Questions about River Cruise

[drmikemd]

We have cruised major lines--Crystal, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity all in the Mediterranean and enjoyed them immensely. We always stay in a room with an ocean view or balcony but never a suite and never more than a 12 day cruise.

 

We are interested in a European river cruise but we are concerned about the size of the rooms, bed and showers. My husband is 6 feet 5 inches over 250 lbs and, although I am only 5' 4" I am overweight and not the petite person I was in younger days (we are in our early fifties).

 

When I look at the riverboat deck plans and staterooms on the internet, they seem small in square footage. The only review on tripadvisor I could find said that the rooms are designed for midgets.

 

Could anyone who has cruised the rivers of Europe lately comment on the ships, their size, their itineraries, etc.

 

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Cindy

[Beckaj]

:) Cindy,

I have been on two river cruises & understand your concern. My husband is 6'2'' so it can be a problem. On our first river cruise we were put on a lower level with the fold down beds --- so bad & way to small !!!! On the next one on the Viking Sun,we were on level A & the cabin was like being on a a regular cruise ship except for no balcony. We were fine. I do not remember the size,but you could go to vikingrivercruises & check it out. River cruising is so nice & you see so many smaller towns that you usually don't on larger ships. Hope this helps a little.

Happy Travels,

Beckajquote=drmikemd;10131790]We have cruised major lines--Crystal, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity all in the Mediterranean and enjoyed them immensely. We always stay in a room with an ocean view or balcony but never a suite and never more than a 12 day cruise.

 

We are interested in a European river cruise but we are concerned about the size of the rooms, bed and showers. My husband is 6 feet 5 inches over 250 lbs and, although I am only 5' 4" I am overweight and not the petite person I was in younger days (we are in our early fifties).

 

When I look at the riverboat deck plans and staterooms on the internet, they seem small in square footage. The only review on tripadvisor I could find said that the rooms are designed for midgets.

 

Could anyone who has cruised the rivers of Europe lately comment on the ships, their size, their itineraries, etc.

 

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Cindy

[steamboats]

Cindy,

 

Our cabin on the MS Mozart (Deilmann) was 203 sqft, the one on the Grandeur of the Seas was much smaller (154 sqft, outside no balcony). Deilmann´s Heidelberg has 190 sqft, the Casanova only 140 sqft. The Amadeus ships (Amadagio and Amalegro) have 170 sqft. Both on the Mozart and the Amadeus ships I´d say the bathrooms were quite spacy (and no darn shower curtains).

 

Anyway you never spend much time in your cabin but out on deck or in the public lounges.

 

steamboats

[VAGuy]

The rooms on the Avalon Artistry and Tapestry are 172 sq ft with a queen size bed. Rooms are compact, but designed for efficiency. The bathroom is also "efficient" but I will say the shower is snug. Turning around while in the shower could be problematical, but they are equipped with the hose extension which makes life easier. Other than sleeping and using the facilities, you spend little time in the room si I would not worry too much. Of course you could try for a "jr suite" which is 258 square feet with a bit bigger bathroom, although the bed is the same. Of course, there's a hefty price tag for the extra space.

 

For Avalon , go to http://www.avalonwaterways.co,. Click on ships, Tapestry, photos and you can get and idea of the rooms.

 

We have traveled with Avalon twice and been very satisfied. Good luck.

[debbie p]

Just got back yesterday from the Viking Spirit/Grand European River Cruise. Our cabin was fine. Yes, the bathroom is tiny, but efficient, the closet small, but every single space in the cabin is utilized by shelves. I brought along a travel iron (bought from Brookstone/great purchase) and just ironed my outfiit for the day, no biggie. I had also brought along a couple of those hooks you can stick up and take down w/o any damage to the wall and had a few clothes hanging that way. I wish Viking would have soap dishes in their showers, but since it's a shower curtain, would just put my soap and shampoo on the toilet seat and be fine.

[Hlitner]

Let me take a crack at your question. Like you, we have been on many ocean cruises (more than 50 cruises) including all the lines you cite except Cunard. We just returned (today) from more than a month in Europe which included a 14 day river cruise on the Viking Pride from Amsterdam to Budapest. We had previously done shorter river cruises on the Nile and in China. So, how to compare to a sea cruise. Its totally different. The cabin size on the Viking Pride (and its sister ships) is comparable to regular cabins on most cruise lines. We had the typical two beds (pushed together to make a Queen) and more than enough storage space for our 140 pounds of luggage. Is this enough for a guy the size or your hubby? Well, the bed is typical of those found on most cruise lines. The shower and bathroom were also typical of what we find on most cruise lines,.,,which is small but workable. The shower on our boat would be large enough for your hubby. I cannot comment on the other major European lines such as Avalon since we were not in their boats. As to itineraries, it really depends on your "wants." We felt rushed (3 hours to see a port is not enough) and did not like the fixed dining times (7 PM for dinner). Also keep in mind that these boats do not have any facilities that compare to a large cruise ship. There are no gyms, spas, theaters, floor shows, etc. They have one main lounge which contains a bar, very small dance floor, and where the only entertainment is a piano player. On our 14 day cruise we did have one minor show provided by a 3 piece German group, but typcially nothing happens after dinner except the piano bar entertainer which ends by 11:30. I will be very honest and say that my wife and I had a good time, met lots of nice folks from the USA and England, and found the crew to be very friendly. On the other hand, we missed the service found on large cruise ships (i.e. there was no drink service for those on the upper sun deck unless you went down to the bar, ordered a drink, and asked them to bring it upstairs). Service staff in our dining room was very uneven and varied from one waiter who was very professional to a few that seemed to be learned on the job. Would we do it again? Probably not in Europe since we are very comfortable doing Europe on our own with a rental car or trains. For those that criticize short port times on ocean cruises, you should realize that river cruises generally provide even shorter port times (3 or 4 hours is quite normal). However, there is much to like about river cruising, especially for those that cannot or do not want to do things on their own. One warning! River cruises are not a good thing for those with major walking problems. Our boat had no elevators and the provided tours generally required walking. The use of any aids other than a cane would be very difficult with wheelchairs and walkers nearly impossible.

 

Hank

[Twice_a_year]

We were on the Viking Spirit in September 2006 on the Budapest to Amsterdam Tour and are season deep-water cruisers.

Summary:

• Fellow passengers were gregarious, well informed, and ranged in age from 50’s to 80’s but all active.
  
• The itinerary was fantastic. True sometimes you may have wished to have a little more time, but I think it is better to have wished for more time than dreading the time you’re in town.
  
• Be prepared to walk!
  
• Meals – Quantity and quality ranged from excellent to very good.
  
• Wait service – let’s say it was less than expected
  
• On board entertainment – some entertaining low budget shows, deck games reminded me of summer camp, and if you are not a person who gets their kicks out of exchanging “life stories” with some very interesting people – you better take along a portable DVD with some movies.
  
• The weather was great and we were able to enjoy the river cruise on the deck - especially, at night. Two nights we were “attacked” by the white flies. They were not such enjoyable evenings. But, usually, you are exhausted from the touring that it is early to bed and early to rise.
  
• Don’t expect an ocean liner. Think of your ocean liners as a grand hotel and your boat as a motel.
  
• We had a deck A room. It was small and the shower was tiny. I’m a big guy – over 6 foot and 215 lbs and was OK. Your hubby might be a little pressed for room. Taking a deck B room would suffice – no change. Just stay away from the real cheap rooms. They are really small.

We experienced exceptionally great weather and no river height problems. Ours was one of the best vacations we ever took. But, I could recognize the inherent problems that might diminish minimize the value that we received. It is after all an adventure. There are always things that can go wrong but the beauty and close proximity of the historical sites make the risk worth taking.

I strongly recommend taking a European river cruise to all my friends

[skandls]

If you check out the size of the cabins on the ships you are looking at you will get an idea of the size. We were on the Poetry which is a newer ship. Our cabin was 170 sq ft - about the same as many regular cruise ship OV or balcony cabins. Since we have been in this size cabin for many of our cruises - it was adequate for us. The bed was also the same size as we have had on ocean cruises.

 

We did have a tiny cabin on a 20 passenger river barge. But that's a much different trip than a river cruise ship.

[sueswny]

I have taken several river cruises in Europe and I have found that most cabins are adequate. The exception is the beds that fold down from the wall, like on Grand Circle ships and in the lower categories on some other ships. If you really want more room and don't mind paying more, then you might want to get a suite, which some ships have. Sue

[tobes]

If you want a large cabin, try the Oberoi Shehrayar down the Nile. I was amazed. The only way I can describe it is if you picture two average cabins and remove the wall between them. It was like a double with two bathrooms and two closets! One of my best trips ever! I am going on the River Baroness this summer and have prepared myself to be in tiny quarters. Judy

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have cruised major lines--Crystal, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity all in the Mediterranean and enjoyed them immensely. We always stay in a room with an ocean view or balcony but never a suite and never more than a 12 day cruise.

 

We are interested in a European river cruise but we are concerned about the size of the rooms, bed and showers. My husband is 6 feet 5 inches over 250 lbs and, although I am only 5' 4" I am overweight and not the petite person I was in younger days (we are in our early fifties).

 

When I look at the riverboat deck plans and staterooms on the internet, they seem small in square footage. The only review on tripadvisor I could find said that the rooms are designed for midgets.

 

Could anyone who has cruised the rivers of Europe lately comment on the ships, their size, their itineraries, etc.

 

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Cindy