Side-By-Side - A River-Cruise Comparison

Guest Blog by US cruise expert Steven B Stern, author of Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation.

In conducting research for my new guide, which will be devoted exclusively to European river boats and barges, I have attempted to cruise on the entire gamut of the new and more upscale ships that the various cruise lines are racing to build.

Last summer (2011), we did back-to-back cruises on the SS Antoinette of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and on the Viking Legend of Viking River Cruises (you can also see fuller reviews in the Autumn issue of World of Cruising magazine). This summer, we cruised back-to-back on the Avalon Panorama and AMACERTO, the newest ships of these two specialist riverboat cruise lines.

Avalon Panorama (top) entered service in 2011, the first of what the company refers to as their “suite ships.” AMACERTO entered service in 2012, the latest of three identical sister ships.

Our 14-day cruise on Panorama (above, right) commenced in Budapest and traversed the Danube, Main/Danube Canal, River Main and Rhine all the way up to Amsterdam. We spent only seven days on AMACERTO covering a portion of the same itinerary.

In the final analysis, I could not say that one was superior to the other. Each had features that impressed, and others that didn’t. The non-suite accommodations were similar on both with limited storage, as is the situation on all riverboats. However, we preferred our cabin on the AMA ship because of the fact most of the cabins had both a real outdoor balcony as well as a French-style balcony whereas the Panorama only had the French balconies. The bedding on the Panorama also did not adequately adapt itself to a matrimonial bed arrangement. 

Service on both ships was outstanding with exceptional cruise directors and hotel managers. Dining was similar, but not outstanding. The speciality restaurant on AMACERTO represented a nice diversion. The excursion program on AMA was a better deal, since almost every tour was included. The amount of nightly entertainment on both ships was a pleasant surprise. 

Both were physically beautiful ships, well maintained, and more modern in décor than some of the older ships in both fleets. In the final analysis, I would have to say it is a toss-up - you can’t really go wrong with either one.

See more about Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation on this link.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.

Embarkation for all ports!

OK folks, here's a quick 'Welcome Aboard' message from your new 'captain' for Time Spent At Sea, which is something we hope will develop into one of the most entertaining and informative Blogs about the wide World of Cruising (oops - cheap plug alert!).

My name is Simon Veness (one half of the almost-well-known Veness travel-writing team) and, as some people will already be aware, editor of World of Cruising magazine, Europe's longest-running and premier publication on the subject of cruising and cruise ships (whoops - there I go again!). By way of introduction, I have been cruising since I was nine (although there is no truth in the rumour I was on the maiden voyage of the original Queen Mary) and am a complete cruise addict. I am firmly of the opinion this is the best kind of holiday anyone will take - provided they choose the right voyage for their personal taste.

Modern cruising is a vastly different animal to that which many people associate with the image of yesteryear (or even my first experiences) and there is a vast amount of choice these days, hence it is vital people do their 'homework' before booking their first (or next) cruise. Our magazine obviously provides a lot of insight (oops - gratuitous plug No. 3!), but that should really be just the starting point for the booking process.

A good, up-to-date guidebook is also highly advisable (I use both Steve Stern's Guide to the Cruise Vacation and the inestimable Doug Ward's encyclopaedic Berlitz Guide to Cruising), while the internet is obviously invaluable, too, with sites like Cruise Critic providing a wealth of up-to-date info.

Obviously, we are happy to take all kinds of queries on the subject and develop an even greater database of info and advice, while UK cruise devotees should also make an early advance note in their diaries for March 27-28, 2010, when the second big CRUISE show, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, will be open in London (at Olympia next year, as opposed the rather cavernous ExCel in 2009) and well worth visiting for special displays, talks and - especially - cruise deals. Check out their website early and often for how to get tickets in advance at reduced prices.

Finally, by way of a final 'plug' for this blog (and I promise to keep it relatively Ad-free in future!), we also have a companion Twitter with our sister company The Cruise Line Ltd which also provides little news nuggets and updates on what we're doing (and some juicy special offers!).

We will also, of course, continue to offer Blogs by some of our other notable contributors, like well-known travel writer and cruise aficionado Anthony Nicholas, and hopefully it will all add up to some fabulous Time Spent At Sea. All aboard, now............!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.