Our New 2025-2026 River Cruise Lines Comparisons
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
Every year, we take an in-depth look at the 8 river cruise lines that provide the bulk of river cruise vacations to the US consumers. We just updated our report, and I wanted to share the results with you.
This is the most complete comparison available to consumers and is accurate and complete as possible for the 8 river cruise lines we follow.
Overview
• All river cruises are very good values & special trips.
• There are no official rankings of river cruise lines and many have won awards from various travel organizations.
• These are my personal ratings and should be considered as such.
• My ratings are based on:
• sailing 29 river cruises, selling river cruises to clients, personal research & attending numerous webinars by these individual companies,
• earning specialist designations from individual river cruise companies and
• ratings from The Berlitz River Cruising in Europe & the USA Guide.
The comparisons presentation is 93 slides long and tries to be an objective document.
Here is the link to the entire report:
Disclaimer
It might be a little unusual to begin with a disclaimer, but I feel it is important to emphasize no comparison document is going to be 100% perfect.
There are 3 main reasons for this disclaimer. They are:
The river cruise scene is constantly changing, and I have tried to provide accurate information, but changes happen rapidly.
Also, companies change policies.
Every effort has been made to communicate correct information. We apologize for any errors and omissions; but assume no liability should they occur.
8 Main River Cruise Companies for the US Market with their Marketing Slogan
AMAWaterways “Leading the Way in River Cruising”
Avalon Comfortably upscale... more-spacious-than-average-cabins.”
Emerald sometimes refers to itself as the next generation of river cruising
Riverside Luxury Cruises ”Luxury Returns to the River”
Scenic-- “5-star, all-inclusive luxury river cruises throughout Europe and Asia”
Tauck “ Never Settle for Ordinary”
Uniworld “The world's only authentic boutique cruise line”
Viking “Exploring the world in comfort”
What to Consider When Comparing River Cruise Companies?
• Number of on-board passengers
• Quality of the vessels
• Accommodations
• Cuisine
• Service
• Shore excursions
• Extras
• Cost—are you getting the value for your money?
We cover these topics for each line either in comparison charts (there are 18 comparison charts in the presentation) or as a separate topic. Other items included in this report are 1) What’s included in the fare? 2) Advantages and Disadvantages of each line; and 3) the routes the lines sail, with links back to our 162 + day-by-day routes on each line on our website.
My Personal Ratings
Although we discourage you from trusting blindly what we consider a ranking order of river cruise lines, we are constantly asked this, so we have developed our comparison slide. Our ratings really don’t matter much, as the only important thing is how the offerings from these 8 companies match your travel style. Here are our personal ratings:
How Best to Use this Information
• First, realize that all river cruises are a good value and for most, the best way to see Europe!
• The most important task is to first select the itinerary and make sure it visits the sights you desire to see, then pick the cruise line.
• To select the line, match the items you consider most important from the river cruise line and then use this guide as a good place to start.
• Use price last—look for value!
• This is very complicated—why not seek our advice to get the best possible trip?
Our Final Thoughts
As you can see—it doesn’t matter who is number one; it only matters that you get the right river cruise vacation that matches your travel style. As, I like to say, “There are no bad river cruises, all lines probably will provide you the best vacation you will ever take!”
Bottom line? If you: desire fine dining; a hassle-free vacation that is easy to plan and arrange; want to discover leisure destinations that they may later want to return to and explore in-depth; are looking for good value; and seeking a reliable and safe vacation, then European river cruising is a great choice for you.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision-making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@visitdd.com . We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 53 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Brit Agent
