Questions You Should Ask to Get the Best Possible River Cruise
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
We recently helped two couples plan a European river cruise for the 2026 cruise season. Neither had been on a river cruise. It got me to thinking—what questions would I have about taking a river cruise for a travel advisor that might be different from another type of vacation?
The more we talked and emailed each other, it became evident to me that both really wanted to go, but they wanted the best possible experience for their money and had a lot of questions. We finally got them booked on a line neither had previously known about but was the best option for them–I am quite confident they will have a great vacation.
So, we have developed a list of topics you should ask a travel professional if you want the best fit for a river cruise vacation you are considering.
What are the Reasons for this Vacations?
It might seem strange to start with this information, but to my way of thinking, the purpose or why you want to take the vacation is the central question that needs to be answered. It really determines if a river cruise is right for your travels.
I recognize there may be some easy answers like celebrating or building and strengthening relationships with friends or family, but we think you should also consider 3 parts of determining the motivation for this unique type of travel.
So, for me, this brings up the first 3 questions you should ask us:
1. Will we get enough time to see and do new things?
2. Will we have enough time to relax and get rid of stress?
3. Will it add to our knowledge and understanding of history, food and other cultures?
So, now if your responses match 2 of the 3 general questions of why you want to go on the vacation, you are probably a pretty good match for a river cruise. If the object is to relax, and get rid of stress, a river cruise may not be my best option, if you only want to relax and have no other desire than just rejuvenating (unpacking only once during your cruise is a very good stress reliever but may not be enough relaxation for you). Another factor would be the complete spa experience, even though many ships offer massages and have small pools, which a river ship will provide only a partial spa experience.
Being able to see and do new things and learning about history of other cultures are the core of the river cruise experience. The reason is simple—the river boats often port near or in the city centers and with the included tours, it is more active than just lounging around a swimming pool or spending a day relaxing in a hammock by the beach.
It doesn’t mean you can’t relax on a river cruise—Anne often takes a day off from the sightseeing and just enjoys a short walk on her own or stays onboard. While these are basic questions, there must be follow on—what sights, what type of new things, how much history, how much mixing with people and their cultures—now choices are coming and expert information is a must to get your possible best trip.
Capital Cites You could visit on a Danube Cruise
Next Comes the river in Europe to Select for Your River Cruise
We have written several blogs about what you can expect to see on Europe’s rivers while on a river cruise. Most river cruisers select either the upper Danube (about 32 %) or the Rhine (about 29%) for their first river cruise—that’s 61 % of all river cruisers. While these are great options, by no means are the only options. You could select one of 3 routes in France, maybe a tributary of Rhine or perhaps the lower Danube route to learn more about the Balkan region and Portugal for European routes or some combination of these rivers.
Some of the Rivers of Europe. Used by permission from AmaWaterways
The type of cruise experience is the central theme here. My 4 questions would be:
1. What will I get to see on my cruise on this river or river system?
2. Why should I go on this river?
3. Are there any problems I might experience on this river?
4. When is the best time to go?
Again, this is why you need our help! You need a professional who knows the advantages and disadvantages of each river (after 31 river cruises, we probably can quickly answer these questions from our vast, first-hand experience).
Here is the link to our blog about the reasons to sail on a particular Europe River:
Now, What Cruise Line?
Perhaps this is the hardest set of questions, as not everyone has the same tastes. River cruise lines often seem quite similar, yet few professionals can tell you the advantages and disadvantages of each line. Again, we have the solution—our website has 162 day-by-day itineraries of 8 river cruise lines we follow. We have written over 140 river cruise blogs capturing the cruise company differences though our eyes. Combine these two excellent resources with over 7600 pictures, most taken by Anne, which capture the true essences of the river cruise experience, and how this will help you make the right choice for your river cruise.
Among the factors we consider are food and beverage; included excursions and the quality of the excursions; extra costs not included in the fare; number of guests sailings on the ship; length of the cruise; service and butler service (if an option); amenities such as a gym or wellness treatment rooms; guest laundry facilities; and atmosphere (vibe of the ship).
Next, What Cabin Type?
Although river ships are small compared to ocean liners and the staterooms are usually smaller, there is a large range of choices for your cabin. They all come a different price points and options, like balconies, bed size and bathroom configuration and features. While this is an important set of questions, the typical river cruiser does not spend that much time in their cabin except to sleep and get ready for their next excursion and meal, so to some, this may not be as important as it is to others.
An Avalon French Balcony Stateroom. Photo Anne Schrader
Still, the stateroom can make or break the experience for some river cruisers, especially a seasoned ocean cruiser who prefers a huge suite—river cruise staterooms may be just too small for them, or they may need to have a larger stateroom on one of the two Giants of the Danube (the double wide cruise ships from AmaWaterways and Riverside Luxury Cruises). Perhaps more important than size is the quality of the various stateroom choices.
An AmaWaterways Large Stateroom on the AmaMaga Photo Anne Schrader
Is it getting a little complicated? Add in 8 river cruise lines with different features and you can see it really does require a special knowledge of each line to choose the right stateroom for your cruise.
When Should I go?
There are certain times of the year when river cruising is less expensive. If your plans are flexible, I am sure you would want to know if you can save some money and still get a great vacation. Sales and promotions are a factor to consider.
One of our favorite times is late October thru November, as the weather is still generally mild, there are less crowds and prices seem generally lower. We have sailed during all 4 seasons, so we can explain the differences and challenges each season brings to your selection process.
Pre and Post Stays
Most Americans do not want to fly to Europe for only 7 days—due the distance and cost involved in this type of vacation, so it often makes sense to extend with a land package.
This creates a new set of questions—among them, what do the cruise lines offer, should my travel advisor create a special add-on package with another vendor, what will I see and do on the land package, and how much extra does it cost?
Flights and Transfers
Most river cruise lines offer good deals for flights to help you get to Europe. However, these can be great experience, or, at worse a computer generated 3-leg flight that saves the cruise line some money while you suffer a 24-hour ordeal. I can’t imagine that a 3-leg flight would be a good start to a vacation experience.
This is a tricky feature that really requires the help of a travel professional, in our opinion.
1. What is included in the flight package?
2. Transfers—yes or no? Can I add a transfer to my reservation?
3. How much to upgrade services?
4. Can I use my airline mileage if I book with the cruise line?
Just reading some of the consumer complaints about river cruising on some lines , it often seems to me the air offered by the cruise lines are among the most complained about feature of river cruising, as there is limited flexibilty of gateways, preferred airlines, and late notification of actual seats and flights (often only 45 days prior to cruise departure).
Travel Protection
I am the first to tell you river cruising is an expensive hobby with a huge upside for smart travel. Still, it is expensive and protecting your investment from unexpected problems could make a huge difference in lost money. No responsible travel advisor should ever gloss over this—it is their duty to bring up the potential risk and provide a reasonable solution. Don’t be fooled by the myth that travel insurance is a gimmick for companies and advisors to make more money, as sadly ever year one to three of our clients will potentially lose money for an unforeseen emergency situation. Those who purchased insurance recovered significant amounts of money when an emergency arose, while those who refused lost thousands of dollars.
Although I really don’t have any totally reliable information about purchase rates, some sources say it is high as 70%. We would like to see 100% of some form of protection for all our clients and regardless of our belief, not all will follow our advice. We think it is essential due to the high expense of a river cruise which usually includes international travel, the chance you might have to cancel due to a covered reason and the possibility of emergency medical services or medical evacuation.
While specific questions must be answered by the insurance providers, we can add a little clarity to the supplier-included plans. Your question about insurance should be: what are my options are for the right protection you need?
Our Final set of Questions—what is the Value I will get for my Money?
You might seem surprised that money is my last set of questions. Value is really taking all the desires you have for the vacation (the above questions) and selecting the line that best matches what you expect for the vacation. Once you are comfortable you will get a great vacation, and realize all that is included, the cost often seems justified.
Our Final Thoughts
There are so many things you really need to know to get the puzzle of river cruising right. We study this all the time and it is hard for us to know everything—I learn something new almost every day. There is no way you can have all the answers, especially when each cruise line only puts their best foot forward in their brochures and advertisements.
We hope you find this blog interesting and meaningful to you. The better we can connect with you, the better we can serve you. These questions serve as a good checklist to make sure you completely understand all facets of your river cruise. Please reach out to us with news of your life, any travel dreams you may have even if you are not quite ready to travel, and, of course, a trip you want us to plan and book.
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.
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
