Europe has no shortage of famous landmarks, but Diamond Meadows’ first river cruise there didn’t include them.
The 28-year-old graduate student took a cruise along the Rhine and Moselle rivers that took her to cities like Koblenz and Trier, Germany (she supplemented the trip with train trips through Austria, Switzerland and elsewhere).
Meadows was traveling with his mother and her boss, who uses a wheelchair. The group chose CroisiEurope Cruises navigation because of the ease of navigating with a mobility device. But she discovered other advantages.
“It takes you right to the heart of the city,” said Meadows, who lives in Tennessee. Their roughly 160-guest ship offered convenient landings at smaller destinations, allowing them “to access so much more.”
Many European destinations were packed with tourists last summer. But river cruises on the mainland can offer a more relaxed way to travel with small ships that visit a mix of popular and less crowded ports.
Are river cruises better than ocean cruises?
Jen Campbell Boles, founder of travel agency Explore More Family Travel, said that while cruises in general are a “great value for seeing Europe,” river trips are particularly engaging. “A quote we always use in the travel industry is, ‘Ocean cruise ships take you to the destination, river cruises take us through the destination,’” she said.
Passengers visit not only big cities but also picturesque villages and often disembark just a few steps from attractions. When they finish exploring, they return to a ship with an average of 150 guests.
“It’s more intimate, it’s more cozy,” Campbell Boles said. “You’re not fighting the crowds, obviously.”
This was part of the draw for Jim Jones, 57, who went on Avalon Waterways river cruises with his wife in 2011 and 2014.
“The smaller cities were an attraction,” said Jones, who lives in Phoenix and works for a software company. He enjoyed visiting Avignon in southern France, for example, which was once the seat of the papacy. “I’m a total history geek,” he said. On their first cruise, he recalled, “almost every town” they visited had a farmers market, which allowed them to sample local food.
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Unlike ocean cruise ships, with their large casinos and plentiful bars, on board “it was very relaxed and a much slower pace.”
River cruise ships tend to have “fewer bells and whistles,” Campbell Boles said (although she added that guests get a more personalized experience as a result of their small size).
Adam Duckworth, president and founder of Travelmation, agrees. He said cruises are less about the ship than where it’s going. “This is really an experience about itineraries.”
Are European river cruises cheaper than land trips?
While travelers can find land-based accommodations that are cheaper than river cruises, there are other factors to consider.
River cruises tend to add more costs, like alcohol, into the fare than a conventional ocean cruise line, Duckworth said (although exact policies vary by line). Typically, at least one tour per day is also included, Campbell Boles added.
She said demand across Europe is still “through the roof” and land-based prices are particularly high. “Even if you’re staying in the highest category cabin or suite, you’re spending less than you would at an equivalent hotel,” she said.
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Transportation from one destination to another is also included on a river cruise, while travelers may have to take a train or make other arrangements to visit a variety of places. “I mean this really makes sense in Europe, so this is a great way to see a lot more variety,” Campbell Boles said.
Guests can also add pre- and post-cruise stays, allowing them to “get the best of both worlds.”
“What we say is that a lot of times a river cruise can be a premium product,” Duckworth added. “But for what you’re experiencing – the comfort, the (less) stress, the luxurious onboard experience – we think it’s really the best value across Europe based on our experience.”
Are European river cruises suitable for children?
Because river cruises require a certain amount of free time — most last at least seven days — they tend to be popular with older guests, according to Duckworth.
But in recent years, he’s noticed more multigenerational travel in the industry. “We see grandparents bringing their grandchildren, we see young professionals sailing a river in Europe for the first time,” Duckworth said.
Some operators offer offers particularly suited to younger guests. Adventures by Disney offers river cruises with AmaWaterways, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has a Generations collection.
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Even though programming is organized with children in mind, Duckworth cautioned that river cruise ships don’t offer the same range of amenities as larger oceangoing ships. “If your kids want to go to a water park and they want to go on a FlowRider and they want to play putt-putt all day, there are great lines for you, but a European river cruise is probably not one of them these days,” he said.
Some lines also don’t allow children or have varying age requirements, so it’s important to research in advance.
For those going for the first time, Campbell Boles suggested starting with a cruise on the Danube or the Rhine, as they are “the most iconic”.
“I mean, it’s Europe,” she added. “It’s going to be great no matter which river you go on.”
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
