Is River Cruising Right for you?
As you know by now, I am a huge fan of river cruising. In fact, it’s my absolute favorite way to travel. But is river cruising right for you? Let’s check it out.
Numbers matter. Ocean cruises, on average, hold about 3,000 passengers. The new mega-ships hold over 5,000 guests, not including crew. In fact, the new Icon of the Seas holds an astonishing 7,600 passengers. That’s about three times the size of my hometown.
River Cruise ships top out at 194 passengers. My preferred brands average 160 passengers on the exact same size ship.
The first place you’ll feel the difference is in the embarkation/disembarkation process. On a river cruise there is no herd mentality to get onboard or off the ship. No hustle, no bustle, no hassle, no stress.
The second place you’ll feel the difference will be in the public spaces. I recently went on a new ocean cruise maiden voyage and not once was I able to find a chair around any of the pools. Not once.
On a river cruise ship, there is room for everyone. Room in the panoramic lounge. Room on the upper deck, room in the dining room. Room for all passengers, all the time. And by room I don’t mean standing room, I mean a seat/chair/lounge chair.
The third place you’ll feel the difference is in the cabin. River cruise cabins, especially with my favorite brands, are substantially larger than the average ocean cruise cabin. Even the entry level cabins are 175 square feet on my favorites. Perfect for the budget minded traveler or the solo traveler, and still with a lovely view and luxury amenities.
The fourth place you’ll feel the difference is the noise factor. There’s no clanging of the slot machines because there’s no casino. There are no kids screaming because river cruises are not meant for kids.
The fifth place you’ll feel the difference is in service. With a 1:1 or at their worst 1:3 staff to guest ratio, river cruises provide a level of service you simply have to experience to appreciate.
The sixth place you’ll feel the difference is in food quality. When the cooking staff don’t have to generate thousands of meals per service per day, they can focus much more intensely on quality, and it shows.
The sixth place you’ll feel the difference is your pay-out when you head back home. Because 90% of the excursions are included, as are beer and wine with lunch and dinner, and happy hour every afternoon, your onboard spending is minimal. You certainly can’t say that about an ocean cruise.
Are river cruises expensive? They are. But they carry an enormous amount of bang for their bucket. Every single one of us here at The Joy of Travel is a river cruise expert. By that, I mean we’ve traveled on them many times. We can go into minute detail with you over every aspect of the trip, just to be sure you understand the experience and the value you receive for the investment.
River cruising isn’t right for everyone. But if you think it’s right for you, give us a call. We’d love to spend some time introducing you to a wonderful travel experience, The Joy of River Cruising.
Your Globetrotting Friend,
Joy
joy@thejoyoftravel.net