Top 10 Reasons You Should Take a River Cruise

1) Ship Size

River cruise ships are small, comfortable vessels that can easily navigate inland waterways making it easy for them to dock at the center of cities and towns along the rivers. Onboard, you’ll find the ships provide an intimate and friendly environment where it’s easy to meet and get to know other travelers.

2) Number of Passengers

The ocean cruise ships are handling more and more passengers – as many as 5,400 on the newest mega ships. River cruise ships are much more intimate, carrying anywhere from about 20 to 190 passengers depending on the itinerary and the ship.

3) Ports-Of-Call

River cruise ships visit ports that ocean cruise ships are unable to reach. So, during the sailing, you’re going to find yourself very close to the sights and sounds of great cities, towns and points-of-interest.

4) Cultural Experiences

Your river cruise itinerary is going to put you up close and personal to the cultural highlights of each port. You’ll experience the people, language, art, architecture, history, food and much more.

5) Onboard Service

You are very likely to find the level of service provided by major river cruise lines to be outstanding, in part because of the small number of passengers, but primarily because the staff and crew pride themselves on providing a very high level of service to guests.

6) Onboard Cuisine

The food served during your river cruise itinerary is very high quality and usually offers you a great sampling of cuisine from each port-of-call.

7) Dress code

During the day, passengers wear shorts (when the weather is warm), casual slacks or jeans, and comfortable shirts. There are no formal nights on river cruises. Country club casual is the most popular attire. For ladies it would be a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse. For men it would be dress slacks and a collared shirt. Ties and jackets are optional for men. You will also want to pack based on the anticipated weather conditions during the time of your cruise.

8) Activities

Unlike ocean cruises that have some kind of activity almost every hour, the river cruise is much less hectic. You will have cultural excursions to choose from in every port and the ship’s cruise director will offer a variety of cultural enrichment sessions, lectures, games, and evening entertainment from local artists. Overall, it’s comfortable, enjoyable and relaxed.

9) Smooth Sailing

River cruising offers very smooth sailing on most itineraries. The chances of getting seasick on a river cruise are slim to none. The water on rivers is mostly calm, which means you hardly know the ship is moving. There may be some motion when the ship turns or travels through locks but even then it’s a temporary situation that most people find tolerable.

10) Value

Whether the river cruise line is considered all-inclusive or not, you get a lot of value for your money on a river cruise. In most cases, your cruise will include accommodations; all meals, with dinner provided in some of the ports on certain itineraries; wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; shore excursions; internet access; airport transfers; and significantly reduced airfare for some itineraries. The all-inclusive sailings will also include cocktails, spirits, stocked mini-bar, and pre-paid gratuities.

For those who have enjoyed ocean cruising and want something more intimate and relaxed, you will absolutely love river cruising. For those who have wanted to cruise but have avoided it for fear of being out in the ocean or getting seasick then river cruising is likely going to be a good option for a cruise vacation.

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Gerry and Margaret Waller combine their years of travel experience and passion for dream vacations to help clients get the most out of theirs. They provide thoughtfulness, patience, and careful attention to details in planning and accomplishing every client’s needs and desires for new and exciting vacation opportunities. Whether it is a luxurious cruise, relaxing resort and spa, or an adventurous escape from day-to-day lives, Gerry and Margaret go above and beyond to help turn your vacation dreams into dream vacations.