Five Things You Can Do On a River Cruise

Let’s be honest – what’s the first thing that you think of when you’re thinking about cruises? If your answer isn’t a crowded deck, cookie-cutter buffet diners and many tourist port excursions, chances are you weren’t that honest. Those are usually the things people associate with a cruise, and that’s no secret.

Well, turns out those aren’t the only things you can do on a river cruise. River cruises are pretty cool, they’re usually very authentic, and they’re a great way to seamlessly visit a lot of interesting cities along the way which will wow you with everything they have to offer.

With that in mind, what are some of the coolest things you get to do if you embark on one of those Spice Islands cruises, or any other river cruise for that matter? Let’s find out.

You only get to unpack once

When you’re travelling with planes, trains and buses, there’s the problem of navigating and finding your way around on public transport, and you need to consider that you have quite a lot of luggage to carry around with you. When you’re changing cities constantly, you will need to unpack your things every time you get to your accommodation. You’ll also need to pack again when you’re to leave to another city. This is a difficult process.

However, with a river cruise, you only unpack once. You get to your cabin, and all of your things live there for the duration of the trip. A smart thing to do here would be to get yourself a backpack that lets you carry the essentials when you go to one of the shore excursions, but that’s all the packing and unpacking you’ll need to do.

You can enjoy a silent disco party

Yes, you read that right, you can use “silent” and “disco” in a sentence and it will make sense. Silent discos are all the rave today, and you can enjoy your own party without disturbing everyone else around you. How do they work? You get a pair of headphones, and you choose a music genre you like. DJs will play your music, and nobody else except for you (and any others that might’ve chosen the same genre) will have the same experience.

What’s so fun about them? Well, you have an excellent experience that’s much more social than a traditional nightclub scene. Oh, and if you want to talk to someone, you don’t have to shout – it’s a disco but there’s no loud music.

You have a relaxed brunch every day

Many would agree that brunch is essential for any good Saturday or Sunday. But what if you could get that, every day? Well, some cruises do offer that. Any good chef that works on a river cruise will know that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, and they’ll more than keep that in mind. You get to enjoy pancakes, eggs, fresh-pressed juices, and a variety of other items. Oh, and they know you don’t want to wake up early just for that, so you get to sleep in and enjoy the food a bit later.

You get to eat local food from a variety of markets

The best thing about river cruises is that you visit a host of places in a short period of time. While you could spend a week eating Italian food, it’s much more fun if you get to experience five different kitchens in that same week. The food offered on river cruises is often something that’s local to the area you’re in at that moment.

Five Things You Can Do On a River Cruise 2

Copyright: Pixabay | CC0 Public Domain

If the cruise you opted for doesn’t offer that kind of food, you can always get off the cruise ship itself and spend an hour or two in some of the best restaurants each port destination has to offer.

You get to enjoy the excursions and adventures you want to

With many organized travels, you’re usually limited to the activities that are a part of the travel. However, when you embark on a river cruise, you’re presented with a selection of excursions and adventures that you can opt-in for. Whether you go for a hike, visit a local safari, or just stay on the ship itself and sleep while everyone else is out, that’s completely up to you.

One thing to note here is that if you do want to go to some of the more popular excursions, you may want to sign up for them on time. They tend to sell out quickly, and there’s a pretty big chance that they’re already sold out by the time you board the ship.