These Are the Best Luxury River Cruises to Take in 2024
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Make your list and check it twice. Experiential gifts are all the rage, and for good reason. Making memories, like while on a luxury river cruise trip, is statistically shown to provide higher long-term satisfaction than simply acquiring things (though we have you covered there, too).
Plus, people who travel often tend to be happier in general. Let that be your motivation to finally take (or gift) that often-dreamed-about journey down the Danube or the bucket list boat safari in Africa. Read on for the top luxury river cruises for 2024, in no particular order. These upscale offerings sure to brighten any holiday occasion, whether for Christmas, an anniversary, or a milestone birthday.
Riverside Luxury Cruises: Holland at the Heart of Tulip Blossom
Riverside stands out for boasting all suite categories of rooms and having the highest crew-to-guest ratio of any cruise line. Guests each get a personal butler, too. While all Riverside options are stunning, the launch of a new ship, the Riverside Debussy in Spring 2024, makes the tulip season cruise in Holland especially compelling. The 8-day, 7-night offering features port stops in Amsterdam, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Antwerp, Gent, Middelburg, Veere, Dordrecht and Rotterdam. Look forward to learning more about the 150 different species of tulips on this lovely Western European cruise. Beyond the blooms, this Netherlands and Belgium-focused itinerary includes multiple excursions, from cheese tastings to guided walks to an oyster tour. Fares include accommodation, all meals and drinks and one excursion per port.
Viking: America’s Great River, Mississippi River Cruise
America’s greatest waterway gets the luxe treatment with this new Viking offering, which debuted in 2022. Start in St. Paul, Minnesota and journey through 10 states until ending in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stops include Red Wing (MN), La Crosse (WI), Dubuque (IA), Quad Cities (IA), Hannibal (MO), St. Louis (MO), Memphis (TN), Greenville (MS), Vicksburg (MS), Natchez (MS) and Baton Rough (LA). The trip lasts 15 days and includes 12 guided tour excursions, a lovely way to uniquely experience the central United States and the water that has shaped the region’s identity. Half journeys are available, too, for those only interested in the southern or northern legs. Viking offers one free excursion at each port, as well as all meals and beer, wine, and soft drinks.
Zambezi Queen, Chobe River, Botswana and Namibia
This luxury houseboat features 2-, 3- and 4-night itinerary options for this one-of-a-kind water safari. According to Monique Lange, African Safari expert for Go2Africa, “Guests can enjoy leisurely days spent cruising along the Chobe River, a region that’s home to Africa’s largest concentration of African elephant herds.” She adds, “This 42-meter-long vessel offers 14 luxury suites, each fitted with their own outer decks overlooking the river.”
Travelers can also check out other unique gathering spots like a spacious dining area, rear viewing deck, a lounge and front deck with loungers and plunge pool. “Activities on offer include water-based game-viewing, catch-and-release Tiger Fishing, cultural tours to the local village and even an indigenous Baobab Tree outing (these are mythical trees in Africa, and an important symbol in local African cultures) to see the ‘Tree of Life’ on Impalila Island,” Lange concludes.
Viking: Paris & D-Day 80th Anniversary
This new sailing, specifically to commemorate 80 years since D-Day, is set for 2024. This is perfect for history buffs! A 12-day cruise tour, start in Paris or London, then sail through Normandy visiting historic sites and museums to learn about the beginning of the end of WWII on the Western Front. This poignant journey includes 11 excursions in spots like Vernoun, France, and Rouen, France. As with all Viking offerings, all meals are included in the price, plus one free excursion per port. Departures are available from March through November of 2024.
Abercrombie & Kent: ‘La Belle Epoque’, Burgundy Cruise
Oenophiles will especially love this intimate, 7-day offering from renowned luxury magnate Abercrombie & Kent. This European barge trip, limited to 12 guests, explores one of France’s most celebrated wine regions, Burgundy, in style. Start in Venarey-les-Laumes, with stops in Ancy-le-Franc, Lezinnes, Montbard, Chablis, Ravières, and Tanlay. This journey on the Burgundy canal includes highlights like a falconry display, gourmet shore lunches, complimentary bicycles for exploring, and tons of wine and food experiences. This route is accessible from the end of April through October, with departures each Sunday. Included in every fare is the accommodation, all charters and transfers, all meals and drinks on board, all sightseeing excursions during the cruise and a 24/7 on-call concierge (not on site). Cheers to a bespoke French adventure!
Riverside Luxury Cruises: Delightful Danube Christmas
No list of yearly cruises is complete without a Christmas markets trip to the winter wonderland of central Europe. Riverside Luxury Cruises takes travelers on a 5-day, 4-night journey from Vienna, Austria to Passau, Germany. Stops in between include the Christmas markets in Salzburg, Linz and Krems. Get your fill of mulled wine and gingerbread, plus snag one-of-a-kind festive trinkets in some of Europe’s best Christmas markets. Fares are all-inclusive, meaning accommodation, all meals and drinks and one excursion per port is covered.
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