Anyone done a river cruise?

[Bobbie]

We've booked a cruise on the Rhine for this summer, very excited about it. I know it will be totally different from an ocean cruise, only 150 people on board for starters! Just wondered if anyone has been on one and if you have any tips for me!

[Manoverboard]

Tips are expected and are at the American Cruise Line rate ...

An entirely different experience to the likes of Azura, who are you booked with ?

[dorsetlad]

We did a river cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna , cruising the Rhine, Rhine/Mainz Canal, Mainz & Danube. Excellent cruise, but don't recall the tips being anything like American Cruise line rate. In fact the tipping rate was not specified at all, and was left to individuals to decide. We were with Avalon Waterways, I think their name was. We have also done a Nile cruise, but that's different again.

Brian

[Manoverboard]

' Tips ' was obviously a play on words ... pathetic or otherwise

Viking and Uniworld operate at these levels but others may not, sorry to confuse.

[Meg 50]

We did the Rhine about 10 years ago.

Expect to do your own safety investigations.....


We're off on the Rhone / Saone later this year

[Boris+]

Hi Meg,

Are you serious - do you mean that you have to do your own safety drill or familiarisation?

Surely I've read that wrong?

Em

[paultheeagle]

Em....You don't need a safety drill...there is usually only one way up and one way down..No life boats to worry about....You are always in sight of land..

It's no different than going to a hotel you get the escape route on the back of your door and should always spend a few minutes familiarising yourself with that....Well I do anyway.

[Shirleybee]

Are River Cruises to personal? Can you go and keep your own company or is it too familiar?

[lioness]

I did a river cruise and did not enjoy it. dinner was at 6 each night or even earlier. Our cabin smelled of bilge water. We quite enjoyed the scenery, but wouldn't do it again.

[Meg 50]

The Rhine us a seriously busy waterway....wide and deep. We did our own familiarisation.... there were no announcements ..

Maybe things are different these days....


It is quite easy to keep yourself to yourself ... We have booked a cruise where tours are not included - so that'll help!

[Boris+]

So, do people tend to feel the 'wash' from other boats on the river?

Em

[paultheeagle]

I did a river cruise and did not enjoy it. dinner was at 6 each night or even earlier. Our cabin smelled of bilge water. We quite enjoyed the scenery, but wouldn't do it again.

On mine dinner was between 6:30 and 7:00...not a wide window but gave some flexibility....The food was delicious...not a vast choice, but there was always something available, you had to tell the staff what you wanted for dinner at breakfast time and if you didn't like what was on offer you could ask for salad or an omelette....A fussy eater might struggle...as I say nothing like an Ocean Cruise and trying to compare the two might spoil your holiday.

So, do people tend to feel the 'wash' from other boats on the river?

Em

Can't say I noticed any 'wash' Em....There are bigger vessels on the river, not many but are one of the biggest.

[Meg 50]

So, do people tend to feel the 'wash' from other boats on the river?

Em

Nope!

[Meg 50]

what I liked was the guide issued to every cabin:

there were numbered posts along the bank and the guide book gave a bit of info about the area around each one

[IslandSun]

We did a 'Christmas Markets' river cruise 2 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. All trips (and tips) were included, but to be fair most interesting places were close to where we docked, but there was a local guide to walk with you. Food was excellent and plentiful, true you had to order lunch at breakfast time and then your evening meal had to be ordered at lunchtime - but this didn't seem to be a problem. As expected it was very cold but lovely blankets were available to wrap around you when you went outside.

We loved it so much that we are now booked in one with 'Scenic Tours' in April from Bucharest to Budapest, will do a report when I get back.

Lyn.

[Bobbie]

Thanks for the replies. We are booked with Riviera, they get some good reviews. Dinner is apparently at 7pm. There are two included excursions plus a walking tour, but you can just do your own thing if you want. I'm looking forward to it anyway!

[Mrs007]

We hope to go on a River Cruise one day, to watch the beautiful scenery go by whilst relaxing onboard, would be just up our street (or waterway).

[dorsetlad]

My favourite part was sitting on the top deck with some liquid libation, and just watching the beautiful scenery drift by. Totally relaxing.

Brian

[Kendhni]

I have fancied doing a river cruise for a while : Nile, Yangtze, Yellow river etc. ... they seem quite expensive though

[Bobbie]

You're right Ken, some of them are horrendously expensive (for us, anyway!) but Riviera were not as expensive as Viking and Avalon, which we could not even have considered.

[lioness]

I agree, even without dinner at 6.30 - 7.oo, we looked at viking and were totally gobsmacked at the price. I'll stick to sea cruises

[GillD46]

We haven't done a river cruise, and I don't think we will, but we sat at lunch recently with an American couple that had taken a Viking cruise last year.

They paid nearly $17,000 and from day 2 realised they'd made a terrible mistake. They hated the ship, said there were few places to relax, hated the food, hated the fact you had to dine so early and the fact you had to clamber from ship, to ship, to ship to get ashore. They hated it all so much, they flew home on day 3 and cut their losses.

[lioness]

Goodness, how awful. I seem to remember the food was adequate, nothing special and seriously eating at 5.30 pm on 2 occasions was enough to put me off for ever. This was something to do with evening excursions, but why make everyone eat at that time. Yes, crowded, nowhere to get away for a relax. I wouldn't do it again.

[Meg 50]

food brill - and plenty of it. Plenty of space, no hassle to get a move on cos of trips - that's why we're doing another.

And if this one's as good as the last one we're doing the Danube next!

[Debbie W]

I quite fancy doing a river cruise at some point so I'll be interested to hear all about yours Meg (and isn't Moby doing one too?).

Debs