Best for... adventurers
Belmond (formerly Orient-Express), which operates some of the world’s great trains and hotels, also offers river cruises. It was one of the first operators in Burma, and a voyage on the Irrawaddy will reveal timeless villages, characterful colonial architecture (particularly in Yangon), pagodas, monasteries, remote riverscapes, rampant jungle and the extraordinary golden temples at Bagan.
Belmond’s (0845 077 2222; belmond.com) Road to Mandalay, leaves nothing to be desired in terms of luxury and pampering, while on-board guides ensure guests understand everything they witness on the itinerary. The seven-night holiday costs from £2,382 per person excluding international flights.
Also consider: Noble Caledonia offers cruises on the largest number of rivers – Siberia, anyone? – but for something closer to home, a three-river journey is appealing. A 19-night holiday adds the tributaries Sava and Tisza to a Danube journey, allowing for detailed exploration of Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia
By John Wilmott
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Best for… foodies
One could be forgiven for overlooking the gastronomic appeal of Vietnam and Cambodia, what with the glut of ancient sites and temples between them. Although a cruise along the Mekong will inevitably be full board, many holidays to this region also include a land element, allowing you to sample the delights of shrimp pancakes, cha ca (fish sautéed with dill) and pho (the national dish of Vietnam, a sort of light stew), among other tasty dishes.
On Viking’s well-judged 15-day Mekong tour, there is a promise to serve regional specialities on board alongside the usual menu. The trip combines hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City with a seven-night river voyage. Viking (0800 319 6660; vikingrivercruises.co.uk) includes drinks with meals and cultural experiences and costs from £3,299 per person, including return flight.
Also consider: CroisiEurope has a Grand Gastronomic Cruise on the Rhine. Nine chefs – including triple-Michelin-starred Marc Haeberlin – will feed guests on this October voyage from Strasbourg, serving the likes of foie gras polished in truffles, and quail crepes. New for 2016, APT has a Bordeaux voyage that features a caviar tasting and fine dining at a chateau.
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Best for... oenophiles
Think of a wine-themed cruise, and France, where the Saône and Rhône pass through several renowned wine regions, comes to mind. AmaWaterways (0808 223 5009; amawaterways.co.uk) has a full programme of wine cruises, but it’s the Portugal offering that will appeal to those looking to expand their knowledge of vini culture.
Its seven-night cruise on the Douro from Porto is in the company of a noted winemaker. As well as viewing the vineyards, there are visits to the wine-growing town of Pinhão and the historic wine estates of Quinta de Avelada, Mateus and Quinta do Seixo. Expect tastings and wine-themed meals, along with port after dinner.
From £2,229 per person including flights with departures in April, August and November.
Also consider: a master of wine will join Avalon’s 11-day cruise from Paris to the Côte d’Azur, with tastings in
Beaune and Chateauneuf du Pape plus a food/wine pairing dinner on board.
Picture: Renato Granieri / Alamy
Best for... sybarites
Several river cruise companies boast of luxurious cabins, round-the-clock service and innovative balconies. One clear contender is Uniworld’s Antoinette. On board is a 10ft Baccarat crystal chandelier in the lobby, a mosaic-lined dipping pool and a small cinema. Guests sleep on handmade beds with high-thread-count linen and are waited on by butlers. Staff are restaurant trained.
Antoinette sails seven-night itineraries from Basel, Switzerland. Uniworld (0800 988 5873; titantravel.co.uk/uniworld) offers a “Rhine Festive Markets” voyage on December 5 from £2,199 per person, including flights.
Also consider: Scenic Tours’ European “Space Ships” have sumptuous suites with private balconies and high-definition televisions linked to iPads. Other touches include tailor-made GPS touring devices and a dégustation menu served at Table Le Rive (no added cost but reservations essential).
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Best for... gardeners
Many operators run cruises from Amsterdam during “tulip time” in April. Passengers can expect a full day at Keukenhof, whose blooms number some seven million, with around 800 varieties of tulips. Canals and lakes add to the appeal, as do the flower shows in pavilions, numerous trees and the themed gardens.
Shearings (0844 824 6351; shearings.com) goes one better than most by adding a visit to Het Loo Palace to its Spring Gardens Extravaganza holiday. Once a residence of the Dutch Royal Family, the palace has outstanding baroque gardens that date to the 17th century. The seven-night cruise costs from £749 per person, including coach travel from the UK.
Also consider: for a shorter Keukenhof visit, Saga has a five-night cruise that includes wine with dinner. The River Cruise Line (0844 409 8781; rivercruiseline.co.uk) visits the National Botanic Garden of Belgium (one of the largest in the world), and takes in the Floralia spring flower show, held in the grounds of Château de Grand Bigard.
Best for... nature lovers
Assam is best known for its distinctive tea, but this northern Indian region in the shadow of the Himalayas is also replete with wildlife.
The Brahmaputra river rises in the mountains and flows towards the Bay of Bengal, crossing untouched landscapes and meandering between giant sand islands. Noble Caledonia (020 7752 0000; noble-caledonia.co.uk) is one of the few companies to organise a cruise on this waterway. Highlights on the Passage through Assam cruise include visits to the national parks of Kaziranga – home to the world’s largest population of rhino – and Nameri, where there’s a chance to spot tigers and elephants.
The RV Charaidew has just 12 cabins. There are departures in February and October 2016, with prices from £5,395 per person including flights.
Also consider: AmaWaterways combines a three-night stay in Cape Town with a four-night cruise on the Chobe river – lion, leopard and elephants all inhabit Chobe National Park – ending at magnificent Victoria Falls. Another option visits the Serengeti National Park.
Picture: Emanuele Capoferri / Alamy
Best for... music fans
Journeys on the Mississippi have certainly been a hit over the past few years, with a number of British operators packaging a trip that includes a paddle steamer. The river itself may not be the world’s prettiest, but its associations with Mark Twain and its music connections make up for that. In its tour, Titan (0800 988 5873; titantravel.co.uk) includes guided trips to Nashville with visits to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Studio B (originally known as RCA Studios); the blues capital Memphis; Graceland; and finally to jazz-infused New Orleans.
Six nights in hotels and seven on the American Queen, the largest steamboat ever built, costs from £4,219 per person including flights. Departures in March and June 2016.
Also consider: Noble Caledonia has a strong link with the London Festival Opera, whose members will be on board on a Music on the Danube cruise in October, to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary. As well as their performances, the trip includes concerts in a church and a castle.
Best for... culture seekers
With so many ships plying the main arteries of Europe, cruise operators are always looking for ways to offer something extraordinary. On its 15-day Magnificent Europe cruise, APT is including a private banquet at the 14th-century Namedy Castle in Germany, a private classical concert at Vienna’s City Palace and an opera recital at the State Opera House in Budapest. The biggest attraction, though, is a journey on the privately chartered Majestic Imperator train, used by royalty during the days of the Habsburg Empire.
The cruise on AmaReina crosses five countries and includes return flight, alcohol with meals, gratuities and home-to-airport transfers (0800 012 6683; aptouring.co.uk). From £3,495 per person with departures from March to December next year.
Also consider: Great Rail Journeys does not just do trains. Its seven-day Seine cruise visits the lily ponds that inspired Monet, the 12th-century Fontainebleau chateau and Chatou near Paris, a meeting point for Impressionists. CroisiEurope has sailings on the same river that feature a guided excursion to the Normandy landings beaches.
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Best for... a budget cruise
Many river cruises carry quite a hefty price tag, largely down to high-quality ships and fine dining, but there are several options that are more accessible.
The River Cruise Line has a five-day Rhine trip from Koblenz to Cologne that may appeal to first-time river cruisers dipping a toe in the water. The ship, an older vessel, is the traditional Lady Anne, and the trip costs from £529 per person including coach travel. Cabins are more basic than on most other ships and excursions cost extra.
The same company has a 10-day Danube cruise that starts from £949 per person. full board including coach travel, excursions extra, though a good-value package can be purchased on the four-star Serenity.
Also consider: Newmarket Holidays’ seven-day Moselle and Rhine cruise includes visits to castles and picturesque villages and includes two guided walks. From £779 per person including coach travel. It is not impossible to undertake a luxury cruise for a keen price; a Rhine cruise on a brand-new, five-star ship with Riviera Travel can cost less than £1,400, including flights. Both Newmarket and Riviera cruises are available through the Telegraph Travel Collection (travelshop.telegraph.co.uk).
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Best for... families
River cruising is not normally associated with very young children; indeed, the last thing more senior guests would want is little ones running up and down the sundeck. For older children, however, the concept is attractive.
US operator Tauck (0800 810 8020; tauck.co.uk) offers several “family riverboat adventures” in Europe that include tailored activities. The Danube itinerary, for example, includes medieval games at a castle in Slovakia, a Ferris wheel ride at a historic theme park in Vienna, a riverside bike ride, strudel-making on board, marzipan-sculpting in Passau and visits to locations that featured in The Sound of Music.
The all-inclusive, seven-night cruise costs from £2,380 per person excluding flights – similar concepts are available in France and on the Rhine.
Also consider: Uniworld designates some cruises as multigenerational, with a few treats added for children aged four to 18. CroisiEurope is family-friendly, with discounts sometimes available for younger children.
Picture: AP/FOTOLIA
Post a Comment