When most people think of cruises, the image of a large ship carrying thousands of passengers across the oceans to various ports-of-calls around the world comes to mind. Although this image does portray the most popular type of cruise, that does not mean that this is the only option available to you if you are interested in taking a cruise. Ocean cruises are not for everyone and if the thought of floating on the open sea for days at a time is not for you, you have another option to consider; a river cruise. When it comes to river cruises, you will not only be getting incredible value, you will have hundreds of cheap cruises to choose from.
A river cruise is basically what it sounds like; a cruise on a river. Of course, there is more to one of these cruises than just that! First of all, river cruises are available all over the world just like ocean cruises so you will not be limited to just one area. You will enjoy all the same amenities you would on an ocean cruise such as gourmet meals and activities but the biggest difference is in the size of the vessels; ships made specifically for traveling on rivers are much smaller which means there will be less people onboard allowing for a more intimate, quiet and relaxing experience. Although the thought of cruising down a river may bring about images of jewel and gold laden Egyptian pharaohs and queens being fanned by loyal slaves as they cruise down The Nile, your river cruise can be luxurious too but without paying a luxury price! There are many companies that offer this type of cruise experience and here is a sample of some of the ones that offer cheap cruises:
1) Uniworld – Destinations include Europe, Asia and Africa. Although they specialize in boutique and luxury river cruises and their regular prices are a bit high, they do have special offers from time to time that see some excursions go down in price as much as a thousand dollars!
2) Viking River Cruises – Offer cruises in North America, Europe and Asia.
3) St. Lawrence Cruise Lines – Caters specifically to the Canadian St. Lawrence River region which includes Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston.
4) Tauck River Cruises- Takes guests down rivers in Europe, Asia and Africa
5) Value World Tours – offers river cruises in unique areas of Europe and Asia.
The above mentioned companies are just some of the hundreds out there that offer this type of cruise that is becoming more and more popular with travelers looking for a different way to see the world at a cheap price. The best way to find the best cruise to suit your needs is to do a lot of research before you settle on one company. Even the most expensive ones offer discount prices from time to time and the only way you will find out about these offers is if you sign up for newsletters from companies in the industry and continuously check their websites for information. The best part about a river cruise is you are always close to land so there will be many things to see even when you are still on the water and there are usually many more stops on a river cruise than there is on an ocean cruise so you will be visiting more places and seeing more things!
Photo via AndyRob
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