River Cruise Advisor

River cruise ships have been amping up everything from the quality of their food (AMAWATERWAYS, for instance, has completely overhauled its fish program to ensure fresh fish is served at lunch and dinner) to the quality of the bedding (who doesn’t have Egyptian cotton anymore?). Here, some of the best new amenities to be on the lookout for on the European river cruise ships.

Bikes!

The recent trend of carrying bicycles onboard for passengers to use — so far, AMA and Uniworld River Cruises both have bikes — makes for a perfect compliment to the river cruise experience. I am partial because I enjoy being active on trips, as well as exploring new places in new ways. But there really is something magical about biking through the European countryside, winding along cobblestone streets, passing quaint storefronts, stopping for a picnic in an orchard, all by bike. Much of Europe is very bike-friendly, with bike paths separated often entirely from the main driving roads. Obviously, the weather must cooperate to make biking a viable option, but if it’s sunny out, be sure to give the biking a shot. For some, it might completely enhance the river cruise experience like it did for me.

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