Most of you are cruisers, but I’ve been getting a surprising number of inquiries lately from those that have either NEVER taken a cruise, or they sailed one of the floating amusement parks out of Florida in the 80s and hated it. The two main questions:
Why should I consider a River Cruise?
How is River different than Ocean?
First of all, I would never try to talk someone into something, but there are reasons why cruise is the fastest growing segment of the leisure travel industry for several years running (and no signs of slowing down).
Here are some points I put forward to answer the two questions above:
- Cost-Effectiveness: River cruises in Paris (for example), cost between $350 and $600 per night. There’s no chance of staying in a 5-star Paris hotel, eating three meals a day, enjoying entertainment daily, and visiting the sites for this amount.
- Efficiency: River Boats and Cruise Ships often move at night – a distinct advantage over having to travel between places by motor coach in the daytime.
- Unpack Once: If you want to see a bunch of different cities and villages in Europe, think of a River Boat as a 5-star hotel that moves with you on your journey. Yes… There are motor coach tours that do very similar routings if you’re willing to be in a different hotel every night.
- Destination Immersion: Unlike Ocean Ships (especially those floating amusement parks), a River Boat is NOT your destination. It is a vessel that enables your exploration of the region you’re sailing through. A river cruise experience is made up of what you do on shore, and those aspects of shore that are brought back on board for you (like local food and entertainment).
- Minimal Motion: On a River Boat, you often must look out a window to figure out if you’re moving. Even the most stable Ocean ship will be pitching and rolling in high seas.
- Fewer People: River Boats hold between 60 and 180 people – something you notice most when embarking and disembarking.
- River cruises are busy: There are no sea-days on a river cruise, and you spend most of your time on shore. Activities on board the River Boat are more limited than the ocean because of this.
- Inclusions: All River Cruises we deal with include daily excursions, beer & wine with meals, wifi on the ship, and a very high quality culinary offering. Some include an open bar and gratuities. Regardless, you won’t find your room charges exceeding your fare, like you do on some of the mega-ships.
NEXT WEEK: I’ll chat about how those people I mentioned above that did a mega-ship cruise 30 years ago and hated it, may want to look at small-ship cruises, and how different they are from the floating amusement parks.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
AMA Waterways — Free Gratuities
Our friends at AMA are offering included prepaid gratuities on many of their European itineraries until January 31. Here are 2 examples.
Bucharest to Budapest for 7-nights departing June 17
- Visit Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania.
- $3249 cruise only
- $5229 for 2-nights pre-cruise Bucharest & 2-nights post cruise in Vienna.
- Includes pre-paid gratuities and $150 pp On Board Credit.
Wine Cruise! Prague to Paris departing August 7 for 7-nights
- Visit Nuremberg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim, Rudesheim, Rhine Gorge, Koblenz, Bernkastel, Luxembourg
- $2999 cruise only (Nuremberg to Luxembourg)
- $3999 for the cruise and EITHER 3-night Prague Pre-Cruise, OR 3-night Paris Post-Cruise
- $5279 for cruise and 3-nights Prague pre-cruise AND 3-nights Paris post-cruise.
- Includes pre-paid gratuities and $150 pp On Board Credit.
Paris & Normandy
- Visit Paris, Monet’s Gardens, Normandy Beaches, Le Havre, Caudebec En Caux, Rouen
- $3749 cruise only.
- $4499 for 7-night cruise, and 2-nights in Paris.
- Includes pre-paid gratuities and $150 pp On Board Credit.
Remember that AMA includes a choice of several shore excursions in each port of call, beer/wine with meals, wifi on the ship, and if you book this month free pre-paid gratuities on many departures (but only if you book through the Pampered Cruiser).
DON’T see the AMA cruise you’re looking for? There are several other departures in Europe and the Mekong with FREE GRATUITIES. Please inquire.
Uniworld Ultimate France.
If you’ve got the time, this is a great way to see ALL of France on 3 different rivers and 3 different ships (with all your transfers between). Most of our clients do pre and post when they cruise in France, so this gets you to 3 distinct areas to complete your French immersion:
Bordeaux to Marseilles for 22-days departing June 30.
- Week 1: Bordeaux: This is all about wine, but you also visit Toulouse-Lautrec’s house, do an Oyster tasting, and optional bike rides.
- Week 2: Paris and Normandy: Visit La roche Guyon, Monet’s Gardens, a private concert at Rouen Cathedral, see Joan of Arc’s resting place, Honfleur, Normandy Beaches, Versailles, Paris City tour.
- Week 3: Provence: Visit Lyon (the Gastronomic Capital of France), see a silk weaving demonstration, Burgundy Winery visit, Hermitage Vineyard visit, Roman Ruins at Viviers, Truffle Farm, Roman Viaduct at Avignon, explore Roman Ruins and Van Gogh’s work in Arles.
- Prices start at $11,999 for all 3 cruises and transfers in between. Includes an open bar, a shore excursion in every port, gratuities and wifi on the ship.
Viking Mississippi
If you’re looking for something a bit closer to home Viking is offering FREE round-trip air, a stateroom upgrade, and $200 per person on board credit.
New Orleans to Memphis departing July 27
- Visit New Orleans, Darrow, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, and Memphis
- Experience the French quarter, former plantations, southern mansions, Cajun cooking, Civil War historical sites, and Graceland.
- Veranda Rooms departing July 27 from $4999. Includes round-trip air, transfers, beer/wine with meals, a shore excursion in every port, and wifi on the ship.
Ocean ships that feel more like a River Boat:
Viking Polaris and Octantis hold only 378 guests when fully loaded, and have some itineraries closer to home in the summer months:
Fort Lauderdale to Toronto departing April 2 or April 10 for 16 days:
- Visit Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, Norfolk, NYC, Lunenburg, Cape Breton Island, Cap aux Meules, Quebec City, Trois Rivieres, Toronto.
- If you’ve done a Canada/New England cruise before, but want to visit new ports of call; you want to check out this Expedition Ship, OR you just want a reasonably priced Viking cruise, then this is worth checking out.
- Nordic Balconies from $4995. Includes round-trip air, transfers, beer/wine with meals, a shore excursion in every port, and wifi on the ship.
- See our Ship tour video of Viking Polaris here: https://youtu.be/izwAZ6NdFOo?si=x0h0UU5iqNS7AbRl
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
