Cruise Evolution - River Cruises, River Cruise Reviews

Most of today's major cruise lines have ships that are very large. The result of this is that they are able to offer fabulous onboard features, but cannot reach many of the world's most interesting cities. This is where river cruise lines have an advantage. River cruise lines have smaller ships that are able to port at rare cities that cannot be reached otherwise.

River cruises are offered throughout the world. For example, there are river cruises available in the US (including Alaska), China, Russia, Egypt and various European countries.

River cruise ships typically hold no more than 200 passenges onboard, although a few hit the 400 range. They focus more on their itineraries and shore excursions than their onboard features. Dining and entertainment options are usually based on the local markets in which they cruise through. Onboard service is usually quite good, as their staff members are able to focus on guests more than usual since there aren't many guests onboard.

Some of the more prominent river cruise lines include (in no particular order) Uniworld River Cruises, Cruise West and Amadeus Waterways.

Popular departure ports for River cruises:

Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Basel (Switzerland), Budapest (Hungary), Cairo (Egypt), Cincinnati (Ohio), Istanbul (Turkey), Juneau (Alaska), Ketchikan (Alaska), Memphis (Tennessee), Moscow (Russia), New Orleans (Louisiana), Nuremberg (Germany), Paris (France), Portland (Oregon), Prague (Czech Republic), St. Louis (Missouri), St. Paul (Minnesota), St. Petersburg (Russia), Vienna (Austria), Yichang (China)