River Cruises - Smaller Ships, Grand Experiences
December 09, 2005
When most people think of a cruise, an image of a huge ship surrounded by the wide expanse of the ocean, thousands of passengers onboard her decks, likely comes to mind. Maybe the word "cruise" conjures a mental snapshot of a giant ocean liner anchored half-a-mile off the coast of a tropical island. Well, while there's no doubt that you can enjoy yourself on one of the big ocean cruising vessels, there's also other types of special vacations - river cruises - that offer more intimate and up-close experiences.
River cruises may not provide the quintessential cruise experience, but they do give passengers the opportunity to have a water-bourn adventure that's unlike anything even the most luxurious large ships can offer. These ships, which are made specifically for meandering along rivers and narrow waterways of the world, allow guests to cruise through the heartland of a country, not simply skirt along its coasts. So rather than the Atlantic, it's the Amazon; instead of the Indian Ocean, it's the Elbe River. Think of it as smaller waterways with huge photo opps.
Don't get us wrong - we're not necessarily saying that these smaller river cruises are inherently better than their ocean-traveling counterparts. There are many outstanding ocean liners that offer very unique itineraries and unmatched service. Still, for those people who would rather spend the majority of time at a port of call rather than on the ship, river cruises are a great alternative to the more conventional cruise lines.
One very well-reputed cruise line that offers river cruises is Amadeus Waterways. This cruise line's ships travel through the rivers of Holland, Belgium, Prague, Budapest, Paris, Nuremburg, Vienna, and many other fascinating nations and cities, allowing passengers to visit both ancient and modern places.
Amadeus Waterways' 14-day Russian Waterways cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg takes passengers along Volga and Baltic waterways past cities and towns like Kostroma, Yaroslavi, and Goritsy - ports of call that won't be found on any more conventional cruise ships' itineraries.
Or, fly to Amsterdam (a city very much worth exploring) and set a course across some of Europe's most beautiful countryside. Dubbed Magnificent Europe, this cruise really stands up to its name; passengers will travel across Europe's Continental Divide and stop in places like Cologne, Germany; Vienna, Austria; and Regensburg, Germany, to name a few. Medieval castles that have withstood countless rains and lush, green meadows that have thrived on them await you.
Another great river cruise line is Delta Queen Steamboat Company. These folks reproduce the authentic Mississippi river cruising experience. You'll feel akin to Mark Twain as you experience Life on the Mississippi in one of the Delta Queen's luxuriously appointed ships (complete with genuine paddlewheel). But unlike the steamboat ancestors of the 19th century, all three of Delta Queen's steamboats have individual climate-controlled rooms and private baths (so you definitely won't be Roughing It).
Let's go back across "the pond" and take a look at another European river cruise line, Viking River Cruises. One of the great things about Viking River cruises is that the ships stop in at least one port of call per day, perfect for those people who want to really explore the places through which they pass. France, China, Serbia, Romania, Germany, Ukraine, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, and more are available on the cruise line's different itineraries.
Travel to the Far East, to China, a land as vast as all of the United Sates. You'll sail past village and city, from culture to culture. Traverse the mighty Yangtze River; see Three Gorges Dam and fabled cities such as Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. In France, cruise along the Seine and into Paris, the City of Lights; sail through Rouen, where Joan of Arc drew her last defiant breath in 1431.
On one of the Viking River Cruises Europe tours through Germany and Eastern Europe, you could travel along the scenic Elbe River, from Berlin, Germany to Prague, Czech Republic. Flowing northwest from Prague to Germany and out into the North Sea, the Elbe River has many wonderful and historic sights along its banks
Those are simply a few of the dozens upon dozens of options you have when choosing one of river cruises for 2006 from Cruise Network. Cruise West and Orient Lines are other magnificent small-ship options you have here at Cruise Network. Feel free to explore the website (www.cruisenetwork.com) for more information regarding specific river cruise itineraries. For those who want to leave the binoculars at home, river cruises are the way to go.
