speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

There is no such thing as over packing!

tequilacvx Loc: Sarasota, FL

I used to lug similar CANON gear around on my overseas trips. Found that I was using my CANON 60D most of the time with an EF-105mm f/4L IS USM. I have streamlined my gear down to a new SONY RX-10III, a polarizing filter and a SIRUI T 1205X 5-section carbon fiber Travel Tripod. I am 86 and no longer serving as a "donkey" to camera gear. Incidentally, my wife and I enjoyed a similar river cruise two years ago --
Budapest to Amsterdam. The most precious item assisting my captures was an I-Pad loaded with a GPS ap. This alerted me to all of the castles ahead on the rivers.

Rob Almeda Loc: Gaithersburg, Maryland

Jeff....I did the Viking River Cruise also and all I brought is my 28-120 lens. My advice to you is bring your 24-70 and the 70-200 together with your small sirui tripod.
You won't have much time changing lenses when you are ashore even place it on a tripod. Your free time is only on your extended tour. Please share to us your pictures from the tours and have a nice trip.

wotsmith Loc: Nashville TN

Well, glad to see a fellow who packs like me. First of all I have done that cruise, and you won't use the extenders much if at all. I do have the 11-24 and I find it useful in churches. I got a fabulous group of photos in Prague by going at night on the street car up to a good view of the castle on the hill as well as the famous bridge. Shot multiple long exposures and merged in photoshop for a good panorama. You can do without one of the wide angles to save space and weight.

Take your tripod and shoot away on the boat. I did it and got great photos. At night I was taking 20 sec exposures with maybe only a generator running and there was no blur. I have shot a lot from boats with a 600mm f4 and don't ever seem to have vibration problems. I use my 70 - 200 to take people photos on the streets with out having to get in their faces with the camera.

If you can carry all that stuff and have room in your luggage/carryons, have at it. Enjoy the cruise, it is fabulous. I especially enjoyed Dresden. got some really nice fireworks shots from the boat as we came into Dresden
Bill

mffox Loc: Avon, CT

The river vistas and the old city architecture are stunning!! There is a photo-op everywhere you turn. You will take A LOT of shots. Bring plenty of storage; AND only use tripod/monopod on land.

csparbeck Loc: Brunswick Ohio

A friend took a sim.cruise ---All she took was a CanonSX60,took about 500 pics.,didn't loose a one and they came out beautiful.

Jeffak

All of your feedback has been very helpful and much appreciated. I'll certainly pack lighter. The Uglyhedgehog is a great forum.

John1046

I have done that trip and others with APT. I took too much gear. Canon 5D3 with 24-70 L covered most situations unless the excursion made it to difficult to carry and manipulate. Then the Canon Powershot G12 came into its own. You have the G16. Have a great trip and don't stress! You will take lots of very memorable pictures!

wannabe63 Loc: Bellevue, Washington

For a 2 month trip to Europe, some of which was on a cruise ship I brought along my Nikon D750, a 28-300mm and 16-35mm lens as well as a tripod. In reviewing the 3000 plus photos I took, I calculated that 82% were with the 28-300. However when the need arose the 16-36 produced some great shots that the 28-300 wouldn't. I took a substantial amount of photos capturing city lights and temples that were lit up at night. Loved those shots. Of course I used my tripod. If I were to do it again I wouldn't change a thing.

AGO

I feel the same way. I find that if I leave a lens behind, I always regret doing so. I've never found it cumbersome to lug along a body, three lenses, a flash, and various other items. I'm also not a young guy. I don't always carry everything with me every day. I spend a few minutes every day looking at the next day's agenda and I figure out what I will need. If I'm quite sure I can leave something behind, I do so.

Also, I invested in a good photographer's vest and have found this to be valuable. If I'm traveling light, it allows me to leave the backpack behind.

Jeffak

The great advice never stops coming in! I'm encouraged by the mention of the GPS app for my iPad and I'll use it. If I use the tripod to capture castle images on the ship and apply the T = 1/focal length formula, the should the IS be on or off?

Also, there will be numerous excursions so if lugging the 70-200 proves to be a burden, I'll just leave it locked in the cabin safe.

AGO

I use the tele end of my 18-200 on most excursions. There are many interesting architectural details on the buildings in most cities, towns and villages that make good shots. I often shoot these in the 200 range. If you leave it behind, you may miss these.

Jeffak

AGO, I feel the same way. Although it was more the case in Africa and Peru, the longer lens allows me to capture the local people without being in their face. However, I do hate changing lenses just to get one or two shots. Juggling heavy glass in crowds makes me nervous. Using a second body solves that issue but creates others when I travel with my wife. When I was by myself late afternoon in Angor Wat, I had two bodies on me with the tripod, etc. It allowed me to get some of the best shots of the trip to Siem Reap. Obviously, that was a different type of trip from what this will be so perhaps I should "bring it down a notch."

Jeffak

Finally getting back to the forum with my experience on the Viking River cruise. Our trip was their "Grand European" cruise which exceeded my expectations. It was a May-June trip and we had three weeks of sunshine. I brought my new Canon 5D3 which was perfect along with my new 24-70 f2.8L II, the 70-200 f2.8L II and the 16-35 f4L. I don't regret taking any of these lenses. The 24-70 was my primary excursion glass and was all I used except when I knew I was touring cathedrals, when I also carried the 16-35. The 70-200 never left the ship but was perfect for shoreline scenes and distant castles, both in sunshine and at night. An 11-24 f4L would have resulted in incredible cathedral photos if I had it with me.