Many people are reluctant to try a river cruise because they think they will be bored, it’s only for old people or being on a small ship will feel claustrophobic. We had the exact same thoughts five years ago before we took the plunge and went on our first river cruise. We fell in love with river cruising and so we wanted to share 10 things that river cruises do better than ocean cruises (in our opinion).
If you love to cruise but aren’t sure if you’d enjoy a river cruise, keep reading because you might be surprised!
Disclosure: some of the river cruises we have taken in the past have been invitations from the cruise lines but we always give our honest reviews and feedback. This article is not sponsored.
1. River cruises include much more in the standard cruise price
On a river cruise you can expect flights, transfers, food, drinks, wifi, excursions, activities and entertainment included. Although the price point is generally higher than ocean cruises, the experience is much more inclusive than a typical ocean cruise.
This is the huge benefit of a river cruise and when you factor in all of the added extras you have to pay on an ocean cruise, the prices aren’t that expensive at all.
What each river cruise company includes differs slightly. For example, we’ve cruised on three different river cruise lines:
- AmaWaterways: Transfers, food, drinks, wifi, excursions, activities and entertainment
- Riviera River Cruises: Flights, transfers, food, wifi, excursions, activities and entertainment (drinks sometimes included with promotions)
- Tui River Cruises: Flights, transfers, food, drinks, wifi, activities and entertainment
Read: What’s included on a Riviera River Cruise
Read: What’s included on a Tui River Cruise
2. River cruises give you more time in port than ocean cruises
This is because the distance between destinations is much smaller than on an ocean cruise so the travelling time between each port is greatly reduced. The bonus of this is that you can stay in ports longer.
It gives you more time to explore places and even the chance to enjoy a destination into the evening. Overnight stops are more common on a river cruise, giving you maximum time in port.
We’ve enjoyed over night stays in Budapest, Rudesheim, Vilshofen and Linz. During these over night stays we’ve gone out for dinner and found local bars in walking distance to make the most of our time in a destination.
We experienced an incredible sail away from Budapest as the ship left!
Unfortunately, itineraries and expensive port charges mean that ocean cruises restrict the time you have to visit a destination. Getting back to the ship in plenty of time can eat into your day in port too.
If you miss the ship on an ocean cruise, getting to the next destination can be much trickier and expensive than if you simply missed the river ship and had to take a taxi down river a short distance.
We’ve even been on a river cruise where the captain did a u-turn to go back for a passenger and this had no impact on our arrival in the next port.
Because the destinations you visit on a river cruise are much closer to one another, you may even be able to visit two places in one day. You can start your morning in one port, get back on the ship for lunch and then visit another port in the afternoon.
We’ve done this on every river cruise we’ve experienced so far. For example:
- Vislhofen and Passau
- Kalocsa and Mohacs
- Donji Milanovac and Golubac
- Koblenz and Boppard
- Heidelberg and Speyer
We only know of one ocean cruise line that does this, called Celestyal, which offers island hopping in Greece.
3. River cruise ships can pick you up from your cruise excursion
In some instances, river cruises can actually pick you up at the end of your cruise excursion. Yes, this does sound unusual!
On a river cruise, you can set off from one place on a shore excursion and the river ship will meet you further down the river where your excursion ends.
This is pretty cool and we’ve experienced this a few times on European river cruises. The huge positive to this is that it greatly reduces your transfer time (no one wants to be stuck on a coach for any longer than necessary) and gives you more time to see a destination.
4. The check-in process is so much faster on a river cruise
When you arrive to board your river ship, all you do is give you’re name at the front desk and they simply take your photo and hand you your cruise card! That is it!
You don’t need to wait ages in a cruise terminal, you don’t have to go through security and you don’t have to worry about trying to find your cabin. The crew on a river ship will personally show you to your cabin.
One extra thing you might have to do is hand your passport in at the front desk. But that is only on river cruises that cross borders, for example if you’re cruising in and out of the EU. We had to do this on our Eastern Danube cruise because we visited Serbia, which is not in the European Union.
This means that the river cruise handles all the customs checks and you don’t need to get off the ship to be processed. We have had to stand in long queues on a couple of ocean cruises when we’ve been returning to Southampton and arriving in Dubai.
In fairness to ocean cruising, we have had some speedy boarding times but even so river cruise embarkation is still hands down a smoother, quicker process.
5. River ships dock in the centre of destinations
If you’ve ever taken an ocean cruise with Rome, Paris or Florence on your itinerary, you’ll know that these ports are actually nowhere near them. These ‘for’ ports (e.g. Le Havre FOR Paris) mean that your ocean cruise may be docked 2 or even 3 hours drive from these cities.
In contrast, river cruise ships can take you to the heart of destinations, so in most cases, you can simply walk straight off the ship and into the town or city you’re visiting.
Capital cities like Budapest, Bratislava, Belgrade, Paris and Amsterdam can be accessed on foot straight from your river cruise ship.
We really love how easy this makes river cruising and we can make the most of exploring a place without having to factor in a long transfer time either end of our day.
6. Access to the Bridge
Can you imagine being on an ocean cruise and just popping to the Bridge to have a look around and chat with the captain? On a river cruise, this is not unusual!
The captains on river cruise ships are usually happy for passengers to visit the Bridge and take a look inside. Free organised tours are available and as long as you ask. Most of the time the captain is more than happy to stop and chat to you.
The only times you shouldn’t bother the captain are when the ship is going through a lock or manoeuvring in and out of port.
7. River Cruises are better at destination immersion
On a river cruise, you can experience much more of the destinations you visit without even stepping off the ship. This is done in a number of ways:
- Local dishes on the menu in the ship’s restaurants
- Local wines and beers are served in the bar
- Local groups provide exclusive performances for cruise passengers
It’s not only the luxury river cruises that do this, we have experienced this on a budget-friendly river cruise too. On the first night of our Tui river cruise, there was a Hungarian Folk Group who performed some very energetic traditional dancing.
When we visited Vienna, AmaWaterways served Sacher Torte for lunch and apricot dumplings in Budapest.
On our Riviera river cruise, local wine and beer was served every evening at dinner and there was a different local dish on the menu.
Don’t worry, there are definitely still things you’ll recognise on the menus but it does give you the chance to try new things.
8. There’s no chance of getting sea sickness on a river cruise
If you’re someone who can feel a bit sea sick on an ocean cruise, you’ll be pleased to hear that this is not the case with river cruising. Even in bad weather, it’s smooth sailing on a river cruise.
If you have been put off ocean cruising due to sea sickness, river cruising is a great alternative.
9. River cruises have a relaxed dress code, even in the evenings
The atmosphere onboard is much more relaxed on a river cruise compared to many ocean cruises. When it comes to dressing for dinner, you can leave your cocktail dresses and suits at home.
We’ve even worn smart shorts to the restaurant on a river cruise and no one has even batted an eyelid.
People still dress up in the evenings on a river cruise but definitely not what you’d experience on a typical ocean cruise.
If you’re unsure of what to pack, read our guide to what to wear on a European river cruise.
10. All cabins on a river ship have a window
All river cruise cabins have at least a window, if not a balcony. There are no internal cabins on a river cruise. Even if you choose the cheapest cabin on a river cruise, you’ll still have a window.
We’ve even cruised on a river ship with a full balcony.
One thing that no one is guaranteed is a view when docked.
Are you intrigued to find out more?
We’d recommend you watch this video next where we reveal how to choose the best river cruise cabin.
Laura is a UK cruise blogger based in Cornwall, UK. She founded Cruise Lifestyle in 2016 to share useful advice about cruising, destinations and food.
Last port visited: Bridgetown, Barbados
Next port of call: unknown, but she can’t wait for cruising to resume safely!
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