My wife and I travelled on the SAGA Castles and Fables Rhine cruise on Spirit of the Rhine departing 16 July 2024.
We are regular ocean cruisers but this was our first river cruise.
We were picked up at home in a good sized vehicle and met with the couple who were travelling to Heathrow with us.
The timing was about right, arriving at Heathrow about three hours pre flight.
It was as pleasant and comfortable as a journey on the M25 can be.
Unfortunately the flight was with British Airways but, while slightly delayed, it was reasonable.
On arrival at Dusseldorf we were quickly on the coach for the short transfer to the boat.
The boat appeared quite new, clean, tidy, and well maintained.
We were fortunate to be upgraded to a cabin with a French balcony.
Basically this means a sliding floor to ceiling glass patio door which slides open for half the width of the room.
There is then a handrail at about waist height and lower glass panes.
The cabin had 2 small armchairs for use whilst enjoying the view.
The cabin was a reasonable size with 2 single beds pushed together (mind the gap) and single duvets.
There was sufficient storage for this type of cruise, a small fridge, tea/coffee facilities, air conditioning and a reasonable sized ensuite with glass door shower.
We were towards the stern but there was very little noise, even when sailing.
I was quite happy with the cabin (which the hotel staff kept spotless).
I chose SAGA because the cruise was ‘all inclusive’.
To be generous, the drinks package was ‘ok’ but choice limited.
The drinks menu consisted of a single page of included drinks and about 4 pages of those at a premium.
After the more extensive SAGA sea cruise offering I found the package a little underwhelming.
On the plus side there were never any great delays in getting a drink (apparently 9am to midnight but I did not try a full day).
There were no issues with wine with lunch and dinner with regular top ups offered.
Two coffee/tea machines were available 24 hours.
The boat has a large comfortable lounge/bar with windows all round.
Below this is the main restaurant.
There is also a smaller (30 seat) included restaurant at the back.
While choice was limited I found the meals to be of a good quality.
They were not overly generous in size (ie a ‘surf and turf’ where the ‘surf’ amounted to one prawn).
The speciality restaurant was quite pleasant, however the serving staff were overstretched with the single sitting.
On the top there is a large sun deck with a selection of comfortable seating/ loungers and normal chairs.
This has a sun screened area and also a number of large parasols.
There is also a small plunge pool (think hot tub size).
Entertainment was limited but appeared to be well received.
We preferred to take in the views or walk around the towns we visited.
The big advantage was that the boat moored virtually in the centre of town so it was very easy to go for a stroll.
We were also blessed with good weather.
The included tours were mainly based around walking tours using personal radio headphones (all provided in the cabin).
They appeared to be enjoyed by the participants but personally I do not get on with the headphone system.
It was useful that maps including a walking route were supplied.
The map can also be used to access a prerecorded guide to the area by using the same headphone system (separate from the tours).
I understand that there were about 150 passengers on board.
Despite the number the boat never seemed crowded or rushed (even at the buffet).
The dress code was smart casual (no need for the dinner suit).
Being SAGA the mean age was about 80 and a generally happy chatty bunch.
As we spent most of the time enjoying the view and visiting the towns I felt less of a ‘care home’ ambience than our previous SAGA ocean cruise.
The staff were all good and worked very hard.
The route and ports of call offered a varied perspective.
The transit of the Rhine gorge was very visual and it was interesting going through locks on the River Main.
The remainder of the sailing time was a mix of gentle countryside, vineyards and some more built up areas.
Keep in mind that it is not all stunning scenery.
Be aware that on 2 occasions the boat was moored alongside another similar boat.
This completely blocks off light to the cabin and effectively means that the curtains have to be pulled permanently to give privacy.
We also heard reports of this type of mooring resulting in noise, some fumes and potential mobility issues (when moored on the outside and having to go up and over).
This would be a standard issue whichever line you sailed with and, as far as I am aware, there is no way of telling beforehand.
Then came the end.
The coach was about 200 yards from our mooring and the journey to Frankfurt airport was quite short.
A bit of a delay in getting booked in but the flight was only slightly late.
Again, unfortunately, British Airways – this time with my knees gaining an intimate knowledge of the back of the seat in front.
A good quality vehicle and driver were waiting at Heathrow to bring us home.
In conclusion perhaps it is unfair to compare a river cruise with an ocean cruise.
By necessity everything is smaller and more intimate.
I have no experience of other river cruise companies for a comparison but I feel that SAGA do a reasonable job.
I had the feeling that things had generally been thought through and that they took care of their passengers.
We were seeking a comfortable leisurely way of enjoying the route and this was certainly supplied.
The cabin upgrade was gratefully received but I am undecided on the issue of the overall value.
I feel that the cruise experience would be completely different if the weather had not been good.
Having said that, if we were to consider another river cruise then I would include SAGA as a potential contender.
