maxaika

My wife and I will be coming up on our 50yr anniversary and want to do a river cruise in europe. Many of our friends have said that Viking and Tauk are the better of the cruise lines . We are in our mid 70's and would appreciate any feedback anyone could suggest. We are looking at the Danube or the Rhine. Thanks in advance..

janisj

Any would be OK really. Vantage and Viking are in the the sort of 'mid-level' range. Tauck is more up market and will generally be quite a bit pricier but also include just about everything.

All three have good itineraries.

maxaika

thanks for your response........how much more is Tauck....respectively...........I don't want to go broke but it is our 50th

janisj

All three have very extensive websites that describe every one of their cruises including the prices, detailed itineraries and inclusions/exclusions so check them out and price compare.

hetismij2

Do be aware that if the river level is higher than normal or lower than normal, depending on the time of year, you could be bussed quite often or have your cruise cancelled all together. This year the rivers are very low and unless we get a lot of rain /snow this winter they will remain so.

HappyTrvlr

We thought AMA Waterways gave us a nicer and more inclusive cruise than Viking had on the Danube and in Russia( St. Petersburg to Moscow.)
Read the itineraries very carefully. We have done Danube, Russia and Mekong. Danube was our least favorite of the three but, honestly, we rwally do not care much for Germanic culture, language. A lot of the scenery along Danube was not attracrive, factories, etc.. The Rhine sounds lovely, though.
Be carefull of water levels, as many cruises are cancelled for those reasons.

PalenQ

Yes, friends of mine were booked on a Danube Cruise last week and got notice a few days before trip that it was scrubbed due to low water levels. And check the bottom line - does brochure mention excursions that are included or extra options that may cost a lot - is a tip expected - some say right up front.

maxaika

Great feedback......with that being said what times of the year are the river waters the lowest? If there is such a thing......generally speaking...........and is there anyway to predict this ?

janisj

>>Great feedback......with that being said what times of the year are the river waters the lowest? If there is such a thing......generally speaking...........and is there anyway to predict this ?<<

No way to tell really -- High water is just as problematic as low water. For example - I am booked on to a river cruise over Christmas and am fully aware the river may be too high to navigate under the bridges. So it may end up partially a bus trip or cancelled. I have a couple of plan B's in mind.

Low water is most likely in late summer and high water in the middle of winter or a very wet Spring.

maxaika

Im kind of an amateur here so if you could explain the plan B part I would be grateful................thanks in advance

janisj

Plan B - just as one example: If my Christmas cruise is cancelled at short notice (which can happen) they will offer a refund . . . but I will have already paid separately for my R-T transatlantic airfare and a few days in London before arriving in Regensburg to board the boat. So if it is cancelled I am putting together a few ideas of places I could visit on my own in Germany before flying back to London and home. But the chance the cruise will be completely cancelled is sort of slim -- they might substitute a coach tour. So most likely I won't have to use my 'Plan B' but I just don't want to be blindsided and have no back up ideas 'just in case'

maxaika

Gotcha .............thanks

maxaika

going in september