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The River Cruise: The Easiest (And Best) Vacation You鈥檒l Ever Take
Are you looking to check some major adventures off your bucket list - like a trip to Europe or Asia? Perhaps you should consider a river cruise. River cruises are the best kind of vacation for grown-ups.
What do we mean by that? This is not a family trip, and it鈥檚 not a party-focused ocean cruise - and that鈥檚 okay. This is a one-of-a-kind, intimate experience, unlike any other trip you鈥檝e ever taken.
The best river cruises we鈥檝e discovered have been through , and ®, so we primarily work through these two companies, but if you鈥檙e anything like us, you might have your heart set on a specific destination or river cruise.
We can work with any river cruise company around the world to find you the itinerary beyond your wildest imagination.
Something we hear from travelers all the time is that their children have been to Europe, but they have never been. They鈥檝e sent their kids on a school trip or a study abroad program. Does this sound like you? Now it鈥檚 your turn. It鈥檚 time to reward yourself and see the parts of the world that you鈥檝e been meaning to see all this time!
Why River Cruises?
So is river cruising the right choice for you? A lot of folks who love the experience of river cruising are ready to have deep, meaningful, immersive experiences in new corners of the world. They don鈥檛 want the party lifestyle of an ocean cruise.
Many of them have grown children, and are retired or are near retirement, and are ready to see what the world has to offer. If you鈥檙e ready to explore and soak up as much as you can, this is the trip for you.
River cruises aren鈥檛 like other cruises. A river cruise ship feels like you鈥檙e staying at a 5-star boutique hotel, with 150 to 160 other guests, and a staff of around 60 ready to make this experience the best trip of your life.
Unlike ocean cruises with a raucous atmosphere, river cruises are sometimes referred to as 鈥渢he thinking man鈥檚 cruise.鈥� There are no kids and no crowds. You鈥檒l enjoy connecting with the other guests who are clamoring for an enthralling trip and the camaraderie of a calmer atmosphere, just like you. You unpack once, there鈥檚 no seasickness, and you visit multiple destinations in the heart of Europe (or Asia or Africa!), with every excursion included in the price of your ticket.
Your trip on a river cruise is all about the destinations. Spend your days fully immersed in the culture and history of each destination with experienced, knowledgeable local tour guides, who love to share the best spot off the beaten path to grab a bite to eat or the best place to find a great glass of wine.
And when you鈥檙e on the boat? You鈥檒l enjoy all-inclusive locally-sourced, gourmet food and drinks.
Check Something Off Your Bucket List And Enjoy The Ride
River cruises are a great way to see the world. It鈥檚 a great time to travel with your spouse or partner, or even with close friends.
Many travelers love taking the trip with their spouse and several other close friends: It鈥檚 too much fun to keep it to yourself, and it鈥檚 a perfect way to celebrate a major life accomplishment. And when we say it鈥檚 the easiest trip you鈥檒l ever take? We truly mean it.
On a river cruise, you never have to worry about checking into and out of countless hotels or arranging transportation through various cities or countries. You never have to worry about currency exchange, or moving your bags.
You don鈥檛 even have to worry about where to have dinner, or making arrangements for meals or hotels. All you have to do is enjoy: The food and wine, the atmosphere, the stunning locales, and the beautiful river sunsets.
What makes river cruising so special is that it鈥檚 not a 鈥減arty on a ship.鈥� There鈥檚 no casino or water slide on board a river cruise. Instead, you鈥檒l find a highly personal, deeply absorbing, meaningful travel experience unlike any other, where there is still plenty to do and see.
Upcoming Destinations
Interested in joining us on the next very unique, deeply special experience? Here are the upcoming trips we have planned:
- Tulip Time April 11 - 28, 2024
- Romantic Danube August 26 - September 2, 2024
- Romantic Danube October 9 - 16, 2024
- Flavors of Portugal and Spain June 21 - 28, 2025
- Splendors of the Rhine and Moselle July 16 - 23, 2025
You won鈥檛 want to miss what we have planned next!
River Cruises: All About You
If you鈥檙e not a fan of traditional cruises, fear not. This trip isn鈥檛 about parties and buffets and lounging near a crowded pool on a large, impersonal ship. This trip is all about you, and the experience you want to cultivate.
Yes, you鈥檙e traveling in a group, but you won鈥檛 be following around a tour guide with a flag and a megaphone. Instead, you鈥檒l get to know local guides who would love to share with you their favorite place to get a cup of coffee. They help you learn the lay of the land, and then you have the freedom to explore at your own pace, and in your own way.
On these river cruises, you鈥檙e turned loose. You get to experience things on your terms. You鈥檙e not clustered in with a group of other travelers, observing things. You鈥檙e living them and experiencing them for yourself!
Quick Tips: 5 Things To Know About Your River Cruise Trip
- 1WHO SHOULD GO:
This kind of trip is great to take with your partner (what鈥檚 more romantic than seeing the world via a river?) but it鈥檚 also a great way to travel with a small group of friends or family for an unforgettable experience.
- 2WHO YOU鈥橪L MEET:
You aren鈥檛 booking a party. Your time on the ship is an intimate gathering of fellow travelers who are as excited to explore the world as you are! You鈥檒l get to immerse yourself in the culture of each destination, and meet fascinating people on board the cruise, too.
- 3WHEN TO BOOK:
How can you get the best deal on a river cruise? By booking far in advance. The more 鈥渟old inventory鈥� we have, the better the deal is for our river cruise partners, which means they are very motivated early in the booking period to get people on board.
Another way to get a great deal? By booking at the last minute! If you鈥檙e able to pick up 鈥渦nsold inventory,鈥� or tickets and rooms that haven鈥檛 sold yet, you may find a great bargain on an incredible excursion!
- 4HOW TO PROTECT YOUR TRIP:
You never know what might happen. If the unexpected thing happens, is your trip covered? We never want you to stress (that鈥檚 why we advise you to take a look at tip #5!), and that鈥檚 why we always recommend travel insurance on trips like this to protect your investment - and your experience!
- 5USE YOUR SMALL WORLD BIG FUN TRAVEL ADVISOR:
We make it easy for you: one package that includes everything: your airfare, cruise booking, travel insurance, and even pre- and post-cruise days, if you so desire. It changes your travel from the hassle of 鈥渢aking a trip鈥� to 鈥渉aving a vacation.鈥�
We鈥檙e experts. We鈥檝e taken these trips and have been there and done that. Worried about trans-Atlantic travel? We can provide you with a strategy to recuperate from the dreaded 鈥渏et lag鈥� as fast as possible so you can make the most of your entire trip.
River Cruise Experiences We鈥檝e Loved - And You Won鈥檛 Want To Miss
- Having a meal at a restaurant in Heidelberg, Germany that has been in constant operation for nearly 700 years. The menu? Sausage, sauerkraut, and beer. That鈥檚 it. Want to customize your order? With your sausage, you get to choose: A bun, or no bun.
- Wandering into a local bookstore, having a fabulous conversation with the owner, and buying local art from them: And supporting a local artist on the autism spectrum at the same time.
- Taking in the most beautiful sunset you鈥檝e ever seen on the deck of a river cruise in Bordeaux, while sipping a local Bordeaux wine straight from the region, and sharing conversation with friends new and old.
- Discovering a rooftop bar in Amsterdam and enjoying the beverage garnishes as much as the beverage itself, including ripe, juicy blackberries the size of golf balls!
- Meeting new best friends who become your new 鈥渓ittle Jewish grandmother鈥� and learning all about her life as she shares stories of escaping the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.
These are the kinds of experiences we could never plan to have again, but each time we go on a river cruise, we encounter an experience this unique and this unforgettable. We can鈥檛 wait to share the next one with you!
Travel with AMA has been called 鈥�the best trip I鈥檝e ever taken鈥� by one of our very own, who鈥檚 been in the business for over 20 years.
So, are you ready to dive in and have the most unforgettable travel experience of your life, and the easiest vacation you鈥檒l ever take? Request a quote today!
