Themed River Cruises are perfect for people who have a passion for wine, art, golf, culinary arts, flowers, music, beer or history and politics. Unique themed cruises offered throughout the year include extra activities and tours, which highlight a specific topic. These holidays are a fantastic way to meet like-minded people who share your interests.
River cruisers tend to be well travelled, interesting people who appreciate value, impeccable service and immersive experiences. Award winning ships offer an intimate, friendly experience, with ever-changing picture postcard scenery and 100’s of exotic destinations such as Europe, Egypt, Columbia, India, Vietnam and Cambodia, and Peru. There are African Safari and Wildlife Cruises too!
If you are an airline employee and qualify for special discounted interline rates, you will typically see these rates come out about 60 – 90 days before the sailing date. AMA Waterways and Uniworld Boutique River cruises offer interline rates on a broad selection of itineraries. If you are not an airline employee, then we recommend booking a river cruise about 8 – 10 months ahead of time, to get the best cabin and itinerary selection, and to take advantage of early booking discounts.
Staterooms on river cruise ships are like rooms in a fine boutique hotel with amenities like pillow-top mattresses, cozy bathrobes and slippers, marble appointed bathrooms, high tech entertainment, Wi-Fi, and lots of storage. There are a variety of staterooms (fixed windows, French balconies, twin balconies, balconies, and suites) on river ships, suitable for everyone’s budget.
River cruises are all-inclusive holidays, and include a selection of specially crafted shore excursions, unforgettable cuisine, alcohol, entertainment on board, and often gratuities. Travel insurance, flights, transfers, and pre-and post- cruise hotel options are also available.
Chefs carefully prepare cuisine on board using fine locally sourced ingredients, and the culinary experience is second to none. Local performers are brought in from the ports to provide authentic cultural experiences, and you can attend educational talks about your destinations.
If all of this sounds amazing to you, that’s because it is!
Wine themed cruises are a trendy way to explore the celebrated wine regions of Europe. There are sailings through the Douro valley famous for port wines, the Wachua valley where exceptional white wines are crafted, the Rhine valley offers Rieslings, and there is authentic champagne to sample long the Seine River. The Bordeaux area offers blended red wines, and Southeast Europe and The Rhone valley also have merlots, cabernet sauvignon’s and prestigious wines.
AMA Waterways has 16 wine themed sailings with wine-related activities. These include exploring historic wine cellars, vineyard tours, lectures from wine experts and of course wine tasting! Cheers! The “Melodies of the Danube (Wine Cruise) by AMA Waterways sails from Budapest to Vilshofen. On this sailing you will enjoy a welcome aboard wine toast, Viennese Wine and music evening, an exclusive visit to Burg Clam with wine, and a private Oktoberfest. Local vintages are brought on board and carefully paired with regional cuisine by your chef.
If you love flowers – Tulip time cruises sail from Amsterdam starting in late March until the end of April. On these themed cruise itineraries, you will breathe in the sweet smell of flowers, as your eyes feast on the landscape carpets of bright tulips. There are flower shows, and garden tours included, and you can even pedal your way through the Dutch countryside on a bicycle! You will see windmills and can enjoy Belgian chocolate, beer and waffle tasting. On May 3rd, 2022, there is a special cruise which includes the Floriade Expo, a rare horticultural exhibition that only happens every 10 years.
Golf enthusiasts would delight in AmaWaterways’ Exclusive Concierge Golf Program. Imagine a luxury river cruise on the AmaMagna which includes golfing at world-class courses in different countries on one sailing. Tee times, practice balls, carts, lunch, transportation and all the details are taken care of, so you can have fun!
This summer on July 30th, 2022, you can sail on the Rhine or the Danube and enjoy a history making cruise that includes the partnership with Ancestry and AmaWaterways. This cruise includes a AncestryDNA Kit sent prior to your cruise, and a 5-hour consultation and introductory research with an expert genealogist, and a private consultation to review your family tree during the sailing. AmaWaterways is a family-owned business, and they are excited to offer their guests an opportunity to learn about their own family history, while enjoying a luxury cruise on Europe’s legendary rivers.
From May 25th – September 14th, 2022, the 42nd production of Oberammergau’s world-famous Passion Play will be performed. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises offers a pre-cruise extension for certain cruise dates to you can see this incredible performance depicting the last days of Christ on Earth. The Passion Play has more than 2,000 singers, musicians and actors and they all live in the enchanting village of Oberammergau in Germany.
Uniworld has river cruises with Floating Art Workshops by renowned landscape and portrait artist “Larry Aarons” who is from Long Island. Larry would be your personal art instructor and mentor on the sailing, and his classes are designed for every skill level. If you have ever wanted to learn how to draw, or do a watercolor painting, or improve your skills, this would be a fun sailing with like-minded art enthusiasts.
Uniworld also offers cruise, land and train vacations through Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Slovenia. These itineraries are perfect for experienced travelers who are foodies, romantics, and lovers of art and architecture looking for a unique adventure.
River cruise lines like AmaWaterways and Uniworld, offer Christmas River Cruise itineraries from the end of November to the end of December. “Classic Christmas Markets” by Uniworld is an 8- day sailing from Nuremberg to Frankfurt. AmaWaterways has “Rhine Castles and Swiss Alps at Christmas” which sails from Amsterdam to Basel. There are many itineraries to choose from, and all promise you will experience many enchanting Christmas markets, each with its own local traditions.
Uniworld also has a Generations Collection which are sail dates that are designed for multigenerational holidays. They offer a range of meticulously planned onshore excursions, as well as onboard activities for young children, tweens, and teens. All the young travelers will be engaged, so the adults have time to relax and have fun too!
Whether you want to try a special themed river cruise sailing down the Romantic Rhine, Enchanting Danube, or explore India, Asia, Egypt, or Africa, there are many excellent River cruise companies.
AMA Waterways, Uniworld, Avalon, Viking, Scenic, Tauck and Abercrombie and Kent all have solid reputations and are highly rated. These cruises book up early, so to get the best value, date, itineraries, and staterooms, plan your vacation 8 – 10 months ahead of time if possible. We can book interline rates for airline employees 90 days from the sail date.
Awaken your spirit! River cruising is an unparalleled travel experience, and a fantastic way to meet new people. We would love to use our expertise to help you plan the perfect river cruise to ignite your passion!
