30th anniversary - first-ever river cruise - need a friend :-)

[Bexredpen]

Hi, friends!

 

This is "unchartered waters" for us, this whole river cruise business. We've been thinking about doing this for several years, and with our big 30th anniversary approaching, it seems like the right time to take the plunge and make some plans.

 

We've been getting brochures and catalogs from all multiple cruise lines for a couple of years now, and we're frankly a little overwhelmed with all the things to consider. We've never been out of the US before, so there are so many things to consider. We're liking the sound of a Rhine River cruise, and I can say that we are leaning toward AMA or Viking, only because of some positive things we've heard from people we know who've been on both of these cruises, but we are open to other suggestions. We want to make sure we're budgeting for things we really care about and not spending money needlessly. We're not big drinkers, so having a cruise with unlimited wine and alcohol doesn't matter to us, and we'd rather not spend money on it if we don't have to. We're also not wanting to scrimp on this trip, so we're happy to spend money for good food, excursions, and nice accommodations, in addition to a day or two before and after our trip to explore the area.

 

We're thinking of traveling in September, and we'd like to take a cruise that will allow us the opportunity to do some biking. We're also wondering about how to find the best deals on cruises, as we know they're out there. And what about airfare? Viking just sent a brochure that has very reasonable airfare and 2-for-1 cruise packages. Not knowing anything about pricing, I'm wondering if this is a great deal or if I should wait for something better to come along.

 

Anyway, as you can see, I do have a lot of questions and a lot of things running around in my mind to figure out, so I'm hopeful there will be people here who can guide me on how to start making some decisions and knowing where to begin! Thank you, folks!

[texkan]

We sailed Rhine River (2nd river cruise) from Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon Sept 2017.

Having sailed with Avalon on first cruise on Danube, we liked the service, crew, ships and excursions Avalon offered.

 

We flew from USA to Amsterdam (easy overnight flight), spent two days on our own in walkable Amsterdam (watch out for bikes). Cruised Rhine (beautiful). Depart ship in Basel. We did a few days in Switzerland via car. Beautiful country !!!!

 

I suggest you look at all cruise lines and see what they offer that you like, prices, food, service, number of passenger on ship etc. Find a good travel agent to help you. We purchased our own airfare. Found good fares. We ended Switzerland in Zurich staying overnight at airport hotel for early flight to Paris and home.

 

Happy Anniversary to you and Rhine River cruise is a great way to celebrate. This board is a great research tool. Happy sailing.

[Mark_T]

Viking just sent a brochure that has very reasonable airfare and 2-for-1 cruise packages. Not knowing anything about pricing, I'm wondering if this is a great deal or if I should wait for something better to come along.

 

Don't be fooled by the '2-for-1' pricing, the quoted prices are still per person, they just show them as discounted from a higher price that nobody ever really pays...

[Roz]

I would look past the alcohol included/not included, and instead concentrate on itinerary, included excursions, accommodations, food and service. I've been very pleased with the 2 Uniworld cruises I took - Budapest to Passau and Bucharest to Passau. On both cruises there were some bicycling tours offered. They offer walking excursions for both gentle walkers and those wanting a more active, faster paced experience.

 

Roz

[gnome12]

I don't drink much, except for soft drinks. They are quite expensive in Europe, so you might find having non-alcoholic drinks included is not a valueless inclusion.

 

Sent from my SM-N910C using Forums mobile app

[Bexredpen]

Thank you for taking time to respond! Glad to hear you had good luck with booking your own air. I spoke with a local travel agent this morning, and she mentioned airfare could be around $1300 per person; however, in the very quick Expedia search I did, I found airfare starting at under $700 per person for the dates we're looking at, so I'll continue to do my research. I'm hearing that if you book through the cruise line, however, they'll get you on your ship no matter what, even if there are unforeseen delays or issues with your flights. That's appealing, but maybe it's not necessary. More things to research there. :-)

 

Thank you again for your insight and for sharing your thoughts! I'm excited, having started this process. I think no matter which cruise line we book with, we'll have a wonderful experience. I have yet to hear any negative remarks regarding river cruises in general or things to cause me to have second thoughts, so I'll continue my research, and I know we'll be well satisfied once we land on our plan.

 

~Becky

 

 

We sailed Rhine River (2nd river cruise) from Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon Sept 2017.

Having sailed with Avalon on first cruise on Danube, we liked the service, crew, ships and excursions Avalon offered.

 

We flew from USA to Amsterdam (easy overnight flight), spent two days on our own in walkable Amsterdam (watch out for bikes). Cruised Rhine (beautiful). Depart ship in Basel. We did a few days in Switzerland via car. Beautiful country !!!!

 

I suggest you look at all cruise lines and see what they offer that you like, prices, food, service, number of passenger on ship etc. Find a good travel agent to help you. We purchased our own airfare. Found good fares. We ended Switzerland in Zurich staying overnight at airport hotel for early flight to Paris and home.

 

Happy Anniversary to you and Rhine River cruise is a great way to celebrate. This board is a great research tool. Happy sailing.

[Capt_BJ]

1 - I do consider not paying for things we won't use important ..... don't pay for unlimited booze if this is not your thing ... different lines offer different things .... I think you see this already! IME free beer/wine at lunch dinner is the minimum for a river cruise.

 

2 - do not lock into a cruise/fly package .... if you are willing to do a little work you can probably fly for a good bit less with a better schedule. Typically the cruise companies have certain airlines they work with. There may be MUCH better options out there if you are willing to spend the time to look. Been cruising for over 30 years and have YET to use a flight the cruise line booked. Right now planning a Viking Ocean cruise in a few months and took their air for a look see. Already canx'd it having found better (direct) flights at lower price. {a good TA can do this for you but IME the only good TA is one you've been using regularly for many years. Only THEN are they willing to spend a few hours looking for the best deal. (for example look at LOT <Polish National Airline> and Norwegian Air ... both have very nice rates ... if they go where you need to go)

 

3 - if you just got a book from Viking .... warn your mail carrier .... a flood is on the way! As mentioned, the 'deals' in their book are fiction .... just look at the price you'd pay .... don't get me wrong, we LIKE Viking but their advertising can be a wee bit agressive.

 

4 - river cruise boats are SMALL as compared to even a small cruise ship. A Viking River 'longship' has about 150 pass' while their (small) cruise ships have shy of 1000. Service is gonna be great on any river cruise cuz they are so small.

 

5 - your post does not mention where you are but there may be a 'cruise' specialist TA near you. This may be worth a stop DEPENDING on where you are ...... a small TA who's guessing on river cruises .... NOT. A big TA where there is some experience with river cruise ...

 

6 - "you've never been out of the US b4" .... do NOT fly in the day your cruise departs ..... extend at LEAST a day on the front .. if for no other reason than to allow your body clock to adjust. A second reason: if this is your first time, mabe only time, EXPLORE. We did two extra days in our beginning port the first time and on the back side another week .... get every penny out of your plane ticket cost.

 

7 - if you know my posts you know what's coming ...... on our first river cruise trip and first trip to EU for Mrs we flew over in 'middle class' ... up from economy, below 'first class' ..... we came back to the US on QM2 in a balcony cabin for less cost than the air tickets ... sailing Hamburg to NYC ..... 9 days, one stop in Southampton. This is what a GOOD TA finds for you! <if you have the ability to cross in 9 days vs 9 hours!!>

 

enjoy your trip

[knoxclone]

I agree with the above posters... My suggestions is the Rhine River - starting in AMS. Particularly since you have not travelled outside the US - its a fairly stress free arrival - Amsterdam is VERY easy to navigate and English is very widely spoken.

 

Fly in at least a day. if not two, before and get rid of the jet lag. at the end of the cruise - plan on staying at least an additional day - if not, most likely you will have a VERY early departure ( like 4am!) to make a flight back to the states.

 

We have sailed 2x now on Viking - both in September, and were very pleased as the crowds were a little smaller and the weather cooler.

[FuelScience]

We've never sailed with AMA, but we have done cruises with Viking (3), Avalon (2), and Vantage (1). From what I've read here on CC, AMA is a step above Viking--especially with respect to food. I will mention one positive for Avalon for this cruise. With Avalon, you fly into or out of Zurich rather than Basel. You disembark the ship at Basel and ride for about an hour to get to Zurich. Basel has NO direct flights to North America, where as there are lots of direct flights from Zurich. This means that you'll probably get where you're going with one less flight leg. That was a significant advantage for us. If you do your own air, consider the Zurich option as well. There are direct trains from Basel to Zurich airport, and your ship will arrange for a cab to pick you up if you're on your own.

[ConnMom]

Happy Anniversary. A river cruise is a wonderful way to celebrate.

We have taken 2 river cruises, the first on the Danube with Tauck in 2016, and the second on the Seine with AMA in 2017. Both were in September-October. We loved both cruises and would travel with both companies again. Considering your priorities, I think AMA might be an excellent fit for you.On both of our cruises, our food was excellent, the ship staff and the cruise director were excellent, and our fellow cruisers were friendly. We enjoyed both the shipboard entertainment and the daily tours, which were all included in our fare. I think AMA stands out, however, for trying to provide a variety of tour options, which run the gamut from gentle walking tours to very active fitness walks and hikes, and daily bike tours.On some days we found it difficult to select a tour because several of the options were very appealing. We also had a full-time fitness director on our boat, who provided a number of fitness activities daily, both on and off the boat. I don't know if all of AMA's fleet will have a full-time fitness program on board in 2018, but this might be something for you to investigate. I think this emphasis on offering "active" cruising sets AMA apart from many of its competitors.

AMA is not all-inclusive as Tauck is, but it provides complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks during lunch and dinner, and is expanding this to include a daily pre-dinner cocktail hour in 2018.

September is our favorite time to travel in Europe, as the weather is generally good and air fares are lower than in summer. We booked our cruise during a promotion in April for the following September. By the time we booked, very few staterooms were available, but we were not fussy about where our room was located and were very pleased to get a deal.

I agree with the recommendation to fly into the departure port a day or 2 early so you can prevent issues in case flights are delayed, so you can enjoy the city on your own, and so you are rested when your cruise begins. These cruise critic boards are valuable to help you select a cruise and to plan your free time. A good travel agent can also help you narrow your choices and prepare for your first international trip. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[Bexredpen]

Oh, this is really great info to have. I wasn't aware of the flight situation with regard to no direct flights out of Basel. Well, we are planning to end our cruise with a couple of days in Prague, so I'll need to do some research there to figure out the best flight options. Thank you for your insight. I'm glad to know that the opinion is that the food on AMA is considered excellent; that's important to us. How did your three cruises compare? Did you have a favorite cruise line overall?

 

~Becky

 

We've never sailed with AMA, but we have done cruises with Viking (3), Avalon (2), and Vantage (1). From what I've read here on CC, AMA is a step above Viking--especially with respect to food. I will mention one positive for Avalon for this cruise. With Avalon, you fly into or out of Zurich rather than Basel. You disembark the ship at Basel and ride for about an hour to get to Zurich. Basel has NO direct flights to North America, where as there are lots of direct flights from Zurich. This means that you'll probably get where you're going with one less flight leg. That was a significant advantage for us. If you do your own air, consider the Zurich option as well. There are direct trains from Basel to Zurich airport, and your ship will arrange for a cab to pick you up if you're on your own.

[Bexredpen]

Hello! Thank you for your response! Really happy to hear that you enjoyed your two cruise experiences! Would you recommend Avalon? Sounds like you've been pleased with your experiences with them. Flying into Amsterdam from the US sounds like it'll be pretty easy, even for novices such as ourselves, thank goodness. I think we've decided we'd like to plan on spending a couple of days after our cruise in Prague, if we can figure out how to make that all work. I think we'll be better off booking our own flights than relying on the cruise line to sort all that out for us. Thank you again - I really do appreciate your help!

~Becky

 

 

We sailed Rhine River (2nd river cruise) from Amsterdam to Basel with Avalon Sept 2017.

Having sailed with Avalon on first cruise on Danube, we liked the service, crew, ships and excursions Avalon offered.

 

We flew from USA to Amsterdam (easy overnight flight), spent two days on our own in walkable Amsterdam (watch out for bikes). Cruised Rhine (beautiful). Depart ship in Basel. We did a few days in Switzerland via car. Beautiful country !!!!

 

I suggest you look at all cruise lines and see what they offer that you like, prices, food, service, number of passenger on ship etc. Find a good travel agent to help you. We purchased our own airfare. Found good fares. We ended Switzerland in Zurich staying overnight at airport hotel for early flight to Paris and home.

 

Happy Anniversary to you and Rhine River cruise is a great way to celebrate. This board is a great research tool. Happy sailing.

[texasstar]

I will give another vote to AmaWaterways. We have done two with them, one on the Danube from Budapest ending in Prague, and the other on the Rhone. The ships are lovely, the food very good, and we too had trouble some days deciding which excursion to go on. They also had local entertainment come one board one night. We are considering the Rhine, Moselle trip they have. A fellow cruiser told us she loved the Moselle because of all the castles.

[Bexredpen]

Hello! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me and for the anniversary wishes. This is something we've wanted to do for a long time, so I'm really pleased to have found this site. Everyone who has been kind enough to respond to me today has been so helpful and forthcoming. What a delight planning this trip is going to be! Since we're kind of leaning toward AMA, simply because we have friends who recently went on an AMA cruise and were very happy with it, I'm glad to hear that you'd be happy traveling with them again. We haven't heard much about Tauck, though, so I am interested in knowing what was included with the Tauck cruise. Was it quite a bit more expensive, and did you feel it was worth it? We're not looking to scrimp on this trip, only spend our money wisely on things that matter to us - like excursions and really nice food. Sounds like AMA has wonderful things to choose from for our daily adventures, and that's appealing to us. We might want to ride bikes one day and walk the next. Variety is a great thing, and we're excited to see what all our options will be. Glad to hear, too, that you found a good deal. We're feeling like we need to get deciding pretty soon what we want to do so we don't find ourselves without any choices regarding our rooms and flights, but we also don't want to jump the gun and miss out on any deals that may come along. Seems like prices of around $4,000 per person for the cruise alone are about standard for AMA - and that's not including our airfare or the time we're wanting to spend in Prague at the end of our trip, so anything helps, but again, we don't want to miss out on a nice room because we waited too long. Do you have any recommendations for the type of room we should consider? We don't need a suite, but maybe something with more than just a little window to look out of would be nice. :-) Thanks again for your help!

 

~Becky

 

Happy Anniversary. A river cruise is a wonderful way to celebrate.

We have taken 2 river cruises, the first on the Danube with Tauck in 2016, and the second on the Seine with AMA in 2017. Both were in September-October. We loved both cruises and would travel with both companies again. Considering your priorities, I think AMA might be an excellent fit for you.On both of our cruises, our food was excellent, the ship staff and the cruise director were excellent, and our fellow cruisers were friendly. We enjoyed both the shipboard entertainment and the daily tours, which were all included in our fare. I think AMA stands out, however, for trying to provide a variety of tour options, which run the gamut from gentle walking tours to very active fitness walks and hikes, and daily bike tours.On some days we found it difficult to select a tour because several of the options were very appealing. We also had a full-time fitness director on our boat, who provided a number of fitness activities daily, both on and off the boat. I don't know if all of AMA's fleet will have a full-time fitness program on board in 2018, but this might be something for you to investigate. I think this emphasis on offering "active" cruising sets AMA apart from many of its competitors.

AMA is not all-inclusive as Tauck is, but it provides complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks during lunch and dinner, and is expanding this to include a daily pre-dinner cocktail hour in 2018.

September is our favorite time to travel in Europe, as the weather is generally good and air fares are lower than in summer. We booked our cruise during a promotion in April for the following September. By the time we booked, very few staterooms were available, but we were not fussy about where our room was located and were very pleased to get a deal.

I agree with the recommendation to fly into the departure port a day or 2 early so you can prevent issues in case flights are delayed, so you can enjoy the city on your own, and so you are rested when your cruise begins. These cruise critic boards are valuable to help you select a cruise and to plan your free time. A good travel agent can also help you narrow your choices and prepare for your first international trip. I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[Bexredpen]

Hello! Thanks so much for your input! Okay, I have to ask you about your Danube cruise. We've been going along under the idea that we want to cruise the Rhine, but we're realizing that we really want to see Prague, as we don't know that we'll ever do a trip of this magnitude again. We are really looking forward to seeing castles - that's as big part of the excitement of a river cruise - but I understand there are castles on the Danube that are also fascinating. Argh! Just when you think you're getting a plan in place, something more wonderful comes along and sets you off in a different direction. :-) Would love to know more about your Prague experiences, too.

 

~Becky

 

 

I will give another vote to AmaWaterways. We have done two with them, one on the Danube from Budapest ending in Prague, and the other on the Rhone. The ships are lovely, the food very good, and we too had trouble some days deciding which excursion to go on. They also had local entertainment come one board one night. We are considering the Rhine, Moselle trip they have. A fellow cruiser told us she loved the Moselle because of all the castles.

[Bexredpen]

Thank you for your input - appreciate hearing about your experiences! Glad to hear we're on the right track so far with our planning. :-)

 

~Becky

 

I agree with the above posters... My suggestions is the Rhine River - starting in AMS. Particularly since you have not travelled outside the US - its a fairly stress free arrival - Amsterdam is VERY easy to navigate and English is very widely spoken.

 

Fly in at least a day. if not two, before and get rid of the jet lag. at the end of the cruise - plan on staying at least an additional day - if not, most likely you will have a VERY early departure ( like 4am!) to make a flight back to the states.

 

We have sailed 2x now on Viking - both in September, and were very pleased as the crowds were a little smaller and the weather cooler.

[twincheryl]

Another vote for AMA... we just returned from our first river cruise last month and it was great!

 

This was only our 2nd trip to Europe and I suggest, if you can possibly afford it, to fly business class... especially if you are flying from the west coast. Eleven hours is a LONG time to be in one of those regular seats. While we can never sleep on a plane, it is so nice to be able to stretch out and get in different positions. Well worth it, IMO. I know others would rather spend money elsewhere, but I would never fly to Europe if I did not budget for business class.

[Bexredpen]

Thanks for pointing this out! Seriously, this is why I'm on here...starting from scratch learning all there is to know is going to take some time! I appreciate you telling me this!

 

Don't be fooled by the '2-for-1' pricing, the quoted prices are still per person, they just show them as discounted from a higher price that nobody ever really pays...

[Bexredpen]

Thank you for this information - so happy to hear you had a wonderful experience! Which river did you sail on?

 

We would definitely be willing to fly business class. We'd be flying out of Denver, and since the longest flight we've ever been on was less than 4 hours, I'm sure it'd be worth the extra money for that ability to stretch out. Did you book your own air or did you go through a travel agent?

 

~Becky

 

quote=twincheryl;54912048]Another vote for AMA... we just returned from our first river cruise last month and it was great!

 

This was only our 2nd trip to Europe and I suggest, if you can possibly afford it, to fly business class... especially if you are flying from the west coast. Eleven hours is a LONG time to be in one of those regular seats. While we can never sleep on a plane, it is so nice to be able to stretch out and get in different positions. Well worth it, IMO. I know others would rather spend money elsewhere, but I would never fly to Europe if I did not budget for business class.

[Bexredpen]

Thank you, Roz. Good to know what to be focusing on and what not to be too concerned about. I'm glad to hear you were pleased with Uniworld...we haven't considered this cruise line, but I think we need to look into it from the things I've been hearing. I appreciate you taking the time to share your insights!

 

~Becky

 

I would look past the alcohol included/not included, and instead concentrate on itinerary, included excursions, accommodations, food and service. I've been very pleased with the 2 Uniworld cruises I took - Budapest to Passau and Bucharest to Passau. On both cruises there were some bicycling tours offered. They offer walking excursions for both gentle walkers and those wanting a more active, faster paced experience.

 

Roz

[Cyber Kat]

We've never sailed with AMA, but we have done cruises with Viking (3), Avalon (2), and Vantage (1). From what I've read here on CC, AMA is a step above Viking--especially with respect to food. I will mention one positive for Avalon for this cruise. With Avalon, you fly into or out of Zurich rather than Basel. You disembark the ship at Basel and ride for about an hour to get to Zurich. Basel has NO direct flights to North America, where as there are lots of direct flights from Zurich. This means that you'll probably get where you're going with one less flight leg. That was a significant advantage for us. If you do your own air, consider the Zurich option as well. There are direct trains from Basel to Zurich airport, and your ship will arrange for a cab to pick you up if you're on your own.

 

 

 

Just an FYI - we did the Rhine Getaway with Viking Amsterdam to Basel and our return flight left from Zurich. We paid the $50 per person for Viking Air Plus and were able to choose our flights.

 

We have an ocean cruise booked and we canceled the air because Air Plus was not available. We booked our own flights and got back the Viking air charge and what the rep called an air allowance.

 

For our Grand European river cruise this fall, we went with Viking Air once again - paying for Air Plus - and were able to get the flights we wanted at decent prices. Maybe they weren’t THE cheapest, but we didn’t have to do extensive research. It’s a trade off that works for us.

 

We were very happy with our cruise - enough to book 2 more, but we have not cruised with any of the other lines.

 

We chose the Rhine because the whole Castles on the Rhine romantic notion and it was romantic [emoji7]

 

We chose Viking because fell in love with the look of their ships. I was not disappointed. And we chose Viking because of the stop at Kinderdijk. None of the other lines we were considering were doing that stop at the time we were first looking.

 

 

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[twincheryl]

Thank you for this information - so happy to hear you had a wonderful experience! Which river did you sail on?

 

We would definitely be willing to fly business class. We'd be flying out of Denver, and since the longest flight we've ever been on was less than 4 hours, I'm sure it'd be worth the extra money for that ability to stretch out. Did you book your own air or did you go through a travel agent?

 

~Becky

]

 

We were on the Danube... beautiful!

 

Yes, we booked our own air. We never use a travel agent, but have once booked air thru Celebrity cruises as it was way cheaper than we could find elsewhere. I would suggest asking for a quote from whatever river cruise you find and compare to what you can find on your own. Sometimes they are better, sometimes not... and not always the flights you actually want with connections, etc.

 

It is just so nice to stretch out after flying for a few hours. We are never able to sleep on planes, but having that pillow and blanket and being able to lie flat in a nice dark cabin gives you the ability to at least rest and be a lot more comfortable!

[Host Jazzbeau]

Our first river cruise was AMA Amsterdam to Basel and we loved it! I always recommend this as the best first-time itinerary because it covers so many different cultures (Dutch, French, German and Swiss). If you can afford it, I also recommend the post-cruise excursion to Lucerne and Zurich. Lucerne is the most beautiful city on this itinerary (IMHO), and because you end in Zurich you will fly home from that airport. Also AMA will meet you at the airport in Amsterdam (maybe not if you fly in early, but Amsterdam is easy to navigate on your own even with just English) and accompany you all the way to the check-in line inside the Zurich airport -- that was a real worry-avoider for our first trip! Also on AMA the Cruise Director from the ship will stay with you on the post-cruise excursion, so it makes for a smooth transition.

[ural guy]

Basel has NO direct flights to North America, where as there are lots of direct flights from Zurich. This means that you'll probably get where you're going with one less flight leg. That was a significant advantage for us. If you do your own air, consider the Zurich option as well. There are direct trains from Basel to Zurich airport, and your ship will arrange for a cab to pick you up if you're on your own.

 

It's true that Basel has no direct flights from NA. You can take a train directly from the airport to Basel, it leaves every half hour, and takes 70 minutes. It looks to be 38 euro, but that may be less as I'm looking at a web booking site. A nice looking hotel about 100 meters from the Basel station is going to be 160E/night including breakfast. Then either a taxi or tram to the docking location (at least where Google Earth showed a cruise ship docked).

 

We've sailed Viking and Vantage, both good enough for us. Next November we're doing the Basel-Amsterdam with Vantage that includes time on the Mosel. They ran a special which included the 3 night post-extension in Brugge. If cabins don't fill up, I wouldn't be surprised to see this run again. Sign up for their e-mails if interested, and check your junk mail around holidays.

September is an expensive month, just a heads up.

 

Enjoy whoever you sail with. :)

[capriccio]

OP - you received some very good information and recommendations here (I second Roz's recommendation of Uniworld) and you might also want to take a look at the stickies (New to River Cruising, What to Expect on a River Cruise, etc.) Host Jazzbeau has posted at the top of the menu page.