AMA Waterways vs. Viking cruise Amsterdam-Budapest

[VacationForever]

@Passepartout you may be able to help with some information here... but we would love to also hear from TUGgers who have gone on one line or both.

We are doing some early planning for a 14 to 15 nights river cruise in 2021 and came across Amsterdam-Budapest itinerary which is offered by both AMA Waterways and Viking for the next couple of years. We assume they will both continue to offer this. We really enjoy lectures on cruises and we see that Viking lists lectures as one of the items that are expected on their cruises but we don't find the same listed on AMA Waterways. Is this true that AMA Waterways does not have lecture series on their cruises?

Are there other considerations in choosing one over the other?

Also Friends of Dave lists on their website that they offer 30% discounts on AMA Waterways. Is that true?

Thank you!

 

[Passepartout]

@Passepartout you may be able to help with some information here... but we would love to also hear from TUGgers who have gone on one line or both.

We are doing some early planning for a 14 to 15 nights river cruise in 2021 and came across Amsterdam-Budapest itinerary which is offered by both AMA Waterways and Viking for the next couple of years. We assume they will both continue to offer this. We really enjoy lectures on cruises and we see that Viking lists lectures as one of the items that are expected on their cruises but we don't find the same listed on AMA Waterways. Is this true that AMA Waterways does not have lecture series on their cruises?

Are there other considerations in choosing one over the other?

Also Friends of Dave lists on their website that they offer 30% discounts on AMA Waterways. Is that true?

Thank you!

I can't speak to Viking. But On AMA, our recent cruise was called 'Castles & Wine' and they had on board a winemaking family from Paso Robles California who hosted wine tastings several times. They also had people who 'lectured' on the lore of the cities and castles along our route. After my experiences with both Friends of Dave and AMAWaterways, I just can't speak more highly of them. Dave made sure we got the lowest possible price afforded 'repeat cruisers', and just last Friday, I received a bouquet of flowers here at home with a handwritten note from the owner and President (It's privately held) of AMAWaterways wishing me speedy recovery and wanting us to return to take another cruise with them. Dave went out of his way to get his group into the 'Captain's Table' on board restaurant the first night, and he got Paula into a 4* hotel near the hospital I was in. They also coordinated with the local agent who visited me and took us to a farewell dinner at the gourmet 'weinstuben' in the historic wine cellar the night before we departed for home.

I'm sold on AMA- and Dave.

Jim

 

[Sandy VDH]

Kathy Q, my sub agent and long time Tugger, who just pasted away last week, LOVED AMA. She has a group going out on the Paris Seine trip in October.

 

[beejaybeeohio]

River Cruise Deposits

Researching river cruises recently and found that Viking requires a $500 pp non-refundable deposit (and perhaps even full payment at time of booking?!), AMA requires deposit $400 pp of which $200 is refundable and Avalon, which we ended up booking, a $250 pp non-refundable with full final payment due @ 3 months prior to sailing.

River cruise deposit rules are quite different from ocean cruises , at least Celebrity but likely other lines too, which fully refund deposit if cancelled 90 days prior to sailing.

 

[pedro47]

Suggestion only: Please check cruise critics.com that is whole thread topic on Viking Cruise Lines;
and there is a sub-topics section on river cruises.
Enjoy your river cruises.

 

[Kathleen]

We did the Danube River cruise several years ago with Viking. It started in Budapest. We have had a good number of very special vacations. Nothing tops that one. We were could not have been happier with everything. Kathleen

 

[clifffaith]

We did Budapest to Pasau with Viking in 2014. Wonderful cruise, and we hope to take the Moscow/St Petersburg trip one day. I don't recall having a single lecture on our tour. Just checked with Cliff and he doesn't either. That is something we would have enjoyed. But fair warning, they keep you busy on Viking! By the time we got to Prague for the "after tour" we were both pooped but still drug ourselves out of bed to tour that city. Food on board was fabulous, and the hotel buffet breakfasts in both Budapest and Prague were something to behold!

 

[Sandy VDH]

We did the Danube River cruise several years ago with Viking. It started in Budapest. We have had a good number of very special vacations. Nothing tops that one. We were could not have been happier with everything. Kathleen

Glad to see it is still at the top of your list. My last minute air scramble thanks to either airline or Viking, who knows, not withstanding.

 

[Kathleen]

We did the Danube River cruise several years ago with Viking. It started in Budapest. We have had a good number of very special vacations. Nothing tops that one. We were could not have been happier with everything. Kathleen

Sandy, I still remember exactly where I was standing when I got the call from you that our Long arranged flights had been undone. Near meltdown on my part.You worked your tail off to get us acceptable flights. I appreciate it to this day.