If you have never done a river cruise do give it a try, it is one of the best holidays you can take. I worked in Egypt for Thomson, sailing up and down the Nile for a few years, and European River Cruises are a very similar experience – apart from the searing heat of course! So I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised that TUI, as Thomson have become, are entering the European river market.
They will have 3 ships sailing from March 2020 – TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla. The ships will carry a maximum of 155 passengers and are described as ” Sophisticated Ships – Think of our ships as floating, boutique hotels that’ll transport you from world-famous cities to under-the-radar towns –sometimes dropping in on more than one destination a day. You won’t be short on home comforts, plus there’ll be multiple restaurants and lounges for wining and dining.” Very like most river cruises except that excursions are not included, although £ 120 pp excursion credit will enable guest to choose exactly what they want to do, which is a good idea.
They will sail the main rivers of Europe – Rhine, Moselle & Danube on 7 nights itineraries. The ships will be adults only and one huge advantage that TUI will have is the guarantee of direct flights from the UK, including several regional airports. Flights are often an issue with European Rivers as not may people want to fly indirectly to say Budapest as it is a short flight anyway.
All this is included
- Direct flights from UK airports
- 20kg luggage allowance
- Airport transfer – to and from your ship
- Full board plus – breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Tea, coffee and juices with breakfast
- Wine, beer, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner
- Barbecues on deck, weather permitting
- 1GB of Wi-Fi per cabin, per week
- £120 excursion credit per person, per 7 days
- Live entertainment every night
- All tips and port charges
There will also be 2 restaurants and 2 lounges/bars on each ship.
Prices start at £ 999 pp for a 7 night Rhine or Danube cruise in March. Vienna is one of the cities they will visit, definitely not to be missed.
