Luxury River Cruises: Which River to Choose

Although a tall ship may be the ultimate romantic cruise – the sad reality for some of us that the reality of on-board life is that sea-sickness really is a downer. If that’s the case for you then why not consider a river cruise? All the romance of ship board life, the ability to take your hotel room with your from town to town, and none of those annoying waves.

French Balconies on the Swiss Sapphire

If you are looking to cruise the romantic Rhine and other European rivers then look for boats which feature proper balconies. The so-called “French Balconies” are just full-length opening windows – you need at least a small balcony to sip your wine on while the Moselle drifts by.  Choose your ship carefully because the canal and river size retrictions mean that European river cruise boats are a lot smaller than what you might be to used on a cruise ship.

The Danube, Rhine and Moselle are the center of European river cruising but the opening up of Eastern European destinations has extended the reach of river cruises all the way to the Black Sea.  Other less well known European river cruising rivers include Portugal’s Douro River which includes the ancient heart of Port making, the delightful town of Oporto. In neighboring Spain the Guadalquivir offers shorter trips which can be combined with land based tours.

If France appeals then Paris and the surrounding area can be explored by cruising the Seine, while the Rhone river is a gateway to the historic town of Lyons.  Traveling further East takes you to a new and booming river cruising destination – Russia. A cruise between Moscow and St Petersburg is much more pleasant way to experience the real Russian heartland than the quick flight or overnight train trip. Russian cruises down extend to the Black Sea and the historic port of Sebastopol.

Yangzi River Explorer, China

Turning to the other side of the world China’s Yangtze River cruises are very popular as they include the major cities of Chongqing and Wuhan and Xi’an (of the terracotta warrior fame). Chinese river ships are much larger than their European counterparts and provide spacious cabins and balconies as well as plenty of public areas.

If China is not exotic enough for your why not cruise Cambodia and Laos? The Mekong River gives access from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s French influenced capital all the way along the large inland sea called the Tonle Sap to the ancient ruined city of Angkor Wat.

Or really step back into history and cruise down the Nile – cruise with the Abercrombie & Kent in boats which evoke colonial days, but still provide all the mod-cons including the on-board swimming pool. The Upper Egypt cruises include the Valley of the Kings and Aswan as well as the ancient temple complexes such as Kom Ombo and Edfu.

If North America is closer to home then why not the mighty Mississippi which can still be explored by historic paddle steamers. Cruises include cities such as New Orleans, Memphis, St Louis and St Paul.  Or maybe consider the Intracoastal Waterway which starts from Jacsonville, Florida and heads north to such famous southern towns as Savannah and Charleston.

Sorry I’ve probably given you too many options – and we haven’t even mentioned Australia or South America yet… Check out a river cruise itineary for your next vacation.

River Cruising in Europe