I absolutely love the fact that your videos are VERY clear and concise, with no stupid distracting music in the background, or in some other people's vids, music seemingly in the foreground. One of the most professional series of vids on UA-cam. Thank you.
Clear and concise and I agree - no unnecessary irritating distracting music - unlike every UK-TV documentary these days - a nasty habit caught from the USA.
I just got back from a river cruise with APT. Amsterdam to Budapest. Spent 3 days prior in Paris. I agree with what you say. None of it bothered me and had an amazing time. I could not fault the trip at all.
My Wife and I along with our good friends (husband and wife) took the Viking Danube Christmas markets cruise Nuremburg to Budapest. Best time ever! What made it better for us was that we extended for two days at the end of the cruise in Budapest and had a great time exploring Budapest. If you've ever considered doing a river cruise, just do it. You won't be disappointed.
Very good video. A few years ago, we went to Tuscany. We stayed at an agriturismo and rented a car to explore the region. Six months later, we took a Rhine cruise with friends. The cruise cost three times as much as the Tuscany trip, even before tipping. We much prefer flexibility and setting our own schedule. We also love meeting people when we travel. You don't see any of the citizens on a cruise ship, except for the person who rings up your trinkets. In contrast, by staying at small B&Bs when traveling we made friends and still correspond with them years later. Food on river cruise ships is adequate at best, while when we travel independently we can choose to have a modest meal at a restaurant for the locals or splurge and have a wonderful meal like we did in Paris. Finally, he meant the smaller size and the other travelers. Even though there was only 200 on our cruise, there were five horrible passengers who were either loud drunks or self-entitled jackasses. The ship is not big enough to escape them.
This is the BEST travel advice video on any aspect of travel I've ever seen. Very informative, concise, well edited, candid, intelligent, good vocabulary...I could go on and on. Nearly all other videos of this type are just INSUFFERABLE. Excellent work, sir. Pay attention people. This is how it's done.
No cruises for me. Very expensive, limited city visits, rigid schedules and subject to too many variables. I’ll stick to road, train, bus, car rentals. Thanks
Interesting video, bit critical, I do not remember the restrictions not meal times and most had buffets which gave you flexibility. The pleasure of River cruising is the fact you see a different city or town every day, there are no long days at sea. For someone who is interested in history a River cruise gets to the heart of historical places, not just tourist spots along a coast.
Something I found on our cruise is that we actually did most of our cruising at night when you are sleeping and can't see the sights going by. That was somewhat disappointing.
We've been on two and can't wait to get going again. Yes, the meals are fixed BUT my husband and I have many times bought lovely cheeses and bread, always bring a corkscrew for wine we find and had a lovely time sitting up top, sometimes by ourselves, enjoying those finds while enjoying the lovely weather and sights of the small villages as we glide down the river.
I’ve only been on one river cruise, from Paris to Normandy on the Seine but I really enjoyed it. I agree with everything he said. You need to know what you’re in for and be prepared. But it really caters to older people. I was in my early fifties and I was the second youngest man on board!
I absolutely LOVED the cruise I took with my extended family on the Danube (Budapest to Nuremberg). One thing that I would add related to the locks - you might be tempted to leave your balcony door open when you go to bed to let in the fresh breeze, but then might wake up at a lock with a room completely filled with mosquitoes! Also, my stepmom was able to walk short distances, but otherwise was in a wheelchair, and she was fine. My stepsister has Celiac disease, and the cruise personnel went above and beyond seeing to her dietary needs. Would totally go again.
We tried booking a river cruise the year before COVID hit but none of them would book a wheelchair user. Simply because sometimes you need to transverse through other ships to get on and off. I was surprised to see you could get a wheelchair booking.
Went on Uniworld - Amsterdam to Basel. First class all the way. No kids, no slot machines but outstanding cuisine, nightly entertainment, top shelf liquor (included) No endless buffet or midnight buffet, Broadway reviews, water slides, BUT it is restful, and the lock changing was incredible. Sure beats ocean cruises. And yes, when we docked, Viking walked through our reception area. Only thing to keep in mind is the cost, but it is inclusive. I would go again in a heartbeat
The cost is high BUT the small group of interesting like minded people, small villages, exquisite food, leisurely gliding down the rivers, amazing food, and small escorted tours is worth the price.
Uniworld is amazing! Really, if you add up everything you would do on any other cruise (drinks any time you want, cost of excursions with a guide, tips, etc), it all comes out to be about the same cost. You just pay up front. You can’t beat the food, service, small number of guests, quality excursions, and people! I went solo, and had a wonderful time. Years ago, I went solo on a barefoot cruise, on a schooner. Both experiences were the best times I ever had on a vacation!
That midnight buffet. I did two uni world cruises and never got to see that midnight Buffet, in fact I don’t even think I was aware of it. After a full day my head hit the pillow and I was done for. Those uni world cruises are the best things ever
Went on 2 river cruises with friends. Our friends were ocean cruise travellers and have decided to only go by way of river cruises. Once you pay for cruise you are done with costs. Our friends appreciated the beautiful views every day while on the river. Meals were wonderful, fresh food daily. We did not notice any problems with noise. As far as excursions go we had a fair bit of flexibility. We are taking another river cruise this September.
Thank you for this excellent video. While I fit the demographic for rover cruises, I now realize they are not for me. Regimentation and lack of spontaneity are not for me.
GARY: After watching one of your posts, for my partner's 72nd birthday in 2017, I booked us a DOURO RIVER CRUISE, with SAGA. This turned out to be the most outrageously funny holiday we have ever been on! Only a week's duration, and with all the passengers "of a certain age", the disco music was superb; and - even the DJ - who lamented what he had been reduced-to on his first night with us, was transformed into a right 'Dancing Queen' by the end of the first evening. We met two wonderful Scottish Widows (!!!) who have remained firm friends. However, my purpose in writing is to say that I would not book a 'balcony-room' next time. This wastes space inside the stateroom; and we spent all of our free time in the public areas, with our friends: so the balcony was a complete waste ( at extra cost).
I love that he talks about pros and cons rather than just act like a promoter. We did a Uniworld cruise of the Nile last year - very nice, but different from the Europe cruises.
This has proven to be very useful information as we plan for and eagerly anticipate our first-ever river cruise. Thank you for making this video and sharing your insights.
My wife and I cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking. I went into the trip without looking for pitfalls. Thank goodness things went pretty well. Just be aware that if water levels are too high, you will not be using the sun deck at all. And with Europe being so small, if it is rainy in Amsterdam, it will probably be rainy for 2-3 days of the cruise.
That is one of the most valuable bunch of tips for travel that I've come across! Various things I wouldn't have thought of, presented quickly and matter-of-factly, without annoying background music. Good work!
I went on Uniworld river cruise. OUTSTANDING. Although expensive, the food was world class, the nightly entertainment was as well. I have been on both ocean and now river cruises. I'd take river cruises hands down. Not garish, no casino to walk through to get to the dining room.Quiet ambiance with passengers being well cared for by the staff. Convivial passengers, very low key and conducive to meeting and talking to fellow passengers. While your points are well taken, to me, this is "the" way to travel via waterways.
We have been on 9 river cruises & rarely if ever did we have a problem or a complaint!!! They were absolutely wonderful and we would highly recommend them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found my last river cruise up the Rhine to be inexpensive and completely relaxing. It was not stuffy in any way . We are going with the same ship this year for a few days around The Netherlands
Excellent points about River Cruises. I have no desire to take the giant sea cruises but have taken two River Cruises and they were great and worth every penny. My suggestions: Spring for the top level rooms, no noise. I'm single and went with AHI Travel on the Leuftner Cruise Line (Amadeus ships), no single supplement.
My wife and I went on an Avalon river cruise from Paris to Cannes (our first), and thoroughly enjoyed it. My wife gets seasick so the oceangoing trips are out of the question, she will not even attempt. We were able to mix the activities to our needs. A great choice. Looking at Danube cruises next.
Have done Ocean Cruises and River Cruises and will take river cruising hands down. Have had no problems with any of the European cruises that have been on with Scenic. The thing i like is that once you are on board everything is covered including your tours on shore. On ocean cruises you have to purchase tours and drinks
I have been on a handful of river cruises in my late 40's. EVERYTHING he says is spot on! I mainly love them and at moments dislike them for all of these reasons :-)
Excellent summary. I just wish to correct one statement. My husband & I were on the Vantage River Splendor Amsterdam (pre stay)to the Black Sea almost a month. This ship has an optional dinner- light dining in small top deck, glass enclosed, restaurant barbecue, soups...we dined here every night then walked in towns. I am glad you showed locks & rafting aspects. Also, walls thinner than ocean ships, agree earplugs. We had the best cruise on River boat. (Have been on many Ocean cruises), We liked our River Cruise that were divided into groups & all tours with that group. We bonded quite well. The cultural aspects were great. Visited Croatian school in session. Dined in small group with Croatian family...
I've been on 8 sea cruises and currently planning on a River Cruise being our next one. I lived in Germany 2010-2014 and have visited most of the towns on the route, but really want to have the River Cruise experience side of it.
All pretty right on. Not to shill for one operator, but on Viking, they did have a small dining area which we used for breakfast and about half of the suppers. The cuisine was really good but overwhelming; amazing amount and quality of food coming out of an amazingly small space (they gave us a tour about one day from last docking). One thing that was really good was that Viking took care of all arrangements on arrival and departure - we opted for pre- and post- trip extensions and it was comforting to be met at the airport on arrival and taken there on departure with no worries about local transport. Yes, the on land tours were a bit "cattle car", but at a number of stops, we had free time to explore the towns on our own - just be sure you are back on the boat at the designated time. It was a great experience; would I do it again - no, but we met folks who had taken the exact same trip the year before!
Absolutely true. Expect the unexpected. We were on Viking last November (2018) and we were warned of low water only a week out. Obviously, Viking knew of the low water levels on the Danube for months. Our river cruise became a motor bus tour. Not what we expected or paid for.
I have to agree with that about Scenic. I’ve been lucky enough to work for the company previously & travel on a Christmas markets cruise during that time. One of my favourite holidays to this day. Would go back in a heartbeat if I could afford it.
Very useful information. A note for those that go for the cheapest grade. In most cases this means you do not have floor to ceiling windows. Most probably you will have a window at head height only.ie the cabins are just above water level.
Two years ago I took a river cruise along Rhine with Amway it was great. The food and service where excellent. I am planning another trip with Amway next spring..The accommodations were excellent and never had any problems regarding sound.
I took my son with me on a Viking Rhine River cruise before he started college. He is into photography so I “sold” it to him as a photography tour. He enjoyed experimenting with time lapse photos going through locks, etc. His tastes really branched out on this trip and he tried many regional foods. I told him up front that most of the people would be older. We were both fine with that. We seemed to be drawn to a lot of people from England when we sat down to eat and had fun talking with them. We also spent some time on our own at each stop. The crew were very helpful with giving us recommendations. I would describe a river cruise as “structured” rather than “regimented.” The Viking ship was not noisy at all. I would gladly cruise anywhere on Viking and hope to again someday. The ship’s layout and decor are very calm. The photos from Uniworld look agitating to me. I imagine the different cruise lines are catering to diffferent styles/personalities. There was one woman on our cruise who seemed to think she was on a party boat. It was rather entertaining but she definitely seemed not to have understood the concept!
I agree that “structured” is a better description! Wish I had thought of that 😀 As you say key is having the right expectations. I also found the itinerary at right time of year is brilliant for photography and video experiences and trying things out as great sights. Thanks so much for watching and adding to the discussion 👍🏻
You had to SELL someone on a Viking cruise? That you were paying for?? Please, please take me next time and I'll pay for the kid's week in Daytona! :-)
Jeff Pittman haha the conversation was actually quite humorous. Me: How would you like to go on a Rhine River cruise? You can take pictures of a lot of old castles. 17 year old: How old is the ship? Me: idk I’ll call and ask...The ship is a year old and has a hybrid engine. 17 year old: Cool. Me: So you’ll go with me? 17 year old: Sure. 🤣
Four years ago I took my son on Viking’s cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Fourteen nights; it was worth every cent. He was the youngest passenger-25 years old and he got along well with everybody. My husband, brother-in-law and I did Viking’s Waterway of the Tsars last year. I like river cruising better than ocean cruising.
Susan T, I'm sure you enjoyed your Viking Russian Waterways trip, but you missed out on what was available 25 years ago. Back then, 14 days meant 14 stops, often at villages that hadn't seen tourists before. Single cabins at single prices. Yes, the "Russian cuisine" meant potato soup every noon, and dinner was whatever the crew had been able to forage at each stop, but we weren't there for the food. A half day tour of St. Petersburg's canals in a six-passenger boat. A walk through Moscow after dark and rides on the subway. Attendance at ballet and folk performances. Members of the Moscow Opera on board to give concerts every night. Including air fare, it was less than $2,500. Times have changed, haven't they?
I took a river cruise in France this past May. Went from Lyon up the Saone then back down the Rhone to Arles. Cruise line was Luftner on the Amadeus Provence. Absolutely wonderful trip. Most excursions were included and there were optional excursions at a reasonable price. Food and service were exceptional. Yes, it was an "older crowd" and I enjoyed the adult crowd. Would go again in a heartbeat. The locks were fascinating but never woke me at night and didn't find excess noise a problem.
I've noticed the larger ships are offering accommodations for solo travelers. It's like a dorm room set-up where there are several small bedrooms that share a large lounge.
We just got back from an excursion on the lower Danube with Grand Circle and had a wonderful experience in spite of many river level problems. To offset these changes the line arranged for addition excursions and comped most (but not all) of the optional excursions and at each end to the trip we spent a few days in hotels but they did pick really nice ones but the meals served in the hotels were not as good as those on the boat. I have never seen any children on any of the boats, I know that Grand Circle does not allow any but we often rafted up with other lines at the docks. Most of our fellow travelers were like us, over '29', and most had made more than one trip with Grand Circle, a few had made 20 such trips, but they were mostly pretty active for older folks. Walking around older cities with cobblestone streets is tough on the legs and feet but remember many downtowns are traffic free and walking is the only way around. In our cabin, the beds folded up during the day, this process was handled by the room attendant while you had breakfast and dropped down while you had dinner. There is no room in the cabin for a third guest, so if you could bring your kid(s) you would have to pay for another cabin. When I travel I want to see the sights, not lounge in my room, so the regimentation needed to accomplish this was not unwelcome, I am not this way at home. Likewise I don't see any benefit to the top deck cabins with balconies. I do find the 'periscope' deck at the bottom level less fun and do pay for the middle deck upgrade. It was way more fun to do day cruising in the lounge or on the top deck where you can mingle with fellow passengers but I don't 'hang out' in my hotel room when I do land travel either, bedrooms are for sleeping. Beer, wine, and coffee was always available there, mixed drinks and bottled beverages were extra. The best part of Grand Circle is the Cruise Directors, these folks are with you everyday making the land tours as well. They come from the area where you are touring, are generally licensed guides in some of the cities and have a great deal of local knowledge. A good reason for repeating trips with the same line is that they continue to offer repeat travelers big discounts on the fare and they have special events for repeat travelers. My ticket included free air travel and that was mostly on Lufthansa, a really good airline.
I have been in contact with several people who traveled with Viking on the Danube at the same time that we were traveling and they were quite unhappy about their experience. It seems to me that Viking did about the same as Grand Circle, there really isn't anything they could do about water levels in the river, above their pay grade, eh? I think what created problems at Viking is they weren't forthcoming, we at GC were advised even before we left the states for the cruise about the river conditions and I believe they offered us an opportunity to opt out at that time but if we continued they'd do their best. When we got to Bucharest we had a meeting with all of the other passengers and the cruise directors, conditions were changing day to day and they promised to keep us informed. The directors also told us about the difficulty of the problem, all of the cruise lines had the same problems, and all were trying to book hotels, tour busses, and restaurants at the last minute for rather large parties of guests, sometimes in places not usually on the tour book. The alterations in the itinerary seemed to satisfy and I think that most of the passengers realized the problem. I think that GC's effort to be forthcoming and honest with us as soon as they realized there might be a problem, and the regular meetings, the free excursions, and the very good alternatives they offered made most of us happy and satisfied. They also offered us significant discounts on future trips and a significant partial refund. GC's cruise directors are really great people and they certainly went beyond what was expected.
@@henryostman5740 We (a group from church) did Holland and Belgium in the Springtime in April '18 and it was wonderful. Grand Circle's ship was spotless and the crew and tour directors were wonderful. I don't think the Netherlands ever has a "low water" problem (LOL) so I would recommend that tour to anyone. (It's only available for about 5 weeks in the Spring, and is sold out already for 2019.) Our group is looking to do another GCCR river trip in 2020.
Years ago (many) we did the cruise from Basel Switzerland to Holland on the old KD Rhine line, this was a European tour and they seated us at tables with English speakers, there were tables for French & Spanish, it was a German ship so all tables had German. Met some lovely folks from UK and an older couple who lived down South, we rented a car and drove all around Holland with this couple, he was a Rabbi and was the former Chief Rabbi of Santiago Cuba before the revolution. Had a really good time on that trip. If you do a Danube trip, do it in late spring or early summer, river levels will probably be high due to melting snow in the alps. We are looking at a Med cruise from Rome to some of the Greek ports, then to Israel for a few days, returns thru Sicily and Naples. Hope you guys have a great trip!
This video is full of valuable information and differences between river and ocean cruising. A must watch for those of us who are considering a river cruise at some point in the future. Thank you Gary, much appreciated.
Oh, and the images were fabulous, especially the interiors of the ships. It's great to see what's below deck, and again, very different to the ocean going ships we're used to.
Thanks for the heads up and tips. I am booked 2022 to cruise the Danube solo. You are right it is not quite double for me to go alone. But I am alone in the world so if I want to go anywhere I have to pay the Single rate.
Hi Gary thanks for your comments on the river cruises . I just have to say that I have been on four River cruises, two with Uni world and two with Evergreen and loved every single moment of them ,in fact would say they were our best holidays ever. I would agree that they are an expensive way to travel, however what you get for your money is well worth it. Once I paid the full amount, I found that with each trip I never paid anything else, other than souvenirs that I bought. Uni world was fully inclusive so of course we never paid anything else, Evergreen was fully exclusive except for drinks out side of mealtimes. As we are not big drinkers this was not a problem for us. But with each cruise when we did activities within the boat, example cheese tasting or cooking demonstrations etc they always gave us wine to accompany these activities so there was no shortage of drinks during the day either. On all of our cruises we rarely stopped next to other boats and if we did, I quite enjoyed having a quick peak at the other boats as we walked through. In fact with uni world we were allowed to have a look extensively through the other boats and had a chat to all the other guests sitting in the lounge areas which was really great fun. I have to say that I never found it Regimented, yes we had excursions at certain times so it was in your best interest to get up and have breakfast either at the early bird session or the normal breakfast area and be ready to depart for your excursion, but that’s no different from an ocean liner as well . And it least when it was time for the excursion there was not thousands of people all pushing and shoving trying to get off, The most I’ve had was 120 people and it was very leisurely and easy. We had no difficulty with any of the excursions, because everyone just strolled along quite slowly there was never really any hurry and nothing was difficult at all to manage . And each one of my cruises always had an EASY WALKING Group that went at a slower pace to suit those who needed this. And I never felt that the excursions went more than about three hours anyway and the rest of the time was just free time, so we thoroughly enjoy popping into pubs ,walking around the gardens, looking at different things apart from the usual cathedrals etc that you mentioned... which of course were amazing. We have had quite a large age demographic on our cruises with had people in their 30s and 40s as well as the older groups. Everybody integrated really well and I think it helps having the smaller ship and only one or two lounge areas, as it’s never hard to find someone to sit down and have a chat with or even to find a small corner just read a book by yourself. I have to say that I never found any of my four cruises noisy at all and I suffer from insomnia and I never heard a thing , sometimes the gentle lapping of water but that’s about it .I would never stay on the top deck because I think that sometimes early-morning joggers might make a noise up there but so far noise wise ,we’ve had no bad experiences. We have found the restaurants to be open for an hour or two for breakfast and the same for lunch and you can come and go at any time that you like I don’t find that regimented at all. And on one occasion I did not feel like coming for dinner ,and just mentioned it to reception..just to let them know that I wouldn’t be coming and about half an hour later a gentleman arrived at my door with a very small meal on a beautiful silver tray and a drink as well, just in case I needed something later on ....so I thought that was fabulous service. Obviously if there is four or five courses at night and you just feel like a salad then you just have the one course of what you want, it’s not like you have to eat everything there... you just choose what you like and then leave when you like, it’s really not that regimented ...certainly not in my experience. I am vegetarian and I found all of my meal experiences to be very good and I also let them know for when we had excursions off the boat that included meals, and we had no problems whatsoever. Luckily for us we never had any water level problems, but I can understand that they would be quite an issue at certain times of the year. So you are absolutely correct that people need to do their research and be prepared for changes to itinerary. Just the same as ocean cruises where we have been redirected to other places due to storms etc. One thing I did notice with a lot of the people that I travelled with, was that they had done very little research on their cruise, had no idea of what the cabin was like or the window configurations. They seemed not to know where they were going ,what the cruise included or really very much about the cruise at all, which absolutely surprises me ,,,when you think of how much money you’ve paid for these cruises, I would be absolutely making sure I knew what I was entitled to ,where I was going and what my cabin looked like and what I could expect. So all I can say is that everybody that I’ve travelled with and other people I know who have been on cruises ,have all enjoyed them . it is certainly different from ocean cruising and definitely quieter no casino , no shows ,no excitement it’s just calm and quiet grown-up ,you do have activities, you do have fun things ,it’s just different but good... And I would do a river cruise every week if I could afford it
Thanks so much for watching and taking time to leave such a detailed comment of your experiences and thoughts. I also noticed the same about research etc by guests. Many had just trusted their agent or the tour company to get them on something they would like without knowing much at all ...
I think that you and I agree on most points. I like your emphasis on doing a little planning and research on a particular trip. I was a ship officer in the military and I have a pilot's license as well, I never go anywhere without first checking my maps. I can't understand why people would spend a lot of money on something without researching it beforehand and on most of these cruises there is a meeting where the cruise director will explain the next day's activities and answer any questions, I go to these and pay attention. Even small details count, example, the bed arrangement in most river boats with two fixed folding single beds, when we were much younger we took a cruise with such a cabin, it was not conducive to a second 'honeymoon'!
Oh man, you're making me really want to go. I'm 60 years young and in pretty good shape, so I think it'd be great. I've been on two ocean cruises, and while I enjoy being on the water, I hate the total nonsense that passes for entertainment. I will not go on an ocean cruise again, no matter how cheap it is. It's just not me. Going on a small ship to see historic places with grown ups sounds like heaven.
the river cruises through parts of Europe are what you are looking for, beautiful old cities as well as beautiful river scenery while you move from place to place on your floating hotel, a small boutique hotel with a great dining room. No teenagers, loud music, or fast food to spoil your day. I don't get paid for this. A lot of ocean cruising goes to fake places erected often by the ship lines to entertain their guests and sell added cost excursions, this is true in the Caribbean as well as in the Alaska panhandle.
Very well put, all descriptions...speaking on the specific topic of “baby boomer” and sometimes an “older experience,” followed by the new updates reminds me of my moms,s free catalogues she is sent. As if I didn’t always doggy ear my dream places to go...this new appreciation for UA-cam videos makes so much more alluring talk. On my 12 birthday I blessed to travel eaurope, I don’t how I haven’t felt I should embrace these opportunities, I did not for family obligations. Now literally traveling to a place across seas as an adult is something I never thought I would dream about! Im at 37 years of age now and pray for us all to enjoy and appreciate what we have while still encompassing our passions and dreams...most of all, to enjoy your journeys and keep time with good surrounding and fresh new perspectives.
I am glad I watched this video, great info provided on river cruising. I have watched lots of your sea cruising videos and never thought of the big differences. Thanks and take care
I've never been interested in ocean cruising and thought river cruising would be the only thing to consider when in Europe, but this was very helpful in deciding that river cruising is probably not for me. Cheers
It is fabulous. we have been on 2, one on the Danube - Budapest to Passau and one on the Rhine - Amsterdam to Basel. fabulous, went in October, no prob with water levels then. staff, food, excursions all great. cabins really nice. Our fave kind of vacation.
@@chriswilliams6568 Not really my thing. I had more fun hiring a barge for a month and going on a canal holiday. Stay up late and get up late or go to bed early and get up early depending on our mood and plans. I liked that we could constantly adapt our plans and meet people and have our plans change on the fly. If you don't mind a regimented plan, river cruise is great but I much prefer loose plans.
I wish this had been available prior to our 2018 Blue Danube cruise, the low water levels were adjusted so much that we missed 2 cities. And the time on the bus was 3 hours! Not 20 minutes. Exposing us to roadside pickpockets and gypsies who were bent on taking our money. I found Avalon extremely expensive ( 700 day a couple) and felt that they were focused on up selling excursions, versus spending our nightly talks giving us helpful tidbits about the area. ( We missed one of the country's largest flea markets in Vienna, instead, bussing us to see yet another castle.) These talks are extremely helpful and exact. Please watch before you go!
This is a brilliant exposé of river cruises. I have been on many in Europe, and all, yes all, of them can be described in the manner that you expressed. Absolutely brilliant information - if I had known this before I may well not have gone. Every detail was right, every last one. Thankyou.
APT cruise, Budapest to Amsterdam June/July 2016 - An Australian company. Excellent (guy/guy couple, we were both baby boomers). I am not naturally gregarious with strangers, but my partner is, so we fitted in well. I loved the microphone/earpiece tour guides which meant we didn't have to stay extra close to the respective guides. The advertised pool was a bit of a no go for me - barely a plunge pool. We had to change boats half way through because the river was too high to allow a boat to pass under one of the bridges. Basically we swapped boats with the cruise coming from Amsterdam to Budapest.- very efficient and the crew were great and very helpful and organised. "Structured" suited me fine especially as the excursions etc were things I was interested in - classical music and historical sites. I wish I could afford to repeat the trip and include the Rhine this time. Sadly, I would have to win a lottery.
As I mentioned in another comment, I did my European river cruising years ago when the boats were smaller, had fewer amenities - and were affordable on a schoolteacher's salary! Although most advertising is by the bigger, more expensive companies, there must still be some smaller boats that do basic cruises at reasonable prices, but you might have to do some searching online. Don't give up your dream of doing the Rhine!
Great video. I have a tip I rarely see but live by. Pick your itinerary, pick your cruise company, then find the newest boat or most recently refurbished for that trip. It may mean changing your dates by a week or two but these boats are used constantly all season long and can start to show their age. A newer boat is less likely to have mechanical issues and a “fresher look”. No one wants to cruise the Danube in August with their cabin HVAC on the blink.
I just found your channel a few months ago, Gary, and you really know your cruising. Your videos are informative and even handed, and you make them about cruising, not you. I've especially enjoyed the river cruise videos, and it' been fun seeing some of the Uniworld ships I've sailed on and some of the sights I've visited. I've recommended several of your videos to friends who are considering cruising or maybe have the wrong idea or misinformation as to what's involved. Keep up the good work!
Our river cruise with Uniworld was met with a broken lock. We ended up switching to a lesser value boat for 2 nights then eventually were bussed to Bratslavia rather than Vienna for the remainder of trip.
Love river cruising. Small passenger groups of like minded people who are there to enjoy the history of the countries, learn from other passengers, and share experiences. We have bought our own cheese and treats then sat up top and skipped the big meals many nights when river cruising, enjoying the evening air and sights. We have let them know we would either be staying on board as they moved to the next port or did our own exploring if we didn't like the excursion they had planned. Of course, we knew we were responsible for returning to the ship on time. We always bring a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine we have purchased to enjoy on our room balcony as we're cruising along. It took us awhile but we realized this was our cruise and made alterations as we saw it fit our style.
Seems you are referring to multiple day cruises in Europe. I thought you were going to mention day cruises too. One thing to watch out for is drinking beer during a day cruise. Although the beer will be higher priced than normal, you will also pay to use the toilet each time. This can add up very fast. Don’t know if it is the same for every day boat but the day cruise we went on in Germany, I paid premium for the toilet due my beer drinking.
My first experience of Europe was courtesy of my grandparents, in 1984. We took a cruise from Basel to Rotterdam, took a week, and we had a great time, no complications.
I did my European river cruising years ago, using a small German company called KD Lines, whose routes I think have since been gobbled up by Viking. The ships were small, and only the one on the Rhine had more than 100 passengers. They were very informal, the staff and tourguides were excellent, and they offered single cabins at a very reasonable cost. My Russian Waterways cruise was on a ship chartered by an outfit called Bolshoi Tours, with twice as many stops as Viking does now and very inexpensive. Nowadays, elegance onboard has become more important than the experiences at each stop, and the prices have soared far beyond what a schoolteacher (like me) can afford.
We’ve done a Hawaii cruise, Alaska cruise, a Viking river cruise, and an Athens to Rome cruise with a church. I loved all four and would agree the Viking cruise was more as you described. But I do think of all three the Viking cruise was my favorite. Good info.
I lived in Passau, on the Danube, when I was a student. In May/June 1997 there was a lot of heavy rain for a few days and all the river cruise boats got stuck as they couldn't get under the bridges due to the height of the river.
This is an excellent video. I would like to add that the criuse we took (from UK) with an Australian company, APT a few years ago was excellent. Not cheap and I couldn't expect to do this very often. Consifering everything involved it actually worked out at good value however.
Congratulations, and thank you,! You produced a highly professional and very informed video on river cruising. My son and I took a river cruise on the Rhine, Danube and Main rivers through five countries last summer 2018 with Tauck. I was extremely pleased with the experience, although we did have to switch ships once due to low water levels but that was explained ahead of time in Tauck’s marketing materials as a possibility. Tauck surprisingly sent a thank you letter after the cruise offering each of us a $500 credit towards our next trip to make up for the inconvenience, to be used within two years:. Please mention in future river cruising videos that if you purchase a lower cost cabin, chances are you will not see anything outside unless you stand up and look out your window. That was a huge surprise to us. To expand upon your comment that river cruising attracts mostly older individuals, that is very true, however my 19-year-old son received so much over-the-top-attention from the fun and energetic staff; that he was practically a superstar with our fellow passengers by the end of the cruise.Thank you; and I look forward to viewing your other travel videos. You are doing a great service to the public!
I’ve been on several river cruises and cannot fault your advice. I think the main thing is not to compare them with sea cruises, a completely different experience.
Just happened on your channel by accident but this video is hugely helpful and answers a lot of questions I have had about river cruising that you can't easily resolve by on-line searches.
Really useful video. Just booked my first river cruise on the brand new Tui Skyla at the end of March 2021. 7 nights all inclusive (all day) cruise as a single person with flights, transfers, and £120 shore excursion credit for only £94 per night, an incredible price I think.
My husband & I have taken @ least 30 ocean cruises & 1 River Cruise on Vantage. The Vantage Holland(add on) to the Black Sea remains our favorite. At night we dined upstairs with lighter fare & walked the towns where we were docked. We enjoyed that we were divided, for 28 days, to one group on same bus & tours. Every day was a scheduled tour, usually lunch on ship or tour, or they gave us 15 euros to buy our own. Usually they ran shuttles for self exploration in PM. The social aspect is wonderful with 80 people. The air fare was free. The cultural part of trip were we visited Croatian school & dined in private home was rewarding. I will never forget sailing @ night with Hungarian National anthem playing, as we sipped champagne on top deck with Budapest Parliament lit up. Jeanne ( baby boomer)
Gary, this was EXCELLENT. I am planning on going on Uniworld at Xmas. Cool. I think it will really suit me even if it is expensive. Thanks for water level/itinerary change advice.
We have just booked a river cruise for next year on the Danube as my husband loved the idea. We have been on a couple of ocean cruises together + a few smaller boat trips & love being on the water. I have 2 bad knees so cant walk a lot so will just explore near the boat. Looking forward to it & will have time in Budapest afterwards 😎
I have driven along the Rhine, which was amazing! River cruising is not something I have thought of much... Though I have stayed in one of these on the rhine, in Cologn once, for a trade show. Great vid tho! Some really good advice! Cheers!
We took a Danube cruise last summer and absolutely loved it! Loved river cruising so much more than ocean cruising. There are more frequent stops, and most travel is in the night when you’re sleeping. The dock is in the middle of the town, so many times, you can just walk right into the heart of the town. Whereas an Ocean cruise can only dock in the huge shipyards and you have to take a bus to get into town. We had between 2-3 excursion options everyday, so there is something for everyone. They even put together a “gentle walkers” group, for those who needed to walk much slower and couldn’t do stairs. We were early 50’s and might have been the youngest people on the ship, but we like how easy it was to talk to people and get to know them. It’s great to sit on the deck, have a drink and watch the world float by or watch the locks, which are fascinating.
Solo travellers do suffer with the extra fee unfortunately, but have taken the chance at sharing with (luckily another lovely lady). Did an ocean cruise and paid a premium for solo occupancy.
Have been thinking about a River Cruise for quite a while. Your videos supply excellent info. One thing which concerns me is although I am 70, I don’t want to be around other “old” people or stuck on a guided tour with people who walk super slow and hold the whole group up. Yes, I realize this is an unkind thing to say. However, health and wellness has been a priority most of my life and people think I’m in my 50s. I really never cared for ocean cruises, although my Ex and I did several. After watching another of your videos, I’m wondering if Croisi or Emerald my be a better fit for me.
My wife and I are close to booking a river cruise. The cost isn't high...we just finished two weeks in Disney World, at a premium resort....and THAT was crazy high. The idea of cruising down the Rhine or Danube is awesome...just the history of all these old cities.
Excellent review and good pointers for the novice. We've taken multiple cruises with Viking. The do a very good job overall. A couple of points I would add: The sun decks are for show, the boats sail at night so any amenity you see in brochures, pools, chess sets, lounges, are basically of no use. The pictures of lovely couples waking up watching the sun rise from their bed that faces their window obviously missed breakfast and the tour that day. The position of your bed in the room is not a reason to pick a specific cruise line. The Elbe River is notorious for low water. Our trip was cancelled a few years back. We did the cruise last year and it was very good. The trip down to Bucharest involves lots of long bus rides, Viking is great on the boat but they are lacking when it comes to long distance bus tours. The Rhine Main Canal has about 15 locks so the entire top of the ship is flattened to go under the apparatus.
....went on Seine River cruise from Paris to Normandy, a few years back. Lots of day time sailing..... saw castles, cities, impressive bridges and wine country. Lounged on the top deck and took a ton of day time videos and pics. I guess sailing times depend on the particular cruise you are on.
We've been on three European river cruises: Saint Petersburg to Moscow, Lucerne Switzerland to Amsterdam, and Prague to Berlin. On the last one, the Elbe was so low that we had to leave the ship not very far past Dresden and got converted into a bus tour. The cruise line staff were very flexible and efficient, so this wasn't as much of a problem as it could have been. For example, they got us all into a hotel in Wittenberg on very short notice. As I recall, the dinners were mostly formal, but breakfast was more buffet-style. Lunch was often out on the town. Drinks were not included except for some wine at dinner; but on the German ones, you could get a discount "beer ticket." The bicycles we rode in France and Berlin weren't nearly as nice as the ones in the pictures. One thing I noticed in Germany was that they would take the group out to a local restaurant for dinner (in Wittenberg or Berlin, for example) and bring you twice as much food as you wanted--but a beer cost extra. The limitations you mention--cobblestones, walking, meals, shipboard conditions, etc.--were clearly stated in the literature ahead of time, so that wasn't much of a problem either. I believe some folks skipped one of the castle tours which involved climbing up a huge hill to the gate and then lots of stone stairs and narrow passageways. All of your information was spot-on, and it's definitely different from ocean cruising. You're never far from land, and not very far from the next stop. And the Captain himself warned us all not to touch the concrete walls of the locks. Also went on a cruise on the Columbia river in Oregon, and another on the Mississippi out of New Orleans; but those were bigger ships, and they had buses following along or chartered locally to take you on the tours. Cheers.
Thanks for the heads up...I was sold on river cruising by a friend who had a great time but you have raised some important issues for me regarding mobility and the low level water issues....thx
Scenic have faced extensive legal claims in Australian courts where passengers have paid for all inclusive cruises that have been a horrid bus trip shuttle between cheap hotels with few inclusions worth a fraction of the fare due to drought and flood. Apparently insurers wont pay a loss either. Floods etc tend to affect some sections and replacing this with buses means the trip progresses. I would be unimpressed. The odds? Low i guess.
I absolutely love the fact that your videos are VERY clear and concise, with no stupid distracting music in the background, or in some other people's vids, music seemingly in the foreground. One of the most professional series of vids on UA-cam. Thank you.
Well said, sir.
Clear and concise and I agree - no unnecessary irritating distracting music - unlike every UK-TV documentary these days - a nasty habit caught from the USA.
Thanks
I just got back from a river cruise with APT. Amsterdam to Budapest. Spent 3 days prior in Paris. I agree with what you say. None of it bothered me and had an amazing time. I could not fault the trip at all.
My Wife and I along with our good friends (husband and wife) took the Viking Danube Christmas markets cruise Nuremburg to Budapest. Best time ever! What made it better for us was that we extended for two days at the end of the cruise in Budapest and had a great time exploring Budapest. If you've ever considered doing a river cruise, just do it. You won't be disappointed.
Very good video. A few years ago, we went to Tuscany. We stayed at an agriturismo and rented a car to explore the region. Six months later, we took a Rhine cruise with friends. The cruise cost three times as much as the Tuscany trip, even before tipping.
We much prefer flexibility and setting our own schedule. We also love meeting people when we travel. You don't see any of the citizens on a cruise ship, except for the person who rings up your trinkets. In contrast, by staying at small B&Bs when traveling we made friends and still correspond with them years later. Food on river cruise ships is adequate at best, while when we travel independently we can choose to have a modest meal at a restaurant for the locals or splurge and have a wonderful meal like we did in Paris.
Finally, he meant the smaller size and the other travelers. Even though there was only 200 on our cruise, there were five horrible passengers who were either loud drunks or self-entitled jackasses. The ship is not big enough to escape them.
This is the BEST travel advice video on any aspect of travel I've ever seen. Very informative, concise, well edited, candid, intelligent, good vocabulary...I could go on and on. Nearly all other videos of this type are just INSUFFERABLE. Excellent work, sir. Pay attention people. This is how it's done.
Thanks 😀 Great to hear. Thanks so much for taking time to let me know! Keep watching 😀
No cruises for me. Very expensive, limited city visits, rigid schedules and subject to too many variables. I’ll stick to road, train, bus, car rentals. Thanks
I mee mamak
Paul Latshaw exactly. This man managed to pack in so much information in ten mins. Concise and elaborate, to the point
Adam Efimoff 7
Interesting video, bit critical, I do not remember the restrictions not meal times and most had buffets which gave you flexibility. The pleasure of River cruising is the fact you see a different city or town every day, there are no long days at sea. For someone who is interested in history a River cruise gets to the heart of historical places, not just tourist spots along a coast.
Something I found on our cruise is that we actually did most of our cruising at night when you are sleeping and can't see the sights going by. That was somewhat disappointing.
I think the information was excellent. Better to have realistic expectations instead of being disappointed
Came here to say this. Leaving satisfied
No expectations; no disappointments!
Do you have a hospital??
We've been on two and can't wait to get going again. Yes, the meals are fixed BUT my husband and I have many times bought lovely cheeses and bread, always bring a corkscrew for wine we find and had a lovely time sitting up top, sometimes by ourselves, enjoying those finds while enjoying the lovely weather and sights of the small villages as we glide down the river.
I’ve only been on one river cruise, from Paris to Normandy on the Seine but I really enjoyed it. I agree with everything he said. You need to know what you’re in for and be prepared. But it really caters to older people. I was in my early fifties and I was the second youngest man on board!
Mike Kitts me wanting to go on one in early 20s 😟
😟
Lots of good info to ponder, very swiftly spoken, but with such perfectly clear diction that I didn't miss a word.
Thanks ! Good to hear. I speak fast usually and have to keep remembering to slow down 😀
I absolutely LOVED the cruise I took with my extended family on the Danube (Budapest to Nuremberg). One thing that I would add related to the locks - you might be tempted to leave your balcony door open when you go to bed to let in the fresh breeze, but then might wake up at a lock with a room completely filled with mosquitoes!
Also, my stepmom was able to walk short distances, but otherwise was in a wheelchair, and she was fine. My stepsister has Celiac disease, and the cruise personnel went above and beyond seeing to her dietary needs. Would totally go again.
Thanks for adding your experiences. Good to hear. The lines are usually very good at dealing with diet issues as you say, good point!
I also have Celiac Disease. I had the same excellent experience on Viking regarding my diet.
We tried booking a river cruise the year before COVID hit but none of them would book a wheelchair user. Simply because sometimes you need to transverse through other ships to get on and off. I was surprised to see you could get a wheelchair booking.
Went on Uniworld - Amsterdam to Basel. First class all the way. No kids, no slot machines but outstanding cuisine, nightly entertainment, top shelf liquor (included) No endless buffet or midnight buffet, Broadway reviews, water slides, BUT it is restful, and the lock changing was incredible. Sure beats ocean cruises. And yes, when we docked, Viking walked through our reception area. Only thing to keep in mind is the cost, but it is inclusive. I would go again in a heartbeat
The cost is high BUT the small group of interesting like minded people, small villages, exquisite food, leisurely gliding down the rivers, amazing food, and small escorted tours is worth the price.
Uniworld is amazing! Really, if you add up everything you would do on any other cruise (drinks any time you want, cost of excursions with a guide, tips, etc), it all comes out to be about the same cost. You just pay up front. You can’t beat the food, service, small number of guests, quality excursions, and people! I went solo, and had a wonderful time. Years ago, I went solo on a barefoot cruise, on a schooner. Both experiences were the best times I ever had on a vacation!
That midnight buffet. I did two uni world cruises and never got to see that midnight Buffet, in fact I don’t even think I was aware of it. After a full day my head hit the pillow and I was done for. Those uni world cruises are the best things ever
Went on 2 river cruises with friends. Our friends were ocean cruise travellers and have decided to only go by way of river cruises.
Once you pay for cruise you are done with costs. Our friends appreciated the beautiful views every day while on the river. Meals were wonderful, fresh food daily. We did not notice any problems with noise. As far as excursions go we had a fair bit of flexibility. We are taking another river cruise this September.
I did a river cruise, Tulips and Windmills through the Netherlands with 6 gal pals. It was delightful. It is what you make it!
Thank you for this excellent video. While I fit the demographic for rover cruises, I now realize they are not for me. Regimentation and lack of spontaneity are not for me.
GARY: After watching one of your posts, for my partner's 72nd birthday in 2017, I booked us a DOURO RIVER CRUISE, with SAGA. This turned out to be the most outrageously funny holiday we have ever been on! Only a week's duration, and with all the passengers "of a certain age", the disco music was superb; and - even the DJ - who lamented what he had been reduced-to on his first night with us, was transformed into a right 'Dancing Queen' by the end of the first evening. We met two wonderful Scottish Widows (!!!) who have remained firm friends. However, my purpose in writing is to say that I would not book a 'balcony-room' next time. This wastes space inside the stateroom; and we spent all of our free time in the public areas, with our friends: so the balcony was a complete waste ( at extra cost).
I love that he talks about pros and cons rather than just act like a promoter. We did a Uniworld cruise of the Nile last year - very nice, but different from the Europe cruises.
Sounds pretty good, as long as you know what to expect!
This has proven to be very useful information as we plan for and eagerly anticipate our first-ever river cruise. Thank you for making this video and sharing your insights.
Thank you. You have confirmed that river cruising will not be for us!
My wife and I cruised from Amsterdam to Budapest on Viking. I went into the trip without looking for pitfalls. Thank goodness things went pretty well. Just be aware that if water levels are too high, you will not be using the sun deck at all. And with Europe being so small, if it is rainy in Amsterdam, it will probably be rainy for 2-3 days of the cruise.
That is one of the most valuable bunch of tips for travel that I've come across! Various things I wouldn't have thought of, presented quickly and matter-of-factly, without annoying background music. Good work!
Thanks. Great to hear. Really appreciate you watching
We went on one recently and loved every minute of it! We want to go again. AmaWaterway was excellent!
Done a lot of river cruising in Europe and this guy is straight on point!! It's a good way to travel!!
I went on Uniworld river cruise. OUTSTANDING. Although expensive, the food was world class, the nightly entertainment was as well. I have been on both ocean and now river cruises. I'd take river cruises hands down. Not garish, no casino to walk through to get to the dining room.Quiet ambiance with passengers being well cared for by the staff. Convivial passengers, very low key and conducive to meeting and talking to fellow passengers. While your points are well taken, to me, this is "the" way to travel via waterways.
Thanks for leaving your experience. I have also had great times on Uniworld.
We have been on 9 river cruises & rarely if ever did we have a problem or a complaint!!! They were absolutely wonderful and we would highly recommend them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found my last river cruise up the Rhine to be inexpensive and completely relaxing. It was not stuffy in any way . We are going with the same ship this year for a few days around The Netherlands
Be nice if you told us the name of the line and ship. How are we supposed to know;;;;;; jeez.
Just came back from my first river cruise. Wish I had this information prior to going. Thanks!
Excellent points about River Cruises. I have no desire to take the giant sea cruises but have taken two River Cruises and they were great and worth every penny. My suggestions: Spring for the top level rooms, no noise. I'm single and went with AHI Travel on the Leuftner Cruise Line (Amadeus ships), no single supplement.
My wife and I went on an Avalon river cruise from Paris to Cannes (our first), and thoroughly enjoyed it. My wife gets seasick so the oceangoing trips are out of the question, she will not even attempt. We were able to mix the activities to our needs. A great choice. Looking at Danube cruises next.
Have done Ocean Cruises and River Cruises and will take river cruising hands down. Have had no problems with any of the European cruises that have been on with Scenic. The thing i like is that once you are on board everything is covered including your tours on shore. On ocean cruises you have to purchase tours and drinks
I learned a lot about river cruises since I knew nothing. Thank you!
Thanks. Great to hear. I really appreciate you watching 😀
You’re travel videos are the BEST ❤️
Good list. I haven't thought about most of this. If we ever consider a river cruise, I'll probably look for this again.
I have been on a handful of river cruises in my late 40's. EVERYTHING he says is spot on! I mainly love them and at moments dislike them for all of these reasons :-)
Excellent summary. I just wish to correct one statement. My husband & I were on the Vantage River Splendor
Amsterdam (pre stay)to the Black Sea almost a month. This ship has an optional dinner- light dining in small top deck, glass enclosed, restaurant barbecue, soups...we dined here every night then walked in towns.
I am glad you showed locks & rafting aspects. Also, walls thinner than ocean ships, agree earplugs. We had the best cruise on River boat. (Have been on many Ocean cruises), We liked our River Cruise that were divided into groups & all tours with that group. We bonded quite well. The cultural aspects were great. Visited Croatian school in session. Dined in small group with Croatian family...
I've been on 8 sea cruises and currently planning on a River Cruise being our next one.
I lived in Germany 2010-2014 and have visited most of the towns on the route, but really want to have the River Cruise experience side of it.
All pretty right on. Not to shill for one operator, but on Viking, they did have a small dining area which we used for breakfast and about half of the suppers. The cuisine was really good but overwhelming; amazing amount and quality of food coming out of an amazingly small space (they gave us a tour about one day from last docking). One thing that was really good was that Viking took care of all arrangements on arrival and departure - we opted for pre- and post- trip extensions and it was comforting to be met at the airport on arrival and taken there on departure with no worries about local transport. Yes, the on land tours were a bit "cattle car", but at a number of stops, we had free time to explore the towns on our own - just be sure you are back on the boat at the designated time. It was a great experience; would I do it again - no, but we met folks who had taken the exact same trip the year before!
Absolutely true. Expect the unexpected. We were on Viking last November (2018) and we were warned of low water only a week out. Obviously, Viking knew of the low water levels on the Danube for months. Our river cruise became a motor bus tour. Not what we expected or paid for.
AI4QT Ditto. We experienced Viking’s Danube bus tour in August 2018. So disappointing.
My Elbe cruise was cancelled completely the week before.
Great video. We had a wonderful cruise with Scenic....no hidden costs....absolutely professional, drinks all day. Lots of great Aussies and super fun.
Thanks. Great to hear. I really appreciate you watching 😀
I have to agree with that about Scenic. I’ve been lucky enough to work for the company previously & travel on a Christmas markets cruise during that time. One of my favourite holidays to this day. Would go back in a heartbeat if I could afford it.
Very useful information. A note for those that go for the cheapest grade. In most cases this means you do not have floor to ceiling windows. Most probably you will have a window at head height only.ie the cabins are just above water level.
Two years ago I took a river cruise along Rhine with Amway it was great. The food and service where excellent. I am planning another trip with Amway next spring..The accommodations were excellent and never had any problems regarding sound.
I took my son with me on a Viking Rhine River cruise before he started college. He is into photography so I “sold” it to him as a photography tour. He enjoyed experimenting with time lapse photos going through locks, etc. His tastes really branched out on this trip and he tried many regional foods. I told him up front that most of the people would be older. We were both fine with that. We seemed to be drawn to a lot of people from England when we sat down to eat and had fun talking with them. We also spent some time on our own at each stop. The crew were very helpful with giving us recommendations. I would describe a river cruise as “structured” rather than “regimented.” The Viking ship was not noisy at all. I would gladly cruise anywhere on Viking and hope to again someday. The ship’s layout and decor are very calm. The photos from Uniworld look agitating to me. I imagine the different cruise lines are catering to diffferent styles/personalities. There was one woman on our cruise who seemed to think she was on a party boat. It was rather entertaining but she definitely seemed not to have understood the concept!
I agree that “structured” is a better description! Wish I had thought of that 😀 As you say key is having the right expectations. I also found the itinerary at right time of year is brilliant for photography and video experiences and trying things out as great sights. Thanks so much for watching and adding to the discussion 👍🏻
You had to SELL someone on a Viking cruise? That you were paying for?? Please, please take me next time and I'll pay for the kid's week in Daytona! :-)
Jeff Pittman haha the conversation was actually quite humorous. Me: How would you like to go on a Rhine River cruise? You can take pictures of a lot of old castles. 17 year old: How old is the ship? Me: idk I’ll call and ask...The ship is a year old and has a hybrid engine. 17 year old: Cool. Me: So you’ll go with me? 17 year old: Sure. 🤣
Lisa D 8
Lisa D p
Four years ago I took my son on Viking’s cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. Fourteen nights; it was worth every cent. He was the youngest passenger-25 years old and he got along well with everybody. My husband, brother-in-law and I did Viking’s Waterway of the Tsars last year. I like river cruising better than ocean cruising.
Awesome! Great to hear this experience and that your son had a great time. That is a great itinerary
Susan T, I'm sure you enjoyed your Viking Russian Waterways trip, but you missed out on what was available 25 years ago. Back then, 14 days meant 14 stops, often at villages that hadn't seen tourists before. Single cabins at single prices. Yes, the "Russian cuisine" meant potato soup every noon, and dinner was whatever the crew had been able to forage at each stop, but we weren't there for the food. A half day tour of St. Petersburg's canals in a six-passenger boat. A walk through Moscow after dark and rides on the subway. Attendance at ballet and folk performances. Members of the Moscow Opera on board to give concerts every night. Including air fare, it was less than $2,500. Times have changed, haven't they?
I just booked that cruise. Looking forward to it.
Bob Rogers m
I did the Waterway of the Tsars last year, too. We did a 3 day add-on in Helsinki beforehand, with a day trip to Tallin, Estonia. It was excellent.
Viking Cruise on Danube is THE best vacation ever! Worth every penny and highly recommend
What time of year did you do the Danube Viking cruise?
Thanks! I greatly appreciate your warning that river cruises are *not* for people with mobility issues.
I took a river cruise in France this past May. Went from Lyon up the Saone then back down the Rhone to Arles. Cruise line was Luftner on the Amadeus Provence. Absolutely wonderful trip. Most excursions were included and there were optional excursions at a reasonable price. Food and service were exceptional. Yes, it was an "older crowd" and I enjoyed the adult crowd. Would go again in a heartbeat. The locks were fascinating but never woke me at night and didn't find excess noise a problem.
No excess noise because we are all asleep by 9:30 lol!
I've noticed the larger ships are offering accommodations for solo travelers. It's like a dorm room set-up where there are several small bedrooms that share a large lounge.
The ships are all the same size.
We just got back from an excursion on the lower Danube with Grand Circle and had a wonderful experience in spite of many river level problems. To offset these changes the line arranged for addition excursions and comped most (but not all) of the optional excursions and at each end to the trip we spent a few days in hotels but they did pick really nice ones but the meals served in the hotels were not as good as those on the boat.
I have never seen any children on any of the boats, I know that Grand Circle does not allow any but we often rafted up with other lines at the docks. Most of our fellow travelers were like us, over '29', and most had made more than one trip with Grand Circle, a few had made 20 such trips, but they were mostly pretty active for older folks. Walking around older cities with cobblestone streets is tough on the legs and feet but remember many downtowns are traffic free and walking is the only way around. In our cabin, the beds folded up during the day, this process was handled by the room attendant while you had breakfast and dropped down while you had dinner. There is no room in the cabin for a third guest, so if you could bring your kid(s) you would have to pay for another cabin.
When I travel I want to see the sights, not lounge in my room, so the regimentation needed to accomplish this was not unwelcome, I am not this way at home. Likewise I don't see any benefit to the top deck cabins with balconies. I do find the 'periscope' deck at the bottom level less fun and do pay for the middle deck upgrade. It was way more fun to do day cruising in the lounge or on the top deck where you can mingle with fellow passengers but I don't 'hang out' in my hotel room when I do land travel either, bedrooms are for sleeping. Beer, wine, and coffee was always available there, mixed drinks and bottled beverages were extra.
The best part of Grand Circle is the Cruise Directors, these folks are with you everyday making the land tours as well. They come from the area where you are touring, are generally licensed guides in some of the cities and have a great deal of local knowledge. A good reason for repeating trips with the same line is that they continue to offer repeat travelers big discounts on the fare and they have special events for repeat travelers. My ticket included free air travel and that was mostly on Lufthansa, a really good airline.
Thanks for your comments. I have not travelled with them (yet!). But you make it sound like worth trying !
I have been in contact with several people who traveled with Viking on the Danube at the same time that we were traveling and they were quite unhappy about their experience. It seems to me that Viking did about the same as Grand Circle, there really isn't anything they could do about water levels in the river, above their pay grade, eh? I think what created problems at Viking is they weren't forthcoming, we at GC were advised even before we left the states for the cruise about the river conditions and I believe they offered us an opportunity to opt out at that time but if we continued they'd do their best. When we got to Bucharest we had a meeting with all of the other passengers and the cruise directors, conditions were changing day to day and they promised to keep us informed. The directors also told us about the difficulty of the problem, all of the cruise lines had the same problems, and all were trying to book hotels, tour busses, and restaurants at the last minute for rather large parties of guests, sometimes in places not usually on the tour book. The alterations in the itinerary seemed to satisfy and I think that most of the passengers realized the problem. I think that GC's effort to be forthcoming and honest with us as soon as they realized there might be a problem, and the regular meetings, the free excursions, and the very good alternatives they offered made most of us happy and satisfied. They also offered us significant discounts on future trips and a significant partial refund. GC's cruise directors are really great people and they certainly went beyond what was expected.
@@henryostman5740 We (a group from church) did Holland and Belgium in the Springtime in April '18 and it was wonderful. Grand Circle's ship was spotless and the crew and tour directors were wonderful. I don't think the Netherlands ever has a "low water" problem (LOL) so I would recommend that tour to anyone. (It's only available for about 5 weeks in the Spring, and is sold out already for 2019.) Our group is looking to do another GCCR river trip in 2020.
Years ago (many) we did the cruise from Basel Switzerland to Holland on the old KD Rhine line, this was a European tour and they seated us at tables with English speakers, there were tables for French & Spanish, it was a German ship so all tables had German. Met some lovely folks from UK and an older couple who lived down South, we rented a car and drove all around Holland with this couple, he was a Rabbi and was the former Chief Rabbi of Santiago Cuba before the revolution. Had a really good time on that trip.
If you do a Danube trip, do it in late spring or early summer, river levels will probably be high due to melting snow in the alps. We are looking at a Med cruise from Rome to some of the Greek ports, then to Israel for a few days, returns thru Sicily and Naples. Hope you guys have a great trip!
This video is full of valuable information and differences between river and ocean cruising. A must watch for those of us who are considering a river cruise at some point in the future. Thank you Gary, much appreciated.
Oh, and the images were fabulous, especially the interiors of the ships. It's great to see what's below deck, and again, very different to the ocean going ships we're used to.
Thanks. Great to hear. I really appreciate you watching 😀
I love your videos!!!! Very enlightening!!!
Thanks for this concise and informative summary, Gary. Seasons Greetings!
Thanks. Great to hear!
Thanks for the heads up and tips. I am booked 2022 to cruise the Danube solo. You are right it is not quite double for me to go alone. But I am alone in the world so if I want to go anywhere I have to pay the Single rate.
Hi Gary thanks for your comments on the river cruises . I just have to say that I have been on four River cruises, two with Uni world and two with Evergreen and loved every single moment of them ,in fact would say they were our best holidays ever.
I would agree that they are an expensive way to travel, however what you get for your money is well worth it. Once I paid the full amount, I found that with each trip I never paid anything else, other than souvenirs that I bought.
Uni world was fully inclusive so of course we never paid anything else, Evergreen was fully exclusive except for drinks out side of mealtimes. As we are not big drinkers this was not a problem for us. But with each cruise when we did activities within the boat, example cheese tasting or cooking demonstrations etc they always gave us wine to accompany these activities so there was no shortage of drinks during the day either.
On all of our cruises we rarely stopped next to other boats and if we did, I quite enjoyed having a quick peak at the other boats as we walked through. In fact with uni world we were allowed to have a look extensively through the other boats and had a chat to all the other guests sitting in the lounge areas which was really great fun.
I have to say that I never found it Regimented, yes we had excursions at certain times so it was in your best interest to get up and have breakfast either at the early bird session or the normal breakfast area and be ready to depart for your excursion, but that’s no different from an ocean liner as well .
And it least when it was time for the excursion there was not thousands of people all pushing and shoving trying to get off,
The most I’ve had was 120 people and it was very leisurely and easy. We had no difficulty with any of the excursions, because everyone just strolled along quite slowly there was never really any hurry and nothing was difficult at all to manage .
And each one of my cruises always had an EASY WALKING Group that went at a slower pace to suit those who needed this. And I never felt that the excursions went more than about three hours anyway and the rest of the time was just free time, so we thoroughly enjoy popping into pubs ,walking around the gardens, looking at different things apart from the usual cathedrals etc that you mentioned... which of course were amazing.
We have had quite a large age demographic on our cruises with had people in their 30s and 40s as well as the older groups. Everybody integrated really well and I think it helps having the smaller ship and only one or two lounge areas, as it’s never hard to find someone to sit down and have a chat with or even to find a small corner just read a book by yourself.
I have to say that I never found any of my four cruises noisy at all and I suffer from insomnia and I never heard a thing , sometimes the gentle lapping of water but that’s about it .I would never stay on the top deck because I think that sometimes early-morning joggers might make a noise up there but so far noise wise ,we’ve had no bad experiences.
We have found the restaurants to be open for an hour or two for breakfast and the same for lunch and you can come and go at any time that you like I don’t find that regimented at all. And on one occasion I did not feel like coming for dinner ,and just mentioned it to reception..just to let them know that I wouldn’t be coming and about half an hour later a gentleman arrived at my door with a very small meal on a beautiful silver tray and a drink as well, just in case I needed something later on ....so I thought that was fabulous service.
Obviously if there is four or five courses at night and you just feel like a salad then you just have the one course of what you want, it’s not like you have to eat everything there... you just choose what you like and then leave when you like, it’s really not that regimented ...certainly not in my experience.
I am vegetarian and I found all of my meal experiences to be very good and I also let them know for when we had excursions off the boat that included meals, and we had no problems whatsoever.
Luckily for us we never had any water level problems, but I can understand that they would be quite an issue at certain times of the year. So you are absolutely correct that people need to do their research and be prepared for changes to itinerary. Just the same as ocean cruises where we have been redirected to other places due to storms etc.
One thing I did notice with a lot of the people that I travelled with, was that they had done very little research on their cruise, had no idea of what the cabin was like or the window configurations. They seemed not to know where they were going ,what the cruise included or really very much about the cruise at all, which absolutely surprises me ,,,when you think of how much money you’ve paid for these cruises, I would be absolutely making sure I knew what I was entitled to ,where I was going and what my cabin looked like and what I could expect.
So all I can say is that everybody that I’ve travelled with and other people I know who have been on cruises ,have all enjoyed them .
it is certainly different from ocean cruising and definitely quieter no casino , no shows ,no excitement it’s just calm and quiet grown-up ,you do have activities, you do have fun things ,it’s just different but good...
And I would do a river cruise every week if I could afford it
Thanks so much for watching and taking time to leave such a detailed comment of your experiences and thoughts. I also noticed the same about research etc by guests. Many had just trusted their agent or the tour company to get them on something they would like without knowing much at all ...
Karen M I
I think that you and I agree on most points. I like your emphasis on doing a little planning and research on a particular trip. I was a ship officer in the military and I have a pilot's license as well, I never go anywhere without first checking my maps. I can't understand why people would spend a lot of money on something without researching it beforehand and on most of these cruises there is a meeting where the cruise director will explain the next day's activities and answer any questions, I go to these and pay attention. Even small details count, example, the bed arrangement in most river boats with two fixed folding single beds, when we were much younger we took a cruise with such a cabin, it was not conducive to a second 'honeymoon'!
Oh man, you're making me really want to go. I'm 60 years young and in pretty good shape, so I think it'd be great. I've been on two ocean cruises, and while I enjoy being on the water, I hate the total nonsense that passes for entertainment. I will not go on an ocean cruise again, no matter how cheap it is. It's just not me. Going on a small ship to see historic places with grown ups sounds like heaven.
the river cruises through parts of Europe are what you are looking for, beautiful old cities as well as beautiful river scenery while you move from place to place on your floating hotel, a small boutique hotel with a great dining room. No teenagers, loud music, or fast food to spoil your day. I don't get paid for this. A lot of ocean cruising goes to fake places erected often by the ship lines to entertain their guests and sell added cost excursions, this is true in the Caribbean as well as in the Alaska panhandle.
Very well put, all descriptions...speaking on the specific topic of “baby boomer” and sometimes an “older experience,” followed by the new updates reminds me of my moms,s free catalogues she is sent. As if I didn’t always doggy ear my dream places to go...this new appreciation for UA-cam videos makes so much more alluring talk. On my 12 birthday I blessed to travel eaurope, I don’t how I haven’t felt I should embrace these opportunities, I did not for family obligations. Now literally traveling to a place across seas as an adult is something I never thought I would dream about! Im at 37 years of age now and pray for us all to enjoy and appreciate what we have while still encompassing our passions and dreams...most of all, to enjoy your journeys and keep time with good surrounding and fresh new perspectives.
I am glad I watched this video, great info provided on river cruising. I have watched lots of your sea cruising videos and never thought of the big differences. Thanks and take care
Glad it was helpful!
I've never been interested in ocean cruising and thought river cruising would be the only thing to consider when in Europe, but this was very helpful in deciding that river cruising is probably not for me. Cheers
Me too, thanks
Lookup Interrail.
It is fabulous. we have been on 2, one on the Danube - Budapest to Passau and one on the Rhine - Amsterdam to Basel. fabulous, went in October, no prob with water levels then. staff, food, excursions all great. cabins really nice. Our fave kind of vacation.
We went on a River cruise and I thought it was awesome.
@@chriswilliams6568 Not really my thing. I had more fun hiring a barge for a month and going on a canal holiday. Stay up late and get up late or go to bed early and get up early depending on our mood and plans. I liked that we could constantly adapt our plans and meet people and have our plans change on the fly.
If you don't mind a regimented plan, river cruise is great but I much prefer loose plans.
I wish this had been available prior to our 2018 Blue Danube cruise, the low water levels were adjusted so much that we missed 2 cities. And the time on the bus was 3 hours! Not 20 minutes. Exposing us to roadside pickpockets and gypsies who were bent on taking our money. I found Avalon extremely expensive ( 700 day a couple) and felt that they were focused on up selling excursions, versus spending our nightly talks giving us helpful tidbits about the area. ( We missed one of the country's largest flea markets in Vienna, instead, bussing us to see yet another castle.) These talks are extremely helpful and exact. Please watch before you go!
Great information. I'm a Baby Boomer, looking to go on a European River Tour. Thank you for posting.
This is a brilliant exposé of river cruises. I have been on many in Europe, and all, yes all, of them can be described in the manner that you expressed. Absolutely brilliant information - if I had known this before I may well not have gone. Every detail was right, every last one. Thankyou.
APT cruise, Budapest to Amsterdam June/July 2016 - An Australian company. Excellent (guy/guy couple, we were both baby boomers). I am not naturally gregarious with strangers, but my partner is, so we fitted in well. I loved the microphone/earpiece tour guides which meant we didn't have to stay extra close to the respective guides. The advertised pool was a bit of a no go for me - barely a plunge pool. We had to change boats half way through because the river was too high to allow a boat to pass under one of the bridges. Basically we swapped boats with the cruise coming from Amsterdam to Budapest.- very efficient and the crew were great and very helpful and organised. "Structured" suited me fine especially as the excursions etc were things I was interested in - classical music and historical sites. I wish I could afford to repeat the trip and include the Rhine this time. Sadly, I would have to win a lottery.
As I mentioned in another comment, I did my European river cruising years ago when the boats were smaller, had fewer amenities - and were affordable on a schoolteacher's salary! Although most advertising is by the bigger, more expensive companies, there must still be some smaller boats that do basic cruises at reasonable prices, but you might have to do some searching online. Don't give up your dream of doing the Rhine!
Great video. I have a tip I rarely see but live by. Pick your itinerary, pick your cruise company, then find the newest boat or most recently refurbished for that trip. It may mean changing your dates by a week or two but these boats are used constantly all season long and can start to show their age. A newer boat is less likely to have mechanical issues and a “fresher look”. No one wants to cruise the Danube in August with their cabin HVAC on the blink.
I just found your channel a few months ago, Gary, and you really know your cruising. Your videos are informative and even handed, and you make them about cruising, not you. I've especially enjoyed the river cruise videos, and it' been fun seeing some of the Uniworld ships I've sailed on and some of the sights I've visited. I've recommended several of your videos to friends who are considering cruising or maybe have the wrong idea or misinformation as to what's involved. Keep up the good work!
Our river cruise with Uniworld was met with a broken lock. We ended up switching to a lesser value boat for 2 nights then eventually were bussed to Bratslavia rather than Vienna for the remainder of trip.
Love river cruising. Small passenger groups of like minded people who are there to enjoy the history of the countries, learn from other passengers, and share experiences. We have bought our own cheese and treats then sat up top and skipped the big meals many nights when river cruising, enjoying the evening air and sights. We have let them know we would either be staying on board as they moved to the next port or did our own exploring if we didn't like the excursion they had planned. Of course, we knew we were responsible for returning to the ship on time. We always bring a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine we have purchased to enjoy on our room balcony as we're cruising along. It took us awhile but we realized this was our cruise and made alterations as we saw it fit our style.
Seems you are referring to multiple day cruises in Europe. I thought you were going to mention day cruises too. One thing to watch out for is drinking beer during a day cruise. Although the beer will be higher priced than normal, you will also pay to use the toilet each time. This can add up very fast. Don’t know if it is the same for every day boat but the day cruise we went on in Germany, I paid premium for the toilet due my beer drinking.
Very comprehensive. Usually, you have to go on these trips to find out the pro's and con's, so thanks for all the tips and advice.
Thanks. Great to hear you found this helpful. Really appreciate you watching!
My first experience of Europe was courtesy of my grandparents, in 1984. We took a cruise from Basel to Rotterdam, took a week, and we had a great time, no complications.
Great to hear! A fabulous introduction to Europe for sure
I did my European river cruising years ago, using a small German company called KD Lines, whose routes I think have since been gobbled up by Viking. The ships were small, and only the one on the Rhine had more than 100 passengers. They were very informal, the staff and tourguides were excellent, and they offered single cabins at a very reasonable cost. My Russian Waterways cruise was on a ship chartered by an outfit called Bolshoi Tours, with twice as many stops as Viking does now and very inexpensive. Nowadays, elegance onboard has become more important than the experiences at each stop, and the prices have soared far beyond what a schoolteacher (like me) can afford.
I've been on three European river cruises.....and this video is so real. Very insightful...
We’ve done a Hawaii cruise, Alaska cruise, a Viking river cruise, and an Athens to Rome cruise with a church. I loved all four and would agree the Viking cruise was more as you described. But I do think of all three the Viking cruise was my favorite. Good info.
Thanks. Great to hear. I really appreciate you watching 😀
Fantastic information. You took the spin out of Viking’s travel catalogs.
I lived in Passau, on the Danube, when I was a student. In May/June 1997 there was a lot of heavy rain for a few days and all the river cruise boats got stuck as they couldn't get under the bridges due to the height of the river.
In 2018 the ships couldnt go trough vilshofen(dryest point on the german donau) so the people would bus to straubing and continue there.
Wow, invaluable advice. Thanks so much for doing this.
Thanks. Great to hear it helped and you found it interesting. Thanks for watching the video (please keep watching !)
This is an excellent video. I would like to add that the criuse we took (from UK) with an Australian company, APT a few years ago was excellent. Not cheap and I couldn't expect to do this very often. Consifering everything involved it actually worked out at good value however.
Congratulations, and thank you,! You produced a highly professional and very informed video on river cruising. My son and I took a river cruise on the Rhine, Danube and Main rivers through five countries last summer 2018 with Tauck. I was extremely pleased with the experience, although we did have to switch ships once due to low water levels but that was explained ahead of time in Tauck’s marketing materials as a possibility. Tauck surprisingly sent a thank you letter after the cruise offering each of us a $500 credit towards our next trip to make up for the inconvenience, to be used within two years:. Please mention in future river cruising videos that if you purchase a lower cost cabin, chances are you will not see anything outside unless you stand up and look out your window. That was a huge surprise to us. To expand upon your comment that river cruising attracts mostly older individuals, that is very true, however my 19-year-old son received so much over-the-top-attention from the fun and energetic staff; that he was practically a superstar with our fellow passengers by the end of the cruise.Thank you; and I look forward to viewing your other travel videos. You are doing a great service to the public!
Did the Budapest to Amsterdam in 2010 with APT, around September, loved every minute of it.
I’ve been on several river cruises and cannot fault your advice. I think the main thing is not to compare them with sea cruises, a completely different experience.
Well done. Concise, clear and informative. So much better because it is not actually a promotion.
Thanks, great to hear this. Appreciate you watching
You are always thorough - I appreciate it!
Just happened on your channel by accident but this video is hugely helpful and answers a lot of questions I have had about river cruising that you can't easily resolve by on-line searches.
Great to hear ! Thanks 😀😀
Fab advice, well organised and spoken.
Excellent points. Well balanced, short and to the point. Thank you!!!
Thanks. Really appreciate you watching :-)
We watched this before our Sept. 2019 Rhine Cruise with Viking. Thank you! There were no surprises and we absolutely loved the trip.
Really useful video. Just booked my first river cruise on the brand new Tui Skyla at the end of March 2021. 7 nights all inclusive (all day) cruise as a single person with flights, transfers, and £120 shore excursion credit for only £94 per night, an incredible price I think.
My husband & I have taken @ least 30 ocean cruises & 1 River Cruise on Vantage. The Vantage Holland(add on)
to the Black Sea remains our favorite. At night we dined upstairs with lighter fare & walked the towns where we were docked. We enjoyed that we were divided, for 28 days, to one group on same bus & tours. Every day was a scheduled tour, usually lunch on ship or tour, or they gave us 15 euros to buy our own. Usually they ran shuttles for self exploration in PM. The social aspect is wonderful with 80 people. The air fare was free. The cultural part
of trip were we visited Croatian school & dined in private home was rewarding. I will never forget sailing @ night
with Hungarian National anthem playing, as we sipped champagne on top deck with Budapest Parliament lit up.
Jeanne ( baby boomer)
Sounds like a fabulous trip. I agree that Budapest at night is one of the most remarkable sights !
Gary, this was EXCELLENT. I am planning on going on Uniworld at Xmas. Cool. I think it will really suit me even if it is expensive. Thanks for water level/itinerary change advice.
We have just booked a river cruise for next year on the Danube as my husband loved the idea. We have been on a couple of ocean cruises together + a few smaller boat trips & love being on the water. I have 2 bad knees so cant walk a lot so will just explore near the boat. Looking forward to it & will have time in Budapest afterwards 😎
Spot on. But don't be put off. Just loved my Budapest-Amsterdam cruise.
I have driven along the Rhine, which was amazing!
River cruising is not something I have thought of much...
Though I have stayed in one of these on the rhine, in Cologn once, for a trade show.
Great vid tho!
Some really good advice!
Cheers!
We took a Danube cruise last summer and absolutely loved it! Loved river cruising so much more than ocean cruising. There are more frequent stops, and most travel is in the night when you’re sleeping. The dock is in the middle of the town, so many times, you can just walk right into the heart of the town. Whereas an Ocean cruise can only dock in the huge shipyards and you have to take a bus to get into town. We had between 2-3 excursion options everyday, so there is something for everyone. They even put together a “gentle walkers” group, for those who needed to walk much slower and couldn’t do stairs. We were early 50’s and might have been the youngest people on the ship, but we like how easy it was to talk to people and get to know them. It’s great to sit on the deck, have a drink and watch the world float by or watch the locks, which are fascinating.
Solo travellers do suffer with the extra fee unfortunately, but have taken the chance at sharing with (luckily another lovely lady). Did an ocean cruise and paid a premium for solo occupancy.
All your videos are excellent, with extremely valuable information. Well done!
Have been thinking about a River Cruise for quite a while. Your videos supply excellent info. One thing which concerns me is although I am 70, I don’t want to be around other “old” people or stuck on a guided tour with people who walk super slow and hold the whole group up. Yes, I realize this is an unkind thing to say. However, health and wellness has been a priority most of my life and people think I’m in my 50s. I really never cared for ocean cruises, although my Ex and I did several. After watching another of your videos, I’m wondering if Croisi or Emerald my be a better fit for me.
good information my wife has been on about river cruising for awhile, the points raised definitely merit discussion
My wife and I are close to booking a river cruise. The cost isn't high...we just finished two weeks in Disney World, at a premium resort....and THAT was crazy high. The idea of cruising down the Rhine or Danube is awesome...just the history of all these old cities.
Excellent review and good pointers for the novice. We've taken multiple cruises with Viking. The do a very good job overall.
A couple of points I would add:
The sun decks are for show, the boats sail at night so any amenity you see in brochures, pools, chess sets, lounges, are basically of no use.
The pictures of lovely couples waking up watching the sun rise from their bed that faces their window obviously missed breakfast and the tour that day. The position of your bed in the room is not a reason to pick a specific cruise line.
The Elbe River is notorious for low water. Our trip was cancelled a few years back. We did the cruise last year and it was very good.
The trip down to Bucharest involves lots of long bus rides, Viking is great on the boat but they are lacking when it comes to long distance bus tours.
The Rhine Main Canal has about 15 locks so the entire top of the ship is flattened to go under the apparatus.
Thanks for watching and adding your experiences and insights. Good points on the usual marketing images and what most cruises are like 😀
....went on Seine River cruise from Paris to Normandy, a few years back. Lots of day time sailing..... saw castles, cities, impressive bridges and wine country. Lounged on the top deck and took a ton of day time videos and pics. I guess sailing times depend on the particular cruise you are on.
We've been on three European river cruises: Saint Petersburg to Moscow, Lucerne Switzerland to Amsterdam, and Prague to Berlin. On the last one, the Elbe was so low that we had to leave the ship not very far past Dresden and got converted into a bus tour. The cruise line staff were very flexible and efficient, so this wasn't as much of a problem as it could have been. For example, they got us all into a hotel in Wittenberg on very short notice.
As I recall, the dinners were mostly formal, but breakfast was more buffet-style. Lunch was often out on the town. Drinks were not included except for some wine at dinner; but on the German ones, you could get a discount "beer ticket." The bicycles we rode in France and Berlin weren't nearly as nice as the ones in the pictures. One thing I noticed in Germany was that they would take the group out to a local restaurant for dinner (in Wittenberg or Berlin, for example) and bring you twice as much food as you wanted--but a beer cost extra.
The limitations you mention--cobblestones, walking, meals, shipboard conditions, etc.--were clearly stated in the literature ahead of time, so that wasn't much of a problem either. I believe some folks skipped one of the castle tours which involved climbing up a huge hill to the gate and then lots of stone stairs and narrow passageways.
All of your information was spot-on, and it's definitely different from ocean cruising. You're never far from land, and not very far from the next stop. And the Captain himself warned us all not to touch the concrete walls of the locks.
Also went on a cruise on the Columbia river in Oregon, and another on the Mississippi out of New Orleans; but those were bigger ships, and they had buses following along or chartered locally to take you on the tours.
Cheers.
Thanks for the heads up...I was sold on river cruising by a friend who had a great time but you have raised some important issues for me regarding mobility and the low level water issues....thx
Scenic have faced extensive legal claims in Australian courts where passengers have paid for all inclusive cruises that have been a horrid bus trip shuttle between cheap hotels with few inclusions worth a fraction of the fare due to drought and flood. Apparently insurers wont pay a loss either. Floods etc tend to affect some sections and replacing this with buses means the trip progresses. I would be unimpressed. The odds? Low i guess.