Apr 1, 2008
The European river cruise is gaining tremendous popularity as a way to overcome the weak value of the U.S. dollar (part two)
The cities visited on a European river cruise are never the major capitals (except, perhaps, for the starting or ending cities) but -- in the case of my own Rhine cruise -- historic and well-preserved examples of traditional, mid-sized European life. Few of us used to visit Cologne, Heidelberg or Rudesheim in past years.
There are no casinos on board the European river ships -- and passengers aren't the kind who crave casino life. There are no lip-synched, Las Vegas-style evening shows on the river ships. On my ship, entertainment is by a pianist and singer, and most passengers never hear them, remaining on shore to sample the local nightlife.
There are no bingo games, art auctions, wet t-shirt contests, rock-climbing walls, bowling alleys. There are no children's games (and no children). There is a bar, two computer monitors for e-mail, a tiny shop, an equally tiny fitness room with one treadmill, a beauty parlor. That's it. The ship does not cater to people who rely on outside distractions for their entertainment. Most passengers look forward to the port visits, and attend late evening talks on the next day's stop in the ship's lounge (of which there is one).
On board the river ships, the staff is international -- French, German or Dutch officers, usually younger people from Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria in the middle positions--as on my ship. And although the passenger complement is massively middle-aged, a quarter of them are young people interested in the life and history of Europe.
I share your own sorrow over the drastic drop in the value of the dollar and the group-oriented travels to which we've all been condemned by that decline. And I prefer to overcome the problem by dramatically lowering the category of the accommodations I use for a European visit -- and thus off-setting the poor value of the dollar.
But if you're determined to enjoy all the creature comforts on your travels in Europe, you couldn't do better than on a European river cruise.
Write and read comments about this post.
There are no casinos on board the European river ships -- and passengers aren't the kind who crave casino life. There are no lip-synched, Las Vegas-style evening shows on the river ships. On my ship, entertainment is by a pianist and singer, and most passengers never hear them, remaining on shore to sample the local nightlife.
There are no bingo games, art auctions, wet t-shirt contests, rock-climbing walls, bowling alleys. There are no children's games (and no children). There is a bar, two computer monitors for e-mail, a tiny shop, an equally tiny fitness room with one treadmill, a beauty parlor. That's it. The ship does not cater to people who rely on outside distractions for their entertainment. Most passengers look forward to the port visits, and attend late evening talks on the next day's stop in the ship's lounge (of which there is one).
On board the river ships, the staff is international -- French, German or Dutch officers, usually younger people from Hungary, Rumania, and Bulgaria in the middle positions--as on my ship. And although the passenger complement is massively middle-aged, a quarter of them are young people interested in the life and history of Europe.
I share your own sorrow over the drastic drop in the value of the dollar and the group-oriented travels to which we've all been condemned by that decline. And I prefer to overcome the problem by dramatically lowering the category of the accommodations I use for a European visit -- and thus off-setting the poor value of the dollar.
But if you're determined to enjoy all the creature comforts on your travels in Europe, you couldn't do better than on a European river cruise.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
