Is river cruising for me?

[LoriAB]

Hello all! We are young 60’s couple. Both of us love all kinds of travel, but we have only cruised on large ocean ships. I took a wonderful group tour two years ago with my daughter. We traveled to Paris and the Normandy region of France. I absolutely fell in love with that region, and I want to return with my significant other. He is a great travel parter and loves history. My concerns include food,  (he eats no fish/seafood) and doesn’t like a lot of things 🙄) timing (not sure of weather) or whether or not we should just travel there on our own and use trains and rental cars. I’m pretty adventurous, so that isn’t a far stretch for me. Thanks for any comments/advice you can provide!

[Gourmet Gal]

My first choice is always land-based, mostly driving in Europe because it’s so easy but even easier is a river cruise because you only un-pack once and you can just go with the flow and not have to make many decisions.  Late spring or late fall are good times to go - not summer.  If your SO is picky about food and prefers less adventurous cuisine then he should find plenty agreeable options on a river boat.  I am assuming you’re considering a Seine cruise but you may want to check out the Rhône cruises, possibly Bordeaux if you’re oenophiles. Another option is canal cruising.  You have a fun project to research.

[hoosier2017]

Hi there. Weather unpredictable if you go on your own or on a river cruise.  I agree spring and fall are the best times to go.  Low/high water always a possibility, which you wouldn’t be concerned with if you went via car/ train on your own.   Food wise, I can only speak for the line we have been on twice, AMA.  There were always options available such as chicken, steak, burgers.  And chefs have always been accommodating with requests.  River cruising is a great way to travel.  Good luck! 

[Roz]

@LoriAB, I agree with everything @Gourmet Gal and @hoosier2017 already posted.  Why not try a combo trip for your first river cruise outing?  Maybe an 8-day cruise followed by travel on your own?

 

I find arranging and figuring out travel every day to be physically and mentally draining, and takes up a lot of time.  With a river cruise you don't have to concern yourself with how to get from A to B and then over to C.

 

Not eating fish or seafood should be of no concern at all.  There are always options for entrees at lunch and dinner.  

[TMLAalum]

Try a combination trip! We took our first river cruise in November 2019 from Nuremberg to Budapest. We flew into Frankfurt, rented a car and spent time in the Eifel region of Germany, onward to Metz and Ribeauville in the Alsace region of France followed by 3 nights on the outskirts of Lucerne before returning the rental car in Nuremberg. We had a great time on the Danube cruise, especially since we were joined by 10 friends! After the cruise we took the train from Budapest for 3 nights in Munich.

 

Our next river cruise will be the filling of a land trip sandwich too!

[Roz]

@LoriAB, have you checked out the articles @Host Jazzbeau has posted at the top of this forum?  Before I went on my first river cruise I found two of his articles especially helpful - New to River Cruising??? and What To Expect on a River Cruise.

[Daisi]

As Roz says above, read the articles. Then find a TA who is knowledgeable about river cruising, or has a co-worker who is that they can bounce ideas off of. It costs nothing, but can be very valuable.

 

As others have said, how about combining a land & river cruise? That way, if you are going to Europe for 2 weeks, and find river cruising isn't for you, you can still enjoy the land cruise. I'm sure you will come home with some good memories of the cruise, but it's not for everyone.

 

If your partner is a fussy eater, don't worry. I don't like onions or peppers, and have an intolerance for eggs.  No problem, I think after the first dinner my server knew, and would make sure that I knew if something was in one of the dishes I chose. I usually just pick out the onions & peppers, but with him mentioning it to the Chef, my dishes came with none in them. At breakfast, the Chef would watch out to be sure I knew about any heavy egg dishes, without even making a fuss.  There is always the usual beef/chicken entre for dinner, but I'm sure he can find some dishes he will like.

 

Is river cruising for you? Only you and your partner will know, but here is a typical day. Start the morning with breakfast, out for a morning tour (usually 8:30/9:00 - 11:00/11:30), back to the ship for lunch, then if in port for the remainder of the day, you can choose to go on another tour (1:00 -4:00), wander around port or just relax onboard.  Happy Hour & the daily briefing is usually around 5:00 - 5:30ish, and dinner follows. Dinner is a lengthy one, but think about dining in a good restaurant with a 4 course meal, it doesn't come at fast food speeds.  After dinner, there will be some heading up to the lounge for a night cap, and listen to the keyboardist, or other entertainment if available. To be honest, most go out for all tours - morning and afternoon, so after dinner is over a lot will go to their cabins to catch up on news from home (free wifi), review their day, and get ready for the next one.

 

There is a limited amount of room for gyms - a couple of stationary bikes, some free weights, possibly a treadmill, but there is a nice walking/running track on the sun deck  Not recommended for an early morning run, but once everyone is up, feel free. There may be a spa with a masseuse, a hair salon, but nothing like what you would find on a larger ocean ship. 

 

River cruising is the one holiday we really did need a holiday to recover from, but we enjoyed it so much we were planning our next one on the flight home!

[Roz]

@Daisi, I also find my river cruises to be tiring, but well worth it.  I want to see and do it all.

[CPT Trips]

2 minutes ago, Daisi said:

Start the morning with breakfast, out for a morning tour (usually 8:30/9:00 - 11:00/11:30), back to the ship for lunch, then if in port for the remainder of the day, you can choose to go on another tour (1:00 -4:00), wander around port or just relax onboard. 

When you are docked for an entire day, consider skipping lunch on the ship. Just stay in town, grab a quick bite, and roam. Just let the proper person know that you won’t be going back for lunch and if there is a shuttle for the ship find out where it will be and the time(s).

[Daisi]

35 minutes ago, Roz said:

@Daisi, I also find my river cruises to be tiring, but well worth it.  I want to see and do it all.

 

That's the way we look at it. It's a nice way to get a general overview, and know where you wish to someday return. We have for years ended our holidays with a 17 hr drive home, so would come home tired, but even with a day "relaxing" on the trains, we were still worn out from our cruise.  That is how we learned to start at the furthest distance and head towards the shortest flight home. 🙂

 

[Roz]

30 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

When you are docked for an entire day, consider skipping lunch on the ship. Just stay in town, grab a quick bite, and roam. Just let the proper person know that you won’t be going back for lunch and if there is a shuttle for the ship find out where it will be and the time(s).

 

Sometimes there are also afternoon tours, so you won't be able to take advantage of those if you don't return to the ship.

[CPT Trips]

Certainly a factor as one considers. Sometimes the schedule and itinerary make choosing an “and” rather than an “or.” Return to the ship in time to make the p.m. tour or possibly meet up with the group in town. 

[3Shelaghs]

I always describe it this way..... I am a "seasoned ocean cruiser", I am adventurous, but starting to see the advantages of gearing down, being of same age group. We have travelled a good portion of the world, and here it comes............"wish we had discovered river cruising much earlier in life. We always felt no trip was a waste of money, but once we sampled river cruising, we sincerely wish we hadn't wasted so much money on ocean cruising"!!! You will love it! 

We always tack on days pre and post to savour more of certain areas.

I also don't eat fish or seafood, and find the meals very good!

[LoriAB]

Thanks everyone! I have some serious reading to do! I would love to do a combo train/car and river cruise. Not sure if I can afford both, but it seems like a wonderful idea. Thanks!

[dawnvip]

DH and I are also in our early 60's and have done numerous ocean cruises through the Carribean and Mediterranean.

Last year, we decided that a river cruise would be a good idea. Small ships (max guest capacity ~ 150 ppl), tours included, along with great food, ports, and no worries sailing between countries and COVID testing. The Seine cruise from Paris to Le Havre on AMA was amazing and we have another AMA cruise booked this September! 

Ports are smaller, tours are available but there is no pressure to attend if you'd rather just take one of the bikes for a toodle or head out on your own. The tours are generally broken into 2 or 3 groups depending on activity level (easy walk vs moderate vs strenuous), and AMA made sure each tour guide only had 10 ppl per group so it was really wonderful. Usually a morning tour and often an afternoon tour as well. Cruise Director's communication was excellent, so we could decide night before what our plan would be for the next day. 

Food was amazing!! The couple seated next to us had some food allergies and dislikes, but commented to us how considerate the staff were in accomodating them and how wonderful the meals were. We agreed!!

We were worried we would be bored on board such a small boat - but no such thing ever happened! 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, dawnvip said:

AMA made sure each tour guide only had 10 ppl per group

This is one of the qualitative differences among cruise lines that don't show up when people just crunch the numbers.  I have seen Viking lollipops with at least 3x that many passengers in tow.

[sharkster77]

Another consideration is that experienced ocean cruisers often book their own independent excursions.  That is quite difficult on a river cruise.  The docking times are not known well in advance, and can change based on back ups in locks or a whole host of other factors. Also, the ship is often moving while you are on an excursion, so the boat may not be there when you return from  your self-booked tour.  The bus that brought you on the excursion will bring you to the ship's new location.

 

And lastly, you are already paying for an included excursion in every port, and we found the optional excursions of very good quality and reasonably priced.

[notamermaid]

Great info - as always - from the CC folks. I would just like to add something to consider that directly concerns the itineraries on the Seine. They are usually Paris return. That is either central Paris or LePec Paris district to Caudebec-en-Caux and thereabouts then return to Paris, but a couple of cruise lines can go as far as Honfleur with their ships and return. Just a few itineraries are one way.

 

And yes, I think you will enjoy a river cruise. With all that advice and reading the stickies I think you will be well informed of what cruising on a river is like. I get the feeling you may be happiest with a one way cruise and a couple of extra independent driving days that get you back to Paris.

 

Have fun planning.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

a couple of cruise lines can go as far as Honfleur

The impact of this on shore excursions is major.  The bus ride from Caudebec to Omaha Beach takes about 30 minutes more (each way) than doing that excursion from Honfleur.  Plus staying overnight in Honfleur adds a wonderful tourist-free experience.

[Gretchendz]

3 hours ago, LoriAB said:

Thanks everyone! I have some serious reading to do! I would love to do a combo train/car and river cruise. Not sure if I can afford both, but it seems like a wonderful idea. Thanks!

 

 

Once you start narrowing it down, many of the cruise lines have attached land itineraries you can add.  AMA, for example, almost always has a three day pre-cruise at a town like Prague or Munich or whatever--near the starting point of the river cruise.  Includes a good quality hotel, breakfasts, excursions, and often transfers.  Again, a TA who is knowledgeable about river cruises can be invaluable in helping you plan.

 

I, too, am someone who likes to travel independently. However, after my last extravaganza (cruise to Barcelona, then train to Madrid, then San Sebastian and Biarrtz, then Bordeaux, then Paris, then Southampton for the QM2 home) I am starting to analyze the "time cost" of packing and moving every night or 2, and the various transportation modes.  To me. much of the allure of the river cruise is the "floating hotel."

Edited August 28, 2022 by Gretchendz

[Roz]

5 hours ago, Gretchendz said:

 

 

However, after my last extravaganza (cruise to Barcelona, then train to Madrid, then San Sebastian and Biarrtz, then Bordeaux, then Paris, then Southampton for the QM2 home) I am starting to analyze the "time cost" of packing and moving every night or 2, and the various transportation modes.  To me. much of the allure of the river cruise is the "floating hotel."

 

Amen to that!

[franski]

8 hours ago, LoriAB said:

Thanks everyone! I have some serious reading to do! I would love to do a combo train/car and river cruise. Not sure if I can afford both, but it seems like a wonderful idea. Thanks!

We LOVE river cruising...  If the rivers don't dry up over the next 3 weeks, we are embarking on #16... 

 

Over the years, we have pretty much settled on going in a few days ahead of the cruise - and staying on after.  Usually we arrange the pre/post portions on our own - but occasionally  ask the company what they have available for extensions.  Depending on the area, we might book with them instead of doing the extensions on our own. 

 

We love the fact that we take our hotel room with us.  The included excursion(s) give us enough local history and culture that we feel we get a "taste" of the stops. We then know if we would like to travel back to an area again in the future. And we have met some wonderful people along the way.  In fact, we have kept in touch with one couple and are travelling with them on our next cruise. 

 

Enjoy your planning... but - fair warning.  River cruising can be addictive!!

 

Fran

[Canal archive]

Fran may I correct you it should be, is, not, can be!

[Roz]

@franski, I'm hooked!  It was love at first sight after my first one from Budapest to Passau on Uniworld.

[pontac]

18 hours ago, dawnvip said:

AMA made sure each tour guide only had 10 ppl per group

 

How does this work if all 150 people want to go on the excursion? Do they have 15 groups with 15 guides?