Table Of Content
Survey rules have always allowed readers to reflect on their travel experiences over a three-year period. We hope that this year's honorees will inspire your own travels as you get back out into the world. Because most people travel in pairs or a family on a cruise, rates are based on double occupancy.
River Cruise destinations
It lacks the grandeur of the suites, and is small at about 172 square feet, and has small windows peaking above the waterline. For foodies, foie gras, fresh oysters, regional cheeses and other local delicacies appear on menus. Bikes are available to borrow, and the ships have gyms and spas, and, on some ships, lavish indoor pools. Family departures add active excursions, arts and crafts, and visits to amusement parks.
Best European River Cruise Line for Active Travelers: Avalon Waterways
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). The best river cruises have always had a mystique to draw travelers in—even those who are new to cruising. For history buffs, they could be an excellent way to visit ancient sites or historical landmarks. For those that love the outdoors, river journeys are a way to experience the natural landscape of the dream destinations.
Best cruise lines for solo travelers 2024 - The Independent
Best cruise lines for solo travelers 2024.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 14:18:50 GMT [source]
Avalon Waterways
Next, from Kalama, Washington, you can join an excursion to visit the remnants of the area around Mount St. Helens, which suffered a devastating eruption in 1980. If your vacation preferences favor mountain landscapes, wine tasting and pioneer lore, consider American Cruise Lines' eight-night Columbia & Snake River Cruise. You'll explore the Pacific Northwest from Portland, Oregon, to Clarkstown, Washington (or vice versa). There's eagle spotting in Red Wing and agricultural innovation in Quad Cities, Iowa. You'll enjoy Mark Twain lore in Hannibal, Missouri, and architectural landmarks, such as the soaring Gateway Arch, in St. Louis.
Best European River Cruise for Onboard Facilities: AmaWaterways AmaMagna
For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. We reveal which cruise lines offer the best value for money – and what customers really think of each brand. From Darrow, Louisiana, you'll stroll beneath canopies of towering live oak trees to visit historic mansions or glide through the bayou. More historic architecture, along with bird-watching, awaits in St. Francisville, Louisiana, and Natchez, Mississippi.
The line charters AmaWaterways and, while you shouldn't expect a bevy of Disney branding on the ship, Disney's Adventure Guides are trained to bring kids into the river cruise experience. 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. Picking the best line for a European river cruise can be a challenge as more and more lines compete for attention on European waterways.
Mississippi River Cruises with Viking
Scenic offers various excursions, from visiting World Heritage Sites to a round of golf. Their National Geographic sailings are particularly of note and include a variety of educational, expert-led travel excursions and talks. Grand Circle is a top choice company for solo travelers because the ships feature a good number of small cabins designed and priced for one, plus reduced single-supplement pricing for solos who want larger rooms. Sleek ships with marble lobbies, mid-century furnishings and impressive art collections mark the Australian-owned Scenic as all about luxurious, high-end river cruising. Butler service is part of the scene, and so are free-flowing cocktails, e-bikes and six dining options – all for a passenger contingent of fewer than 170. Here's a rundown of the best river cruise lines traversing inland waterways around the world.
Night Upper Mississippi ExplorerDetails
"We were treated like royalty," gushed one traveler who sailed on the Maria Theresa. There are a fair amount of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the itineraries, which are almost always awe-inspiring. There is a wide variety of cabin categories from a 350 square foot suite that sleeps four with a balcony to Category D, the most affordable cabin, which is about 170 square feet, sleeps two, and features small windows. Families will appreciate adjoining cabins, which are a rarity for a river cruise line. Adventures by Disney recommends that children be 8 and up, but they only need to be 4 and up to sail.
Rest up from your portside adventures during five days of scenic river cruising. The 10-day itinerary features visits to the Taj Mahal, Rajbari temple complex, and Mother Teresea’s home. Scenic Cruises is amping up the holiday cheer with six itineraries this November and December. Each city will showcase a unique Christmas experience as you stop in Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, and Prague, just to name a few of the festive ports in store. It will be a holiday like no other as you dock at quaint riverside villages aglow in fairy lights. Walk over the cobblestones with mulled wine in hand while you browse handmade goods and enjoy festive treats and age-old traditions.
AmaWaterways, with over 25 ships, is known for having a smaller amount of passengers on board. Viking is the largest river cruise operator with over 50 Longships in their fleet. The design is sleek and minimal and there are usually five tiers of cabins. Most of the Avalon's cabins are Panorama Suites, which offer a wide view of the rivers on which you are traveling.
Top-ranked Viking does all the major riverways of Europe, with ships also on the Nile and the Mekong, and, new in 2022, on the Mississippi. Readers praised the line's value proposition and shore experiences that go beyond the norm. The "Thinking Man's vacation" is the way one reader who sailed on a Viking ship on the Rhine river put it. Its péniche (barge) tours in France carry 20 or so guests around Provence, Bourgogne and Alsace, while its Danube cruise is on a plush 16-cabin boat that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip sailed on. Guests were equally impressed by the ‘friendly’ and ‘helpful’ staff for whom ‘nothing was too much trouble’.
Yet, passengers were more impressed with Riviera’s cabins, shore excursions and food and drink. Experience the past and present of Portugal as you travel through the Douro River Valley. The river flows from Spain to the Northern Portuguese countryside, which is known for its wine production. Five different tours are being offered with stops in Lisbon, Porto, Madrid, and Salamanca.
Standard staterooms, which are the least expensive, hover at the water level, and come in at about 150 square feet. At the top end are large well-appointed suites with two full-sized rooms and great views, measuring about 445 square feet. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. For those watching their pennies, Emerald is the best of the budget-priced ships. AmaWaterways is the only cruise line on Europe's rivers to be a member of the prestigious international gastronomy organization Chaine des Rotisseurs.
The value-packed experience is geared toward adults and is consistently high quality. Destinations include all the popular rivers of Europe — such as the Danube, Rhine, Seine, Bordeaux, Rhone, Elbe and Douro — as well as the Nile in Egypt, the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Mississippi. Contact USA River Cruises today, and you’ll understand why we’ve been the best in the business since 1996. We’re dedicated to customer service and to finding the perfect trip for you.
They are uniformly excellent on service, food, and itineraries,” said a past guest of the River Queen. “The excursions are well-planned and done in small groups, despite the number of people on the ship.” Where minor quibbles did arise, readers pointed to the staterooms as needing a rethink. “The rooms were a bit dated but I do know that they are going to be refurbished,” said one reader, who traveled aboard the River Empress.
