The Lure of River Cruises-Value, Relaxation and Port Proximity

Along the River Danube

What is the lure of river cruises? While large ocean cruise ships offer non-stop activities and facilities, a river cruise can be more intimate, and provide a better way to see foreign countries and experience foreign cultures while meeting like-minded passengers.

River Cruise Itineraries

One can find cruises traveling down most of the world’s most well-known rivers. Some of the more memorable ones travel down the Danube, the Rhine, and through the Amazon. The Danube cruise while take you through the countries of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary (and provides an easy opportunity to go to Prague in the Czech Republic). A Rhine cruise will usually take you from Amsterdam through Germany, France and to Basel Switzerland. An Amazon cruise will allow you to see the nature and wildlife in Brazil and Peru. New and exciting river boat itineraries include Asia’s Mekong River through Cambodia and Vietnam, Myanmar and the Duoro River in Portugal and Spain.

River cruising can be relaxing. Depending on the itinerary, you can see a great deal from  the deck of the ship. The experience of passing Medieval castles on the banks of a river while savoring a glass of wine or a cocktail is a memorable one. It is also romantic. Is anyone planning a honeymoon? The ride is smooth and sea sickness is no longer a concern. The river ships are usually able to dock downtown in very convenient locations to cities so that exploring the city on your own or through an organized tour is easy and requires no tender ride. The ships are smaller and generally accommodate between 100-200 passengers. This allows travelers to get to know their fellow passengers better and form some meaningful friendships. For those looking for romance or a hook-up, there is less competition but of course, fewer to choose from.

River Cruise Amenities/Entertainment

The river cruise ships generally have quite comfortable cabins and limited but pleasant amenities such as fitness centers with spas, a small pool and/or hot tub, bars, and piano bars. They do offer entertainment, but it is generally low key. When an LGBT cruise company charters the ships they bring on their own entertainers, usually cabaret type singers and/or a comedian but the on ship entertainment is more limited than on the ocean cruises and there will probably be no costume/theme parties.

However if you pick a river cruise with an interesting itinerary, you can experience the nightlife and culture of some of the World’s most vibrant cities. For example, on a Danube cruise that berths overnight in Vienna, one can see an opera at the Vienna opera and then, change clothes to go out dancing at the clubs. While one can choose to have meals in the ports, the river cruise companies provide meals that are generally quite good. For those into biking most of the river cruise lines offer bikes to their passengers and even offer special cruises that tour Europe by bike during the days.

River Cruise Value/Pricing

When you are pricing a river cruise, you may be taken aback at the pricing which is on its face more than ocean cruising at least on the more economical cruise lines. It is important to keep a few things in mind in order to evaluate the value of these cruises. First, you cannot truly compare the experiences because they are not the same. The intimate experience on a river cruise is very different and more personal than a large ocean cruise ship. Second and more importantly, river cruises are far more inclusive than most ocean cruises. To begin with, river cruises include daily port excursions.

Many river cruises are really land/cruise packages. That is, they include one or more hotel nights at ports at the beginning or end of the cruise.  The riverboat cruises generally also include wine with dinner and sometimes lunch. Some of the cruise lines or specific cruises even offer all cocktails on board in their cruise fares. Many river cruise lines include transfers to and from the ship in their fares. Some include discounted or free airfare in their quoted price. It is important to understand all that is included to evaluate the value of river cruising. The lure of river cruises includes their hidden value.