Glacier Express & the Romantic Rhine Reviews

Verified

Fabulous experience

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This was a lovely holiday embracing a cruise on the Rhine with 3 days in Switzerland in the shadow of the Matterhorn followed by a trip from Zermatt to Chur on the Glacier Express Cruising on the Amadeus Star was excellent with superb accommodation, very good food and on board service. Unfortunately due to exceptionally low water levels in the Rhine we terminated the cruise at Speyer which resulted in us missing Strasbourg and onwards to Basel. Given the situation GRJ and Amadeus altered the itinerary such that we had an additional stop in Bonn, that was most interesting and we enjoyed some additional daytime river cruising rather than travelling mainly at night. Stops in Cologne, Cochem and Rudesheim were most enjoyable as was the trip to visit Heidelberg. We toured Cologne alone and ordered cathedral tickets online in advance which was worthwhile doing. After disembarking at Speyer and a 3 hour coach journey to Basel we then moved onto Zermatt and the Glacier Express. That was truly an amazing train journey and must rank as one of the most spectacular in the world. Hotel accommodation in Zermatt and Chur was good although the group dinner provided in Chur was poor. While the water levels in the Rhine cannot be attributed to Amadeus or GRJ, we were only advised of an itinerary change by GRJ on the evening before departure. The trend in falling water levels was being monitored for some time before the holiday and I feel that GRJ could and should have made customers aware of the situation several weeks in advance and offered alternative holiday options. Updates every few days on the changing situation would have helped. Informing customers a few hours before departure is quite insensitive and hopefully with the benefits of hindsight GRJ will be more proactive and customer focused on future river cruises. Overall a very good holiday and we would certainly consider future river cruises with GRJ

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Excellent accommodation, service, restaurant and entertainment.

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The advance organisation was excellent. The outward journey on Eurostar was very comfortable and the time passed really quickly. The guides were very good throughout. The cruise ship was wonderful, with amazing food and the best of housekeeping. Excursions were very good also - the weather was extremely hot which required one of us to dip out of a couple of excursions and go for air conditioned options (the ship was lovely and cool inside), but that was beyond anyone's control. The Cruise Director and Manager were extremely accommodating and exceptionally well organised. The last three days on Swiss railways were a bit of a challenge due to the heat, but we did enjoy the two hotels we stayed at and the Glacier Express itself, which was wonderful. A couple of minor issues we experienced were not in any way due to the company, but either down to the weather or third-party providers like Paris Du Nord Eurostar station, so beyond anyone's control. We have already booked another holiday with Great Rail Journeys for next year.

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Some excellent content, real highlights were the food and drink on board, the crew, and most of the off-board tour guides. However the logistics, planning, and execution left a lot to be desired, giving the impression of disorganization and lack of a stable visible plan.

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This was our first river cruise after experiencing many ocean cruises. We thoroughly enjoyed the river cruise going to the many lovely places along the Rhine. Switzerland extension was a wonderful experience which we liked very much including the glacier express. We were looked after very well by Ian the tour manager, all the train journeys went very smoothly. Finally would like to make a suggestion of more flexible mealtimes & longer at the destinations, it was a little regimented.

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I was a lone guest on this holiday, albeit a fairly outgoing kind of man. I needn’t have worried about being by myself, because GRJ staff and crew made me very welcome. I was never alone for mealtimes, and I partook in all the entertainment, including late night dancing. Everything including travel worked smoothly. Food was extremely good, and cruise director and associate always ensured I was able to enjoy everything going on during the day and evening. Thanks Jacqui and Debs. This was my first river cruise, and I hope to cruise again.

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Booked this trip to experience a river cruise for the first time and also to return to Zermatt where we spent our honeymoon. The river cruise was very disappointing, not at all what I expected. The Glacier Express was good which why I have given this trip 4 stars. Cruise alone would have got 2 stars. Tours were very rushed and at times felt like cattle being herded, time on board was very regimented and again felt rushed without time to relax and enjoy the different experiences.

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A lovely combination of luxury cruising, sightseeing and cultural interest. Attentive friendly and helpful staff throughout the journey.

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The Glacier Express was a wonderful day trip but the day before was even more spectacular. At 10,000 feet on top of the Gornergrat mountain on a clear, warm, windless day the views were as good as they can be. We stayed all day, soaking in the 360 degree, view with the Matterhorn almost within touching distance.

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Well organised and every activity fitted together. Ivan took over well for the Swiss bit. Cabin was comfortable and menus were good. Cruise Manager and Director were good. The outings from the boat sometimes seemed a bit late in the day - our visit to Rudesheim seemed a bit rushed. We would have liked more time in Strasbourg.. Drachenburg Castle was very low key and we did not have a clear idea of how far or how long to get to the various sights on this hillside. Possible marketing confusion: the holiday was headlined as Swiss and Rhine but it was the other way round.

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Ship understaffed/trained. Courier did not understand needs of clients.

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The main part of the holiday was the cruise down the Rhine, which was superb. Unfortunately, the extra 3 days in Zermatt & Chur let it down a bit. The hotel in Zermatt had no tea/coffee making facility in the room; something I've not experienced in any hotel I've stayed in before. In Chur they didn't serve dinner in the evening, despite having a large dining room! We had to go out to a restaurant to eat. Also, the Baggage Man facility went a little awry. My case was picked up from the boat and delivered to my home (left in the porch) BEFORE I arrived home from Switzerland! Fortunately, a neighbor spotted it and took it in for me. For me, the cruise rated 10/10, the Switzerland bit 7/10.

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Excellent holiday, would certainly recommend - with the exception the baggage was not collected from the ship as arranged, this has caused a lot of problems and my complaint has been lodged but I have had no reply - the staff on the ship did not load the case although it was labelled correctly, we were told to leave the case outside the door of our bedroom and hand in the necessary documentation to reception - this we did. It was not until Baggagemand phoned us to check everything was in order that it came to the notice I had my bag and it had not been transferred. I am far from happy I have not even had an acknowledgment from GRJ

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Fabulous cruise - great service, food and excursions. Completely recommend it( and it was our first cruise ever!)

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Excellent cruise and train trips. Marred slightly by the hotel in Zermatt whose food offering was below par

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Cruise had excellent food. Should have had more variety of entertainment especially some classical music as we past the birthplace of Beethoven and through the Rhine gorge immortalised in Germany song. The tours of Drachensburg, Cologne and Heidelberg were good. The commentary through the Rhine gorge was somewhat pathetic with the New Zealand commentator not even knowing how to pronounce Lorelei and Mainz and a rather poor reader of her script. Zermatt and the rail journeys were wonderful, though I'm not sure that going to Davos had much point. Information about starting times in the mornings and meals was sometimes unclear and contradictory.

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The journey started at St Pancras Railway Station meeting our excellent tour manager Rebecca White. She escorted us on our very comfortable and punctual Eurostar to Amsterdam. Rebecca left us in Amsterdam onboard our cruise ship Amadeus Star which looked after us as if we were royalty. The whole staff from Cruise Director to cabin cleaner had our enjoyment and wellbeing at the heart of their daily employment. What seemed too soon we landed at Strasbourg and back into the competent and capable hands of Rebecca for our onward journey to Zermatt. We should have experienced the Gornergrat Train up part of the Matterhorn but a cruel act of Mother Nature thwarted this excursion in the form of a landslide covering chunks of the railway line. Rebecca did not accept this as an obstacle to spoil our trip and substituted this trip with that of a cable car trip up to 15000 feet above sea level. This awesome trip was far, far better than any words that I could use to describe it and I am of the opinion that the company should consider making this a permanent part of their holiday package. This was then followed, on our last tour day with a fantastic trip on the fantastic Glacier Express which included lunch onboard the train. Whilst in Switzerland two of our party experienced a medical emergency in the night and Rebecca’s superb management skills came to the fore and she organised medical assistance which allowed the couple to rejoin the group and make their way back home with the rest of the group. Conclusion - an excellent experience which should not be missed. p.s. I forgot about Great Rail Journeys brilliant use of a company called Baggaman who collects your suitcase and take it to the cruise ship for you. It is in your cabin on your arrival. Our suitcase was returned to us the day after we arrived home. An absolute joy not to have lugged this on and off all the rail elements of our trip.

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Excellent tour, itinerary, river cruiser accommodation, and excursion, followed by wonderful Glacier Express train ride.

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One of the best holidays we've ever had. We now realise that the cruise companies have a lot to deal with to ensure traveller satisfaction, and Mother Nature can affect things. Our weather forecast wasn't too good before we sailed, but we then had sunny and warm weather throughout the cruise, and beyond. Cruise staff, in all parts of the boat were attentive and pleasant, fellow travellers friendly and good fun, and our cruise and rail managers guided us carefully, ensuring all connections were met, and did so in a friendly, informative manner. The Rhine water was very high, and did affect one stop, so rainfall will always be a big factor to consider. But we fully intend to travel with Great Rail Journeys in future.