Reflections of a River Cruise

 I did not realize how dependent the river cruise industry is on the river levels. I remember one of my first experiences of living in a small town near a lake was hearing the lake level announced daily on the local radio station. It struck me as odd and “Who cares” (my reaction). As I acclimated to “near lake” living and living in a farming community, I began to realize how important the water level is to many people. So it was like Deja vu. Everyday, we wondered if the water level would be too low to continue our trip on the river. They drained the pool early on during our voyage to help lighten the load. They brought in another expert on river navigation to help decide the next moves. We heard of another cruise line that had to bus their people 8 hours down the road to board their ship because their ship was unable to arrive in their planned port due to the water level. Luckily, we were able to continue on as if there wasn’t a water level issue.

River cruise ships are smaller than ocean cruising ships and I thought less crowded. Well, the dining room (only 1) was smaller and it didn’t take much for the noise level to be “off the charts.” The ceilings are lower on a river cruise ship so the sound has no where to go. It was nice that light meals were offered up in the lounge area (with great views) and few people took advantage of this offering.

To be honest, the room balconies are not used much. It is easy to relax up in the lounge or on the top deck so I will think twice about a room with a balcony on my next river cruise. 

Another thing about river cruises is the traffic. Commercial ships are constantly traveling up and down the river competing with tourist ships. We have to schedule our port stops and sometimes huddle up three abreast at the port. That means walking through one or two ships to reach dry land. I don’t mind sharing but this takes a lot of planning ahead and communicating. At one port we had to wait to dock because another ship hadn’t left yet and we couldn’t tether to it because they needed to leave. I guess when the ship asks you to be back on board at a certain time you had better be there. You could be holding up more than your ship.

Anyway, just some things to keep in mind when you plan your river cruise. You need to be flexible and relax. I understand now why there might not be as much time to explore in some ports as others. I also realize that I was just getting a little taste of the areas we visited and you would need to come and visit again to truly understand the area. I don’t have a favorite place as I loved them all. The guides were great and I learned a lot from them that I might not have picked up on my own. I want to go back and see more! Want to join me?