River cruises are a wonderful way to travel and visit multiple places in one trip. Sometimes, more than one in a day! Unlike ocean cruises, a river cruise takes you close to the sights to see in each port of call, avoiding lengthy and expensive transfers into town.
Many ancient towns were built along the riverfront, and the main attractions are all around the river. River cruising takes you right into the action, often disembarking within walking distance of the main attractions. Also, river cruises stop in small towns where there is often only one main attraction that most travelers would otherwise bypass. Even missing out on some UNESCO sites!
River cruising is ideal for those that like to wake up in a new city every morning without having to organize their own transportation or excursions. These city tours, except for a few optional ones, are usually included in the overall cost of the cruise. Also, unpacking only once as opposed to every day or two when doing a land tour is much more relaxing.
These types of cruises are very popular in Europe. There are many options in Asia, Egypt and South America as well.
Things to consider before booking a river cruise
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Activities and excursions may differ from one sailing to another
Some itineraries maybe focused on WWII memorials, so pay attention to the specific itinerary assigned to the sailing date of your preferred cruise before booking. Also, some cruises include biking and even hiking activities for those who like to be active.
2. Part of the itinerary might be done as an overland tour
For example, wintertime cruising might be interrupted because the river has frozen over. At other times, the rivers may be too high and passing under the bridges impossible. In these cases, the operators would bus you from one port to the next and put you up in a hotel if it’s impossible to sail on the river.
3. Sharing of dinner tables
It’s not uncommon to have to share a table with other cruisers. Some cruise operators may offer the option of reserving a table for your party, but this isn’t the norm. Also, with an open-seating concept you may have to share a table with different dining companions at every meal. However, meeting other passengers can also be fun and guaranties that if you’re stuck with a grump it will not be for the entire cruise!
See our post: Anytime Dining vs Traditional Dining: Pros and Cons
4. Limited entertainment
To avoid disappointment, don’t expect a lot of entertainment on board the ship, there simply isn’t any room for all sorts of activities. Relax and enjoy the ever-changing scenery as you cruise by. If you can’t entertain yourself or if you’re traveling with kids maybe a river cruise isn’t for you. Go on a mega cruise ship instead.
Choosing your river cruise cabin
Most river cruise ships offer 3 main types of cabins: Veranda, French Balcony and Standard staterooms with a panoramic window. There aren’t any inside cabins because these ships must be narrow to pass through locks and under bridges. Also, don’t expect to find a large cabin unless you splurge for a suite.
Now, the idea of having a veranda might sound exciting but these types of balconies are usually small. Sometimes they also cut into the living area of the cabin. On the upside, you can go outside to enjoy the sites from the privacy of your stateroom.
French balcony cabins are popular and located on the upper and middle decks. A French balcony is more like a patio door that opens to get fresh air, and you must sit inside to enjoy the great outdoors. Don’t worry you won’t fall in, there’s a safety railing.
Lower level cabins usually have a panoramic window or at least a porthole. However, at one point or another these can be sealed off when the ship needs to be lowered in the water to pass under a bridge. So much for a view!
One of our friends recommended that we take an upper level cabin so we wouldn’t be at the water level when the ship was lowered while cruising on the Danube River. We booked a French balcony stateroom on the upper floor and it came in handy when they lowered the ship and closed the sun deck to pass under a low bridge. We would not hesitate to book this category again.
What to wear on a river cruise
Bring casual and comfortable clothes. Smart casual attire is perfectly acceptable for mealtimes. There aren’t any formal nights on board but packing a dressier outfit is a good idea if you plan on attending a concert or a ballet performance. If you don’t, don’t pack one and save room in your luggage for souvenirs instead!
See our packing list and our post: How to Travel Only with a Carry-on
Most excursions are walking tours, so a good pair of walking shoes is a must. Ditto for a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Also, bring a collapsible umbrella or raincoat in case of rain. Nobody wants to miss out on an excursion because it’s raining. After all, isn’t it why we traveled all this way? We actually saw a full bus of tourists run back to the bus and miss out on an excursion because it was raining heavily. We had our rain jackets and went on the tour anyway.
If traveling during the winter months, obviously, pack a warm jacket, hat, gloves and boots. And enjoy those Christmas markets.
What’s more, some river cruise ships have a small pool on the sun deck so bring a bathing suit, especially, if you’re traveling during the summertime. Or perhaps, visit a mineral water thermal bath during your pre or post cruise like we did in Budapest.
Good to know
Don’t expect to find your river cruise ship docked in the same spot. If you decide to stay in town longer than the time allotted by the excursion, your ship might have moved to accommodate another ship docking or sailing away. It might even be hidden behind another ship.
It’s not uncommon to see ships docked side-by-side, especially during peak river cruising season. Sometimes to get off or back on we had to walk through one and even two ships. Don’t worry, you don’t have to hop from one ship to another! There is a solid ramp and you simply walk through like if it was a hallway.
Conclusion
We’ve been on a few river cruises and what we liked the most was to be near all the attractions we wanted to see. We often had extra time to explore each port of call on our own after the excursion.
Also, we found that we always had something to look at along the way: Scenic vistas and lovely architectures dotting the landscape. Very picturesque! Also, seeing locals fishing or kids playing along the river transported us to a different more peaceful and simple time.
We’ve been on river cruises along the Danube and Nile River, but we hope to add the Amazon River in the near future…
Related Posts:
How to Avoid Disappointment and Frustration When Leaving on a Cruise!