A millennial sails beyond river cruise misconceptions

Very little planning

Each evening before you set sail, the ship staff provides you with an itinerary for the next day. Depending on which company you sail with, some of the excursions are included in the bulk price of the cruise. 

But all the planning and any necessary transfers or logistics that do come up are not your concern. The staff manages the details, and you enjoy snapping photos for Instagram. 

The beauty of the experience is that there will be more options for activities and excursions than time allows. So you’ll never be sitting there twiddling your thumbs, asking your travel companions what’s next? And many of the river cruise destinations stay in port until late in the evening. That’s a drawback with some ocean cruises. The port time isn’t as long, and you may feel short-changed on time in each city. With river cruising, you may stay in a select place until midnight. So you can paint the town red and be back on board before the clock strikes 12.

Meals and booze included

One of the priciest parts of vacation is the food. You don’t have your cupboard at your disposal, and you’re forced (I say that facetiously, as I avoid cooking like the plague) to eat out every meal. 

With cruising, that’s part of the gig. Cruising often gets a bad rap that gluttony runs amok. I mean, what vacation doesn’t involve indulging? But with river cruises, oftentimes you’re not confronted with piles and piles of buffets. Many of the smaller vessels offer sit-down, five-star meals. 

The dining experience is a more elevated one, and here’s the best part for millennials: Beer and wine are included in the cost of many river cruises. Unlimited. This is the part of river cruising I’m surprised more young ‘uns haven’t caught on to yet. I went on a Europe river cruise last fall, and the millennial chaps in our party got their money’s worth with the booze. They were thick as thieves with the bartenders and waiters by the end of the trip. 

Personally, I was more excited about the cookie and hot chocolate station. But we’ve all got to get our gentle joys where we can get them.