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Choosing a river cruise company in Europe..

Choosing a river cruise company in Europe..

Old Jan 17th, 2016, 03:05 PM
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Choosing a river cruise company in Europe..

How do I choose??? I'd like to travel the Danube to see Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. Does anyone have first hand recommendations? I've seen prices from $3500 (AMA) to $9890 (Crystal) per person! I think our first priority would be excellent land tours, followed by wonderful regional foods, and a comfy bed. I'd appreciate any advice you might share! Thanks in advance.
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 06:31 PM
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From personal experience I can recommend Uniworld, Tauck and Avalon in that order. I believe Crystal is a small ship line as opposed to a river cruise ship. Value wise, Uniworld gives more for the dollar of the three I've cited. Pay close attention when researching as to what excursions are included and which are "optional" and require an extra fee.

Tauck, the priciest of the three, includes all excursions in their itineraries but drinks in the lounge are extra. Avalon offers a number of options which can add a few hundred dollars to the base cost, in addition to the cost of drinks in the lounge before or after dinner. Uniworld offered only two optional excursions on my October Bordeaux River cruise with all beverages in the lounge gratis, being figured into the total cost. Tauck's total cost includes gratuities, as does Uniworld, while Avalon does not.

Wines are included at dinner by all three, with Uniworld offering those at lunch also.

Afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and pastries are offered by both Avalon and Uniworld. Avalon is the least "hands on" of the three with very little involvement of the Cruise Director, so a personal touch is lacking there that the other two embrace.

Look on line for the decor and layout of whatever ship may interest you. Some are very modern, others traditional and/or ornate.

Hope this helps. Happy travels!
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 07:30 PM
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Thank you so much. This answer is most helpful! I can understand why you prefer Uniworld.
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Old Jan 17th, 2016, 10:34 PM
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We have taken several Uniworld trips and I highly recommend them.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 03:06 AM
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travel chat said "...Tauck, the priciest of the three, includes all excursions in their itineraries but drinks in the lounge are extra..."

That's not accurate, except for high end vintage wines ALL DRINKS, even those from the lounge, were included on the river cruise we took this past summer.

We found Tauck to be an excellent tour company. The ships are nicely appointed, staterooms are spacious, the ship's staff are very helpful and friendly and the truck tour guides are top notch.

We were very impressed.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 06:40 AM
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Perhaps Tauck has changed their policy on gratis drinks in the lounge, but on my Paris/Provence cruise three years ago they were not included, as I distinctly remember the bar bill I paid on day before departure. You are absolutely right about the superior quality of the Tauck product, but as a single the upgrade charge to a higher level cabin which I prefer, is not within my reach, unfortunately.

I did a Week in Spain with Tauck in 2014 that was absolutely amazing, but again, very costly.

Dreamer2
It's a matter of priorities that will drive a decision on which cruise line is best for any given traveler. In my case, itinerary + cabin + cost. These three factors must be aligned before I commit.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 06:59 AM
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Thank you, all! You seem like very discerning, educated travelers. I notice that late spring and early fall are most expensive, while April and October are discounted. Any thoughts on traveling during the bridge seasons? Conversely, are we likely to hit low water levels in August?
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 08:43 AM
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Dreamer2
My preference has been to travel in the Fall for the most budget friendly offers, but also for the cooler temps and after the summer throngs have abated somewhat. For the Tulip Time Spring cruise, I went early April at the very front of the season and did save a bit that way. The weather was downright cold but it was still a great cruise through The Netherlands and Belgium.

Haven't been on the Danube yet but I plan to research those offers soon for 2017. I see on this board that the Viking ships seem to have problems with water levels on the Danube, where other lines don't, or haven't posted if they have.

FYI: Viking does not seem to be a "single friendly" line. I have made inquiries in the past and have been quoted the double rate - no thanks.
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Old Jan 18th, 2016, 12:26 PM
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Just to be clear our Tauck's River Cruise included "everything", even gratuities for local bus drivers and guides (when they were used). The Tauck guides even bought everyone ice cream/gelato several times when we were touring some small villages. From the time we were met at the airport till the time we were dropped off for our return flight we didn't have to open our wallet. The only extras we paid for were spa treatments and for personal purchases.
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Old Jan 22nd, 2016, 10:00 AM
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Hi D2,

Have you considered http://avalonwaterways.com/

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Old Jan 22nd, 2016, 01:55 PM
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From personal experience, I would stay away from Viking and consider AMAWaterways.
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Old Jan 30th, 2016, 04:45 AM
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Thanks again for all these helpful comments! Yes, I have also considered Avalon and AMA. That's why I'm so confused! But you all have helped clarify the variety of options. I'm very excited to continue researching!
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Old Aug 16th, 2016, 11:46 AM
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Hi Dreamer-I am in the same boat (ha ha), just starting to research companies for late summer/early fall 2017. What company have you decided on, and why?
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Old Aug 17th, 2016, 04:27 AM
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Also, land excursions? We docked in a town and they offered walking tours. Friends went recently and they were bussed all over , away from the Danube, and hated it.
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Old Aug 17th, 2016, 09:50 AM
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Does anyone have any experience with Emerald Waterways?
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Old Aug 17th, 2016, 12:55 PM
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The risk that you run with early (April) or late (Oct) is water levels. If rivers are high because of snow melt and rain, then boats have trouble getting under bridges. In the late Fall, the reverse, not enough water to float. That is why they are the cheapest.
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Old Aug 31st, 2016, 09:36 PM
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You mentioned wanting a "comfy bed" and for that reason I would caution you to get information about the beds from AmaWaterways. I took Ama's Rhine cruise last year and the beds on the AmaCerto were hard. The mattress seemed to be encased in vinyl. It was very strange. Housekeeping added a foam topper but it was not enough to create comfort. Perhaps a different ship on the Danube will have better beds but please look into this. Everything else about the cruise with Ama was very good.
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Old Sep 17th, 2016, 09:01 AM
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Scootoir:
You made mention on another thread that your river cruise last year on the Rhine began in Basel. Assuming you flew into the Zurich airport and took the train to Basel, I wonder if you could give me the particulars of how that worked.

I am in the planning stages of a cruise from Basel to Amsterdam currently. You may have seen my inquiry here regarding just that. of course I will be coordinating train times with my flight arrival, notifying airline and train staff that I will require assistance due to walking issues but, I wonder if you could give me a run down of how your experience went. Fore-warned and fore-armed is my MO, as I am a lady senior traveling solo. Any and all info appreciated!

As it will be a Tauck cruise, I will be met at the Basel train station and transported to the hotel one night prior to embarkation.
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Old Sep 18th, 2016, 01:36 AM
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We have taken river cruises on Uniworld and Avalon and both had very comfortable beds. Preferred Uniworld has it had better amenities. Both were nice ships.
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Old Sep 18th, 2016, 09:35 PM
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Travelchat, I'm sorry I can't help you with information on that train. We flew Air France and connected in CDG to Mulhouse. http://www.euroairport.com/en/ Mulhouse is very close to Basel near where Switzerland, France and Germany meet. We took a taxi from the airport to our hotel in Basel where we were on our own for a couple of days. We arranged for the same taxi driver to pick us up at our hotel when it was time to board the boat.

I am actually returning to the Rhine on another cruise with my husband this fall. This time Viking will transport us to the boat from the airport at Mulhouse. The ship will be docked in Basel for 2 nights then sail the Rhine to Amsterdam. There will be some new ports and some repeats but with so little time in each one I won't mind returning and Mr. Wonderful has not visited any of these ports.

The cruise this year will be a few days longer with a 2-night stay on the boat in Basel at the beginning and 2 nights in Amsterdam. I am hoping to see a little more of Amsterdam this time.
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