Land ABD vs. River Cruise

[Shadowfan]

Curious as we (family of four with two teens) have been on land trips. Looking at the Paris Escape along with a Seine cruise for 2024. Do you prefer land to river??

 

[mathgeek]

I was on the inaugural Seine in 2019 (which included 2 land days, so the Paris Escape wasn't offered at the time). I've also done 4 land ABD tours. I prefer the land trips b/c it's a smaller group that you're with the entire time. I also like the 2 guides dedicated to the group in the land tour, rather than the multiple guides on the river cruise. There were so many people on the river cruise that I know there were people I had not seen or toured with by the time the trip was done.

Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed the river cruise experience (similar to DCL) in that you don't have multiple hotel rooms and had a choice of different excursions each day. Some of the stops on that trip were amazing, especially the day at the Normandy beaches, Monet's Garden, and the Etretat Cliff hike. It really was a great experience, but I'll do the other land tours I'm interested in first before doing another river cruise.

 

[sayhello]

I was on the inaugural Seine in 2019 (which included 2 land days, so the Paris Escape wasn't offered at the time). I've also done 4 land ABD tours. I prefer the land trips b/c it's a smaller group that you're with the entire time. I also like the 2 guides dedicated to the group in the land tour, rather than the multiple guides on the river cruise. There were so many people on the river cruise that I know there were people I had not seen or toured with by the time the trip was done.

Don't get me wrong, I very much enjoyed the river cruise experience (similar to DCL) in that you don't have multiple hotel rooms and had a choice of different excursions each day. Some of the stops on that trip were amazing, especially the day at the Normandy beaches, Monet's Garden, and the Etretat Cliff hike. It really was a great experience, but I'll do the other land tours I'm interested in first before doing another river cruise.

I totally agree with this. I did the inaugural Danube River cruise in 2016, and while it was a *fabulous* vacation for all the reasons @mathgeek mentioned (only unpacking/packing once, amazing locations and great excursions) it wasn't the best *ABD* because I didn't get to know the Adventure Guides or the other guests as well, and there wasn't the "family" built out of the group like on land ABDs, simply because there were SO many people, and the makeup of the group you did things with changed with every excursion, as did the Adventure Guides who led you. So I still prefer land ABDs. But, again, the river cruise *was* a fabulous vacation.

However, I *am* finding the differences between the land ABDs and the river cruises starting to blur on my most recent 2 ABDs, as they are really breaking the very large group (40 people) into varying smaller groups with only one Adventure Guide, so that you're not getting that cohesive, everyone as a family feeling anymore, and you spend less time with each Adventure Guide. I'm not sure how I feel about this new development. I guess it's necessary because of the number of people on the trip, but there's stuff going on on those trips that are no longer shared experiences with the whole group, and the Adventure Guides rarely interact with each other anymore. I'm still processing this.

Sayhello

 

[mathgeek]

However, I *am* finding the differences between the land ABDs and the river cruises starting to blur on my most recent 2 ABDs, as they are really breaking the very large group (40 people) into varying smaller groups with only one Adventure Guide, so that you're not getting that cohesive, everyone as a family feeling anymore, and you spend less time with each Adventure Guide. I'm not sure how I feel about this new development. I guess it's necessary because of the number of people on the trip, but there's stuff going on on those trips that are no longer shared experiences with the whole group, and the Adventure Guides rarely interact with each other anymore. I'm still processing this.

Sayhello

Oh, this is interesting. I've only been on one ABD since I did the Seine in 2019, and there were only 6 guests on that trip (including me), so it was not the typical experience (still not sure how it ran with so few?? I think there were cancellations.). I guess I'll find out this summer since my trip as of right now has a more typical 31 guests. I will also be disappointed if it's split into two groups like this as I also enjoy that "everyone as a family feeling" and getting to know the guides. I may be done with ABD after my planned trips in 2024 if that's the case.

 

[Shadowfan]

Mathgeek and sayhello thank you for your responses! I appreciate honest perspectives from ABD guests……

 

[sayhello]

Oh, this is interesting. I've only been on one ABD since I did the Seine in 2019, and there were only 6 guests on that trip (including me), so it was not the typical experience (still not sure how it ran with so few?? I think there were cancellations.). I guess I'll find out this summer since my trip as of right now has a more typical 31 guests. I will also be disappointed if it's split into two groups like this as I also enjoy that "everyone as a family feeling" and getting to know the guides. I may be done with ABD after my planned trips in 2024 if that's the case.

What trip are you doing? I'll be interested to hear how it goes. Both my New England trip and my New Zealand trip had 40 people, so I don't know if there's a threshold for the splitting up, or if it's itinerary specific. I guess we'll find out as more trips happen.

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

What trip are you doing? I'll be interested to hear how it goes. Both my New England trip and my New Zealand trip had 40 people, so I don't know if there's a threshold for the splitting up, or if it's itinerary specific. I guess we'll find out as more trips happen.

Sayhello

I guess for group size comparison, my New England trip the week after yours had 32 people and we were one group with both guides the entire time, except for the one hiking activity in New Hampshire where some did the longer harder canyon hike while others did the easier walk at the Man in the Mountain lookout. Don’t know if there is a “magic number” where an AbD group might be split into smaller groups more often than when venue or activity dictates a need to do so.

 

[sayhello]

I guess for group size comparison, my New England trip the week after yours had 32 people and we were one group with both guides the entire time, except for the one hiking activity in New Hampshire where some did the longer harder canyon hike while others did the easier walk at the Man in the Mountain lookout. Don’t know if there is a “magic number” where an AbD group might be split into smaller groups more often than when venue or activity dictates a need to do so.

You know, now that you say that, I do think we were broken up in New England when there was a "difficult" vs. a "harder" option. I think I was mis-remembering. The New Zealand trip was definitely broken up due to size and not difficulty. So it may just be New Zealand. The brain is a funny thing sometimes. I looked through my New England photos, and I do think that was what my brain was mis-remembering...

I guess we'll find out!

Thanks for pointing that out.

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

You know, now that you say that, I do think we were broken up in New England when there was a "difficult" vs. a "harder" option. I think I was mis-remembering. The New Zealand trip was definitely broken up due to size and not difficulty. So it may just be New Zealand. The brain is a funny thing sometimes. I looked through my New England photos, and I do think that was what my brain was mis-remembering...

I guess we'll find out!

Thanks for pointing that out.

Sayhello

Even with our October smaller NZ group of 15, we were still split up into separate groups for a few of the activities. So, you may be on to something with it being a NZ thing.

 

[mathgeek]

What trip are you doing? I'll be interested to hear how it goes. Both my New England trip and my New Zealand trip had 40 people, so I don't know if there's a threshold for the splitting up, or if it's itinerary specific. I guess we'll find out as more trips happen.

Sayhello

South Africa. I'm sure we'll be split into small groups for safari stuff, but I'd expect that due to the type of activity.

 

[sayhello]

South Africa. I'm sure we'll be split into small groups for safari stuff, but I'd expect that due to the type of activity.

That makes sense.

Sayhello

 

[AquaDame]

South Africa. I'm sure we'll be split into small groups for safari stuff, but I'd expect that due to the type of activity.

Absolutely. Especially once you get to the camp, the vehicles only fit so many and then the fewer vehicles at each sighting the better.