Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European Cruise Lines

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

I always tell folks that a river cruise in Europe is a great vacation—probably the best value for most leisure travelers who want to see a lot in a short time yet get close to the way most actually live in Europe. Europe grew up around the rivers and this history is reflected in both the small villages, trading centers and even capital cities you might be able to see and experience.

There is a lot of confusion, in my opinion, among the consumers and even good travel agents, about the differences between lines. We seem to be obsessed with finding the one best line, like a magic pill that will make our travel experiences perfect. Searches on the internet bear this out, as many want reliable info on lines and want accurate comparisons. Even experts disagree on which line is best and all seem to have won a travel award as the best river cruise line.

Somehow in all this, I am concerned that some are searching for the best river cruise line instead of matching their style of travel to the available vendors—the best just doesn’t exist, since all of us have different ideas of the travel experience that we want for our trip—no one line is best for each person.

This doesn’t mean this quest is not valuable. We are well known for our river cruise comparisons that is on page one of Google—last year 8,367 folks opened our 87-slide presentation and already 3,308 have opened it in 2022 (I have just updated it recently, since Crystal is no longer sailing and made some comparison slides easier to read).

Here it is, if you want a more in-depth look at this topic:

Read our Complete 2022-2023 Europe River Cruise Lines comparisons

I just want those who are searching for the best line stop this fruitless search and should instead look for the features that best match their desired travel expectations.

I have always been the guy with the glass half full, not half empty and each line offers a great vacation experience, so today I thought I’d tell you about the best features of each line, accentuating the positive, and a little what it is like to sail on them.

I do want you to know, we have not sailed on every line in this opinion piece and have always paid for our trips and never gone for free from any of these cited lines. While a lot of this comes from first hand experience, some is just by research, cruise line certifications and interactions with industry officials. We have always believed transparency is the best policy and we strive to be as accurate as possible in our opinions and articles.

All the photos in this blog were taken by Anne.

Please join me on this journey—I hope I am up to the challenge!

AmaWaterways

The best features of AmaWaterways are:

Best food & fine regional wines that change daily—added free cocktail hour—included Chef’s Table—best in the industry in our opinion
Best Active line—added wellness instructor
Good tours—usually 3 groups & at least 2 options—sometimes more
Crew becomes your friends—service is excellent & consistently high standards
Slow, steady growth—new ships have high staff standards
Owners are hands on—they read every critique—always improving
Great Cruise Managers go the extra mile for your trip
Great Partners with Ancestry, Backroads (bike touring) & Disney
Their wine themed cruises are the best in the industry

To me, the vibe of AmaWaterways is that you are part of the family, and they want you back. They are just the right blend of great tour options, wonderful food and wine, with comfortable staterooms and a staff only too willing to please. This vibe just resonates with us and has made us consistently pick them as our favorite line and many of our clients agree. Talking with one of the owners, Kristin Karst, she told me “we try to under promise and over deliver”—that certainly is our experience. AmaWaterways seems always to be in the forefront of upgrades, new ideas and innovation in European River Cruising—they never disappoint.

Avalon

The best features on Avalon are:

They deliver a good product at a fair price.
Since they are owned by Globus Corporation (tour company), they have good tours.
They claim to have the newest fleet in Europe market—oldest ship built in 2008 but with Scenic & Emerald no longer true.
Cabin bed faces window—has larger windows & French balconies compared to others that open to create patio stateroom
Added more active options during shore visits called Active Discovery
Have great vegetarian option call “Avalon Fresh”

The vibe of Avalon is options, flexibility, and views. They have a new marketing program called “Cruising Elevated”. I learned about this in an interview published on Travel Weekly magazine. Here is what it said: “There are three elements that signify luxury in today's cruising world," Steve Born (chief marketing officer of Avalon) said. "One is the ships themselves -- the hardware. Do they provide an environment that makes the most of the cruise experience -- enough space and room? The second element is hospitality - cruise service, how guests are treated, the food. And the third would be the choice of included excursions and variety." I think this is a pretty accurate vibe and the direction Avalon is headed.

Emerald

The best features on Emerald are:

Very good quality cruise at a good price.
Gratuities included.
2 upper decks on most ships have ½ window balcony that opens with touch of a button.
Pool has retractable roof & converts into evening cinema—it is awesome!
Even with higher guest capacity (182), it has bikes, spa & fitness area—Viking (190) does not—it does not feel crowded on their ships.

The vibe on Emerald is contemporary but a solid value. The owner, Glen Moroney, likes to call it a four-star experience on a 5-star ship. The tag line “Exceptional Emerald Value”, to me is quite accurate—it is inviting, contemporary, and a great value. It is a fun ship experience—who could not like a glass enclosed swimming pool for daytime use that converts to a movie theater at night (it even has popcorn)?

Here is a photo of the pool that converts into a movie theater at night

Scenic

The best features on Scenic are:

All inclusive—all is included—most guests will not pay anything more unless they get a massage or use the hairdresser.
Onshore tours are awesome—includes Scenic Enrich (exclusive experiences) & Sundowner (hosted cocktails in Europe’s most beautiful locations).
Seafood buffet is excellent!
Offers 6 red & 6 white wines at dinner for free.
Suites have butler service, which varies by stateroom category
Suites have a balcony that converts into an open-air balcony with a touch of a button
Has partnered with National Geographic with lectures and photography lessons on some sailings.

The vibe on upscale, yet modern, contemporary elegance. The Space Ships are well designed, have a mini-bar, and are luxurious. Scenic is the big brother of Emerald and a definitive step up in class and amenities. The Aussie flair is quite evident on board and the elegance is tempered with these fun-loving folks who make up as much as 45% of the guests on a typical sailing. We enjoyed sailing on this line and highly recommend them.

Tauck

The best features on Tauck are:

All-inclusive
Generally fewest passengers on Tauck ships as compared to other river cruise companies.
Many feel they offer the best tours & on-shore experiences—in large part due to 4 onboard staff members who lead all tours—others disagree, like using only local guides
Generally, has more large sized staterooms than others but only French Balconies. Has best window first deck staterooms
Has a good family program called Tauck Bridges

The vibe on Tauck is twofold in my opinion—they work hard to be Distinctively Inclusive and want their guests to Travel Beyond Ordinary. It is a relaxed, elegant vibe combined with Uncommon Access to exclusive venues, events, and experiences due to their past connections as an outstanding tour company. The 4 on board staff Tauck tour staff seem to work seamlessly with the crew, who are not Tauck employees, and guests benefit from this arrangement. Tauck devotees just can’t stop talking about how good this line is and we agree it has a lot to offer.

Uniworld

The best features on Uniworld are:

All-inclusive
Each ship is different—big emphasis on boutique aspect for the client
Only cruise line on the Po River (Italy) & has a Burgundy region cruise
Rate very high on most comparison lists—a lot to like about their product & service.
Excellent Butler Service

The vibe on Uniworld comes from their roots in old world sophistication of Carnation Boutique Hotel chain, yet in a modern world—elegant, opulent, different décor in each stateroom, with butler service. Each ship has different theme and feel but the all-inclusive amenities on each ship remain up to the same high standards from vessel to vessel. They like to say in their promotional material that “no request is too large; no detail is too small” and they very much have created that vibe on their ships. This is a very good choice, especially if you like the boutique ambiance and the accompanying vibe.

U by Uniworld

The best features on U by Uniworld are:

Overnight stays in some ports to experience the nightlife
Fun, unpretentious, very modern and hip

The vibe is young, rocking, and different than any other cruise offering in Europe. With only 2 ships, all painted black, it is the most unique offering on Europe’s Rivers.

Viking

The best features on Viking are:

Sometimes best pricing but often requires full payment at booking while other river cruise companies allow deposit + 90 days prior to departure for final payment.
Only company that cruises Elbe (special shallow water design)
Herb garden; solar panels (most green ships)
Since long ships are identical; in low water situations; Viking has been able to switch ships to avoid extended bus tours—generally successful but does not always work
Has best port docking locations

The vibe on Viking is consistency—each longship is the same, and by my count, there are a lot sailing in Europe--53. It is a Scandinavian designed ship, minimal décor yet nice touches like a heated floor in the bathrooms and large print on shampoo bottles. There are no extras here—the focus of these cruises is on the destination. The emphasis onboard is comfort and not a splashy experience. Viking put Europe River Cruising in the minds of most Americans and must be considered the base line for how good a river cruise vacation is—they set the standard. Viking really does let you explore the world in comfort.

Our Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this report. Perhaps it will help you match a line to your travel style and not worry about which line is best. As you can see, all have features and vibes that make them unique. We can help sort all this out when you are ready to try this great vacation or to go again.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

Opinion: The Best Features and Vibes of 7 European River Cruise Lines

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