10 Reasons To Choose A
River Cruise vs. Ocean Cruise

 

River cruising. It’s not new, but many of us think of cruising the deep blue sea when considering a journey by water. River cruising is an excellent choice for several reasons, and each one will inspire you to say yes to river vs. ocean voyages.  Here are my 10 reasons to choose a river cruise. 

River ships are smaller – No more thousands and thousands of passengers roaming around, especially with health concerns at a higher rate.  You will love the luxury ships with areas for relaxing, swimming, board games and enjoying the scenery.  

Smaller ships mean fewer people and more opportunities to meet fellow travelers and make lifelong friends. 

 

Costs include culinary specialties that match the local areas you will visit. Extra budget for several nights of specialty restaurant dining is not part of your experience. Buffets are plentiful and offer gourmet selections. You can still choose to have an extra-special night with a specialty dinner reservation.

 

Itineraries are all about the ports. The narrow ships flow through the canals and streamlined water routes with itineraries based on exploring the towns by bike, hiking, or small motor coaches. River cruises are loved by many for the accessibility to small towns and villages you would not usually think of visiting. 

 

Small ports make getting on-off ships easy for travelers with limited or impaired mobility. Many ports bring you next to walkways and pathways open for slow walks, visiting shops, museums, and galleries close to the water. 

 

Explore and learn more. Culture comes alive when we can see it firsthand. River cruises bring cultural entertainment onboard to experience music, art, crafts, food, and all from your front-row seat. While in port, cultural experiences with local residents are just steps away from the ship.

 

Spend your days exploring and your nights onboard. Sunny skies mean time to get off the ship and see the sites. Nighttime is ship time, with dinner, shows, and a chance to meet your travel buddies. Most sailing is during night hours. Cozy, comfortable cabins mean a restful night’s sleep or enjoy a little stargazing from your balcony.

 

Solo travelers can feel right at home. If your idea of traveling alone is by yourself to explore as you’d like, that’s no problem at all. If you enjoy traveling to meet people from around the world, solo travelers can easily connect with new friends. Smaller passenger loads mean you get to know many of your fellow travelers. Most river ships have a max number of travelers between 150 – 175.

 

Budget-friendly – most river cruises are all-inclusive – wine, beer, soft drinks, wifi, meals (including specialty restaurants in some cases), standard tours in each port, transfers, and airfare are all part of the cruise-package options you can reserve.

 

Active – yet, slow adventure – for those who love to “get up and at ‘em,” with early morning activities,  river cruising has your name on a ticket to sail. While river cruising is about exploring the small towns, you can take it slow on your own and enjoy the time onboard the ship. It’s easy to create your schedule and not feel pressure to keep up or have the fear of missing out.   

Ready to set sail on a river cruise?  Emerald and Scenic cruises are our recommendation for your relaxing sail along the river.

For more about Scenic listen to my show about sailing with Scenic Cruises