River cruises - experiences, please!

Hubby fancies a cruise, but an ocean one. I`m not too sure at all, but after seeing the TV ads for river cruises, they look to be all posh folk, and we`re very ordinary, common as muck actually, and I don`t know if we`d fit in, I`d hate the feeling that folk were looking down their noses at us!

I'm not posh number and I am not too keen on ' package' type holidays but I really love river cruises!

We are all ordinary people living extraordinary lives. The opportunities that our generation have been offered over our parents are amazing. My parents would not have had the opportunity or money for holidays. River cruises are a good way to start cruising I think. My OH and I started this way after years of holidays involving touring. On a cruise, be it river or sea, you unpack once but visit many places.
Start with a European river cruise and take it from there. The vast majority of people on these trips are hard working people who have saved hard for their time away or are on SKI holidays.

The Rhine seems to be coming out top so far! Thank you for all the advice and suggestions.

This is making me want to do a river cruise, so DH looked at them online..... they are all booked up for this year.

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Sorry but that link isn't really relevant in my opinion. I apologize if I'm wrong but I wonder why it was posted.

Spam

I love my sea cruises. I meet loads of people from all walks of life, from plumbers to politicians. From explorers (George mcgavery, the bug man in land of the tiger/volcano etc) to ex miners. We all mix together and have fun.
( I don't usually admit to my profession though)

We have booked a Rhine Cruise in September for our 40th Wedding Anniversary.

We are going with a company we have been away to Italy with 4 times and found them to be excellent (are we allowed to mention companies on here, I am not sure)

I am making a conservative effort to cut down on clothes this time as I seem to take everything. If it's hot, cold, wet etc.

If anyone has a capsule wardrobe they take for river cruising please let me know

I think the important thing is to look at where you want to go and find out who does a cruise to that place. Then if there is a selection eliminate by time and cost. We wanted to return from a holiday in NZ and sailed through the Cook Islands, the Galapagos, the Panama Canal , the Caribbean ,the Azores. There was a mixed bag of passengers. We have been on river trips in the Far East, the Irrawaddy and the Mekong. I'm hankering after the Chindwin .we don't pick our companions but find that generally they are interested in the same things because we all want to go to the same places. On A cruise around Sicily we found that the only people who hadn't heard of Camilleri and Montalbano were the guides from the uk!

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The few river cruises which I have looked at don't seem to have any single rooms. It's for couples only, I think. So, not for me then.

Rooms? Maybe I should have said 'cabins'.

As I live on the Rhine I would go for the Rhone or the Danube. The Volga is also very popular. It all becomes much more interesting if you read up a bit about the places beforehand. My sister-in-law did the Danube one recently and was most enthusiastic. She found a website which sold on a "lucky dip" basis. She paid very little, without any guarantee of a good cabin, but was lucky enough to get a really good one on an upper deck with balcony and a good view. The company on the ship was also very nice.

A river cruise, as has been said, has the advantage of unpacking only the once, but seeing lots of places. And it's easier to follow on the map where you are; you can look out for landmarks!

Henetha - you probably can go on your own, but you may have to pay a double-for-single surcharge (i.e. you stay in a double cabin, but only use it as a single at a small extra charge.)

The thought of an ocean cruise gives me claustrophobia. Worse, actually, I imagine it to be like being in prison.

Thanks JackyB. That's handy to know.

We did the Nile cruise some years ago and it was fantastic.

I'm looking to take grandkids and DH away for weekend for his 70th. We'll be 10adults and 8 kid between 7 - 15yrs old. We live in London and don't want to spend the whole weekend travelling so somewhere not too far. Any suggestions? I'd be very grateful!

Joining the Riverboat cruises, can you name names? I understand some companies are better than others. As for ocean cruising the boats vary in size from 100 guests to thousands so you don't have to be on a biggie - it just depends how much money you have!

We use Riviera Franie and, apart from the weather in Holland, we've not had a bad experience.

We've done a Rhine cruise and like others enjoyed it. Nothing to formal (dressing up too much is not for us). Very relaxing and enjoyable. Only other comment I would make is that the Rhine is a bit industrial (lots of coal barges etc) and others who have done both Rhine and Danube have said the Danube is more picturesque.

We`ve done Rhine, Rhone, Saone etc. Grand European tour from Amsterdam to Budapest and Grand France - Paris to Nice. Also did the Douro one.
A few thoughts: the Amsterdam-Budapest is crowded these days. Lots of double docking so nice view each morning into the next boats`s cabins!!
The Grand France was our favourite from an itinerary and beautiful places point of view but was spoilt by the boat company having sub let the boat to a large group of Australian car salesmen as a reward for good sales. They just took over the boat, bagged all the best spots and drank and drank etc. Us others were left to the worst tables and poorest service. considering these were trips we`d saved up for and looked forward to.
I personally hated the Douro trip. Due to the steep geography it was bus trips every day. Same buses too. Pretty regimented.
I always fancied the Mekong trip but am a bit put off somehow by our previous experiences. The other passengers can make or break a trip. We`ve been luckier on some trips than others. Don't mean to sound off-putting. Sorry

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