Cruise Specialists Blog

Luxury Cruise News & Reviews

Blog Home / Hosted Cruises

The Value of River Cruising

Ralph Grizzle

One of the most common questions we get asked – particularly from those who are considering a river cruise for the first time – is this: Is it worth it?

What they’re referring to, of course, is the fact that your standard river cruise carries a price tag that is higher than, say, a weeklong cruise to the Mediterranean on a mainstream line. But what they don’t realize is just how much more they’re saving by taking a river cruise.

One of the balcony staterooms aboard Viking Freya. Complimentary bottled water and wi-fi internet access are offered in all staterooms. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders
One of the balcony staterooms aboard Viking Freya. Complimentary bottled water and wi-fi internet access are offered in all staterooms. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Consider this: On a mainstream cruise, shore excursions are all offered at an additional cost – meaning unless you want to guide yourself around, you’ll likely be shelling out $80 to $100 per person in each port of call – an amount that can total more than $1,400 for the entire week.

You’ll also have to pay for all your beverages onboard, including beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks and bottled water.  Even moderate drinkers – or those who shy away from alcohol entirely – can find themselves spending $200 or more per week on coffee, teas, juices and soft drinks.

To keep in touch with family and friends back home, mainstream cruisers also have to pay for onboard internet access. Budget $55 for the most moderate package.

Of course, there are exceptions. Many luxury and upper premium cruise lines include various components of your cruise at no extra cost. 

Some river cruises, like our journey through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard AmaWateways' AmaLotus, include complimentary excursions that would be downright impossible to secure on your own. Photo © 2013 Aaron Saunders
Some river cruises, like our journey through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard AmaWateways’ AmaLotus, include complimentary excursions that would be downright impossible to secure on your own. Photo © 2013 Aaron Saunders

A river cruise, on the other hand, includes quite a lot in your fare. You’re arguably paying for everything up front instead of in two halves like on a typical ocean cruise, but just like a luxury sailing, there is a measure of relaxation that comes from knowing the wine you enjoy at lunch won’t cost you a dime on most river cruise lines. Ditto for the pint of beer – or two – at dinner. And the cappuccino, which is yours to enjoy around the clock.

Most river cruise lines also give passengers complimentary internet access. Like the internet on oceangoing vessels, internet along the waterways of Europe is far from speedy, but it works well enough – and you’re not smoking through your hard-earned cash while it spins its digital wheels attempting to load.

Most tours ashore are typically included on all river cruise lines. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders
Most tours ashore are typically included on river cruise lines. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders

Almost all shore excursions are offered on a complimentary basis on a river cruise – and cruise lines typically offer tours geared for every activity level, from active walking tours to gentle walking groups to motorcoach tours.

Some tours do come at an additional cost, but these are few and far between. They’re also offered as an extension of the line’s complimentary excursion offerings, so there’s never any pressure to, say, spend €80 on a day-trip to Salzburg, Austria.

A-ROSA Stella features bicycles, free to use. Bicycling excursions are also offered. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle
Some river cruise lines, like A-ROSA, features bicycles, free to use. Bicycling excursions are also offered. @ 2013 Ralph Grizzle

On every trip I take, I always try to come up with a budget beforehand. On ocean cruises, most of my budget is typically spent by the time I return home. On a river cruise, however, I typically arrive home with a few leftover Euro notes. Why? The average river cruise just doesn’t have the same level of onboard expenses that have to be budgeted for as on an ocean cruise.

It doesn’t mean that river cruising is better than ocean cruising or vice-versa. But river cruising really can be an incredible value – if you do the math.

More from my site

  • Silversea Makes The Med More Inclusive: Free Shore Excursions & WiFi, Your Questions AnsweredSilversea Makes The Med More Inclusive: Free Shore Excursions & WiFi, Your Questions Answered
  • Mobility Issues And River CruisingMobility Issues And River Cruising
  • 2014 River Cruise Roundup: Europe2014 River Cruise Roundup: Europe
  • Live From the River: Embarking AmaWaterways AmaLotusLive From the River: Embarking AmaWaterways AmaLotus

Hosted Cruises

SEARCH ARTICLES

Article Categories

  • Cruise Destinations
    • Africa Cruise Reviews
    • Alaska Cruise Reviews
    • Amazon Cruise Reviews
    • Antarctica Cruise Reviews
    • Arctic Cruise Reviews
    • Asia Cruise Reviews
    • Australia/New Zealand
    • Baltic Cruise Reviews
    • Canada/New England Cruise Reviews
    • Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Cuba Cruise Reviews
    • Europe Cruise Reviews
    • Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Grand Voyages
    • Hawaii Cruise Reviews
    • Iceland/Greenland
    • Mediterranean Cruise Reviews
    • Mexico Cruise Reviews
    • Panama Canal Cruise Reviews
    • Scandinavia and Northern Europe Cruise Reviews
    • South America Cruise Reviews
    • South Pacific Cruise Reviews
    • Transatlantic Cruise Reviews
    • World Cruise Reviews
  • Cruise FAQs
  • Cruise Lines
    • Abercrombie & Kent Reviews
    • AmaWaterways Cruise Reviews
    • American Cruise Line Reviews
    • American Queen Voyages Reviews
    • Aqua Expeditions Reviews
    • Atlas Ocean Voyages Reviews
    • Avalon Cruise Reviews
    • Azamara Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Cruise Reviews
    • Celebrity Galapagos Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard Cruise Reviews
    • Cunard World Cruise Reviews
    • Disney Cruise Reviews
    • Explora Journeys Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America Line Cruise Reviews
    • Holland America World Cruise Reviews
    • Hurtigruten Reviews
    • Lindblad/National Geographic Reviews
    • Norwegian Cruise Line Reviews
    • Oceania Cruise Reviews
    • Oceania World Cruise Reviews
    • Paul Gauguin Cruise Reviews
    • Ponant Cruise Reviews
    • Princess Cruise Reviews
    • Quark Expeditions Reviews
    • Regent Cruise Reviews
    • Regent Seven Seas Cruise
    • Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
    • Royal Caribbean Cruise Reviews
    • Scenic Eclipse Discovery Yacht Reviews
    • Scenic River Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Cruise Reviews
    • Seabourn Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Silversea World Cruise Reviews
    • Star Clippers Cruise Reviews
    • Tauck Cruise and Tauck Land Tour Reviews
    • UnCruise Adventures Reviews
    • Uniworld River Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Expedition Cruise Reviews
    • Viking Ocean Cruise Reviews
    • Virgin Voyages
    • Windstar Cruise Reviews
    • Zegrahm Expeditions
  • Cruise News
  • Cruise Ports
  • Cruise Specialists Benefits
  • Expedition Cruises
  • Hosted Cruises
  • Ralph Grizzle
  • River Cruises
  • Ship Reviews
  • Solo Cruising
  • Tom Mullen
  • Tours, Trains & Resorts
    • Palace Resorts Reviews
    • Safari Reviews
    • Shore Excursions
    • Trains

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Maggie Blehert

Her ideal travel day: venturing to a new place, learning something interesting and sharing a smile.
View My Blog Posts

Steve and Wendy Bodenheimer
Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts reporting on their round the world journeys.
View My Blog Posts

Ralph Grizzle

The Avid Cruiser. Well-traveled and insightful. Helping you make informed cruise decisions.
View My Blog Posts

FOLLOW US ON

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter