Nole Man

Game turned out to be pretty entertaining. Had Fannin in multiple leagues. Decent day, but could have been better if Watson could throw straight. :lol:

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How many weeks are you planning for that?

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Excluding travel days, traveling for 16 days through Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland.

Poland: Warsaw, Wroclaw
Latvia: Riga
Estonia: Tallinn
Finland: Helsinki, Rovaniemi

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Full at 18.

Another league probably coming soon.

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The great thing about Guillotine Leagues. And our man BhamTigah! :cheers:

I've read all these amazing comments. You have a ton of great feedback!

Absorbed it all. And here's my final take, assuming it could be done.

So given all that...

My vote is:

1. You HAVE to do a European Christmas Market River Cruise. THIS YEAR IF YOU CAN!!! You have an 87 year old Mama. That's amazing! And amazing she wants to do that. Wish I'd had that chance. Mine passed way when she was 82. So, time is very precious.

A lot of experienced Christmas-market cruisers actually prefer going right before the official Christmas cruises start. The markets in big cities like Budapest and Vienna open earlier than the rest of Europe, so if you sail around Thanksgiving through the first days of December, you still get the full Christmas-market experience without paying the higher “Christmas cruise” prices. The ships are less crowded, the towns are easier to move around in, and you can wander the markets on your own instead of being locked into excursions. By the time you hit early December, Advent has started and every market is open, but the fares haven’t jumped yet. For families — especially with older parents — it’s a comfortable, festive, and much more affordable way to do a holiday river cruise.

Look into the late-November Rhine sailings. Viking’s Rhine Getaway, Ama’s Enchanting Rhine, and Avalon’s Christmastime on the Rhine.

You'd thank me later! :cheers:

Here's Why!

2. Remain convinced you might want to look into an ocean cruise. Haven't done other cruise lines besides Viking, but have friends that have. And I can say with almost complete certainty, in the "ocean space", Viking offers the best combination of cruises and pricing. No need to look elsewhere. So, which one? Start with a late-spring or early-summer ocean itinerary — specifically May through early July.

We did these:

Ocean:
• Venus (Alaska & the Inside Passage — Vancouver to Seward - August 2026)
• Star (Empires Of The Mediterranean - March 2026)
• Saturn (Iceland's Majestic Landscapes - August 2025)
• Venus (Viking Homelands Bergen to Stockholm - May 2022)

The one that lines up best with what she’d enjoy is something similar to Viking Homelands (May 2027) — mild temperatures, beautiful scenery, and ports that are easy to navigate without long transfers or heavy walking.


:cheers:

LINK

US News released its first-ever ranking of river cruise lines, using traveler reviews, expert evaluations, awards, inclusions, excursions, and itinerary variety.

Top 10 River Cruise Lines (US News Ranking):

AmaWaterways

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Viking River Cruises

Avalon Waterways

Scenic Luxury Cruises

Riverside Luxury Cruises

American Cruise Lines

Tauck

Emerald Cruises

CroisiEurope

Ran this through Co-Pilot to get summaries from several videos:

## **Top 10 River Cruise Lines & What Each Is Known For**

### **1. AmaWaterways**
Best for **active travelers**, great food, twin-balcony staterooms, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Strong mix of hikes, bike tours, wine tastings, wellness, and excellent service.

### **2. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises**
Best for **luxury and design lovers**. Every ship is unique, decorated like a boutique hotel with chandeliers, artwork, and high-end finishes. Extremely personalized service and very all-inclusive.

### **3. Viking River Cruises**
Best for **consistent ships, cultural enrichment, and lots of itinerary choices**. Elegant Scandinavian design, lectures, cooking demos, and a huge fleet that makes scheduling easy.

### **4. Avalon Waterways**
Best for **panorama suites and flexible excursions**. Beds face floor-to-ceiling windows, and guests can choose classic, active, or discovery excursions every day.

### **5. Scenic Luxury Cruises**
Best for **true all-inclusive luxury**. Personal butlers, large suites, premium dining, and curated exclusive excursions. Sister brand to Emerald.

### **6. Riverside Luxury Cruises**
Best for **high-touch service and all-suite ships**. Former Crystal ships with personal butlers, a one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio, and customizable all-inclusive or à-la-carte options.

### **7. American Cruise Lines**
Best for **U.S. river cruising**. Sails only American waterways (Mississippi, Hudson, New England, Alaska). Spacious cabins, solo staterooms, and strong regional history programs.

### **8. Tauck**
Best for **fully guided, all-inclusive experiences**. Known for exclusive events like castle dinners and private tastings. Great for travelers who want everything handled for them.

### **9. Emerald Cruises**
Best for **modern ships and great value**. More affordable sister brand to Scenic. Features like a pool that turns into a cinema, active excursions, and complimentary bikes.

### **10. CroisiEurope**
Best for **budget-friendly European cruising**. A long-running French company with simpler, traditional ships and an international mix of guests.

Our man bhamtigah is puttin' in work bringing you the best in Guillotine League excitement. He's got a few more extra spots if interested. $25 buy in. Payout will be determined based upon number of signing up.

Operators Standing By!!

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That looks amazing. Are most of those pics from Amsterdam?

I'm getting fired up, even though the trip will be in 2027.

I found another cruise with nearly the same itinerary as the one I listed above. The difference is that first one was Ama and this one is Uniworld.

Uniworld Castles Cruise

My understanding is that Uniworld is more expensive, but I like the idea of it being all-inclusive and that the excursions and gratutities are included. Thoughts on Ama vs Uniworld?

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Quite a few from the first part of the trip. Started in Amsterdam >> Cruise went through four countries—the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland—traveling southwest along the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel. Then our time in Colmar France on our own. Pictures are kind of in that order.

I don't have experiences with Ama or Uniworld. Do have friends that have, and of course, my travel agent friend's experiences. And of course the prices, schedules, group preferences etc.

Ama and Uniworld run similar Rhine itineraries and the pricing usually ends up in the same ballpark, so the real difference is the style of the experience. Ama feels modern and active, with excellent food and more choices in how you explore each port. Uniworld is more of a boutique luxury vibe — ornate ships, very personalized service, and almost everything included. If you want a brighter, more contemporary feel with great food and active touring, Ama is the better fit. If you want old-world luxury and a fully all-inclusive trip where you don’t think about extras, Uniworld is the one people rave about.

Viking sits in the same general price range as Ama and Uniworld on the Rhine. The difference isn’t cost so much as style. Viking is the most consistent and structured, with solid food, well-run tours, and a clean Scandinavian look. Ama feels more modern and active, and Uniworld is the boutique luxury, all-inclusive option.

Good Comparison Article

PS: Found a good article on Uniworld with a photo gallery.

Looks pretty fancy. Some others:

Get those lineups in!

Scammers, bracelet guys, and coordinated groups working the crowds hard. Keep your phone zipped, your wallet in your front pocket, and don’t let anyone “gift” you anything.

The Dutch Travel Maniac would like to have a word with you. :rotflmao:

In all seriousness, we always get the silver spirits package. Mainly for the premium wines. But I will say on the ocean cruises because of the number of available venues you have a multitude of choices to get spirits and other specialty drinks that you don’t get on a river cruise.

Could be settled in 24 hours.