Got it. But it sounds like there’s no need to go through them for that … we’ve traveled in Europe a bit and don’t really need anyone to package that sort of thing for us. I was wondering whether there was any value or other efficiency to be had by adding a pre- or post- through them. Sounds like do what you want before or after, keeping in mind where you’re starting and ending.
I also love the idea of ending in Basel, exploring Switzerland for a bit and getting down to Rome again … it’s been a while since we’ve been there are we are itching to get back.
We have done 2 Viking river cruises, and 2 Uniworld river cruises, and have enjoyed them all. We also did an ocean cruise on Oceania that went from Norway to the British Isles.
We prefer the smaller river cruises. I felt the expeditions on Uniworld were particularly good. We are both still working and don’t have a lot of time to spend on planning trips, so for us it has been less stressful to have someone else make all the arrangements.
We did a multigenerational trip on Ama Waterways. We loved that they carry bikes on board and every stop had a bike option. With Ama at least when we went all excursions were included. We met several couples who felt Ama was nicer than Viking. Though we have friends who love Viking and even did an around the world cruise with them.
I’ve heard good things about AMA. I think they allow passengers under age 18, which is not so with Viking.
I was surprised (based on the advertising) that not all Viking tours were free. But every day we had an included tour (usually morning) , and each one was excellent. I opted to do optional/paid excursion two days … Marksburg Castle and WWII Colmar Pocket historic tour. I think they were about $100/pp, worthwhile splurge.
$100 to $200 PP is not something that would give me any pause to do what I want, so I’d probably base my comparison on other factors, e.g., food prep/dietary accommodations, boat facilities/room and itineraries.
So, the views about which ones are “nicer” are of interest.
And, while it feels odd to say this on college confidential, the ‘no passengers under 18’ rule would be a plus for me now, at least until the grandkids are older. I raised my kids, loved them then, love them now, but being around teenagers in packs is no longer congruent with my idea of vacation.
I’ve been looking at different river cruises, actually just popped over from one site to here, and what I saw surprised me. Usually I can get big discounts (because of the industry we retired from) for cruises within the next few months. I either can’t get a price at all because they are sold out, or there’s little to no discount showing. Seems weird, as there’s always some deal going on. Kind of makes me think that the economy is humming right along for some, to have so many sold out boats.
I think there is still impact of Covid times. Lots of rescheduling, sometimes a year or two out. We found there is more availability if you are willing to take the cheaper lower level “swan rooms”. We booked in April 2023 for Sept cruise.
Don’t expect much in last minute deals. Viking model is to overbook, like airlines. If not enough cancellations come along, they offer incredible “decide now” bump deals (money returned, new freebie cruise booked for future date, sometimes with nice room upgrade)
In 2012 we took a Western Med cruise. Ocean ports further from the sites, so some ofthe full day tours like Rome with grand lunch were I think $225/pp. The cruise was a decent deal, so we tried to get over the sticker shock. The Viking ships are closer to the sights, so they can do mostly half day tours (with one included daily - option to do “leisure” / less walking group). That gives a lot of opportunity to tailor the days as desired.
We did the Grand European Tour because we wanted to see both the Rhine and the Danube rivers. We loved the cities covered. One thing to remember is that Viking is an all adult cruise, no kids.
On our Ama cruise we had free excursions both morning and afternoon. For each we had multiple options, each day there were options that were more physical like a bike or hike. Also in one stop we had an included trip to a beer garden. The only paid event was a concert in the evening in Vienna.
We went in summer and we had 7 young people age 17-28. They had a great time. There was one other family with two HS aged children.
My mother-in-law booked the cruise through a travel agent who booked lots of cruises. We did our airfare separate.
This route from Basel to Trier seems to be calling my name. I actually prefer the idea of ending in Switzerland and adding some time to go to Lucerne and spend a few days. Have not yet been to Reims, though it’s been intended on two trips but just didn’t happen. I assume you get to Paris via Reims via bus … I assume that’s what “coach” means.
Can anyone say definitively if Tauck (or other) is the top luxury brand in this space? If so, how does it compare to Viking? Asking less about value at this point (so, things like included excursions, etc.) and more about the “fit and finish” of the total product: boat facilities, food quality, etc.
One random thought: for me, the planning and the transitions from place to place is part of the adventure and excitement of going to Europe. You know, getting everyone going, making sure we’re at the right place, right time, etc. and the anticipation of the new place. I wonder if the cruises compromise that a bit. Don’t get me wrong. I started this discussion by admitting fully that those transitions are tiring and, on this last trip, for whatever reason, they kicked my butt. I was very, very tired by the time we came home. And, like many people here, I’m the one in our crew who makes sure it all works. So while I don’t profess to do all the work, I do a lot of the thinking and planning and worrying. And when one of my daughters or even my wife over-pack, I lift the suitcase. It’s all that stuff, so the more transitions, the more I’m worked.
I think I’ll be glad to trade whatever I lose in the excitement of transition days to expending less energy on those things and enjoying the actual trip. I know it sounds weird … not finding the right words here, but it’s something that’s on my mind. Anyway, I have a sneaking suspicion that, like my SIL, we’re going to do this once and never look back. Plus, it’ll be easy to add on pre- and post-trip, so we don’t lose independence from the boat entirely.
Looking at that. I think I might do a warmup first … that’s a long-### trip, but it looks amazing. I mean, you can go from a complete rookie European traveler to a seasoned traveler in one trip with the coverage you get on that itinerary.
No, the transitions are not part of the excitement, they are part of the headache in Europe. Some people love the planning and that’s part of their thrill, but the transitions can be exhausting and miserable, not exciting. That is part of the freedom of cruises. There may be other drawbacks, but not that.
And as far as getting from Paris to Reims, ugh. Thought it would be easy, a couple of trains, so we saved some money instead of going by private car. Well. Things don’t always work as expected. Ended up taking us hours, three trains, two buses and a long walk with our luggage. Standing up on a crowded bus with people who smelled like they hadn’t bathed, not fun. Definitely not part of the excitement of the trip.
This is why I like cruises. I am the one in my family who does all the travel planning, and it is getting to be very stressful - particularly choosing the destination activities, dining, etc. I tend to take it personally when someone in our tribe is unhappy with something I chose - even though it’s usually for a reason I can’t control. Cruising takes all that out of my hands. All the offerings are already there, and everyone can choose what appeals to them. I love it when I’m able to go on a vacation that someone else planned! Just show up with my over-packed suitcase!
We have not river cruised yet, but it is on my travel list and I’ve appreciated all the info in this thread!
Viking’s most popular cruise is the Rhine Getaway, 8 days. Often it’s one’s first Viking river cruise, as many folks are “trying it out” without committing to a 2 week cruise like the Grand European Tour—imagine if you find that you hate river cruising and are stuck on a cruise for 2 weeks?
We enjoyed our Viking cruise and opted to do every meal on the ship. (I had hoped to do a lunch or two in town, but it didn’t work out for our group planning.) Certainly that maximizes the travel budget. But it certainly means sacrificing the local color you’d get when staying in a local town, eating there etc.
Also Cruisecritic.com and select the “Boards” look at the different river cruise companies and cruise destinations then you can go to their websites and check the details. Cruisecritic.com may make you join (free) but lots of information current and past.
I’m doing the Grand European next year as my first River Cruise. It’s too expensive (money & time) not to get more for my money. I did a 2 week Land Sea Alaskan Cruise and although only 1 week was on the ship, it was not nearly enough and I already had a week touring on land before that. Still a year away, but I’m reading the blogs and planning every day!
