And then, of course, there are those who prefer to cruise with a
"foreign" company: They find it gives them a more diverse and
culturally authentic experience. Peter Deilmann Cruises, a German
line, opened its U.S. office in 1995. The company's nine river
ships draw a mix of nationalities; anywhere from 30 to 50 percent
of passengers on any given cruise are Americans. The company is
known for its high-quality onboard service, with passenger crew
ratios of 2.5 to 1. (Condé Nast Traveler named Deilmann one of the
10 best small-ship lines for five of the last six years.)
Deilmann's Mozart has the largest cabins - 203 square feet - of any
river ship in the world. Their Heidelberg, new last year, follows
close behind with 190 square feet.
Another company, CroisiEurope (
www.croisieurope.com), with 24
ships, caters almost exclusively to Europeans - of 150,000
passengers carried last year, only about 1,400 came from North
America - although international sales manager Michel Grimm says
that the number of U.S. and Canadian passengers has grown
substantially over the past three years. "Many of our clients feel
it would be silly to travel all the way to
Europe to meet a
boatload of other Americans," Grimm says.
To help you find the right cruise, there are brokers, travel
agents, websites, and other specialists who can help. Ellen Sack,
for instance, spends a month each year cruising European rivers and
canals; she says this hands-on experience helps her match clients
to the right ships. CruiseCritic.com, an online cruise-planning
guide, reviews ships, profiles lines, and posts readers' ship
ratings, message boards, and more. For the smoothest sailing,
though, the experts advise choosing carefully and booking early.
major players in european river
cruising
avalon waterways
(877) 380-1544,