European River Cruise Lines Ranked from WORST to BEST

Just finished A Emerald cruise Budapest to Amsterdam. Enjoyed everything included, except premium drinks, well at least for the first week. What people need to know is not so much about the cruise lines, but need to understand you are the mercy of the river. There was a low water point on the Danube river around Passau, Germany. We were one of the last ships to get through before water levels dropped and no ships could get through for weeks, because no rain. Emerald had a ship on both sides, so they would bus you from Passau to Regensburg. Little inconvenient but no big deal. They gave everyone premium drink package as compensation. When we were leaving in Amsterdam, cruise director said some cruises were cancelling and other having to do multiple ship changes. Danube river is the problem not the Rhine. Make sure you get travel insurance if you book a river cruise that goes through Passau, Germany where low water level can be a problem. Emerald was excellent in every way.

We have done river cruises on three different lines and would NEVER go on Viking again. Amazingly small cabins (!!!), less than great food, and the payment policy is onerous. Uniworld all the way--lovely staff, gorgeous cabins, delicious food and wine.

I totally agree with the #1 pick Viking has delivered many great river cruises for my wife and me. From the time your flight lands Viking will be there so you don't have to lift a finger. Adult only is something we really appreciate. We have taken 5 Viking tours and have never being disappointed.

We’ve used Ama for our river cruising. After hours of research, it had what we wanted. Updated and modern. Compared to some other lines, more bang for the buck.

We just took am Emerald river cruise this last week (still time-warped), and I have to say that I would sail this company forever more! If the survey goes to a level “10”, we would give them and “18-20” rating! It was beyond fantastic! A brand new ship that was cozy, comfortable and elegantly designed without being stuffy. The food was extremely good with a great variety of choices and palate pleasing origins. The crew…..holy, smokes! Friendly, professional, accommodating, interesting, and because of the intimate nature of fewer guests, we had the opportunity to chat and get to know them better. We made some great new friends on this trip and I cannot wait for the next one!

Insya Alloh iwill go joint on board river cruise europe 2026 until last year 2027 > 1 year so be there stay in europe and now go home to Indonesia fist 2028 Januari
I want to self my life & don't disctrab in ballad out

Viking is good, but they do not offer enough tables for two. Not everyone goes for a social experience. And far from everyone wants to be bombarded with “Where y’all from?” every mealtime. What is the point of having restaurant quality meals if you and your companion cannot enjoy them alone / together as a couple if this is your preference? If others asked to join your table in a restaurant, they would be told in no uncertain terms where to go. Why different just because the restaurant is on a boat?

Auf welcher Flusskreuzfahrt kann man Schloss Hohenschwangau sehen?
Interessant, dass Uniword River Cruise auch durch St. Petersburg fährt - oder ist die Eremitage nur versehentlich in das Video geraten?
Schön ist, dass man mit Scenic Luxury Cruise auch China und Vietnam bereisen kann.
Auf welchem Fluss oder welcher Route kommt man mit AmaWaterways nach Venedig?

Viking is lovely IF you actually get to sail…but Customer Service is where they fall short. Their representatives provide incorrect information and they do not support customers when the problem has been theirs. I have sailed a lot - all over the world - and I will NEVER book with Viking again. I sailed with them once, booked three times and had terrible customer service twice. I am finished with them. I sailed with AMA for the first time April 2026 and had a wonderful experience with the best cruise director I have ever seen. All that being said, river cruises are delightful!

muy buen video gracias

Avoid Riviera at all costs, overpriced and disorganised

Not sure why you're showing the Explorer Lounge of a Viking OCEAN cruise. And you're also showing a Mississippi River boat - not a European one. For being Cruise "Pros" I'm not impressed. However, I am a big fan of Viking.

Uniworld offers drinks throughout the day also, they are totally all-inclusive. As the list gets to the more luxurious, so does the fare. Scenic is Australian owned, so there are a lot of Aussies onboard. You have got to be kidding, I would rate Viking as equally to Emerald. They are only “just ok”, far below the level of their ocean ships. You are only basing this on the huge number of ships that they have, they are not luxurious at all. You don’t even mention Crystal or that Ritz is coming soon.

Croisi Europe is not pronounced that way. You list them as the worst but they are the cheapest and they go to many more rivers than any of the others, even 2 in Spain. You say “traditional” as if that is a bad thing, it is not for many of us. They have been doing this for many more years than most of the others. They offer a good basic product at a reasonable price.

UNIWORLD THE BEST...TAUCK #2..

What about Tauck?

I’m going on the brand new Emerald Astra this July. It will be a music charter with British rock musicians like Paul Carrack and Steve Hackett (Genesis).

Why not APT they are the best in my eyes by far.

Scenic three times says where we stand . I’m sure many are very good .

Are any of these cruises wheelchair accessible?

Viking the best!

Do any of these river cruise lines or others either get rid of the single supplement or reduce the often-outrageous supplement cost?

What a joke. This video was sponsored by Viking. Tauck and Uniworld are 2 notches above Viking.

We have done Viking and Avalon. No comparison. Viking has more passengers, smaller cabins, fewer excursion options and less flexibility in dining options (Avalon even has included room service). Also , your closed captions have many grammatical errors, which may be an indication of the reliability of your evaluations.

river cruises

What I value on the river boat cruise is:
. Scenery
. Excursions variety, quality and active
. Solo friendly
. Informal
. Flexible
Avalon is clearly the best for my ratings.
. Best cabin
. Best boat and top deck
. Sailings with no single supplement
. Choice of Active, culture or discovery excursions
. Flexibility to have fine dining or same as buffet so you can eat outside
Sailed Danube, Main, Rhine, Mekong, Nile and about to do full Rhine, planning French rivers.

I think this video was paid for by viking. Although a good cruise line numbers 2, 3 and 4 outrank it.

What about Trafalgar

Avalon is our favorite. The ships, the panoramic rooms, the daily excursion choices, the dining options and the service are all 5 star. Since Globus owns them, their ability to provide full booking services, pre and post day options and quality tour guides is unmatched. Avalon attracts a more diverse age group and a traveler interested more in onshore cultural experiences than just 5 star dining.
Viking is very staid and inflexible in their offerings. Whenever we crossed paths with them, their guests were a much older group.
My advice is to quantify your priorities and pick the river cruise line that matches up best. For us (2 couples), it was an easy choice-Avalon Waterways. And they delivered an excellent immersive experience surpassing our expectations on a Danube river cruise. Look into them!

What about Riviera? Fabulous ships !!

We’ve done Tauck twice ( Rhine and the Rhône)with the Danube(Amsterdam to Budapest) coming up. The service is top notch, boats are lovely, everything is included. You are treated like royalty.

Of all the cruises I've taken Viking was the worst. I'm sorry, but they served mediocre wine, the entertainment was terrible and they offered no place to exercise. With all the other choices available, I will not travel with Viking River Cruise again.

Have done Viking on the Rhine, Danube, and Yangtze, and was extremely happy with all of them! The crew is attentive to everyone’s needs, helpful, and warm! Theres a reason they’re #1!

I have traveled on all of these long boats and they were all awesome! But... Viking takes the prize... We have been on three so far!

Many of the pictures are not from Europe, can we then trust all the other pictures and information given. Not at all reliable 😢

I’ll state it again: I used to serve Tauck tours as a waitress. All super smooth super easy to do big tables, proffessional all the way! I would say, never ever had any issues and witnessed very relaxed clients in good spirits with lots of laughter. Can’t say the same for other countries, or companies. Having been in the industry 40+yrs, retired a bartender-no I didn’t want mgmt because single mom 1) and work 80hrs get paid for 40! 🙄🙏🏻⭐️

Avalons unique panoramic suites (wall to wall, floor to ceiling sliding glass doors) are beyond fabulous to behold! As are the extraordinary culinary experiences presented onboard! In fact, our entire Avalon experience, the ship, the amenities, furnishings, staterooms, bedding, food and services were top tier in every respect!  

To start the day, our chefs prepared a spectacular gourmet breakfast buffet suitable for royalty (including wild game, seafood delicacies, rare cheeses, etc) alongside all the Continental favorites and European specialties!

Next came the variety of curated shore excursions (ranked by activity level); all very intriguing, unique, and well organized. Later, the lounge, and happy hour was a perfect place for all to relax, imbibe, socialise, and gather for the ships briefing. Then for dinner, we relished having 3 varied dining options, each offering multiple specialties with regional wine and beverage pairings; includiing a 5 course fine dining experience that was consistently 5star!

All the while, the self-service cafe lounge at the stern was well stocked with various beverages and assorted fresh snacks 24/7, alongside books, guides and games; a lovely retreat at all hours day or night! And most amazingly, it seems I alone found the hot bubbling whirlpool jacuzzi on the top deck, which I basked in religiously, every sunrise and sunset! 

All told, we both thoroughly enjoyed absolutely everything about our 14 day Bucharest to Budapest cruise with Avalon last last fall, and were eager to depart on our next Avalon (or AMA or Uniworld or Tauk? cruise)!

I WILL NEVER GO ON THESE CRUISE SHIPS AGAIN. VIKING NEEDS TO CLEAN UP THERE ACT.

Is there a gym

I love Viking!

How is it you managed to overlook the elephant in the room by ignoring the price and value for money. Even showing an average night's tariff with average extra's would have been useful. You can only make the comparison you did if all companies were charging in the same ballpark. As a non-drinker I have no interest in alcohol, little interest in decor, slightly moderate interest in meals with my focus on comfort, amenity and the strength of the tours and time off the boat otherwise it's just as expensive hotel with restaurant catering.

The rankings are definitely inaccurate. There are at least another 7 lines not mentioned at all. Most of the videos do not match the ships being discussed. Also, the narration talks about European Rivers but show ships from the Nile, Mississippi, & Mekong!

Uniworld is 10 times better than Viking which has too many optional, non refundable excursions. We booked city a hike and it was pouring down rain. Either go or lose our money. We were walking up and down cobbles that were extremely slick. , Before Covid, Viking was great. Now it is about the dollar. I’ll never go Viking again.

Tauck??

Clearly you have not been onboard as either a guest or a crew. When you say "we" are ranking these ships, who is "we"? What is your pedigree? I'm a cruise manager currently onboard a popular river cruise line, and have been for 13 years. They are all a great choice for those who do their homework. ps It's not "DORO", it's Douro.....do your homework.

About to do the new APT boats Oct . Will blow all these out of the water