Helpful Tips for First-Time River Cruisers

Considering your first river cruise?  Here are tips to consider when planning your first river cruise:

Determine your budget and expectations.

The cost of a river cruise is comparable to some guided land tour packages and provides great value for all the inclusions that are not provided on an ocean cruise or independent tour.  There are three, four and five-star river cruise lines and aligning your budget with your expectations will help to determine which cruise line and which category stateroom will provide you with the best value and river cruise experience.

Book early.

Interest in river cruising has grown faster than river cruise ships can be built!  Unlike the large ocean cruise ships, river cruise vessels only carry up to 190 guests and offer a more intimate cruise experience.

The most desired river cruise staterooms, French balcony, balcony and suites, sell out a year in advance.  The river cruise lines offer their best promotions as soon as the itineraries become available for booking. If your dates of travel are not flexible or if your heart is set on a specific itinerary, river cruise line and category of stateroom, make your deposit early to avoid disappointment. Also be aware that most river cruise lines’ deposits are fully or partially non-refundable, so it’s important to be confident in your choice of cruise.

First choose your itinerary.

River cruising is all about destinations and should be your first consideration when planning your first river cruise.  The river cruise line and ship you ultimately sail will depend upon the particular itinerary you choose, especially if an itinerary is exclusive to one particular river cruise company.  For example, a river cruise on the Po River in Italy out of Venice is only available on Uniworld Boutique River Cruises.  In general, the river cruise lines have similar itineraries, but one may offer more in-depth exploration of a city, optional excursions or included pre- and/or post cruise options.  When choosing an itinerary that is similar to each river cruise line, The River Cruise Outlet will help you choose the best river cruise line to suit your travel style, budget and expectations.

A growing trend in river cruising is specialty and themed cruises, with a focus on music, history, gourmet cooking, wine making, brewing, etc. These cruises are an ideal choice for groups who share an affinity for classical music, fine wines, beers, and shopping the Christmas Markets.

What’s Included.

Most shore excursions are included in the price of your river cruise. River cruise lines profess to be “all-inclusive” in their pricing, but their inclusiveness is not the same among the cruise lines.

Included features of most river cruises are:

 • Choose your stateroom

 • Most land excursions

 • All on-board meals

 • Coffee, tea and soft drinks

 • Beer and wine with lunch and/or dinner

But that is where the “all-inclusive” similarities end.  Some river cruise lines also include:

 • Round-trip airport transfers

One of the many tour guides

 • Optional excursions

 • Free use of a fleet of bicycles in port

 • Beer, wine and spirits throughout the cruise

 • Free WIFI

 • Gratuities for on-board personnel and land tour guides

The price of these inclusions is reflected in the total cost of your cruise, but in any case it represents great value and a sense of ease, knowing when you embark that virtually all costs are taken care of.

Take advantage of Pre- and Post-Cruise Extension Options.

Adding on a pre- and/or post-cruise hotel stay has advantages. It can help you acclimate to a new time zone prior to sailing, or enjoy a more in-depth look at your cities of embarkation or debarkation. Depending on the cruise line, pre- and/or post-cruise extension options may be bundled into the price of your river cruise.  Some pre- and post-cruise extension options take you to another city not located directly on the river.   On Danube River cruises, a popular extension is to the beautiful city of Prague, Czech Republic. 

Cruising with children.

With the rise in popularity of multi-generational travel, some river cruise lines offer specific cruises geared towards family travel, with younger cruisers in mind.  In general, young children may be bored due to the lack of age-appropriate space and activities. Staterooms on river cruise vessels will only accommodate two guests, and there are few connecting cabins available. This may be less than ideal for families with very young kids.  For older children who are well-traveled and are happy with board games, in-room TV entertainment, WIFI and adult supervision while cruising, the river cruise lines would certainly welcome and cater to your needs. 

Be aware of navigation realities.

One of the benefits of river cruising is the ‘no seasickness’ aspect – you will perceive very little movement of the ship, and even in tidal waters, progress along a river is relatively calm. For those who may not be comfortable sailing out into the vast ocean, on a river cruise you’re usually within sight of one or both banks of dry land.

As is well-known, all rivers are prone to flooding.  River boats are built for safe passage, for cruising under numerous low-lying bridges and to fit through the locks along the way, but any measurable flooding, or the reverse low water levels, can hinder or block the passage of river vessels.  Disappointing as this may be, for passenger safety, when this happens river cruise lines always have a back-up plan to bus passengers to the next scheduled stop. You can be assured that your vacation itinerary will proceed no matter what the weather or river conditions.

 

 

Traversing a lock