Today’s river cruise experience is nothing like the historic tales of paddle wheel steamboats on the Mississippi. Modern river cruise ships traverse major waterways across the globe offering river cruise customers a boutique luxury style cruise experience, a relaxed pace of travel, and access to authentic local culture. River cruising is very different from the mega ocean cruise ships, not just because of the size of the ship, but more so for the overall experience. Most river cruise ships offer all exterior cabins, featuring large floor to ceiling windows or balconies, include daily guided shore excursions as well as wine, beer and other drink options at lunch and dinner, and spend most of their time in port docking in the heart of historic cities and small villages along the river.
Selecting the right river cruise for your style comes down to four primary choices – the season, the river, the cruise line, and the cruise ship. That’s where it can get more complicated since there are hundreds of river cruise ships and dozens of river itineraries to choose from. And with the popularity of river cruising today, there are new ships and itineraries developed every year.
The river cruise experts at Harr Travel can help guide you in your selection of the best river cruise vacation for your journey. We have relationships with the top river cruise companies, and can provide inside information on the most popular river cruise itineraries to create a customized experience tailored to your needs. Contact one of our river cruise experts today to start planning your voyage!
Why Choose a River Cruise?
- Smaller ships with fewer passengers provide a more intimate and relaxing cruising experience
- Stunning scenery 24-7
- Boutique hotel style accommodations and amenities
- More inclusions for one price, such as shore excursions and specialty dining
- Dock in exciting port cities and historic charming villages
- Explore beyond coastlines and get closer to the heart of your destinations attractions and local culture
- Rich itineraries covering the most popular destinations worldwide
- Theme cruises—Such as culinary, wine, holiday markets, wildlife and active adventures
River Cruise Lines
Although there are about a dozen river cruise line choices, Harr Travel recommends these award-winning river cruise companies:
- AMA Waterways— One of Harr Travel’s favorite luxury river cruise lines known for its impeccable service and amazing culinary experiences.
- Avalon River Cruises — Redefining the river cruise experience with the most spacious staterooms in the river cruise industry and the best culturally-immersive land programs available.
- Viking River Cruise — A leading river cruise line offering journeys of discovery aboard premium ships on the rivers of Europe, Russia and China.
- Crystal River Cruises™ — Completely reimagining the European river experience with the most spacious, state-of-the-art fleet of five all-suite river yachts boasting exceptional design and unparalleled all-inclusive amenities, including butler service for every suite.
River Cruise Itineraries
- France: Burgundy & Provence: Journey through Paris, the “City of Light” and sip and dine in the Burgundy wine region along the Rhone river.
- Germany: Sail past castles, fortresses and picturesque German villages along the romantic Rhine river.
- Central Europe: Visit Budapest, Vienna, Nuremberg, Prague to witness grand architecture, and fascinating historic sites of the delightful Danube river.
- Asia: See cosmopolitan Shanghai, and Beijing’s imperial treasures like the Great Wall, along China’s legendary Yangtze river
- Russia: Cruise to Moscow and St. Petersburg along the Volga and Svir rivers taking in the fascinating sights of the Kremlin, St. Petersburg, opulent palaces and churches.
- Egypt: Explore the ancient world and uncover the mysteries of Egypt along the legendary Nile river.
- Galápagos Islands Witness some of the world’s most rare and fascinating animal life in the Galápagos Islands.
- South America: Venture into the Amazon jungle to meet native communities, swim with dolphins and relax on amazing beaches on a journey through the Amazon river.
What can Harr Travel do to help book your next river cruise?
We have partnerships and contracts with all the major river cruise lines that serve the American market (Viking, Ama Waterways, Avalon, etc). We have booked everything from singles, small groups, to even half of the entire ship.
Not only have all the Harr Travel travel advisers have been on river cruises, they are also familiar with the land portions of the cruise as well. Feel free to contact us to set up and appointment.