River cruises for thirtysomethings?

[psteinik]

My husband and I would love to go on a river cruise this summer but are concerned after reading these posts since they seem to be for people 55+.

 

Do you think a river cruise would be OK for someone in their 30s?

 

We're looking for a relaxing vacation and have already been on a number of European cruises.

[bigreckster]

Go for it!! We are in our late 50's and we did an Avalon 'Poetry' cruise last summer. We were among the younger passengers but that didn't stop us from having a very rewarding cruise. We met lots of wonderful people from the states as well as Australia and New Zealand on our cruise and because of the open seating for meals, you get to mingle with everyone aboard. One group of travelers from Oklahoma who were 20 years our senior welcomed us to dine with them often and made many dinners especially memorable. The places you'll see close up and the leisurely pace of travelling the rivers will surely be worth the experience and we weren't aware that the age difference of any of the passengers made any difference at all to enjoying the cruise. Be aware that this is not like the ocean cruises you have taken (we've done over 30...many to the Baltic and Med. before). There's no casino, no big show entertainment at night and most evenings we closed the bar at about 10 PM!!! But the sights and relaxed travel experience more than made up for any difference in the ambiance. On our cruise, the food was excellent, the service outstanding and the tours incredible! Enjoy!

[AZPam]

If you can get past the age thing, it will be a wonderful experience. I just took my first river cruise in December after doing several sea cruises. At 40, I was by far the youngest on the boat other than crew members. It didn't really bother me, but it would have really bothered my husband. (I was with my Mom). He is still at the stage where he refuses to do a river cruise, but I really don't mind. I'll just go again with my Mom!

[NJtomato]

I am 30 something and my DH 40 something. We will be going on Uniworld in April. Don't let age stop you. We prefer to be with "seasoned" travelers :-) We find that folks that are older make wonderful and interesting travel companions.

[steamboats]

psteinik,

 

Go for it! I started river cruising at the age of 28 y (my experiences are limited to US rivers but the average age of the fellow passengers is similar, even higher :) ). I never regreted it! I second NJtomato, "seasoned" travellers are wonderful and interesting travel compaions. If you´re not a party type there´s nothing more relaxing than a river cruise!

 

steamboats

[OhioDogLover]

We are going on one this summer. We have a diverse group, from 80+ to 11. DH and I are concerned about the children, but there you go. I guess we will find out. :D

[tasmin]

I'm in my late 20s and just went on my first river cruise in November 2005 on the Avalon Poety (Danube, Budapest to Nuremburg). I was also very worried when I started reading about the tendency towards elderly passengers. Because mine was a "late season" trip, travel agents had been offered a special deal to take the trip themselves, so the crowd did include some people in their 30s and 40s. But I'd guess that if you averaged everyone's ages, you'd get something in the late 50s. Some people here have mentioned that they enjoy being with "seasoned" travelers - personally, I found that to be a very annoying aspect of the older crowd. I've done lots of traveling myself, but I wanted to enjoy the CURRENT trip, not try to brag to everyone about past trips!

 

I still had a great time...the lack of nightlife was strange at first, but I quickly found that going to bed earlier was necessary since the tours left quite early in the morning! :) You just have to mentally prepare. Most importantly, when it's time to sign up for tour groups, be sure to get hooked up with the sprightliest-looking people! I paid very close attention to who signed what bus list, and I knew I made the right decision when our group would frequently fly by another group or overhear lots of whining about the "long" 15-minute walk. Also, don't be afraid to go off and explore on your own. For example, in Durnstein, Austria, a few of us "young folks" climbed a VERY steep hill to reach the ruins of a castle where Richard the Lion Hearted was imprisoned. It was one of the best parts of the trip, but it most definitely was not part of the standard tour! And finally, there are some onboard benefits to an older crowd - there was never a wait at the bar, and the hot tub was always available!

 

Ultimately, the great thing about a river cruise is the chance to see so many places - the time spent on the ship itself just happened to go along with it, as I saw it. I would definitely take the trip again, even if the ship was filled with a bunch of 90-year-olds. :)

 

Cheers!

[AZPam]

I'm in my late 20s and just went on my first river cruise in November 2005 on the Avalon Poety (Danube, Budapest to Nuremburg). I was also very worried when I started reading about the tendency towards elderly passengers. Because mine was a "late season" trip, travel agents had been offered a special deal to take the trip themselves, so the crowd did include some people in their 30s and 40s. But I'd guess that if you averaged everyone's ages, you'd get something in the late 50s. Some people here have mentioned that they enjoy being with "seasoned" travelers - personally, I found that to be a very annoying aspect of the older crowd. I've done lots of traveling myself, but I wanted to enjoy the CURRENT trip, not try to brag to everyone about past trips!

 

I still had a great time...the lack of nightlife was strange at first, but I quickly found that going to bed earlier was necessary since the tours left quite early in the morning! :) You just have to mentally prepare. Most importantly, when it's time to sign up for tour groups, be sure to get hooked up with the sprightliest-looking people! I paid very close attention to who signed what bus list, and I knew I made the right decision when our group would frequently fly by another group or overhear lots of whining about the "long" 15-minute walk. Also, don't be afraid to go off and explore on your own. For example, in Durnstein, Austria, a few of us "young folks" climbed a VERY steep hill to reach the ruins of a castle where Richard the Lion Hearted was imprisoned. It was one of the best parts of the trip, but it most definitely was not part of the standard tour! And finally, there are some onboard benefits to an older crowd - there was never a wait at the bar, and the hot tub was always available!

 

Ultimately, the great thing about a river cruise is the chance to see so many places - the time spent on the ship itself just happened to go along with it, as I saw it. I would definitely take the trip again, even if the ship was filled with a bunch of 90-year-olds. :)

 

Cheers!

I so totally agree with everything you said!

[npphotog]

By all means, do it. Don't worry about the age difference. You will just have a bunch of old guys like us crying as you party all night. We did the Holland to Hungary cruise with Vantage last year and had a ball. One of the best trips we have taken. Age has nothing to do with it. It's just that you "youngsters" get up the hills faster than us. We had folks in their late 30s, 50s 60s (us) and some in their 80s. Everybody did their thing. Willard