Back in 2019, I was at Barnes & Noble tutoring an Italian student who I used to meet with weekly (fun fact: I speak and briefly taught Italian both privately and at a language school here in New York). My client was a busy and successful businessman, and one of our favorite topics of conversation (aside from Italian grammar) was international travel.
We loved exchanging stories about past trips to Italy (and beyond), talking about upcoming trips we had planned, and our long wish list of destinations we wanted to visit. However, one day he threw me for a loop by mentioning river cruising, which I had no idea even existed at the time.
My immediate knee-jerk reaction to him mentioning cruising of any type was “…REALLY??” He quickly replied, “Oh yeah! River cruising is nothing like ocean cruising! There are maybe 150 people on board, the food is great, it’s one of the best ways to travel.”
My curiosity was piqued.
In my last blog post, I wrote about how cruising had been a life-long blind spot for me prior to opening White Lotus Travel Design and this right here is exactly what I was talking about.
Well, I’m happy to share that I have seen the light and am now a huge fan of river cruising after sailing on my first one last fall.
HOW A RIVER CRUISE IS DIFFERENT FROM AN OCEAN CRUISE
Once the concept of river cruising had been put in my head, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and started to do some research. One of the biggest differences between ocean and river cruises that immediately stood out to me was the destinations you can visit on a river cruise—ocean cruises take you to a country, but river cruises take you through a country. You can also see land the entire time from your ship, and seasickness is not a concern on river cruises the same way that it is on ocean cruises.
Another big difference between the two is the size of the ships. River cruises must be a certain size so they can fit under bridges and maneuver along the rivers. A smaller ship means fewer passengers, which makes for a much more intimate experience than you’re likely to find on an ocean cruise.
WHERE CAN YOU GO ON A RIVER CRUISE?
From world capitals along the Danube (such as Budapest and Vienna) to jewel towns along the Moselle, river cruises are a great way to visit a variety of destinations on a single trip without having to unpack multiple times. Many of these destinations are more off the beaten path for most travelers and really give you the opportunity to dive into the heart of a country, its local culture, cuisine, and of course, the people you meet along the way.
While river cruising is a great way to visit many different countries in Europe (such as France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, and Portugal to name a few), there are also lots of river cruise options across the globe in Asia, Africa, and South America as well for travelers to explore. Visiting Egypt and cruising along The Nile is high on many travelers’ wish lists (including mine), as are visiting Vietnam and Cambodia along The Mekong.
MY FIRST EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE
I learned that just like with ocean cruises, there are many different river cruise lines on the market, each offering its own unique selling points. Once I started to learn about the leading players in the industry and what the main differences are from one line to the next, I decided that I wanted my first river cruise to be with the family-owned AmaWaterways.
The next step was choosing which itinerary I wanted to sail on. After a lot of back and forth (each option was more appealing than the next), I chose their “Medieval Treasures” itinerary which sailed from Basel to Nuremberg along the Rhine and Main (sounds like “mine”) Rivers through Switzerland, France, and Germany.
I truly enjoyed all the ports that we visited, but my favorites were probably Strasbourg, France (the only destination on this itinerary I had previously visited), Rüdesheim, Miltenberg, Rothenburg, and Bamberg, all in Germany. Each town made me feel like I was walking through a classic Disney film, oscillating between Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio. The time spent in these ports was a great way to get a taste of many different locales that I probably would have never visited independently.
One of my favorite things about sailing with AmaWaterways was that the cruise fare not only included all meals on board (which were delicious and made with local ingredients), but it also included all excursions, offering several options to choose from in each port. There was a wide variety of excursions offered, including walking tours, food tours, wine tastings, active hiking and biking tours, and even a Brezel baking experience at a small bakery in Germany.
RIVER CRUISES BRING YOU TO NEW CITIES
Many river cruises begin and end in different ports, giving travelers the opportunity to dive a little deeper into multiple destinations before and/or after their cruise. Since your time visiting each port is usually limited to a day or half-day during the cruise, staying in a hotel for a few nights on either end of the cruise is a great way to see more of a city or town as well as enjoy some of its nightlife.
Prior to the cruise, I treated myself to a stay in Basel at Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, a 5-star hotel located directly on The Rhine. I had never been to Basel before and knew I wanted to spend some time in the city before our sailing. The hotel has two incredible restaurants onsite, including Chef Peter Knogl’s Cheval Blanc which has three Michelin stars and features a marble table that was at Marie Antoinette’s wedding as its centerpiece. The service and hotel were top-notch and set the tone for the week to come.
After enjoying a delicious lunch at the hotel, I boarded The AmaCerto and checked into one of the signature twin-balcony cabins on board which would be my home for the week ahead. The twin-balcony cabins offer both a traditional outdoor balcony that has a couple of chairs for you to relax on and enjoy the scenery from, and a French balcony, which allows you to enjoy the passing scenery while staying inside your cabin (your nose and toes can be outside the cabin on a French balcony). There was even a blanket for me to use on the balcony, which came in very handy for enjoying the outdoor space on a cool October evening.
IS RIVER CRUISING FOR YOU?
One of the biggest takeaways from my incredible week sailing with AmaWaterways was that a river cruise at its core is very much a multicity tour, but instead of checking in and out of several hotels along the way, you only have to unpack one time, relax, and enjoy the ride.
If you long for Europe but do not enjoy independently planning and navigating how you’re going to get from one destination to the next, then yes, river cruising is probably for you. It’s an excellent way to get an introduction to many different towns and cities, fall in love with them, and dream about future visits to your favorites.
On the other hand, if you are a lover of ocean cruising and your favorite thing about those ships are the large-scale shows, casinos, and having a wide variety of specialty restaurants onboard to choose from, then the more intimate style of river cruising may not be the best fit.
When it comes to choosing which river cruise line is best, that is going to be a matter of preference. As I mentioned earlier, there are many different river cruise lines for you to choose from, so working with a travel advisor with a deep understanding of what differentiates one cruise line from the next is going to help you make the best decision based on what you value and prioritize as a traveler.
Personally, I had a fabulous time sailing with AmaWaterways and have already begun planning my next one.
