River cruises – hottest trend in travel

In case you have not heard, river cruises are all the rage nowadays. A river cruise is a scenic and effortless way to travel. In addition, river cruises provide a great value because your accommodations, transportation between ports and meals are included in the package price.  

And there are many perks that some ocean vessels don’t provide, like wine and beer with lunch and dinner. Also, part of the package is the expertly guided shore excursions at the ports. Some lines even include gratuities and other benefits such as airport transfer and discounted air flights.

If you ever sailed on an Ocean Cruise, you have to understand that a river cruise is all about the destinations and scenery. No room for entertainment productions, on-board activities or casinos. You are looking at fewer than 200 passengers so you get to know your fellow passengers. Staterooms are a comfortable size and many have floor to ceiling sliding glass windows that once completely open to your room becomes a giant balcony. Remember the cruise is all about amazing scenery as you will be just 30 feet from shore. A river cruise is a calmer experience.

There will be lectures, presentations and films to educate the passengers about the historic, cultural and national aspects of the destinations they’ll visit. The dinners are four- or five-course events with regional cuisine taking center stage. And forget about those formal nights on the ocean ships, as dress is casual in the day and casual chic in the evening.  

On a river cruise you don’t have to struggle with a foreign language, decipher a map, read a road sign, or even pick up a guidebook. And of course, you only have to unpack once.

The average passenger age is between 60 and 80 years old. However, you may see some children with grandparents. And some ship excursions offer “gentle walkers” for those less mobile. Some river ships carry bikes that can be used for free in port and some allow passengers to bike from one port to the next and rejoin the ship.

For on-board river cruises, there are many wellness options: work out in the fitness center, take a yoga or exercise class with a wellness coach or swim in the heated pool.  

You will have your pick of theme cruises, from golf to history to jazz to chocolate to beer to Jewish heritage and a variety of destinations from Asia to Europe to Central America.

The classic European river cruise takes about 15 days, but can be broken into shorter stretches of the Rhine, Main and Danube river routes.  

Highlights are: Amsterdam, Holland’s sophisticated modern capital with a rich 700-year-old history and a distinct ambiance; the works of famous Dutch Masters at world renowned museums; one of Germany’s largest cities and capital of the Rhineland, Cologne straddles both sides of the Rhine with a highlighted guided tour or the Jewish heritage walk.   

As the cruise continues, you will find cultural gems of small towns, with half timbered houses, narrow streets and medieval town centers, and picturesque Bavarian villages. On day 15, you will arrive in Vienna, the City of Music, which inspired the creative geniuses of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. Then a stop in Bratislava, Slovakia.  

Discover France when you sail on the Rhone and Saone rivers and the Seine from Paris to Normandy landing beaches and return. Look forward to an immersion in a rich culture of food, wine and art. 

Highlights of the Jewish heritage cruise: step back into Jewish history on this adventure through Central Europe. Aboard your ship, a renowned expert conducts informative lectures about the sites and events that played roles in Jewish heritage. In Budapest, visit the world’s second-largest synagogue. Visit the Stadttempel in Vienna, whose curious location saved it from destruction during Kristallnacht in 1938. Explore the Document Neupfarrplatz museum in Regensburg, and with it remains of a medieval Jewish ghetto and ancient synagogue. In Prague, see the city’s Jewish museum and cemetery, and then travel to Terezin, one of Czechoslovakia’s largest concentration camps. Hear chilling stories about the daily lives of the Jews imprisoned there and visit the poignant memorial. Kosher food is not provided.

While there are many variations of cruise itineraries to select in Europe, there are also Asian cruises, where you can cruise on the Mekong River from Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia, as well as adding on an extension to Bangkok, Thailand. 

Another choice would be enchanting China and the Yangze River from Beijing to Shanghai and extend into Hong Kong. Or the Myanmar cruise, formerly Burma, on the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers in Myanmar, taking in sights, such as Bagan and Mandalay.  

So the next time you are planning a vacation, consider the hottest trend in travel, a river cruise that includes, food, wine, history and art. You will experience your destination from the perspective that interests you the most, in the company of others who share your passion.

Arlene Goldberg is president and owner of Action Travel Center in Solon.