Exactly! 👍

😂 unsupervised brats....geez!

30 or 40 years ago, my sister-in-law came back from an ocean cruise with her girl friends. They laughed at how one of them had sex with an employee and it sounded like the most immoral type of vacation that I would have never have imagined. Well, you just might as well to to Sodom or Gomorrah and vacation if that's your lifestyle choice and what you find to be fun. Plus, gambling. It's an excuse for many to be completely decadent and feel like it's justified in their sight.

? Mr. Bembridge was very, very clear about the pros and cons of river cruising. He didn't criticize or lambast; he merely pointed out differences.

@@marykay8587 What, you dont recognize the words? Im totally down with her viewpoint. But then, im old as well.

Totally agree with you. I love history and architecture and it sounds wonderful to my husband and me.

I didn’t think of that… That’s one of the main drawbacks for me when I’m on a regimented tour is always having to pack up and leave each day… But I don’t think I would mind the regimented schedule as much if I could just leave my stuff in my room…

Got kind of tired packing and unpacking Town to town and up and down the dial Maybe you and me were never meant to be But baby think of me once in awhile

Me too! :-)

I know... duh...

Perhaps you’ve not been on the right kind of cruise. I would suggest Oceania ocean cruises. No children, no gigantic casinos, 1200 - 1500 people, very manageable. The river cruises sound very much like a bus tour. We like to manage our own activities, not to be pigeonholed into what their limited activities are.

There are smaller ocean going vessels, you know, with knowledgeable lecturers and guides to historic or cultural places. Noble Caledonia springs to mind. I would never, ever take a cruise on one of those giant, ugly floating hotel things. Ugh.

I'm quite introverted and have done 2 European river cruises with Avalon Waterways and can't recommend them enough. I'm a history geek and loved being able to visit so many interesting places without spending days traveling between cities. Only having 110-120 people on a ship was wonderful and the staff were brilliant - they worked out I was a quiet person and found me a nice quiet corner in the restaurant but still fussed over me to make sure I had everything I wanted. You can eat in the smaller panorama lounge if you want rather than the restaurant plus there is another lounge with all day coffee/tea/juice, fruit and snacks. I was also able to do my own thing rather than join the group tours a couple of times - the cruise director will help you plan. These cruises are for adults so there arent any loud excitable children.

I would love to go through a lock. As a child, I watched the boats go through the lock in Kittanning. Pa. across the river from my Grandma's house. 😊

I did a Panama Canal cruise and the day going thru the locks from east to west was so much fun and amazing!

@@jzero53 I agree. It was fascinating seeing how the locks worked.

Same here. I can only recommend river cruises and encourage people to do them. But all the things the narrator complained about (and I myself would enjoy) are really things I would look into before bying the ticket so I knew what to expect - or alternatively be open and appreciating whatever experience the trip would give me. I don't think I could ever do a trip and then complain, unless something was completely the opposite of what was promised in details.

@@larsrons7937 check out Viking you know exactly what you will be doing every day all day

@@larrymartin9556 Viking sounds like a good experience to me. And of course you can always do something different than planned, as long as it fits within the boats schedules (that's how it is with boats).

I love everything you said. Especially about the airport arrival and drop off. Woooo. Needed to know that!

Sounds wonderful. Maybe one day… I’m an English teacher, but I love history

No worries… it doesn’t. Just reinforces my plan to never ocean cruise Ever

Puts me off ocean cruise now need to do a river cruise

I’ve been on a few river cruises. Every one of them was fabulous. I recommend them.

All that footage of the Donau... I miss it so. Would love to do one of those long river cruises. Used to watch those boats go by so often.

Do it, I'm sure you won't be sorry. My wife and I have done one on the Rhein and enjoyed every minute of it. We have no interest in ocean cruises because it always looks like a floating version of the local town centre.

@@mothmagic1 The last few ocean cruises I have done have been on small ships for that very reason, and we have chosen cruises that are in port nearly every day. Glad to hear you enjoyed the Rhine. We are booked to go on that next year.

I enjoyed my 2 river cruises

Dont go on them ,and stop whinging.

@@BarryGrove Whining?

@@ashe48 I think he meant the the guy who posted this video not you, I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise 😊😊

​@@ashe48winge is British/UKspeak for whining.

👍

Well explained and so true

YES! I’ve been on 3 ocean cruises and quite often retired to my cabin to get away from the rowdy drunks, wild children and noisy casinos and “picture auctions”. I think I’ll explore river cruises this time.

Chuck D: The lack of what passes nowadays for 'entertainment', would be a big advantage as far as I am concerned.

@@nsloane5384 If you do Europe, Amsterdam to Budapest, either as 1 trip or split up, is the trip that has everyone glowing about afterwards. If you want to go a step smaller in passenger size, lean more culturally than tourist sites, and get into areas you would have difficulty driving to, look into Asian river cruises as well. I haven't tried the Amazon cruises yet.

Totally agree. I love Disney Cruise Line and AmaWaterWays!

You are really tempting me!

Exactly. THe huge ships with thousands of people om board is a negative for me.

These are all subjective judgements. Great that you enjoyed it so much, but that’s you. I wouldn’t choose one based on this, because I cannot stand to be regimented with a schedule. I also don’t want to hang out with people who feel the need to describe themselves as discerning when someone else expresses a different view. These cruises take decision making off you - how do you evolve and grow when you’re locked in like that? Restrictive environments are not my cup of tea, but you can enjoy nonetheless,

Took two, Rhine (favorite) and Danube Christmas time River cruises. Yup,got cold but hot GULL WINE SAVED THE DAY! Loved the souvenir mugs. The excursions were great and the guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Was scheduled for a Portuguese river cruise but COVID cancelled those plans🤬

@@helenabennet3997 No dis, "Glu (pronounced approximately 'glue') wine" I make typos too. The Advent season in Germany is a ton of fun, especially the Weihnachtsmaerkte in the old castles!

Thank you for commenting. I keep asking myself, “Do they force you to go out w/the group?” I mean, it should be an option - especially if you want some solitude w/nature etc. 🙏🏻

Hi Beverly, how are you doing?

River boats are great!. Viking is fantastic, the no kids part really is a plus. No gambling , its relaxing and no loud music blaring. Great service, food and options. This guy in the video likes Disney cruses I bet.

@@raew5263 The tours are not that long so you still have time to explore on your own. We ate at a great restaurant in Passau where the rivers meet.

No kid's!!! Hallelujah!

That's a kinda snobby way to phrase it but at least you know that most of the ppl on board are there because they're interested in learning the history behind what they're seeing - stuff like that. Not there to party (which doesn't mean: not there to have a good time)

Sailed on the AMAserena several years ago and loved it. Leaving soon on the AMACello burgundy and Provence. Wonderful line.

With less people on a river cruise, do they have better food? I went on the Southern Rock Cruise in 2019 and it was mostly buffet style food. It'd be graat to go on one that some freshly prepared food.

G' day Rob, my beautiful wife and I have done two Scenic river cruises - South West France and Portugal. Brilliant ! Some of what the reviewer said applys, but we had much more choice. Yep, set meal times, but they were generous in length of time. So people would come and go as they pleased. Also, room service would bring you a snack or meal pretty much any time. We would sometimes enjoy breakfast in the dining area at 9:00-ish, sometimes at 11:00-ish. Whatever we felt like. Always plenty of options for guided tours most days as well. Highly recommend Scenic. Best wishes.

There isn't a lot in common between river and ocean cruising - perhaps the biggest difference is that *on an Ocean cruise the attraction most of the time is on the ship, on a river cruise the attraction is the stops and the scenery off the ship* as it cruises.

@@1SCme It depends a lot on the size and kind of ship you're on. There are ocean cruise ships just as small as river cruise ships, with 100-200 passengers. These are mostly luxury ships with most things included. They have minimal onboard entertainment, often nothing more than a pianist or maybe a combo in the lounge. There are often no casinos.

@@markmiller3279 Those definitely aren't the norm, I suspect have fewer stops (the attractions and entertainment on river cruises, 2 to 3 stops a day). River cruises offer entertainment beyond piano and a bar most evenings (it is cheaper, the entertainment embarks and disembarks at stops, canal gates, or they will pause at a dock without tying up). If you take an ocean cruise ship and remove the on-board entertainment, then why not just stay at a luxury resort?

An not having to pack and unpack at each new destination.

Cruising at night defeats the object n my opinion. The whole idea is to motor sedately along enjoying watching the world go by.

@@mothmagic1 ocean cruise ship sail from port to port at night too.

@@jerrygerloff4322 sorry I thought someone got the wrong idea about river cruises

@@mothmagic1 and the scenery.

The Nile cruise was one of our best cruising experiences. I would suggest anyone doing it to get a personal tour guide who stays with you on the boat as it made the whole experience so much better we reckon.

Since you write this, I assume you survived!! :D

@@AScrapOfKindness We are "kindred spirits" to be sure!! I've seen all the Poirot movies, and TV shows on Masterpiece, old and new. Particularly loved Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. And I'm a huge fan of anything ancient Egyptian; the Nile river cruise sounds fascinating to me! .....However, I'll leave my gun at home! ;D

@@ronschlorff7089 🤣

We did a 10 day cruise on the Nile on the SS Misr, several years ago, fantastic, it's like being transported back in time, very "Death on the Nile -ish" !!

I've been on 5 viking river cruises...never needed binoculars to see the shore or the hillsides. If I needed a closer view, my camera/phone telephoto option was enough.

Great Tip!!! I wouldn't have thought to bring any!

Cruise ship....A prison with an option for drowning

I was thinking the same thing! I assumed they were similar to ocean cruises, which sound like torture. The active schedule, getting to know your group fairly well, lots of guided tours with historical/cultural background? Heaven! I will definitely bring my own wine and snacks though. Great video; thank you!!

It depends on the ocean cruise. We're not "resort" people and I saw ocean cruises as a resort on water. But I really enjoyed our Alaska cruise. The ship moved at night and docked during the day. You could book any of several activites or not. We went zip-lining, took a helicopter to a glacier and went dogsledding, attended a salmon bake, explored several towns on our own, etc. I was contemplating a river cruise, but I'm glad I saw this video. I'd hate the coach-tour regimentation of it.

I agree.. RC cruise ship although new and huge left much to be desired

Hi Michelle, how are you doing?

Absolutely true. Can't really understand people not enjoying a RC 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Thank you for your comment, now, could you talk my husband into going on one😟…please….

@@ruthwickline1000 just book it yourself. I do 😂

James: Thank you for debating point for point. I did not have the patience todo so. I have been watching/following this gentleman for some Time. I TRULY DONT know what caused him to 180 his tone, style, classy “present”, and valuable tips and hacks. I have been on 11 River cruises (actually 10 different - Viking Paris to Normandy (fan girl for Giverney et Monet) and approximately 30 ocean cruises - all lines from Virgin Atlantic to Carnival lol! I don’t like what I saw here and wont watch again

Boring days at sea ? If you’re bored on a cruise-there’s a problem w/ you-so much to do ! Or perhaps you’re going on a cheapo cruise filled w/ screaming kids & drunks. There are many fine cruises w/ classes to take, lectures, etc. I suggest you try something other than Carnival, like Crystal Cruises, Holland America, etc

👍👍👍👍

I just returned from a Viking ocean cruise. Fabulous! Lots of amenities, excellent food and enrichment lectures. No casino, no children. 880 people so quite manageable. Excellent entertainment too. We have already signed up for another one.

Hi Keith, how are you doing today?

River cruises are great for sheep who like being herded around like cattle.

@@PreservationEnthusiast 7

Relaxation, luxury, and QUIET is what I would want on a river cruise or an ocean cruise. I shudder at the thought of an ocean cruise with 5,000 other humans. Ugh!

@@PreservationEnthusiast you obviously have never been on a river cruise. What you spend your time onshore doing is totally up to you. They have daily tours, but you are not required to participate.

I went on the same river cruise but the other way with amawater way at the Christmas market over thanksgiving and it was very nice and I love how they accommodate how the people can fast walkers one group medium the second group and pink walk that was me the slow walkers I will hope to do it again 🥰🥰😍

Sounds like a floating nursing home to me personally. 😏 But hey if that's your thing nor power to ya. Just not for me.

@@aluckyman2668 just because some of us over 50's don't want to slam beers down our gullet until we barf but rather have a nice flavorful alcoholic drink to be savored, nor do we want to stay up all night and sleep until noon etc doesn't mean we have one foot 8n the grave. We like to drink, dance and have fun but in a reasonable manner.

​@@mkim269I'm not yet 50 and I've NEVER been attracted to the idea of ocean cruising 🤢 When I was younger I was heavily into backpacking, now that I'm getting older I'm still backpacking but at a slower (and more discerning) pace and starting to love the idea of a river cruise thrown in there as a little bit of a break in the pace. And ppl who think that nursing home residents would be capable of the walking tours most river criuses offer have no comprehension of why ppl have to go into nursing homes

I've often thought I would like to do Mississippi cruise

if you liked learning about the history of and on the Mississippi River, read "Minn of the Mississippi" by Holling Clancy Holling. it's about the great river as seen through the eyes of a 3 legged snapping turtle as she traverses the entire river in her lifetime.

@@waitwhat9412 As Sartre would have said: 'hell is other people - and an ocean cruise'

Did you have to wake when they said wake?

The American Queen is a beauty.

Do they expect you to get off and do land tours ..sometimes might want to get off other i might not wamt to..

@@maggi0310 I didn't personally go on most of the tours. I would wander into the towns/cities myself and often pass by the tour groups being led by someone who has a specific agenda to keep the group moving which doesn't allow for a stop where you might think is more interesting than the 2 minutes the tour allows. You can decide to stop into a interesting shop or down an colorful street and not miss anything.

I hope friend and I get to meet someone like you when we go. You sound like a nice person.

Fewer than 200.

@@lynnebattaglia-triggs1042 Thanks, there's no way I would have understood what she meant. You're really doing the lord's work.

@@lynnebattaglia-triggs1042 thanks! It kills me too.

@@lynnebattaglia-triggs1042 😆

@@lynnebattaglia-triggs1042 Awesome. Let's start a whole commenting thread fighting about the differences between UK English and US English....

Be assured.a river cruise IS what you want. On an ocean cruise, they are ALL trying to sell you something the whole time. It's like going on a floating "timeshare"...... We did the Rhine - it was relaxing, historical , and fun. It wasn't crowded EITHER. Great scenery passing by with EXPLANATIONS in various languages!

Well put👍

Hi Darlene, how are you doing?

Ocean cruising is what you make it, where you go, not just about sunbathing. Our first two cruises were Northern European, first Iceland, Scotland and Norway, second the Baltic including 2 days in Russia. No sunbathing. Then we did Alaska, beautiful scenery, history and wildlife.

Unless you can afford it, don't do a Viking cruise! Yikes! Those fares are sky high! I don't know about the other river cruise lines.

Thank you for this perspective bcos I'd recently looked into river cruising in Russia (b4 all this Ukraine thing blew up)

I agree with your view on ocean cruises. You'd have to pay me to go on one - but this strict schedule is not for us either. My husband is Hungarian & last time we visited Budapest, his relatives told us about an overnight cruise to Vienna. That's more our style.

Who needs a casino when on vacation? Also, I can shop where I live and don't need to do this on a ship. The scenery is spectacular, not just water

I just want a sun deck to lounge on and have a "screw the world I am comfortable attitude"

I guess it's like a lot of things: you'll like this if this is the sort of thing you like.

@@georgedunn320 My wife and I love casinos, but we found the ones on Ocean ships are small and not much to speak of...based upon the lack of people in there at any time I don't see folks takeing trips for the casino experaince what so ever....it's there if you want but not a big draw.....

Hi Janet, how are you doing?

Your comments on Budapest were true. Absolutely stunning at night. And those shoes! I still cry when I remember them. We'll be back on Emerald Sky next year to do it all again.

Outside the major cities with enough attractions to fill several days, river cruising is the bet way to see Europe - rather than checking in and out of hotels and catching trains or renting a car, you check into the hotel once, and the hotel goes to each city.

Love river cruises. Best memory was when everyone got off at Cologne and I stayed on board on the sun deck reading my book. Whole place to myself. Beautiful!

Exactly. You get a lot more time to do things, because you aren't spending all of your time checking in and out of hotels. The only time I had a problem going off on my own was in China. The Chinese didn't take kindly to my idea of going off on my own on up the Yangtze before the three gorges dam was fully flooded. 🤫

We just came back from a Viking cruise on the Douro in Portugal. I will agree that I was also underwhelmed with the food. There were some notable exceptions to that though. The service was also a little hit and miss. Our cruise director was drunk some of the time. When I booked I thought I booked a balcony cabin. I was shocked when they told us that we were in a below water cabin. They did update us to a balcony cabin at no upcharge. Several people were also sickened with stomach ailments including my husband and me on different days. I missed quite amfew tours becaause of this. That being said, I would give them another try. We met many lovely people and generally had a very good time. We have done two ocean cruises with Viking that were great. The food was much better on the ocean cruises!

Interesting feedback on the food on Viking here. Not what I've heard other places so it's good to get a different perspective

I have read through many of the comments below. Nobody seems to have had the reaction I had on my one and only cruise liner. We had two separate full days at sea, going from the UK to Genoa. I thought I would happily lie on a lounger, reading a book, but in fact it was so depressing that It shocked my husband to the core to find me staring at the steely blue line of the horizon with tears rolling down my face! Not a green leaf, blade of grass or village to be seen......I now know it will be river cruises for me, all the way!

Hi Barbara, how are you doing?

Good to know. Not a choice right now tho I wouldn't think

You sound like how I do holidays. I'm NOT an early riser but I love sunrises (amateur photographer) so I will always make sure I'm up and taking advantage of a scenic location at dawn and dusk for that beautiful light. The only downside is that I couldn't take my camera out and wander the city at dawn in the quiet, with the best light, on a river cruise

I suppose it depends on what you're looking for. I did two small (very small) cruises, one down the Danube from Munich to Vienna and one from Amsterdam to Bruges. Both were delightful. The passengers were lovely - I think you meet a more seasoned traveler on these. At every port we had optional activities or could just take off on the bikes they provided and explore on our own. It felt like a gathering of friends rather than a crowd of strangers stuck in a mall. It's definitely riverboat cruises for me.

We went on a Grand Central tour from Vienna to New Amsterdam. Absolutely loved everything. Plenty to do IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO. Loved smaller ship and getting to know everyone. Food was delicious, plenty to do on board as Grand Central made absolutely sure you were happy. We had plenty of free time. Accommodations lovely. Tour guides extremely knowledgeable and fun. Just note when reading what the true includes. Some cruises had more trips where you were Spending time on bus rides to certain destinations. YES, we will take more smaller cruises!

Hi Diane, how are you doing?

Thank you for your post. I am a 61-yr-old newly retired woman who is debating a river cruise by myself. I have traveled little - so I am both nervous and thinking, "If not now, when?" I'm trying to pick up hints, tips, and recommendations!

Don't believe most of what he says

I’ve done three cruises on the American Queen (not counting a fourth that was canceled by COVID), and I will never bother with ocean cruising again. Gary, sounds like you’re shocked! shocked! to find that there’s a difference between styles of cruising! Jacquelyn S describes the Queen experience thoroughly and accurately. I’ll just add that, personally, I’ve come to prefer only "round-trip" Mississippi & Ohio River itineraries, i.e. departing & returning at the same port, for ease of getting to & from that same port by car. Also, although the formal dining room is delightful, I quickly came to prefer the buffet venue at the rear of the ship. And it’s nice to have the much more economical option of an interior room (without a costly view). The on & off at-will free bus excursions are adequate for me, and the twice-nightly shows are absolutely fantastic. There’s a port-call nearly every day - all of them very enjoyable. And the views of the riverbanks, towns, and passing river traffic beat the heck out of staring at empty ocean for days at a stretch. Aboard ship, if you’re not partaking of the piano music or the lectures or tours of the ship, there is an incredible array of onboard lounges, reading rooms, and cubbyholes to relax in, all exquisitely furnished and decorated. And it’s all much less rigidly structured than is apparently the case on the European cruises as described (a bit negatively?) on the video. So don’t let the video sour you on river cruising... of COURSE it’s different from ocean cruising! Enjoy it for what it is!

I agree American river cruises are a blast more time to relax and unwind and much bigger ships more places on the ships to go.....

I’ve seen the ads for the steamship River cruises & I would genuinely enjoy taking one. My mom has an emotional support certified animal with paperwork, do you know if these or any river boat services allow such pets? P.S.Thank you for sharing.

@@evelanpatton I'm not sure the times I was on an American river cruise I never saw a dog on the ship sorry I couldn't help you....

@@evelanpatton I don't know of any US river boats that allow pets on board. I don't know if they allow certified therapy animals on board. If you inquire do not ever refer to them as pets. You are more likely to get permission if you refer to them as therapy animals. I do know that guide dogs for the blind are generally accepted but have to be cleared in advance. The only ship I know of that accepts pets is the Queen Mary II on her transatlantic crossing. She only allows a limited number of dogs and cats. Fees are very expensive.

Hi Patti. What cruise line did you go on? We have been on Emerald Waterways but wondered about other cruise lines.

@@sharonduke5718 We sailed with Viking - lovely! Different than European river cruises but an excellent trip. I love local foods so enjoyed trying the daily offerings of Russian cuisine. We did our own pre-cruise in Amsterdam and flew in to Moscow to join the cruise. Next time I would plan time on our own at each end to really explore these very different cities - Moscow and St Petersburg.

I had much the same thinking. However, all thoughts in that direction are on permanent pause for now

I loved my river cruises as l do my ocean cruises. Scenic's Amsterdam to Budapest cruise and Avalon's tulip cruise were memorable as were Royal Caribbean's Alliure of the Seas cruise in Caribbean waters, Celebrity's Alaska & Panama cruises. Hurtegruten's Midnite Sol ocean cruise (great choice of black, white, red cavier, fish & ice cream) with then professor of astronomy from Chichester University was the best cruise l have ever gone on even though there was no big broadway shows. You will be transfixed to see the whole sky, not streaks, of the Aurora Borealis; that stayed for half an hour in its full glory; was a sight to behold; on par with seeing the fantastic Nazca Lines in Peru, the Goreme hills in Turkey and Ankor Wat (look on one wall for the Mahabharata, the Hindu legend of creation). I love all modes of travel because of different experiences.l on offer. Land tours are fascinating for me too e.g. the Gold Leaf Rocky Mountaineer train in Canada, staying in the Ice Hotel in Sweden, the Mirror Cube in the Tree Top Hotel in Sweden & the Glass Igloo in Finland. The Ice Village & the Snow Village in Har Bin, in China's north, Hiroshima Peace Museum, Auschwitz concentration camp & Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco, Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, the pyramids in Egypt & Mexico, Great Wall of China, just to mame some. I have great memories of 2 decades of solo travel, 4 times each year, each trip lasting 5 to 9 weeks. The world is a great planet (populated with interesting people) to explore. I am now 77 years old and memories of my travels warm my heart and soul.

Totally agree with you! Wild horses couldn't get me on an ocean cruise and this was B4 Covid! You're just cruising in a large Disney/Vegas-like hotel with 1000's of people, noise and kids. Give me peace and quiet any time! (raised 3 kids as a single parent so been there, done that). The food, service and tours on my Viking Danube cruise from Budapest to Passau in 2016 were exceptional but I was still very disappointed because all of the advertisements made it seem like you will be viewing all this wonderful scenery while you were cruising, but, in reality, 95% of the cruising was done at night and the couple of places we did travel thru during the day, there was no picturesque towns/castles, just locks and riverbeds. I just got back from Peru which included an Amazon cruise (44 cabins). I will be taking another small ship cruise (42cabins) next year along the SC, GA, Fl Coast. I also plan on taking an Avalon Danube Cruise from the Bucharest to Budapest I had to cancel in 2020 because of Covid but at least this time, I will have a better idea of what I will actually see while cruising! My best River cruise do far was The Nile in 2008 where, literally, the scenery changed constantly (what I had expected on Viking).

1

You are a very lucky person and you do what you love. God bless you!

@@PPPYYY19 Thx...that's so sweet of you! Travel is my passion...can't wait to go back to Africa again. It's every thing I dreamed it wld be since seeing the pics in my Grandmother's subscription of National Geographic when I was 6yrs old.

Thank you very much! I'm from Hungary and I used to work as a guide.

I too loved Budapest. That is one place I would have visited again.

Totally agree. The only difference was we went the opposite direction and I think I would prefer the direction you did. Why you may ask? Simple, the pace of everything is more frenetic the nearer you get to Amsterdam whereas we found the Budapest end much more relaxed. So as a holiday starting at the busy end and moving to the chilled end fits more with the detuning process that goes with a holiday. We finished with a week in Berlin - awesome. However we loved every minute of it.

How many days was this cruise? You switched ships from Rhine to Danube - at which cities?

@@mjkirk12 the cruise I think was 16 days, but because of heavy rain in the previous month the lock was broken in Vienna. Whilst they changed our boat they put us up in the Hilton in Vienna. All of our things were transferred to the boat on the other side of the lock. We went from the Scenic Ruby to the Scenic Pearl. We had nothing extra to pay. It was really hard staying in Vienna 😂😂😂loved every minute of it. Best holiday ever.

@@sandranorris8538 Thanks for this info. I searched and read there is a Rhine-Main-Danube canal (with 16 locks) that interconnect the 2 rivers. Completed in 1992. You can cruise from Amsterdam to the Black Sea.

I get the feeling that the Amsterdam to Budapest is by far the best (and definitely want to spend some time at the departure and arrival city). I did a Paris to Normandy which wasn't a big a gain over seeing the same things travelling by other means. *After Amsterdam to Budapest, consider changing continents* - Asian river cruises are a completely different experience.

I'm not a party animal, either. Prefer to do it solo.

A lot of people aren't savvy travelers or have a backpacker's mentality. I'm seriously considering a river cruise with me and my parents bc everything is so planned out and well organized, and I didn't have to do it. Also the slower pace sounds really nice. I don't like noise, screaming children, obscene and disrespectful young people, huge crowds or trying to keep up.

I'm flexible, I like being with people and chat someone up but I also love my own space and can read or explore alone for hours

We ate at different tables as well, and met some delightful people.

I travelled by myself, so at 1 time or another I ate with almost every passenger. *He does seem to have a lot of garbage info.* As I recall breakfast and lunch usually had buffet options open for a few hours. I never had any trouble separating from the group for a short time or the entire day, and they always gave ample time to roam at every stop (with a tour group or on your own). *If cruise ships weren't regimented,* there wouldn't be videos of people sprinting down the docs at departure. I never saw this with river cruises, and we even waited 15 minutes for a couple of ladies 1 time who got lost.

@@1SCme Good to know... A lot of what I saw on this video was a big turn off. My wife and I hated the ocean cruise we went on and river cruising came highly recommended by my fairly well to do Aunt and Uncle. I was afraid that it wouldn't be a nice as they've made it out to be.

​@@WHJeffB If the cost isn't an inhibiting factor, you can't really go wrong with the Amsterdam to Budapest cruise. Some additional rec's: Take the Amsterdam to Budapest trip, either all at once or in segments. Allow a few extra days to explore the embarkation and destination cities. Research the stops ahead of time - you usually have time on your own, and there might be places you want to see not on the tour. Tour guides are on radio headsets. If you find the tour boring (like pointing out the significance of a rooster motif on a building), jump to the next group ahead, but I found most interesting. If you want to explore on a side street or stop in a store, note the path the group is taking and join again with a later group. If you let the cruise know not to expect you back, you can even venture to a site in between stops, but I really enjoyed the tours. Take a pic of the itinerary, and the ship and surrounding area, as you disembark each stop, keep a few hundred euros, and the tour emergency phone numbers on hand - if you get lost and too far away to return on time, you can call and meet up with the cruise at their next stop. if you miss a bus, a taxi should be able to get you back in time, but they don't usually leave without late passengers like ocean cruises unless you're EXTREMELY late. They have snacks and some drinks available for free, but if you want sodas or a decent variety, bring your own. I always brought my own beer, Kahlua and Irish Cream (can mix with coffee which is always available everywhere), Mountain Dew, candy, chips, nuts, and some cookies. The rooms have mini refrigerators. Since you have your own, ask housekeeping to remove their ridiculously priced alcohol and snacks from your room so you don't accidentally munch on them. If you can afford it, pay for the upper deck - view from the room is often blocked from the lower decks by the river banks. It is nice to occasionally separate from the crowd, sit in your room, and watch the scenery roll by from a soft comfy chair or sofa with a beverage and snacks. Bring a magnet, strip of metal, and some tape. The air conditioning turns off if the outside doors are open. I didn't try, but I think you could dummy a door closed signal with a magnet or piece of metal, running the AC while your room door is open to the outside. Forget looking for a boat with a balcony - the ones where you can open the doors between your room and the outside are much, much nicer. Get some Bluetooth speakers and bring some music to play from your cell phone or laptop while in your room. Close your curtain when you go to bed - you might wake up docked alongside a busy sidewalk or looking into the cabin of another boat. See how many different people you can dine with by the end of the trip. I could never remember their names, but it also made it fun to have a little familiarity with a lot of people at stops and on tours. Also I think they give you a baseball cap which is nice to wear so you can be identified by others on your ship. If not, wear a distinctive baseball hat to make you more recognizable (I wore my favorite college team). For hotels and ships - I don't recall if the ships had the slot where the electricity would turn off if you didn't insert your key common in hotels, but most can be faked with some stiff folded paper, otherwise day you lost your key and get a copy to insert. Take your time looking for deals and the specific stops - they travel the same waterway, but not all have the same stops because of high docking fees at some of the more interesting places. Skip the Christmas cruises - nobody has ever said anything good about them. Check the timing, stay away from periods where there is a risk of the water level being too low for the boat. If you want to go to another extreme of more cultural and remote with smaller number of passengers, look at Asian river cruises, Pandaw is the best.

I agree with you. I loved the Rhine River cruise. I did Avalon. It’s not a party boat but we did have a good time in the lounge at night with new ppl. We made our own fun. We did have a dj almost every night. He looked like Elton John. We would sit around have our wine and make our own fun. I will do it again if I don’t have to be vaccinated.

We did the Rhine too.....and yes, I agree with you completely. I'd do it again. Too much weird stuff on ocean cruises and TOO crowded.....always having to fight for a damn deck chair. - NO THANKS.

I also took Viking Lofn on the Rhine & I absolutely loved it. Would pick it over a ocean cruise every time!

I did a river cruise to the Amazon via Peru..it was fantastic! Try it next time.

@@dancalmpeaceful3903 How right you are dancalm & I couldn’t agree with you more! I too hate the “daily fight” ( search) for the ever elusive 🤣 deck chairs! People run out early plopping their towels on chairs( returning to their rooms, to shop, the buffet I learned) to secure chairs for not only them but friends as well. I talked to a group such as that, who told me to come out early as they do, put a couple “personal items on chairs”, a crumbled towel & then I would have a chair waiting for me. Naturally we didn’t do that so consequently, it was a maddening search each day for chairs, on some ships, a fruitless search! It is why we discovered that no matter what time we would come out, chairs are “seemingly all taken!” The cruise 🚢 lines keep saying, in the news, that they are going to implement rules of “no saving chairs” on deck, but we have yet to see it! I doubt that rule will ever be implemented! I so agree with you dancalm, that having to hunt for a deck chair daily( fruitlessly usually) leaves a unpleasant memory, for ocean cruises! Might I also add that on our Oceania cruise line( smaller ship) we had no problem finding deck chairs! Wowwwww! We couldn’t believe it! 😂

Good points Corey. Casinos, shopping and shooters are not what I want from a cruise. Good conversations and relationships to share experiences with and learn from, are a definite plus. The views look amazing.

@@chomperthefirst533 exactly!

You might as well stay at an all inclusive beach resort than take an ocean or sea cruise. At least you can escape for the day or half day at the beach resort. I can do all you mention at home but it would mean travelling around the city for them often in the rain and having to wait for buses or finding somewhere to park. On an ocean or sea cruise it's all within a quarter of a mile from your cabin at the most and you can get to most places under cover. On an all inclusive resort it won't all be undercover so you will go from building to building or to an outside attraction but it would be very close by.

RIver cruises seem to be more intellectually stimulating. Learn more about history etc.

Totally agree with you. I want to see something. Not being docked next to the souvenir and t shirt shops .

I totally agree. Most Americans like to travel in a protected bubble.

1 ocean cruise was enough for me. Absolutely hated it. This slow pace looks very relaxed.

Agreed. I travel to get away from my fellow Americans.

I went in December 3 2003 and it was gods waiting room. Actually, know that I think about it with your idea of hell, it may have been hell. Guess there’s lots of old people going to hell. No wonder there were people sitting in the dining halls all day eating 15000 calories. No wonder they have casinos as well. I mean if your going to hell, the devil doesn’t care about money. I think it’s God that wants all the money. Isn’t that why God loves you and he needs money (George Carlin).

Ba~Hamburg

It’s so much more fabulous than he says! It’s no where near a bus tour and you don’t have to do what everyone else does. The staff will help you find something you would find interesting to do.

Glad it was helpful!

I loved our Tauck Rhine/Moselle cruise!

@@bamarrone totally agree. Best holidays ever. Far better than the many ocean cruises that we've been on. You do what you want, when you want. As much as you want or as little as you want. Had no problem with food times.

I lived my viking Danube cruise. Very relaxing for me but we met friends for life and enjoyed the tours and food

Just got back from the Danube with Tauck. It was the trip of a lifetime. Tauck is truly all inclusive (open bar all.day) and less crowded the most river cruise lines. The included special events (dinners at palaces, early entry into popular spots) and quality of tour guides and food are fabulous. There are no in cabin announcements. You get the itinerary and decide if you want to join. Often there are two excursions in a day and both are included with time to explore on your own. This was my third and I'm seeing the average age is dropping. They are about the destination, so if flashy ships and gambling are more your style, forget about it. For me, this is perfect.

Tauck is my choice but also the most expensive choice.