All have ships operating on other continents, such as Egypt's Nile in
Africa and China's Yangtze in Asia.
River cruisers are low-slung vessels -- they have to be in order to
pass under Europe's low river bridges. In fact, passengers on the top
deck have to go below when a ship approaches a bridge because the
clearance often is very close. The ships also have to go through
multiple locks that raise or lower them to new water levels; on our
seven-day cruise, we passed through 23 locks.
Capacity on European river ships ranges up to perhaps 160 passengers,
and before the cruise ends, most people have gotten to know each other.
Some ships that sail on Russian are larger, carrying as many as 240
passengers. Cruises range from two to 18 nights.
The busy season is May through September, with low season in April
and in October through December. Some lines still have cabins available
this summer, but more space is available in the fall.
In addition to an extensive variety of season-long itineraries, river
cruise lines also offer special sailings. Among them: Cruises on
Holland's waterways in spring at tulip time and holiday cruises that
stop at Christmas markets in late fall. Some cruises focus on a certain
subject, such as castles on the Rhine, vineyards and wineries, or
paintings of the Impressionists. The cruise lines seem to add several
new itineraries every year.
BALCONIES & POOLS
River cruise lines also are picking up ideas from new
ocean-going ships. Some new river ships have staterooms with full
balconies and some have swimming pools, features none had just a few
years ago.
It's not just features that river ships are picking up from the
ocean-going lines. ``Ocean cruisers are an untapped market for us,''
said Guy Young, president of Uniworld. ``Eighty-five percent of our
passengers are past ocean cruisers.''
But fares on river ships are higher.
An Amsterdam-Zurich cruise on the Rhine in high season runs perhaps
$2,400 per person, Avalon's Clark said, with Danube cruises slightly
higher. Low season -- April and October -- may run $300-$400 less, he
said. The popular seven-night Budapest-Passau cruise on the Danube on
Uniworld costs $2,799 per person in high season and $1,799 in low
season, Uniworld's Young said. Schreiner ballparks AMA's pricing at $400
per person per day in high season, $300 in low season.
All those fares, however, include items such as shore excursions and
port charges that cost extra on ocean cruises.
``River cruises are not inexpensive,'' said Avalon's Clark, ``but
they're a great value.''
PAYING IN DOLLARS
The fare is in dollars and all-inclusive, and Americans know
in advance what the cost will be, a real plus in these days of
fluctuating currency exchange rates. Inclusions may vary from line to
line, but ship transportation, lodging, shore excursions, wine with
dinner and onboard entertainment are usually provided. Bar bills and
gratuities are extra.
Entertainment is simpler on river ships. Many have a pianist on board
who plays before and after dinner. On our seven-night cruise, the staff
also brought in entertainment from shore on three evenings.
We also opted for a couple of optional excursions -- an evening
concert in Vienna and a tour of sites related to the rise and fall of
Adolf Hitler in Nuremberg, the heartbed of Naziism.
Many passengers book optional shore extensions offered by the cruise
lines before or after their cruise. On our river cruise, for example, we
added a three-night hotel stay in Prague.
Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/06/1659698_p2/the-river-boom-cruising-through.html#ixzz0qZVi0aLC
Cruising onboard of a rivership is a relaxing experience, sit
on deck and watched the passing scenery as your rivership cruises along the
Danube past onion-steepled churches, medieval castles and monasteries, hills
layered with vineyards, small villages and people of the country at work or at
play.
Other times settled in the cozy, windowed lounge, where you can sip coffee or
cocktails and chat with fellow passengers as the scenery rolls by. Unlike big
ocean-going ships, you are always close to shore, no binoculars needed.
When docked at a city, you can step off the ship and walk right into the center
of things making a quick entry to Europe's main cities, which were built on
rivers.
These are some of the reasons people love European river cruising and why a boom
in such cruises has been taking place in recent years.
Well over a dozen new ships have been built in the past two years to sail on
European rivers and that's on top of an already very substantial fleet that
plies the continent's waterways. Today, Europe has 25,000 berths on river ships
and has Russia another 30,000. That's still far less than the space available on
ocean-going ships for example Carnival Cruise Lines alone has more berths than
that and it's just one cruise line.
But while big vessels undeniably offer more options, both onboard and in port,
passengers on small river ships enjoy a much more intimate experience.
The heart of the enjoyment is the small ship ambience with only 150 to 160
passengers, open-seating dining, meeting new friends and the coziness of being
on a smaller ship with everything to hand and an attentive crew who quickly know
your likes and dislikes.
Just as important is the easy access to city attractions, with ships stopping at
a different port every day, passengers can see a lot in a short time and they
don't have to pack and unpack every day as they would on a motorcoach tour of
those cities.
Europe's most popular river cruise is the Danube, particularly the segment from
Budapest to Passau, followed by the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel. But cruises
are offered on a number of other European rivers, among them the Rhone and Seine
(France); Holland's waterways; the Elbe, Main and Moselle (Germany); the
Guadalquiver (Spain); the Volga (Russia); and the Duoro (Portugal)you can even
cruise all the way from Amsterdam on the Atlantic coast to the Black Sea,
passing through multiple countries.
Although a number of companies offer European river cruises, four dominate those
that cater to Americans Viking, Uniworld, Avalon and AMA Waterways. All have
multiple ships and all have been expanding in recent years.
• In the past 18 months, Avalon has built four new ships. It will launch another
in 2011 and two in 2012.
• Uniworld owns nine ships in Europe plus one charter and next year will debut
its largest ship, the Antoinette, which the company says will have the largest
staterooms of all European river ships.
• AMA had seven ships in Europe in 2006. Now it has 10, including the new
Amabella, which debuted May 7.
• Viking, the biggest river cruise line, has 14 ships in Europe and five in
Russia and Ukraine, and has announced it will build eight more ships (at least
three of which will sail in Europe) in the next three years).
All have ships operating on rivers on other continents, such as Egypt's Nile and
China's Yangtze.
Riverships are low-slung vessels they have to be in order to pass under Europe's
low river bridges. In fact, passengers on the top deck have to go below when a
ship approaches a bridge because the clearance often is very close. The ships
also have to go through multiple locks that raise or lower them to new water
levels it is not unusual on a seven-day cruise to negotiate as many as 23 locks.
Capacity on European riverships ranges up to perhaps 160 passengers, and before
the cruise ends, most people have gotten to know each other. Some ships that
sail on Russian are larger, carrying as many as 240 passengers. Cruises range
from two to 18 nights.
The busy season is May through September, with low season in April and in
October through December. Some lines still have cabins available this summer,
but more space is available in the fall.
In addition to an extensive variety of season-long itineraries, river cruise
lines also offer special sailings. Among them: Cruises on Holland's waterways in
spring at tulip time and holiday cruises that stop at Christmas markets in late
fall. Some cruises focus on a certain subject, such as castles on the Rhine,
vineyards and wineries, or paintings of the Impressionists. The cruise lines
seem to add several new itineraries every year.
Rivership cruise lines also are picking up ideas from new ocean-going ships.
Some new river ships have staterooms with full balconies and some have swimming
pools, features none had just a few years ago.
It's not just features that river ships are picking up from the ocean-going
lines. Ocean cruisers are an untapped market for the rivership lines and can
count for as much as eighty-five percent of the sailing passengers on some
voyages.
But fares on river ships are higher. However, higher fares often include items
such as shore excursions and port charges that cost extra on ocean cruises when
one does the math's river cruises can be great value.
The fare is in dollars and all-inclusive, so cruisers know in advance what the
cost will be, a real plus in these days of fluctuating currency exchange rates.
Inclusions may vary from line to line, but ship transportation, lodging, shore
excursions, wine with dinner and onboard entertainment are usually provided. Bar
bills and gratuities are extra.
Entertainment is simpler on river ships. Many have a pianist on board who plays
before and after dinner. Frequently the line will bring in entertainment from
shore.
Cruisers frequently opt for a optional excursion, for example an evening concert
in Vienna and a tour of sites related to the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler in
Nuremberg, the heartbed of Naziism. Many passengers also book pre or post
extensions offered by the cruise lines |
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