Tell me about European river cruises? Are

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

This.

I am beginning to wonder if all the hating on Viking is because posters can’t afford it. After all, a Viking cruise definitely isn’t cheap for a family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

I mean, being a redneck isn’t contagious either but I still don’t want to go on vacation with a bunch of rednecks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

The last thing our young adult children would have ever wanted for vacation would be a Viking river cruise. That is so lame. For the price you pay there are so many more interesting and fun alternatives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

This.

I am beginning to wonder if all the hating on Viking is because posters can’t afford it. After all, a Viking cruise definitely isn’t cheap for a family.

LOL. Typical "you're just jealous" DCUM response.

I'm the poster who went on one in my 50s and was among the youngest on board. I agree with the poster who describes the experience as the equivalent of a floating cheesy restaurant with a lounge lizard. That's how it was for us. And yes we could afford it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

I mean, being a redneck isn’t contagious either but I still don’t want to go on vacation with a bunch of rednecks.

Again, I'm the poster who went in my 50s. The issue isn't the old people. It's that the cruise is designed for a certain kind of person, whether they be old or young. I mean, you can't even go out at night on these cruises. I can't really dive into the heart of any city you visit. Everything is completely choreographed. The highlight is a fancy dinner. It's just a big snooze. It really is the equivalent of going on vacation, staying in a nice hotel, and never leaving the hotel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

I mean, being a redneck isn’t contagious either but I still don’t want to go on vacation with a bunch of rednecks.

Again, I'm the poster who went in my 50s. The issue isn't the old people. It's that the cruise is designed for a certain kind of person, whether they be old or young. I mean, you can't even go out at night on these cruises. I can't really dive into the heart of any city you visit. Everything is completely choreographed. The highlight is a fancy dinner. It's just a big snooze. It really is the equivalent of going on vacation, staying in a nice hotel, and never leaving the hotel.

I’m the PP with the long post about taking my parents and kids on one. There is some truth to this - definitely no going out in the cities at night, because you are moving (but if you’re moving through the countryside there’s nowhere to go anyway). But not entirely true on the activities, or at least it depends on the cruise (as I said in that post, if I did it again I’d pay more attention to this). Ours was on the Danube in Germany, Austria and Hungary. There was a ~7 mile hike in Bavaria one day, and another day a 17 mile bike ride along the river across the border into Hungary. The old folks didn’t do those! Other days didn’t have such active options, or depended who you ended up with (you cant move fast through Vienna with a bunch of old folks). I think the location of the cruise and options available really matter for daily activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand the DCUM posters whenever they talk about this. It is not like old age is contagious, or that older people can't be interesting and fun. They are. But when I go on a vacation, I am generally going to spend time with my companions. As I mentioned upthread, we took our young adult children on a Viking Danube trip, and it was great. We met some nice people, but we were there to spend time as a family and enjoy seeing new things. If you don't want to go on an excursion, you don't have to (but they do have more active choices). You know that when I stay in hotels, there are a lot of people that I don't hang out with also.

I mean, being a redneck isn’t contagious either but I still don’t want to go on vacation with a bunch of rednecks.

Again, I'm the poster who went in my 50s. The issue isn't the old people. It's that the cruise is designed for a certain kind of person, whether they be old or young. I mean, you can't even go out at night on these cruises. I can't really dive into the heart of any city you visit. Everything is completely choreographed. The highlight is a fancy dinner. It's just a big snooze. It really is the equivalent of going on vacation, staying in a nice hotel, and never leaving the hotel.

I’m the PP with the long post about taking my parents and kids on one. There is some truth to this - definitely no going out in the cities at night, because you are moving (but if you’re moving through the countryside there’s nowhere to go anyway). But not entirely true on the activities, or at least it depends on the cruise (as I said in that post, if I did it again I’d pay more attention to this). Ours was on the Danube in Germany, Austria and Hungary. There was a ~7 mile hike in Bavaria one day, and another day a 17 mile bike ride along the river across the border into Hungary. The old folks didn’t do those! Other days didn’t have such active options, or depended who you ended up with (you cant move fast through Vienna with a bunch of old folks). I think the location of the cruise and options available really matter for daily activities.

The disney adventures ones I’ve looked at (some of which are adults only) have these sort of active hiking and biking excursions. That’s part of the appeal for me — I don’t want to have to deal with the logistics of figuring out which bike trails are apprpriate, renting the bikes, will there be someplace to stop for lunch, etc. I think if I did it. I would add a couple days on before and maybe after the cruise so you could have your “meander through a city” time before you got on the boat. I agree with PP that it seems best suited for places where you probably wouldn’t want to stop for multiple days, but a 3 hour bike ride, lunch and tour of a castle is perfect. We don’t tend to be late nigjters anyway if we are having active vacations.