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As river cruising continues to grow at a very fast pace, cruise lines are racing to add to and refurbish their fleets – sometimes down to the steel and totally rebuilding the ship.  With these newbuilds, fleets are becoming more innovative and efficient.  Spacious suites, fancy balconies and new quieter engines are sure to continue to entice the traveler for years to come.  Also, another “draw” to river cruising is the leisurely pace of travel and the convenience and independence the guests have in port.  Our travel consultants here at Endless Travel’s mission, at no cost to our client, are to match our customers with that perfect ship along with an itinerary of their dreams.

On European rivers sailing under bridges and through locks restrict ships size, but designers have found creative ways of finding more spacious staterooms and alternative dining venues.  Cruise lines are introducing features such as chef’s tables, much larger accommodations, full balconies, and heated pools.  In most cases, the river cruise experience is considered somewhat all-inclusive because the shore excursions are included plus they will serve wine at dinner.  Plus you pay for your vacation upfront in U.S. Dollars saving credit card service fees and an inflated exchange rate.

For instance, Viking River Cruises is launching its first newbuild for Europe as part of the company’s $250 million fleet development program, which includes eight new ships in three years.  Last month, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection will launch its largest ship in Europe, the River Antoinette, on the line’s eight-day Castles Along the Rhine itinerary.  With the river cruise season extending into cooler months, River Antoinette has a heated swimming pool and full, open-air private balconies that become glass-ended conservatories.   Viking also links guests to the French Impressionist painters with painting classes in Vernon, along the banks of the Seine and close to Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, on its Paris & Heart of Normandy cruises.

Avalon Waterways’ new Avalon Panorama showcases the lines new Panorama Suite design.   Staterooms vary in size from 172 square feet to the two-bathroom, 300 square-foot Royal Suite.  The big news however is the ship’s 64 new 200-square-foot Panorama Suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows opening seven feet wide to make the whole room a balcony.  All accommodations have flat screen TVs, large closets and fully stocked mini-bars.  There is a pool and a Jacuzzi as well as an open-air bistro.

Enough about the ships, the highlight of a river cruise are the fabulous shore excursions bringing guests into the local culture.  Since there is a very intimate connection with the regions in which they cruise, river cruise lines can provide guests with close encounters with the local people.  Often members of the crew are from the region, and it seems almost as if the boats dock in the laps of people sitting on park benches or cycling by; all passengers have to do is to take a step off, and they immediately become a part of the destination.

Whether it is dancing to Strauss’ waltzes in Vienna, Austria, for New Year’s  or taking an independent city walking tour with a portable audio commentary device, river cruise guests can sample local life as they enjoy a home cooked meal and learn about the daily routine of the family.  Likewise, Viking River Cruises sponsors elementary schools along China’s Yangtze River and, in one port; guests have the opportunity to visit a school, where they are warmly welcomed with a song and dance performance and a tour of the classrooms.

A very different experience but equally as authentic in it reflection of traditional life and history is AMA Waterway’s Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong.  This river cruise’s excursions include a tour on the route from Kampong, Chinang to Kampong Tralach, Cambodia to Oudong, Cambodia, where cruises take a rustic oxcart ride from the river bank through the countryside to the beautiful pagodas of Wat Kapong Tralach Pleu.  Afterward, clients board a motorcoach to Oudong, the country’s former capital.  Passenger feedback indicates that guests are deeply moved by the prayer life in the Buddhist monastery, where they receive blessings from the monks.

In China, nothing prepares guests onboard Victoria Cruises’ Three Gorges Highlights program for the spectacular scenery on the line’s Daning River excursions to the Small Gorges.  The journey takes them past towering cliffs and rice terraces to the Small Gorges.  Passengers disembark at a floating dock near Dachang, where they board a traditional sampan to ride through the Mini Gorges of the Ma Du River, a tributary of the Daning.  Indigenous local guides serenade visitors with the traditional songs of the ancient Ba tribesman and passengers can browse local handicrafts before returning to the ship.

One of Endless Travel’s most favorite river cruises is the journey through the Netherlands in Spring Tulip Time from Amsterdam roundtrip.  Windmills, tulips, cheese and quaint little towns are yours to experience. Enjoy vibrant Amsterdam while staying aboard your luxurious floating hotel on one of the beautiful River ships. Delight in the exuberant colors of the flower beds, and the tranquil atmosphere of small river towns.  Spring is like no other time in Holland: the countryside is ablaze with the colors of millions of flowers and the pastures are full of newborn farm animals.  To see the stunning flower displays of Keukenhof Gardens, along with everything else that Holland at Tulip Time has to offer, there is no better value than this all-inclusive cruise.

Just remember the most charming aspects of river cruising is the seamlessness between the countryside and the ship.  This type of cruise experience brings no sense of confinement, just the pleasure of exploring at the river’s pace.