In the past 5 years, we have done 2 River Cruises - both with wonderful Avalon Waterways. We thought that Avalon's vessels were a cut above the rest when we walked through other boats when we were parked 3 & 4 deep:
* Danube River - 4 nights/5 days - Budapest to Lindst back to Vienna where we met up with a 2 week coach tour of Eastern Europe; and
* Rhine/Mosel Rivers - 12 nights - Amsterdam to the Mosel, up to Luxembourg, back down the Mosel to the Rhine (Rhine Gorge) to Basel Switzerland. This cruise is an excellent choice!
This is a wonderful way to see Europe from another angle & with a maximum of about 150 people, shore facilities are not overwhelmed like in the Caribbean. There are lots of stops enroute with available shore tours or just walk by yourself. The food is superb (with all you can drink complementary wine), but not endless 24 hour buffets like on a big ship.
There is no packing & unpacking as with a coach tour; however, the only wrinkle can be the water levels in the rivers - too high & you can't get under the low bridges & too low they hit bottom. It can be a crap shoot & we won both times.
Some day I would love to take a month long cruise from Amsterdam all the way to Istanbul (or reverse).
I highly recommend Avalon Waterways & would overwhelmingly choose them again. Their cruises include only English Speakers so 'friction' is kept to a minimum. You are correct about aged cruisers - most are elderly & wealthy so don't expect wild parties all night...
TAM
