The Best River Cruises: See the World and Only Unpack Once

The Aquavit dining terrace on the Viking Odin
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RIVER CRUISES don’t deliver multiple pools, restaurant choices or the drama of the open sea. But what they lack in variety of onboard offerings they more than make up for in the variety of places you can visit—which might be why river cruise companies can’t seem to build ships fast enough to meet demand. River cruises allow travelers to take in a maximum of cities and sights with a minimum of hassle: Instead of packing and unpacking at each destination, passengers on these midsize ships (generally between 120 and 160 passengers) only need to unpack once.

On oceangoing cruise ships, passengers are usually several stories above the sea. But river ships are low and most have floor-to-ceiling windows—in both public areas and cabins—constantly framing the shoreline and river, whether it’s the Rhône, the Seine or the Amazon. River ships also dock in the heart of the cities or villages they’re visiting and often remain overnight, giving passengers extended time to explore and views that are hard to come by any other way. In Budapest, for instance, rather than admiring the Chain Bridge over the Danube from shore or from a hotel room, you can experience it up-close from your cabin, docked for the night at the bridge itself.

For all of the appeal of river ships, travelers who place a high priority on round-the-clock grazing and shipboard diversions may want to look elsewhere: “There’s more of a routine on river ships,” said travel expert Wendy Perrin, founder and editor of WendyPerrin.com. “They serve meals at set times. On ocean ships, you can eat any time you want, all day long,”

‘Rather than admiring the view of Budapest’s Chain Bridge from shore, you can experience it up-close, from your cabin.’

Though a number of river cruise companies expanded their fleets this year (Royal Viking alone launched 12 new vessels), demand still seems to be exceeding supply, Ms. Perrin said, adding that it’s a good idea to book early (Avalon Waterways, for one, is offering 10-15% off 2016 bookings).

Some lines are touting new balcony rooms, but Ms. Perrin remains unimpressed, preferring the floor-to-ceiling windows that slide wide open. “You’ll never use the balcony on a river cruise. You’re better off with a big picture window that you can open to let the outside in,” she said.

For Free Spirits | Viking River Cruises

Viking ships offer a hard-to-find dining option—a terrace where travelers can eat a quick and casual dinner rather than sitting through the formal dining-room meal. And while group tours from the ship are widely available, Viking also provides onboard concierges who can arrange private tours for those who prefer to go solo. The cruise line, which offers trips in Europe, Asia and Africa, recently added two new itineraries along the Rhine (from $1,598 per person for a seven-day cruise, vikingrivercruises.com).

For Active Foodies | AmaWaterways

On the Danube, in Passau, Germany
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A dinner of fish, fresh from the river
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You won’t find standard fare on any of the 20 AmaWaterways ships (who wants to eat spaghetti in Siem Reap?). Menus are tailored to the region, so passengers will have cuisine-appropriate meals whether sailing in Europe, Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia or Myanmar. AmaWaterways ships also offer a fleet of complimentary bicycles; the line just launched a partnership with Backroads to pair biking trips with its river cruises on seven of its European and Asian itineraries (from $2,499 per person for an eight-day cruise, amawaterways.com).

For Instagram Junkies | Avalon Waterways

On Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River
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Each Avalon cabin has an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that open wide, making your room feel like one large balcony—perfect for travelers who love to watch (and photograph) the scenery from the privacy of their own room. Avalon also offers geographical diversity, with cruises along the Nile, Amazon, Yangtze, Mekong and Irrawaddy rivers, as well as throughout Europe. The company recently added several wine-, beer- and food-themed trips to its itineraries (from $999 per person for a four-day cruise, avalonwaterways.com).

For Luxury Lovers | Tauck River Cruises

A lounge aboard the ms Inspire
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Tauck’s elegant cabins are comfortable landing pads between shore excursions. And all costs are covered by the trip price, including gratuities, alcohol and hotel stays before and after the cruise—so you never have to think about money. The company has two new itineraries this year: a 23-day trip between London and Monte Carlo and an eight-day family cruise along the Rhine that includes a ride on the world’s steepest cogwheel train to the top of Switzerland’s Mount Pilatus (from $2,550 per person for an eight-day cruise, tauck.com).

For Culture Vultures | Grand Circle Cruise Line

Kinderdijk, in the Netherlands
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A favorite of travelers who want an in-depth understanding of a place, Grand Circle provides three program directors from the destination country on each of its cruises. They lead shore excursions and act as onboard consultants, so there’s always a local expert at hand, whether you’re floating through Europe, Asia or South America. The company’s newest trip is a 13-day Bordeaux vineyards and châteaux tour (from $1,195 per person for an eight-day cruise, gct.com).