, so we will travelling from Cochem to Metz. We no longer start in Koblenz, but our extra day allows us to ride the rail trail from Daun to Bernkastel-Kues which looks amazing. We will be missing Burg Eltz, but I might want to see if I can schedule it before we start to sail.

Edited April 7, 2020 by gnome12

[pinotlover]

We still have a mid July France River Cruise booked. Any guesses on whether it will go with Uniworld?