Ocean cruiser overwhelmed with research! Need advice-dining, Ama and Viking

[AllisonJames]

About us: experienced ocean cruisers, current favorite line is Azamara, we like it for the boutique-like ships, relaxed and casual atmosphere, flexibility and great service. We’re in our 50’s, have very busy work schedules which requires attending many social events. We travel to reconnect as a couple, relax and recharge. We’re not anti-social, but our biggest concern is dinner at 7, with 160 people all at the same time and not having the option to sometimes dine alone as a couple. On our ocean cruises we enjoy the ports, return to the ship and relax, have cocktails and then dinner around 8 or 8:30.  River cruise dining seems very rigid to us.

 

Husband has a business trip in July 2020 in Vienna—thought it would be a good opportunity to try a river cruise because everyone raves about them and we feel we are missing out! Crystal seems to fit us best, but doesn’t have any itineraries/dates that work.  A departure from Budapest on the Danube works best and both AMA and Viking have dates that fit.  Travel agent suggested AMA and it would be on the new double wide boat Amamagna so that seems like a plus.  However, it is a whopping $3,000 more for similar category on Viking (lowest level veranda) — $1,500 per day AND doesn’t include all beverages & gratuities at that price! Way more than we’ve ever spent on an ocean cruise. We’ve been on Viking Ocean and liked it and it  Viking River seems a much better price than AMA (but still $1,000 a day) and we like the look of the boats and like the fact that they have a casual outdoor dining option (even at dinner, I think?) But the main dining room is all tables of six??? And every dinner is at 7 and takes at least two hours? Anyone who can give details and specifics about dining on Viking and AMA, schedule, tables for two, outdoor dining and what the experience is really like would be appreciated and I realize it is subjective but is AMA really worth $500 more per day?  We don’t mind meeting people and eating together — sometimes.  I know we sound high-maintenance but we really aren’t—don’t mind paying for the experience but paying a lot without flexibility is worrying us.  Thanks for your help!  

[mskaufman]

Viking did have single seating dinning and not really tables for two.  There is a more casual dining upstairs but not sure if it always had the full menu choice.  It did not always take two hours but 90 minutes - yes.  Happy to answer other questions.

[Peregrina651]

We have done three river cruises now with Viking --China, the Dneipr River and the Danube Budapest to Bucharest-- and have loved them all. They were each very different and each done on a different class of river going ship, only one of which was a Viking Longship. When Viking announced it was moving into ocean voyages, we were thrilled and could not wait to book our first cruises with them.

 

River cruising is much different from ocean. There are many fewer people and fewer choices on board--one dining room, one bar, one lounge, etc. On Viking, meal hours are fixed and at dinner there is just one seating, very much like ocean cruising before the days of any-time dining. The meal is served in courses and everybody gets served one course before the next is brought out. Tables for two are scarce and there is no reserved seating in the dining room--and yes, at times, it seems like a bit of a cattle call. There is a less formal venue, with some outside seating, on Viking but we have never dined there (because the choices are more limited and we have dietary issues to deal with that make it easier to be served in the mdr). Meal-wise, things are more regimented than we are accustomed to on ocean cruising.

 

 

 

[jrkstl]

Thought that I'd add to the mix...

 

We have only cruised on river cruises, and so far have only used Viking. The 4 cruises taken have been a little different, but all great. Wouldn't hesitate to try a different line, but Viking has offered the itineraries that we've wanted, and I'll admit that the Longship aesthetic really suits our style. We are also in our 50s...

 

I had similar concerns about cruising and spending time with a bunch of strangers - but on our first night's dinner on cruise number 1, we met a couple that we have become friends with, and have done (so far) three cruises together. I was worried about dinners being too formal, but as it turns out the evening meals might be one of my favorite things about our cruises. 

 

We have always has dinner in the main dining room, but other couples we've met over the years like to occasionally have dinner upstairs in the Aquavit Terrance/Lounge. If memory serves me correctly, along with the casual buffet you can get most main dining room food options.

 

So - we have been very pleased with our Viking trips, and look forward to cruises 5 and 6 in the next couple of years 🙂

Jeff

 

[DougK]

Have you looked at Scenic? I don't know whether they have an itinerary that works for your dates, nor have I compared prices, but they are fully inclusive (gratuities, all beverages, tours). Plus, while dinner is still a single seating, they do have a fair number of tables for two. My wife and I also had Azamara as our favorite ocean cruise line, and greatly enjoyed a trip on Scenic this fall.

[caripoo]

This is my 2 cents.......If you have never done a river cruise yet, which I gather....They are VERY different... I try and tell our friends that have not done them to expect many differences.....While my husband and I usually are traveling with other couples, we have done some on our own and usually love to eat with new people.....When the boats are tied up to one another there is a lack of privacy......the ships are small, so sometimes there is not alot of real quiet alone space.... These are some of the things you just have to try,. River cruises are not for everyone...We have done Viking and are doing Crystal next year...We have decided not to wed ourselves to a river line yet....Try it, I hope you like it!! Try a line that might have alternate dining on river...most of the new ones have more than one option. And try dinner in town if you are there at night.

[acwmom]

6 hours ago, AllisonJames said:

About us: experienced ocean cruisers, current favorite line is Azamara, we like it for the boutique-like ships, relaxed and casual atmosphere, flexibility and great service. We’re in our 50’s, have very busy work schedules which requires attending many social events. We travel to reconnect as a couple, relax and recharge. We’re not anti-social, but our biggest concern is dinner at 7, with 160 people all at the same time and not having the option to sometimes dine alone as a couple. On our ocean cruises we enjoy the ports, return to the ship and relax, have cocktails and then dinner around 8 or 8:30.  River cruise dining seems very rigid to us.

 

Husband has a business trip in July 2020 in Vienna—thought it would be a good opportunity to try a river cruise because everyone raves about them and we feel we are missing out! Crystal seems to fit us best, but doesn’t have any itineraries/dates that work.  A departure from Budapest on the Danube works best and both AMA and Viking have dates that fit.  Travel agent suggested AMA and it would be on the new double wide boat Amamagna so that seems like a plus.  However, it is a whopping $3,000 more for similar category on Viking (lowest level veranda) — $1,500 per day AND doesn’t include all beverages & gratuities at that price! Way more than we’ve ever spent on an ocean cruise. We’ve been on Viking Ocean and liked it and it  Viking River seems a much better price than AMA (but still $1,000 a day) and we like the look of the boats and like the fact that they have a casual outdoor dining option (even at dinner, I think?) But the main dining room is all tables of six??? And every dinner is at 7 and takes at least two hours? Anyone who can give details and specifics about dining on Viking and AMA, schedule, tables for two, outdoor dining and what the experience is really like would be appreciated and I realize it is subjective but is AMA really worth $500 more per day?  We don’t mind meeting people and eating together — sometimes.  I know we sound high-maintenance but we really aren’t—don’t mind paying for the experience but paying a lot without flexibility is worrying us.  Thanks for your help!  

Not all lines have released their 2020 cruises yet, so you may want to wait a little longer. If you like to dine at your leisure, and not at a set time, Uniworld may be a good choice. We often would have a drink in the lounge, or enjoy quiet time on the sun deck, then meander down to the dining room around 8 or 8:30, when the mad rush had settled down. Dinner also goes a little more quickly that way. 

 

Robin

[philw1776]

Multiple Viking Ocean & Viking River cruises plus other cruise lines.
Longships do not have tables for 2.  We like & use the tables for 2 by ourselves on VO but on VR for inexplicable reasons we love the seating with 6 experience.  Go figure.  Dinner has never taken 2 hours, more like 90 minutes max.  End up sitting there drinking too much wine.  You can take your full wine glass up to the lounge for entertainment.

The Aquavit Terrace is a gem.  Can sit at tables for 2 there.  Lunch buffet there is our preference.  My limited experience with Aquavit dinner we could order anything but others have reported limited selections at dinner on other ships.  Aquavit is small.

There can be a geezer stampede to the dining room at 7PM.  I find it freakin' hilarious to see and not a problem.

Oh, there are even bigger tables than seating for 6 in the center of the restaurant.

Subjective opinion.  VR food is better than VO.  Breakfast has many more cheese selections and they vary.  Same with breads.
Dinners have very interesting regional specialty options on VR.  

 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, philw1776 said:

Multiple Viking Ocean & Viking River cruises plus other cruise lines.
Longships do not have tables for 2.  We like & use the tables for 2 by ourselves on VO but on VR for inexplicable reasons we love the seating with 6 experience.  Go figure.  Dinner has never taken 2 hours, more like 90 minutes max.  End up sitting there drinking too much wine.  You can take your full wine glass up to the lounge for entertainment.

The Aquavit Terrace is a gem.  Can sit at tables for 2 there.  Lunch buffet there is our preference.  My limited experience with Aquavit dinner we could order anything but others have reported limited selections at dinner on other ships.  Aquavit is small.

There can be a geezer stampede to the dining room at 7PM.  I find it freakin' hilarious to see and not a problem.

Oh, there are even bigger tables than seating for 6 in the center of the restaurant.

Subjective opinion.  VR food is better than VO.  Breakfast has many more cheese selections and they vary.  Same with breads.
Dinners have very interesting regional specialty options on VR.  

 

 

LOL. DH is going to part of that geezer stampede--and we aren't even snowbirds. We are a party of four and we would like to be at the same table for dinner. So we are aiming for the front of the line just so finding 4 at one table isn't a hassle.

[AllisonJames]

Thank you everyone for the responses, the info is very much appreciated.  One reason for deciding on Viking or not now is we get an additional discount if we book another Viking cruise within one year of our last Viking cruise which is next week.  Every little bit helps!  Today I was told by Viking that they require FULL payment ONE YEAR in advance which is a change from the last time we booked.  Could be a deal breaker for us as we have two cruises before then we’ll be paying for (on a regular schedule of payment in full 120 days in advance) and it seems just ridiculous to be expected to pay thousands of dollars a year before the cruise.  Will also look at Scenic and Uniworld.  Any one else run into this new policy yet?

[Coral]

34 minutes ago, AllisonJames said:

  Any one else run into this new policy yet?

It was discussed in November. I can't seem to post a link.

[Peregrina651]

Yes, and planning to book on board when we sail in a few weeks so that we can take advantage of the additional discounts and the pay-in-full 6 months out perk.

 

The new policy went into effect at the beginning of November and has been the subject of a couple of threads in this forum.

Change to payment arrangements ?

Final payment a year in advance of the trip

 

Rushing to book before the discount goes down might not be worth doing in light of the new payment policy.

[Host Jazzbeau]

We have sailed on AMA three times and prefer it for the high quality food, wine and service [similar to Azamara, which is also one of our favorite ocean lines].  And AmaMagna, as a double-wide river ship, will be much closer to an ocean ship feel than almost all other river ships.  Dinner on AMA's regular ships is definitely fixed seating and mostly [if not all, really didn't check] tables for 4+ but there will be more flexibility on AmaMagna:  In addition to the "Main Restaurant and The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant—where the kitchen, usually hidden, becomes part of the entertainment—you’ll savor fresh, masterfully prepared cuisine within the new Al Fresco Restaurant, featuring retractable windows, as well as Jimmy’s Wine Bar Restaurant, named for AmaWaterways’ beloved late co-owner, Jimmy Murphy. All of this is available to you at no additional cost." 

 

There are a very few river cruise lines that have more flexibility in dinner time and table size.  Viking is not one of them [except with their small grill which isn't always a real dinner option], so don't let your discount deadline be a factor.  

 

I recommend taking a look at Crystal: they have brought their luxury ocean cruise experience to their river ships, which puts them at the top of the luxury scale – and Crystal Mozart is the only other double-wide river ship that would give you the spacious ocean cruise feel.  I believe they will also offer the dinner arrangements you prefer.

[NJCruiserBoy]

Given that you prefer flexible dining with tables for 2 and a casual, intimate atmosphere Crystal sounds the best fit.  It’s completely all-inclusive and the food is OUTSTANDING, making it a really great value.  River cruising is like ocean cruising, not all brands are the same.  Viking is like the Royal Caribbean of river cruising, thus the lower price. Having sailed AMA twice I would say it’s like the old Princess Cruises. Crystal River is like Crystal Ocean in a more intimate and modern atmosphere.  Hope that helps.   

[jpalbny]

Uniworld may be a better fit for you if you can find something that works with your schedule. They usually run Sunday to Sunday so we find that handy for us - given that we are in the same "boat" as you (50/49, both working full-time).

 

We did the Danube, Budapest to Passau, on Uniworld in April 2016 and I did a detailed trip report if you want to see what the onboard experience was like. It may help you decide if it's something you'd like. We were on River Beatrice which has since been upgraded to SS Beatrice (a "Super Ship" which may have more amenities than a regular ship).

 

 

We like Uniworld for the good locally influenced food and the all-inclusive nature though they do have additional tours above and beyond the basics if you want to spend more. And they have a premium wine list if you want, though it's almost impossible to empty your wine glass before they refill it, so no need to buy anything extra unless you really want it. Plus, if you book through AMEX Platinum you get $300 in OBC which will buy a few extra tours - or a few bottles of nice wine to take home with you.

 

On our last Uniworld cruise we often ate later than the 7:00 rush and had no trouble finding a table for 2. As others have said, when you come in later, the service is often faster.

 

We travel a lot on our own and plan some pretty intense itineraries, so we find that river cruises are more relaxing and easy for us. I hope you enjoy it, whatever you choose.

[Bizmark'sMom]

I've traveled with Viking and with Ama.  Ama has better food, IMO. And after the bottomless wine glass at dinner, I had no need to purchase any other alcoholic beverages. Viking, similarly, keeps the wine coming.  Dinner takes 90 minutes or so, and any evening entertainment happens after dinner is finished. You also have the option of eating in town, depending on when your ship departs.

 

Your cabin is only private if you keep the curtains closed. Even if you aren't tied up next to another ship, you are cruising through towns and people can see into your window.

 

Nobody really dresses for dinner, in my experience.  My river cruises have been in fall and winter, though, when dressing up means finding a clean sweater.  Warm weather might bring a dressier crowd.

[Valley Girl of VA]

I just came off my third AMA cruise on Saturday.  There are booths for 4 people as well as tables for 4 but nothing for twosomes.  I did see food being delivered to a stateroom twice.  There is the Chef's Table which is equal to a specialty restaurant on an ocean cruiser except there is no extra fee for it and it is a pre fixed menu - more of a sampler.

 

The lounge area is very comfortable and you can be by yourself if you want.  Everyone is friendly but they do respect your space.  I think people will be able to judge any vibe you give off.

 

I like the food with the endless wine and beer at meal time.  Breakfast can be ordered off the menu or you can help yourself to the buffet - same with lunch. Dinner is off the menu and the food is delicious, always with options.  Additionally, if you choose to not go to the diningroom there are tapas and finger foods on the buffet table in the lounge area, where the bar is.  What my husband and I have done is bought some appetizers (ie cheese, crackers, sausages, etc) and bottles of wine in our stateroom and have a Happy Hour prior to dinner.  

 

Let me know if you have any further questions

 

Jane

[Coral]

Your posts does scream "Crystal"...... Maybe see if you can get the dates to work - spend some land time in one of the ports before the trip?

[AllisonJames]

Thanks everyone your advice is appreciated.  Yes Crystal appears to be best fit but dates/itineraries don’t work.  Uniworld I am sorry to say I really dislike the ornate and formal look of the ships — makes my head hurt just looking at the photos.  Scenic looks appealing but dates are not ideal.  I think AMA is the front runner now because it would be on the new AmaMagna (really like the larger size AND the fact that they won’t have other boats docked next to them, inhibiting any views and privacy) AND they are advertising a golf package (husband is an avid golfer) but they couldn’t absolutely confirm it would be offered on that cruise, however we are hopeful!  I was ready to book with Viking yesterday but they totally annoyed me by saying full payment required 18 MONTH in advance (12 was bad enough).  Ridiculous and total deal breaker.  Goodbye Viking!

[gnome12]

I'm not sure that a double wide ship completely eliminates the possibility of rafting, since rafting 3 abreast is not uncommon.

[Coral]

1 hour ago, gnome12 said:

I'm not sure that a double wide ship completely eliminates the possibility of rafting, since rafting 3 abreast is not uncommon.

On the Crystal Mozart which is double wide deep and we did raft with other ships several times.

[twincheryl]

We have cruised Ama once and will again next summer.  I would say that my aversion to dining in big groups is the only thing that keeps me away from even more river cruising.  We had no trouble keeping to ourselves during different lounge times or at breakfast/lunch in the lounge.  We're totally happy with the buffet style offerings in the lounge since we don't need big meals in a dining room setting.  The Chef's Table was awesome, but the tables are at least for 4 people.

 

River cruising is totally amazing for getting on/off the ship easily... and having the town readily available right out the door (or a short walk) is great.  If docked outside of town, there is always a bus to take you where the action is.  Several ports we walked back to the ship and once we left the group and took a cab back because we wanted to do something different.  Ama sends a fairly detailed itinerary before the trip, so you can make other plans if you want.

 

We will definitely never cruise Viking because of the full payment a year in advance.  We ocean cruise 3-4 times a year and don't think we should tie up that much cash... not to mention the cost of airfare, since we will only fly to Europe in business class.

 

I think it's certainly worth one trip if you can afford to go... and you'll see what is important to you and what isn't.

[AllisonJames]

Interesting comments about the rafting and three boats together (wow that must be awful for the middle one) -- I read an article where AmaWaterways Execs were quoted as saying that an advantage of AmaMagna was that there wouldn't be any rafting due to size . . .

 

Yes, we are going to try it.  We're only doing a 7 day cruise in case it's not for us, and we love the fact that on this one land trip & river cruise we'll get to spend time in three amazing cities we haven't visited that I hear are amazing -- Vienna, Budapest and Prague.