Is a river cruise too vanilla?

We recently did a cruise on the Rhine in May and didn't feel we got enough bang for our buck, and 'vanilla' is a good word, however I wouldn't talk yourself out of it just because of what you think it might be like. We don't regret doing it, but now we know it's not for us at this point in our lives.

As for cruises dominated by Americans, there were hardly any Americans on ours. The largest demographic were Canadians, followed by Australians and then the UK. Americans came in 4th place.

If you want more info here a link to my Trip Report. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-amsterdam-to-zurich-by-boat-and-train

You've made it very clear that there is nothing about a river cruise that appeals to you. So don't do it. It's really that simple. Do a land tour that covers the same territory, and to it DIY. River cruises will not suit everyone, just like group tours dont suit everyone. But they meet the needs and wants of others to a T.

Since the main luxury lines, which attract the most Anglophones, appear to be unacceptable to you, you might want to have a look at CroisiEurope. They are a French line with a decidedly French approach to river cruising. But aside from that, and a greater number of French or other European passengers, the same characteristics of river cruising apply.

I'm with you, OP. After about 24 hours on the ship, I would be tempted to throw myself overboard. However, something about this evidently appeals to your friends. Do you know exactly why they are so set on river cruising? There are some valid reasons, such as mobility issues that make hotel transfers difficult for some folks. Others don't care to do any planning, or may be fearful of traveling independently in a foreign country. It may be that your preferred travel style isn't a good match with your friends. And it's a lot of money to spend for a trip that you don't enjoy.

In many ways the arrival of the big international lines like Viking have spoiled the European river cruise market. Before they muscled in, went high end and dominated the market there definitely were such companies providing that kind of a cruise. Not sure whether any still survive.

All the ones I knew have ceased to exist.

Most of my river cruising is in Ukraine and Siberia (both off limits right now) where most of the boats are the converted old Soviet vessels which provided the old town to town 'bus' style shipping routes. Maybe a bit like the coastal Hurtigruten in Norway until they got fancier and bigger ships, got greedy with their pricing and lost a lot of their inherent charm IMO.

The Russian ships are crewed by locals with a pride in being truly authentic, and presenting their culture.

I've just looked at Bluewater Holidays of Skipton, England- a go to for that kind of less commercial trip but find nothing for the Seine.

Have you thought of a self drive boat?- bearing in mind that the Seine is a busy commercial freight waterway.

Below Rouen the Seine takes ocean going ships, and I've cruised that several times with day passages, on European ocean going cruise ships, and twice on Brittany Ferries Christmas specials. Each time I've had one or two nights berthed in Rouen. I don't think any of the American ocean lines go to Rouen.

I know you can drive the river by road between Rouen and Le Havre/Honfleur criss crossing the river on several cross river ferries. That would probably be very interesting. No idea whether the same applies Rouen to Paris.

It sounds like that kind of big ship river cruise isn't your cup of tea, you'll probably consider it a waste of money.

But I feel like I have to mention an option with smaller ships, maybe the kind of option isn31c mentions. A canal cruise between Stockholm and Gothenburg. https://www.gotakanal.se/en/day-trips-and-cruises Not in France, but with some nice views. The full trip is available as either a four day cruise or a six day cruise.

I agree with CJean - find your friends a cruise but don't go. You won't enjoy it and very possibly your attitude will limit their enjoyment. And if you find one that you might enjoy, it may not suit your friends. If this is for them, focus on their needs.

do I have a distorted impression

In my opinion, you do.

This thread demonstrates a bit of the "arrogance of the cognoscenti" (and for the record, that's a personality flaw I share) regarding "authenticity" of travel experiences. When we were just starting out with European travels, river cruises were an excellent way for us to contact the societies along the Seine, Rhône, Danube etc. and get a taste for a great many cultures and landscapes. From there we "graduated" to ocean cruises, no ships larger than 750 passengers, to expand our experiences to coastal regions and, in the case of the Canaries, islands. These cruises gave us a taste of cultures sufficient to give us an idea of where we wanted to explore further on our own.

Our very first cruise together was a Seine cruise from Paris to Honfleur and back on Uniworld (the only river cruise line my wife is willing to use). It was a wonderful experience! We enjoyed Bastille Day on the water, watching the fireworks and their reflection on the water. We took day trips to Les Andelys, Rouen, Bayeux and the D-Day beaches. We toured the American cemetery in Normandy with predominantly other Americans. (I don't think having German and Austrian compatriots would have improved the visit.)

Bottom line: we had wonderful experiences. Were they authentic? I don't know; how does one define the term? River cruises can be a great way to get a taste of a region sufficient to figure out where you want to spend more time. And they can be very enjoyable in their own right. But they're not for everyone. You shouldn't feel bad about declining to plan this vacation, but you also might enjoy it more than you think.

John,
We have taken river cruises several times, as follows:
1. The Rhone and Saone rivers in SW France.
2. In Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
3. In China on the Yangzee.
4. In Portugal on the Douro river.
5. In Egypt on the Nile.
6. On the Danube between Regensburg, Germany to Budapest.

We loved them all.
Here is what we like about River Cruises:
1. You see several ports, frequently scenic and/or historical without changing hotels, driving a rental car, or arranging transport or tours.
2. You are not on a cruise ship with thousands of persons, but with between 120 and 170 fellow travelers. It is more intimate and you make new friends, compare travels and more.

3. Yes, meals are included and they are usually excellent.

4. Not only do you visit several ports, but your tours of the ports are included. If you don't want to do the group tours, you can do it on your own. Some river cruise boats have bicycles you can use.
5. Just sitting on the boat watching the scenic places on the river is fun. Most of your cruising is at night, but some during the day and the scenic places can be awesome.

We usually meet other on these cruises from other countries other than Americans. Since English is the language used, those countries are usually Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and NZ. Not sure why you might think just cruising with Americans is bad.

I'd say all types of travel have their pros/cons and level of immersion. A river cruise is one of those things that eliminates a LOT of the stress of travel that some folks hate - where to stay, where to go, how to get there, and similar - but at the expense of the "living" with the locals (not that most touring is truly living with/as the locals).

Folks often suggest checking out Cruise Critic for cruising info (nice as a cross reference to the land-travel advice here). I also enjoy Emma Cruises for her non-US (UK-centric) cruise info. She has a couple recent videos & blogs on her Uniworld river cruise - including all the food options she had - and also some older ones for less expensive trips on TUI. Her Youtube river cruise vids are ...here..., so give them a spin.

I've sort of tabled the idea of a river cruise, as it isn't quite where we're at in our current travel style, but it is a growing option, and one that will likely fit our wants/needs at some point in the future.

Just a quick glance looks like these river cruises for that area would be a 7-night cruise. I would encourage you to add time before in Paris & seven days after the cruise, so your group could experience both the river cruise & at least a couple of cities traveling by train. That would round out your trip nicely, and they could see the advantages to both types of travel. You could have the local dinner experiences at the end, etc. and if the river cruise days were too “vanilla”, you could secretly anticipate the “more flavorful” final week. : )

And personally, I’m “in your boat”. I know I would not enjoy a river cruise. I was ready to get off some of the boats after 90 minutes that we did just as an option instead of the train, such as when we stayed at Melk before heading to Vienna.

On the other hand, my cousin & her husband had a wonderful trip on a river cruise when she was recovering from cancer. The advantages of the river cruise allowed them the flexibility & ease to enjoy as much as they could.

OP here. I greatly appreciate all the comments, insights, and advice that has been posted so far. I am definitely going to do a river cruise with my two friends -- I've been assigned to select the particular cruise, so that I will have a good idea of what we are getting. I will have chosen it, so I will have no right to complain. Fair enough. And I'm not wired to be a complainer anyway. I was just hoping to avoid, if I can, certain things I find less appealing after going all the way to France --- like eating every single meal in the same room for an entire week, like I do at home.

So, I think I will resolve part of my concern by having some of my dinners in local restaurants -- where there are good ones within walking distance of the ship. My initial research today suggests there probably are nice French restaurants in those towns that fit the bill -- I just have to make sure I know what time I would need to be back at the ship before its departure. Hopefully, I can dine late enough that the room has a lot of locals speaking French -- so I feel like I actually am in France!. I'll certainly invite my two friends to join me, and pick up the bill a couple of times. But regardless, I will be sure to unchain myself from the ship's dining room a few times. That should help a lot with my sought after "genuine European experience."

I know nothing about this topic. I do recall, however, Rick doing a barge cruise in France on a TV episode. I believe the vessels are called Hotel Barges and are smaller than river cruise ships. I also do not gravitate to river cruises, but the barge looked like fun. I doubt his route was the one you are contemplating, but who knows what some Google searches could reveal?

Research the following companies if you want to have fewer Americans and better prices than highly advertised in America companies.
https://www.nicko-cruises.de/en/river Niko cruises German Company but all shipboard activities in English and German
https://www.viva-cruises.com/en-us/river-cruises Viva Cruises
https://www.gate1travel.com/river-cruises/europe-river-cruises Gate 1 River Cruises

You can find you tube videos about them all.

I am a firm believer that no one should say a method of travel isn't for them unless they have tried it. (exception- I won't be traveling by submarine or hot air balloon). Try it. Then come back and give the forum an honest appraisal of what you felt the experience was like and how it was similar or different from your expectations.

I try my first river cruise in 2 weeks and I will do the same.

do I have a distorted impression

Many Americans river cruise for exactly these reasons that you point out. We fill ships all over the world that travel by night, dock by day and fill all of the time in between with food. Nothing wrong with it if that is what you want to do.

Yeah, probably not for you.

I spent quite a bit of time looking into river cruises, watched hours of YouTube videos, both pro and con, went on cruise critic, read reviews, the whole due diligence. Wife was into the seeing different things and unpacking once line, plus the commercials are really good.

My take-aways?

I can't take the pace. Different town every day, sometimes more than one.

Yeah, not really much leisurely cruising, but then, for most of the time, not much to see.

Food? Yeah, that is a big reason I travel. But seriously, while most of the cruise lines get high marks for their food, and they try to present "regional fare", it is not the same as finding the out of the way place in a town and having a great local meal. But I get it, lots of people just want good food, not necessarily local food.

River cruises are like a bus or other organized tour, fairly strict schedule, limited free time, yeah, you can opt out of things, but you are paying for it anyway.

River cruise ships are not like ocean cruises, no eat any time you want, no drink any time you want, few amenities or entertainment.

But if it matches your style of travel, fine.

We did a Viking river cruise in Portugal some years ago. I think we only dined on the ship one night and have great memories of the places we ate. You can definitely do it that way, although it isn’t the norm. Also, on that cruise it was mostly Brits, not Americans.

We’re not cruisers for the most part, but that was a trip where we were focused on spending time with another couple and the structure of the cruise worked well for the group dynamic. I hope you have a similar experience with your friends.

The river cruises are well suited for first time or inexperienced travelers who will be content with a very scaled experience. If you are a reasonably decent planner, you can't easily surpass the river cruise experience. Add in a couple localized boat or ferry cruises to get your water time and" Bobs your uncle". My wife still laugh about our daily walks past the moored boats with dining rooms filled with silver hairs moored near where we were staying in Amsterdam. Morning or night. everyone was patiently waiting to be fed. It was so sterile and regimented. The boats would change daily, but the regimen was the same for all. We would jump on the nearby ferry and head into town to find our next experience.
A thing to take note of, in recent years, water levels have compromised many of the water routes. The tours (when water is too low) are relegated to buses to transfer locations. These "hiccups" have resulted in a considerable amount of negative feedback from travelers.

On picking a river cruise, there are many excellent companies.

I believe in competition and prior to selecting a river cruise or for that matter a group tour, I compare prices, vs. what you get for $$.

Some great companies can be a bit more expensive.

Gate 1 Travel will give you a very competitive price, do check them out.
Viking is an excellent one
Others include
Uniworld
AmaWaterways
Emerald
Avalon
Scenic
Grand Circle
Tauck -great, but expensive

Just a word of warning about restaurant dining in France - many restaurants close after lunch and don’t reopen for dinner until 19:00 (7:00 p.m.). There is no such thing as a fast meal in France so you would have to know what time you need to be back on the boat and how long it would take you to get there. I like a previous poster’s suggestion to have your meal in town at lunchtime and have your evening meal on the boat. Know that in restaurants you must ask for the bill. They will not automatically bring it to you while they try to rush you out like they do in the U.S.

You described a river cruise perfectly…a regimented vanilla travel experience that is pricey. Go because you want to share a trip with friends. For us it was one and done. I did want to try a river cruise. We went on Emerald because they had e-bikes at no charge and included the gratuities and a few different day trip options. Dinner was noisy since everyone ate at once. Lunch would be the time to eat locally. This is a completely different experience from an ocean cruise. Definitely extend your trip to spend more time in Europe. We opt for up to two weeks so we get closer to the ground experiences. PS..we live in Sarasota also, but spend the summer in the a cabin in the cooler hills in the country.

After years of doing our own planning and travel, I was surprised how much we like a good quality cruise. There are pluses and minuses to any travel mode. Two points for you to consider:
- Are the choices of tours/excursions interesting to you? They can make or break a cruise experience.
- In many cases we were able to have lunch on our own in the local town, and had time to wander around a bit.

Happy travels

We have taken several river cruises and each were totally different. We took a short cruise on the Yangtze which was part of a three week land tour through China and Tibet. Very beautiful scenery and a great cultural experience.
Our cruise down the Amazon was on a paddle wheel with stops at native towns over seven days. Life on the river was very interesting and relaxing. Eight year olds in a canoe with their 15 month old sibling selling us trinkets. No adults in sight!!! I was a nervous wreck watching them approaching our ship.
Our cruise on the Nile was strictly for the ports of call and was also part of a land tour.
Our cruise on the Danube started in Budapest and ended in Nuremberg or Passau, I think. We spent extra time in Budapest prior to the cruise and enjoyed our days there. We used AMAwater ways and it was our last river cruise. We did enjoy it but the price wasn’t worth it for us. Not enough bang for the buck!

Dear John,

I know this is a hard time for you to hear this, you being at war and all, but I have to be true to my heart. I've met someone else, a very interesting lady from Phoenix. As such I simply can't be yours anymore.

Sorry and farewell,

River Cruises

Seriously, there is one thing that would get me on a river cruise: can I ride a bike from stop to stop while the boat schleps my luggage and provides wine on demand? If not no way.

And the Seine west of Paris is pretty much the last place I'd go on a river cruise. I've ridden a bike that whole route, and is not scenic. Winds around endlessly too, as if the river really misses Paris and keeps trying to turn back. Rouen is phenomenal, but the rest of the towns probably aren't worth the squeeze.

See if you can convince your group to take a River cruise on the Danube that allows for cycling. That way you can spend a good amount of time off the boat, eat lunches out, etc, and the Danube is much better stretch for cruising.

The OP sounds like us. We have never taken a river cruise. We prefer a more "authentic" experience, going someplace and trying to blend in. River cruises, like taking a tour, seemed too regimented, where you are with other people who are just like you, and etc etc.

But this year we had some friends who invited us on a river cruise, and we decided to go. The purpose of the trip isn't to get an "authentic" experience, but to go on a boat trip with our friends, and enjoy being with our friends. We'll do some things, we'll see some stuff, we'll eat, and drink together, meet a bunch of other Americans, and probably have a good time.

And the great thing about it all being pre-cooked is that there won't be any disagreement between us and our friends about what to do and when to do it.

It sounds like you and your friends need to go on different vacations because you don’t want what they do and you’re going to go on that with an attitude if I’m being forced to do something I don’t want to do

You say you’re not a complainer, but you managed to write an entire post which was nothing but complaints

you’re looking for reasons not to enjoy this

For example, you seem convinced that because you were at a port you must eat dinner on your ship. Why? What is stopping you getting off and going into the city and eating. No, your friends may not want to spend that money twice and that’s OK but you can do that.(and I honestly is a big group tour restaurant on land better??? in my opinion it’s not a more authentically French experience if you and everyone on the boat troops off the boat to eat in a restaurant)

I didnt think I’d get on this “train”…but just some thoughts. I like all kinds of travel. Have done totally independent, group bus and train travel, ocean and river cruises. I know many of you dont like cruises and have made minds up to never cruise. But we are all uniquely wired differently regarding travel. Some have no interest what so ever!
What a cruise does for us…seeing more places, sites and experiences within one trip. It actually gives us many flavors….not just vanilla. One can find many options to dine etc…to get the local authentic vibe…but just more abbreviated. Maybe lunch, markets or street food? We always spend extra days before pre and post cruise. When we are exposed to a new port or area we loved…we go back for another journey. If you wish to plant yourself in one or two areas…totally immersed in every way thats fine too.. Just a different style. No wrong or right or flavorless.

Well, Viking's "Summer Sale" lol is about $9,000 for two with the cheapest options and airfare. I can do what that cruise covers on my own for a little over half the price for 7 nights. If you're not eating on the ship that's money flushed down the toilet. Whatever you're paying for you might as well take advantage of it.

cheapest options and airfare

Careful on the “included” Viking airfares, they are likely something you would scroll past as unacceptable shopping on Google Flights. 2 examples:

My brother flying to Budapest from IAD was put on Aer Lingus to Dublin then a Danish charter to Budapest. He paid extra for a commercial airline.

My sister flying Budapest to MSP was put on a 6 am departure with all the unpleasantness that entails. We did the same route the year before (not a cruise trip) and flew the same airlines with a reasonable noon departure and good arrival time at home.

The flaw with the “try it and see if it’s for you” argument is the scale. We are not talking about trying the lobster for $30 more, we are talking 2-4 times the price of independent travel and many thousands of dollars.

Also, I have spent a good percentage of my life traveling, over 15%, and I have never unpacked. Who unpacks?

The trips where socializing, like hanging out with friends or family, or even making new friends, is the trip priority, not traveling per se, seem to me the best fit for a cruise.

I feel like I should defend river cruises a bit. They aren't my style and probably aren't the style for most people who would post on a travel forum asking planning questions for their own travels. But they are perfect for some types of travelers. The couple I traveled with on the Portugal cruise I mentioned above absolutely love river cruises. They are very experienced travelers who take multiple international trips per year in retirement. However, they don't like planning. They want to pick an itinerary that looks interesting and then do the recommended activity in each place. That way of travel makes them happy and they can afford it. Planning their own trip to cover the same ground at a cheaper cost and in a more "authentic" way doesn't appeal. That's fine; people should travel in the way that suits them. It's really no surprise that this forum self-selects for people who are less likely to take a river cruise.

and I have never unpacked. Who unpacks?

I do. If it's just an overnight I won't, but 2 nights or longer I find it convenient instead of having to dig through things. While river cruising isn't my favourite style of travel, I do enjoy having the same room for a week so I can set things out.

I know…I guess I am such a weirdo about both river and ocean cruising. I love planning, studying and researching our cruise itinerary destinations. Right…many dont. We just dont have to find our lodging. We often stay in inner cheaper cabins, its perfectly cozy. And we dont do all the social stuff…but still enjoy meeting different people at dinner. But you dont have to. We really are not into the shows. Do enjoy some musical ensembles. Dont pay extra for drink or dining packages. We do any educational programming offered. Maybe book a few ship excursions….but we always get off and explore. Love HOHO buses. So for us its reasonably priced and one way to travel and see many new places.
And yet oddly we travel on our own independently and enjoy that also and use public transportation. Go figure…so many possibilities. While we still can!

The city where I live is a popular stop for the river cruises and many of the towns I visit are also popular. So, I see the groups in Frankfurt, Rüdesheim, Mainz, Koblenz, Worms, Speyer, Heidelberg and lately in Rothenburg on a daily basis. The tours all use a "whisper" system, so you can always hear the guide, but the tours are in large groups of 25-30.

My husband did tours for Vantage (now bankrupt) Uniworld, and Gate One. For me, many of the excursions seemed a waste of money, like the excursion to ride the gondolas in Rüdesheim. How much did those people pay to have a guide walk them to the gondolas, talk a bit at the top, and then ride back down again? Same thing when they ride the little train there to Siegfrieds Musical Cabinet. Why do they pay extra for a guide? Pick up at the airport? It is far easier and faster to take a taxi to your ship, rather than wait around for hours at the airport, but I know they all paid extra for that meet and greet and a bus to take them to the ship. For the price, a taxi is probably cheaper.

So, until I turn 80+ or can't walk as much as I can now, will save the river cruises until then. They just don't look like they are very much fun.

My wife and I took 4 river cruises and 3 ocean cruises while I was still working. We don't do them any longer, as we're spending extended time in Europe every summer. But the time efficiency of river cruising shouldn't be overlooked. For a person who has limited time (ten days or less), there are few better ways to see a great deal with very little wasted time. The freedom from packing and unpacking repeatedly and finding one's way to and from the railway station or airport adds substantial useful time to one's vacation IME.

There's substantial negative commentary here from folks who don't like the idea of river cruising, and I get it: it's not for everyone. Heck, it's not for me any longer, either. But this travel style does still have lots to offer, admittedly at a fairly high price.

The freedom from packing and unpacking repeatedly

There it is again, unpacking! So are the people who unpack carrying wipes to clean out the drawers before unpacking, because the inside of my bag is clean and who knows about those drawers. Then there’s the stress of maybe forgetting things upon check out when you have spread them around the room. With zippered plastic pouches I can easily find everything when it’s in the bag, no fumbling around. Also less likely to pick up bugs if mostly keeping the clothes in the bag.

Unless I’m trying to lessen wrinkling by hanging up wedding or funeral clothes, or a shirt I’m giving a presentation in, my clothes stay in the bag, it’s just simpler.

People are trying to put a dollar value on life-style. It doesnt work that way. Like critisizing someone for dressing nice for the theater.

This question reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George decides to combine two things he loves, namely sex and eating, so he smuggles a sandwich into bed with his girlfriend and every now and then he sticks his head out from under the covers and takes a bite of the sandwich.

Why, you ask, does it remind me of that? I love to travel. I love my friends. So wouldn't it be twice as good if I traveled with my friends? Somehow, it doesn't work out that way. Trying to combine the two winds up being a net negative.

So, my advice is, put aside all the reasons you love to travel, discard all that, and just go to be with your friends. Don't look at it as a European trip where you have to get the maximum authentic experience. Look at it as a nice boat ride with your friends.

Personally, I would rather travel with the sandwich.

are the people who unpack carrying wipes to clean out the drawers before unpacking, because the inside of my bag is clean and who knows about those drawers.

I certainly am not.

Marty, love that episode. It's so ridiculous.

It could be that travel overseas can be stressful, and more so for some that others. Not everyone can sleep on a plane, which means they're dead tired upon arrival, facing a long day of trying to stay awake, and likely not in the best of moods. In that state the plan for the day may get objections from normally easy going people. And if they decide to sleep more than say an hour on arrival day they're screwed up the next day, too.

Mr. E. Heck no. I'll take the lovin' of my wife over a sandwich any day. I mean it's not even in the same ballpark.

As for unpacking, well, I've never done that except for military deployments that are months or longer. I pack light so there's not much digging to find stuff. It's no big deal. Now, if I were to bring one of those comically large suitcases then yeah, I'd have to unpack. For example a tuxedo for the theater.

BigMikeWestByGodVirginia, you are a blessed man.

The OP said:

Or do I have a distorted impression (from my research so far) about the charm and authenticity of this "European" experience, via a river cruise on the Seine? For an American.

It all boils down to what you do while you are in port. Get off the ship as early as possible. Head for the local French bakery and have breakfast. Have a plan of what you want to see in that town. Do some research. Decide if the planned ship excursion meets your desires. If not, do your own. Have a nice lunch at a local restaurant and continue your afternoon. Head back to your hotel (ship) and get ready for dinner or drinks and talk about the day with your friends. Next day, do it again.

Just think of the ship as transportation and a hotel. If you meet someone interesting great, if not, that is normal. There is a misconception that when people travel to Europe or anywhere they engage with tons of locals, you don't., unless you have a film crew and are Rick Steves.

Nailed it Threadwear!

I want to go to Europe to have a European experience -- you know . . . meet and talk to actual Europeans.

Coming back to this thread after a couple days, and I realized I should have asked the key question(s) around your PAST experience in Europe and travel in general.

Depending if this is your first trip or your 50th trip, you'll likely have a HUGE difference in desires, and adding in your friends wants/needs too, it does become a more complex equation even without adding in the "to riverboat or not" question.

Also, your past and future travel to Europe plays a part (at least it has for me). Our visits over the years have highlighted the places we keep returning to (like Amsterdam or Paris), but also given us a more "mix it up" approach to trips. One trip can be a car rental driving across the countryside. Another a focus intensely on a single city. Or a let's ride all over or let's try just using rail to get around. And it can include the pampering of a cruise or even just nice hotels. As we age, I trend towards "logistically simpler" as I think I can now trade $$$ for peace of mind in some areas, and I think a river cruise can certainly lighten the logistical load.

For a first or a very rare trip to Europe, a river cruise might make it much less stressful OR much less invigorating. Hard to know as that varies by person to person.

Keep in mind, many "actual" Europeans - especially of the beaten tourist trails - don't automatically speak English or perhaps don't want to for various reasons. Brush up on your French leading up to the trip. If nothing else than to be polite when starting a conversation, but also because it often gives the reluctant English speaking French/German/Italian/etc. an open to pivot to their "better at your language than you are at theirs" skills.

It may not have stood out in my earlier comment, but anyone considering a river cruise in Europe needs to be paying very careful attention to the current water levels.
These cruises may be a perfect beginners tour if they go off as planned, but if the water levels are down, you may be exiting the boat with your bag to get bussed from place to place.
Most of this discussion has focused on the cruise as though it truly is a contiguous cruise. That is not always the case. when it isn't, it can become a total drag. My wife and I spoke to our brother and sister in-laws after they returned from a fractured cruise. It was dreadful. On the boat, off the boat, on the bus, off the bus.

There are other options that may be appealing. For instance, you could do a self-guided bike trip. There are many companies that arrange these. They have dozens of routes at all fitness levels, provide all the gear, arrange the lodging (usually small local hotels that also provide a breakfast of local cuisine), and often transport your luggage from hotel to hotel. So, much of the planning and hassle is removed, you're cycling through the countryside and villages, you choose where you eat lunch and dinner, you choose which sites you want to stop and see, and you're not surrounded by North Americans.

We did a Tauck River boat tour of the Seine in November. We enjoyed it because we didn’t have to duke it out for tickets to see things everywhere we went. Plus we saw and experienced things we would never been able to do on our own. It was really well done.

As for the people, not a big deal. We have never made cruise buddies on any of the 3 cruises we’ve done. We are fine with that. We usually had a table for 2. Many people travel with friends or meet people that they bond with on the boat. I think we just turned people off due to activity level and breaking away from groups to see the places we visit. To us it’s not a big deal, we would talk to others and sit with others at group events, and it was fun and people are interesting . Hey they are on a trip for a reason.

We are active over 60 people. Many on the boat are not active, but we didn’t let it stand in our way. We would leave the boat and walk around the little towns we stopped at. We also broke away from some of the tours because we wanted to see something else or see more. . They don’t care just as long as you are back on the boat before it sails- which was usually late at night.

I think with any river boat cruise, the boat is at the mercy of river and port schedules. I would’ve liked more time in Normandy- the way to do that is to take a private van tour where you can see museums and allies’ beaches and museums.

The food on the boat was fantastic. We aren’t foodies so we would stop at an interesting cafe for a snack and coffee or drink on shore.

We also did a Uniworld Christmas Market tour on the Main in Germany. We really liked Uniworld. It was a little more active and people from all over the world, but still majority Americans.

We don’t mind doing a boat cruise now as a travel respite between more active adventures.

anyone considering a river cruise in Europe needs to be paying very careful attention to the current water levels.

Mack - you are correct that water levels matter - too low or too high - but "current" water levels are not really too relevant when planning a river cruise as most folks won't be traveling immediately. The current weather in Paris doesn't matter to me, but the likely or historic weather in Paris for the time of my next trip does. But that info may also end up being useless information.

I want to mention that the often mentioned assumption that a tour or a cruise is only suitable for people who don't know how to travel is a bit condescending. I am confident that posters didn't mean to come across this way, but is still does.

People have different reasons for travel from one trip to another. I am a fairly seasoned traveler and I am going to take my first river cruise in a few weeks. I could easily plan and travel around Europe independently. I do that often. That wasn't the reason for the cruise. I just wanted to try something new to see what it would be like and the destinations were all new destinations for me.

Let's all just appreciate the variety of ways to travel and not "label" people quite so often.

Eager for a trip report, Carol!

I'd recommend never clicking on any link unless it's from a long time, trusted poster, and even then be careful.

I could envision a river cruise for us when we get older and less energetic. The only cruise we took was into the Caribbean and the "sea days" to me were excruciating. I'm not a sit-by-the-pool and relax type, and I'm not a big drinker and eater. I want to get out there and see new things, not the ship. The good news is we got plenty of exercise at the gym and walking around looking at the land whales.

My parents were much more experienced and much braver world travelers than I am --- China, India, Africa, South America, etc. Not vanilla. They were not old or tired of planning or needing assistance or whatever when they took two river cruises, one up the Amazon and one that I think was in Russia (is that possible???). They would have loved chatting with total strangers and making friends of them, but for me, well, this apple has fallen very, very far from the tree.

It is possible to do a river or ocean cruise and still be very active people! We can still hike, bike, swim, kayak, snorkel etc……off ship….and still be on a cruise. We do not enjoy sitting around the pool. On sea days we read or listen to seminars often regarding history and local facts of travels. Also we walk and run the track on ship.
I understand being on a ship for some is a total relaxing getaway that just happens to stop at ports now and then. Some never get off. But also for many of us its a great way to see and experience new places….off the ship! Just a different mode of transport.

You listed quite brilliantly reasons I would never ever go on a river cruise. Since you feel that way, I think you have answered your own question.