girlonthego

Hi I am asking this question for my parents. They are interested in going on a River Cruise in Germany (Rhine or Danube). They are late 60's and in good health. They like the nicer hotels and enjoy people watching. They have been to England, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Ireland in the past. My mom cannot swim but is comforted by the fact that you can see land. (I don't know how this will help her if the boat goes down, but...) Anyway, they generally travel on a first class basis, they like the fine dining, etc.. Can anyone recommend this? Or a particular cruise line? Thanks. I did a search, but I am coming up with very old posts.

GeoffHamer

There are numerous ships offering cruises on the European rivers. Grand Circle (www.gct.com) and Viking (www.vikingrivercruises.com) are just two major operators.
There is no need to worry about sinking. The rivers are not deep, and in a summer with little rain, there is a danger that the ships can't operate because there isn't enough water. If a ship started sinking in a deeper stretch of river, they would go straight to the nearest bank which is only a few yards away.

elaine

Hi
I've been noticing a lot of interest on this lately, here are some recent threads

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34692244

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;tid=867167

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34688815

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34689108

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...mp;tid=1382522

worldinabag

Hi

Yes, just type in "European river cruises" in the search box above and you will get some more info.

See ya

elaine

Actually, for future reference, I got these threads by a search on this forum on river cruise. I think "European" goes without saying.

alan64

Friends of mine highly recommended the Danube to Black Sea river cruise on Vantage. The same company also has cruises in Germany:

http://www.vantagetravel.com/trip_index.aspx?type=RIVER

girlonthego

Thanks for the past postings. I have responded to one of them who has taken the same cruise my parents were looking into.
Thanks again.

jackandann

We have taken six Grand Circle trips, including three river Cruises, the Danube, the Nile and a combination of Russian rivers from St. Petersburg to Moscow. All of them have been excellent, and excellent values. I would put Grand Circle as moderate first class in accomodations, but definitely first class as far as itinerary and experience. The pacing is execellent for people in their sixties and the travelling companions are half of the experience. To my mind, river cruising is the way to see most of Europe, as there is no time wasted getting from place to place. The cruise is a large part of the experience in itself, and you have your room with you, with no packing and unpacking. You generaly dock in good locations in the town, so that you can walk around, when there is nothing else on the agenda. Grand Circle prides itself on getting the travllers to get to know the local people and customs. All of their program directors (tour guides) are natives of the countries visted and have to naintain the highest standards. If you have any questions, we would be glad to respond, either on this forum, or by Email. Not knowing how to swim is not an issue.
Jack and Ann

Ozarksbill

Elaine...where do you live? I notice you have lots of helpful advice on Fodors talk!

Regarding GCT mentioned by jackandann: we've been on 4 ourselves but none were river cruises which they endorse. I see they have been on 3 river and 3 land. We agree with what they say that GCT is a good value and does have learning experiences included. But we've not been convinced about the river cruise approach, so far prefering to be in a hotel so we can do things at night instead of return to a ship. Thus in Central Europe in June we went to evening musical performances, opera, dinners and just strolling in Prague, Budapest, Vienna, etc. I do see some advantages, especially as we age (further) and perhaps especially in Russia.

ozarksbill
[email protected]

Ozarksbill

A follow up challenge to Jack & Ann and anyone else:
List what you especially liked about either the river or land cruises taken, especially with Grand Circle.

Also a question: what room accomodations are best and why?
ozarksbill

SeaUrchin

I've been on a few GCT river cruises, and some others.

I liked the low number of passengers. I don't like the idea of a big impersonal ship so I have never taken an ocean cruise on one. The passengers tend to bond with each other and alot of them played cards (!) as we cruised. I made alot of friends on each cruise and we chatted, walked the track or watched the beautiful scenery go by.

I liked the dining rooms which were small enough to feel intimate but large enough that we weren't cramped. You can choose who you want to sit with or not!

I liked the crews, all were friendly and went overboard to help and be of service, pun intended. Years later I ran into one of our crew in another country and he recognized me! That wouldn't happen in a big time ocean cruiseship.

I liked that the boat was just large enough to give room but small enough that we could navigate the rivers and bridges (and docks).

I loved the food, it was excellent and not just a pile of food at all hours, but carefully selected entrees, etc.

I have nothing bad to say about the river cruises really. The passengers on the whole were older but there were some families (not alot of small kids, but teens) and younger people too.

The only thing that is a drawback to me is that you do have to be back at the ship for the night, sometimes early so you can't really make any plans on shore. Also during the day your outings are escorted, or you can go off on your own, but still you have to be back at a certain time for sailing. This is really the only reason I would probably not take any more river cruises until I am old enough that I wouldn't want to strike out on my own anyway.

Oh and the one other thing, on my last cruise in France, when we took outings we had the bad luck to pick the group that had the most obnoxious family you could imagine (all adults), so we would be stuck with them for the day. This is really what turned me off group tours.

Hope this helps you.

burrotho

Frommer's is big on these and they have <a href="http://www.frommers.com/search/searc...amp;pg=1" target="_blank">a buncha threads on their boards</a> as well.

GHL

On our Amsterdam to Basel (Switzerland) on Viking, we were told that if the ship sank, to go to the bar for a drink & then head to the top deck since that wouldn't be under water.
On our Kiev r/t to the Black Sea our only danger was in the Black Sea for a very short time.

girlonthego

I realize that like most cruise ships, the rooms are small, but are there two actual beds or at least a queen size in the room? Are the rooms so small, that two weeks will seem like forever? Also, has anyone stayed in a suite. I see some of the cruises offer suites.
One more thing, some have mentioned a good docking space centrally located. Are some boats docked more out of the way than others? Thanks for all of your advice. Jack and Ann, I tried to email you, but your email kicked it back.

Frank5834

By all means check www.francecruises.com We've river boated for years and our recent week on the Anacoluthe was by far the best. Wine with gourmet meals, all land tours included, top-notch crew and service, Eiffel Tower by night, Monet's lily pond,facntastic! Provence cruise also nice.

Journeys

See www.avalonwaterways.com. These are the newest ships on the river. I just got back form the Black Sea Discovery itinerary. Wonderful ship, wonderful crew, wonderful food. They'll love it!
email me if you have questions at [email protected]

jerrymandel

1. Viking has Yangtze cruises. Maybe in other areas, too. 2. I have seen MANY reviews of Viking cruises-all very favorable-and we hope to take one, too. 3. Viking cruises cost a lot less than the others-Grand Circle, Vantage, etc. 4. The others are ripoffs. With the Viking cruises, all shore tours are included in the shown price. The shown prices (higher)on the others are phony because on almost every day,the shore tours are OPTIONAL extras at high cost.

Patty

girlonthego,
I answered some of your questions on the other thread. If it's Viking that your parents are considering, their standard cabins do have two fixed twin beds which can't be repositioned into one. Their deluxe cabins usually have combinable beds.

Pretty much all of the vessel lines use the same docking areas, so I don't think it would matter which line you choose from a central docking location standpoint. The docking locations vary depending on the city. Some are right in the center of town and you can simply step off of the ship and wander around. Others require a (usually short) shuttle/taxi/bus/subway ride into the central part of town.

When the ship is docked away from the center of town, normally a scheduled shuttle is provided to take passengers back and forth, though sometimes it's more convenient to take a taxi or public transport yourself.

Of the cities we visited, we docked right in town in Durnstein, Melk, Passau, and Regensburg, whereas in Vienna and Nuremburg we were docked farther away. The Vienna docking location is within short walking distance to an U-bahn station and in Nuremburg, there's a bus stop nearby. It was very easy just to take public transportation though the ship staff will gladly call a taxi for you.

Underhill

I'm taking a GCT Danube cruise in December, and I think the cost is quite reasonable. The only extra is an optional excursion to Salzburg, and at around $64 that's really not what I'd consider a "high cost."

girlonthego

Thanks Patty and all of you. We are looking at all of the companies and trying to decide which will be the best one. I have ordered brochures from all the companies.
I have seen or heard of a few more, Peter Deilman, GCtours, and Tauck. Anyone been on Deilman or Tauck?
My parents are looking for first class accomodations and food and enjoyable itinerary. Thanks again to everyone who has responded.