A cruise does not have to be a 2,000 passenger ship that spends the majority of its journeys in the middle of the ocean. It does not necessary mean cheesy shows, ice sculptures on the buffet, and onboard water slides. Traveling by ship can actually provide cultural, historical, and natural insight all while offering an elegant mode of travel.
Travelers have discovered the more intimate experience that river cruising offers, and many prefer this method over coastal trips. Discover what the appeal is for travelers who love these small ship cruises. Also, a river cruise might just be the perfect way to change the mind of the self-proclaimed non-cruiser in your life. Here are some reasons why...
Unique immersion: River cruise ships are specially designed to sail the shallow waters of rivers around the world. This gives travelers the feeling of actually being part of the city or landscape through which they are traveling. Observe everyday life from your balcony, explore independently and meet the locals during multiple shore landings, and literally watch the world go by as you sail through it. These intimate experiences with a destination are not possible on the open waters of an ocean, and are a main advantage of a river cruise.
Interaction with the locals in the Amazon (Beth Conway)
Fewer passengers: With fewer passengers onboard, the crew is able to give you personal attention and detailed service. Your guides are happy to answer questions in detail, and the small group size is more conducive to in-depth discussion during tours or lectures.
"Floating hotel" convenience: One major practical advantage of a river cruise over a land tour is the convenience of having your hotel go with you! Your ship provides the ease and convenience of exploring without having to pack your bags and switch hotels each day. Once you are finished eating street food, visiting attractions, or sipping coffee among the locals you simply hop back into your "home" to continue your journey. A hot shower, delicious meal, and a drink in the lounge all await your return.
MV Aqua sailing through the Amazon
Creature comforts: Your cruise ship is sure to become "home" quickly. These vessels offer comfortable cabins with lower beds and private facilities. Luxurious suites, gourmet meals, and spa services will spoil even the most particular traveler. Deluxe onboard amenities such as lounges and bars, fitness facilities, and spacious public areas also contribute to a pleasant and convenient experience.
Small ships: This method of travel allows an intimate glimpse of a destination as smaller vessels can enter more remote territory. Also, these ships maintain responsible travel practices such as waste reduction and utilization of eco-friendly products onboard. Fuel efficiency is increased by managing engine speed, strategic itinerary planning, and ship design. Passengers can be confident that these cruise operators are conscious of the natural environment and inhabitants of the places they sail.
Now that you are convinced that your next trip MUST be a river cruise, the difficult decision of deciding "where to?" is upon you. The blog post to follow will disclose more details about the options in Europe, Asia, the Amazon, Africa, and Pacific Northwest. You can also find all of our river cruise options here.
Our agent Jessica was very helpful with the whole process and always responded in a timely way to all of our questions.
K Van
2 days ago
Chern was very patient snd helpful.
CaBaba
3 days ago
Cruse ship was great. Fantastic food and service. Cruise itinary got changed so not what we expected, but not an major issue. Japan portion was great. Drivers/guides arranged by 80 Days were great. Hotels were mostly ok. Did not know that most hotels outside of major cities do not allow shoes to be worn in the hotel. again a minor inconvenience. Overall a great trip. Adventure Life communications were timely and much appreciated as far as changes/requests.
Peter Goff
4 days ago
We were a group of three that initiated our research by independently searching for the best agency to help us in the somewhat complex experience of traveling to the Galapagos. We chose adventure life because they were the most responsive in the website provided the most comprehensive overview of the trip. Their reviews were also very good.
Adventure, life splits up its booking process in two parts. First Jeff, the booking agent helped us decide which experience best suited are interests. We chose a small 14 to 16 group sized yacht. Once the booking was made with Jeff, we were handed off to Coleene, who oversaw the complex process of assembling all of the necessary documents and making sure we had everything we needed to make the trip go smoothly. The adventure, life website, then becomes your personal place of reference for all things related to your trip from door to door. It’s a lot of information to assemble, especially for three travelers, but the website makes it easy and Colleen‘s gentle reminders kept us on track. In all, from the beginning, we had four months from the time we started our research till the time we departed. We felt that was, a good amount of preparation time and don’t think it would be wise to do it in less than four months. Mostly because I think you have more options with that amount of time. There were others on our trip that took six months and more from the time they started planning.
The trip itself was outstanding. We ended up on an excellent yacht (Galapagos Angel II) with a great group of guests that we were able to connect with and put together a really nice google photos album to share.
Jed
1 week ago
Mary was very helpful. Quick to reply with helpful information and closure on arrangements.
