European river cruise for senior solo first time cruiser

[IntrepidKiwi]

Hi everyone 

 

My mother and I are planning a trip to Europe next year (we're from New Zealand). She is interested in doing a river cruise, which will possibly be by herself, as I'd like to do some independent travel. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good company suitable for a novice cruiser? One that doesn't charge a large single supplement? 

 

Thanks

 

Caitlin 

[mskaufman]

Single supplements sometimes vary by sailing so I do not know about that.  All of the major lines (Viking, AMA, etc.) should be fine

[Roz]

I would stay away from Viking, as their single supplement is almost always 200%.  Take a look at AMA, Uniworld, and Avalon.

[notamermaid]

Welcome to cruisecritic.

 

APT Touring - they use the AmaWaterways fleet - have some great itineraries. I cannot see their single supplement policy online, but the website mentions solo cabins on some cruises. You could look into their offers or phone them up.

 

For general info on river cruising I recommend reading the stickies (pinned threads) at the top of the page, compiled by our host jazzbeau.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

[G.M.T.]

IntrepidKiwi, first off welcome to CC especially River Cruising forum.

 

First off best to decide which area takes her fancy, Danube, Rhine, Phone, Seine Douro, Volga, this will also have an impact on what type of weatherNext length of holiday, being down under is a very long flight probably 14 days +, next which season - spring, summer, autumn or Christmas Markets.

 

What is Mum interested in, churches, food, wine, sightseeing etc. this will have an impact on which river is best. Also what is included in the cruise price, drinks, tips, excursions, air travel, tranfers etc., a spreadsheet comes in hand to arrive at the final price for comparisons.

 

How is Mum on her legs (I'm not talking about her last legs after the 3rd. Vodka/Lemon 🍹) but with regards to walking. As some of the towns have steep cobbled streets and shore excursion can be rushed. But some cruise lines have special slow walking excursions.

 

So just ask away.

 

PS. How did New Zealand do in the Rugby World Cup?🙈💣💥- 🍻 (One each

 

From what people here recommend, read the companies websites, read reviews and what other cruisers say here on CC (Cruise Critic), if you have questions just ask (no one bites - well maybe me 🍻).

 

Contributors on this forum are a friendly and experienced bunch, both cruisers and some natives who live along the rivers)

[Babcia7]

I'd also consider Crystal, if the itineraries they offer are something your Mom might enjoy.  There were several solo cruisers on our Crystal Bach cruise this summer, and they all seemed to enjoy interacting with the rest of the passengers. Crystal staff took great care of all passengers, and paid special attention to those needing a little extra help. We found their customer service on par, if not a notch better, than that we received on our Uniworld cruises.

[IntrepidKiwi]

Thanks everyone for your replies. 

 

We are looking at travelling in August or September next year. We are going to Oberammergau on 5th September. 

 

A lot of the specials seem to be finishing today.  Will there be others coming up or is this it? We don't feel ready to book yet and don't want to make a rushed decision! 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, IntrepidKiwi said:

Thanks everyone for your replies. 

 

We are looking at travelling in August or September next year. We are going to Oberammergau on 5th September. 

 

A lot of the specials seem to be finishing today.  Will there be others coming up or is this it? We don't feel ready to book yet and don't want to make a rushed decision! 

There will be another special next month. So don't worry.

 

I have to say I had a decent single supplement on Crystal and was very impressed with them. I thought they were much better than AMA.

 

APT is invested in AMA. Also, I think Scenic and Emerald Waterways is from Australia (but markets all over).

[IntrepidKiwi]

Thanks everyone for your replies. 

 

We are looking at travelling in August or September next year. We are going to Oberammergau on 5th September. 

 

A lot of the specials seem to be finishing today.  Will there be others coming up or is this it? We don't feel ready to book yet and don't want to make a rushed decision! 

 

Thanks Coral, that makes me feel at ease! If you ask a travel agent, they often say that this is the best deal, but you don't know if they're being completely genuine. 

[IntrepidKiwi]

Hi Coral

 

I had a look on the Crystal website and couldn't find any offers for solo travellers or any information about how much this would be. Riviera cruises has some quite good rates on some of their cruises, limited by dates of course. 

[Coral]

21 minutes ago, IntrepidKiwi said:

 

A lot of the specials seem to be finishing today.  Will there be others coming up or is this it? We don't feel ready to book yet and don't want to make a rushed decision! 

 

Thanks Coral, that makes me feel at ease! If you ask a travel agent, they often say that this is the best deal, but you don't know if they're being completely genuine. 

There will be more specials for November :) 

[franski]

1 hour ago, IntrepidKiwi said:

We are looking at travelling in August or September next year. We are going to Oberammergau on 5th September. 

 

A lot of the specials seem to be finishing today.  Will there be others coming up or is this it? We don't feel ready to book yet and don't want to make a rushed decision! 

 

There will be lots of sales coming up - just watch the websites.  G.M.T has some good thoughts/suggestions.  If you have a specific date/itinerary in mind, your options might be a bit more limited.  But, if your Mom doesn't have any specific "must see" destinations - and just wants to experience a river cruise - then you should be able to find something for the date/price point you are interested in. 

Companies will often waive the Single Supplement if they have a sailing that they want to fill.  September sailings often (at least in my experience) will be sold out - so you might have better luck with an August sailing.  But, this will probably depend on the company, and the itinerary.

Enjoy your planning!!  And, feel free to ask any questions you may have...  We have a great deal of collective knowledge here - and most people are very willing to offer opinions and suggestions.

 

Fran

[Roz]

I've found some of the best single deals on cruises later in the season - October and November.  Best to enlist the help of a travel agent familiar with river cruises.

[jo-b]

Try Riviera Travel, they have offers for solo passengers, good mix of people, mainly Brits if that's not an issue for your mum. They are also reasonably priced generally we found them on a par with Scenic or APT.

[Senga]

I just read an article in my latest edition of Cruise & Travel Lifestyles on Riviera River Cruises.  Definitely sounds like what you’re looking for.

[jo-b]

On our recent cruise with them there were 20+ singletons onboard evidently very popular and as someone else has said more so at the start/end of the season 

[Roz]

1 hour ago, jo-b said:

On our recent cruise with them there were 20+ singletons onboard evidently very popular and as someone else has said more so at the start/end of the season 

 

Whenever I hear the term "singleton" I think of Bridget Jones Diary. 😄

[pacmom]

may be asking a stupid question, but here goes.  If you and your mother are traveling together, why do you need a solo.  Are you not occupying the same cabin?  Any two people can occupy the cabin, except for two minors.  Good luck finding the right trip.

Pat

[Coral]

1 minute ago, pacmom said:

may be asking a stupid question, but here goes.  If you and your mother are traveling together, why do you need a solo.  Are you not occupying the same cabin?  Any two people can occupy the cabin, except for two minors.  Good luck finding the right trip.

Pat

The OP will be doing independent travel (land) while the Mom does the river cruise.

[pacmom]

Coral,  thank you so much for making it clear to me.  Pat

[BobKate]

Hi Caitlin,

We had a need for a solo cabin for a family member on an upcoming cruise on the Danube.  Crystal River Cruises is the only line that has single-occupancy cabins that are NOT below deck.  For our solo family member, that means she will have a full view window to enjoy the scenery, as much as the rest of the family.   Also, it seemed as if the Crystal single-supplement wasn’t such a big sting in the wallet, given that it is all-inclusive.  Good luck with your planning!

[Daisi]

Bob, I can't speak for other lines, but I know Avalon has rooms on the 2nd or even the 3rd level that they will allow solo cruisers.  I'm pretty sure most others do, but I'll let those who have sailed with them confirm it.  I know Avalon does, as we had 2 solo travellers on the 2nd level - one beside us and the other across from us on our cruise, as well as a solo traveller on the 3rd level who often joined us all for lunch.

 

[Roz]

On Uniworld there are no single-occupancy cabins, but on certain itineraries they will lower the single supplement for specific cabins categories.  Some are aquarium cabins and some aren't.  I've been researching Avalon, and Daisi is correct, solos aren't limited to below deck cabins.  As far as scenery, there are only a few scenic stretches, at least on the Rhine and Danube, so it's not important for me to have a high level cabin.  When we went thru the Rhine Gorge, I just went to the upper deck and had a much better view than I did in my suite cabin. 

[CruisingAlong4Now]

Tauck does not generally charge any single supplement, that's 0%! for cabins in the lowest category.  Excellent service and excellent reputation.  Let me repeat that.  0% supplement.

[RTLS]

I'm seconding Daisi's suggestion to look at Avalon. We recently travelled with them and, as we were 3 people, we booked one single and one double on the 2nd level. No supplement for the solo traveller. Avalon often has these specials but usually limits the number of singles to 5 on each sailing.

 

When we were planning this trip, we specifically did not want to pay a supplement and nor did we want to be "aquarium" class though I know many travellers are fine with that. Avalon fit the bill.