15 of the Best European River Cruises
Table Of Content
Bordeaux river cruises are different from other water routes because you explore two short waterways — the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers — and the Gironde Estuary in Southwest France. The "Active & Discovery on the Rhone" cruise begins in Lyon and heads south through the French countryside of Provence and ends in Port-Saint-Louis. On the way, Avalon Choice excursions include a culinary walk, cooking class, painting workshop, wine tastings, guided bike rides, and more, with Active, Classic, and Discovery level activities.
Stay up to date on all things Uniworld
Learn all about our bucket-list adventure in Peru with Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge—featuring top chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, who created our menu for this cruise. Join Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge, our destination experts, and two 2023 Rivers of the World cruisers to learn what to expect on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Our decades of luxury cruising experience and 100+ years of hospitality excellence means you're always in the best hands. With longer port calls and our destination-focused approach, Viking maximizes your discoveries in Europe. From the fairytale castles of the Middle Rhine to the natural beauty of Norwegian fjords, you will gain deep insight into the continent’s cultural and historic riches. For those looking for a longer experience, Uniworld cleverly combines a Po cruise with luxury rail journeys to places like Istanbul, Switzerland and beyond.
Solo Traveler Savings
The next day, guests can tour the town of Bernkastel-Kues and enjoy a wine tasting or hike to the ruins of a castle for a stunning view. After a morning tour of Saarburg, the ship cruises along the Saar River with panoramic views of its massive loop. The ship stops in Luxembourg and then continues to Koblenz, where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers meet, before returning to Cologne.
Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle
Maria Theresa begins in Budapest with a choice of touring by bicycle or walking. A stop in Vienna includes a Mozart and Strauss concert at a Viennese palace, a city tour, and a taste of local delicacies. The cruise ends in Passau with a choice of bicycling, walking, or hiking to explore the city and a special captain's farewell reception and dinner.
Enjoy unique activities and a few special surprises planned just for this cruise. Join Uniworld CEO, Ellen Bettridge, on the 16 June 2024 sailing of Castles Along the Rhine on the S.S. River cruising is absolutely the best way to cruise, and the best and most luxurious river cruise is with Uniworld.
Perhaps the best known of the river cruise companies, Viking promotes their "longships," which include large suites and inviting verandas for outdoor dining. Guests enjoy Viking's destination-focused dining as well as the variety of staterooms and itineraries with a wide range of prices. AmaWaterways ups its dedication to active cruisers with a bevy of wellness spaces as well, including massage rooms, a fitness center, open-air spin classes on the sun deck and a pool. However, despite being twice as wide as most river ships in Europe, there are only about 30% more travelers onboard (just shy of 200 passengers). CroisiEurope is the largest company based in Europe and operates a fleet of riverboats and hotel barges. While people from North America aren't regular passengers on the line's European river cruises, the line is bilingual so English-speaking passengers won't be left out.
The elegant barges cruise the waterways of Burgundy, Provence, Alsace, Champagne, Languedoc, and Franche-Comté from April to October. The eight-day "Traveling on the Elbe and Havel" cruise covers Germany's north on rivers and canals aboard the Frederick Chopin. Starting in Berlin, the cruise continues to Potsdam for a guided walking tour. A guided tour takes guests through Autostadt Wolfsburg, a park dedicated to the history of the automobile. In Hamburg, there's a city tour and harbor cruise before the cruise continues to the Baltic resort, Laboe, and ends in Kiel.
Their award-winning European river cruises are praised for their personalized service, exclusive destination experiences, luxurious cabins and suites, fine dining, and professional, caring staff. Considering that river cruising came into its own in Europe, it won't come as a surprise that it continues to be one of the most popular destinations for this travel style. Leading cruise lines such as AmaWaterways, Viking and Uniworld continue to create new markets and itineraries to showcase the best of Europe's flowing rivers. Partnering with AmaWaterways, Adventures by Disney offers cruises on the Seine, Rhine, and Danube Rivers, Disney style. Specially designed itineraries and Adventure Guides create experiences for parents, children, and teens, from active excursions to unique onboard activities.
Night Grand European TourDetails
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises does the Po in high style with its 126-passenger S.S. La Venizia, completely decked out with a sense of place, from Fortuny fabrics and Murano glass to its gilded accents. Along the route, between Melk and Krems in Austria, you cruise through the Wachau Valley, a key wine-growing region producing rieslings and gruner veltliners, with sipping opportunities available.
Emerald offers both yacht and river cruises, with a range of cruises on the rivers in Europe. Founded in 2013, Emerald now features a fleet of nine "Star-Ships," with stylish suites, first-class amenities, and room for 180 guests. Excursions include the EmeraldPLUS program of special experiences to connect with their destinations, and EmeraldACTIVE offers faster-paced guided tours, bike rides, hikes, and activities. Founded in 2017 with the goal of making European river cruises more economical and personalized, family-owned American company Teeming River Cruises developed a different river cruise model. Instead of pre-programmed group activities, guests create their own unique experiences with a complimentary city tour app for each destination. Started as a New England motor coach tour company, Tauck is a family-owned global travel firm offering tours and cruises to a wide range of destinations around the world.
We'll keep you up-to-date with our latest news, travel inspiration and special promotions. Go beyond the ordinary with the most diverse variety of excursions on the river, from Nights Out to Masterpiece Collection and more. Due to fluctuating water levels and narrow passages, the Elbe is a challenging river that runs 680 miles between the Czech Republic and Germany.
Programming and excursions are geared toward kids, To that end, expect a focus on storytelling rather than straight history lessons. You'll also find plenty of energetic and engaging activities, like tobogganing, 4x4 tours and bike excursions. In the evenings, supervised meals for kids and teens (and movie nights) keep the vibe upbeat until bedtime. There are also four different dining venues (more than most river ships), and that choice has proven popular with previous passengers. European Waterways has 17 barges sailing along the less-visited waterways in the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy. Most European Waterways ships are old working barges, though the casual houseboat atmosphere includes beautiful modern interiors.
RIVERSIDE LUXURY CRUISES ANNOUNCES NEW 2025 VOYAGES ABOARD RIVERSIDE DEBUSSY, RIVERSIDE ... - PR Newswire
RIVERSIDE LUXURY CRUISES ANNOUNCES NEW 2025 VOYAGES ABOARD RIVERSIDE DEBUSSY, RIVERSIDE ....
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:00:00 GMT [source]
To help you out, we've taken a look at 10 lines, from the familiar to the lesser-known, so you can decide the best river cruise line in Europe for you. We're here to answer your questions about Uniworld cruises and ships, as well as any of our special offers. Uniworld takes all-inclusive luxury river cruising to an entirely new level, with everything you need to have a wonderful trip included. The eight-day Danube River Cruise starts in Budapest where excursions include a horse show at an equestrian park and a goulash-making competition for Adventurers. In Bratislava, Junior Adventurers can visit a petting zoo, and in the evening, there's family karaoke. A tour of Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace, marionette show, concert, and strudel making are options the next day.
The river cruises typically include a visit to the university town of Salamanca in northern Spain. Viticulture is very much the lesson en route, as you learn about port production on the "River of Gold." Wine lovers will want to experience the seven-night "Taste of Bordeaux," with visits to iconic chateaux, timeless vineyards, and delicious wine tastings while cruising the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. Excursions include a tour of a medieval castle and tasting of Sauternes, a stop in Pauillac, gateway to the Medoc wine region, and a Saint-Emilion tour and tasting. Returning to Bordeaux, guests will explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and capital of the wine world.
Tauck waives single supplement charges on all of its Category 1 lower-deck cabins on every ship in its European fleet. Perks include a roommate matching service for solo cruisers, competitively priced single supplements and group discounts, plus price match guarantees. Ships offer traditional-style cruising and Exclusive Discovery Series, which provides first-person accounts from locals or expert talks about the destinations you'll be visiting. When it comes to a river cruise line in Europe, Scenic's all-inclusive fares are hard to top. They cover all premium drinks, including a minibar in every cabin, plus specialty dining, butler service and gratuities. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site.
With a number of cruise companies and rivers to choose from, planning a river cruise can take some time. Consulting with a travel advisor is always a good idea, and there's plenty of information available online as well. These are the major companies offering the best European river cruises along with examples of their itineraries. Grand Circle generally draws travelers aged over 50 and is a popular line for Americans cruising the rivers of Europe.
Comments
Post a Comment