Q – Despite discovering this enormously helpful site, we still have some confusion regarding pricing comparisons. Is there any way you could tell us what the various lines would typically charge for a standard cabin of about 150-170 sq. ft. on a river cruise along the Rhine between Amsterdam and Basel? We understand the ratings but we want to understand how closely pricing is related to ratings. We’re fairly well-traveled but riverboat cruising seems to be a tough study for average consumers like us.
A – Well let’s first understand that pricing is supposed to be confusing. If you weren’t confused it would be more difficult to get you to spend more than is necessary. What you don’t want to do is look at the total price. Instead, look at what it is actually costing you for each night aboard the boat. We pulled some current cost comparisons for the itinerary you selected the Rhine and ran some per-diem costs. Here is where you are likely to come out:
TAUCK – $450
SCENIC – $405
AMA – $312
UNIWORLD $355
AVALON $270
VIKING RIVER $258
These figures will not hold for all sailings or itineraries so they must be viewed as only a rough approximation. It will give you a general sense of where these lines stand vis-a-vis one another. Do note we have used entry-level cabins. Also note that the four most expensive lines are also the most inclusive, so they naturally have higher per-diems.
