River Cruise Lines Everyone Is Raving About RIGHT NOW (And Why)

[@julievanb1944]

Gary, If you haven't sailed with Scenic. I suggest you do and give this line a full review. We sailed on the Scenic Jade, Budapest-Amsterdam, 15 days from August 21. They have amazing excursions to choose from including Ebikes (we did 2 x 35km rides), a wellness program including gym, stretch classes and a massage room. Butler service for all grades of cabin. Enrichment talks and the entertainment they bring on board is first class, one of ours was a glass blowing expert! Saving the best for last....the food and the Scenic Enrich evenings they provide, completely incredible evenings in locations unique to their guests. Some days we got to do 2 or 3 excursions. Once on board you pay nothing unless you want to enjoy a spa treatment. We were in the lowest grade of cabin, 'swan class', traveling with friends and rarely in our cabin which were still spacious. All cabin grades enjoy the same wonderful service from amazing staff who called us by name within a day or two.

[@anthonydavison3840]

Agree completely. We have done cruises with several orher companies but none compared with Scenic. I am surprised that Viking get such good reviews but then it is all a matter of opinion.

[@VaCha62]

Sounds nearly as good as Avalon.

[@davidhurwitz2291]

Sailed on a Viking River cruise in 2017 - 14 nights - Budapest to Amsterdam. It was our first river cruise and we enjoyed it very much. One thing that we learned is that there can be problems if the water levels in the river are too high or too low. We were on a cruise where the water levels were too low. At day 7, we had to pack our bags, and we were bussed to the next river port. Luckily, Viking has a lot of river boats. We switched to another Viking river boat and received the same cabin number we had before. We continued on our journey going toward Amsterdam. The people who were formerly on our new ship boarded our old ship and headed toward Budapest. By sailing on Viking, which has a big fleet, were we able to do this.

[@carolynherrmann9404]

This is funny. We did the same cruise except from Amsterdam to Budapest. It was our first river cruise, really any kind of cruise. We had to switch at day 7 too. It really wasn’t a big deal. I was just happy we could continue to be on the river.Our trip got delayed for two years due to the pandemic but when we did finally do our trip it was great. We loved it. We are in our late 50s so we trended young on the boat but we still had fun. I would totally do a river cruise again. We spent a day or two in Amsterdam before the cruise began and I loved it so much we just got back from visiting Amsterdam just this summer. Very fun

[@sl4193]

Such an informative overview of river cruising, thank you Gary.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching

[@harlenerosenberg6182]

We just returned from our 5th cruise with Avalon and totally agree that Avalon is an outstanding choice for river cruising! Love the cabins, itineraries, and excursions, and the staff and food/drink selections are excellent.

[@VaCha62]

I've done 25 days on Avalon Impression. Loved it. About to go on their Mekong River trip.

[@bobcochran2890]

We took our first river cruise ten years ago. We were hooked, and have now booked seven river cruises, all with Viking. Just did Capitals of Eastern Europe…Danube from Vienna to the Black Sea. Magnificent. Thanks for your videos.

[@happytraveller2122]

You should try other companies

[@anthonydavison3840]

You really really should try other companies. We did and would probably not use Viking again. Our own favourite is Scenic but have heard good things about Avalon.

[@VaCha62]

I way preferred Avalon to what I saw close up of Viking. Avalon has better cabins, better top deck, better active program, has a public lounge at rear. Viking boats have a square nose and I like how the front room can open up. Viking has a more elaborate stairway, Avalon is nice and functional. I was so glad I went with Avalon.

[@jerrymachusak3216]

Great commentary, Gary! We did our first Viking river cruise last year and we're not even thinking about any other cruise line. We've already booked another river cruise and an ocean cruise with Viking. To be fair, we haven't been on Avalon in over ten years, so Avalon might be just as good. Thank you for providing the absolutely best travel blog ever!!

[@cherifurr3935]

Avalon was better to me than Viking.

[@billwatkins8227]

Gary, my wife and I are taking our first river cruise in October with Avalon. I have devoured your river cruise videos and enjoy the tips immensely. Thanks and keep it up.

[@donkiml5805]

We loved loved our Avalon Waterways land/cruise from Prague (3 days) with 7 days on the Danube river to Budapest. They did have a special program for lesser/limited mobility cruisers. Great food, wonderful staff. The included tour was usually in the morning. Afterwards you could return to the ship or stay in town with their extra information and maps. Additional tours available for a fee from day tours, half day or evening concerts. A couple days had half day cruising, seeing castles etc with history narrations. We agree with the rating.

[@VaCha62]

Recently completed a 25 day cruise on Avalon Impression on Danube, Maine & Rhine. Ship design is the best. Cabins with sliding doors are excellent. Food was excellent. Active program with yoga, hikes, bikes was great fun. Lots of excursions, most included. Good walking track on top. Excellent crew. Was depressed on having to leave. Avalon deserves being #1. I'm doing their Mekong cruise in Feb 25.

[@adriangoodrich4306]

We've thoroughly enjoyed two AMA river cruises so far. Both extremely hard to fault in any way. Encouraging to see Gary sharing our own conclusions. This was another really helpful video, Gary - thanks!

[@sarapanzarella97]

I researched a ton before we went on our first river cruise this summer - obviously you are one of the channels I watched! We went on Viva river cruises. Loved the ship - new, clean great layout. All inclusive with alcohol being available at all times. My husband was very unsure that a river cruise would be worth the money - but he loved it and thought it was a good value. I love when booking the price you see on their website is always the final price you pay. While we aren’t cruise experts, I just don’t see a reason why I would have liked a Viking cruise more and would have spent double the money.

[@jeffbourne4554]

I also just did a Viva cruise, their long 15 night Danube cruise. They are still mostly unknown in the US. I was totally satisfied with my choice. On the cruise there was on dedicated tour guide who had a group of about 30 Danes. She has cruised with most of the other lines and was very positive with Viva. Gary, I'd like to hear your opinions on this line.

[@gerardacronin334]

I have only done one river cruise. It was on Avalon, on the Danube, in 2014. I absolutely loved it.

[@ahmcguffin]

Thank You for this lovely compilation! A few years ago I read an interesting and amusing review of a European river cruise. I'd forgotten which line it was and checking lines that stop in Amsterdam were no help. The beds face the large window views! The reviewer's caveat being ALWAYS make sure your curtain remote is on your bedside table when you retire! Her first night she fell asleep to the beautiful passing countryside. She woke up docked next to a bustling sidewalk Cafe in full view of seated patrons with the curtain remote on the other side of the room! She loved the cruise despite her faux pas! It must have been Avalon!

[@IramisandGerry]

Thanks Gary! We did Viking for the 1st time Nov 2023. It was good, but not AWESOME! We are headed on Avalon on April 2025! We can’t wait. We hope that active river cruise feel is true and can enjoy what the company is about. Gary - After 5 years of watching, you have inspired me and I started my own channel. It’s about Slow Travel and retirement. But I do want to thank you for the inspiration over so many years. Each of these videos takes a lot of time and I now get how hard you work!!!Thank you!!🙏🏽🇵🇷💗

[@Unazaki]

I really like to see these kinds of lists since they often have highlight options that I would otherwise have not heard of, like Riverside! Much appreciated for doing such videos and giving us more insights / choices! :)

[@kvom01]

We cruised Avalon in 2018 before Covid and are cruising with them again in November. Something I like with them is they offer singles with no supplement ona few cruises later in the year.

[@janeg8274]

You can Never Ever Miss with TAUCK!! ❣️❣️❣️

[@monkeygirl55]

I’m doing my secomd Uniworld cruise this coming December. I agree, yes the decor is a bit much, the service just hands down makes it the best river cruise company I’ve cruised with.

[@izengolf1]

I was on the Victoria this summer and her modern design was just more bland and unoriginal compared to the Beatrice. The cabins were absolutely super though.

[@KayHamilton247]

@@izengolf1 I can really appreciate your comment. I'm the opposite and feel the over-the-top themes are too much (for my taste) and prefer the "simple luxury" style of decor. Reading your opinion on the matter helped me realize there's something for everyone and that I shouldn't have as great a disdain for how several of Uniworld's ships are decorated. I think the shift in style on their newer ships (Victoria [2024] & Elizabeth [2025]) shows they've (Uniworld) listened to their consumers and are now catering to everyone's taste! 😊

[@izengolf1]

​@@KayHamilton247Yes, they can certainly more directly compete with travelers who prefer the decor on Scenic, Ama or Riverside ships now. We were rafted beside the Riverside Ravel (I think?) one day and it was bizarre to see the exact same ship through the windows 😂. One strange note on these ships, the elevator does not go to the bottom floor which makes it difficult for some guests to access the spa and laundry.

[@QuentinStephens]

A very timely video, Gary. Thank you.

[@katelawrence7445]

I've done several river cruises, mainly in Europe but also in Asia, and have always travelled with Avalon mainly because as a solo traveller I really appreciate the no single supplement specials they have. I have always managed to take advantage of these offers and as an added bonus they apply in a limited number to both the Panorama suits and suites that are closer to the water line and therefore have a window rather than a Juliet balcony.

[@VaCha62]

Agreed. I also had no single supplement on my Avalon 25 day cruise. Loved the boat and active program

[@jenniferparry8709]

My first cruise ever was a river cruise this Easter on an Amawaterways. Absolutely loved it and booked another with them straightaway, went on the Rhone in August. Another booked for December over the New year

[@melissasiegel9682]

Enjoyed this thoughtful presentation. My husband and I probably have a river cruise in our near future and I will focus on these lines.

[@scottlewisparsons9551]

Thank you Gary for another interesting video. My wife and I did a Viking river cruise in October 2022 between Budapest and Amsterdam. We found the ship to be clean and very well maintained, the shore excursions were excellent and our cabin small but well designed. However, we considered the food to be basic and not always to our taste although it seemed to be enjoyed by the American guests. We also thought that the service was only average at best. Overall though, we enjoyed our experience very much. Would we do another Viking river cruise? Perhaps a shorter one in France, also, we might try a Viking ocean cruise in the future.

[@princelouisxivpurcell2775]

Excellent summary. Thank you.🎉

[@FraserAtSea]

I've just returned from my first ever river cruise, and I went with Riviera Travel to cruise both the Rhine and Moselle. One thing that I couldn't believe was how similar all of the river ships that we passed while cruising were - on a few occasions, we'd be docked right beside a ship which was almost identical to ours! These river cruise lines must need to have such strong products from a customer experience POV, as the ships aren't the differentiating factor (unlike lots of ocean cruises)!

[@511dmc]

Scenic also offers e-bikes. One of the major reasons I selected them for our upcoming Danube cruse

[@kathyholt3516]

Went on a Rhine cruise with Scenic last September. Really enjoyed the food & excursions. Had smaller inside cabin, but mostly spent time on the top for viewing. September was best time to cruise because there were smaller crowds.

[@janetbattersby7915]

I was very surprised that Tauck didn’t make the list

[@Robertsup3]

We took our first river cruise from Amsterdam to Switzerland with the post cruise in Italy. It far exceeded our expectations so much, we just booked our second cruise on Ama on the Douro for June. Ama is a first-class experience without too much "fancy and frills". The food selection was varied, VERY delicious, and they went out of their way to accommodate special requests. The rooms are beautifully appointed, the staff is beyond professional, courteous, extremely friendly, and no request it too much to ask. Additionally, the passengers on the cruise were also to our liking. . . professional, polite, not stuffy, and very fun. We can't say enough about the excellence of Ama river cruises.

[@karenjensen2345]

We went from Switzerland to Paris for the 2024 Olympics on Viking, loved every second of it!!!

[@markfortin3502]

Thanks Gary, as always! I recently cruised Avalon on the Danube and had a perfect vacation. terrific wine selections, wide food choices, and the staff was impeccable. Wife and I cannot wait to cruise Avalon again.

[@hettytravels]

I’m a big fan of Tauck land tours having been on 10 tours! But my first ever River cruise will be on AmaMagna next December. Super excited to try it out. Thanks for your video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

I hear really great things about AmaMagna!

[@alanclarke8877]

Just FYI Scenic also have butlers regardless of cabin grade. Scenic are an Australian company, so being Australian this suited us. After having done two cruises with Scenic we would not hesitate sailing with them again.

[@kebul2000]

Been on two Ama cruises and his description is spot on, the food is superb

[@amybradley5821]

Just did my first river cruise on Viking and have no complaints at all. Very different from ocean cruising. My mom had two knee replacements and managed great with a cane. We did the Grand European.

[@sophiadubrul4322]

We did Viking from Prague to Berlin in December and it was great. The service was great. Food was mixed but the regional specialties were always great.

[@Clutching.My.Pearls]

We cruised on Avalon twice and I'm so happy.

[@rrl4245]

We took our first cruise on Viking (Danube) and enjoyed it. Our second was on Avalon (Lower Rhine and Main) and enjoyed it more. Our third cruise starts in a couple weeks on Avalon (Seine). We love Avalon's cabins, and their ships, with slightly smaller numbers of passengers seem less crowded. I must admit though, that we haven't been all that impressed with the tour guides... Ralph

[@karlstriepe8050]

Great list Gary! I've gone on two river cruises, Danube and Rhine, both with Amawaterways. No point of comparison, but no complaints.

[@karlstriepe8050]

Bty, I choose Ama for the fitness stuff, e.g., gym, bikes, and certainly it's a theme, as half the boat on one of my cruises was booked out to a cyclying club.

[@johnm7251]

We cruised the Rhine with Avalon and were very happy with them

[@todds9746]

My wife and I are going on our first river cruise next June. Viking's Grand European from Budapest to Amsterdam. Very excited.

[@dinnes3375]

Scenic Cruises is excellent. You likely don’t see much about it because is advertises & fills up with Canadians ( has offices in Western Canada mainly) and doesn’t have to attract Europeans. Only English onboard, which we like. Thanks for your great videos.

[@drsjwhitman45]

Sailed on Viking Hathor Nile in September 2024. Absolutly #1. On Mekong in December. Almost 80 years old and trying to get as much in until I can't doit any more. Bravo Viking.

[@terrysmith6067]

I was pleased to see AMA Waterways high on your list. We sailed on a trip altered because of low water on the Rhine. They still gave us a great cruise and we were very happy with our experience. Enjoyed the bikes on board in Holland. Great staff and food.

[@DChatburn1]

I love Avalon and have cruised with them 6 times. Avalon more often offers single supplement options. Avalon has beautiful ships and excellent staff. I like their "adventure hosts" who offer biking and hiking. I have traveled with other lines, but now I have made Avalon my choice for river cruises.

[@VaCha62]

Ditto

[@jeffreywagner5234]

Thanks for this Information!!! Extremely helpful. 🤗

[@jeffreylevin9616]

You are so blessed to be able to see the 🌎 in such great fashion. Maybe in my next life I'll develop the skills and personality to enjoy my life more

[@donaldmeincke3048]

This was a very good and needed review. And I now agree that the rankings seem to be based on advertising revenue. We have traveled on Viking and Uniworld , based solely on ratings in magazines. Although both cruise lines were very good, they weren’t what I would consider “over the top” in service or excursions. Uniworld seemed to have better excursions and a more engaging crew. But Viking had better food and slightly better interiors. Thanks for your excellent reviews!

[@Joel-dq8tt]

I only did one river cruise. It was with AmaWaterways and I loved it.

[@lynnewilliams542]

We did the Christmas markets with Riviera. They were FANTASTIC. Have done Gate 1, and it is a great value for price paid.

[@madlenyoung2472]

Thank you Gary. I value & appreciate your opinion. 👏

[@melz5674]

Our first European river cruise was taken on Viva Cruises. Viva II took us southbound from Düsseldorf to Passau. Viva I sailed from Düsseldorf to Amsterdam and through Belgium. Although mainly Europeans onboard both ships, the staff and tours catered to the few English speaking guests without a skip. The ships were well appointed with food, bar, and service very exceptional! A must try for an all inclusive cruise!

[@connie_360]

I've travelled on several Grand Circle Travel/Overseas Adventure Travel river, barge, small ship, land tours and they are fabulous. They also have amazing last minute travel prices.

[@drj6418]

Having just returned from Paris sailing on Avalon's Tapestry ll, to Normandy I agree with the ratings of Avalon being #1. The experience on all levels was almost perfect. My favorite river cruise lines are Avalon and Uniworld

[@fishandfloral]

We’ve done 6 Viking cruises, both river and ocean, and have 5 more booked. I feel like these cruises have given me a taste of various countries and cities that I want to spend more time in, so the plan after this is to travel on our own to immerse ourselves more into specific locations.

[@kchez110]

First cruise on Amawaterways. Absolutely loved it. Planning another. No reason to try another line.

[@donnamattison7152]

Oh wow! We’ve done Viking and Avalon and loved them both. We would have stayed with Viking, except we had a 13 yr old granddaughter with us, so we had to choose a line that would take a teen. Loved the bed facing the window! The dining staff absolutely spoiled the 13 year old, which was wonderful. Loved the activity level as well.

[@davidgilhousen8191]

Sailed with Avalon twice in the last two years and concur, but we enjoyed one of their tours much more than another. Their Danube cruise featured much more authentic experiences with better docking locations, less busing on excursions, and a staff that spoke and understood English, The Romantic Rhine had some docking locations that were a mile away from anything to see, a trip to a castle crammed full of tourists that was largely a facade and a staff that spoke a form of English but with many waitstaff who acted like they didn't understand. Gary, maybe you need to do one comparing the common river cruise locations.

[@michaelseibold9977]

We did a Croisi cruise in 2022. We were the only English speakers on the cruise but it was lovely. Food was OK but nothing to write home about. Crew was friendly and spoke English. But it was a real bargain so value to money was good.

[@paulwinge4173]

We have taken five river cruise and I have not been an several of these highly rated lines. All claim to be all inclusive but we found Scenic to stand above the rest. They have butlers, their wine and liquor selection is superior and service is the best of all the lines. Like you I find the Uniworld ships a bit fussy but the service and food were outstanding. Ama would be our third choice. Viking gets lots of 'votes' simply due to all the ships and guests but 190 passengers is just too many in my opinion. Another gripe is how early the expect full payment for a cruise. I prefer to make the final payment much closer to the sailing date.

[@aadean]

Thanks for the highly informative video. We have been considering Viva River cruises as we have seen some very positive reviews on KZbin. Do you know much about them? Just wondering where you would place them compared to the ones you mentioned in this video. Thanks!!

[@janefletcher7214]

I have not heard you mention TUI river cruises on your videos. We used them this spring for a cruise on the Rhine and found them to be a great budget friendly option.

[@lorenadugan6355]

We chose Avalon after much research and watching KZbin videos Yours and RTI Travel interviews. 15 days in May. We loved it. We are trying Celestyal for a B2B next fall for a Greece cruise because it is a Greek Line. I’m wondering if you have tried them? Love your channel

[@Tigers529]

Avalon was fantastic when the water levels were down they made all the arrangements could not fault them. No wonder they came out on top.

[@lindazee]

Uniworld is still our favorite, so far.

[@texasboy5117]

We have done 3 river cruises with Viking and find them just about perfect for the retired traveler. The ocean trips are even better having done 10.

[@FrankandElizabethReich-og6ct]

Gary, the link isn’t working to the next video about the river cruise lines that didn’t make the list. I would love to watch that one, too. Great video, and you really should give Scenic a try.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Sorry yes! The video isn’t finished editing yet as behind so hopefully will be up in next few days or latest Saturday

[@littlemikeism]

As a former Publisher of a lifestyle magazine, I can assure you there is a direct correlation between amount of advertising and the advertiser's ranking.

[@ScottKlapman]

Like Riverside, Uniworld offers butler service on some of its ships.

[@VaCha62]

Don't like butler services.

[@ScottKlapman]

Just came from a Uniworld today. Passed the Riverside Mozart on the Danube in Budapest. What a huge ship she is.

[@moose354]

We sailed on Avalon on the Rhine (Amsterdam to Basel) in 2022 and on the Danube (Budapest to Prague) in 2023. The Royal Suites are simply the best. The cruise director is fully empowered to make major decisions, regardless of cost to the cruise line in the event any point of the itinerary does not go as planned. Avalon has earned the #1 ranking and we only sail on Avalon.

[@greggbull9543]

Just to clarify a couple of points, Uniworld do have butlers on their ships for Suite and Royal Suite clients and on our latest cruise our bed faced out.

[@saranyabiswas2057]

I trust ur videos .. also agree Viking is best for first timers

[@markwisniewski4165]

WOW really missed the mark with UniWorld except for the food and wine comment. They also have butlers since we had one on our last river cruise. Our bed also faced the window, they had bikes on board, and great tours since all the cruise lines use the same guides at each stop. You really sold them short!! And perhaps talk about the low water problems (and more specifically on the Danube), where Viking has to bus people around since their boats don't draft well.

[@francesgill8621]

A good friend recently went on a Danube river cruise with Ama but was disappointed with their local guides. I went on Gate 1 and had a great time and had terrific local guides. No free wine with lunch, only dinner, but it was very nice, and I appreciated being able to get a solo cabin. Much more affordable

[@karlstriepe8050]

Went on Ama couple years ago and they used to serve wine at lunch, but no free cocktails before dinner, which I've heard they now do. Must have cut one for tother.

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

Was looking forward to your review of Viking. We just came from the Mississippi River cruise on Viking. Rather than travel to Europe. I'm sure comparing apples to Oranges, but we were very disappointed. The ship, the food and most (not) all the excursions were very nice. But out of the 11 cruise days, we spent 5 days on land, 2 before, 2 after and one whole day on a Bus.

[@jacquelyns9709]

When did you take your cruise? You did not mention what the water levels were on your cruise. Were American Cruise Line ships also busing their passengers? I know that the Mississippi River has had unusually low water levels in the last couple of years. This is a problem for all river cruises throughout the globe. If water levels are too low or too high, the cruise lines have to bus their passengers to their ports of call and excursions. A long river like the Mississippi can have areas of low and high water at the same time.

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

@@jacquelyns9709 We did the cruise in June of this year. We were told and it appeared the level was high. Not a record, but higher than it had been in years. I don't know about American Cruise Line. We never got a straight answer from the crew or Viking cruise line. Best I can figure out is the port of Memphis is not equipped for passenger vessels. Read other reviews just now, while trying to find an answer to why the ships don't dock in Memphis. Others had the same bad experience as we did. #1 was the insanely LONG bus ride. We were told before the cruise and again on the ship that it would be only two & a half to three hours. Our bus pulled out around 9am, and arrived at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis at 5pm. An unnecessary stop in Oxford (yes, southeast of Memphis) for two and a half hours for lunch, after a half hour or longer stop at a roadside rest.. Oh, and Lunch was on us. No fast food, only expensive restaurants. Then, a scheduled stop at the Botanical Gardens, that was only supposed to be an hour. Due to arriving late, temp around 95f and high humidity there was no mobile assistance due to the late hour. Don't even get me started on the Hotel. Friday night, two full weddings going on, plus the Girls softball tournament (across the street) teams staying at the hotel. Again, Lunch and Dinner, same as out stay in New Orleans was at our expense.

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

@@jacquelyns9709 I didn't cover all the other negatives. We received a Call from Viking due to our survey. They agreed with our "3" complains and offered a $1,000.00 onboard credit for a future cruise.

[@GoofballFlyer]

We just took a Viking cruise. Prior experience was 2 cruises on Ama Waterways. Viking sets their expectations very high in their U.S. advertising and marketing programs. We found them no better than AMA overall, and their shore excursions were not quite as good. We paid Viking for an optional winery tour that went to a very small French location that had wines I would rate no better than we can buy here in Indiana. The ship we were on was not squeaky clean either. Food was good, but again no better than Ama. However, I have to admit that at 3, our sample size of European river cruises is very small. In summary, we were pleased we did the trip, but far from overwhelmed by this Viking experience. It was a case of very high expectations that were not met.

[@lindapeterson3613]

Have you tried Amadeus line. We love the food and crew. We have done 2 cruises and love them.

[@Commonsenseisnotcommon8]

I’ve think river cruising will definitely go more fitness focus and activity focus in the future. Because the younger generations we’re a lot more active I’m Gen X. And I’m always looking for something active been doing on my vacations. I would hate to just be sitting around. Hopefully they’ll get more competition too, and the price will go down. Is there loyalty programs like there are on the big cruise lines?

[@jeffreywagner5234]

Can you compare America River Cruises?? Thank you.

[@cherifurr3935]

Especially Viking!

[@annienelson-om6et]

Riverside, hands down, the best on the rivers. Service, food, ship…hands down! And yes, bikes on board and a small fitness center. I used to love Uniworld, but since sailing Riverside, Uniworld drops to two or three for me…running neck and neck with AMA.

[@maureenhandler5611]

I was so surprised that Tauck wasn’t rated in the top 8. Expensive…yes…but I think some of the other lines end up costing the same after you add on the extras. My vote would always be the Tauck river cruises!

[@marylopez6173]

Love AmaWaterways!

[@williambarr3535]

Amadeus are a wonderful line. Reasonable price food and wine superb. Service great.

[@scottmiller7779]

Gary - I'm interested to hear how you cultivated your ratings? Were they from one site like cruise critic, or did you also look at other review sites like Trip Advisor, etc?

[@willfb1]

At 61and 3 years ago we took our first cruise ever with Avalon. We toured Budapest to Vienna and it was absolutely fantastic. So memorable, we were spoiled. The cruise director was very personable with all guests. Everything about that trip was great. Last year we went on a Doro cruise with Uniworld, and was very disappointed. The ship looked worn and the cabins had no storage space to unpack. The staff seemed disinterested in the guests. We discovered that they most worked for different line for each voyage, and the food mediocre. Nothing lived up to the advertised hype nor the expense. The best was staying on in Lisbon for 2 days at the end. Next year we are going back to Avalon and touring Amsterdam.

[@sqgallacher]

Uniworld is #1

[@lynnevandewalle3829]

Thank you for the excellent video. My husband and I took a Scenic River cruise in 2018. They had private butlers and electric bikes on board. Their excursions were excellent. It is all inclusive also.

[@susanr.562]

Gary: the video you point to at the end of this video, ‘On the list?’, can’t be reached by clicking, is not on your list of videos referred to in this video, nor could I find it with a search on your KZbin channel. Would you paste the link? Thank you!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Sorry yes! The video isn’t finished editing yet as behind so hopefully will be up in next few days or latest Saturday

[@susanr.562]

@@tipsfortravellers Oh, thanks for the reply.

[@suebutton2075]

I would love to see river cruises in the USA covered. Have you ever thought of doing one?

[@edegidijuskas4030]

Great cruises, high end. Gratuities are above average, 25 eur/ day just waiter. So about 300 eur for 7 days, happy couple makes it.

[@spydude38]

Regardless of which is on "the list", today is the best time to be in the market for a river or ocean cruise with something for everyone. It has been reported in the media that in the U.S. there are about 80 million boomers who are retired and want to spend their money seeing the world by cruising. Viking caters to the U.S. market, although I've seen people from as far away as Australia and the Philippines onboard.

[@Mark.G475]

I have never been on a cruise. I really have no interest. But I like your channel a great deal. Best wishes from Chicago.

[@ConanTheLibrarian-n5q]

Gary, have you ever cruised on American rivers?

[@dianehedden5138]

Tauck river cruises are fabulous.

[@ellenlawrence8241]

My husband and I just did a Rhine River cruise with Gate 1. It was 5 star all the way. Travel reviewers on Cruise Critic give them a 4.7 star rating for good reasons.

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

Sir, If I can only choose one, would you recommend a Danube or a Rhine River cruise?

[@tipsfortravellers]

Danube for sure!

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

@@tipsfortravellers Thank you Sir!

[@edspace.]

While I've never been on a cruise my parents enjoy them. One thing I have wondered is whether someone whose never been on a cruise would be better off starting with a river cruise or an ocean cruise?

[@alisong2328]

I haven't been on one, either. I'm thinking that starting off with an ocean cruise as they are much, much cheaper. I will try to find a "smaller" ship.

[@edspace.]

@@alisong2328 Ah nice, I hope that its a good cruise. Hope you find a small ship to your liking.

[@cheryld.1079]

Went on Viking in group of 10- we all agreed it was one and done! Terrible food and subpar service. They spend a fortune on advertising and we felt they did not live up to the reputation they have fostered

[@edbarnard7157]

Do any of these river cruises have dining for two?? We are not ani-social but we enjoy dinner on our own

[@idl9ave419]

I have the same question (see my comment above). Viking has a few tables for two in its separate "Aquavit Terrace" (same food, smaller upstairs dining room). We ate there whenever a table for two was available - but it can turn into a race to claim one.

[@bobstan5503]

Tauck was not covered. Considered by many the best of the best. And yes, you can have dinner for two if you choose, any time, same fabulous service.