Let the River Run...

One of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry is river cruising. Its popularity has been increasingly growing over the past decade.

While a small segment of the population has already been on a river cruise, many of us have not and don’t even know much about them. So I wanted to take the time to educate people on this awesome way to see the world!

So where do these river cruises go?

Anywhere there is a beautiful river with charming cities along it you’re likely to find a river cruise there, Europe is the most popular destination with cruises on the Danube, Rhine, Elbe, Seine and other European rivers. However, there are also river cruises in Egypt, Southeast Asia, China, the Amazon and even the mighty Mississippi right here in the USA!.

Why would I go on a river cruise and not a tour or an ocean cruise?

A river cruise is truly the best of both worlds. You have the floating hotel aspect where you only have to unpack once, and yet you are able to see multiple places as you would on an ocean cruise. But the benefit of river cruising as opposed to ocean cruising is that you truly get to the heart of the destination you’re visiting. River cruising takes you inland, so you get to see the smaller, quaint destinations in the interior of the countries you visit. Since historically trade was done on rivers, some of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the world can be visited on a river cruise! So you have the benefits of a tour in that you go inland, without the hassle of going from hotel to hotel on a bus..instead you can be sipping a glass of local wine and watching the beautiful landscape roll by! Another perk is that the ships are smaller, more intimate vessels generally holding 150-200 people.

So what are the accommodations like?

River cruise ships offer a wide range of accommodations. They are spacious with great beds, full entertainment systems, and bathrooms that are larger than on most ocean liners! Most rooms even have balconies. They also have spectacular views of the landscape, historic towns and castles along the river banks!

What’s it like on board?

River cruise ships are small, but with many of the amenities you’d find on a larger ship. They have fitness centers, pools, bars, restaurants etc. River cruises have made an effort to truly educate their passengers on the places they are visiting. They bring on local entertainment in the evenings. So if you are cruising in Russia, you will have local dancers and musicians playing for you! They also serve local cuisine. The chefs go to the local farmer’s markets at port so in the evenings you will dine on food grown within miles of where you are.

What’s included?

On a river cruise all meals are included. On many river cruise lines you’ll find that beer, wine and spirits are included as well! Your land tours are even included with most cruise lines. So for the price of your cruise you’re getting accommodation, meals, drinks and your tours! They even have tours to suite everyone’s needs. They have active tours, bike tours, and slower paced tours for those who aren’t in the best physical condition.

Well, I hope you’ve learned something about river cruises.  If you’d like more information don’t hesitate to contact me. If I don’t respond, it’s probably because I’m on a river cruise myself!

Bon Voyage!