River cruising: A new kind of family holiday to consider?

**Collaborative post**

River cruises have long been the domain of retired couples. Popular on the waterways of Europe such as the Rhine, Danube and Douro, a river cruise usually last around a week and involves staying on a river cruise ship and calling at a new port of call every day. However, the river cruise industry is changing, and river cruises now offer an interesting new option for a family-friendly holiday abroad.

Are river cruises good for families?

That depends. Choosing the right ship is essential if you’re looking for a family river cruise. Many river cruise companies still don’t accept children at all, and out of the ones that do, many of them don’t have any kids’ facilities onboard. However, river cruise lines are quickly seeing a potential market in families who want to explore several European cities in one holiday. As a result, new river cruise ships are being built with families in mind.

River cruises versus ocean cruises

Cruising on ocean vessels in the Mediterranean or Caribbean is incredibly popular with families in 2020. Couples with children are drawn the new mega-ships which feature facilities like water slides, rock climbing walls and go-kart tracks. The main difference between ocean cruise ships and river cruise ships is the size. With ocean ships holding several thousand passengers and river cruise ships holding only 200 or so. Due to the small size of river cruise ships, you obviously won’t find as many facilities on-board, but there’s still space for a small swimming pool, a cinema, games consoles and board games.

Kids’ clubs

Ocean cruise ships are famed for their excellent kids’ clubs, offering round the clock entertainment for children of all ages. You’ll be pleased to know that many family river cruise ships also have kids’ clubs on-board, although these are usually only during the school holiday periods rather than all year round. Children can be looked after in the care of specially trained youth staff, leaving parents free to relax and enjoy time together.

River cruises for kids of all ages

Many river cruise lines have a minimum age for children to sail, which may be between two and four years old, depending on the cruise line. On the whole, river cruises are generally better suited for children slightly older than this. 

Many of the excursions in ports require lots of walking so would be best-suited children who aren’t going to get tired easily. River cruise ships often have bicycles available to explore ports, with children’s bicycles available on some ships.

Family river cruise destinations

Europe is the perfect place for a family river cruise in the school summer holidays with a choice of river to explore across Germany, Holland, France and Spain. Exotic river cruises on the Nile in Egypt, Yangtze in China or Mekong in Cambodia may be an option for teenagers but would be less suitable for younger children.

The best ships for families

The launch of new ship, AmaMagna in 2019 has really drawn attention to river cruising as an option for families. AmaWaterways has partnered with Disney to offer ‘Adventures by Disney’ cruises. Sailing on the Danube, this ship is double the width of standard river cruise ships, and has cabins which sleep up to five people. Other family-friendly river cruise lines include CroisiEurope, Uniworld and Tauck.

Choosing a river cruise

There are river cruises to suit all budgets, from value river cruise ships right up to ultra-luxury. You’ll generally find that the more expensive the cruise ticket, the more is included in the price, with luxury river cruise lines offering an all-inclusive experience. As any parent will know, if the kids are happy, the parents are happy, so choosing a ship which caters well for children will be high up on the list of things to consider.