River Cruises

River cruising is a different product from ocean cruising, not a smaller version of it. The ships are long, low and built to fit under bridges and through locks; there is no casino, no production show and rarely a pool worth the name. You tie up in or near a town most days, often within walking distance of the old centre, and the scenery passes the window between stops. The sailings here are almost all in Europe - the Rhine, Main and Moselle, the Danube from Germany down to Romania, the Seine, the Rhone, Bordeaux's Garonne and Dordogne, and the Dutch and Belgian waterways - and most run seven to fourteen nights, one-way between cities such as Amsterdam, Nuremberg, Budapest, Bucharest, Paris and Avignon.

Water level is the risk nobody mentions at booking. April, May and June are the likeliest months for high water, when ships can't clear bridges; late summer and autumn bring low water after a dry spell. 2026 was a bad year for the second kind: in July the Danube at Budapest fell to within a few centimetres of its 2018 record low, and by late September operators were still swapping passengers between sister ships, running coach transfers and cancelling some departures on the Upper Danube and the Rhine around Cologne, Koblenz and Mannheim. AmaWaterways puts the share of its European departures affected by water in an average year at about 3.5 percent, so it is not common - but travel insurance and a line with a clear disruption policy matter more here than at sea.

Fares include more than on most ocean ships. Viking includes one shore excursion in every port, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, and Wi-Fi; its river ships take guests 18 and over only. AmaWaterways includes a choice of several excursions per port, wine and beer with meals plus a daily cocktail hour, Wi-Fi and bicycles on its European ships, and it accepts children - so families who want a river trip usually end up there.

December brings Christmas-market sailings on the Rhine and Danube, which are cold, short-daylight and very popular. The format is built around daily walking tours and culture without unpacking, and there is little nightlife, so it fits couples better than groups looking for a party.

Sources: cruisemaven.com, cruisemapper.com, travelextra.ie, rivercruiseadvisor.com, globaljourneys.com