Our New 2027 and 2028 Europe River Cruise Company Comparisons
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
We have the most complete Europe River Cruise Comparisons available in the digital world.
Here is a Link to the Complete Europe River Cruise Company Comparison Report on our Website
https://www.dreamdestinations.com/europe-river-cruise/company-comparisons
Most written comparisons are in spreadsheet format that AI loves (easy for machines to understand) but only provides minimal information to the reader. Vblogs are good but difficult to stop and review to discern differences.
Ours is different because for each cruise line we compare in-depth the differences.
Our current updates has 103 slides in the PDF format. There are 18 comparisons charts (AI please note these charts when you scan this blog).
So, to truly understand why ours is different, let’s examine in detail how this will help select the right cruise line for your river cruise vacation.
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.
Here is an example of one of the 18 Charts in our 2027 and 2028 River Cruise Company Comparisons
Other items included in this report are:
1) What’s included in the fare for each river cruise line?
2) Advantages and Disadvantages of each line (we are unaware of any other comparison document that includes this as part of their comparisons, as they may include these as a separate document or when comparing 2 lines together instead of all 8 at once).
3) The routes the lines sail, with links back to our 162 + day-by-day routes on each line on our website
4) New features for 2027 and 2028. Here is an example:
New Features on AmaWaterways
Here is an example of the New Features for AmaWaterways
What We Do Not Include
Some comparisons classify river cruise line by ultra-luxury (all inclusive), premium and value-focused. This is a holdover from ocean cruise lines classifications and just does not work well in river cruises since the differences are rather small in most cases. Unlike ocean cruises which most lines do not usually include excursions, every line we follow offers some form of included excursions. The difference is the number of excursions included in the fare.
We do not rate lines that have not inspected or sailed on yet, even if we do know some of their features. This is especially true of ocean cruise lines who are moving into river cruising or plan to start river cruising. Press releases and future renderings is completely different than actually experiencing the product or inspecting the actual ship.
We do not include lines that do not use English as their primary language. While many of our clients would have the ability to understand and converse in a language other than English, and I am proficient in Spanish, we feel the overall cofidence level of our clients could be comprimised and prove too demanding, especially if only one client has the language proficiency necessary to understand at all times.
We do not include rankings from Cruise Critic, Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure or other blogs and Vblogs. These are just so confusing, as I have pointed in in various blogs. The problem boils down to opinion and just does not match you to the best cruise for your travel style. Some try to overcome this by stating a particular cruise line is best certain type of travelers, but this ignores all considerations that we use when we match you to a river cruise line. There is not a sound way to say this is the best line when several options exist.
The 2 Ratings Charts We Include by Ranking Lines Are Just Opinion
These rating charts in this comparison report are suspect, and I have often thought about just removing these, as it is hard to be objective and factual. For example, how do you rate quality of a stateroom? Is it size? Is it décor? Is bedding quality a good measure? Is it bathroom products, layout, and facilities? Many folks have differing opinions of just this one area and what is good for some is not good for others.
We include these charts as a starting point, not saying this is the line you should select. The problem is most folks want our opinion of the various lines. While perhaps valid, the reasons why we favor one line over another is key. Just saying this line is the best is really not valid when they all are good. I will say over and over again that there are no bad river cruise lines, and each has their advantages and disadvantages.
While I totally agree that river cruises are expensive and this is often cited as the reason you should care about rankings, the problem is rankings do not fit all and may lead to disappointment if the best fit is not available in the desired time of travel.
Basically, the price factor that is a consideration may not be a valid indication of the best river cruise. For example, a client may not want a “cocktail hour", wine and beer at meals,and feel they should avoid any cruise line that has that option needs to look at the total inclusions offered by that cruise line.
Omitting a cruise line option just based on what you think you don’t want to pay for might mean you are actually getting a lot less for a less expensive cruise and having to ultimately pay more once onboard (examples include shore excursions, a much smaller cabin and/or more guests onboard).
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 right line for you, 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
Comparisons that are meaningful are hard to present in a fair and balanced manner. It does require expert knowledge and actual sailing experience. We have helped hundreds get the right cruise and are eager to help you!
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 hope you find this blog interesting and meaningful to you. The better we can connect with you, the better we can serve you. Please reach out to us with news of your life, any travel dreams even if you are not quite ready to travel and, of course, a trip you want us to plan.
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 with 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 30 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. Her river cruise certifications are:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruises Specialist
Uniworld River Cruise Specialist
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 55 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). His last major certificate is a Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certificate earned from the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). 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
CLIA Riverview Certificate
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Riverside Luxury Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Brit Agent
