Barge cruise vs. traditional cruise?

[YoPhilly]

My DH and I have taken several mainstream cruises (Carib, Panama Canal, Alaska), and he is intrigued by a European barge cruise. Can I get some feedback from cruisers who have taken one of the barges. What are the pros and cons, compared to a traditional cruise?

 

Thanks for your input.

[pacmom]

Have never been on a barge, but have been on 5 river cruises with more to come. It is like comparing apples and oranges. On the river you are never out of sight of land and the sailinf is very smooth. The boats don't have the fancy amenities of ocean liners. There is little in the way of entertainment, unless you are on a sppecific "music" trip. We did one in 2004 with Uniworld and had about 10 different groups come aboard--it was a 3 week trip. They were all local. One open seating for meals. Most lines have cabins about 170 sq.ft. with hotel style beds. The bathrooms vary. The sundeck is my favorite place on the boat. You will get many answers on this board. The regulars are very helpful. Pat

[KEN31VA]

We did a barge trip in France a couple of years ago. I enjoyed every minute of it, just don't be surprised by the small staterooms.

 

Instead of thousands of passangers, there were 14 of us on the barge and a crew of 7. Every afternoon you are taken to local sights, sometimes in very rural areas. The food and wine were excellent, much fresher and more tasty than cruise ships.