River Cruise Advisor

When you go on a river cruise in Europe, you have a fair amount of choices. To better understand what those choices are, here is a list of the major river cruise companies in the U.S., their fleet size, the charters they have planned for 2010 (ships they are using for river cruise programs, generally outside of Europe, that are owned and operated by other companies), as well as the newest and oldest river cruise ships in their fleets.

Company: AMAWATERWAYS

• Number of ships in fleet: 10 (one more slated for next year; two more for 2011, including tentatively an additional ship on the Mekong)
• 2010 Charters: One vessel in Russia; one in Southern France and Spain; one in Portugal; and one on the Mekong River, a new program for AMA, which launched this fall
• Newest ship: 148-passenger Amadolce, May 2009
• Oldest ship: 150-passenger Amadagio, 2006
• For more info, see AMAWATERWAYS

Company: Avalon Waterways

• Number of ships in fleet: 8 (two more slated for next year; three more for 2011)
• 2010 Charters: One in Egypt; two in China; and one in the Galapagos
• Newest ship: 140-passenger Avalon Creativity, Aug. 2009
• Oldest ship: 178-passenger Avalon Artistry, 2004
• For more info, see Avalon Waterways

Company: Grand Circle Travel

• Number of ships in fleet: 15
• Newest ship: 164-passenger River Adagio, 2003
• Oldest ship: 140-passenger River Symphony, 1998

Company: Tauck World Discovery

• Number of ships in fleet: 3
• 2010 Charters: One vessel in Egypt; one in China
• Newest ship: 118-passenger Swiss Jewel, April 2009
• Oldest ship: 116-passenger Swiss Emerald, 2006
• For more info, see Tauck World Discovery

Company: Viking River Cruises

• Number of ships in fleet: 19
• 2010 Charters: Two vessels in Egypt, one in China
• Newest ship: 189-passenger Viking Legend, July 2009
• Oldest ship: 210-passenger Viking Surkov, 1984 (refurbished 2008)
• For more info, see Viking River Cruises

Company: Uniworld River Cruises

• Number of ships in fleet: 10 when the River Tosca launches on the Nile this month
• 2010 Charters: Three in China; one in Egypt
• Newest ship: 160-passenger River Beatrice, 2007 (refurbished 2009)
• Oldest ship: 128-passenger River Ambassador, 1993 (refurbished 2006)
• For more info, see Uniworld River Cruises

Click below to link to profiles and posts of the following river cruise companies.

• A-Rosa Monday, July 13, 2009
• AMAWATERWAYS Monday, July 13, 2009
• APT River Cruises Monday, July 13, 2009
• Avalon Waterways Monday, July 13, 2009
• CroisiEurope Monday, July 13, 2009
• European Waterways, Go Barging Monday, July 13, 2009
• French Country Waterways Monday, July 13, 2009
• Scenic Tours Thursday, November 12, 2009
• SeaCloud Cruises Monday, July 13, 2009
• Tauck World Discovery Monday, July 13, 2009
• Uniworld River Cruises Monday, July 13, 2009
• Viking River Cruises Monday, July 13, 2009