ADDED extras
Little luxuries abound on a river cruise
IT’S the little things that make boutique hotels so memorable on land, and it’s exactly the same on Europe’s big rivers. Five-star touches on the best river cruise ships start with Egyptian cotton sheets on the beds and toiletries from the likes of Molton Brown and Rituals in the bathrooms. Over-sized, walk-in wardrobes add a touch of glamour while French balconies and picture windows mean you’ll never miss Europe’s big-ticket sights.
Explore the river ship and the boutique hotel comparison gets stronger. With TUI, for example, river cruises never sail with more than 155 guests so there’s no need to worry about crowds and queues. And as there’s one member of crew for every four TUI guests, you’ll enjoy friendly, personal service worthy of a country house hotel.
Better still, the restaurants, bars and lounges on board could feature in a magazine photo-shoot. Forget fussy, old-fashioned and functional. Today’s river cruise ships are stylish, sunny and spacious, offering everything from cosy corners with soft sofas to sun decks with lounger chairs galore. It’s little wonder traditional hoteliers secretly dread having guests arrive fresh from a European river cruise: they know few city centre hotels can match the space and luxury on offer afloat.
DELIGHTS
Europe awaits if you want to see how comfortable a river cruise can be. A top tip is Delights of the Danube with Great Rail Journeys, where you’ll sail aboard ships like the boutique MS Amadeus Star. Launched as recently as 2019 and welcoming no more than 164 guests, it doesn’t just offer a panorama bar, restaurant, river terrace and sun deck: there’s also a fitness suite and wellness centre for massages and beauty treatments.
The leisurely eight-night Danube cruise takes in Budapest, Salzburg, Bratislava and Vienna for a private recital from the city’s Philharmonic Orchestra. Great Rail Journeys arranges everything, whether you fly to start the cruise with all your transfers taken care of, or prefer to travel to the river by train with a friendly tour manager at your side.
Sounds relaxing? It will be – and it’s just one of many river cruises from the Seine to the Rhine and from the Danube to the Douro where added extras and little luxuries now come as standard.