Who is #1 in 2023—Comparing River Cruise Companies
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist
A year ago (early 2022), I wrote an article for Travel Weekly magazine for their digital publication (they also have a print publication), about the search for the number one river cruise line. The premise of the article was that you really don’t have to know who is number one—you should be more concerned about getting a line that matches your desired travel style.
While primarily aimed at travel professionals, if you would like to read this short article, here is the link:
https://www.travelweekly.com/Articles/How-to-choose-the-right-river-cruise-line
Yet, there is always that fear among our clients that they didn’t get the best. We all want the best—more value for less money if that is possible. It is difficult to find what the best option for many is—it is confusing to many professional travel advisors, so I’m not surprised if you have ever wondered—how can I solve this problem and get the best European river cruise for me?
So, let’s explore together and learn about who is # 1 in 2023 among river cruise lines, or better yet how can I get the best river cruise company that matches my travel style?
They all look very similar—there are differences between lines!
Three AmaWaterways Ships in Vienna
Overview—Why Trust Us About River Cruise Comparisons?
It certainly is a fair question to ask—why care about our opinion? Here are a few facts about us—as a friend once told me “It ain’t bragging if you’d done it!”:
Last year (2022) we helped 34 couples going on river cruises. Already in 2023, we have booked 17 couples who will take a river cruise (if you are a good mathematician, that means we sold 51 river cruises in 2022 but 17 haven’t traveled yet). We have booked folks on 5 of the 7 lines we follow and offered a quote on each of the 7 lines since we have been selling river cruises.
To provide some clarity about this in terms of other travel professionals who sell river cruises, according to Travel Weekly’s Annual Report on Travel Agent bookings (all these statistics are from their report), only 47% of all agents specialize in selling river cruises. Among home-based travel professions, we book more travel than about 76% of our peers, and that number is only for total sales—almost 95% of our business in 2022 was from booking river cruises.
In 2022, our article Europe River Cruise Comparisons 2022-2023 was opened on the web 19,237 times. Our Best European River Cruise Route Guide has been opened 8,148 times.in 2022. Both rank # 1 on Google searches.
We have been on 24 River Cruises. There is an excellent chance we have either been on a route you are interested in or have sold the route to a client. Experience counts!
So, the bottom line is that we really know about river cruising and are well positioned to help you get the best match for your river cruise vacation.
Why is it so Confusing to Evaluate Europe River Cruise Routes and Cruise Lines?
There are really three reasons, in my opinion, for the confusion about Europe River cruising.
First, a simple answer is that good advertising and a good overall product make all lines sound great. For example, almost all have heard of Viking due to its homerun decision to advertise on PBS, especially on Downton Abbey—the stunning video clip still resonates today even for me who has seen and visited ever sight on the short video clip—it is just a great chance to see some of the most interesting places in Europe in an easy vacation.
But does that make Viking the best cruise line? At least 6 other good lines (they are the main Europe River cruise companies in the US market) sail the exact Upper Danube route where the majority of the Viking Ad takes its video scenery from for their TV Ads. Now it starts to get confusing!
The Viking Jarl in port
Second, few folks have been on more than one river cruise line and/or on multiple Europe Rivers used by the 7 companies that we study almost daily. Most who have taken a river cruise in Europe think it is such a good vacation, that they tend to remain loyal to their first cruise line, without really investigating other companies. But could there be a better option? —more confusion!
Third, there is no standard way to evaluate differences among suppliers. All have won some type of award or are rated the best in one phase or another of their product offerings. I recently had a great conversation with another travel professional, who ranked our second-best line as her number one. But one thing was clear the differences were so minor, the ranking was essentially not important—all that mattered was the client experience. We both agreed however, that many travel writers who cover river cruising, tend to hype all and the lines are not all equal. What was clear to me, she had an excellent grasp on the industry and the advantages and disadvantages of each river cruise company—far more important than ranking lines.
We had a client last year take back-to-back river cruises on our 2 highest rated lines. He told me it really was a toss-up, but he favored our second rated line. His rating was that they were both so good, he didn’t think it would matter to most folks which line they chose.
It just reinforces for us what a good vacation river cruising is for the majority of our clients.
So, what is the solution to this confusion?
Our Approach to Determining the Best Match for your River Cruise Vacation
There are really 4 areas we try to explore with potential clients to determine their best match for taking a river cruise vacation. They are:
Why do you want to go on a river cruise?
What routes are you interested in?
What are the specific benefits to you from a particular river cruise company—do they match your expectations?
Are you a good fit for a river cruise?
Why Folks Go on River Cruises?
There are 6 main reasons folks go on river cruise. For us, the destination and itinerary are almost always the most important factor among our clients
The second reason is the perceived value of this luxury vacation—it is almost all inclusive on all lines and even though, as I like to say, an expensive hobby, there is a great perceived value for all that is included in the fare.
Most like the combination of smaller towns and visiting the great cities of Europe.
The included tours and land programs are very important, and we find it a key difference between lines.
Smaller ships, intimate atmosphere and ambience is a major appeal, especially after the pandemic.
The services by the caring staff always resonate—most would like to take some home with them if they could.
It is hassle free, convenient, and fun and you often travel with likeminded people.
What Route Interests You?
Europe Rivers—Map from AmaWaterways
There are many great rivers in Europe, some more navigable than others, available to choose from. The variety of routes makes repeat sailing, especially in Europe, an attractive option for folks. Each route is different, the seasons make the experience different, so for many of our clients it is not a one and done option.
I’m sure now you can understand why we wrote our Best Route Guide to help you learn about these different options.
Along with that guide, we have created 51 port guides along these routes, with our pictures.
The bottom line—we have the knowledge to match you with the right route for you.
Here are some pictures about the many places you can see on a river cruise:
What are Your Travel Expectations?
Matching your travel experience with the various vendors will make a difference. Stateroom amenities, ambience, crew interactions, port stops, food and wine, themed cruises, promotions, and perceived value all factor into an informed decision.
There are differences between lines. Here is a simple comparison on balconies—would you prefer a half balcony with a push button window (the Scenic picture) or the twin balcony (the AmaWaterways picture)?
A balcony on the Scenic Opal
AmaWaterways Twin Balcony—outside view
Sorting all this out requires extensive knowledge, perceptive questions, and a connection to your advisor, in our opinion. While 6 of the lines we follow sell directly to customers, I just can’t understand why some try to do it on their own—control I guess, or fear someone is trying to sell them something they really don’t want.
Buyer be warned—direct sales folks have one mission—sell quickly. You are far better off connecting with a professional who takes your concerns and wants and then matches your expectations to the correct vendor.
Just remember all agents are not created equal—some, like us, are the real deal!
Are You a Good Fit for a River Cruise?
We find that most of our clients who enjoy a river cruise have some or all of these characteristics in common:
Well-traveled, having visited Alaska/Hawaii/Europe previously
Age 60 or older (although recently, we've noticed this trending younger)
Retired
They enjoy small villages/historical sites
In the $80,000 median annual income range
Veterans of a seven-day or longer ocean cruise
Willing to spend $400 or more per person, per night, if the value is there
Celebrating a milestone event
People who enjoy good food and wine
Perhaps you share some or all of these characteristics—then you’re a great fit for a river cruise!
As with any type of vacation, a river cruise is not for everyone. Folks who don't like schedules, have mobility challenges, want huge staterooms or are looking for the Vegas-style night entertainment ocean cruises often feature may find river cruising a poor choice to take a river cruise.
Our Final Thoughts
As you can see—it doesn’t matter who is number one—it only matters that you get the right river cruise vacation that matches your travel style. As, I like to say, “There are no bad river cruises, all lines probably will provide you the best vacation you will ever take!”
Bottom line? If you: desire fine dining; a hassle-free vacation that is easy to plan and arrange; want to discover leisure destinations that they may later want to return to and explore in-depth; are looking for good value; and seeking a reliable and safe vacation, then European river cruising is a great choice for you.
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 give 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 with 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 51+ 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
