Many people are reluctant to try a river cruise because they think it will be boring, that it is only for the elderly, or that it will be claustrophobic to ride in a small boat. We had the same thought five years ago before we decided to embark on this river cruise. First River CruiseWe fell in love with river cruising, so we wanted to share 10 things River cruises perform better than ocean cruises (We think).
If you love cruising but aren’t sure if you’d like river cruising, keep reading because you might be surprised!
Disclosure: Some of the river cruises we have taken in the past have been at the invitation of the cruise lines, but we always provide honest reviews and feedback. This article is not a sponsored post.
1. River cruises include more than standard cruise prices on other cruises
On a river cruise, you can expect Includes flights, transfers, food, drinks, Wi-Fi, excursions, activities and entertainmentWhile prices are generally higher than ocean cruises, the experience is much richer than a typical ocean cruise.
This is a huge advantage of river cruising, when you factor in all the extras you have to pay on an ocean cruise, the prices aren’t that expensive.
Each river cruise company offers slightly different services. For example, we have been on three different river cruises:
- AmaWaterways: Transport, dining, Wi-Fi, excursions, activities and entertainment
- Riviera River Cruise: Flights, transportation, meals, Wi-Fi, excursions, activities and entertainment (promotions sometimes include drinks)
- Tui River Cruise: Flights, transportation, meals, Wi-Fi, activities and entertainment
read: What's included in a Riviera cruise
read: What's included on a Tui River cruise
2. River cruises spend more time in port than ocean cruises
This is because the distances between destinations are much smaller than on an ocean liner, so travel time between each port is greatly reduced. The benefit is that you can Stay longer in port.
It gives you more time to explore various places and even a chance to enjoy the destination at night. Overnight stay It is more common on river cruises, allowing you to spend maximum time in port.
We are in Budapest, Rüdesheim, vilshofen and Linz. During these overnight stays, we went out for dinner and found local bars within walking distance to make the most of our time at the destination.
We had an incredible cruise when the ship left Budapest!
Unfortunately, itineraries and expensive port fees mean that sea cruises can limit the time you have to explore your destination. Returning to the ship in a timely manner can also eat into your time in port.
If you miss your boat on a sea cruise, getting to your next destination will be trickier and more expensive than if you simply missed your river boat and had to take a taxi a short distance down the river.
We were even on one river cruise where the captain turned around to pick up passengers, but it didn’t stop us from getting to the next port.
Since your destinations on a river cruise are closer to each other, you can even Visit two places in one dayYou can depart from one port in the morning, return to the ship for lunch, and visit another port in the afternoon.
We have done this on every cruise we have taken so far. For example:
- Wieshofen and Passau
- Carlojo and Mohaci
- Donji Milanovac and Golubac
- Koblenz and Boppard
- Heidelberg and Speyer
We only know of one cruise line that offers this service, and it's called Celestialoffering Greek island hopping services.
3. River cruises can pick you up at the end of your cruise
In some cases, river cruising can actually Pick you up at the end of your cruiseYes, that does sound unusual!
On a river cruise, you depart from one location for your shore excursion, and then the riverboat meets you further down the river at the location where you finish your excursion.
This is pretty cool and we've experienced this a few times on our European river cruises. The biggest benefit is Significantly reduce your connection time (No one wants to stay on a coach any longer than necessary) and gives you more time to reach your destination.
4. The check-in process on a river cruise is much faster
When you arrive and board your river cruise, you simply give your name at the front desk and they will take your photo and hand you your cruise card! That's it!
You don't have to wait long hours at the cruise terminal, go through security, or worry about finding your cabin. The river cruise ship crew will personally take you to your cabin.
You may need to do one more thing Submit your passport to the front desk. But this is only true for river cruises that cross borders, e.g. if you cruise both inside and outside the EU. We had to do this on our East Danube cruise because we visited Serbia, and Serbia is not part of the EU.
This means The river cruise ship is responsible for all customs inspections And you don't have to disembark to check in. We've been on several ocean cruises and have had to queue on our way back to Dubai from Southampton.
To be fair, we had a few quick boarding experiences on ocean cruises, but even so, the river cruise boarding process was still smoother and faster.
5. River vessels dock at the destination center
If you have ever been on a sea cruise that included Rome, Paris or Florence, you will know that these ports are actually quite far from these cities. These “round trip” ports (e.g. Le Havre to Paris) mean that your sea cruise may be docked 2 or even 3 hours away from these cities.
In contrast, River cruises can take you to the heart of your destinationso in most cases you can just disembark and walk to the town or city you want to visit.
Capital cities such as Budapest, Bratislava, Belgrade, Paris and Amsterdam You can walk there directly from your river cruise.
We really liked how this made river cruising so easy and we could fully explore a place without having to factor in long transfer times at either end of the day.
6. Enter the bridge
Can you imagine being on a cruise and suddenly being on the bridge of your ship to look around and chat with your captain? On a river cruise, this is not uncommon!
River cruise ship captains usually It's nice to see passengers visiting the bridge and take a tour. There are free organized tours available as long as you ask. Most of the time the captain is more than happy to stop and chat with you.
The only time the captain should not be disturbed is when the boat is passing through a lock or entering or leaving a port.
7. River cruises are more suitable for immersive destination experiences
On a river cruise you can Explore more destinations You can even explore without leaving the ship. This can be done in a number of ways:
- Local dishes on the ship's restaurant menu
- The bar serves local wines and beers
- Local group offers exclusive performances for cruise passengers
This is not only available on luxury cruises, we also experienced it on budget cruises. On our first night on the Tui cruise, there was a Hungarian folk group performing some very energetic traditional dances.
When we visited Vienna, AmaWaterways provided Sachertorte Lunch with apricot dumplings in Budapest.
On our Riviera cruises, local wine and beer are served every evening with a different local dish on the menu.
Don't worry, there will definitely still be some things you recognize on the menu, but this does give you the chance to try something new.
8. No seasickness on a boat trip
If you get seasick when sailing at sea, you'll be happy to hear that this is not the case when sailing on an inland river. Smooth sailing on the river cruise.
If seasickness puts you off ocean cruising, a river cruise is a great alternative.
9. The dress code on river cruises is relaxed, even at night
The atmosphere on board More relaxation on a river cruise This is more convenient than many sea cruises, and when it comes to dressing for a dinner party, you can leave your cocktail dress and suit at home.
We even wore our stylish shorts to restaurants during a river cruise and no one batted an eye.
On river cruise nights, people still dress up, but it’s definitely not what you’d experience on a typical ocean cruise.
If you're not sure what to pack, Read our guide What to Wear on a European River Cruise.
10. All cabins on river boats have windows
All river cruise cabins have at least one window, if not a balcony. There are no interior cabins on river cruisesEven if you choose the cheapest cabin on a river cruise, you'll still have a window.
We even took a ride Riverboat with full balcony.
No one can guarantee visibility while docked.
Are you interested in learning more?
We recommend you watch the following video where we will reveal How to Choose the Best River Cruise Cabin.
