Essence of the Elbe: Berlin to Prague
Great for: Travelers seeking an affordable European river cruise. Grand Circle, which caters to passengers age 50 and up, offers this Elbe cruise for as low as just $167 per person, per day. The German cities of Wittenberg, Meissen and Dresden are among ten port stops, with tours included. Grand Circle touts its low-cost single supplements, too, as well as airfare discounts for early bookers (late May of each year for the following year).
Romance of the Rhine and Mosel
Great for: Travelers seeking an affordable European river cruise.Starting at t $133 per day, per person, this cruise is a true bargain. Traveling through five countries – Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland – in two weeks, it includes a dozen port excursions. The starting price goes up to $2,395 in 2015, however, so you may want to act fast. Besides early-booking airfare discounts and low-cost single supplements, Grand Circle cuts five percent off the cost of the second cruise you take with them, a savings averaging $300.
Danube Discovery Cruise
Here are several other ways to minimize costs on a river cruise:
- Choose a less expensive cruise line. Four river cruise lines operating in Europe tend to be less expensive than others: Grand Circle Cruise Line, CroisiEurope, Avalon Waterways and Viking, with Grand Circle and CroisiEurope the most budget-oriented. Since river cruises usually spend more time in port than ocean cruises, you may not need all the onboard bells and whistles offered by the luxury lines.
- Book early. Some river cruise lines, such as Viking Cruise Lines, frequently offer two-for-one pricing if you book well in advance. These deals typically end in May or June for cruises the following year.
- Compare itineraries. You can often find better deals on the most highly competitive routes, such as the Danube and Rhine rivers. Shorter cruises tend to be less expensive than longer, of course, but the per-day cost determines true value.
- Travel in the shoulder or off-seasons. Early spring, late fall, and, especially, colder-weather Christmas market cruises are usually less expensive than high summer-season (May-September) voyages.
