Hey everyone, thinking of going on a cruise soon but hesitating between an ocean cruise or a river cruise. Looking for something magical to celebrate my 35th. Which one is more magical? Am especially curious about river cruises - what do you love most about them??
I ask because I am supposed to be going in a Rhine River cruise in a few months time, and already contingency plans are being put in place in case of low water levels and we have to cancel.
cruise with 5-days on the Rhine river starting at Basel on Sept. 30 and arriving in Koblenz on Oct. 4, with stops at Strasbourg, Speyer, Mainz. We also have 2-cruise days on the Moselle between Koblenz and Trier, but that river is still navigable I think.
Does anyone know Viking's current travel alterations on this portion of the Rhine River? Is Viking currently able to navigate this section and make these ports or are doing bus tours on this section of the Rhine? If there's a bus tour, what is that like?
If we have to bus between Basel and Koblenz, I'm hoping Viking will cancel the cruise. Viking is very intentuialy unclear about current alterations including likely near future travel alterations even when they have weather forecasts that indicate little chance of significant change in river conditions.
I am scheduled to leave on a river cruise itinerary on August 27 from Budapest to Prague. No info on changes has been shared yet. Has anyone traveled Gate 1 or similar recently that can share experiences?
Hi,
My husband and I are supposed to go on an Eastern European cruise from Hungary to Romania and through Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria on a smaller ship through Avalon Waterways. We are learning that the Danube is very low and it is creating some uncertainty around our travel plans. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of whats going on regarding the Danube and cruises?
Thanks
I am looking to book 3 rooms for November/December 2027 for a Seine River cruise that has a day dedicated to the D-Day beaches but I can’t seem to find an option with actual balconies off of the rooms apart from Viking. Am I overlooking a great option here? Thank you!
Interested in feedback for this specific cruise. Thinking May 2027. Have previously cruised with Avalon on the Rhine and Danube (Budapest to Prague). Both were great. Just want to shake things up as many rave about Uniworld.
I have scoured this thread and I am sure that I still missed something. Posting here just in case. My mom wants a river cruise with me. I am starting the process of looking into what is the best fit. Putting our information below to see if it resonates with anyone for cruise suggestions.
Me- single female in 50's. Mom- 80 but seems like she is in her 60's. She is not into high activity but loves a good castle tour or town tour, although neither of us speak any other languages. On a budget, as I will be paying for all of this. Still, I want to make this special i just am not financially carefree. I don't care about meeting people on the cruise, although I love meeting all people. My mom is extremely social. So far from Reddit I see that the best cruise lines are Avalon, Ama, Viva, Tauck, Uniworld. I do not care about catering to Americans, but my mom will want the comfort of English. Looking into shoulder season as well. If anyone has any suggestions from a similar experience, I'm all ears. I have never done any cruise before. Thanks all in advance!
I'm not sure how well reported this is but Western europe has had a record drought so far and it's not looking like it's going to improve anytime soon. At best we'll start getting rain from half august onwards and it would slow the rate of decline but it's looking very dire.
Rhine: Dutch/German border: record low https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/08/rhines-water-flow-drops-to-near-80-year-low-shipping-curbed/
Danube in Budapest: down to about 10cm now but actually looking up a little after some rain in easter austria https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Hungarys-Nuclear-Power-Returns-as-Rain-Lifts-Danube-Water-Levels.html
Po also hitting record lows https://www.waternewseurope.com/italys-po-valley-water-shortages-hit-over-100-municipalities/
Seine is at about 1/3 the volume it should normally be and the Loire is worse.
Only major cruise water way that seems to do well is the Douro.
| Original Port | New Port | |
|---|---|---|
| July 18 | Budapest – Embarkation | Komarno – Embarkation |
| July 19 | Budapest | Komarno |
| July 25 | Regensburg | Schalding |
| July 26 | Nuremberg | Schalding |
| July 27 | Nuremberg – Disembarkation | Engelhartszell – Disembarkation |
Wanted to share what happened on our recent Scenic Danube in Depth with Prague River Cruise, which obviously was impacted by the low water levels. Some of the tours were impacted by the changes and longer bus rides, but overall Scenic did as good a job as they could accommodating us.
Hi all,
My grandma, my brother, and myself have dreamt of a trip to Portugal for a while and are finally planning it. My grandma is in her early 80s and worries about the steep hills and cobblestone streets in many European cities. I’m searching for a river cruise that has light excursions and/or is accessible for elderly travelers, and is fun and exciting. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance!
Help! I need recommendations or reviews of this Nile Cruises (looking for aa 4 night Luxor-Aswan route)
Oberoi, Historia, Soleil or the A&k seray nile
It is our honeymoon and we want something that is really worth the price and the quality of the guided tours or special experiences.
Thank you in advance!!