River cruise lines give shorter cruises a long look

There’s nothing quite like knowing you have all the time in the world to enjoy every moment of a weeklong river cruise vacation.

But what if your clients are short on time yet still want a full river cruise experience?

Shorter river cruise itineraries are nothing new, as a number of river cruise lines have long offered journeys shorter than the average seven-night voyage. But lately, it seems as though shorter itineraries are getting a fresh look by river cruise lines that want to offer more flexibility to travelers, be it for those looking for a quick weekend getaway or those who want to try river cruising but don’t want to commit to a weeklong stay.

“Why shouldn’t people be able to get on in Vienna instead of Passau, or only do the stretch from Passau to Vienna — or if someone wants to do a long weekend and they want to combine it with whatever else on land?” said Gregor Gerlach, co-owner of Riverside Luxury Cruises.

On Riverside, Gerlach said, “people can do three days, four days, seven days or a total of 14 days … it just gives so much more flexibility.”

Here are some of the lines that offer journeys shorter than a week in different regions.

Short river cruises in Europe

A number of river cruise lines offer three-, four- and five-night itineraries in Europe for travelers who are short on time or looking to customize their journeys with add-on packages.

Riverside Luxury Cruises is offering just that, with three- and four-night itineraries on the Riverside Mozart, sailing on the Danube River, and the Riverside Ravel, sailing on the Saone and Rhone rivers.

AmaWaterways has introduced a shorter itinerary on the Danube this year. The company’s new, five-night Majestic Capitals of the Danube itinerary will take guests to the capital cities of Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. This itinerary will be offered throughout April, May and December onboard the AmaLea, AmaViola and the double-width AmaMagna.

Viva Cruises offers a number of short river-cruise itineraries on the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers, with the widest array of shorter itineraries on Rhine sailings. Travelers have several options for three- and four-night cruises  throughout the year, including a four-night New Year’s cruise roundtrip from Frankfurt, Germany, with stops in Speyer and Strasbourg; a four-night cruise roundtrip from Dusseldorf, Germany, that visits Amsterdam and Rotterdam; and a three-night holiday cruise that visits Dusseldorf, Koblenz, Bonn and Cologne, Germany.

Avalon Waterways, Emerald Cruises and Amadeus River Cruises also offer shorter cruise options on the Rhine and Danube rivers. Avalon Waterways has a four-day cruise on the Upper Danube between Budapest and Vienna; a five-day cruise between Frankfurt and Basel on the Rhine and Moselle; and a five-night holiday season cruise, also between Frankfurt and Basel, that focuses on Christmas markets in France’s Alsace region and Germany.

Emerald Cruises has two, five-day holiday cruises on the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers, while Amadeus River Cruises has two, five-day Advent cruise itineraries on the Rhine River between Cologne and Strasbourg. 

Short river cruises in Egypt

Historia Cruises, one of the newest river cruise lines to launch on the Nile River, offers a variety of shorter cruises itineraries.

In addition to its seven-night roundtrip cruises on the Nile, Historia has one-way, three- and four-night cruises that depart on Mondays and Fridays, starting from either Luxor or Aswan. The short cruises cover Egypt’s most iconic monuments, temples and sites, including the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Karnak and Philae.

Short river cruises in Asia

Shorter cruise trips also exist on a few of the most popular river cruise routes in Asia.

Pandaw offers three- and four-night cruises on the Ganges River for those who don’t have time to dive deep into the heart of West Bengal but want to at least see the highlights. The cruise begins in Kolkata and sails up to Murshidabad, visiting Hindu temples and rural villages. Guests then disembark to take a four-hour express train back to Kolkata and are transferred to hotels before heading home. The company also offers three- or four-night itineraries on the Mekong River.

Aqua Expeditions has three- and four-night cruises on the Mekong River and offers daily excursions twice a day for travelers looking to get the most out of their short adventures. All three-night itineraries depart from Phnom Penh in Cambodia, while the four-night itineraries can depart from either Phnom Penh or Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Short river cruises in the Amazon

Aqua Expeditions offers short-cruise itineraries on the Amazon River in Peru, with three- and four-night itineraries available between Nauta and Iquitos. Guests will have a chance to immerse themselves in the biodiverse rainforests of the region, explore the surrounding waterways of the Peruvian Amazon and participate in adventurous activities like piranha fishing and guided treks into the jungle.

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