River cruising for great value for money any day

This last week, Thomas Cook has once again been in the news. Will they, or won’t they, survive? A big question, and the signs are not looking good. For such an iconic name to be even talked about is sad, but it comes down to something I learned a very long time ago.

If you sell it too cheap, then sadly, it often ends in tears.

Travel is one of those subjects that, for years now, has hit headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Many major firms in the travel industry have failed over the past 30 or so years, during the time that I have been in the cruise industry. I can recall Laker a long time ago and, more recently, Monarch Airlines. Many big name travel organisations have failed too. The one common denominator has been that in almost every case, someone came along and did it cheaper than they could do it.

Anyone can cut prices, but the inevitable always happens, and you simply cannot get something for nothing.River cruise lines seem to know this better than most. Their pricing is almost always sensible, and whilst there are occasional genuine offers of savings, these are really few and far between, and the river cruise customer has fortunately come to understand just how it all works in practice, and is happy with what they get.

River cruises almost always include excursions, and the thing I absolutely love is the getting up close to what is going on on the river side as you sail by.

One of my most memorable trips was a seven night river cruise between Budapest and Nuremberg in Germany, a classic Danube itinerary which includes the magnificent city of Vienna, a day in Bratislava, and the famous Melk Abbey. Vienna is a spectacular city. Opera, the renowned Vienna Boys Choir, home of the famous Spanish Riding School and its lipizzaner horses, Mozart, Schloss Schonbrunn, Sacher Torte and Apfel Strudel…     they are all here.Just about any Danube river cruise that either starts, or ends, in Budapest will include Vienna and you’re almost certain to get an overnight stay there. It’s not the only highlight of this seven night cruise though. If you have the time make sure you stay a night or two in Budapest, one of Europe’s spectacular cities.Budapest’s highlights for me are the Gellert Baths or, if you are even more adventurous, the Szechenyi Spa and Swimming Pools. I guarantee you’ll have never experienced anything like this before. Not only are the enormous range of spas, thermal baths and pools spectacularly different, but, for me, part of the experience of any visit there is the cultural differences between all the people using these facilities. Just to understand the “menu” of what’s on offer, not easily translated for the English, is in itself a challenge. Take your own bath towel to avoid the cost, and greater challenge of trying to dry yourself with a sheet…    yes, no mistake…    a sheet, but that’s another story.

My own preference and recommendation, when it comes to river cruising, is to opt for APT, a line that specialises in this. If your budget can stretch to it, choose a twin balcony cabin.

Another great choice of river cruise line is Viking. They have an enormous number of ships sailing most of the major rivers.

There are many great rivers to choose from when doing a river cruise. Most popular are the Danube and Rhine. Not as well known is Portugal’s Douro. I work closely with many other good cruise lines including Emerald and AMA Waterways. Having cruised a number of times on Europe’s rivers, I speak from experience and would love to share my thoughts with you.

I hope you will be in touch to discuss the amazing travel experience that awaits you.

River cruises are always difficult to get space on so, I advise to book well ahead and have a few alternatives in case your first choice is already sold out.

As always, I can be reached on 0330 303 8397 or by email to [email protected]