Rolling down the river!

2017 saw a year of record growth in river cruising according to CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) in their UK River Cruise review with passenger numbers from the UK up 21% year on year to over 210,000. It’s really encouraging to see this growth as river cruising seems to suffer with an unfair misconception of being expensive.

Let’s break it down and see why river cruising represents excellent value for money

1. River cruise ships usually carry no more than 200 passengers – there are usually only 2 or 3 decks too so no long walks to get to the restaurant for breakfast in the morning and no fighting to get a seat in the lounge along with thousands of other guests.
2. The ships can usually dock right in the heart of the destination so no long transfer journeys and best of all – no sea/river days! Wake up somewhere new every day!
3. So much is included in the price – most river cruise lines include flights, transfers, meals, drinks with lunch & dinner, gratuities & daily excursions – Avalon Waterways even include a Private Home Pickup Service within 100 miles of your departure airport so no stressing about airport parking or public transport, they will pick you up from your home and take you to your departure airport and be waiting to pick you up on your return.
4. Yes, you won’t find rock climbing walls, 4D cinemas or water slides but what you will find is an opportunity to meet like minded travelers who want to discover the culture and history of a destination. There are more than enough daily activities & excursions to stop you from being bored.

Once you add up the extra costs you may expect to pay for all of the above on an ocean cruise, you will realise that river cruising isn’t expensive at all.

In summary, river cruises offer a luxurious and intimate opportunity to discover some of the most beautiful cities and towns in the world from the Rhine & Danube to the Mississippi & the Mekong. I’ve been lucky enough to travel on or visit several river cruise ships (Avalon, Amadeus, A’ROSA, CroisiEurope, Tauck, Uniworld) and consider myself somewhat of a river cruise expert. I would be delighted to recommend a destination or river cruise operator for you.