Cruising in Europe| Ocean or River?
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- Опубліковано 9 тра 2024
- I was hosted by Viking Cruise Line as part of a PR trip and they paid for my cruise and roundtrip airfare to Paris. I did not receive any compensation nor was I under any obligation to post content as part of this trip. As always, all opinions are my own and I will ALWAYS be upfront with you when I did not pay my own way. Enjoy the video!
Every year thousands of people choose cruising as a convenient way to tour Europe! But which KIND of cruise should you choose? Today I'm comparing and contrasting river and ocean cruising in Europe and letting you know which one I would book if I were you! Enjoy!
ON THE DISNEY DREAM my itinerary included stops in Naples, Mykonos, Santorini and Chania (Crete). On Viking, I sailed on the Paris and The Heart of Normandy itinerary with multiple stops including 2 nights near Paris. www.vikingrivercruises.com/cr...
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I think you did that one with Adam H, right? I love y'all's videos together, they look like so much fun!
I've always thought of a river cruise as a trip for the 70+ set but honestly it sounds perfect for me (and probably my mom who is closer to that age) so definitely going to be something to look in to. I'm ready to embrace my inner senior citizen in my mid 40s.
I've been ready since I was 15. LOL
The idea of a river cruise has always been appealing to me. I have health issues and it feels like it would be a calmer way to travel. Really enjoyed hearing about your experiences.
I think you would love it! And thank you for the kind words!
In our younger days we went on ocean cruises and loved them. We went on a Viking river cruise for our 50th anniversary and really enjoyed it. Now that we're in our late 70s, we want to go on a cruise for our 55th anniversary. Ocean or river not yet decided but I like the lack of crowds and massive ships so maybe a river cruise again. We met some really nice people and no kids. I just want no cooking or cleaning for a week!
That is perfectly reasonable and make that happen!
I recently took a Viking ocean cruise in the Mediterranean and I thought the balance was great. Viking ocean ships have a lot of relaxing amenities but not too many choices. I really enjoyed spending the late afternoons by one of the two pools, in the Nordic spa or having tea in the winter garden. The evening entertainment was great and appropriately short-ish so you could be in bed by 10:30 or 11:00 (or you could hang out in the nightclub or explorers lounge if you wanted a late night).
River cruises through Europe sound like perfection
Dawn you would LOVE. Quite the best of both worlds for me, anyway.
Sounds like on ocean cruises the ship herself is an attraction competing for your time and attention. On river cruises, the places you pass through are the stars. Loved this thoughtful comparison. Hope to do one for myself one day!
Yes well said! That exactly.
I think I’d love river cruising most, simply because I presume it’s much easier to make a small, intimate group of new friends vs the sheer size and options of things to do on an oceanliner which inevitably scatters the guests all over.
Yes there were definitely some genuine connections made and I loved that part!
I couldn’t agree more! I did a river cruise on Uniworld (highly recommend) to the Christmas Markets (highly recommend) and it was such a relaxing experience and a great way to get a more intimate view of the Europe. I was on the cruise with you last summer and that was a whirlwind! While i loved every minute, not sure i would do it again because it was exhausting!!!
I'm so glad you said that I thought maybe it was just me! Too much!
The video I never knew I needed - so incredibly insightful! Thank you Jen - I’ve been watching you for years!
Oh you’re too kind!!!! Thank you!!
Thankyou so much. That was helpful information.
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Great comparisons! I have done RCCL mediterranean cruise tour and a couple of Tauck European river cruises. I love the smaller more intimate river boats and ports. And i could not agree more with the level of feeling exhausted after a day of touring on RCCL... versus the more relaxed feeling I had on the Tauck River cruise. Love your content !
I think it also depends on your personality type - crowds really wear me out so it makes sense the river cruise would be a better fit
Fantastic video!!! Thanks for the insight 😊
My pleasure, Jon!!!😍
I totally agree having done both!
That was awesome Jen, thank you.
Oh I'm so glad you liked it, Matthew! Thank you!
So informative xx
Oh thank you!
I knew which you were gonna choose right from the start and I’m totally with you on that!
You know me too well, Linda!! 😘🥹
I told my husband I’ve added a river cruise to our bucket list! Thank to you!
You will lOVE IT!!!
Thanks again for a very concise vlog about river vs ocean cruising… we have been on quite a few ocean cruises -Bermuda,Bahamas and Alaska…and although we enjoyed them we have decided that’s enough of that ( bad weather, huge crowds, time it takes to get on and off the ship, worry about viral illnesses on ship ) I’m hoping to convince my husband and or siblings and spouses to try a Viking river cruise in the near future…
Yeah the time getting on and off was my least favorite thing about the big sailings. I was exhausted before we even got to the excursion!
I would love to see you do a river cruise on Scenic. I've heard they are a bit more expensive but more is "included" in your price than with Viking. Thanks for all you do. Lisa
Thanks for watching and I’ll look into them!
We’ve also done both….Amawaterways river cruise and Regent for a Mediterranean cruise. We enjoyed both for the reasons you stated. On the river cruise we added on the land portion before and after and that was a great way to see Spain and France. Thanks for your honest opinion.
Yes next time I definitely want to add a few days before and after!
May I suggest Hurtigrutten, Norway? It is truly a great experience.
I was just chatting with a friend about them! I've heard great things!
As a travel advisor I travel more than average, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the river cruises I have taken. They are very much more relaxing. I totally agree with your take on the big ocean ships on a busy itinerary where you are touring different cities in Europe daily. At the end of the night I was falling asleep in the Broadway shows! And I ❤ a Broadway show!!
Yeah I’m so glad you said that because I’m a very active human (walk about 4 miles a day, run several times per week, etc) and the big European cruise KICKED MY BUTT
We love cruising but have only done the bigger ships..
We have looking at doing a river cruise.
The main thing that put us off ( husband and I) is we’re not very social people and do not like to socialise with strangers…
There is a lot more included on a river cruise….
As you say it’s what you want and need when you cruise that matters…👍🇬🇧
Honestly it is kind of difficult not to chat with people in a smaller vessel but you absolutely don’t HAVE to!
I've seen the Viking boats in Lyon, Budapest and Porto. It made me sad when I realized that these people will never experience the fine food and wines that are served only a few hundred feet away.
@@jamesripton7120 most people do a river cruise as part of a longer European vacation so no worries!
Great video as always Jen! A river cruise is on my bucket list but just not in the budget now. I would love to do an adventures by Disney river cruise! I chose not to do Disney for our Med Cruise because I just could not justify the cost difference from other cruise lines considering we were off the ship so many hours and could not take advantage of the amenities. While Disney remains our favorite we all had a great time and feel it was worth it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your cruise and great point - maybe go with a brand that has fewer things I adore on board!
I've only done one ocean cruise, which we jokingly called the cruise to nowhere, because it left from and returned to our city and its ports of call were small towns that weren't particularly attractive to us. It was an early season training cruise that we went on with a group, solely for the amenities of the ship. We didn't even disembark in one of the ports because the ship was serving afternoon tea. I could see being torn between a ship's amenities vs ports of call on a typical cruise. We essentially used the ship as a party venue (it was a friend's 25th anniversary).
That sounds amazing!!
We are huge Viking fans! We’ve done five cruises with them - three river and two ocean. I love the simple elegance of the ships and the calm atmosphere. I do prefer the river cruises, because you can actually meet and hang out with people you click with, and that’s so interesting and fun. Also, river cruise boats can berth right in small towns on the river, usually a walk from the boat - I really loved that. And there’s always time apart from the actual excursion part to walk around the small towns and the lovely little shops and cafes. We always choose the three week cruises, because why travel all that way for a shorter time?😊😊😊
Well many of us can’t get away for that long but how lovely that you can!! Sounds dreamy!
Glad to hear your thoughts on both types of cruises. We leave on our first European cruise in two weeks - a Viking river cruise. Your comments convince me we made the right choice.
-Melissa
Oh enjoy every moment!!
I’m not planning a cruise but loved your insight. I like to do tours with a tour company. I hope you have a great day
Thank you for your kind words!!!!
Jen - I’ve been enjoying your videos as a recent subscriber. I want to suggest the smaller ocean cruise lines you might find superior to either of the two categories you mentioned. We’ve used Seaborne and Silversea and loved both. Friends have gone on Ritz-Carlton and that may be our next cruise. They also love Regent, slightly larger. Happy travels!.
YES I would love that!
This was really helpful. Ocean cruises have never appealed to me because large crowds are very draining. I never considered a river cruise until now. I will have to look into it more.
I honestly think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how relaxing it is!
Hi, great video! Since you decided you prefer river cruising, I suggest you take a smaller boat cruise to Alaska, such as The Boat Company or Uncruise. They can get much closer to glaciers and concentrate on hiking and kayaking and appreciating nature rather than visiting ports like
big cruise ships. You will see a village at the beginning and end of your trip. All excursions are included.
Yes I’ve been thinking about that!! I think you’re right!
I really want to do a river cruise. I think you could see more places. 😘❤️
More places with way less stress - one of my favorite combos:)
Great analysis covering the main differences. I have done both as well and while I enjoyed both---hands down---river cruising is much better for European itinerary . People need to be aware how far they will be from a city if on a big cruise ship eg. Rome is actually 1.5 hours at least by train to the Port, Paris the same----many cities no longer want big cruise ships eg. Venice, Barcelona. Do your research people so you are not disappointed. Also be aware for some rivers the river cruise could be turned into a bus tour if water levels are low or too high. (portions will involve packing up and covering part by land ) Also some people don't like that when on a river cruise boats can be docked 3 deep so to get to shore you may have to walk through 2 other boats. Big drawback of this is you may have a vision of enjoying your balcony while in port---but it will be up against another ship---think able to look through your balcony to your new ship neighbour. (no privacy) As was said---these are 2 very different experiences and one has to decide the pros and cons for what they like. I would not recommend a river cruise for children. I think they would be bored stiff and most river cruise companies do advise against it.
Both, as long as they’re on Viking. 😉
LOL YES I also love Viking Sea! I've only sailed them once (West Indies Explorer) but would love to try their other itineraries.
We have been on several ocean cruises and 1 Viking river cruise in China. You are so right about how different they are. I am so glad that are Viking China river cruise was set up the way it was, we were in groups of about 30 people, each group remained touring together the entire 12 days. Our guide spoken English. We were special access to see the Terra-cotta Warriors before they open to the public which was wonderful since we were about 290 people. It would have been packed with the rest of the public also. Viking’s specialty is also about learning more of the cultural and history of the areas you are visiting. You may like their ocean ships, we have been on our first one in Norway to see the Northern Lights and an upcoming one to the Mediterranean that will include Venice, it is one place the smaller ships are able to visit.
Though we have travel internationally, I still more comfortable with the floating hotel & restaurant and being in group excursions bubble for safety.
I have looked at that itinerary - incredible and I'm very jealous!
Would you ever do a Christmas market river cruise? Those are the ones I’m most fascinated by.
I absolutely would!
I did a Christmas market cruise from Wurzberg to Vienna two years ago and it was fabulous. I am doing an Amsterdam to Basil Christmas cruise with Viking in November 2024. Highly recommend!
Shout to my food allergy peeps! For sure this is a big perk of cruising.
I thought of you as I was saying those very words! I never had to deal with it but having so many friends like you who have . . .has really opened my eyes to how hard it is!
I've seen the Viking boats in Lyon, Budapest and Porto. It made me sad when I realized that these people will never experience the fine food and wines that are served only a few hundred feet away.
I think most people on these ships make more than one trip to Europe and/or this is just part of their trip. No worries!
I think Travel Tips by Laurie just did a video on the Avalon Expressions ship.
Yes I’m hoping to try one of the other lines soon.
You've given me a lot to think about - the river cruise sounds more like my husband for sure though we both love DCL. I want to do the Mediterranean cruise you did as river's aren't really an option for that part of the world. Would you still recommend and any tips if you were to do it again? Thanks and safe travels!
I would do it again but I would pace myself better - I had too many days in a row of all day excursions and as tempting as it is to pack out the schedule I think backing off a bit might have been better
Hi! I am new to your vlogs & Love them!
I am almost obsessed with trying to figure out which river cruise I’d pick but there are 2 things holding me back. I don’t have anyone to go with me (yet) & I’m a bit concerned about seasickness. Wondering if you’ve heard issues about that on the rivers in Europe.
Welcome! I'm so glad you're here! There was very little movement of the ship at all and I didn't hear of anyone having even the littlest bit of sea sickness. Hope that helps!
I'm curious if you'd do a video talking a little bit more about cruising in general. I remember earlier in the channel you tended to talk more about trips to Disney parks, now there's frequent cruising--do you feel like the cruises replaced the parks for you? Is it more so for content purposes? Do you just really enjoy cruising? Post covid I haven't had an annual pass, I haven't been to Disney. I don't know if covid broke my attachment to the parks or what but I have no desire to return for whatever reason.
Yeah things have definitely changed for me and thank you for this comment - I think you just inspired a whole video! Stay tuned!
Great balanced comparison thank you Jen! We did the Dream Westbound transatlantic for our honeymoon in September and I keep meaning to add a room review comment to your room tour video for future viewers (we stayed in the next door room to you 10062 which we absolutely loved but have strong caveat thoughts on).
As a European (Irish) with many American relatives who visit Ireland, the UK and the continent here is my 2 cents on two of the topics you mentioned - JET LAG, I know you all get up crazy early at home, but seriously guys, how do you do it here?? We are 5 hours ahead minimum (EST to GMT) and you’re getting up at 8am to go sightseeing or hiking (3am or earlier on your body clock), ya’ll are superheroes, I barely wake up before 11 on a regular Saturday. (Conversely I become a rope drop morning person in the US and fall asleep in my dinner at Flying Fish, but that’s another story)
The language barrier, there are a huge number of languages in Europe and so people here are accustomed to making do without having a common language if need be, hand signals and nodding always went a long way in the past and google translate is a great tool. If you have serious health issues or dietary restrictions that require clear communication, it may not be ideal to venture from controlled group tours, but otherwise I think Europe is more doable independently than you may think. As a fellow native English speaker my advice is to try to sound as though you’re making an effort with their native language (just say the appropriate au revoir, olá, hola, ciao etc) don’t worry about pronunciation, if you make even the smallest effort they will do their best to help you.
Great tips! As you may know, I've traveled independently in Europe for years and I absolutely agree. Same is true of my visit to Japan and I promise you nobody every spoke LESS Japanese than me! LOL Thanks for your comment!
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge Yes, absolutely and that’s why your fellow followers are that bit more discerning and don’t need to advise “don’t scream at French/Spanish/Italian people in English, getting louder when they fail to understand”. But honestly Jen if you can square that Jet Lag circle bottle it and make a billion
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge sorry Jen it’s an Irish expression to say “you might think” to mean “one might think”
Hi Jen - curious how sociable you have to be to enjoy a river cruise - I like keeping myself to myself and think I could get away with that more on a larger ship - but am I wrong in thinking that?
I think you can be as sociable as you want to be - there were plenty of times I was on my own, happily, and there's never any pressure to engage with anybody!
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge thanks - helps my introvert anxiety be calmed
Which ship would you recommend on Disney for first timers? Dream or one of the others?
They're all great!
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge I am looking for a recommendation if you were a first-time cruiser which Disney ship is easiest to navigate?
💛🩵🙂🌸
Great video, thanks for posting! I'm curious, have you ever gone or would you ever think about going on a repositioning cruise? Very few ports, and lots of seaways...
I've thought about it! The problem is they're usually very long and it's a challenge for me to be gone for more than a week at a time.
@@JoyfulLivingwithJenLefforge They do look quite long! But also affordable... I'm repositioning curious, but I'm also concerned it would get boring after enough sea days? Even on a Disney Cruise? I'm not sure. Well... If you ever go on one, please make a video about it! 😊
@@entropiaeight8622 repositioning curious made me laugh
did anyone else hear 🎵”I wanna be where the locals are”🎵? just me? 😅
I am always excited if I have cued a song unintentionally 😍😍😍
You did receive compensation. It was in the form of a free cruise and free airfare worth thousands. This would undoubtedly affect your review of anything.
Thanks for watching!