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You've decided to try a European river cruise. Now you need to figure out which ship and stateroom will deliver the  experience you've been dreaming of. These are the top two questions I get from clients about the ships, plus some key differences between the lines that you might want to consider as you plan. 

 

Aren't all the ships the same?

Ships in Europe have to fit through the same locks and under the same bridges, which means they all tend to have the same overall measurements* and look pretty similar. The distinctions appear once you step on board.

  

Typical Deck Plans

• Sun Deck: the bridge, lounge chairs and tables, sometimes a pool or hot tub, walking track, even the occasional pop-up bar.

 

• Top Deck: lounge at the front of the ship, with plenty of windows for viewing the scenery. Bar, sometimes an outside seating area or casual restaurant service, coffee/tea station, elevator, sometimes internet access/library, staterooms. Some ships have the reception area here. 

 

• Middle Deck: reception, shop, main restaurant, kitchen, elevator, staterooms. 

 

• Lower Deck: staterooms, fitness center, spa, and crew areas. 

 

The Differences

• Some lines fit more people onto their ships than other lines. This reduces the amount of space per guest, and the amenities offered on board. For example, Viking's Longships hold 190 passengers. There is no fitness room, spa, pool or guest laundry, on board. There are no bikes carried, and the average room sizes are smaller. Viking carries 50 crew members on this size ship.

• Other deluxe lines like AmaWaterways (156 passengers)  Avalon Waterways (166 passengers) and Emerald Waterways (180 passengers) use the extra space for staterooms and for additional lounge/restaurant areas, pools, fitness centers/bikes, salons, and spas. From 47- 51 crew on board.

 

• Luxury lines like Crystal (106 passengers), Uniworld and Scenic (150 passengers) and Tauck (130 passengers) have more suites and larger staterooms with luxurious bathrooms, ample closet space, sitting areas, and alternative restaurants, bars, salons, spas, pools. Crystal and AmaMagna (AmaWaterways) both offer king size beds in their rooms, most lines have queen size beds or two twin beds. They also carry more crew members for a higher service level, from 58 to 68 on board. 
• Emerald and Tauck have dedicated solo occupancy rooms. Uniworld and AmaWaterways have adjoining rooms and triple occupancy rooms.  

Why are there different prices for the same cruise?

Rooms vary in size and amenities, and location also determines the price you will pay. River cruise ships in Europe usually have three decks of rooms. Here is what you will find on each floor.

• The top deck rooms and suites are the most expensive. Suites will have more room, and often include extra amenities like butler service or in-room mini-bars, for example. Views from the top deck are marginally better than those from the middle deck. Expect your room here to come with an open-air balcony. This deck will have elevator access to the middle deck where the main restaurant is located. Rooms closer to the center of the ship will cost a bit more than those towards the aft (back) of the ship. Why? Supposedly, because they are more convenient and require less of a walk to the lounge and main dining room.

 

• Middle deck rooms often are exactly the same as their top deck counterparts, but you pay less. There can be different configurations depending on the ship, but all the rooms will have some ability to open the room to the fresh air. 

 

• Lower deck rooms have what is referred to as "swan's eye view" rooms. This is a lovely way of saying that your view is at about the same level above the waterline as that swan. These rooms are the least expensive option. They come with a high window, so have natural light, but the window does not open. 

 

Top 4 tips to remember when choosing your stateroom

• Balconies tend to be very small, with just enough room for a small table and two chairs. While sitting outside enjoying the scenery sounds great, the reality is that you are often cruising at night. When there is daytime scenic cruising, most people prefer to be in the lounge or on the sundeck, where they can see both sides of the river. In port, ships often tie up right alongside each other. This makes the balcony unusable.
• Choose a room on the top or middle decks if fresh air in your room is a must. 
• A room located towards the center of the ship is more convenient to stairs and the elevator, but the ships are small so a walk from one end to the other isn't going to take a lot of time. River ships don't move like those on the ocean, so don't worry about motion sickness. 
• If you are happy spending most of your time on shore or in the public areas of the ship, try one of the lower deck rooms. You'll save, and still have a nice place to sleep and all the amenities of the ship to enjoy.

 

* Comparisons are for ships in Europe measuring 443 feet long by 37.5/38 feet wide. These ships sail on the two most popular rivers, the Rhine and the Danube. One exception is the new AmaMagna on the Danube, which holds 192 passengers in a ship measuring 443 ft long by 72 ft wide. Ships on the other rivers in Europe are smaller.