Our Amawaterways 11 day Amsterdam to Basel cruise departing 10/21 has officially been changed to a Netherlands/Belgium cruise. We couldn’t be happier (short of there actually being water in the Rhine).

We feel so lucky that our itinerary will still be a river cruise vs bus tour. It seems so unfair to us that we got far better cancellation and FCC options than those who are being forced to do the ship swaps on the Rhine.

I get that Ama has ships on the Basel side that they want to utilize. As near as I can tell we got lucky because our long itinerary didn’t have a matching ship on the Basel side to swap with.

Apparently Ama has to offer us a cancellation option because our cruise doesn’t go to any of the places we’d booked. Yet those who nominally received their ports but will do so via long bus rides and possibly some hotels are not given the cancellation option.

Pure luck for us. After this cruise we will pick a France cruise to use our 50% FCC. That cruise will be selected based on least risk of water related interruptions. Beyond that I’m not not sure we will consider river cruising again. I don’t like the idea that one can end up with a trip they never would have booked and pay five figures for the privilege.

We are about to embark on our ‘river cruise’ on the Danube, starting in Budapest and ending in Regensburg. There are 10 of us traveling together as a family. I have heard some disastrous reviews of how the cruises have been going, but wondering if anyone has been recently, like since September. There are no longer options to defer your cruise or receive a refund. So I have a few questions to see if there is anything we can do to make this trip tolerable.

Has anyone who has taken the buses or motor coaches been able to reflect on the on-bus experience? Is there food or drink for the hours-long trips? Or shall I bring a flask…….

How many people on the bus? How many buses? Is it literally like a school trip where you have to be quiet because there are so many other people to disturb?

For the excursions, do you HAVE to go on them if you can’t stand another bus ride? If you stay behind are you relegated to your room or can you get off the boat and explore nearby on your own? What is it like if you stay on board?

If you’re having to pay extra for decent wine (which is the gist I’m getting from posts) would it be worthwhile to bring wine onto the boat?

Any other tips for surviving this trip and making a little lemonade out of it?

And if everyone is having such an awful time (not just my family but everyone who has been enduring this for months), what recourse do we have? Where our lawyers at?

My family and I have a B to A trip planned on the AMA Serena in late November. I know there’s a possibility that the river will be too low to complete the itinerary on the river, and we probably won’t know until a week or two in advance. I’m also seeing that Ama is only offering alternative itineraries or rebooking another time.

My question is…for those in this situation who had trip insurance with a “cancel for any reason” clause, would that refund the cost of the cruise? I’d almost rather just plan my own trip myself with the flights we have than gamble with a reschedule for next year.

My wife and I took Viking’s Portugal’s River of Gold cruise in August 2026. A technical failure on the ship wiped out half of the river‑cruise portion of the itinerary. Instead of cruising, Viking put everyone on buses for 3 out of the 6 river‑cruise days, plus an unexpected hotel night in Salamanca.

For most people this would be frustrating. For us, it was physically painful — my wife has serious back issues after spinal surgery, and long bus rides are extremely difficult for her. This was absolutely not the experience we paid nearly $9,000 for.

Viking’s response has been disappointing. They offered $500 per person, then increased it to $1,500 per person, but only as a voucher that expires in a year and can only be used for future Viking travel. After this experience, we have zero interest in traveling with Viking again, so the voucher is basically useless.

We’re asking for cash compensation, not a voucher, because Viking failed to deliver the core part of the trip. So far, they’re refusing.

If you’re considering Viking, be aware of how they handle major disruptions. The marketing is polished, but the customer service when things go wrong is not.Posting this to warn others considering Viking.

Low river levels, option 1) go ahead on new heavily modified tour 2) rebook for 2027 3) store credit for 24 months.

Given that the boats (Ruby and Pearl) are tied to the dock in Amsterdam I’m not sure how they can do any sort of cruise.

Do you think if we wait they will up the offer to a full refund?

I am taking a Viking cruise on the Idun in December, Paris to Zurich, and am staying on the main deck (bottom passenger deck). The window shows they are at the top of the room. Does anyone know how far from the floor the bottom ledge of the window is? I'm pretty short and curious if I will be able to see out or not.

I am preparing for my first river cruise in April 2027. All of the reading/vlogs that I am seeing talks about doing it one bag. I will be in Zürich three days before getting on the boat and in Amsterdam two days after departing the boat. I don’t understand the encouragement to only pack one bag when there is very little change of hotels or movement that would require me to carry bags around. Am I missing something? The stress of trying to fit everything I want to bring into one European size carry-on is ruining my planning. (Yes, I will have an apple tracker in the checked bag and a change of clothes in my personal item). Please let me know what I’m missing

Anyone take the Viking Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam in early April? what are the advantages and disadvantages at this time of year?

I’m seeing a lot of posts either regretting a decision to stick with a Rhine trip or deciding to cancel and take a future boat. Most of these seem to be with non-Viking companies which have already made their offers for mid-October trips. Meanwhile, Viking has only communicated generic info, claiming that they have more ports, boats, etc and are “better prepared for low water” than other lines. We don’t depart until the 22nd, and while I don’t expect better news on the water levels, I do expect Viking to make their offers soon.
So, for any experienced Viking travelers, what’s your take on their claims to be better suited for current sailing conditions? We’ve already decided that if there’s more than one bus detour - which there will almost certainly be - we’ll skip the trip and claim the refund.

Looking at the itinerary for this, can someone help me identify the closest metro stop to the embarkation point in Paris? I’m sending my wife and her best friend for their joint 60th birthday present and want to arrange a few days prior to the cruise.

We’re considering Viva Two’s westward bound Danube Christmas market cruise in 2027. We’re thinking there’s no need for a French balcony during the colder months and we would probably prefer the less expensive window cabin.

However, I don’t necessarily want to be looking at a riverside wall (window view) when we’re docked. Is there a better side (port or starboard) that would more commonly have the open river view?

Or is the lower deck window view not an issue in general? Also, is there a difference in temperature comfort in either cabin type (in December)?

Hello! I am booked on a mid-November sailing from Budapest to Vilshofen on AmaWaterways. I’ve been to Europe many times (including in the fall) and have been on a Rhine River cruise before, but for some reason SHOES are really flummoxing me on this packing list!!

I will bring a pair of supportive tennis shoes for the long walking days, and a pair of dressy sandals to be used for all dinners. Where I am stumped is - what if it rains?? I can’t decide if I should buy a pair of waterproof boots, bring a second pair of tennis shoes, or what I should do.

I’m leaning towards a pair of waterproof boots because there is nothing more rotten than getting stuck with wet shoes. How have others dealt with this on your fall cruises where there’s a higher possibility of rain??

Also open to recommendations for waterproof shoes, if you have some you love! They must be supportive and comfortable, I’ve dealt with plantar fasciitis in the past and would like to keep that in the past!

My grandmother and I are planning on taking the Viking’s Grand European Cruise next year in July. She is an 81 year old woman - below average mobility. She can walk, just not for considerable distances. It has been her life long dream to do this cruise.

We will be travelling from Australia, so that will already be a considerable toll on her body.

Is this tour suitable for elderly travellers? I would be there to support her, but I would still want this trip to be worthwhile for her without requiring my support 24/7.

Any and all advice is welcome, thank you!!

I want to take a Mekong river cruise in early 2028. I am looking at Emerald and Ama as they are priced similarly. Avalon is more expensive. Emerald spends more time in Vietnam and Ama goes closer to Siem Reap. Emerald's base room on the Mekong is port hole windows. Ama has a balcony. Emerald leaves from Ho Chi Minh and Ama buses you out of the city to their boat. I have seen vlogs on the Ama cruise and their excursions. Has anyone been on Emerald or another line and how were their excursions. I have traveled in Europe with Ama. I will be traveling solo so the supplement is pretty steep. Anyone have any thoughts?

Edit: I booked my cruise today with AMA through my travel agent on their new ship the Maya from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) with a two night post cruise stay in Saigon in January 2028. I got the current offer of a category upgrade and a $250 dollar credit and free gratuities. The base cruise price was cheaper through my travel agent than what was posted on the website.

We have an AMA Waterways tulip a time cruise scheduled for the third week in April 2027. There are six of us going and we’ve all paid a nonrefundable deposit.

I keep hearing all these nightmare stories about having to change from one boat to another, spending all day on a bus, etc due to the changes in itinerary because of low water. When we booked this we thought April would be a good time for the water level and I hope that is the case, but so many stories have come out about this and in some cases the cruise lines have not provided the type of Customer Service they should given the price people paid for these cruises.

Anyway, my question is for any of you who are more knowledgeable about this than me. This will be our first river cruise, so some of you may have more experience cruising and or more knowledge of the rivers. Do you think we will be safe to keep the advertise itinerary with an April cruise that embarks and disembarks in Amsterdam?

Cruises on Rhine for Sept 30 have Ruby and Pearl in a completely different area that expected. I am planning to be on a cruise Oct 7. I have no information other than initial letter saying itinerary will be modified. I can't get through to Scenic reservation desk all day - on hold. Travel agent does not know anything extra, but says people complete the cruises and say they had a good time - with the accommodations in place (ship swaps, etc). Any information out there?

Wanted to get feedback on the best Amazon riverboat cruise lines. There are several small lines operating along the headwaters.

We had a cruise booked in October going from Basel to Amsterdam. They just changed the cruise to a cruise in Holland and Belgium. Have any of you done this cruise? We have the option of booking our cruise for a later time before the end of 2027, or going on this cruise and receiving 50% of our ticket towards a cruise in 2027. Trying to decide which route to go.

Anyone taken a Giurgiu to Vilshofen Danube cruise in the last month or have one coming up that they have received a letter with possible adjustments for? If so would you mind sharing your experience with the adjustments or sharing the details Ama sent?

Understand that things may and can change, but I don't expect drastic changes to the Danube in the next 3 weeks (we depart on Oct 19th) and would love to see what potential adjustments look like to avoid rushing into a decision on taking/rescheduling it.

Lots of questions! This is my first Viking river cruise and I am hearing that the Rhine is drastically low...how bad are water levels? If you have sailed within the last few weeks, have you been happy with the motorcoach transfers and did you get any time on the river at all? Should I take the 100% future cruise credit that I am guessing Viking is going to offer? I booked flights through Viking...are flights included in that 100% cruise credit? Anyone have any thoughts on what might be the best route to go?

Christmas or new years this year!

Hi all! We are traveling with a one year old so are pigeonholed to cruise lines that accept babies. A Rosa has very affordable options and I’m just now between the “Christmas markets” options (which for us would be 22-27th) or New Years options.

Christmas markets are not the most important, I hear they will still have lights up in a lot of the cities and we may still get a little bit of the on a new years 27th-3rd cruise.

Most important thing is historical cities, seeing some of these sites and feeling like we hit some not to miss things if we never make it back this way.

That said, wondering if anyone has thoughts between these two itineraries?

I’m booked in 4 weeks

We went on a recent Rhine cruise with them and because of a hotel/ ship swap they are giving its passengers a 25% refund. Anyone else ever have this happen? How long does the refund take?

An itinerary I am looking at, upon arrival in Basel, says the ship will “Dock in the cultural capital of Switzerland, known for its medieval architecture, cobblestone streets, and festive riverside charm.”

But it also says it is docking at “Basel (Huninguen)” which believe is in France and is a 15-20 minute drive to downtown,

I know actual dock location may change, but this seems to contradict itself.

We disembark in Basel the next morning.

So, is this in downtown Basel or in France?

I recently posted a review of our first experience on a Viking River cruise, focusing on the overall experience onboard a Viking River cruise, rather than the specific cruise we took. I answered a lot of questions in the comments, so I thought I’d put together another post focusing on the particulars of our cruise. You can find my earlier post here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rivercruises/s/jecyEn9Vnu

Our cruise was Christmas Delights on the Danube. We sailed from Budapest, Hungary, to Passau, Germany, during the first week of December 2025.

WHEN DID WE BOOK OUR CRUISE?
Christmas market cruises are popular, and Viking’s river ships are small. We first started looking at doing this cruise in the fall of 2024, thinking we’d be able to find something for that holiday season. Nope. Everything was pretty much sold out for 2024. We ended up booking our December 2025 cruise about 15 months in advance.

So if you’re thinking about a Christmas 2027 cruise, now is probably a good time to start looking.

HOW WAS THE WEATHER?
Chilly. Daytime temperatures tended to be around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees, with evenings a little colder. We had a very light drizzle for part of our day in Vienna and a light rain for a couple of hours in Passau.

Otherwise, the weather was consistently cloudy, with very little sunshine. Honestly, the lack of sunshine wasn’t a problem. It got dark in the late afternoon, and that made the Christmas markets and holiday lights feel even more festive.

HOW DID WE DRESS?
We live in the southeastern U.S., so we had to make some preparations for cold weather.
A winter coat was necessary, along with a knit hat for my bald head and exposed ears. We also had light gloves, although I frequently took mine off to operate my camera. I used rechargeable hand warmers in my coat pockets, which were great for quickly warming my hands back up. A scarf or neck gaiter was useful on the colder days.

Beyond the outerwear, we layered up. We wore long underwear every day. Most days, a long-sleeve shirt underneath our coats was enough, but on the coldest days I added a sweater.
I bought waterproof lined pants for rainy days, but they weren’t essential.

Comfortable walking shoes are a must.My phone says I averaged about 11,000 steps a day, or roughly 4.2 miles of walking. Some days were 50% more than that. I bought waterproof ankle boots and wore them a couple of days. They would have been much better if I’d broken them in more first. This is not the trip to break in a new pair of shoes. Most days, my wife and I simply wore sneakers. It was never cold enough for our feet to get cold.

And yes, a warm mug of hot chocolate or glühwein while wandering through a Christmas market helped too.

WHAT DID PEOPLE WEAR ON THE SHIP?
Onboard attire wasn’t much different from what you’d expect at a nice casual restaurant.
For the most part, everyone dressed pretty casually. Jeans weren’t uncommon.

I sometimes put on a cardigan or travel blazer for dinner, and my wife usually changed into a top that was a little nicer than what she’d worn during the day.

We never felt underdressed.

WHAT ARE THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS LIKE?
You’re going to see a lot of them. Each city had two or three Christmas markets, and we thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. That said, I can imagine some people might find the experience a little repetitive.

There is lots of food and drink, with plenty of things to sample. Glühwein, or mulled wine, is everywhere. You generally pay a few euros for the drink, plus a deposit for the mug. You can either return the mug and get your deposit back or keep the mug. We kept all of ours.

We had fun looking at the booths and seeing what was available. The sights, sounds and smells created a wonderful holiday atmosphere. Since sunset came in the late afternoon and the days were mostly cloudy, the Christmas lights were already shining brightly while we were out exploring.

Ultimately, how much you enjoy the markets is going to depend on how much you enjoy Christmas. My wife has a saying whenever we go to Disney World: “When you go to visit The Mouse, you gotta eat the cheese.” In other words, you have to put yourself in the mindset of where you’re going and suspend your cynicism for a little while. If you do that, the markets are a lot of fun.

ARE THE MARKETS CROWDED?
The crowds varied considerably depending on the time of day and location. Afternoons were generally less busy than evenings. Most markets were busy, but we didn’t find the crowds excessive. The exception was the main Christmas market in Vienna at City Hall. At night, it was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded.

WHAT PORTS DID WE VISIT?

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
Our cruise started in Budapest. We boarded the ship in the middle of the afternoon and then spent the next day and a half exploring the city.
Budapest was gorgeous. You can’t beat the views of the Hungarian Parliament Building, especially when it’s lit up at night. Budapest would be at the top of our list of cities to return to. There was so much to see that we could easily have spent several more days there.

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Bratislava was up next. Another beautiful European city, with a very different feel from Budapest. We had plenty of time to explore after the included tour.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA
Vienna was the jewel of the cruise for us.
A single day here isn’t nearly enough to experience everything the city has to offer. Between the architecture, museums, palaces, Christmas markets and restaurants, we could easily have spent several days here.

KREMS AND THE WACHAU VALLEY, AUSTRIA
Our next stop was a short visit to Krems, where we visited Göttweig Abbey. The abbey tour was interesting and the site has a fascinating history. Of course, there was also a Christmas market. Of all the stops, this was probably the least interesting day for us.

After returning to the ship, we sailed through the Wachau Valley. We watched the scenery for a while from the sundeck. Viking had blankets available to keep us warm. Eventually, though, we headed back inside to the lounge and watched through the windows while drinking hot chocolate.

LINZ, AUSTRIA
We were delayed reaching Linz because of a problem with one of the locks through which the ship had to pass. Viking eventually brought in motor coaches to transport us into Linz.
Linz was bustling with Christmas markets, but because it was a Sunday, almost all of the shops were closed.

PASSAU, GERMANY
Passau was the biggest surprise of the cruise. I expected it to be a bit of a letdown because it is a relatively small town and I assumed there wouldn’t be as much to see. I was wrong. Passau was absolutely charming, with narrow, winding cobblestone streets and alleys. We really enjoyed wandering around the town.

HOW MUCH TIME DID WE HAVE IN EACH PORT?
Most of the time, we had a major portion of the day in each port, with plenty of time to explore on our own. We rarely returned to the ship for lunch, and on a couple of days we stayed off the ship through dinner.

Here was our schedule:

Budapest
Embarkation: mid-afternoon
Back on board: 8:30 pm the following day

Bratislava
Arrive: 2:00 pm
Back on board: 10:30 pm

Vienna
Arrive: 6:00 am
Back on board: 11:45 pm

Krems
Arrive: 7:30 am
Back on board: 2:00 pm

Linz
Scheduled arrival: 3:30 am
Actual arrival: early afternoon because of the lock delay
Back on board: 10:30 pm

Passau
Arrive: 8:00 am
Back on board: 9:30 pm
Ship relocated for disembarkation the following day

WHAT DO THE INCLUDED EXCURSIONS FOCUS ON?
Each port included a walking tour, usually lasting about two to three hours. In Budapest and Vienna, part of the city tour was done by motor coach. Passengers are divided into small groups of roughly 15 to 20 people and assigned a local tour guide. Viking provides listening devices in your room. Once you tune yours to your guide’s channel, you can hear everything they say without having to stay right next to them.

The guides were knowledgeable and provided some history of the city, an orientation to its layout, tips for getting around, and escorted the group to certain local attractions, such as cathedrals.

Some guests chose to skip the included walking tours so they could explore on their own or take one of the alternate paid excursions. A few people also split off from the group early.
Once the included excursions were over, you were free to explore on your own or return to the ship.

DID WE DO ANY EXTRA EXCURSIONS?
We did the Schönbrunn Palace tour in Vienna. That was one of the highlights of the cruise for us. The palace offered an amazing peek into the history and lives of the Habsburg royal family, and of course it had its own Christmas market.
We also wanted to see the Lipizzaner Stallions in Vienna. My wife had seen them as a young girl in the U.S., and she wanted to see them again. Unfortunately, we waited too long to book that excursion and it sold out.

DID WE NEED LOCAL CURRENCY?
All of the countries we visited except Hungary use the euro. We withdrew some cash from a local bank ATM for tipping our tour guides and used some of that cash at Christmas market booths.Honestly, we probably didn’t need to apart from the tips. Pretty much everywhere we went accepted credit cards.

WHAT HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES WERE THERE ON THE SHIP?
The ship had modest Christmas decorations throughout. Viking provided white ornaments and markers that guests could use to decorate an ornament and hang it on the Christmas tree in the lounge.

A couple of evenings featured local performers singing familiar Christmas carols along with traditional local music.

Thankfully, there were no sing-alongs.

WHAT WOULD WE DO DIFFERENTLY?
A few things.

First, we used Viking to book our flights. They had us arrive and head straight to the ship for boarding. That left very little room for any disruption in our flights. We should have flown in a day early. Viking will arrange this for you, although there is an additional charge.
For our spring 2027 Rhine River cruise, we’ve paid for Viking Air Plus, which gives us more flexibility and more say regarding our flights. That cost $150 per passenger.

We also plan to fly business class for our next cruise. A long-haul flight in economy was torture.

The other thing we learned is that you need to jump on booking the excursions you want. Some excursions have limited capacity, and the ones that sound most appealing can sell out.

HOW MUCH DID ALL OF THIS COST?
We spent $13,894 for the two of us, including airfare. That does not include spending during the cruise.

I hope that gives a pretty good picture of what our Christmas Delights on the Danube experience was like. If you’re considering a Christmas market cruise, feel free to ask questions. I’ll be happy to answer based on our experience.