If you’re looking for a new and exciting family vacation, consider taking a river cruise. These are popular, unique experiences that take you along a river and allow you to visit many different areas, much like ocean cruises. Below are answers to some of the most common questions that travelers have about these vacations to help you decide.

AMA has a saying that ocean cruises take you to countries and river cruises take you through them.

What You Should Know About River Cruises

What are they?

A river cruise is a multi-day trip down famous rivers, such as the Nile in Egypt and the Rhine River in Europe. Most river cruise ships have a maximum occupancy of 160 passengers. The exception is only one ship, the AMA Magna, which is twice as wide and longer than the average river cruise ship and she holds 190 passengers. Dining is included at all times, unless you choose to go ashore and have lunch or are stopping in port overnight to go into town for cocktails. AMA river cruise ships are luxury ships in which all cabins have windows to open but most have french balconies. All cabins also have TVs and full baths.

Are they affordable?

Many guests find that river cruises are a cost-effective substitute for traveling by air and car. You don’t have to worry about renting a vehicle or purchasing multiple plane tickets to travel across a large area. You’ll also never need to book a hotel or risk unavoidable travel delays. River cruises can include all meals, wine and beer at lunch and dinner, shore excursions, plus the services of experienced tour guides.

What amenities are available?

Each cruise ship is different and may have unique amenities. Most ships are providing you great food that is served straight to your table, and many are offering room service for all meals also. Facilities may include  fitness centers, hair-styling, massage and spa services, and many ships have bikes onboard so a biking tour is also available. There may also be a tourism advisor on board that can educate you about upcoming stops and local towns so that you can experience many different local activities. All shore excursions have a local guide from the area who directs the walking tours and if necessary goes on the motorcoach for longer tours. Every day there is a briefing about what is available for the next day so that you can sign up for the tour(s) you want.

How often does the ship stop?

Many cruises port a great deal of the day, since towns are so close together. Each river cruise is unique to the waterway it travels. Cruises stop at port towns and historic cities along the route and give guests time to explore before continuing the adventure. You should scout places you’d like to visit and determine how close they are to the river before deciding on the vacation. This may help you decide which cruise is best for your goals.

 

If you want to book a river cruise, contact Nancy Luechtefeld of Unique Journeys of Affton, MO. She offers a variety of exciting vacation options to residents throughout Illinois and Missouri. She has almost 30 years of experience and will help you explore international travel options to create an unforgettable vacation. Call (314) 644-8691 to schedule a consultation, and visit her website to learn about travel options.