Many of my clients have the same questions about river cruising so I thought I would put the most asked ones here for you to learn from.
If I’ve sailed on large ocean cruises, will I like river cruising ?
Actually, river cruising is not for everyone. If you enjoy the Broadway type shows and many sports activities that the large cruise ships offer, you may find the river cruise ships too small. With river cruising, it is all about the destination – strolling through historic villages, viewing castles along the water, docking near markets, museums and famous landmarks. The voyage is more like a floating hotel where you only have to unpack once but you get to enjoy new spectacular scenery every day. Here is a very quick video about the type of wonderful entertainment from local artists brought onto the ship, it is like going out for an evening in town except no lineups as they bring the artist to you !
Are most river cruise companies the same ?
No, they can be quite different in many ways and you should look for the company that best fits how you like to travel. Work with a river cruise agent that knows the differences and can explain them. Take a look at my comparison page for a further explanation of the differences.
Are the daily excursions included in the price ?
Most of the daily sightseeing excursions are included however some of the companies also have optional excursions that are offered. The newest trend for the past couple of years has been to have more active type excursions instead of the traditional walking tours. Avalon Waterways has introduced their “Active Discovery” river cruises which offer excursions like hiking, canoeing and many more active type ones.
What is the dress code onboard ?
It does depend on what season you take your river cruise in because I think you’ll find more woman wearing sun dresses to dinner in the summer time but spring & fall tends to see more pants/sweaters due to the cooler weather. Either way though, it is a much more casual dress than on an ocean cruise which many call Country Club casual.
When you’re on shore, I cannot stress enough to bring a good pair of walking shoes or runners because you’ll be doing a lot of walking and will need the support.
What is the voltage onboard and will I need an adapter?
Most ships in Europe have the 220v plugs so always good to bring an adapter but many of the newer ships have now been built with 110v plugs and USB ports for you to plug your phones/tablets and computers into.
Do any of the river cruise companies offer rates for singles ? (without doubling the price)
Yes, as a matter of fact many of the river cruise companies offer no single supplements on their lead in window categories but many times throughout the year, specials are put on in the upper categories. There are a couple of older ships in some of the fleets that have actual single cabins (one twin bed) so no additional costs are charged for those ones.
