I love river cruising! I never experienced alarms waking me up. It is costly but worth it! The destinations are known before booking so you should be aware of this. Most of these facts are known before booking….
They stop in the same places because that’s where the port ‘infrastructure’ is and therefore the environmental impact is lower. They offer the same ‘excursions’ because they are in the same destination, there aren’t going to be 5 or 6 different ‘castles’ or cathedrals in one town etc. Normally, whilst the ships are docked alongside each other, you’re off out on an excursion. It’s really not that much of a nuisance, once you know. But the info is out there and certainly ‘Viking’ (never travelled with anyone else)tell you all this up front. And there are always lite bite type meals available.
You are correct . Ocean cruises also do the same, especially the mega ships as they have to in Europe use industrial ports then bus people to the cities .
Elderly people who are unable to walk and/or use a walker, wheelchair or scooter to get around shouldn’t go on a river cruise in Europe, it’s just NOT designed for handicapped people. Theres no laws for handicapped accessibility anywhere and European ships are not designed to be “accessible” for folks in wheelchairs or scooters, unlike 4,000 passenger ocean cruises which are unsustainably bad for the environment but cheap places where folks can drink to excess and consume unhealthy amounts. I just went to Physical Therapy and got a complete set of instructions on what I need to do to extend my walking life. Every day, in addition to 60 minutes of recumbent bike, I do 15 minutes of walking, rest, then another brisk fifteen minute walk. Repeat. Feeling super great already! In this HEAT, it means getting up at 6:30 AM! Planning on a river cruise? Get in SHAPE if you’re over 76 years of age so you can WALK. PLUS I’m doing floor exercises that focus on back muscles that need training. No excuses oldsters! Plan ahead and train for the trip. It’s good to have a GOAL to work towards and a REWARD at the end. Bravo, you did it!! Now take your river cruise and enjoy…….
Maybe this video is for people who basically don’t like travel. Overtourism is hitting the capitals of Europe pretty hard this year and ocean going cruise ships are SO BAD for the environment! Still, it’s one way of sequestering tourists away from foreign countries and keeping them from trashing beaches all over the planet. FYI: The video neglected to mention that on river cruises, folks are expected to wake up in the morning and go for a guided WALKING tour in the cities and villages where the ship stops along the river. WHEELCHAIR accessibility is not necessarily a thing in European riverside towns, with their ancient cobblestone streets, castles and medieval winding streets. Lots of walking and bicycle riding is involved. I think Americans are used to ocean going cruise ships where they can take their electric scooter mobility device vehicles, wheeled walkers and wheelchairs along and the ships can accommodate them because they carry 4,000- 6,000 or more passengers. However, River Cruising requires that you walk unassisted. The ships carry as few as 130 passengers, so not a lot of queuing and waiting in long lines. Totally different experience!
There is so much misinformation in this video it is astounding. Obviously whoever recorded this has NO river cruise experience. Most of these pictures aren't even of river cruise ships. If you're watching this, stop, call a professional travel agent who can provide you with accurate information.
Most of the information in this video is either totally incorrect or is slanted in a negative direction. River cruising is much more pleasant than many ocean cruises. River cruising is more expensive than ocean cruising because the ships are much smaller. They carry 150 to 200 passengers rather than the 4000 or 5000 you find on ocean liners. They dock at riverside landings so there's no need to wait in line for a shuttle boat to take you to shore, On excursions, you are not competing with thousands of other passengers in shops, restaurants or other venues. In general, river cruising is much more pleasant and you don't have to spend half the cruise learning your way around the ship. The only alarm I experienced is YOU! If you want to put out an informative video, put out the correct information.
