river cruise compared to ocean cruise?

We have cruised on Celebrity, Princess and NCL in mini-suites or suites mostly and have loved all our cruises in Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal. Last June we took a bus tour of WWII from Paris to Austria because a bus with a guide was the only way to see all that we saw.

We want to return to Nuremberg and also see Vienna, Budapest and Prague. The ads for river cruises look great, BUT I am reading about "rafting" where many boats are tied together in ports meaning you cannot open the drapes or use the balcony because you are tight up against another boat. Also, the tours even though they are included do not sound too great. Another problem seems to be canceled stops with too much or too little river water. All this with a price quite a bit higher than a nice suite on the ocean.

I'm asking for advice from those who love ocean cruising who have also tried river cruises. Is it worth the extra money? Will we enjoy it?

I'm thinking maybe a train pass or another bus tour would be better. Thanks.

You need to ask this on the River Cruises board here at CC. EM

I have done both river cruises and ocean cruises and they are almost different species. On river cruises, many more things are included, which is why the cost is higher up front. On many lines, beer and wine are included at lunch and dinner. Some lines, such as Uniworld have gone all inclusive. You tend to receive 1-2 included excursions a day. These typically involve 1-2 hours of a walking tour and then free time to explore on your own. One benefit of a river cruise vs an ocean cruise, is that the river ships are able to dock right in the heart of cities. Depending on the itinerary and the ports, you can often walk right off the ship and are in the center of town. Buses are provided if the attraction is farther away.

Yes on the rivers, the ships often raft together. However, most of the sailing tends to occur at night. When you are docked in town, you are mostly out exploring. It was never an issue for us. We tended to keep the drapes closed to help keep the cabin cool. If you sail during the day, you also won't be rafted. You can stay in your cabin to watch or go up to the lounge or sky deck, where you're able to see both sides of the river. We were only in our cabin to sleep, shower, get dressed. We did not spend a lot of time there.

Most of the rivers in Europe are also susceptible to low or high water. You have to understand that there are many old bridges built over the rivers and the ships have to be able to sail under them. This means if there is high water or flooding, the ships can't pass. Also, if there is low water due to lack of rain, the ships can't sail. Every river cruise company has a line in their brochures and on their website that states that the river cruise is entirely dependent on there being sufficient water to make sailing possible. If this is not the case, there is a risk that the trip will be turned into a bus trip. Granted, no one wants to have a bus trip substituted for a river cruise, but most of the companies do their best to try to ensure that you are still able to see the sights that are on the itinerary. This means packing and unpacking every day and moving from hotel to hotel. Depending on the water level, some companies give passengers the option of cancelling, others don't. If you read about low and high water issues on this board, you will get an idea of how the various lines handle this issue.

Some things to do if thinking about a river cruise. Contact all the various lines and request to have their brochures mailed to you. This will give you a hard copy to look through at your leisure. Then compare the following: cabin size - there is a tremendous difference in size and lay out, total passenger count - some lines put almost 200 people in the same size of ship as other lines put 140, what ports are on the itinerary, what is included etc. This will help you get a better feel if it is river cruising is right for you.

Others will recommend that for your first river cruise, pick a 7 night itinerary vs 14 days or longer. If you don't like it, you won't have as long to deal with it.

Other ways in which river cruising is different: there are no casinos, bingo, team trivia, art auctions, etc. Some ships have a pool, some have a hot tub, some have neither. Some have a small fitness center, some don't. Some have a hair stylist, some offer massage, most don't. Some have bicycles for guests to use. There is also a major difference in the entertainment offered aboard. Most ships have a piano player who will play in the lounge after dinner. Some lines will bring on board local talent at various stops. There are no big production shows, no on board singers & dancers. It can be quiet in the evening after dinner, but often you are so tired from touring all day, that it is okay to relax in the lounge with a drink.

There are many other posts in this same thread. Use the search function and do some research before deciding if river cruising may be for you. I loved it and am starting to plan my next 2 trips.

YoungDubFan pretty much nailed it.

Even if not rated, the ship may be docked directly against a wall with no view.

You can certainly use the balcony and converse with your neighbor when rafted together. :)

I have been on 15 ocean cruises and 1 river cruise and probably will never to on an ocean cruise again. I absolutely loved river cruising.

Agree with YoungDubFan. You really can't compare the two but we love them both. It's lovely to glide along the river with things to see on either side, rather than being ou on the ocean with only an occasional passing ship. I found the included talks excellent and the guides of very high quality. One big advantage of river cruises is that you are often docked in picturesque surroundings right in the middle of even capital cities. No scruffy commercial docks or ports miles from the city. And no tenders!

We've been on many ocean cruises, and took a river cruise up the Rhine once. The food was good , and being parked right in town was nice. But......., the biggest difference is the things to do at night after dinner. Basically it's a lounge with a piano player. No shows. No casino. I enjoyed it, but my wife was not so happy. She loves all those shows, and to be honest, I missed the casino, and got a little bored. If you really like touring churches and small towns go for it. If you like curling up with your e-reader at night, and won't miss the shows, casino, and dining options available on a large ship, you'll be happy.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Yes the tours are included but you go where you are taken. We got tired of trying to follow a guide (for 40+ passengers - one for each bus load). We started taking the bus into town and heading to the 'square'. We are not young - but the average age on the ship must have been 75. I might consider another river cruise when I consider sailing with Holland America. I would rather take a cruise with one of the premium lines (Azamara or Oceania). At least there is a choice of tours and dining venues. The best tour on the river cruise was one with an additional cost - Salzburg for the Sound of Music sights.

ChLk and cheese really on type of ship and available public areas

On river cruise can at a number of ports go ashore to wonder which can't on ocean cruise

Generally unless on a small ocean cruise have less people around on river cruise but are confined to a much smaller public area

Cluentelle if river cruising is older generally and due to less things to do you need to be comfortable in your own company generally

Depends what you are after

One delves into one area of the countries and the other into coastal only

Your choice of what you seek to gain out of it

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Dear Sunshine: The cities you wish to visit are fantastic and deserve more than the one or two days a river cruise allots to them. These cities are not far apart and are better visited on land. We took a Danube cruise which included these cities but we spent more time visiting small repetitive towns along the way than in these vibrant, historical cities. A waste of time and money. We went back to these cities on land and really visited them with local guides and focused on local and global history. We stayed at hotels in town and felt the local vibe. Think pilsner beer in Prague; Mozart in Vienna, the Szechenyi Bath in Budapest! All to be enjoyed leisurely.

For example, we drove from Budapest to Vienna in about 2 1/2 hours. I suggest you look at either (1) a land tour that encompasses the three major cities (Prague, Vienna and Budapest) and then add on Nuremburg to tour by yourself or (2) just doing the whole thing by yourself. We loved the three cities and they are very easy to tour on your own. Also, local day guides are very reasonable priced and tailor your tour to your specific interests.

I'll probably get flamed for the heresy of suggesting a land vacation instead of a river cruise, but think of these cities as good whiskey. Neither is better with water. I take mine straight!

We've done both, many times. IN the winter, a Caribbean cruise is all about sun and fun and warm weather. Before we go friends will say "where are you going?" and my reply is "don't care....the sun will be out and it's 80 degrees'. How ever going to Europe, Egypt and Asia (that's where we've done river cruises) it's more about where you're going and what you'll see. While we'e done a few European cruises, We will NEVER take a European "ocean liner" cruise again. You just don't see enough. You only see port cities, you're not there long enough and you normally have the opportunity to "pick one" of sites to see, you very rarely stay overnight to experience evening/night life and tours and excursions sometimes can cost as much as the cruise, plus your "on board" expenses. Guides on all of the river cruises we've taken are EXTREMELY knowledgeable about what you're seeing and even more so about the towns you overnight in and offer tons of info about what to see and do on your free time based on your personal interests. And yes, initially they do appear a bit pricier then an "ocean liner" European cruise, but pretty much EVERYTHING is included. All transportation, sight seeing, entrances, usually beverages with lunch and dinner, and bringing your own "adult beverages" aboard is not prohibited. When all is said and done, for what you get considering what you paid, we find it a better travel experience then an "ocean liner" cruise, particularly in Europe.