Five Things We Love About River Cruising

My husband, Charlie, and I have been on four river cruises – three in Europe and one in the U.S.  We’ve sailed from Burgundy to Provence in France on the Soane and Rhone Rivers, from Prague to Budapest on the Danube River, and from Amsterdam to Basel on the Rhine River.  We’ve also sailed from St. Louis to Louisville on the American Queen steamboat.  All four of these cruises have been unique.  The scenery on each was extraordinary.  The ships had their own personalities in their layout and design.  The itineraries, needless to say, cannot be compared, as each was so different.  From the vineyards, lavender and sunflower fields in France, to the castles along the Rhine, to the history of World War II along the Danube, to the flavors of the small cities of the U.S., we found that there were similarities on all of them.

River cruising is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.  We are booking more and more of these types of vacations weekly.  A number of the river cruises in Europe, especially, are already booking up quickly for 2013.  China, Vietnam, Egypt and the Nile and the Zambizi in Africa, as well as the Po River in Portugal are fast becoming exciting river cruise destinations.

Why is this form of cruising becoming so popular?  Here are five things we love about river cruising:

1.       All-inclusive Value – River cruises typically include shore excursions in the cost of the cruise.  This is a tremendous value.  And, most of the river cruise operators (Avalon Waterways, Viking River, Tauck River Cruising, and American Queen Steamboat Company, to name a few) include wine and beer with lunch and dinner.  Many river cruise lines even offer complimentary Internet access as well.

2.       Easy to Go on Your Own – River cruises typically dock within walking distance of a city or town along the river.  This makes it very convenient if you want to explore on your own, or enjoy a lunch or dinner in town.

3.       Smooth Sailing – There is no motion on a river cruise, and for one who has an issue with motion sickness, this is a major plus.  So, if you are sensitive to motion, a river cruise is definitely something to consider.

4.       Relaxed Liquor Policy – River cruise lines are much more accommodating when it comes to consuming alcohol that you bring onboard.  If you purchase a bottle of wine in port, you can bring it back onboard and enjoy it up on the sun deck or in your cabin.

5.       Casual Dress Code – There are typically no “formal” nights on a river cruise.  The atmosphere is classy or “Country Club Casual”.  This makes it much easier to pack for your vacation.

If you haven’t tried a river cruise, now is the time to look at 2014 and a new adventure. 

Passau & Linz, Germany

April 16, 2011 - Our ship arrived Passau early this morning.  Passau is a border city and is the last city on the Danube before crossing into Austria.  Last night I had to watch "The Sound of Music" all the way through to get the feel and excitement of Austria (Charlie's note - four times).

We did a walking tour of Passau this morning through the cobblestone streets.  Our guide took us through alleyways and along some of the back streets.  We saw the Dom of St. Stephen, a beautiful Catholic church with the largest cathedral pipe organ in the world with over 17,000 pipes and 231 registers.  We saw a monastery across the Inn River with 321 steps leading up to this Baroque pilgrimage church.  The old city of Passau was destroyed by fires in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Today, Passau is a modern town and a historical city all rolled into one.

Passau is a city on three rivers - The Danube, the Inn and the Ilz - very much like Pittsburgh without the crying towels.  The Inn River is more brownish, the Ilz River is green from the minerals scraped by glaciers and the snow melt from the Alps, and the Danube is supposed to be blue, but is actually olive drab. 

We sailed mid-morning from this beautiful city to Linz in Austria.  Linz is the home of the Linzer Torte, one of Charlie's all-time favorite desserts.  Both Mozart and Beethoven composed symphonies while staying in this city.  Both of these composers were known to have had a sweet tooth, and perhaps it was the delicious linzer torte than gave them their inspiration.

Regensburg to Passau

April 15, 2011 - This has been a different river cruise because one of the locks that we needed to go through from Nuremberg to Regensburg was closed until yesterday.  So, this meant that we would go to Regensburg as our third stop instead of our second.  Regensburg was absolutely delightful.  Unlike Nuremberg which had over 90% of the city bombed during World War II, Regensburg had less than 7% bombed.  So, instead of newer buildings, the old Roman Empire remains of the wall around the city still remain.  Over 1300 of the buildings are considered of "historic interest", and for this reason, the entire Old City has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Charlie remembered that there had been a Messerschmitz factory right outside of Regensburg, and it had been bombed and decimated during the war. 

Until 1992, with the opening of the Main-Donau Canal, Regensburg was the end of the route for commerical ships on the Danube. 

This is another city to walk.  We saw the house the Napoleon occupied when he visited Regensburg as well as the Dom St. Peter, a Catholic cathedral that took 600 years to complete. 

As we were sailing from Regensburg, we saw a replica of the Parthenon high on a crest above the Danube.  Our guide explained that Ludwig I had commissioned this (Valhalla) and it was to be a Hall of Fame for the German Nation.

One thing that Regensburg is known for is the Wurstkuchl, which claimes to be the world's oldest "fried sausage kitchen".  At the end of our tour, there was sausage, sauerkraut and beer to sample.  We then, ended our day in Regensburg back on the ship with a beer tasting - four different types of Bavarian beer for four different breweries.

What a lovely way to end a day in Bavaria!!