"Thank you for watching! What other river cruise travel topics are you interested in seeing me cover? Please let me know down below. ✌"

The best part of Viking river cruises for me is the fact that it does not want kids. I'm at an age where I don't want to deal with babies, children, or teens; I just want a leisurely cruise where I can walk a lot and really get to know the places I'm cruising. I know there are cheaper options, but I really like the educational aspect and that it's for us seasoned adults. :)

That's good to know that there are so many I especially like the ones with no children. We took a princess cruise and I had 128 children running the halls with no babysitters available. It's really nice when these ships bring in the native food when they're at a location so you can try it. On so many cruises we get off the cruise for Native food. Thank you so much.

Thanks, Kofo! You have a clear presentation style that is easy to listen to!!!

Just finished our first river cruise with Avalon on the Rhine. We were unsure if a river cruise would be of interest to us after 25 ocean cruises. Avalon was spectacular and we are already looking at another river cruise. With the docking arrangement on river cruises where you walk through other ships and went by several Viking ships we thought their ships very run down compared to the pristine new Avalon ship. The Avalon experience was top notch. Thank you for a very informative video. A video of the unexpected on river cruises like the fact that where they dock is not up to the cruise line but rather the port authority which results in sometimes being in an industrial area rather than the centre of town would be helpful.

Thanks Kofo - this is one of the best videos I've seen comparing the various river cruise companies! It would be helpful if you could do a price comparison on these companies as well for a standard 7nt cruise itinerary like the Rhine or Danube to help to highlight the difference in cost. One additional differentiation would be the number of passenger/cabins for each company. Viking tends to have the highest passenger count for similar size river ships which impacts both the size of the cabins and more crowded environment in the lounge and dining room.

I've watched tons of youtube videos on European river cruises and yours is the most informative and helpful. Thank you!!

Lol OMG you're so right about Viking! From emails to mailings to KZfaq ads!

Probably the most informative video so far on options for river cruising. Thank you.

Great video ❣️Team Avalon here, I love them! Love that they have a sliding door not a window and you are perfectly right about the food excellent choices every day❣️ I want to try Uniworld just once though☺️

Wonderful video! I’ve been looking for exactly this, thank you 🙏

Our only River Cruise was with Grand Circle Cruise Lines. It was amazing! The food was fantastic with spectacular presentation. There were four program directors for 4 groups so that we kept the same program director for the entire cruise. The highlight of the trip was when they bussed us to a small German Village, split us into small groups of nine or 10, and we had coffee and conversation with a regular German family. I felt that Grand Circle got us closer to the locals than any other tour I have been on.

We love river cruising and this was really helpful! Thanks!

Excellent, informative video! Appreciate you for the overview. I had not heard of some of these companies. Thank you so much! 👏👏🤗

Thank you . This was so helpful, and what a fantastic job you did. Have already booked a Viking Cruise for July and at age 72 this makes me think I made the right choice.

You have truly blessed me and I will truly share with my group. You were very detailed. ❤

Great video. Thanks very much. I'm a single traveller and am looking at doing a European river cruise. You’ve given me some great names to check out.

Great info. I did a great deal of research prior to booking our first river cruise but I learned a lot about other lines. Thank you for such a complete overview!

Thank you for this great information! I was torn between Truck and Uniworld. We chose Uniworld for our 2024 Christmas Markets trip because they seem just a little fancier, and the ship we chose offers bath tubs in the larger cabins.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤😍❤ I love this!!! God bless you for sharing 🙏🤍✨️😊

Great video, never heard of some of the cruise lines. You have opened my eyes, to many lines to choose from.

excellent video, thank you!!

Great job!

Yes I would like comparisons of cruises!

trying to learn how to go on a ship for the first time in my 60s so this did help i thank you!

Love your calm voice and full details

Kofo, Thank you for your video. I am new to your channel and I look forward to watching your other videos.

Thanks. This was really interesting!

This has been a great video!

Wonderful presentation!

AMAwaterways is the best of all. No Doubt!

I just discovered your channel and I love it. I booked my first Viking trip and I am EXCITED 😊 🤗!!!

The main influencer for me and my friend to choose Viking for our very first river cruise ever from Amsterdam to Antwerp was that they were offering free air fare!! Actually from my closest airport (Albany, NY)to Amsterdam and back from Brussels! This is huge as it is a savings of over $2400! That, and no children underfoot, made Viking a no-brainer

Yes a comparison would be great 😊

Thanks Kofo!!

Recently cruised with AMA and Avalon. Tips were not included, but everything else was pretty much included. There were 3 options for each excursion. AMA had an extra dining room were you could book once during your trip.

As a river cruise veteran of 8 river cruises with 4 different cruise companies I would like to say that I enjoyed your video and you were right on with most of your comments. My first river cruise many years ago was with Gate 1 because they were and still are one of the less expensive choices. That cruise SOLD me on river cruises. My second cruise was with Viking and while the cruise itself was fine, the ship was the worst I have been on. To be fair, I should explain. I was booked on a brand new ship but it was not ready in time for my cruise so they gave me the option of sailing on another ship and they gave me some on board credits as well. The ship was not in very good shape and the walls of the cabins were paper thin. I have taken 2 Avalon cruises and liked them very much. You mentioned that the cabins with the beds that face the window seemed to be more spacious and you are correct. They are about 30 square feet larger than the other cabins. My favorite cruise line is Uniworld. I have taken 4 Uniworld cruises so far with a fifth coming up the first week of October if the water levels hold. Unlike Viking with all the ships being virtually identical, each Uniworld ship is unique. And they bend over backwards to kiss your a__, LOL. I'm a solo traveler and unfortunately most river cruise companies charge a single supplement which can be very expensive. I have been lucky in avoiding the single supplement and only paid it once on Uniworld's Christmas and New Year's cruise and it was worth it. Even though I caught a bad cold from another passenger, this was my all time favorite cruise. I will be interested in your review of Viking's Mississippi River cruise although Viking is one of the worst with regard to waving single supplements.

Thank you for your review! I am hoping to book Uniworld for the Rhine Christmas markets! Cheers 🥂

Yes!

Thanks a lot! Great video! Do you know anything about Sea chefs river cruise?

Yes to comparison

We’ve had great experiences with Amadeus/Lueftner too

Yes please!

Yes

I would love to see a comparison of the cruise lines. We cruised on Avalon in 2019 (Rhine River, Amsterdam to Basel) and loved it. Now, after watching your video I’ve requested a brochure from Scenic.😊

Thank you Kofo. My husband and I are considering a river cruise in 2024. We are in our mid 50s and are very active. I don’t sit still well😂. Avalon or Emerald seem like good options. We’re looking for a cruise where we could go on a bike tour in the morning comeback for lunch and go back out for a walking tour or some other activity.

Great video

YES

Phenomenal video comparing specialties and target audiences that needs one more topic. Having just come back from an Avalon cruise, your observations are spot on. However, you need to mention something about greatly discounted air fares and the flexibility these lines would give you to arrive a few days earlier or leave late to "do your own thing". With post-COVID air running perhaps $2K to hop the pond, versus discounted fares of $600 or less, this is a huge issue.

Yes, comparison between ships.

Very nice video Kofo--thank you. I'd love to hear how you might differentiate these cruise lines by quality, ie, might you classify the upper-end lines as Tauck, Uniworld, Scenic; mid-tier: Ama, Emerald, Avalon, Viking, etc. We did our very first river cruise (Rhine with Viking) last year and had a great time. We thought it was an incredible value, but we're interested in maybe stepping it up a notch, without going overboard on pricing (for example, I'd hate to overpay for a truly all-inclusive, as we don't drink a lot of alcohol). Any thoughts which lines we might research next for the Danube? Thanks!

Nice video, I learned about some that I’ve never heard of before. I’ve been researching Viking, Avalon, and Amawaterways. Viking was the most affordable and their website was very user friendly. I like how you can play around and do the “price and build.” Maybe I missed it, but it seems like the other lines don’t let you do that and you have to talk to a sales person. Also, I like how Viking offers 2 day pre cruises and post cruise packages as well. It seemed like the other lines made you pick both pre and post, but not one or the other (if I understood correctly). With that said, Amawaterways ships looked much nicer to me, but the one I priced ended up being $5,000 more than Viking! My other worry, I’m so scared we’d be bored. We are in our early 50’s and have taken lots of ocean cruises, which of course are so lively. I’m also considering a Mediterranean cruise on Celebrity. There are too many choices!! 😊

a comparison would be helpful, yes

YES!!!

yes

Great information. We have been on Uniworld’s ships and I’m going to check out some of these suggestions.

Thanks for the great info and comparisons! I’m sending you a DM!

Love these insights! I don't know much about river cruise lines, so thank you so much for taking us through them. I'd also like to know more about how these compare price wise. Ocean cruises have a few standard cost brackets that the ships in each compete against, (resort lines, premium, luxury, & ultra luxury generally though the terms vary). I don't know if River cruises are the same--and I think the itineraries may vary more too. But it would be helpful if some of the lines are grouped by relative cost to compare apples to apples in the same category.

Yes! We have only going on Viking Cruises… Love viking but I do wish they had better quality food and healthier options. Thanks so much!

Kofo I just wanted you to know that I enjoy your channel and I was thrilled to see you on a webinar Wednesday. I was asked who will be the first African American Godmother of an Amawaterways ship and you were the first and only person that came to mind. My tip to you is practice breaking a champagne bottle against a ship. Travel Genie Ken

Yes, more comparisons please. Do you know anything about TUI? I’ve seen several videos on them, bit not a lot of details. Can Americans book with them (British Co I believe). Your videos are very informative, Thank You. I look forward to seeing more from you.

Hi Kofo, as I wrote beforehand on your other video, I am leaving September 18 for my Bordeaux cruise with Uniworld. I love them they are so over the top. Im also booked on the Danube from Vienna to Prague in October. Next year with Tauck for a land journey in Israel and Jordan. Yes, I love to travel . Many thanks for posting these videos. Any news on the water levesl for the Garonne and Danube rivers? I know the RHein is in dire straits this summer

I am going on a Viking cruise in . When I saw your youtube I thought, what did I miss? In talking to reps they don't compare themselves. I have chosen well! I need the bus! I love the history. I love my grand kids but not on a river cruise! Thank you for this really helpful information! I leave in 54 days and broke my leg 10 weeks ago. At 68 it isn't healing as fast as I would like. I am doing the Christmas Markets so the usual sightseeing will be limited to what I can do.

Yes ... pls compare river cruise l8nes

Yes, please compare.

There is an issue right now with Viking cruising in America. The American Cruise Line has taken them to court because they are not an American company nor they are registered in America. We will see if they are going to be kicked out of the American rivers. Thank so much for this video. I have learned more regarding other available options. My top four are still Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon and Emerald.

We have travelled 5 times with Viking and the Bordeaux was the poorest. The Aquavit deck was closed and locked off because of crew shortage. They kept spraying and washing the corridors down to prevent illness, but it was so strong that people that had chemical allergies got ill by the end of the trip. I was not happy about spending $12,000 for eight days and not getting what we paid for. A wine tour cruise made you pay for some of the wine tasting in some ports. We just won’t use them again.

From your experience, do any of the river cruise lines cater to the disabled? I use a mobility scooter Thank you for your input.

Can you do a video on solo river cruises..

Yes compare please

Hi,what about American Cruise line for my 1st Cruise that would help me so much!

I am interested in some of the lesser known cruise lines like TUI and Viva. It seems they offer similar experience at a much lower cost.

We are looking for a 4star river cruise that will accommodate 3 in a cabin.

Question: If I book a river cruise (Avalon Seine for example) do I select/book excursions before the cruise begins, or do I do that after it starts and I can get feedback from cruise director. Thank you!

Yes having a hard time between Amawater or Avalon

Hi Kofo, This was a great video. In my family, I’m the only one who wants to take a river cruise. So, do you have a river cruise line that’s best for solo travelers? At this point, I’m very interested in Christmas markets, and down the line potentially the Mississippi as I’m based in the U.S. Thanks so much! Joshua

I’m wondering about the companies/ships which offer a reasonable price for solo travelers. I’m a young and very active 72 year old, doubt if Viking is the right one for me.

What about Grenada Circle? I’ve been on a few trips and really loved the ship, crew and price.

I love Grand Circle. Have you traveled with them

Thank you this was very interesting we are planning for 2025 😀

Do you know the difference between AmaWaterways and Adventures by Disney on an AMA ship in terms of excursions, food, and dress “code?” Thanks for the great video!

My hubby and I are in our mid 40s and are looking for a cruise line where we won't stick out as the youngest people on it. :) Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hi, just looking for the link for spreadsheet on comparison but I can’t find it? Thanks

Question: We like to drink premium, preferably local, beers and smoke a good cigar. Which line(s) has the better beer options and which lines are the best for smokers?

Can you please put up your comparison chart?

What would you recommend for a single 60 year old woman most interested in the shore excursions and ambiance over socializing?

Are the excursions with Anawarerway and Avalon in English?

Which is the best river cruise for a wheelchair passenger?

As a non-drinker, I would be most disinclined to pay for alcohol I will not consume.

Thoughts about Riviera?

I am from Malaysia. I would love to river cruise in Asia. What are the river cruises available? European cruise companies include flights from eg London. But I'm from Malayia and will fly from Kuala Lumpur.

I am still waiting for your list. I subscribe and entered my email address on the link you provided.

viva marella scenic tauck avalon ama emerald ARosa ultra budget, croisi offers garonne po elbe guadalquivir ganges chobe amazon magdalena mekong ; uniworld , ponant, viking elbe ;

How about arosa river cruise?

pandaw asia only rivers; grand circle

You indicated that Viking is the only cruise line that does the United States. I believe that American Queen and at least one other have cruises in on American rivers.

Thank you for the comparison, it is extremely informative. We are a racially mixed family and we have noticed that in nearly all images and video clips about river cruises, even in companies advertisements, are not diverse at all. Are there any that you have noticed to have a more racially diverse clientele?

Are these good for kids? Or will they be bored?

Do you have a preference of one cruise line over another for Solo Travelers?

Loire