Viking Grand European Itinerary

[BJS]

This is for those of you that book a cruise and want to go to each and every port listed in the brochure.

 

We fly to Budapest Oct. 14th for Viking's Grand European Oktoberfest Cruise. When we received our final docs they did not have the correct day -to-day itinerary that included the full day trip to Munich. This is included as part of the cruise. I then requested and received a pdf for the Oktoberfest itinerary but it was the one from Amsterdam and not from Budapest. When I finally received the correct pdf I compared the cruises and found there are some minor differences between the two and also a difference from what was listed in the brochure from which we booked the cruise. Ventura girl's 6/25 itinerary was still different from the others.

 

We are very pleased with the itinerary and the changes but can see where others might not be pleased had they wanted to visit a town that is no longer included. It also appears that the direction you cruise might determine the ports where you stop so that is something else to be aware of.

 

I'm aware that itineraries are changed during cruises due to water levels and other situations that are beyond the control of the cruise company. This is the first I've known that itineraries can vary depending on the direction cruising and not be shown in the published itinerary or that changes are made before the cruise begins without any advance notification.

 

I do not know if this happens with other River Cruise lines but we have never experienced this with ocean cruise itineraries unless we were notified prior to boarding.

[Michael J]

Did the original Brochure list both directions? I can see that going in the opposite direction that you might arrive at different times of the day and that would change the amount of time in each port. We are booked on a GCT cruise in November and looking at both directions some of times in port are different.

 

Mike

[BJS]

Did the original Brochure list both directions? I can see that going in the opposite direction that you might arrive at different times of the day and that would change the amount of time in each port. We are booked on a GCT cruise in November and looking at both directions some of times in port are different.

 

Mike

No, there was not a separate itinerary for the opposite direction in the original brochure it just indicated the cruise either went from Amsterdam to Budapest or Budapest to Amsterdam.

 

These were not just time arrival changes. There is a difference going in the opposite direction because some towns you visit in the morning one way and the afternoon the other way.

 

We had Mainz and Rudesheim moved from separate days to the same day, one evening in Durnstein eliminated, Bamberg added and our tour to Munich moved from the day we dock in Passau to the day docking in Regensburg.

 

Going in the opposite direction Linz was added to the original itinerary. THe change for Munich was the same as we have. I'm not positive but don't think Bamberg was added.

 

I just found all of this very interesting and so completely different than what we've experienced with ocean cruises.:eek:

.

[cmthomas]

It may have been some time since anyone posted this thought so I will refresh it for all to see and appreciate. Simply put, you cannot compare a river cruise to an ocean voyage. They are apples and oranges. A river cruise is more similar to a land tour. There are only two similarities to an ocean voyage --- you are on water and you don't have to unpack and pack every day.

 

So, if you don't try to make the comparison it will reduce the chance that you will be disappointed! Just sit back and enjoy a land tour without a bus and you will become hooked on river cruising!

 

Clarence:)

[BJS]

It may have been some time since anyone posted this thought so I will refresh it for all to see and appreciate. Simply put, you cannot compare a river cruise to an ocean voyage. They are apples and oranges. A river cruise is more similar to a land tour. There are only two similarities to an ocean voyage --- you are on water and you don't have to unpack and pack every day.

 

So, if you don't try to make the comparison it will reduce the chance that you will be disappointed! Just sit back and enjoy a land tour without a bus and you will become hooked on river cruising!

 

Clarence:)

Sorry if you got the idea that I was comparing the two as that was not my intent but rather to point out that one needs to be aware that a river cruise might not follow the itinerary that you have booked and that the itinerary may be different depending on the direction you are cruising.

 

FYI: The land tours we have taken followed the itinerary that we booked so I should have mentioned them also.