UNOFFICIAL NEWPORT COUNTY AFC FORUMS

Good Afternoon

Has anyone been on a river cruise?

Where did you go, what were your thoughts, and what tips for someone considering booking one in the future?

We have been on two “ big boat” cruises with mixed experiences, and are thinking of trying this in the future ( before we buy the motor home) .

Phil in Northampton

I went on one from Amsterdam down to Dusseldorf which we enjoyed. Visited the tulip fields and lots of interesting places including Arnhem. Would recommend using the cycles when in towns and cities. They tend to always be available due to the age profile of the guests - tends to be retirement age - but many have interesting life stories, if you choose to sit with others at dinner.
I also like narrowboating, and have hired one for a week on the Rochdale canal - which crosses the Pennines - this year. However due to a lack of water feeding the top lock, I may have to travel towards Halifax instead of my preferred route via Hebden Bridge. Also been on the Llangollen as well as the Kennet and Avon.
Can also recommend hiring a boat on the Canal du Midi. We went from Carcassonne in South West France. Idyllic stopping at vineyards for a tasting and a picnic.
Whatever you choose you will have a great time I am sure, don't hesitate.

Thanks for an informative reply, we too have hired boats, been on the Norfolk Broads a couple of times and Caledonian canal. Loch Ness was truly magical.
We like the idea of less people compared to the 4,500 on the cruise!

Phil in Northampton

My mum and dad did one on Danube about 20 years ago got terrible mosque bites they never did another one stuck to sea cruising after

I have done two. A week’s cruise down the Nile from Luxor to Aswan and 2 weeks up the Irriwaddy in Burma from Rangoon to Mandalay. The Nile cruise was in the cheaper range of river boats with a younger age group. The Burma cruise was one of the best holidays I’ve ever had, albeit with an older age group and no pool on the boat. An Australian company called Travel Marvel. Highly recommended. They are different types of holiday, but don’t hesitate, they’re great fun.

UPTHEPORT wrote: July 28th, 2022, 8:46 pm My mum and dad did one on Danube about 20 years ago got terrible mosque bites they never did another one stuck to sea cruising after

I remember being bitten by dangerous Chapel once

Like Dogger I did the Nile cruise. Worth doing. As it was the 70th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb it had been opened up to visitors. Apparently people's breath was damaging the walls so it's usually closed. One thing to be careful of. The heat is very dry. Even in January I got my legs sunburned when it only felt comfortably warm.

I've been down the Rhine from Frankfurt to Basel in Switzerland and up the Douro from Porto to Salamanca. Of the two the Douro was the most enjoyable and I would recommend it. Maybe this was because I don't like Germany or Germans and on a Rhine cruise you tend to see a lot of both.

In my opinion, river cruising is superior to ocean cruising and I would recommend it.

Many years ago I took my old mum on a cruise on The Thames. It was a grey, bleak day.

We had the option of sitting up top in the breeze or sheltering in a covered area of the boat. The host explained (and he was right) that it is actually colder in the covered area. After trying it we went up top.

I can't explain the physics of it, nor even recall whether the covered area was front or rear-opening.

My experience is limited of river cruising but I can certainly recommend the Nile cruise, fascinating journey and one I wouldn’t have missed.