The Avid Cruiser

Riverside Luxury River Cruises has a new Summer Sale. The offers are for bookings made by August 31. Book now to receive a $150pp onboard credit and there is no single supplement on Harmony & Melody. Suites

Last month, I sailed the Danube with Avalon Waterways. During the sailing, I sat down with Cruise Director, Istvan, to chat about the Danube, Avalon's Active & Discovery program, and more. Listen to the podcast.

Britton's recent story about Avalon struck a chord with readers. Responding to 5 Ways Avalon Waterways Goes Above & Beyond, which Britton wrote after her May Danube sailing on Avalon View, our friend Ben Rich was one of several readers who felt compelled to write about his experience on Avalon. 

Bikes and riverboats go together. So much so that we have a whole page dedicated to bicycling and river cruising. As a bike enthusiast, last week I attended the Asheville, NC premier of a new movie, Shadow Of A Wheel. I believe many of our readers will relate to the film.

We're proud of the numbers in the graphic above. It shows that nearly 54 percent of you opened our newsletter last week, and 7 percent of you clicked on links. The open and click rates pretty much have stayed the same since we began distributing our newsletter more than a decade ago. 

AmaWaterways released its 2024 Heart of the River brochure detailing the unparalleled experiences that await guests across Europe, Egypt, Asia, Colombia and Africa.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is offering savings of up to $3,000 for customers that purchase cruise and air together on select 2023 itineraries.

Looking to do a river cruise in Europe but confused by all the offerings? We make it easy for you. whether it's your first time on a river cruise or you're a veteran river cruiser. We'll start with popular cruises in the spring and proceed to popular river cruises in the summer, fall and winter. Here are the top 10 European river cruises for 2022 and 2023.

Viking® announced voyages on its newest Nile River ship, the Viking Hathor, are now available for booking. Set to debut in 2024, the Viking Hathor will join the company’s growing fleet of purpose-built ships on the Nile River, which sail the popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises kicked off its inaugural Rivers of the World trip in Cairo, completing the first segment of the 46-night journey. The itinerary is the first of its kind for Uniworld, taking guests to nine countries aboard five luxury Super Ships combining both cruise and land.

Inspired food and wines are often part of any upper premium or luxury cruise. Atlas Ocean Voyages' new Epicurean Expeditions are sure to please the foodies among us.

At the beginning of this month, I was a guest on board Avalon Waterways’ newest ship, Avalon View. I was invited by Avalon to experience one of their Active & Discovery itineraries on the Danube, but we will focus more on the itinerary in the upcoming weeks. Today, I want to talk about five ways […]

Known for its food, wines, architecture, romanticism, and so much more, France is a charming country that is high on many travelers’ must-visit lists. Though I had spent a few days in Paris here and there, it wasn’t until I cruised the Rhone for the first time that I discovered the magic of France, but […]

We get a lot of requests from companies asking us to review their travel products here on River Cruise Advisor. Recently two products came to my attention that I thought our readers would like, so I requested samples.

For a European vacation to write home about, Avalon Waterways has announced a new Storyteller Series cruise for 2024: Cheers to 50 Years! A Storyteller Cruise & Birthday Celebration with Jen Hatmaker. 

Viking® has announced a new river voyage that will allow guests to experience Europe during winter. The new Treasures of the Rhine itinerary debuts in December 2023 and establishes Viking as the first line to operate year-round on Europe’s storied rivers.

CroisiEurope has a new canal barge in the Oise Valley. This new cruise will take travelers from Paris to Pont-l’Évêque on a journey to quaint ports of call featuring historical cities and excellent local cuisine.

AmaWaterways has a new wine cruise itinerary debuting in 2024. Dubbed Flavors of Burgundy, the sailings take guests on a tasty journey along the Saône River visiting a collection of France’s most prestigious vineyards.

Oceania Cruises Unveils its first ship in a decade.

Video highlights from back-to-back Burgundy barge adventures in April 2023.

Video featuring how locks work and why they are necessary along the canal system in Burgundy.

Next week, I am headed to Budapest to sail with Avalon Waterways on the Danube. I first sailed with Avalon Waterways in 2021, when I was invited to sail the Rhone River on an Active & Discovery itinerary. These “A + D” itineraries have quickly become my favorite way to travel because of the type of travelers to whom they cater and the fast-paced style of travel that they offer. 

Headquartered in Calabasas, CA, AmaWaterways was founded in 2002 by Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst, a husband-and-wife team with much river cruise line experience, and the late Jimmy Murphy, founder of Brendan Worldwide Vacations. So, what sets the line apart? It's highly inclusive, strikes a balance on included beverages, has dedicated wellness hosts, and so much more.

This past Thursday, I returned from France after back-to-back barge trips in Burgundy. To say that my 17 days in France was wonderful would be an understatement. 

Barging Through Burgundy: From Dole To Dijon & The Workings Of Canals Daniele entering a lock on the Doubs river. © 2023 Ralph Grizzle As I write this post, our tiny barge Daniele is leaving Dijon and headed toward the Saône river. The journey along the Canal de Bourgogne will take us just under two […]

One year from this week (in 2024), Avalon Waterways will make its Portugal debut on the Douro River with a new itinerary and Suite Ship – the Avalon Alegria. M

AmaWaterways will extend its pre- or post-cruise Complimentary Land Package offer on select itineraries in 2023 and 2024, as well as fixed price airfares on select Europe departures with new offer, AirPlus.

Viking announced its newest ship for the Nile River was “floated out,” marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.

We are not yet midway through our back-to-back barge trips in Burgundy. So far, a magical trip. The photos here barely do it justice. The weather has treated us kindly since we departed Besançon on Friday morning. Our departure from this beautiful city in was Franche-Comté through a tunnel underneath the Citadelle, a 17th-century fortress that stands high above Besançon.

This week I have been feeling grateful. After accepting a new part-time job opportunity at a brewery in town and receiving tremendous support from my friends and family after sustaining a foot injury, I wanted to make sure that I gave each and every one of them thanks - whether it was a text, a phone call, or a handwritten note. As I sat down to brainstorm content for the week, I realized that there was someone (something?) else that I wanted to thank - the company that gave me my first introduction to river cruising and has continually delivered unforgettable experiences onboard since.