What is it about River Cruising that you love so much?

Hi,:) as I am taking my first River cruise in April 2016 and doing research

on it too;)...just wondering what you "regulars of River Cruising" love

so much about it?

Looking forward to reading the replies:D

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

the intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (ime); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of ama, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

well said

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

 

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

Cruise Critic really needs a "like" button! Replace "AMA" with "Scenic" and this is exactly what I would have said. Nothing against AMA, Scenic is my choice for river cruising.

Cruise Critic really needs a "like" button! Replace "AMA" with "Scenic" and this is exactly what I would have said. Nothing against AMA, Scenic is my choice for river cruising.

Ditto for Uniworld

Ditto for Uniworld

Add Avalon!

It is just so nice to always be in sight of land, beautiful scenery and picturesque villages from beginning to end. (And everything that has already been said).

Cole

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

 

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

Well said!! You have me excited all over again with all the great the reasons why we chose to take our first River Cruise (in just afew days). :)

Another reason we love River Cruising is the stress free and relaxing atmosphere. The unique places you can visit easily. Socializing at the end of the day with friendly people.

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

 

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

I agree with everything you said. We are leaving in 18 days for Prague for our 2nd AMA cruise and can't wait!!!

Thanks for all the replies:)....It doesn't matter to me which line you

cruise.......the topic was an overall, why do you love it?:D

And I have a request....Host Jazz......I left a word out of my title....it

should What is it about River Cruising....can you add the word "it" to my

title please?:D

[Done. --Host Jazzbeau]

Caviargal said it well. I might add it is a very stress-free vacation. I think it's a perfect get-away for busy professionals. You could do absolutely no planning on your own and have a fantastic trip. Pack your bag, show up at the airport and if you're on Uniworld the transfers are included -- so you find them at the airport and they whisk you away to the ship. You don't need to worry about speaking a foreign language, you get to see and experience so much. You enjoy the concept of an almost 3-hour dinner with your new best friends as your server refills your wine glass. With the more all-inclusive lines you don't need to worry about tipping. What's not to love?

Have been to europe and china on Viking and must admit.....very memorable!

The favorits thing is the ability of a river cruise is getting to places the ocean lines cannot. Very intense excursions but the education has always been the best of the best with the same tour guide that knew their business!

Went to egypt on a combination land and river cruise down the nile with an egyptian professor and he was a magical stoyteller to the point that others from other groups would meander over to listen to his information that he poured over us.

When individuals would try to bother our group to peddle their junky good all he did was stop and give them a death stare and they would sulk away........MAGIC;)

Thanks for all the replies:)....It doesn't matter to me which line you

cruise.......the topic was an overall, why do you love it?:D

 

And I have a request....Host Jazz......I left a word out of my title....it

should What is it about River Cruising....can you add the word "it" to my

title please?:D

 

[Done. --Host Jazzbeau]

Thank you:)

Loving the responses:D.....and I especially love the part about not having

to plan anything:D......I will see what excursions are being offered in

each place and choose one that appeals to me.

And I know I read about the "Limited Edition" tours....hoping I will be

able to try one of those too:)

Stress Free........ahhhhhhhhhhhh;)

The intimate ambiance board; the easy camaraderie fostered by the small number of passengers; the proximity to the town/city center on most itineraries.

 

The lack of children (IME); lack of nickel and diming; no tendering; no lines; no overcrowded buffets; no "liquor police" - if you want to pick up a special bottle of wine you are able to do so without being treated like a criminal.

 

No overpriced bottles of water; no "sales" in the lobby; no loud announcements; no constantly trying to sell you something; no cheesy entertainment; no overpriced drinks with forced service charges.

 

A staff who knows your name by the 2nd day and is warm and gracious and welcoming. In the case of AMA, the wonderful attention to detail from the high end and generous toiletries provided to the special touches throughout the cruise; free internet throughout the ship and computers in every room; cruise managers and staff who really make the trip special.

 

On the very rare occasion we would consider an ocean cruise, it is only on a smaller ship that has similar qualities to what we enjoy on the river. And that is a very small list, indeed.

Everything Caviargal said, change AMA to Vantage. One thing she didn't mention was not having to pack and unpack every day or two.

en the best of the best with the same tour guide

 

Went to egypt on a combination land and river cruise down the nile with an egyptian professor and he was a magical stoyteller to the point that others from other groups would meander over to listen to his information that he poured over us.

When individuals would try to bother our group to peddle their junky good all he did was stop and give them a death stare and they would sulk away........MAGIC;)

Was his name Magid? (also known as Magic) He was our Vantage guide in Egypt and it sure sounds like him.

Oh yes...the packing (or I should say unpacking) LOL....I love that about

ocean cruising too:D...so that pertains to both styles;)..unpack once

and they take care of you for the rest of the time:)

Oh yes...the packing (or I should say unpacking) LOL....I love that about

ocean cruising too:D...so that pertains to both styles;)..unpack once

and they take care of you for the rest of the time:)

Works for me! After out 3 week bus tour of France DH and I vowed never to do that again. It was Best of France with Trafalgar and was a wonderful trip, but "bags out at 6 a.m., bus leaves at 8" still brings chills down my spine!!

"bags out at 6 a.m., bus leaves at 8" still brings chills down my spine!!

I cannot even imagine!:p

I have to agree with all of the above posters. It is wonderful to sit in the lounge or up on the top deck and watch Europe gently slide past as you sip on a glass of wine. I really enjoy the ability to have your hotel room cruise with you. I travel with my mother and she is done with land tours and packing and unpacking. I am leaving for a land tour of Turkey in just about two weeks and after the first 3 days in Istanbul, it will be a different city each day with bags out in the morning. I don't mind mixing it up a bit but the river cruises are just soooo much more relaxing.

If you don't want to take the included excursions, you don't have to. If you want to wander about on your own, this is fine. If you don't feel like leaving the ship that day, no worries.

Avalon has taken very good care of us. I also enjoy getting to know the staff and learning about where they are from, what their families are like, etc. This just contributes to the entire experience.

Add Viking to the list of all the positives.

My DH and I have always done "on our own" trips and totally shied away from cruising. We are get there, get unpacked and go kind of people. We'd heard about Viking cruises and tried one--HUGELY skeptical of CRUISING (no way no how not in a million years will I set foot on anything bigger than a river cruise) but was so pleasantly surprised we are now booked on our 6th trip in under 3 years.

With very few exceptions, the ships are docked convenient to everything and you can walk on and off at your leisure. You can do the tours--or not. You can spend the day aboard vegging out--or not. You are as busy as you want, or not at all. The staff at the desk are great about providing information if you want to head out on your own--city maps are always provided. Ships generally leave later in the evening so you can go off ship and wander if you want after dinner.

The staff are friendly and work hard to know your likes and dislikes. I am not a breakfast person and very quickly the staff knew to just bring me lots of coffee.

It's like a very small portable boutique hotel.

We've also had the pleasure of running into staff from one cruise working on a different ship and they remembered our names. Heck, I barely remember my own name some days.

We were on the Rhine last spring and we arrived on my birthday. After a very long day of travel it was really sweet to be sung Happy Birthday at dinner and be presented with a birthday cake (my husband had prearranged it.) Then when we got to our room, there was a birthday banner, balloons, chocolates and a birthday card from the staff waiting.

I know I read about the "Limited Edition" tours....hoping I will be

able to try one of those too:)

There's no "limit" on how many "Limited Edition" tours you can sign up for -- the limit is on how many people can be accommodated. Nor is there any extra charge for them. Once you make final payment, go on the AMA website and see the descriptions of all the Limited Edition tours and sign up for any and all that appeal. Each day on the cruise the CM will have a meeting describing the tour options for the following day -- if a regular tour suddenly seems more appealing than the Limited Edition you signed up for, I'm sure the CM will be happy to give your place to someone else.

Ditto to all that has been said...

We have met the most amazing people on our river cruises - and still keep in touch with some of them.

We love unpacking once - and making the room our own. We enjoy meeting the staff - as they often teach us about their home country. The staff are welcoming - and friendly - and always so happy to help. We have never been made to feel as if we are just the means to a paycheque.

An example of this: we tend to find a waiter we really like - and sit in his (or her) zone for dinner as much as possible. One time, we ordered the steak for dinner - my DH likes his medium-well. The next night, Chateaubriand was offered - and we both ordered it. Every one received their dinner - except my husband. As we were looking at his empty spot on the table, our waiter arrived with an apology --> stating that my husband's meat was coming out "too rare" so he took the time to get him a piece that was better suited to his taste...

We love getting a "taste" of the different spots - figuring we can always return if we want more time (as we have done with Nuremberg, and Budapest). But in some places more than a few hours isn't really needed (think Durnstein and Melk). A river cruise opens your eyes to future possibilities.

We have got to the point that we feel the cruise often *is* the experience - and agree that high or low water may result in us sitting on board rather than doing extended bus trips.

Lois R. - hopefully you will enjoy river cruising as much as the people here on CC do....

Fran

The best thing I like about river cruising is the cruising itself. My favorite days are those with little port time. I love being up on the sun deck as we pass all the small villages.

The best thing I like about river cruising is the cruising itself. My favorite days are those with little port time. I love being up on the sun deck as we pass all the small villages.

yes indeed and not having to go anywhere at a specific time is nice too.

The best thing I like about river cruising is the cruising itself. My favorite days are those with little port time. I love being up on the sun deck as we pass all the small villages.

Like my neighbor, you might think that greenery, villages, castles and churches are boring and ask: Where is the casino? She is not taking another river cruise. I signed up for my next one.