Re: European River Cruises

On Jun 27, 8:58 pm, "Jean O'Boyle"
<j.obo...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I know this has been discussed here before but as usual when it does not
concern me at the time, I don't give it that much attention.
A couple, who are very good friends of ours, want to go on a European River
Cruise to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year. The husband
wants to surprise his wife and make the plans without her knowledge for now.
He has asked me to do some research as to which company is the best to go
with as they have never cruised before.

I know that T/As, Cal Ford and Joseph Coulter may have personal experience
and have probably done river cruises...Anyone who can direct me the right
way so I can give him some good advice, please chime in!

Thanks,
--Jean

Hi Jean,

We just returned on the 23rd from a cruise down the Danube where we
visited Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, and Hungary. We sailed on
Vantage. It was our first river cruise as we usually travel on ocean
liners, and was not sure what to expect. The entire experience was
better than I had anticipated. The cabins were incredibly well
designed, much better than the larger ships' are. Service was
exceptional, as were the guides. Food was satisfactory, although I
thought the menu was a bit too gourmet at some meals. I also didn't
care for the cocktail hour nearly every night; I much preferred their
tea time which was outstanding!

I understand from one of the on-board guides that the river cruise
leaving from Amsterdam and ending up in Romania is a better cruise as
one gets to visit many villages and quaint castles.

Vantage also offers cultural connections which we really enjoyed. We
had a home made lunch in the home of a Croatian family. It's a
wonderful experience to meet with folks in their home, have a home
prepared meal, and share stories of our different cultures. Also, all
excursions are included in the base price, unlike the excursions on
the large ships which cost additionally.

Vantage seems to cater to us senior citizens which is also an
advantage for your friends.

Would we sail with Vantage again? Absolutely! We are planning on
sailing down the Nile with them in 2008.

Hope our experiences helps you!
Anne

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