The art-themed cruise will set sail on the 140-passenger Avalon Creativity in November 2011.

The Art & Impressionist river cruise through Northern France, will include a visit to the  Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Claude Monet’s Giverny home, and the Musée des Beaux‐Arts André Malraux in Le Havre.

“Our cruise directors and special guest lectures offer a vast onboard education experience, giving cruisers the chance to soak in the history, culture and in this case, the art of a region as they drift from village to village,” said Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways.

Avalon’s 8‐day Art & Impressionist cruise is priced from $2,349. For more information about Avalon Waterways’ 2011 themed vacations, please visit www.avalonwaterways.com.

River cruising isn’t always for the little ones. Not because they wouldn’t enjoy it, but because often times they would be outnumbered by retired couples traveling solo.

Which is why several river cruise companies, Tauck World Discovery included, have begun to introduce family-friendly sailings, complete with fun activities for the kids, designated for people who want to bring the young ones along.

The Tauck Bridges collection is Tauck’s family travel brand, and last year Tauck tested the model by introducing a Tauck Bridges itinerary onboard a river cruise.

“Positive feedback” and “strong sales” for the 2009 family river cruise has led Tauck to introduce two Tauck Bridges family river cruise departures for 2010 of an 8-day Blue Danube: Family Riverboat Adventure itinerary.

“We build each Bridges trip around shared enrichment, in which family members reconnect by building bonds – or bridges – as they experience the joys of travel together,” said Tauck CEO Dan Mahar. “Parents today want to stimulate their children’s curiosity and sense of wonder about the world, and they want to spend quality time together as a family.”

The 2010 Tauck Bridges river cruise will begin in Budapest, Hungary and sail along the Danube River to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, Vienna and Linz in Austria, and will stop for a full-day excursion in Salzburg, Austria.

The itinerary incorporates kid-friendly activities such as a scavenger hunt, whitewater rafting in Bratislava, a strudel-making class and a visit to the quirky Hellbrunn Castle near Salzburg.

Departures of the Bridges river cruise are scheduled for July 1 and 29, 2010 on the Swiss Sapphire, with cruise-only prices starting from $2,790 per person, for double occupancy.

The 2010 Danube river cruise will be one of 12 itineraries Tauck will be offering as part of its Tauck Bridges collection next year.

Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent is enhancing its European canal cruising program for 2010 with a new barge as well as several new food and wine-themed sailings.

Barging or canal cruising is the more intimate alternative to river cruising. Depending on the barge, they can accommodate anywhere between four and 18 passengers, and the number of crew vary according to the size of the barge. The barges, charming sailing vessels with cabins and cozy common spaces, are intended to travel along the calmer canals of Europe, namely in France, Belgium, Holland, Ireland and the U.K.

With a newly added eight-passenger barge, Enchanté, A&K has 23 barge ships on offer for 2010. The Enchante was refurbished in 2009 and will sail the Canal du Midi in the South of France next year. It has Internet connection and a guest computer on board, as well as air conditioning. An on-board chef will prepare gourmet meals in a demonstration kitchen, and meals can be served al fresco on the deck. For larger groups of up to 16, Enchanté can be chartered in tandem with the eight-passenger barge Anjodi. Six-night canal cruises start at $5,890, per person, cruise only. Private charters start at $45,000 for up to eight guests.

Additionally, A&K has introduced several new themed canal cruises for 2010.

A new culinary cruise is being introduced on the four-passenger Alouette (pictured below), which also sales on the Canal de Midi. The itinerary includes cooking lessons as well as accompanying the chef to local markets. Six-night charters start at $25,000.

A Wines of Burgundy (Grand Cru) cruise is being offered on the eight-passenger Amaryllis barge, part of the Orient-Express collection of cruises. The wine cruise includes tastings of 33 Grand Crus of Burgundy, including Bonne Mares, Montrachet and Romanée Conti during France’s “Semaine des Grands Crus.” The cruise takes place July 18 to 24, and starts at $9,800 per person.

Additionally, a chocolate and wine cruise is being offered on the six-passenger Elisabeth, which sails the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy. Included in the cruise are wine tastings and dessert-making demonstrations. Six nights start at $4,300 per person.

Lastly, a bike and barge charter is being offered on the 18-passenger Le Phenicien. The summertime itinerary along the Canal du Nivernais includes a different bike ride each day, ranging from 19-mile to 32-mile rides, with the assistance of a cycling specialist. The Bike & Barge itinerary is only available by charter. Six-night charters start at $54,460.

For additional information visit Abercrombie & Kent.

• AMAWATERWAYS. The festive, traditional Christmas Markets of Vienna, Regensburg, Cologne, Prague and Paris are among the highlights of AMAWATERWAYS’ winter holiday voyages on the great rivers of Europe. Strolling through bustling village squares decorated with lights and Christmas trees, passengers can shop for everything from home-made gingerbread to hand-carved wooden toys, returning at the end of the day to a ship festooned with a holiday décor. In addition to such special touches as a formal Christmas Dinner and New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner, the company is offering “wonderful winter savings” with “Companion Cruises Free!” pricing. Passengers traveling in single accommodations may elect to waive the single supplement charge.
• AVALON WATERWAYS. Travelers can experience the holiday season the Central European way with Avalon Waterways on deluxe “Christmastime” river cruise vacations on the legendary Danube and Main Rivers. They will enjoy the enchanting atmosphere of 1,000-year-old-Prague and delight in the sights, smells and tastes of local Christmas markets in Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Würzberg, Bamberg, Miltenberg and Vienna. And, when they’re ready to return to the ship after festive sightseeing, they’ll enjoy moving scenery from their spacious staterooms complete with floor-to-ceiling windows and French balconies as well as regionally inspired cuisine aboard award-winning ships. Cruisers booking before November 3, 2009 can receive 50 percent off airfare on already reduced winter savings.
• UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES. Come one, come all with Uniworld’s 2 for 1 Savings and Single Supplement Waived Offers on 2009 Europe Holiday River Cruises. Cherish all the glory and magic of the season in grand European style as you cruise along the magical rivers during this festive time of the year. Uniworld’s 2 for 1 Savings and Single Supplement Waived offer applies to the following cruises: European Holiday Markets, Vienna to Nuremberg, December 14; Rhine Holiday Markets, Basel to Cologne, December 20; and Rhine & Main Holiday Markets, Nuremberg to Cologne, December 17. Cruises include: elegantly appointed riverview staterooms, meals with complimentary wine, beer, and soft drinks, celebratory events and entertainment, fully escorted shore excursions, and all transfers on arrival and departure days.

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.

Outdoor grilling

First, river cruise companies all started building a casual alternative dining lounge at the aft of the ship, and I thought that was a pretty nice option for those nights when some of us don’t feel like facing the more social dining room. But when Avalon Waterways introduced outdoor grilling on the top sun deck this year, I really couldn’t believe more ships don’t have that option. Again, weather is critical. But, on a nice sunny, day, with a light breeze from the gliding ship, a grilled sauasage and a beer, there’s no better way to experience the river.

Better beds and bedding

I don’t think anyone can object to the improved quality of beds and bedding in the staterooms onboard river cruise ships in recent years. The comfortable mattresses and fluffy bedding almost make up entirely for occasionally being jolted awake in the middle of the night by the ships’ engines starting back up. How can you not fall right back asleep under those Egyptian cotton sheets?

There are so many other enhancements that have been made and continue to be made — from increasing the number of suites onboard, to the use of headsets during excursions to better hear their guides, from improved bathroom toiletries (Tauck wins in this category with delectable L’Occitane products) to including wine and beer with dinner, for better or for worse. Even ensuring that more and more staterooms have floor-to-ceiling windows or French balconies is a significant improvement in river cruise ship design. But the above were some of the standouts. As for future improvements, there will likely be more. I’m personally hoping for a better, more cohesive spa, Jacuzzi, sauna and fitness center experience.

First, some information on Enchanté, which was completely rebuilt in Amsterdam and is currently winding her way south to her eventual home in the south of France. Enchanté is the latest addition to join European Waterways’ 17-barge fleet of luxury hotels, and she will begin cruising on the Canal du Midi at the end of August.

She provides luxurious accommodation for up to 8 guests in 4 equal double suites of about 200 square feet each, with well-appointed bathrooms featuring showers and luxurious bath products. The barge is tastefully furnished in exotic hardwoods. She has a large, spacious saloon where and a demonstration galley for guests to view the chef.

The ship provides guests with internet connections and a guest computer, television with DVD player and air conditioning throughout. There is also a spacious sun deck, with al fresco dining, gorgeous hot tub and luxurious sun loungers. Enchanté will alternate between two cruise itineraries that will highlight the most delightful parts of the Languedoc, Camargue and Midi regions of Southern France.

Enchanté’s crew of four is comprised of a master chef, tour guide and stewardess, led by a knowledgeable and experienced captain.

Eight guests, four crew! Obviously, we are not talking about a major cruise ship here. No, river barging, where you can walk or cycle along the side of the river and keep pace with your barge, is a far more intimate travel experience, providing up-close access to the smaller communities of Europe. Consider that over the course of a year, European Waterways carries about 2,000 guests, which is about the weekly capacity of a typical ocean cruise ship.

River barging is a calm, peaceful and luxurious experience, not a rock-and-roll presentation with another new thrill around every corner. The barge moves slowly down the river, slips into a new town, allowing guests to poke around before moving on. The menus are sublime, and passengers frequently spend the day looking forward to the evening meal.

The cruise fare includes all meals, wines, open bar, excursions, admittance fees and transfers. Of course, couples can book a cruise on a barge, but groups may choose to charter the small vessels for a week or more.

Let us know if you’d like more information about river barging. It is a special experience.

In the Netherlands, it is said, there are more bicycles than people.

The statistics, thanks to the web site Amsterdamize:

• Population: 16.5 million
• Bikes: 18 million
• New bikes sold a year: 1.35 million
• Bikes stolen a year: between 1.2 and 1.4 million

I pedaled through the tiny country and saw more bikes than I could count. Everyone, from crib to coffin, pedals a bike in Holland.

The country is mostly flat and ideal for cycling, but the best part is that cyclists pedal along roads either with no cars at all (with traffic lights just for bikes) — or with drivers who actually pay attention to cyclists. That is why Dutch cyclists are 30 times less likely to be killed than their stateside counterparts, according to Bicycling magazine.

The story gets even better when you combine boats and bikes. That is just what I did for one week on a “Bike & Boat Tour” offered by Channel Cruises, which touts its tours as “the most Dutch way” to see Holland.

Each morning, the captain mapped out a route for the 70 or so German, Dutch and English-speaking passengers. We pedaled away from the ship in small groups to a destination where we would meet the ship late that afternoon. Along the way we fortified ourselves with apfelcake (apple cake) and french fries with the traditional Dutch topping — mayonnaise. There is no better way to see Holland.

I was not lucky enough to travel during mid-April to mid-May when tulips turn the winter fields to color, but the weather during my trek in June was sunny skies all week.

Our ship, Anna Maria Agnes, was not as luxurious as the Viking River Cruises vessel we were docked beside in Amsterdam, but it was certainly adequate, particularly for launching cycling trips and having someplace to come home to. Cabins featured two beds with a private bath (there are configurations for three and four). Pack lightly.

No need to bring a bike. They’re available — and in prime condition — on the boat. They’re easy to pedal too. Our group ranged in age from 13 to 82 and averaged 35 miles a day. And the evening meals were especially good, particularly after long days on bikes seeing Holland “the Dutch way.”

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How to get the most of your river cruise in Europe.

Click here to read a special report featuring European river cruises in digital format.

I checked into my hotel in Budapest, Hungary, and checked out a week later in Passau, Germany. Each evening, sometimes after I had fallen asleep, my hotel moved, from Budapest, to Bratislava, to Vienna, to Durnstein and Melk on the same day, to Linz and finally Passau. If you’re scratching your head, I’ll let you in on a secret: My hotel was a river cruiser.

To get the most from your experience, just click on this link, flip through the digital guide or use the “toolbar” at the top of the page to navigate and print articles you want to read at your leisure.

On tap for European river cruises: more choices of pre- and post-cruise tours, more special interest programs and more bicycles. Yes, more bicycles.

River cruise companies continue to add bicycles and bicycling excursions to their programs. Amadeus Waterways, for example, carries about 50 bicycles for passengers to use on its ships. Uniworld River Cruises offers cycling excursions (see Pedaling Along The Danube) as does Peter Deilmann River Cruises.

River cruises have all the advantages of a bus tour — in that you get to visit the European capitals and major cities — but without the hassle of having to change hotels or deal with your luggage, or let’s face it, endure the bus ride.

River cruises also are a bit like ocean cruises ­— you sail from one destination to the next — but unlike ocean cruises, which disgorge passengers by tender and tour bus, river cruisers disembark passengers within walking distance of city centers and major attractions. Put a bike on a boat, and you have a match made in heaven.