WHAT IS WRONG WITH JUST SAYING “DAM IT”

Q – Have read this information about water levels in Europe. Really wonder why yours is the only site to talk about this honestly? It sounds as though the Rhine has fewer problems because of the dams that have been built. So why don’t the folks along the way in Austria, Hungary, etc. just build…

HOW GENEROUS WILL AMA BE IF OUR RIVER CRUISE BOAT TURNS INTO A GREYHOUND BUS?

Q – This has really been eye-opening. We’ve been really excited about the AMA Waterways river cruise we booked for next August. We are doing their Legendary Danube itinerary, the one that gives you three nights in Prague. What happens if we arrive in Europe only to find that instead of a terrific time on…

WHERE CAN WE FIND ORGANIC FOOD ON THE OCEANS OR RIVERS?

Q – We are only eating organic food. No sugar, grains or butter. Beef must be 100% grass fed, chicken must be organic and pasture raised (not cage free) Salmon must be wild Alaskan (Frozen is ok). I have contacted Silverseas and Regent but find they really do not accommodate organic. Do you know of…

BEST RIVER CRUISE FROM BUCHAREST TO BUDAPEST

Q – My husband and I are looking for a mid-to-late August River Cruise. Preferably from Bucharest to Budapest. We’d like to spend some time in Prague pre or post cruise. Very confusing on best cruise that fits us. Can you assist? A – If you don;t mind, we are going to use your note…

SECURITY PROCEDURES ON RIVER BOATS

Q – What security measures are in effect on the river cruise ships in light of the terror attacks happening in Europe and elsewhere? A – Not sure which terrorist attacks you refer to. It is far more likely you will be killed by a television set falling from the sky (off an apartment building…

GOT A NOTICE ABOUT NEW SEABOURN SHIPS: SHOULD WE WAIT?

Q – We received a mailing form Seabourn saying they are going to be building two new ships. Meanwhile, we’ve been looking at a cruise we really like on the Quest for next summer in the Baltic. We can wait a year or two if the new ships will be really special. We’ve tried Regent…

LAST MINUTE RIVER CRUISE DEALS: HOW DO YOU SCORE THEM?

Q – I would enjoy a themed cruise around wine and/or food, but my wife doesn’t care. Is there a possibility of reduced pricing if we waited for a last minute booking? A – No. River boats offer their best rates to those who book earliest. They assume guests speak to one another about pricing matters…

THE CRYSTAL ESPRIT: YES, NO, WHEN?

Q – We are really excited about the changes at Crystal Cruises you describe. Our interest at the moment is centered around the new Crystal Yacht division and the Esprit. We want to know how to book the yacht and when the books will officially open? We are also wondering if you feel it is…

HOW TO REALLY THANK MY SON IN A MEANINGFUL WAY

Q – We’ve got the world’s greatest kid. He just won a full music scholarship, saving us four years of college tuition and we want to take him on the best trip of his life somewhere outside the USA. He’s been to London – that’s about it, and his passion is seeing whales up close….

ARE THERE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VACATIONS AVAILABLE IN AFRICA?

Q – Hello. I’m an off-road enthusiast. My wife and I drive a Jeep Cherokee and we’ve had it on just about every hill in Arkansas we can find, we got our car in a great used car agency call Autozin, if you want an adventure car make sure to buy the correct vehicle. A…

YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT MADE NO SENSE ABOUT HOTEL RATES

Q – We were reviewing your truly ambitious site. You have set yourselves quite a challenge. But how are we to trust your information when we read that “if you know the price you’ve paid for a hotel room – you’ve paid too much.” Please explain. Otherwise love the information and the way it is…

BUDAPEST IS OUR DESTINATION: IS IT TOO DANGEROUS TO GO?

Q –  We are scheduled to stay in Budapest for three days before boarding our Uniworld River Cruise. The news is just awful, and the refugees seem to be causing all sorts of problems in the city. My wife is somewhat fragile and I will admit, based on what I am seeing on TV, I’m…

WILL THE NCL TAKEOVER PREVENT YOU FROM RECOMMENDING REGENT?

Q – I came across your web-site by accident while searching for information on Regent Cruise Lines. I discovered that Regent Cruise Lines, as of November 2015, will be taken over by NCL. Because of the buy-out/take-over would it be wise to book a cruise with Regent in September/October? We are concerned that the disruption…

OUR ELBE GROUP CRUISE WAS CANCELLED AND NO RESPONSE

Q –  Where the Elbe River is concerned trust me you signed up for a bus tour. Our Elbe River “non-cruise” was supposed to leave Prague on July 5th to meet our boat, the Alstrid, up river a small distance away. Since there was almost no water in the river what happened to our group…

HOW EXPENSIVE WILL CRYSTAL RIVER BOATS BE?

Q – We are intrigued and excited about the new Crystal river boats. But before we get too carried away, please let us know about the prices for the new boats. They sound expensive. A – It is common in the cruise and river boat industry to do what is called a “soft PR Campaign”…

WE WANT IT TO BE NICE, INEXPENSIVE, AND WE WANT TO GET OFF EARLY

Q – Hi! My mom (75), daughter (14 by next summer) and I are planning to travel to Europe next summer. We are hoping to make a river cruise part of our European tour. I have been trying to research and sort through many tips and reviews and the limitations with 3 traveling together. I…

ANY ROOM FOR TODDLERS ON THESE RIVER BOATS?

Q – Hello. My family and I are interested in taking a river boat vacation in Europe (May 2016). I will be traveling with my husband and a toddler (who will be shy of 2 years old by the time of cruising), as well as two sets of grandparents. I am looking for a family…

SHOULD WE TRAVEL TAUCK OR WAIT FOR CRYSTAL?

Q – We were really surprised to read your announcement regarding Crystal’s new River Boat Brand set to sail in 2017. As Boomers who are still working, I suppose we’re in a position to wait for Crystal to do our first river boat cruise. The question is should we? We appreciate find food and service,…

BACKPACKING ON AMA

Q –  We are booked on a cruise on AMA Waterways that departs from Passau. We will be doing some traveling in Europe before jumping on the boat and we arrive at the Munich Airport the day we are to board. I was wondering how we might get to the ship from the airport without…

“THE ELEGANT ELBE” FEATURED STATIONARY BOATS

Q – Last year, I booked an “Elegant Elbe” cruise for July 2015. Two days before flying to Prague, I received an email from Viking that the river was low and that our itinerary would be altered. They reported that we would have to move from one boat to its sister ship during the cruise….

SHOULD WE BOOK HAIMARK WITH FRIENDS?

Q – We are getting a lot of pressure from our friends, Mel and Susan, to take something called a Haimark boat through Vantage Travel. Wondering if this sounds OK. Our friends are a bit more adventurous than we are. He’s an Orthopedic Surgeon who seems to want to be his own patient. He dives,…

IS RIVER CRUISING REALLY THAT GOOD?

Q – We read your site after thinking we might take a river cruise. Our conclusion is that we would want to go with one of your top recommendations. Your site gives both the up and downside in a really refreshing way that we have not seen elsewhere. But given those downsides, how is river…

SHOULD WE WAIT FOR A CRYSTAL RIVER CRUISE?

Q – We were just about to contact you folks to do our first river boat voyage. We’ve cruised the large cruise ships perhaps a dozen time, most often on Crystal, which is the creme de la creme. So we were rather shocked to read that Crystal is actually launching a new river cruise line….

TELL ME TAUCK WOULDN’T DO IT

Q – Based, in large part,on the ratings you offer here, which are incredibly helpful, we booked a Tauck River Cruise in June of next year. As I just read what you have to say about flooding and draught and all sorts of things I never want to have to worry about on a vacation,…