River Cruise Basics
River cruises are an increasingly popular option for travelers. Get the inside scoop to find out why and what to expect.
River Cruises
River Cruises
The rivers of the world are fast becoming hotspots for travelers. European river cruising has boomed in the last decade, and cruise lines are expanding to more exotic and interesting parts of the globe every year. So whether you'd like to sail gently along as medieval castles float by your balcony or you prefer the hustle and bustle of a trip through an Asian metropolis, we can help you find your perfect river cruise. Take a look at where you can go by riverboat.
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96% Loved It
AmaSerena Cruises to Europe
7
nights
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95% Loved It
Viking Akun Cruises to Europe
12
nights
Popular Itinerary:
Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Uglich Yaroslavl Vologda Kizhi Cruising St. Petersburg Moscow St. Petersburg Helsinki
Moscow Moscow Moscow Moscow Uglich Yaroslavl Vologda Kizhi Cruising St. Petersburg Moscow St. Petersburg Helsinki
Find a Cruise
95% Loved It
Find a Cruise
90% Loved It
Find a Cruise
89% Loved It
Emerald Sun Cruises to Europe
10
nights
Popular Itinerary:
Prague Prague Prague Nuremberg Regensburg Passau Durnstein (Krems) Vienna Bratislava Budapest Budapest
Prague Prague Prague Nuremberg Regensburg Passau Durnstein (Krems) Vienna Bratislava Budapest Budapest
Popular River Cruise Lines
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APT Cruises partners with AmaWaterways to provide perks-laden full-ship charters of Ama's ships.
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AmaWaterways' fleet of ships sail Europe's largest rivers as well as in Africa, Asia and Russia.
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Avalon operates 15 ships in Europe and eight more in the Galapagos, Mekong Delta, China and Egypt.
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CroisiEurope's focus is providing a good value-for-money cruise experience that is decidedly French.
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All-inclusive, Scenic offers unlimited drinks and butler service for all guests in Europe.
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Uniworld's cuisine and service are on a par with ocean-going luxury vessels, and the decor dazzles.
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Viking's Longship-class ships are identical and make for a consistently good cruise experience.
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Abercrombie & Kent tours offer high-end cruises on chartered river and canal boats.
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Amadeus offers a moderately priced, a la carte cruising experience, and touts its food and wine.
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American Cruise Lines' fleet of seven ships sail great American waterways including the Mississippi.
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American Queen Steamboat Company harks back to the glory days of Big Muddy riverboat cruising.
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Aqua Expeditions specializes in eco-friendly Amazon cruises on a small, luxurious ship.
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Blount offers simple, comfortable cruises on its two American, shallow-draft coastal cruise vessels.
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Grand Circle offers a mostly American clientele cruises emphasizing other cultures and traditions.
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Pandaw's ships all boast promenade decks and ply rivers in the remotest reaches of Southeast Asia.
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St. Lawrence Cruise Lines cruises between Canada and New York State, catering to senior travellers.
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Tauck is an upscale and all-inclusive river cruise line with a relaxed, elegant vibe.
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Travelmarvel ships offer a high standard you would expect from an APT-owned river cruise line.
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Vantage specializes in river cruises, land tours, and small-ship voyages for travelers 55 plus.
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Victoria Cruises, operating solely on China's Yangtze River, caters heavily to Western tastes.
Popular River Destinations
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- Chesapeake Bay
- Columbia
- Hudson
- Mississippi and Ohio
- St. Lawrence
River Cruise Planning
- 11 Reasons to Take Luxury River Cruises
- 11 Things to Know About River vs. Ocean Cruises
- 13 Things Not to Do on a River Cruise
- 5 Awesome Danube River Cruise Ports You've Never Heard Of
- 5 Best Cities for Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays on the Danube River
- 5 Best Cities for Pre- and Post-Cruise Stays on the Rhine River
- 5 German UNESCO Sites You Can See During a River Cruise
- 5 Perfect Souvenirs from a Europe Christmas Markets Cruise
- 5 Thrilling Ways to Connect with Nature
- 5 Tips for a Paris River Cruise
- 5 Tips for a Venice River Cruise
- 5 Tips for an Amsterdam River Cruise
- 6 Great Mississippi River Downtowns
- 6 Surprising Reasons to Take a Pacific Northwest River Cruise
- 6 Things You Must Know About River Cruising in Africa
- 7 Cool Reasons to Take Mississippi Riverboat Cruises
- 7 Ways to Find Europe Along the Mississippi
- 8 Essential Reasons to Take a European River Cruise
- 8 Fairytale Towns to Visit by River Cruise
- 8 Reasons to Take a Christmas Markets Cruise
- A Guide to Accessible River Cruises
- A River Cruise with a Butler: We Try It on Uniworld and Scenic
- A Truffle, Wine and Cheese Cruise Excursion: We Try It With Viking River Cruises
- A Wine Lover's Guide to a Bordeaux River Cruise
- AmaWaterways vs. Avalon Waterways
- AmaWaterways vs. Viking River Cruises
- Amazon River Cruise Safety: What You Need to Know
- American Cruise Lines vs. American Queen Steamboat Company
- American vs. European River Cruises
- Avalon vs. Viking
- Best Active River Cruises
- Best Budget River Cruise Ships
- Best Family River Cruises
- Best Family-Friendly Cruise Ship Cabins
- Best River Cruise Cabins
- Best River Cruise Dining
- Best River Cruises for Bicyclists
- Best Time for a Danube River Cruise
- Best Time for a Rhone River Cruise
- Biking Along the Danube: We Try It on Avalon Passion
- Bordeaux River Cruise Tips
- Brahmaputra River Cruise Tips
- Canal Cruise Tips
- Choosing an Amazon River Cruise
- Columbia and Snake River Cruise Tips
- Come Aboard My Hudson River Cruise on American Spirit
- Come Aboard My Nile River Cruise on Uniworld's River Tosca
- Come Aboard My Rhine River Cruise on Avalon Creativity
- Conducting Your Own Orchestra: We Try It With Avalon Waterways
- Contacting Your River Cruise Line
- Creating a New Cruise Itinerary
- Cruise Line Tipping Policies: River and Barge Lines
- Cruising Eastern Europe on the Danube River
- Crystal River Cruises vs. Scenic Cruises
- Crystal River Cruises vs. Uniworld
- Danube River Cruise Lines and Danube River Cruise Itineraries
- Danube River Cruise Port Highlights
- Danube River Cruise Prices: How to Find a Good Deal
- Danube River Cruise Tips
- Douro River Cruise Tips
- Downton Abbey's Highclere Castle Tour on a Viking River Cruise
- Drinking Along the Danube: Wine and Other Drinks to Try on Your River Cruise
- East Asia Cruise Tips
- Elbe River Cruise Tips
- Emerald Waterways vs. Vantage Deluxe World Travel
- Emerald Waterways vs. Viking River Cruises
- European Castles to See Along Germany's Rivers
- European Christmas Market Cruises: Beyond the Danube and Rhine
- Exotic River Cruise Tips
- French River Cruise Tips
- Ganges River Cruise Tips
- Grand Circle vs. Vantage River Cruises
- Guadalquivir River Cruise Tips
- How to Choose a Europe River Cruise
- How Wind and Water Levels Could Ruin Your River Cruise
- Irrawaddy River Cruise Tips
- Loire River Cruise Tips
- Main River Cruise Tips
- Mekong River Cruise Tips
- Meuse River Cruise Tips
- Mississippi River Cruise Tips
- Moselle River Cruise Tips
- Most Unusual River Cruise Itineraries
- Murray River Cruise Tips
- New Orleans on Two Wheels
- New River Cruise Ships for 2017
- New River Cruise Ships in 2015
- New River Cruise Ships on Order
- New River Cruise Ships on Order 2015
- Newest River Cruise Ships in 2016
- Ohio River Cruise Tips
- Pictures From a Po River Cruise in Italy
- Pictures From a Russia River Cruise
- Pictures From an Elbe River Cruise
- Pictures From the Chesapeake Shipbuilding Yard
- Po River Cruise Tips
- Private Belvedere Palace Concert: We Try It With Crystal River Cruises
- Redirected: Letter From ... an Egypt in Flux
- Redirected: Slideshow: Emerald Waterways' Emerald Sky, Before & After
- Rhine River Cruise Prices: How to Find a Good Deal
- Rhine River Cruise Tips
- Rhine River vs. Danube River Cruises
- Rhine vs. Rhone River Cruises
- Rhone River Cruise Lines and Rhone River Cruise Itineraries
- Rhone River Cruise Port Highlights
- Rhone River Cruise Tips
- River Cruise Excursions: Free vs. Fee
- River Cruise Prices: A Primer for the First Timer
- River Cruise Tips
- River Cruise Tips for Wine-Lovers
- River Cruising Trends: Europe
- River Cruising With Backroads: We Try It on AmaWaterways' AmaSonata
- Rolling on the River: Discover the Mississippi River's Best Marine Museums
- Russian River Cruise Tips
- Scenic vs. Tauck
- Scenic vs. Viking River Cruises
- Seine River Cruise Tips
- Slideshow: River Cruise Queens of the Mississippi
- Tauck vs. Uniworld
- Tauck vs. Viking River Cruises
- Thames River Cruise Tips
- The 15 Best Small Cruise Ship Lines
- Tibet Cruise Tour Tips
- Tips for Choosing an Asia River Cruise
- Tips for Tasting: Cruising Along Kentucky's Bourbon Trail
- Top 7 Tips for Cruising with an Elderly Parent
- Tulip River Cruise Tips
- U.S. River Cruises: 9 Things to Know
- Uniworld vs. AmaWaterways
- Uniworld vs. Scenic
- Upper Mississippi River vs. Lower Mississippi River Cruises
- Viking River Cruise vs. Viking Ocean Cruise
- Viking River Cruises vs. CroisiEurope and A-Rosa
- Viking River Cruises vs. Vantage Deluxe World Travel
- Viking vs. Uniworld
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Airport Transfers
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Are River Cruises Safe?
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Cabins
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Dining on a River Cruise
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Docking Locations
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Families and Children
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Low River Water Levels, High River Water Levels and Weather Issues
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Shore Excursions
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: What's Included in My Cruise Fare?
- What to Expect on Vantage River Cruises
- What to Pack for a River Cruise in Europe
- Where to Find the Mississippi River Blues
- Why Amadeus Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why AmaWaterways Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Avalon Waterways Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why CroisiEurope Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Crystal Mozart Is the River Cruise Ship for You
- Why Emerald Waterways Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Go There: 8 Reasons to Cruise Along the Douro River
- Why Grand Circle Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Scenic Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Tauck is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Uniworld Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Vantage Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Why Viking River Cruises Is the River Cruise Line for You
- Wine on the Rhine: Drinking Your Way Along the Rhine River
- Wine Sailings on Pacific Northwest River Cruises
- Yangtze River Cruise Prices: How to Find a Good Deal
- Yangtze River Cruise Tips
River Cruise Reviews
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Never on a cruise. Selected 4 day to "try out" a cruise. We enjoyed it throughly. The ship new, well appointed and easily accessed by elevators and stairs. Enjoyable sun decks on levels 4 and 5. Open seating dining room allowed chance to ... Read more
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Not our favorite cruise, yet, this week's expedition offered rest and beautiful country in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. The staff bombarded us with picky details and scheduling, more than was necessary. The boat was noisy and the companionways ... Read more
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Friends had already booked and we had always wanted to try a river cruise (have done many ocean cruises) but wanted to be part of a group of friends so joined up as itinerary sounded an interesting one which it was. Budapest - Estergom - Bratislava ... Read more
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Cruising the Ohio RiversmartimartiWe have not done cruised this river before. It is not offered that often and we just wanted to see some of the cities and sites on the itinerary. We had a hotel included for the night before we boarded the ship, the Queen of the Mississippi ... Read more
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We chose this particular cruise because we had seen the Rhine from Amsterdam to Mainz and we wanted to go further east. The river cruise offered by SCENIC fit out timetable and from Budapest back to Nuremberg fit with our desired geography. We ... Read more
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A big wowFellonsDear community, we really had a fantastic cruise lately on Viking Osfrid. It is our 3rd Viking Cruise already and this time we decided to see Portugal, started in Lisbon and finished in Madrid. The Lisbon part was Hotel and Bus only and ok, its ... Read more
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Wanted to go down the Danube and visit bits of Eastern Europe to which we had not previously been to see. We visited Budapest, Hungary (night cruise to see the lights was very good), and Kalosca, Hungary for a horse show. Osijek, Croatia. Belgrade ... Read more
River Cruise Forum Threads
- Need Port Activity suggestions for the Danube Christmas Market cruise gnome12
- Scenic vs. Tauck Host Jazzbeau
- New Sticky Compilation of Articles on "What to Expect on a River Cruise" CPT Trips
- Clothing for Budapest to Prague in April? CPT Trips
- WHAT TO EXPECT on a River cruise Host Jazzbeau
- Avalon Danube Dreams embarkation in Budapest vada_9
- Any Accomodations for Three People? acwmom
- What to Expect on a River Cruise: Airport Transfers LauraS