Friday, January 26, 2018

Time to Splurge for a River Cruise in Europe?

Are you looking for a great way to celebrate a milestone like a wedding anniversary or retirement?

Or do you just want to enjoy an incredible immersion in some of the most beautiful regions in the world?

Either way, is hard to beat a river cruise.



While ocean cruising wins over 95% of people who try it, the one whispered complaint that cruises battle consistently is a perception by some of being "nickel and dimed."

To combat this, more inclusions have been added, and unlimited beverage packages on Celebrity, Azamara, Oceania and Norwegian Cruises have definitely worked.

While some luxury lines charging two to four times as much have been all-inclusive for years, it seems like river cruises showed mainstream cruises the way.

In fact, when Viking River Cruises took their river cruise philosophy to the ocean, they quickly became the top ranked ocean cruise line in many surveys of travel agents and past guests.

Viking includes free-flowing regional wines and beer with lunch and dinner. free internet and even a free shore excursion in every port.



Other river cruise lines like Uniworld and AmaWaterways take that philosophy of all-inclusive even further, with more additional free shore excursions, bicycles and, in the case of Uniworld, free drinks anytime on board.

Of course, some luxury ocean lines like Regent and Crystal have been providing anticipatory service and amenities for decades, so when Crystal decided to enter river cruising, we knew it would be very special.

Crystal River Cruise ships are among the most beautiful of all, and their own "all-inclusive" approach demands premium prices on rivers just as on ocean liners.

Regardless of whether you choose Viking, Crystal or any other fine river cruise line, you will not feel nickel and dimed.

It comes down to the level of exclusiveness you want with your inclusive value.



I feel compelled to point out that the lowest advertised prices are almost inevitably for November and December, when snows fall in Central Europe.

These Christmas Market cruises have their own special magic and are well-worth experiencing, but don't hold your breath waiting to get that same low price during prime weather months.

You will nonetheless find your money has been very well-spent when your splurge for a river cruise.




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