Advantages of river cruising

[Oldacura]

I'd like to know from you experts what you think the advantages and disadvantages of seeing Europe via river cruising versus auto and/or rail.

 

My guesses to start:

 

Advantages of river cruising: 1) Unpack & pack only once. 2) You always sleep in the same bed every night. 3) You don't have to seek out breakfast & dinner every day. 4) You don't have to figure out an itinerary - you go where the river goes. 5) Few if any children. 6) Food & accommodations are consistent.

 

Disadvantages: 1) Inflexible - you only see the continent from the river view. 2) If you don't like the room or the food - you're stuck. 3) You could get bumped to a bus if the water is too high or too low. 4) "Rafting"

 

I've never been on a river cruise so these are my expectations. I'm sure that what I consider advantages/disadvantages might be seen in the reverse by others.

 

What else am I missing? What are others opinions?

 

Thanks

[mushroom]

The language barrier is not an issue

[Ritabob]

Do you have the option of extending your vacation time? If you do, then you can augment the 'regimented' river cruise with your own road / rail time to explore further away from the river or to go back and do some in-depth exploring.

We like to travel with an all inclusive cruise company. That way our vacation is paid for in advance and all we need is play money. No need to find the money to pay tips for drivers, guides, crew, etc.

You get what you pay for...check out as many cruise companies as you can to see which is going to be the best fit for you. We don't need a balcony and feel very comfy in a 128 sq ft cabin, but we want good food and interesting activities. To each his own!

RB

[caviargal]

What are pro's and con's to some may be the opposite to others.

 

River cruising is easy. Everything is planned and organized for you; all you have to do is show up.

 

If you want to be social, you will have plenty of opportunities to make new friends. If you don't, you won't have to be.

 

I would not call river cruising "inflexible". We often take off on our own, rather than join an excursion. We'll have lunch in town and I always research everything in advance to determine what may be of interest to us.

 

We come and go as we please, and only are limited by when the boat arrives and departs.

 

We don't feel a need to have every meal on board, or to participate in everything just because it is "included".

 

We are fans of both DIY and river cruising and sometimes combine the two, but not always.

 

I do agree that you get you pay for in a river cruise. We would never be happy in 128 sq ft cabin and our choices reflect our preferences. We like an outside balcony or a French balcony and want spacious and well appointed accommodations. All inclusive or not does not matter to us and we enjoy both, with no preference. We appreciate great service and good food and enjoy options in our excursions as well as dining options. Staff and crew are very important to us.

 

There really is something out there for every taste and budget.

Edited September 14, 2016 by caviargal

[Got2Cruise]

The only major disadvantage is the river might be too high or too low. The other disadvantages are manageable. Such as usually always a chance to eat either lunch or dinner in port. Excursions within driving distance not necessarily at the river. For example Normandy landing beaches for Seine or Salzburg for Danube. Rafting is not a disadvantage but you can go aquarium class, and save $$ and it's a non issue

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

• The itineraries are much less limited than your first impression. Many excursions start with a bus trip to a city or attraction that is not on the river.

• Your chances of feeling "stuck" with food or a bed you don't like will be minimal if you book with one of the top cruise lines, and if you read the reviews and threads here to get an impression of what life on board each line is like.

• While a few people report that they tried river cruising and didn't like it, most are enthusiastic and complain only that they are running out of rivers to cruise!

Edited September 14, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[mimmy52]

Because river ships are much smaller than ocean liners, you meet some friendly, interesting people.

[dabear]

You also can arrange private tours as you can on a land trip, if it interests you.

[cruiseryyc]

Advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

[Shmoo here]

I'd like to know from you experts what you think the advantages and disadvantages of seeing Europe via river cruising versus auto and/or rail.

 

My guesses to start:

 

Advantages of river cruising: 1) Unpack & pack only once. 2) You always sleep in the same bed every night. 3) You don't have to seek out breakfast & dinner every day. 4) You don't have to figure out an itinerary - you go where the river goes. 5) Few if any children. 6) Food & accommodations are consistent.

 

Disadvantages: 1) Inflexible - you only see the continent from the river view. 2) If you don't like the room or the food - you're stuck. 3) You could get bumped to a bus if the water is too high or too low. 4) "Rafting"

 

I've never been on a river cruise so these are my expectations. I'm sure that what I consider advantages/disadvantages might be seen in the reverse by others.

 

What else am I missing? What are others opinions?

 

Thanks

 

Just addressing the "disadvantages":

1) There's still an awful lot to see/do on the river (or not far from it). For a first or second trip in the area, you'll see plenty.

2) If you don't like the food, you talk to the concierge host, who will probably set up a talk with the chef. We had many suggestions made by passengers as to what to prepare on our cruise. Most of which happened.

3) Getting "bumped" to a bus isn't all that bad. And you'll have the chance to see more than "just the river view".

4) Rafting is totally NOT a disadvantage. It's a great way to meet others, and see different ships (as you cross over).

[notamermaid]

Rafting is only a disadvantage if you have mobility issues, in my opinion.

 

River cruises go to "tried and tested places". The companies have looked for ports and excursions and put in them in their itinerary. They know what their customers like. If a part of the itinerary is very unpopular it will be taken out. On your own you can see amazing places but can also experience more disappointment.

 

notamermaid

[caviargal]

Rafting is only a disadvantage if you have mobility issues, in my opinion.

 

 

IMO, it is a disadvantage of rafting to have to look into a cabin or public area instead of enjoying the view from your balcony or French balcony.

[Oldacura]

Thanks for all of the experienced replies. My expectation of problems with rafting are not having to walk through other ships but having forced face-to-face interaction when you're looking for privacy & a view.

 

I agree that advantages/disadvantages are in the eye of the beholder. I also agree (somewhat) that you get what you pay for. However, what is important to one is unnecessary to another.

 

We like nice accommodations, good food, friendly service but I'd rather not think of myself as a snob. What might be a "good value" to us might be unacceptable to another.

 

I do look for a good value in travel. Comparing to travel lodging, we have found that there is little relationship between price and quality. We have stayed some amazing places that weren't all that expensive. Right nearby were similar accommodations that were 3x the price (seemingly justified by the cache).

 

Is there a thread on these forums that would give me a correct expectation of price -vs- amenities of cruise lines? Thanks again.

[Roz]

Rafting - much ado about nothing, to quote the Bard. As was already pointed out, only an issue for the mobility impaired, and assistance is available.

 

Advantages outweigh disadvantages, IMO, and I felt I had a lot of choices on Uniworld. It wasn't rigid at all. Never had the "stuck" feeling. In fact, I was wishing the cruise was longer.

 

Roz

[jpalbny]

Is there a thread on these forums that would give me a correct expectation of price -vs- amenities of cruise lines? Thanks again.

 

Yes, the sticky thread "New to River Cruising - Start Here" contains a link to a .pdf document, which has comparisons between river cruise lines. It offers helpful "equivalent" hotel chains...for example, Uniworld is similar to Relais & Chateau, AMA is like the Four Seasons, etc.

 

Also, look through the many comprehensive trip reports on these boards, and you will get a sense of the style of each cruise line.

 

WRT to advantages and disadvantages, it depends on what type of traveler you are. If you are used to DIY land trips and are comfortable going off on your own, you may find river cruising too regimented and it may crimp your style. OTOH, if you like having everything taken care of for you, and like being guided every step of the way, you will not find this to be a disadvantage at all.

 

Personally, we are very comfortable going off on our own in most of Europe, but we still enjoy river cruising from time to time. We will do it when we are feeling too lazy to plan an entire trip on our own, or we don't want to bother with moving from one hotel to the next every day or two. So we take advantage of the included tours when we want, and go off on our own when we feel like it. A great compromise.

 

Agree with most of the others about rafting. Not a big deal for us personally, as we're usually off the boat for almost the entire time that the ship is docked.

 

River cruising is one of many great ways to travel, IMO. Enjoy, whatever you choose.

[ural guy]

Advantage: Makes multi-generation travel very easy and enjoyable.

 

Very little stress, somebody else is taking care of everything, including dishes.

Grandma doesn't have to miss stories after dinner as she is on clean up duty.

 

Each person can do as they please. I traveled w/ my wife and two daughters in their 20's. Over a 14 day cruise, we probably split up into every combination possible. My oldest daughter and I walk fast, so we might split off. I might want a beer, so I split off. My wife is content sometimes to sit on a bench and knit her socks, so me and the girls go have an adventure. We arrange to meet back on boat, or @ a cafe, wherever. Then you can compare notes when you get back. :)

 

I think this would be even better the larger the group.

 

We're flying to Budapest on Saturday, sailing to Bucharest, just my wife and I. It certainly will be a different trip....

[caviargal]

Advantage: Makes multi-generation travel very easy and enjoyable.

 

I think this would be even better the larger the group.

 

.

 

This is the main reason we choose river cruising for some trips. We often take my mom with us, who is 84, and river cruising is just ideal. And for extended family and friends it is a great way to travel and allows everyone to have their own experience.

[Oldacura]

So I read the Guide to River Cruising that compares the various lines to each other. Thanks for the reference. If the descriptions of the lines are accurate, I think we would be satisfied with Viking, Avalon or AMA.

 

Do others think the descriptions of these lines are accurate?

 

Our interest in river cruising was prompted by a flyer for the Amadeus Sliver with Lueftner Cruises. Is anyone here familiar with this line and how it compares to others on the list?

 

Also, I can see that there is a wealth of information on this site. I'd like to be able to separate the advertising and hype from the more descriptive information.

[notamermaid]

Hello Oldacura,

 

Lueftner cruises (the original spelling is Lüftner - the company is Austrian) has not had much coverage on this board, there are only two reviews under the ricer cruise section for the Amadeus Silver. It is a new-ish ship, the company's first with 15 metres. The company has been around for some time and are considered more towards the higher end of the luxury spectrum among the European companies. How they compare to the other companies? As regards feel, quite a way away from Viking. But for ship experiences perhaps look for Lueftner with the search button on this board.

 

Lueftner's Amadeus Silver page: http://www.lueftner-************/en/amadeus-fleet/ms-amadeus-silver.html

 

I seem to remember you mentioning that you are thinking of going with an organised group of people. I expect that your tour organizer will book a certain amount of cabins, the rest could well be occupied by individual European guests. Language onboard is therefore likely to be German and English.

 

notamermaid

[caviargal]

So I read the Guide to River Cruising that compares the various lines to each other. Thanks for the reference. If the descriptions of the lines are accurate, I think we would be satisfied with Viking, Avalon or AMA.

 

.

 

There are MANY threads comparing these lines and it really depends on what is important to you personally.

 

We have been on 13 river cruises and I posted detailed reviews here on CC for every one.

 

We found Avalon adequate, AMA excellent and have not and would not cruise with Viking.

 

Our first 4 cruises were with Avalon and I don't think there would have been a 5th had we not decided on a whim to try a wine cruise with AMA. One of our favorite wineries was hosting and we went with a group of friends (four of whom were on Avalon with us previously and were also wowed by AMA). The cruise was great and now AMA wine cruises and Christmas market cruises are our favorites on the rivers. Interestingly, our AMA cruise was aboard one on their oldest vessels and the Avalon cruise we took prior to that was on their brand new (at the time) Panorama class ship.

 

We were wowed by our first AMA cruise and would not do another with Avalon. For our tastes, food, service, staff, entertainment, food, wine and choice of included tours simply did not compare. We do prefer the amenities on the newer AMA ships but would happily sail on their older vessels as well. AmaDagio, their oldest, is one of our all time favorite cruises and itineraries.

Edited September 17, 2016 by caviargal

[Oldacura]

Ok another question: When is high season? When is low? Why?

[caviargal]

Ok another question: When is high season? When is low? Why?

 

LOW: March, April, November, December, late October

HIGH: The rest

 

Why: some prefer warm weather.

 

We prefer fewer crowds, cooler temps and better pricing pricing.

[Roz]

My first river cruise was in early November. I much prefer cooler temps for touring. The downside is it gets dark early.

 

Roz

[xmaser]

December is very crowded because of the Christmas Market cruises. This is a high occupancy market now.

[xmaser]

Rafting is obviously a matter of personal preference. I prefer to wake up in the morning to the view of medieval town walls and towers (for example Avignon) than the closed curtains of another ship. Sometimes it's hard to be a romantic.