River Cruise Advice & Guides

If you have never taken a river cruise before, the chances are you have a few questions. How different is it from a package holiday? What are the ships actually like? Is it just for older travellers? What happens if you do not want to do the organised excursions? These are all perfectly reasonable things to wonder about, and this guide answers them honestly. What is a First River Cruise Actually Like? A river cruise is, at its simplest, a floating hotel that moves while you s

We are often asked how we work. It is a fair question, and the honest answer is that working with a river cruise specialist is quite different from calling a cruise line directly or filling in a form on a booking website. Different in ways that we think matter, and that our clients consistently tell us make a real difference to the holiday they end up taking. So here, without the sales pitch, is how The River Experience actually works. Why Book With a River Cruise Specialist?

Europe’s rivers are usually a wonderfully relaxed way to see the continent - gliding past castles and vineyards, stepping off right into the heart of historic cities and unpacking just once. From time to time though, nature reminds us that rivers are living, changing environments. An extended spell of hot, dry weather across parts of Europe has led to lower than usual water levels on key rivers such as the Danube and the Rhine, creating disruptions for river cruises at prese

The short answer is yes. Emphatically, and without reservation. The longer answer requires a little context, because the Nile is a river that inspires strong opinions, attracts occasional scepticism, and deserves a more considered response than a brochure is likely to give you. This is that response. Why People Ask the Question Egypt has had a complicated relationship with tourism over the past two decades. Political uncertainty, global events and shifting travel patterns hav

The Mekong does not cruise like any other river in the world. That is not a marketing line. It is simply the truth, and it is the first thing that comes back from almost everyone who has done it. Most people who book a Mekong cruise have already done Europe. They have sailed the Rhine or the Danube, they have loved it, and now they want something further afield, something that feels genuinely different. The Mekong delivers that in ways that are difficult to prepare for and al

Europe has some of the world's great rivers, and three of them sit at the top of almost every first-timer's list. The Rhine, the Danube and the Douro each offer something genuinely different, and choosing between them is less about which is best and more about which is best for you. Here is an honest guide to all three. The Rhine: History, Castles and Classic River Cruising If you picture a European river cruise and see castles on clifftops, vineyard-covered slopes and pretty

If you're thinking about your next big holiday and trying to decide between a river cruise and an ocean cruise, you're not alone. It's one of the most common questions we hear at The River Experience, and the honest answer is that they're quite different holidays, designed for quite different people. Neither is better than the other. But one of them is almost certainly better for you. Here's how to tell which. The Experience On Board Ocean cruising is a destination in itself.

You Go to Sleep. The World Changes. There is something quietly magical about drawing back the curtains, still half-asleep, and realising the view outside your window has completely changed. Yesterday it might have been a church spire and cobbled streets, today it is vineyards tumbling down a hillside or a little riverside market just setting up for the day. You have not driven there, you have not dragged a suitcase, you have simply slept and arrived. That, for me, is the hear