Cruise Weekly readers don’t need to be told the benefits of a
cruising holiday. Travelling for a week or more without the hassles of
check-ins and -outs, packing and unpacking and the stress of tight
connections are all avoided, plus you have the advantage of the
scenery and attractions coming to you.
Australian cruise fans are well known for their love of the ocean
voyage – maybe something to do with how our forebears arrived
here? That enthusiasm for fun and enrichment afloat extends beyond
the high seas to the tranquil inland waters of the world’s rivers and
Aussies are river cruising like never before.
“Our river cruise bookings in Australia are currently 40 per cent
above this time last year and 2012 has already eclipsed all other sales
records in this market,’’ said Stewart Williams, md Australasia for
Avalon Waterways, to Angela Saurine in a report for news.com.au,
“Australians are driving the agenda in river cruising right now.”
Leading the charge is home-grown hero, Glen Moroney, of Scenic
Tours whose opulent, company-owned vessels are multiplying on the
European waterways in particular. The latest, Scenic Crystal, was
launched in May and has already featured on TV shows including
Nine’s Getaway.
While the signature voyage for all major operators is clearly
Amsterdam to Budapest along the Danube, Scenic Tours have also
launched the first new registration for Russian rivers in over 25 years
with their totally refurbished, 112-guest Scenic Tsar, which will ply
the Volga between St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Down south in the Ukraine, Viking River Cruises offer the River Dnieper
that leads to the Black Sea from Kiev, via Sevastopol and Yalta.
So you’ve ticked off Danube and Rhine, what other rivers make up
the inland cruising ‘world tour?
Amazon: Operating out of Iquitos in Peru, Aqua Expeditions and
Delfin are slugging it out on the Upper Amazon with itineraries of up
to a week.
Nile: Some mixed advice about this iconic waterway in light of
unrest in Egypt. Proceed with caution.
Mekong: Another destination on a rocket with new vessels
appearing annually. The (lower) itinerary runs between the Delta and
Siem Reap, but often supplemented by road transfers in the low
water months. Cruiseco launch their new Adventurer in late October
following other newbuilds from Pandaw and Heritage Cruises.
Murray: Let’s not forget our own historic river which will feature
Captain Cook Cruises’ PS Murray Princess running a second sevennight
Mannum to Renmark itinerary to take advantage of perfect
river conditions.
Ganges and Brahmaputra: These Indian rivers are a whole world
away from the crush of normal tourism on the sub-continent; basic
but authentic. Ask Active Travel.
Irrawaddy and Chindwin: All eyes are on Burma these days and
tourism is finally taking off with quality itineraries from experienced
operators, Pandaw and Orient Express. Myanmar is now!
Yangtze: China’s massive Yangtze is more navigable since the
massive Three Gorges Dam. See Uniworld and Helen Wongs Tours.
Congo, Chobe and Zambezi: If you’re looking for something a bit
edgy, sub-Saharan African rivers are beginning to feature with the
recent (2009) addition of AmaWaterway’s boutique Zambezi Queen.
Did you miss it? Cruise Weekly’s annual river cruise guide was
published in June, but you can still get it HERE.
