River cruise lines that do NOT include alcohol?

I've been doing some research for my parents about river cruises and would like to compare lines that do NOT include alcohol in the cost of the cruise. My parents don't drink at all, so I feel that it would be a waste for them to go on a cruise line that includes wine/beer at meals.

So far, I've found Grand Circle and Vantage don't normally include alcoholic beverages in the price. Are there any others I'm missing?

Just FYI, Grand Circle does include wine at dinner.

Just FYI, Grand Circle does include wine at dinner.

Ah, thank you! Their site is very difficult to navigate. Vantage offers wine only at two of the dinners, so I guess they are the closest to not including alcohol in the price.

Ama includes alcohol only at meals. If you want it at other times, you pay. That is, by the way, the same with soft drinks.

Almost all lines include at least wine/bear at dinner. Not sure but I think only BTR Reizen does not include alcohol: http://www.btrreizen.nl/default.asp?cntCat=1&cntId=404

They charge around 489 euro for 8 day cruise.

I am leaving on Thursday on the MS Mozart for 15 nights on the Danube. It is a German ship often not used by Americans. I have a French Balcony cabin on 2nd deck. No drinks are included but you can buy a soft drink package or an alcohol package. I will bring wine for a drink before dinner and I normally drink water with dinner. Some shore excursions are optional and I bought the shore excursion package when I booked the trip. I want to see everything. I paid $4270 USD pp for what I described. I picked this trip because it offers kidney dialysis on the ship and that is one of the requirements for a person traveling with me. You will probably find a larger carrier that offers what you want, but I thought I would share this.

We are going on TUI, a German company, and they do not include any alcohol. Ymt vacations does a charter, so the passengers would be mostly American and Canadian.

Avalon only provides alcohol with the meals.

Ama includes alcohol only at meals. If you want it at other times, you pay. That is, by the way, the same with soft drinks.

Beer and wine, not alcohol. Just to clarify.

I am leaving on Thursday on the MS Mozart for 15 nights on the Danube. It is a German ship often not used by Americans. I have a French Balcony cabin on 2nd deck. No drinks are included but you can buy a soft drink package or an alcohol package. I will bring wine for a drink before dinner and I normally drink water with dinner. Some shore excursions are optional and I bought the shore excursion package when I booked the trip. I want to see everything. I paid $4270 USD pp for what I described. I picked this trip because it offers kidney dialysis on the ship and that is one of the requirements for a person traveling with me. You will probably find a larger carrier that offers what you want, but I thought I would share this.

Ship looks beautiful.....of course in that light so would a garbage scow (kidding):D. Thanks for letting everyone know about a ship that offers dialysis. That can be a very valuable piece of information.

Avalon only provides alcohol with the meals.

Right, almost all cruise lines provide beer/wine at meals, which my parents would not drink. I'm looking for cruise lines that don't provide any beer/wine/liquor at all in the pricing.

Right, almost all cruise lines provide beer/wine at meals, which my parents would not drink. I'm looking for cruise lines that don't provide any beer/wine/liquor at all in the pricing.

Vantage has never included beer or wine with meals except at the Captain's welcome and farewell dinners, although it is available for purchase at any time and it is not included in the cost of the trip. We usually buy a bottle on the first night and they keep it for us for the rest of the trip. Most lines do seem to be including wine with dinner every night though.

I understand your thought, but my research shows that including beer/wine with dinner is the hallmark of every river cruise line that offers an upscale product. So by focusing on this one point, you doom them to a steerage experience.

I don't understand your concern. The cruise companies buy their wines in very large quantities so they certainly get a low price for them. They are not serving very expensive wines.

I would be more concerned about the quality of the other services they provide that add a lot to the cost of the cruise.

cb

I agree..you are limiting your parents by excluding most of the lines....if they don't want beer or wine, soda is also offered at meals. We have been on cruises where a number of passangers ordered soda with dinner. I think the most important thing is itinerary and service. Compare costs. A line that includes wine may be a better fit.

I agree..you are limiting your parents by excluding most of the lines....if they don't want beer or wine, soda is also offered at meals. We have been on cruises where a number of passangers ordered soda with dinner. I think the most important thing is itinerary and service. Compare costs. A line that includes wine may be a better fit.

I understand the OP's point of view. Some of the lines are now "all inclusive", and that includes all alcoholic beverages at lunch and dinner. This is a great option for those who want to drink during lunch, or enjoy to drink a cocktail or three or four;). But when you look at the cost of the "all inclusive lines" compared to those who might only service soft drinks at lunch and wine with dinner, or no alcohol at all is included, there is a big difference in price. Not everyone can afford the top prices of Tauck, as an example. There are several moderately priced river cruise lines with excellent service, but they don't offer the luxury extras.

While I appreciate not wanting to feel like you paid more than you should in order to subsidize the drinking of others, your logic is flawed. There are so many factors that go into pricing decisions - the inclusion or exclusion of alcohol would not make a difference in the charge.

If you get hung up on this fact you're going to be miserable.

Think about all of the other things that are included that you may not personally take advantage of - would you feel cheated at every turn? What if you don't like seafood, are you being cheated because a certain percentage of the food budget goes to purchasing things you'll never eat? How about the elevator? There's a cost to having a handicapped accessible elevator on the ship that you may have no need of, are you cheated because some small fraction of your fare pays for its existence?

IBut when you look at the cost of the "all inclusive lines" compared to those who might only service soft drinks at lunch and wine with dinner, or no alcohol at all is included, there is a big difference in price. Not everyone can afford the top prices of Tauck, as an example. There are several moderately priced river cruise lines with excellent service, but they don't offer the luxury extras.

I've been doing some research for my parents about river cruises and would like to compare lines that do NOT include alcohol in the cost of the cruise. My parents don't drink at all, so I feel that it would be a waste for them to go on a cruise line that includes wine/beer at meals.

 

So far, I've found Grand Circle and Vantage don't normally include alcoholic beverages in the price. Are there any others I'm missing?

I have been watching this thread and finally can't help myself....you have been looking into this since July 5 and I also see from your signature that you have sailed Uniworld and have another Uniworld booked.

So I guess my loaded question is why would you want your folks to have any less a wonderful experience that you had on Uniworld... The high end companies that provide an "overall" first class experience provide at the very least wine and beer at meals. But they also provide so much more that a bit of wine at meals is the least of it. If we call the Uniworld experience a "Ritz Carlton" type of cruise them you seem to be looking for a "Motel 6" in order to make sure there is absolutely no alcohol included???

I am not meaning to be insulting but are you focusing on this one issue and missing the fuller picture?

Now that I have that off my chest, have you looked into Gate1. They are aparently a more "Budget" operation but yet folks on this board really like the experience.

If my daughter wanted to find me a cruise and we are not drinkers, well I would hand her the Uniworld brochure and tell her I would be happy with anything in that brochure. Gorgeous ship, wonderful service, good food, great tours and happy fellow cruisers!

There's a British company called Riviera Travel who do land and river European holidays. They do not include drinks (or tips) in their prices. Water is routinely brought to the table at lunch and dinner and there is the usual machine available to provide hot drinks 24/7. Drinks are charged to your room.

This is a review of a recent trip we did with them. As it's a British company all the travellers were Brits. (This may or may not be a disadvantage!)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1865718

The lines are changing each year with a tendency to include more.

This year Avalon just offered wine or beer with Dinner as well as soft drinks (lunch and Dinner). A number of people did not bother with wine.

I deliberately did not book with an all inclusive line as I wanted a peaceful holiday and not a boat full of drunks !!

I did ask for all of the contents of the minibar to be removed so that I had room for my stuff !!

Do they just not drink alcohol or are they offended/upset if they are around alcohol being consumed? I come from an area of the country where there are some people (obviously not me) who will not eat in restaurants where alcohol is served.

If they just don't drink, they need to pick the cruise based on the itinerary and ship, not whether or not alcohol is included. The cruise lines purchase wine and beer in very large quantities, and esp in Europe, it probably is not any more expensive for them to buy than soft drinks. In fact, I have been in many places in Italy and Spain where soft drinks were more expensive than wine. The cruise line is not charging a bunch extra to include wine and beer with meals.

I deliberately did not book with an all inclusive line as I wanted a peaceful holiday and not a boat full of drunks !!

The lines are changing each year with a tendency to include more.

 

This year Avalon just offered wine or beer with Dinner as well as soft drinks (lunch and Dinner). A number of people did not bother with wine.

 

I deliberately did not book with an all inclusive line as I wanted a peaceful holiday and not a boat full of drunks !!

 

I did ask for all of the contents of the minibar to be removed so that I had room for my stuff !!

You have never been on a river cruise. I have been on four and have never seen a drunk let a loan a bot full of drunks.

Would you be one of the dunks with free booze? Or, do you just think other people would be?

Likewise, what river cruise were you on that had a minibar in the room?

It appears you are one of the people that bring a lot soda on so you don't have to spend an extra cent on a ship is that correct?

You have never been on a river cruise. I have been on four and have never seen a drunk let a loan a bot full of drunks.

 

Would you be one of the dunks with free booze? Or, do you just think other people would be?

 

Likewise, what river cruise were you on that had a minibar in the room?

 

It appears you are one of the people that bring a lot soda on so you don't have to spend an extra cent on a ship is that correct?

I will answer the factual questions and not the opinions.

1) Yes I have been on more than one river cruise and more than one Ocean cruise.

2) Avalon have an in room minibar

I will not respond to the rest and not enter any other correspondence on my comments.