Do Kids Belong On The River?

Do kids really belong on a River Cruise?  The kind of question I get asked quite often & there is no easy answer, I have children but I wouldn’t have given River Cruising a second thought back when they were young,  but today well…………………

What is there for them to do? well I’m sure you are aware there are no on board activities between those charming little villages in which the ship stops, and there are not really very many children who would enjoy playing shuffleboard or bridge and historically small ships tend to cater to a older age range. In fact most River Cruise lines tend to set a minimum age for passengers at 18. But you will find a few companies and itineraries that cater to families. There is plenty to do on board what ever your age, but for kids especially younger ones you have to know their limits and mind their manners !

So for starters there are the huge oversized chess sets on top deck everyone is drawn to them young and old alike, always a lovely surprise at how big the top decks are, you’ve also got the fast & reliable Wi-Fi signals to stream their digital side.

Food – no one ever starves on a cruise and River Cruise ship food can be challenging, but again you will find most will cater for the odd diet and will serve  something plain when required and thank goodness for the desserts.

Excursions– UNIWORLD – Castles along the River Rhine- this is a 9 day sailing Basel to Germany, families will benefit from free Bike’s  to explore  the countryside perhaps and how about a visit to a medieval town like Speyer? A good time to encourage them to perhaps learn about the history of another Country too, it will seem all the more exciting to them when castles are involved.

So not all doom and gloom for kids you just have to plan ahead  as you would do with any normal holiday  to be fair.