[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Howdy

What is it that makes a " River Cruise " or a " Ocean Cruise " Enjoyable. I don't get it.

Cramped Quarters, Crowds on & off " Boat/Ship ". Food Fest, AM/PM. Guest Complaining about _____fill in the blank. ON & On.

Then finally when it over....the moans & groans about ____ You Guessed it.... I Ate Way Too Much, Look at me, I'm going on a Diet !when I get back !

Thanks but No Thanks! /B]

Cruising for us is a nice way to see the world or for TA a relaxing vacation. Cruises are obviously not for everyone

[RoboVil]

I went on a Viking river cruise when the rivers were abnormally high. The first few hours a passenger was almost decapitated when going under a bridge that had a sign on it. People were screaming at her and she had her back to the bridge and turned around just in time. After that passengers were not allowed on the top deck for the rest of the trip. We had to be bussed twice to pick up the same boat, but I don't really know why. Years later I went on a Viking OCEAN cruise and had a much better time. I did upgrade the room to a larger size though. But I don't really understand why an active people like cruises so much.

[NoMo50]

Originally Posted by kingofbeer

Do not take a river cruise. The river cruises travel very short distances. Due to low river levels, you may get stuck and have to take a bus. With a chance you may not ever get back on the long ship. They stick you in a hotel and take you around by bus. They give you a voucher for a fixed amount for your meals which is not nearly enough to cover the actual expense. You no longer get free beer and wine at lunch and dinner. This happened recently to passengers on UniWorld in Budapest. Good luck!

Not quite sure where your info comes from, but our experience does not match up with your claims. We recently (May & June) took an 18-day river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. We had a few days where we were deviated due to low water conditions. On those occasions, we were taken by bus to our scheduled port stops. On those days, we did not get meal "vouchers." Instead, each passenger was given 30 Euros for lunch, and 50 Euros for dinner. For the few nights we were put up in hotels, the cruise line handled our bags entirely, and we stayed in very nice hotels. While on the boat, we had complimentary, unlimited beer & wine at both lunch and dinner, with a 2 hour window for lunch, and a 3 hour windows for dinner. I believe deviations such as this cost the cruise lines a lot more than keeping you on the boat. All in all, I think they handled the situation very well, all things considered.

[biker1]

Just ignore this post.

Originally Posted by kingofbeer

Do not take a river cruise. The river cruises travel very short distances. Due to low river levels, you may get stuck and have to take a bus. With a chance you may not ever get back on the long ship. They stick you in a hotel and take you around by bus. They give you a voucher for a fixed amount for your meals which is not nearly enough to cover the actual expense. You no longer get free beer and wine at lunch and dinner. This happened recently to passengers on UniWorld in Budapest. Good luck!

[kingofbeer]

Originally Posted by seecapecod

Timing is everything- spring has a risk of high water levels and mid summer has the risk of low water levels. And based on the “passengers” you speak of the company you choose matters- Viking has not downgraded anything like Uniworld or others may have. So casting a wide net and advising someone not to take a river cruise based on someone else’s experience with one cruise company isn’t really helpful

Watch this video and see for yourself. Their river cruise was cancelled halfway through.
https://youtu.be/evd62zaEJmM?si=KHl1y3essPP5l8yj

[kingofbeer]

Originally Posted by biker1

Just ignore this post.

Sort of rude response. Not uncommon for Villagers. Coming back at ya now!
Watch this video and see for yourself. Their river cruise was cancelled halfway through.
https://youtu.be/evd62zaEJmM?si=KHl1y3essPP5l8yj

[Joe C.]

When on vacation, all modes of travel have had their occasional problems. Ocean cruise lines have had fires, run aground, had toilet pluming issues flowing through the corridors. Airplanes have had fires, doors popped off at 30,000 feet, trains have derailed, etc, etc, etc.

Overall, I'd say most of the time, the travelling is pleasant. The more you travel, the more of a chance that you will be inconvenienced at least one time. But don't focus on the problems........ just schedule your trips at the best times.

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by scubawva

Friends are currently on Viking Zürich to Paris, today is the last day of the river cruise part of the trip. They’ve had zero issues in the last 9 days since leaving Basel.

People are what they are. A friend says as they get older they do not get better they get worse. The VILLAGES you would think we should be able to order RAIN.
imagine THE POSTS. We all know them. Gorgeous lawn? You didn't see the one weed?????????????? Glass half full or half empty? For some it is full of lye.

[Howdy]

My recommendation is very simple & an alternative to Cruising by River or Ocean.

#1 Look into ArBnB in a Country of choice..

#2 At the moment I suggest .... Ireland North or South...Look into the both. Really good bet is Scotland or Wales ___ Scotland is amazing. Direct flights available.

#3 Next is England but chose the area carefully.

Just putting forth a Fresh Idea, that's all.

A Challenge for some. Car rental in UK, driving will be a challenge, here's why.

# 1 Driving left side of road.
# 2 Drivers obey the rules ie: Getting a Drivers License was earned not a right so drivers pay attention etc. Plus infractions are costly.
# 3 Automatic Vehicles are Not Common so book ahead for an automatic if that is a problem.

[biker1]

I’ll repeat, ignore his uninformed opinion based on YouTube videos as opposed to actually going on a river cruise.

Originally Posted by kingofbeer

Sort of rude response. Not uncommon for Villagers. Coming back at ya now!
Watch this video and see for yourself. Their river cruise was cancelled halfway through.
https://youtu.be/evd62zaEJmM?si=KHl1y3essPP5l8yj

[jimjamuser]

Any cruise is FILLED with PROBLEMS. Illness and disease just a couple. If you are involved in an accident, will the medical care be good or poor? That's a big unknown. Can you really get a "FEEL" for a country while you are on a cruise. They will avoid any low income areas. Americans have ALWAYS been "UGLY Americans" - that would be double and triple today. In some countries Americans pretend to be from England or Canada because of our "UGLY" reputation. If I were young and wanted a good experience in Europe, Australia, or elsewhere, I would read a LOT of books about the Country chosen before I went there. And I would want to stay for a long time to REALLY get the experience.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Any cruise is FILLED with PROBLEMS. Illness and disease just a couple. If you are involved in an accident, will the medical care be good or poor? That's a big unknown. Can you really get a "FEEL" for a country while you are on a cruise. They will avoid any low income areas. Americans have ALWAYS been "UGLY Americans" - that would be double and triple today. In some countries Americans pretend to be from England or Canada because of our "UGLY" reputation. If I were young and wanted a good experience in Europe, Australia, or elsewhere, I would read a LOT of books about the Country chosen before I went there. And I would want to stay for a long time to REALLY get the experience.

We're not ugly Americans any more than ugly Europeans or ugly Canadians and so forth. Apparently, you missed how the scoccer fans that traveled to the USA for the games were stunned by the warm welcome and treatment from the US citizens. They couldn't believe how different this country was from what has been portrayed by news outlets.

How can one assume that because some travel by ship, they are unread and have years to spend in one location which is suggested to be in low income areas. Talk about access to good medical care from there..

We are all different and that doesn't make anyone who wants to cruise, ride for hours on a train or hike all over the world unenlightened. I know of so many good, decent people in this country. I hope they cruise or travel by any other method to their hearts content if they are able. I wouldn't take a river cruise in Europe right now but the conditions will change again and people will be able to do so easily again.

[kingofbeer]

Originally Posted by biker1

I’ll repeat, ignore his uninformed opinion based on YouTube videos as opposed to actually going on a river cruise.

The Forbes article from August 11, 2026 is a good read.
Low Water Levels Are Still Disrupting European River Cruises, From Ship Swaps To Evacuation

[Howdy]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Any cruise is FILLED with PROBLEMS. Illness and disease just a couple. If you are involved in an accident, will the medical care be good or poor? That's a big unknown. Can you really get a "FEEL" for a country while you are on a cruise. They will avoid any low income areas. Americans have ALWAYS been "UGLY Americans" - that would be double and triple today. In some countries Americans pretend to be from England or Canada because of our "UGLY" reputation. If I were young and wanted a good experience in Europe, Australia, or elsewhere, I would read a LOT of books about the Country chosen before I went there. And I would want to stay for a long time to REALLY get the experience.

This post makes sense: Read between the lines. The post is right when it comes to the reputation that many Americans have when they visit other countries.
They tend to be more demanding & condescending. I have witnessed this first hand.

That said it will never change. Americans tend to " Compare " when they are in another country, & are open about it. That plain & simple is " Rude ".

All it takes is a " Few " to mess it up for the rest.