[stuckinparadise]

My husband and I will be retiring in a year and will finally be moving to our home in TV. I'm planning a trip to Paris and wanted to know if any one on TOTV has taken a river cruise on the Seine. I'm looking at both AMA and Viking at this point. We really want to spend some time in Paris, so we'll probably do an extended stay. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

[MSNPA]

In July 2005 we did the Paris to Normandy cruise with Viking and we were extremely satisfied. We flew to Paris two days prior in order to spend time on our own. We fell in love with Paris and we were glad we allowed for additional time to sightsee. Once aboard the ship we found it to be a lovely experience. Each stop was worthwhile. We loved Le Havre. Visiting Normandy and the beaches and cemetery were memorable experiences. My only problem, which was really not a problem, sometimes we tire of dinner on cruises. We find it more interesting to explore the towns and eat where the locals eat. We did this twice; simply for a change.

[k2at]

My wife and I did Holland in the Spring during the tulip festival. The cruise on the rivers is fantastic. Small crews, only about 140 guests and informal in nature. We used Viking and were completely satisfied. Only downside was the exchange rate for the Euro. It cost us $35 dollars for every hundred we exchanged. The Euro rate today is much more favorable with the US dollar. As far as the cruise goes, do it without a moments hesitation.

[asianthree]

friends just got back from using viking...said it was the most expensive trip but worth every dollars that they spent..top notch all the way

[donbettyr]

Done numerous river cruises. AMA is the upscale choice by far. Viking is the budget choice, it is the Carnival, Royal Carrib, norwegian of river cruising

[stuckinparadise]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. We have booked our river cruise with AMA Waterways for November 2013. We will spend 3 nights in Paris, then enjoy a 7-night cruise from Luxembourg to Amsterdam. This is a celebration of wine cruise which sounds amazing!

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by stuckinparadise

Thanks for all the responses to my post. We have booked our river cruise with AMA Waterways for November 2013. We will spend 3 nights in Paris, then enjoy a 7-night cruise from Luxembourg to Amsterdam. This is a celebration of wine cruise which sounds amazing!

When you have done this one you will be hooked on river cruising. This year we did an Avalon Boutique River Cruise from Hungary to Amsterdam, it was more than we expected. Yes, very expensive, but have no regrets and cannot wait to take another river cruise. Love being able to see land on both sides of the boat, and the food was out of this world.

[buzzy]

Sounds like an interesting change of pace for a European vacation. What kinds of shore excursions are available, and what are the attractions for sightseeing?

[Geewiz]

Originally Posted by stuckinparadise

My husband and I will be retiring in a year and will finally be moving to our home in TV. I'm planning a trip to Paris and wanted to know if any one on TOTV has taken a river cruise on the Seine. I'm looking at both AMA and Viking at this point. We really want to spend some time in Paris, so we'll probably do an extended stay. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

You will love Paris....savor it..like a plum!

Go to Angelina's (Near the Louvre) for the best hot chocolate in your life. Visit the parks. Take your time. You can get a river cruise without reservations.

When with hubby...be sure to kiss. They kiss on mainstreets in Paris. It's almost required.

See pictures here: Europe Summer 2006 (more to come!) - harbor53's Photos

Enjoy!

Gary

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by buzzy

Sounds like an interesting change of pace for a European vacation. What kinds of shore excursions are available, and what are the attractions for sightseeing?

We took Uniworld "European Jewels" European Jewels - Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection. If you open this link you can see a full map of the itinerary.

We flew into Budapest, were picked up at the airport and transported to the ship, which is docked right in the center of Budapest. We had almost a full day in the City before we sailed at night. I cannot remember the names of all the places we visited but I remember Vienna and the Opera House and visiting magnificent castles owned by the Hapsburgs and other wealthy European families.

The excursions are excellent because at one time the rivers were the main transportation routes through Europe, so you dock right in the center of town. You can take a guided walking excursion or you can get off and wander through the town on your own, and they have bikes on board which you can use. We chose to take the guided excursions and then wander off on our own and stop in a pasty shop, or just browse around the town. Another big plus is that the cost of the guided tours are included in the price of the vacation.

Keep in mind that the European staff on these river boats speak several languages and can communicate easily with you. Our cruise manager was a Belgium who spoke six languages, was always accessible for questions and recommendations etc. So when we got into a town we would ask him to recommend what to do and where to go.

I think our next river cruise will be Portugal and Spain.

[BarryRX]

I have friends who have done something a little different. They have taken a barge cruise on some of the canals in France. The barge had luxurious accommodations and a 4 star chef. The barge moved at a very slow and leisurely pace and it was often possible to get off the barge and onto bicycles and bike ahead to the next town where one could enjoy local cuisine an wines and just hop back on the barge when it caught up. You can google french barge cruises for more info.

[NJblue]

We just got back from a 2-week river cruise (Vienna to Amsterdam) on a Grand Circle ship. We had a fantastic time. It's hard to compare the different cruise companies since it seems as though everyone is so happy with the lines that they chose for their first cruise that they never attempt to experience a competitor to draw a comparison.

We had one couple who had cruised Viking before. Their comments were that they thought the number of shore excursions and their quality was better with Grand Circle than with Viking. They also found the food and staff to be better with Grand Circle. Their one comment that they liked better about Viking was that the Viking cabins had a double bed, whereas the Grand Circle had two twin-sized beds. This is an example how different people like different things since we would find having a double bed very uncomfortable for two people since we are used to a king.

One example of the customer-first approach from Grand Circle was when we were sailing to Bamberg, Germany. The night before we got there, the program directors found out that they were having a large Oktoberfest-like festival in town. The ship's agenda was to spend just the morning in Bamberg before sailing on. However, knowing that this was a unique experience, they got the captain and corporate HQ to change the itinerary (which included making new lock arrangements as well as additional expenses for busses). As a result, the extra time spent at the festival was a highlight for the trip. Other cruise ships that came in at the same time as ours left on their original schedule and their passengers did not get to experience the fun of the festival.

[Seasidetown]

Originally Posted by stuckinparadise

My husband and I will be retiring in a year and will finally be moving to our home in TV. I'm planning a trip to Paris and wanted to know if any one on TOTV has taken a river cruise on the Seine. I'm looking at both AMA and Viking at this point. We really want to spend some time in Paris, so we'll probably do an extended stay. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated.

we are booked for nov this year on viking for their paris/normandy river cruise
have heard great things from past passengers about viking --so we will see

[Fourpar]

...We have gone on 2 River Cruises, both with Uniworld. Rhine and Danube. We are planning the next one for 2015....Again we'll go with Uniworld.

[fraurauch]

We used AMA two years ago for a river cruise on the Danube. Best cruise we ever took.