I am a retired travel advisor and have taken many river cruises. The best lines are Tauck and Uniworld, and somewhat Scenic. Then I'd say AmaWaterways. Avalon is okay. I'd just avoid Viking. They jam the most amount of people on their ships and their tours are terrible. Most people start with the Rhine or the Danube. I've done the Seine, Burgundy and Provence, Bordeaux, upper Danube, lower Danube, and the Rhine. All were great in their own ways. Portugal is better done by land as the ports are far from the river.

I’d watch a lot of YouTube cruise content to familiarize yourself. I’m not a YouTube person but DH loves to look at videos of potential vacation destinations/accommodations and I have to say — there are some exceptionally good cruise channels.

I did a river cruise on the Nile. It makes sense there -- most of what you want to see in Egypt is along the Nile. It's not at all like an ocean-going cruise. Much smaller ship.

I did a river cruise on the Main a few years ago and loved it. It was on a very small boat, just 12 rooms, and our group took it over. I loved it—I get seasick very, very easily, so a canal-ized river with no waves was just right. In a group with several elderly people, it was nice that everybody had the option of staying on the boat to rest if they wanted or exploring the town or countryside where we docked, or going biking. I'd recommend the company but it was a very small business, run by a one couple, and they have since retired.

I liked the river experience so much that I was thinking of asking what OP did. I'll be interested to see what companies people recommend.

I think it’s totally different than traditional ocean cruises. The only real similarity is that you trade a small room for being able to see multiple places without packing up or having to figure out how to get between them.

Anonymous wrote:If the river level is low it turns into a bus tour. Which is a poor, but still very expensive, replacement.

This is a good point-- if the river is too low or too high the boats can't go and you will likely be bused places (although different lines handle this somewhat differently).

We did a Rhine cruise a couple years ago and enjoyed it-- the Rhine has some scenic sections and locks which add to the interest.

Don't assume Viking is the best brand because it's the most familiar. AMA, Uniworld and Avalon are all good (if not better) options. There is a river cruising forum on cruise critic which is a good resource if you have specific questions.

If the river level is low it turns into a bus tour. Which is a poor, but still very expensive, replacement.

I have relatives that have done the river cruises - much older crowd, quieter, doesn't have all the waterslide, party etc. amenities.

Has anyone taken one? What are the best companies and itineraries? How do they compare to traditional ocean cruises?