Just a couple of decades ago, it’s fair to say that river cruises were far less common than they are today. There were literally dozens of companies offering Mediterranean, Alaskan, Scandinavian and Caribbean ocean cruises; however, river cruising was definitely much more restricted.
Today, with the emergence of more and more companies in this industry, you’re able to enjoy a river cruise holiday along all of the world’s most famous waterways. These range from the beautiful and idyllic Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe; to the mighty Mekong and Yangtze in Asia; the Amazon in South America; and of course, the historic and awe-inspiring Nile in Africa.
Whilst the shapes cruising along these rivers are nothing like on the scale of the ocean cruise liners, nevertheless, they are surprisingly luxurious and are fully-equipped with all of the features and facilities you would expect to see on any cruise. This includes opulent dining rooms, sun decks and comfortable lounges. Then you have the gorgeous staterooms where you are guaranteed to relax in comfort for the duration of your cruise.
The main difference between ocean and river cruising would definitely have to be the price. If you’re prepared to settle for an inferior stateroom on an ocean cruise, you can expect to find some unbelievably low prices. Unfortunately, however, probably due to the fact that there is far less space overall on the river cruise ships, this is not usually the same case for this type of holiday.
If you suffer from terrible ‘mal de mer’ – and you have my sympathies if you do! – river cruising is a great way of enjoying this type of holiday and not have to spend one or two weeks feeling dreadful and glowing a rather off-putting shade of green. So, if you have always fancied the idea of cruising but knew your sea-legs wouldn’t stand it, check out the river cruise itineraries and see if these will prove to be more suitable for you.
