When a river runs through it, why not take a boat?
IMAGINE a boutique hotel room floating down the Danube. Inside, there’s a marble-clad bathroom, a queen-size bed, Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and an evening turn-down service. Outside, a French balcony offers wraparound views of inland Europe’s most enchanting castles, markets and countryside.
That’s the appeal of river cruising. Passengers get to see big cities, explore small towns, and immerse themselves in charming landscapes without the hassle of packing. Your hotel comes with you.
A holiday option that didn’t exist 20 years ago is the fourth most popular ‘destination’ in cruising, according to the latest CruiseHolidays.com trends report. Thirty new river ships will hit the water this year, taking passengers along the Danube, Seine, Rhine, Mekong and other great waterways.
My ride was the MS AmaBella, a luxury ship running a seven-day schedule from Budapest to Prague. She was a strange sight — long (135m) and thin (10m), custom-built for the rivers, locks and bridges of Central Europe. Onboard, I kicked back in a plush lounge, soaked in a small, rooftop pool, or ordered the daily cocktail (the Rainbow Warrior, a mix of tequila, triple sec, pineapple and lemon juice).
It felt like a four-star hotel re-assembled, Lego-like, for the river. The boat’s weirdly long proportions have a purpose. They allow these 21st century ‘longships’ to get up close and personal with cities and regions. Think of French vineyards, German Christmas markets, or the Netherlands in tulip season. Can you imagine Oasis of the Seas, or the MSC Preziosa, pulling off manoeuvres like that?
But it’s not just about the boats. Cultural-enrichment programmes plug into the ports, making for a far more immersive cruise.
When we docked in Vilshofen, there was a tent onshore. The boat ramp came down, and passengers filed off for a feast of frothy Bavarian beer and salty pretzels. A band played in traditional costume, pausing for the local beer queen to take the microphone, lead us in song, and explain her Bavarian dirndl (dress). In the near distance, the bars of Vilshofen twinkled.
That was just the beginning. Over seven days, our ‘romantic Danube’ cruise would take in walking tours of Vienna, Salzburg, Bratislava and Prague. There would be optional Mozart concerts, wine-tasting at Gobelsburg Castle, and the cooking of Hungarian goulash. One afternoon, we were gobbling apfelstrudel in southern Germany. The next it was sachertorte in Vienna… a far cry from the Caribbean.
My favourite stop was Salzburg. This is ‘storybook Austria’, as Lonely Planet puts it, a city anchored by an elegant Old Town dotted with domes and spires. Atmospheric lanes and alleyways are spotted with cosy little shops and cafes. Close your eyes, and you’ll hear distant church bells peeling.
That’s apt, given The Sound of Music (1965) was shot nearby. Guides who picked us up from the ship explained that the movie was based on a true story, peppering their tours with fun facts about the movie. Did you know, for example, that Christopher Plummer refused to carry Gretl, requiring a smaller double? When we returned to the ship, two local singers performed, in costume, the songs from the soundtrack.
Salzburg’s other musical hook is Mozart. The composer was born in the city, and his birthplace is right in the middle of the Old Town — strangely, complete with a Spar at the ground level. The museum provides the usual insights into a precocious life, but the detail that stuck with me are its three little bells outside — wooden handles connected to wires tacked up the front of the building.
It’s acceptable to give guides the slip, too — and that’s what I did, escaping for a few hours of unstructured exploration. Moseying through the small squares around the cathedral, I took the funicular up to Salzburg’s fortress (Festung Hohenzalzburg). It sits like a Christmas cake on a hill overlooking the city, and I was just in time for a sunset that threw the nearby Austrian Alps into silhouette.
The bus was alive with the sound of music, too. On our journey back to MS AmaBella, the guide popped on ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’… “for a power nap”.
A few observations on my fellow passengers. There were no families or honeymoon couples on board the ship. Most of the 150 or so cruisers were older passengers (cycling and walking tours are broken into ‘gentle’, ‘regular’ and ‘active’ paces), and the atmosphere was sedate… so sedate that the strains of Rod Stewart’s song ‘Sailing’ could be heard as we pulled out of Vilshofen.
Throughout our cruise, one older male passenger patiently worked an embroidering project, complete with special goggles. I was also privy to more than one discussion about the differences between an iPad and an iPod.
One reason for the dominance of older, wealthier (and often North American) travellers is that river cruises can cost around €3,000 a week — a price that tends to include meals, drinks and excursions, but remains beyond the reach of many.
Another is that, unlike your Royal Caribbean and MSC mega-ships, there are no casinos, slot machines or surf simulators on board. The sailing is largely flat, which keeps seasickness to a minimum (“There’s no rock and roll,” as one passenger said), and you’ll very rarely find a river cruise spending full days ‘at sea’.
River cruises suit passengers who like escorted tours and small cruising concepts, but are genuinely curious about the heartland of continental Europe.
That will suit certain holidaymakers down to the ground, just as it will send others running… the trick is to figure out which you are, or research your ship on cruisecritic.co.uk.
I had to keep ye olde calorie balance in check, too. Food was constantly on offer, beginning with early-riser pastries, at 6am, and proceeding through breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper.
You couldn’t stick your hand out on a river-cruise ship without hitting a snack or buffet of some description.
Dinner was a cut above the mass-market ships, mind you. It was served in the main restaurant (a smaller dining option can be booked by groups), with four-course meals punctuated by amuse bouches and palate cleansers.
You might kick off with marinated tiger prawns, for instance, followed by carrot and ginger soup, with main-course options including a choice of salmon with spiced papaya salsa, roast chicken breast, or baked aubergine parmigiana with tomato sauce.
Overall, I’d liken the dining to a good, four-star hotel restaurant — not quite the gourmet fare suggested by the brochures, but definitely outdoing the main restaurants I’ve experienced on larger ships.
Despite the odd quibble, however, my cruise was largely pleasant. I’m not the target customer for an itinerary like this, but I do appreciate that I never had to sit for long without somebody offering a coffee, that there’s a chocolate on my pillow at bedtime, new-release movies on my TV, and a cosy library space with fake fires, real books and international newspapers.
Most of all, I liked the sense of the journey as a destination in itself.
Drifting down the Danube, my picture window and balcony were never more than a few dozen metres from passing barges, from fishermen on the banks, and hills dotted with “mighty castles, lofty monasteries and sumptuous palaces”, as the ‘Daily Cruiser’ leaflet left in my cabin put it. This is one of Europe’s great rivers, winding 2,848km from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, but the ship made it feel intimate.
Every morning, we slipped free of our moorings and the bow thrusters fired up. And every morning the experience clicked, and the realisation dawned that, no, this wasn’t a bad place to be, in a boutique hotel room floating down the Danube.
I travelled with Sunway (www.sunway.ie/rivercruise) and AmaWaterways (amawaterways.com). The seven-day Romantic Danube river cruise starts from €1,559pp in March (cruise only), rising to €2,274pp at peak season in September (cruise only). Cruise, land and flight packages are also available.
Most European river cruises are available March through December (inclusive), but the weather should be a factor when making your booking. December is lovely for Christmas markets, for example, but not for sunbathing on deck!
As with all cruise ships, the experience can rise or fall depending on your stateroom. Lead-in rates cover twin rooms with twin windows, but expect prices to rise for larger rooms with balconies, or suites adding bathtubs.
The key to a happy cruise lies in picking the right ship and line for you. Before you travel, visit www.cruisecritic.co.uk for detailed reviews on every ship on the water — feedback includes everything from food to fellow passengers.
River cruises depart throughout Europe, with itineraries as rich as the regions through which they travel. Port Wine & Flamenco cruises on the Douro, markets and temples on the Mekong, Christmas markets on the Rhine and Tulip Time cruises in the Netherlands are just a flavour of the holidays on offer.
River cruises differ from their ocean-going counterparts in several significant ways. Typically, they offer smaller ships (with 180 or so passengers), steadier journeys, and all-inclusive pricing that includes rich programmes of excursions and entertainment based on the regions through which you are passing.
Sunway is featuring the new Harry Potter Hogwarts Express at Universal Orlando Resort this summer, with prices starting from €695 based on two adults and two children sharing a family suite, valid for travel in May or September. www.sunway.ie or phone Sunway 01-2886828
Irish rugby supporters may be tempted by an offer from South American specialists Nuevo Mundo centred on the upcoming tour to Argentina. A 12-day package is available from €2,764 with international flight prices to be added. Visit www.nuevomundo.ie, or call 01-2412360.
Wallace Travel Group has a family-friendly Iceland offer for this Easter. The fixed price of €458 includes flights ex Dublin, accommodation, breakfast every day, taxes and hotel transfers. Details on http://itaa.ie/easter-mid-term-iceland-offer/
Irish holidaymakers have until next Monday to avail of a free half-board upgrade in Pontins self-catering holiday to Britain with Stena Line. Seven night holidays, including ferry, start from €449 for a family of up to five. Visit www.stenaline.ie/pontins or 01-2047733.
Some of Europe’s top camping parks are featured by Crystal Alfresco who offer prices starting from €169 for seven-night mobile home holidays this May and June. Depending on location, travel is by sea or air. Call 01-4331056 or visit www.crystalalfresco.ie
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