You may think of river cruises, especially in Europe, as a travel activity more suited to your grandparents. However, many cruise providers are beginning to target younger travelers, meaning more attractive options for those interested in seeing more of the world by boat. Check out a few of the below offerings to see if a river cruise is right for your next trip.
G Adventures composes many millennial-friendly travel experiences. They just expanded their travel options to include many new river cruising itineraries this year. Choose to sail around the Amazon, Mekong, Ganges or Burgundy. With passenger count limited to just a few dozen, you’ll enjoy a unique, intimate experience.
UnCruise Adventures, known for experiences you won’t easily find elsewhere, offers domestic river cruises on the Columbia, Snake and Willamette Rivers. The seven-night adventure embarks from Portland, Ore., and you can choose from three different itineraries, depending on your interests. Choose to travel back in time to the Lewis and Clark expedition, explore wine country or see a mixture of both.
Avalon Waterways hopes to attract millennials with active, diverse and shorter itineraries. The brand’s Active Discovery on the Danube River cruise explores a variety of destinations, depending on whether you choose an eastbound or westbound itinerary. Activities you can look forward to include ice caving, mountain climbing and workshops on everything from cooking to local agriculture.
Emerald Waterways is doing much the same, with river cruises in Europe and Asia offering hiking and biking tours during shore time. The line also allows guests to take bikes from the ship around the destinations at their leisure, and enjoy fitness options onboard, including a lap pool and walking track.
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