Rhine River Cruise Price Comparisons 2020

Rhine River Cruise Prices 2020 is the third of a series of comparison charts and articles featuring nine European River Cruises offered by 10 world class river cruise lines. Each post in the series will feature two separate charts, one for summer peak pricing and one for the autumn season.

Comparison charts serve as a guide and attempt to answer: What is the price for an entry-level and upgrade cabin; what’s included Rhine River cruise; what Rhine river cruise incentives are there for 2020? 

The goal is to provide a True Per Diem for each cruise. The charts answer the questions: What is a Rhine river cruise going to cost me and how does the cruise I am looking at compare to Rhine river cruises offered by other companies?

The charts in this post focus on seven-nights/eight-days on the legendary Rhine, cruising through the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Most of the itineraries on this chart are between Amsterdam and Basel. Riviera, however, is the exception where embarkation and disembarkation is from Cologne. Riviera states that it chose Cologne in order to avoid the industrial section of the river between Amsterdam and Cologne, though from our experience, Amsterdam is a nice city to begin or end a cruise, and with some scenic sailing between.

River Cruise Advisor published price comparison charts for European River cruises in 2019. The price comparison charts for European River Cruising 2020 are updates with a few additions. We have added embarkation and disembarkation ports, the square footage of upgrade cabins and per diems for the upgraded staterooms.

This year we researched autumn for shoulder season 2020, whereas we used spring for the 2019 charts. The information in the article for 2020 pricing also includes single and mobility limited cabin details, if the cruise line websites made that information readily accessible.

The prices in the chart are based on double occupancy. The upgrade costs for a cabin with a balcony are per person. The value of the incentive is broken down per day, per person. True per diem will include the savings of incentives/discounts offered at the time of research as well as the imputed value of items that are not included.

Prices and details reflect information available at the time of research. Cruise lines offer varying incentives with differing time limits or deadlines, and it is best to check with a travel agent or the cruise company’s website. The incentives that are included in the charts were current at the time they were compiled and may no longer apply or there may be a new special offer.

Summer Peak Season Chart, Notable Observations

Some noteworthy observations were made when researching the cruises for these chart, which were completed on April 29, 2019. Be sure to double check with your travel agent or the cruise companies’ websites for the most up-to-date offers.

Summer Season Chart

Amawaterways is offering a $500 savings per cabin for the summer cruise along the Rhine, which is reflected in the chart as a $250 per person incentive.

Avalon is currently waiving the single supplement fee for the Rhine River Cruise on June 20, 2020 aboard the Panorama. *The upgrade pricing per person reflected in the chart is from a cabin with a picture window to a cabin with a panorama window. Avalon has the highest upgrade pricing compared to other cruise lines, almost double. Avalon includes on shore excursions but there are additional excursions that guests can purchase.

For summer 2020 Rhine cruise, CroisiEurope offers an upper deck cabin on the Douce France for people with reduced mobility for $3,707 per person.

All cabins on Crystal’s Debussy cruise ship have panorama balcony windows. There is also a savings incentive of $500 per person. 

Emerald Waterways includes Zurich as a beginning or end on its Rhine cruises for summer 2020. Stateroom D is the entry level cabin available for the cruise in this chart, as the stateroom E categories were fully booked.

For the peak summer cruise Riviera offers solo travelers the same rate as doubles on their lower Emerald deck for $3,149. Rate for single travelers cost more on other decks. The square footage for entry level cabins was not readily available, therefore square footage per diem is not indicated in the chart. Ruby deck upgrades to a full picture window with 183 square feet of space.

Scenic’s Rhine River cruise is all inclusive. The chart reflects Scenic’s offer for free economy air, which was valid until April 30, 2019. The offer had ended by the time this was posted. Check with your travel specialist or Scenic’s website for possible savings.

Tauck offers Special Solo Traveler Savings for its summer 2020 Rhine River cruise. There is no Single Supplement for Category 1 cabins. Solo Travelers also enjoy savings of $1,000 per cabin in Categories 4 and 5 on the April 10, 2020 departure. Certain restrictions apply; ask at time of booking. 

Uniworld’s peak season 2020 Rhine cruise is $200 less than it was in 2019. Uniworld offers 2020 early booking savings before June 30, 2019, a 5 percent discount on suites and 10 percent off other cabins.

Viking was advertising a promotion that would save passengers $500 per person per cabin. In addition, air fares offered at $799, from select gateways, which amounts to additional $900 savings, based on average economy fares of $1,699 between North America and Europe. This represents a total savings of $1,400 per person when combined. Double check with your cruise seller or Viking’s website for current incentives.

Autumn Season Chart, What’s Notable

 Amawaterways is offering $1,000 savings per stateroom for the 2020 autumn Rhine cruise. The discount is indicated on the chart as $500 per person.

Avalon is offering $500 off per person aboard the cruise ship Vista for the autumn Rhine cruise. In addition, Avalon has waived the single supplement fee for this cruise.

CroisiEurope’s cost for upgrade to a balcony window is $286, which is the lowest of any cruise line. Although there is not an actual balcony to step out onto, it is a panoramic balcony window and railing. Other cruise lines can charge up to as much as $1,199 per person for a balcony upgrade. At that price, the stateroom is usually, but not always larger, and there is an actual balcony to step out on and sit on patio type furniture.

Crystal is also offering a $500 discount per person. All of Crystal’s suites have balcony windows that open.

Emerald offers a savings of $500 per couple, $250 per person, for its all-inclusive Rhine River cruise in the autumn of 2020. Emerald extends this discount for balcony suites as well. Emerald includes three levels of guided biking and hiking excursions each day.

* The Riviera Rhine River cruise selected for this chart is called the Rhine Solo Traveler. For October 21 and 31, 2020 sailings on the Rhine River, Riviera has waived the single supplement fee. The itinerary for the cruise for these two dates is Cologne, Heidelberg, Strasbourg and back to Cologne. The seven day drink package costs $159. *There is no upgrade to a deluxe balcony suite offered for the Rhine Solo Traveler cruise. The upgrade posted on the chart is for a Copperfield middle deck 161-square-foot cabin with a picture window. There is one excursion included per day. In addition, Riviera provides a special excursion for this cruise that cost approximately $10 per person. This special excursion is a visit to Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet.

Scenic includes free air, a value estimated at $1,699 for this autumn Rhine River cruise. However, please double check Scenic’s website for deadlines and time limits.

Tauck is offering Special Solo Traveler Savings for this autumn 2020 Rhine River cruise. There is no single supplement for category 1 cabins.

Uniworld offers a 2020 Early Booking Savings for the autumn Rhine River cruise. Customers can save 5 percent on all suite category staterooms and 10 percent on all other stateroom categories. The incentive in this chart is shown as $419 in savings per person. In order to qualify for this incentive Uniworld states that the booking must be made by June 30, 2019 and paid in full at the time of booking.

For the autumn 2020 Rhine river cruise, Viking offers free air valued at $1,399 per person; however check with your cruiser seller or Viking’s website for deadlines and qualifying airports.