River Cruising - the New Normal

Once viewed as only for the affluent and Baby Boomers, river cruising has broken through those stereotypes in the past several years and has become a luxury travel option of choice for a much broader and younger segment of travelers. Post-COVID, the appeal is even greater because of the intimate size of river cruise ships, the opportunity to tick off wish-list destinations, and the well-deserved indulgent luxury experience.

Below are nine excellent reasons why river cruising is so popular and why it should be your next journey:

1. Ships pull right up to the heart of the destinations

The top motivator for travelers to choose a river cruise is the specific destinations and itinerary of the cruise. River cruisers also tend to be experienced and educated travelers who enjoy cultural interaction with the locals. With a river cruise, you enjoy the locals more because you dock, usually, right downtown, in the heart of most cities, towns, and villages. Your ship becomes part of the destination.

2. Unpack only once while seeing multiple destinations

You will find that one of the biggest benefits to river cruising is the additional time you spend exploring the destination because you have not had to use your time checking in and out of hotels plus packing and unpacking. Once you reach your ship, you unpack once and you are done. While an ocean cruise also has the benefit of unpacking once, you usually don't have the opportunity to ride your bicycle through the wine country and return to your ship in time for lunch.

3. Gourmet locally sourced food and wine

River cruising is known for its locally sourced, gourmet food and wine offerings. Travel Market Reports on the Outlook on River Cruising found that the No. 1 factor (80%) determining travelers’ satisfaction on a river cruise is the quality of the food and wine. The river cruise brands are well aware of this fact, and they consistently meet high culinary standards. If you are a foodie, you will enjoy meals with more flair and finesse than a larger ship's main dining and they will always surprise you with a secret ingredient. You can enjoy many special meals onboard but the Captain's Gala dinner and Chef's Table usually have the added touch with Michelin Star-eligible cuisine. The same for wine connoisseurs, most sailing will have at least one wine tasting on shore but they serve locally sourced wines that you wish you could get at home. As an added bonus, many lines offer wine cruises with a wine host. These offer a total immersion into the local wines and wineries.

4, Intimate ship size and atmosphere

Large ocean ships have their place in the marketplace and will continue to appeal to passengers, but if you are ready for something more intimate and personal then river cruising is your next adventure. Personally, I have met fellow passengers that I have formed a friendship bond with to last a lifetime. Most of your river cruise companies have similar size ships and layouts due to the rivers and locks they travel. As a travel advisor, I advise going with the larger ships with fewer staterooms because your stateroom will be larger and have more spacious common areas plus you will have a lower passenger count. When thinking about a river cruise, consider a ship with a shallow draft so it can better navigate the low water - i.e. fewer passengers mean less weight for the ship to traverse the low water.

5. Top-notch personalized service

Approximately 75% of travelers say their second most important factor in river cruising is the level of the service staff. Many travel advisors concur that the expectation of high-quality service is part of the luxury travel experience. Past passengers have asked their travel advisor, when booking their next river cruise, to only book with the same cruise director they previously had. The staff and passengers create lasting bonds.

6. Excursions for everyone and every level

Shore excursions are always a touchy point when booking an ocean cruise. Some lines offer limited "included" excursions and some lines offer many excursions for a cost. You can come away owing more that the cruise itself. Most river cruises include excursions from gentle walkers, late-risers, and avid bicyclers. There is an excursion for everyone to enjoy. On a river cruise, the excursions are more personalized because of the small passenger count. They are able to offer a variety of small group, in-depth tours that the large ships are not able to offer.

7. Easy pre- and post-land options for extended stays

Most river cruises offer the option of combining land vacations pre- or post-river cruises. This is an added benefit to see more of the country you are visiting. Plus, there the tour manager will be with the client in the pre or post-city (if booked with the cruise line).

8. Fast and easy embarkation and debarkation

Embarkation and debarkation on a river cruise are easy and typically take 15 minutes tops. On an ocean cruise, even with the appointment system in place since COVID, travelers can be stuck for hours in a holding area while waiting for their number to be called. After sailing on many ocean cruises, I was very pleased with the check-in process on a river cruise. It was less than 5 minutes. Wow!

9. An ambiance of relaxed elegance

River cruising offers an ambiance of relaxed luxury, sophistication, and refinement, without being stuffy. Yes, it tends to be a higher-priced travel option, but the experience and value are well worth the price tag. You will find that until you cruise along the river you won't know what relaxed-elegance cruising is all about. You will enjoy historical cities and towns, enjoy local customs, visit wineries, and taste amazing wines, plus, most importantly, interact with locals at your own pace. So enjoy the journey!

FROM THE SPONSOR:

AmaWaterways’ Unparalleled River Cruise Experiences:

Oceans take people to countries, but rivers take people through them, where castles were built and cities were born. On a river cruise with award-winning AmaWaterways, guests unpack once and explore up to five different countries during an unforgettable 7-night journey. They enjoy the luxury of choice with a variety of enriching guided excursions offered each day, including hikes, bike rides, culinary tastings, and walking tours offered at three different activity levels. Guests are also treated to exquisite locally sourced cuisine, hand-selected regional wines, nightly entertainment, and unparalleled service.

For a limited time, travelers may extend their river cruise vacation in a bonus city or country with AmaWaterways’ incredible Complimentary Land Package offer on select 2023 Europe and Egypt sailings. With 2-, 3- and 4-night packages available in such sought-after destinations as Prague, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dubai, now is the time to take advantage of the savings. Each land package includes stays at world-class hotels, daily breakfast, excursions, convenient transfers, and portage service between the hotel and river cruise ship, and is accompanied by an AmaWaterways Cruise Manager.

Credits to Travel Advisors offering their insights:

Rick Amsden, independent travel advisor and co-owner of Luxury Vacations, an affiliate of Avoya Travel (1)

Foy Renfro, CEO, Journey To & Fro Travel (1)

Melita Hein, CTC, luxury travel advisor, and independent affiliate of CADENCE, a Virtuoso agency (2) (4) (5)

Joan Sell, concierge travel advisor at Dream Vacations (2) (3) (6) (9)