Viking or Scenic Grand European Tour for first timers to river cruising.

[Kingofcool1947]

If you are looking at a 7 - 10 day cruise, I would suggest going to the websites for the lines & checking out what trips are available. You can also check out the staterooms for the aquarium class, and see how large the windows look.

 

Not sure about other lines, but with Avalon, you can prepay your tips so you don't have to worry about any surprises at the end of the cruise. As others have said, sign up for the e-mails & brochures and you may get special offers. We also kept an eye open for travel agents holding talks about cruising, as often they will have discount coupons for attending.

 

As to food, I am a firm believer that eating what is local to the area is part of the travelling experience...

 

 

Thanks Daisi,

I have requested brochures, and have been viewing cruise line websites to compare river cruise line features. Reading slick advertising, and reading CC PAX experience can be revealing.

[Daisi]

Yes, fellow cruisers info is very valuable, which is why I joined here. I did a lot of reading to find the one that seemed to fit us the best. We have always done land tours which I plan myself (down to the last detail), so one of the things I am looking forward to is just relaxing and letting someone else do the organising! Like you, we aren't into the free drinks or fancy entertainment, but do want to see what we can of the area we will be cruising in and learn the background history. I think that will be one of my biggest disappointments is if all we hear on our tours is stuff we learned through schools.

[Kingofcool1947]

I hope that we aren't overwhelming you with information. One thing you may notice is that most people have a favorite line, and they're very loyal. Most have a great cruise on the first line they try and they stay with that line. As someone has pointed out before on the forum, that means that all of the companies generally deliver a quality cruise experience.

 

The main time when people express disappointment with a line is when they have problems due to high/low water or other incidents (our ship lost an engine on the Danube). In the time I've followed this forum, problems tend to occur most often on the Danube (both high and low water) and the Rhone (high water in the spring). On the Danube large lines like Viking have a decided advantage. They have so many identical ships that they can easily do a ship swap and get around the choke point with minimal impacts on their passengers. Pack up in the morning before leaving on a tour and in the afternoon you return to the same cabin number on an identical ship on the other side of the obstacle.

 

I think that you're wise to think about aquarium class. We've never done it, but you're right that you won't spend a lot of time in your cabin. There's generally neat stuff on BOTH sides of the ship, and you won't see it all out your cabin window. You really want to be in the lounge or on the sun deck to take it all in. Keep in mind that on Viking the lower deck cabins are larger (150 sq. ft.) than the more expensive French balcony cabins (135 sq. ft.).

 

I think that you'll have a great time on any line you choose.

 

Thanks FuelScience,

 

Very helpful advice. I am an information hound. So appreciate all the advice I've received so far.

 

Starting to narrow down preferences:

Open to any cruise line

Limited budget (have to watch my pennies, DW and I are not "luxury line cruisers. Princess and Celebrity ocean cruisers in Oceanview or Balcony cabin)

Aquarium or French Balcony. (Within our budget.)

A modern ship decor with high tech features. (I'm a high tech junkie.)

Open to itinerary

A 7-15 day cruise as first river cruise (original thought was 23 days. Consensus.. too long for a first river cruise.)

All inclusive ie. gratuities, included shore excursions

Moderately active itinerary. (We are both ambulatory and enjoy walking.)

Cuisine. Enjoy fresh local or regional cuisine. (We're not "foodies". Try anything at least once.) :);)

 

DW and I are easy going, not demanding or complainers. We find reasons to relax and enjoy our vacations. Easy to "go with the flow" whether at sea and on land is our mantra. :):)

 

 

 

 

"I cruise to eat healthy, and to eat a slice of apple pie everyday before I die."

Edited April 17, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[JVilleGal]

Just remembered the "Budget" line that many people seem to like. Gate One it's not for everyone, they do a lot of Elder Hostel tours. Good bargain, solid product as reported here on these boards.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Host Jazzbeau,

Thanks! Just the kind of information about good itineries for us. What river cruise line were you on? I reckon all of the river cruise lines offer similar intineries anyway.?

 

The itineraries seem similar at first glance, but details vary and may make one cruise line's version much more attractive depending on your personal interests [this is also true of northbound vs. southbound on the same cruise line, as river currents etc. may affect port stops and inclusions]. I was on AMA for both my river cruises [and have a third -- a river Safari -- booked for next year]. They are not all-inclusive [only wine and beer and only meals] but the food and drink is top quality, and that fits my dining and drinking needs very well. You can find my AMA trip reviews in my signature below.

[Floridiana]

If you really want a focus on German culture, I would recommend a 7-day cruise from Vilshofen to Budapest, .

 

Geography again. Are you trying to insult all Austrians? :loudcry:

This cruise may start in a small German town, but the majority of the itinerary is in Austria and it ends in Hungary's capital. Austria has its own culture as does Hungary. Bad karma to confuse big brother Germany with lovely Austria. The food is different, too. It's as bad as saying that Canada is part of the USA.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Geography again. Are you trying to insult all Austrians? :loudcry:

This cruise may start in a small German town, but the majority of the itinerary is in Austria and it ends in Hungary's capital. Austria has its own culture as does Hungary. Bad karma to confuse big brother Germany with lovely Austria. The food is different, too. It's as bad as saying that Canada is part of the USA.

 

It's not geography; I was speaking of culture. [see, I can be pedantic too ;)] My grandparents came to the US from a village outside what is now called Lviv, Ukraine. When I was growing up, that city was called Lvov, Poland. But when they came here, it was called Lemberg, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And my college major was Eastern European History -- so I do know something about this area. In my opinion, all the countries of the German and Austro-Hungarian empires are culturally similar -- much different from those in the French cultural sphere [and I will risk the wrath of Hercule Poirot by including Belgium in that] or the English-speaking world [including wild colonial boys like Dylan Thomas and good ol' boys of the southern US]. But that is just something we are going to disagree on.

[TravelerThom]

... When I was growing up, that city was called Lvov, Poland. But when they came here, it was called Lemberg, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And my college major was Eastern European History -- so I do know something about this area...

Jazz: Are you really that old (considerably older than I guessed)? Lviv/Lvov/Lemberg ceased being in Poland in 1939 (except perhaps on someone's geo-policitically correct map that did not match actual facts).

 

I had a guide whose family in 5 generations managed to live in 5 countries without ever moving from a town on the Istrian peninsula in what is now Croatia; if you want to count the WWII puppet state of Nezavisna Država Hrvatska they had lived in 6 countries.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Jazz: Are you really that old (considerably older than I guessed)? Lviv/Lvov/Lemberg ceased being in Poland in 1939 (except perhaps on someone's geo-policitically correct map that did not match actual facts).

 

I had a guide whose family in 5 generations managed to live in 5 countries without ever moving from a town on the Istrian peninsula in what is now Croatia; if you want to count the WWII puppet state of Nezavisna Država Hrvatska they had lived in 6 countries.

 

Not quite that old. It was still being called Lvov [at least in the US, or at least in my family] in the 1950s. We had a similar experience with a guide in Alsace who really brought the history of that area to life by talking about the impact on her grandfather as the area changed back and forth between Germany and France. The language changed, the money changed, the laws and customs changed -- the changes affected every aspect of daily life, much more than the address on your income tax forms [you can tell what I was doing late last night...]

[jeb_bud]

Yes, fellow cruisers info is very valuable, which is why I joined here. I did a lot of reading to find the one that seemed to fit us the best. We have always done land tours which I plan myself (down to the last detail), so one of the things I am looking forward to is just relaxing and letting someone else do the organising! Like you, we aren't into the free drinks or fancy entertainment, but do want to see what we can of the area we will be cruising in and learn the background history. I think that will be one of my biggest disappointments is if all we hear on our tours is stuff we learned through schools.

 

 

We also always traveled on our own, and I was a little nervous about turning over control to Scenic. Once we finally decided on the cruise, planning meant deciding which excursions to select and what might we wanted to eat in Portobellos.

 

Now the biggest question is when will we have enough money to buy our next cruise.

 

 

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[Canal archive]

Dah! kingofcool 1947 just fallen in are you a Bill Bryson fan perchance, and how's the river cruising flow charts coming on? Scenic use Mac through the TVs system, Internet is as good as it can be and the intercom system used when on tours and along the rivers are brilliant.CA

[notamermaid]

Hello KingofCool1947,

 

I am sure you have been very busy in your life with other things but might I ask if you are still looking for that perfect first time river cruise? Or have you chosen?

 

While looking at some other video on youtube on the Rhine this one was advertised, sort of on the right hand sight saying "watch me, watch me" and I have enjoyed the first part very much. Seeing that you like gadgets - ok, other lines might have them but I have not seen them on youtube yet, who has them to indulge in all those splendid travel videos? - how is this one for gadget lovers: log fire on telly, push button window, push button bed, disco lights shower:

 

I really like the itinerary too.

 

Or just enjoy watching the scenery presented. :)

 

notamermaid

[Wings55]

I'm in my mid-forties, and I've just done a Scenic river cruise with my Mum and absolutely loved it! Age is just a number! We are not big drinkers either, but we chose Scenic for their all inclusive excursions, and tipping. I've read on here that some people don't like to pay extra for excursions, but who wants to go all that way and miss things! We also liked the fact that Scenic picked us up at the airport, and got us to the boat from our hotel, then back to the airport at the end. Made life easy. We had a Deluxe Balcony suite, at 225ft or 21m2. It was nice having a proper balcony, and if you want to you could leave the doors open and it became part of the room. I appreciated sitting out on it early in the morning, and it was also nice to have time out if either of us felt the need. I couldn't recommend Scenic's attention to detail more highly - everything is thought of, and if you don't want to spend any other money on your holiday, there is no need to. I am saving for my next one!

 

I was thinking of writing a note expressing our appreciation of Scenic but HenrysAunt said it perfectly. As others have mentioned I too did a LOT of research to compare prices and amenities to find which line offered the best value for us. Everyone has different priorities so the value equations are different. We were looking for contemporary style, great excursions, great service and a younger mix of passengers. We found the Aussies on our cruise to be younger than passengers on other ships and those that may be been a bit older were surely young at heart. What fun! The crew of the Scenic Jasper couldn't have been better and we loved every minute on board.

If you want to save some money your idea of a 'Swan View' cabin is a good one. You'll enjoy the same great food and all inclusive amenities as those paying top dollar for a big suite on the upper deck. My other suggestion would be Emerald. There are fewer amenities but the decor is similar and of course the prices are lower

I'm predicting that when your cruise is over, you'll wish you had a few more days left. :)

 

Paul

[carlo7]

We are a couple, 69 and 70. Booked Scenic Amst to Buda Feb 2016 for Jtune 2017. 2 considerations:

1. Although we do not think the free drinks are important the cabin size is and we could book one that fit our needs well.

 

2. Although we booked in Feb and airfares for the round trip from Seattle were not available until Aug we asked for and received BA Premium Economy class seats for $650 each since Scenic offered free air for our cruise and gave us credit for the cost of the air they would have provided. We picked the seats and they were booked the same day they became available in Aug.

 

Finally many have suggested as first time river cruisers you book a shorter trip. We booked the 15 day trip since it covers most of the places the shorter trips cover and we will not have to return to Europe from SEA to book another cruise to see those places our trip will cover.

 

Perhaps others are correct that you may not be happy with river cruising and the longer trip will be the wrong choice. Given all the positive reviews people post about river cruising and Scenic in particular we are not concerned with worrying about whether the adventure will be positive

 

Good luck.

 

Carlo

[Canal archive]

Hi Carlo7 way back in 2011 we did what is now considered the best length of time and traveled Scenic for the first time, Budapest to Nuremberg and were quite surprised when we realised that many of the aquaitences we made were traveling on to Amsterdam. By Nuremberg we would have quite happily stayed aboard. This year we cruise again with Scenic our 6th time Amsterdam to Budapest, like you, although the itinerary is now different, we cruise bits we haven't done before and Scenic is now all inclusive. Between times we have done one 15 day the rest various lengths of time, we have come to the conclusion that 15 days is just about right and most probably longer would be a bit to much I also cannot put forward a good enough argument for a butler, cook, housemaid, entertainer or bar staff of Scenic quality at home. ( my DH is good but not that good) enjoy your cruise what date and boat are you traveling on? CA

[gnome12]

One thing to note for Scenic and Emerald in particular is that they are Australia-based. Aussies, because it is so far to get anywhere, both get more vacation time than North Americans and take longer vacations than North Americans.

 

A few years ago, I took a Voyages to Antiquities cruise (Istanbul to Venice). In North America, most of the cruises were marketed as approximately 2 weeks in length, and could be combined into 4 week Grand Voyages. However, in Australia, most cruises were marketed directly as 4 week trips. One of the explanations is that to get the discounted airfare, they had to book 4 week trips.

 

My first river cruise was 9 nights;, my second was 14 nights.

[Kingofcool1947]

Hi Carlo7 way back in 2011 we did what is now considered the best length of time and traveled Scenic for the first time, Budapest to Nuremberg and were quite surprised when we realised that many of the aquaitences we made were traveling on to Amsterdam. By Nuremberg we would have quite happily stayed aboard. This year we cruise again with Scenic our 6th time Amsterdam to Budapest, like you, although the itinerary is now different, we cruise bits we haven't done before and Scenic is now all inclusive. Between times we have done one 15 day the rest various lengths of time, we have come to the conclusion that 15 days is just about right and most probably longer would be a bit to much I also cannot put forward a good enough argument for a butler, cook, housemaid, entertainer or bar staff of Scenic quality at home. ( my DH is good but not that good) enjoy your cruise what date and boat are you traveling on? CA

 

DW and I are still considering Viking, Scenic, or Emerald. We enjoy modern decor and high tech toys. 15 days Danube itinerary with a few days pre and post cruise as a first time European river cruise seems about right to us. DW is concerned it may be too long onboard, as she gets bored easily if there are no onboard fitness activities.

 

We are in our early 50's, fairly active and fit. Do river cruises offer daily group fitness programs? FWIW, we run 10 miles per day, bike, daily pilates for DW, and yoga for me, use free weights in our fitness room, and swim in our pool as weather permits.

 

We are considering an Aquarium/Swan View stateroom since most of our onboard time would be up on deck or in the public areas, and in the ship's fitness center. So, other than a balcony to sit on, are there other advantages of a standard balcony/French balcony stateroom on Viking, Scenic or Emerald ships for the premium cost? Better location, better service? Different dining venues and cuisine? Butler service is not important to us. We can manage very well on our own. We usually book an ocean view or standard stateroom on ocean cruises.

 

Thank you for your input.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Kingofcool1947

[gnome12]

DW and I are still considering Viking, Scenic, or Emerald. We enjoy modern decor and high tech toys. 15 days Danube itinerary with a few days pre and post cruise as a first time European river cruise seems about right to us. DW is concerned it may be too long onboard, as she gets bored easily if there are no onboard fitness activities.

 

We are in our early 50's, fairly active and fit. Do river cruises offer daily group fitness programs? FWIW, we run 10 miles per day, bike, daily pilates for DW, and yoga for me, use free weights in our fitness room, and swim in our pool as weather permits.

 

We are considering an Aquarium/Swan View stateroom since most of our onboard time would be up on deck or in the public areas, and in the ship's fitness center. So, other than a balcony to sit on, are there other advantages of a standard balcony/French balcony stateroom on Viking, Scenic or Emerald ships for the premium cost? Better location, better service? Different dining venues and cuisine? Butler service is not important to us. We can manage very well on our own. We usually book an ocean view or standard stateroom on ocean cruises.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

Many lines have an early morning fitness class.

 

Remember that unlike ocean cruising there aren't any sea days; almost any daytime cruising is in scenic areas where you will want to go somewhere with a 360 degree view.

 

Not all lines have bikes available to borrow. Some will have organized bike tours on a few occasions. Not all lines have a fitness room at all (and all are quite small). Make sure that the lines you are considering have what you need.

 

Ama is generally considered one of the more active lines; you might want to check out their offerings too.

[notamermaid]

Past cruisers have mentioned that Viking has no fitness room onboard and Viking has specifically said that they do not go for that clientele (in their own words). I do not think this has been linked on this thread yet, a comparison between Scenic and Viking: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2302

 

CroisiEurope has active bike cruises now but I am not sure if they market them in the US.

 

I also think - like gnome12 - that Ama could be a good fit for you.

 

notamermaid

[JVilleGal]

DW and I are still considering Viking, Scenic, or Emerald. We enjoy modern decor and high tech toys. 15 days Danube itinerary with a few days pre and post cruise as a first time European river cruise seems about right to us. DW is concerned it may be too long onboard, as she gets bored easily if there are no onboard fitness activities.

 

We are in our early 50's, fairly active and fit. Do river cruises offer daily group fitness programs? FWIW, we run 10 miles per day, bike, daily pilates for DW, and yoga for me, use free weights in our fitness room, and swim in our pool as weather permits.

 

We are considering an Aquarium/Swan View stateroom since most of our onboard time would be up on deck or in the public areas, and in the ship's fitness center. So, other than a balcony to sit on, are there other advantages of a standard balcony/French balcony stateroom on Viking, Scenic or Emerald ships for the premium cost? Better location, better service? Different dining venues and cuisine? Butler service is not important to us. We can manage very well on our own. We usually book an ocean view or standard stateroom on ocean cruises.

 

Thank you for your input.

You won't be on the ship that much! Forget those commercials that show lazy days of gracefully sailing down the river. You will be off the boat by 8:30am and getting back by 5 with occasional days when you do two ports and you get lunch and get right back off the boat at a new port.

Can't for the life of me figure when you would have time as this itinerary is port intensive and very little time to lay around. You may want to check into a few of the lines with bikes on board. We had a biking group that biked along the river on a couple days while we sailed.

This 15 day trip was exhausting and no time for being bored.

[jeb_bud]

DW and I are still considering Viking, Scenic, or Emerald. We enjoy modern decor and high tech toys. 15 days Danube itinerary with a few days pre and post cruise as a first time European river cruise seems about right to us. DW is concerned it may be too long onboard, as she gets bored easily if there are no onboard fitness activities.

 

We are in our early 50's, fairly active and fit. Do river cruises offer daily group fitness programs? FWIW, we run 10 miles per day, bike, daily pilates for DW, and yoga for me, use free weights in our fitness room, and swim in our pool as weather permits.

 

We are considering an Aquarium/Swan View stateroom since most of our onboard time would be up on deck or in the public areas, and in the ship's fitness center. So, other than a balcony to sit on, are there other advantages of a standard balcony/French balcony stateroom on Viking, Scenic or Emerald ships for the premium cost? Better location, better service? Different dining venues and cuisine? Butler service is not important to us. We can manage very well on our own. We usually book an ocean view or standard stateroom on ocean cruises.

 

Thank you for your input.

 

Scenic Opal has a small fitness center with some machines. I think I saw a treadmill, rower and either cycle or stair climber. I didn't pay a lot of attention, just walking around the ship. There were a couple of people working out when I walked by. Onboard fitness is either the fitness center or running around the sun deck. Excursions all include some walking and climbing and that was enough for us.

 

We stayed in a standard balcony suite (Room 320). After the rooms emptied out on debarkation day I wandered down to check out the aquarium class rooms while waiting for a taxi. They are quite small compared to even the small balcony rooms, truly just a bedroom. If you want to sit anywhere other than the bed you need to leave the room. This is probably the same regardless of ship/cruise line.

 

A balcony suite provides a couple of chairs to sit in, a great view of the river and depending on the category a few extra perks. The dollar value of the perks is no match for the price difference, of course. I can't remember for sure but I think the bathroom in our suite was a little nicer than aquarium class. Our first ocean cruise in next month so I can't compare directly but from comparing deck plans I can say the variety of public spaces on a river cruise is pretty limited compared to an ocean cruise ship.

 

I guess from my perspective the cost difference between aquarium class and a balcony has more to do with overall cruise enjoyment than the value of amenities. I enjoy a little personal downtime so I appreciated the space to kick back in my room from time to time. If you just think of your room as a place to sleep and bathe then aquarium class is probably fine.

 

In most ports the ship stayed in place between the end of the daily excursions and dinner, leaving plenty of opportunity for personal exploration of the town during the afternoon free time.

 

After our Alaska cruise in June our next cruise will be back on the river going from Basel to Amsterdam on Scenic. The question for us will be whether we want to take a standard cabin or pay for a larger one. We definitely won't be going smaller.

[carlo7]

Hi Carlo7 way back in 2011 we did what is now considered the best length of time and traveled Scenic for the first time, Budapest to Nuremberg and were quite surprised when we realised that many of the aquaitences we made were traveling on to Amsterdam. By Nuremberg we would have quite happily stayed aboard. This year we cruise again with Scenic our 6th time Amsterdam to Budapest, like you, although the itinerary is now different, we cruise bits we haven't done before and Scenic is now all inclusive. Between times we have done one 15 day the rest various lengths of time, we have come to the conclusion that 15 days is just about right and most probably longer would be a bit to much I also cannot put forward a good enough argument for a butler, cook, housemaid, entertainer or bar staff of Scenic quality at home. ( my DH is good but not that good) enjoy your cruise what date and boat are you traveling on? CA

 

Hi CA,

We are on the Crystal departing AMS on 6/14/17 for 15 days. Our first river cruise. Longest ocean cruise was SEA to FLL through the Panama Canal on Holland America. 18 days went by pretty quickly. Karen and I believe a positive attitude makes any journey a good journey. Enjoy your tour.

 

Carlo

[goldenrod]

Stay away from Viking just took 21 day Amsterdam to Bucharest and the food was horrible!

 

 

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[polabear]

This is late, but one thing to keep in mind is that alcohol is amazingly cheap in Europe. In fact, soft drinks and bottled water can be more expensive, which is completely crazy to the american mind. :) I've lived in Germany for the last five months, and when my husband visits, his bill for three tiny coke lights plus a large still water is often more expensive than his meal. So, you really aren't paying extra for inclusive alcohol.

[JVilleGal]

I think people are getting too wrapped up in the Included Alcohol and failing to look at the Full Picture of all the services and other amenities that are include.