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Recommended Providers also scored at least four out of five stars for both customer service and value for money. To help you find the best cruise for your budget for 2024 and beyond, we asked hundreds of customers about their experiences. Sailings are available from late September to early November 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Related Cruises
Local entertainment comes on board, the food is often locally sourced, and cocktail parties are included in the cruise fare. While the top 10 river cruise lines tend to stay similar every year, it’s interesting to see which attributes readers feel most drawn to for each operator. Take, for example, No. 3 Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, which slipped two spots this year but still has ardent fans among T+L readers.
Best and worst river cruise lines
With state-of-the-art ships and diverse itineraries covering amazing destinations around the globe, river cruising makes for a fantastic vacation for travelers of all ages. Whether you want to explore Europe’s most iconic cities or far-flung destinations in Asia, you’re guaranteed an unforgettable experience. A river cruise is kind of like a floating hotel, except you'll visit a variety of places but only have to unpack once. In addition to food and drink — with carefully curated cuisine reflective of the areas being visited — many river cruises include land excursions, which is a huge advantage that adds tremendous value. The ships deliver great food and wine and beyond-the-norm experiences on shore, such as the chance to sip local varietals in a wine cave.
These are the best river cruise lines, sorted by price from low to high.
Many American travelers have heard of river cruise lines like Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon Waterways -- and you can find more about them below. The best river cruises blend refined onboard accommodations with exciting itineraries along some of the world’s most memorable waterways. On an Alaska river cruise, you can look for wildlife, take in the amazing scenery, learn about history and Alaska Native culture, access remote locations for a short hike, or even stop to go fishing.

Recommendations & Resources for choosing river cruises
As part of Viking’s anniversary sale, a $25 deposit is applicable for this booking. Uniworld requires proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for all their guests, except those under the age of 12, who must have a negative test result within 72 hours of embarkation. The hand-held, everything-taken-care-of luxury experience that Tauck provides is hard to beat.
Why Your Best Cycling Or Hiking Trip Might Be An Active Cruise - Forbes
Why Your Best Cycling Or Hiking Trip Might Be An Active Cruise.
Posted: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Best European River Cruise Line for Unique Destinations: CroisiEurope
Expect roomy modern ships, smartly furnished cabins and top-notch food, including local dishes. It was also the only operator to clinch the full five stars for its vast array of itineraries – it has 14 Rhine trips alone. If exploring the central U.S. — Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri — without driving is appealing, consider the 15-night Grand Ohio River Cruise offered by American Cruise Lines.

What Readers Loved
This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be. Don’t be tempted by the relatively low headline price – you’ll have a better time with any other cruise line. Reliable Riviera has classy cruises at a good price, and really looks after its customers.
Viking Cruises
And some river cruises are much more active than others with, for instance, biking and hiking tours. Some might argue that, with less than 200 passengers onboard, free wine at meals and included shore excursions, all river cruises are luxurious, compared to their mainstream ocean counterparts. Along with visits to bustling cities like Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, Aqua Expeditions' Mekong River cruises also visits serene ports in the countryside. Imagine kayaking to floating villages, watching silk weavers at work, and biking to village markets. Beyond the beautiful sights in Cambodia and Vietnam, the ship, Aqua Mekong, is a marvel in itself. The vessel has 20 suites that feature full-length windows and onboard amenities include a cinema, top deck plunge pool, and sun deck with lounge chairs and cabanas.
THE 25 BEST River Cruises to Asia (with Prices) on Cruise Critic - Cruise Critic
THE 25 BEST River Cruises to Asia (with Prices) on Cruise Critic.
Posted: Fri, 19 Apr 2024 00:18:03 GMT [source]
Alaska: AKA Your Next Adventure
Each day, you'll receive an enamel pin reflecting the day's adventure such as Mickey dressed as Mozart or Donald cooking goulash. Tauck recently renovated many of their ships, most of which carry just 84 or 98 guests, while a few larger boats accommodate a max of 130 guests. As the name implies, the American Queen Steamboat Company uses old-school-style riverboats for their journey. These state-of-the-art, authentic paddle wheelers can accommodate from 150 to 400 guests, depending on the ship. In fact, there are many kid-friend amenities, such as cooking classes, a young travelers' lounge, and a game room complete with PlayStation, games, movies, and local treats.
The ship's "Design Your Time" concierge service will help personalize your onboard and onshore experiences. The cabins are large with King-sized beds, which is a rarity in river cruising. Many also have balconies and walk-in closets, and all are above the waterline. Adventures by Disney is, unsurprisingly, one of the best river cruise lines for families in Europe.
If you like to stay fit and healthy on vacation, Avalon Waterways is the best line for get-up-and-go European river cruises. In addition to regular itineraries, Avalon offers Active & Discovery sailings on the Rhine, Danube, Rhone, Moselle, Seine and Dutch waterways. Work up an appetite with action-packed kayaking, hiking and cycling tours before returning to a well-earned meal. Onboard cuisine features a variety of menus including Avalon Fresh which showcases mainly vegetarian dishes. Although these cruises typically have fewer inclusions—you’ll spend extra on things such as shore excursions and alcohol—comfort river cruises are the best option for budget-minded travelers.
Today, a river cruise on a historic stern-wheel paddleboat or fast jet boat is a great way to get deep into the wilderness in a short time. Tips cost extra, but Riviera throws in a premium drinks package with all of its European river cruises. It has more solo traveller and no-fly options than most operators, and you can travel by train to its Belgian, Dutch, French and German boats. Recommended Providers (WRPs) are the cream of the crop, and we only consider giving the accolade to river cruise lines with the highest customer scores.
Companies such as CroisiEurope and A-ROSA package their fares to include wine, beer and soft drinks, so finding a largely all-inclusive cruise at the price point is possible. Part of tour company Grand Circle Travel, this line is a popular affordable choice for travelers age 55-plus in Europe. The fleet of 46- to 140-passenger ships cruises waterways that include the Seine, Rhine, Mosel, Main, Danube and Rhone.
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