Most people will agree that cruising is a great way to travel and an excellentway to see the world. Climb aboard, unpack for the duration of your cruise and you're set to start "chilling-out." Whether it's meandering down the Mississippi on a steamer, cruising the Caribbean on a mega-liner or living the life of luxury on a chartered yacht while sailing the Mediterranean, you're getting a taste of the good life.

For the past few years, the leisure cruise business has been the fastest growing segment of the travel industry and it is showing no signs of a slow down. In fact, it keeps getting better. Because of the boom in cruising, there has been more demand for bigger ships, for more amenities and for more diverse itineraries. And to the cruising public's good fortune, the captains of the cruise industry have risen to the occasion. In recent years, larger ships have been the rage, especially for first-time cruisers. These new mega ships are big, beautiful, active and exciting. So active and exciting however, that when the cruise is over, many times you return home exhausted and you feel like you need another vacation just to rest up! What's a cruise lover to do for a relaxing vacation? "Scale down" would be my suggestion.

Cruise lovers, take heart...the riverboats and barges of Europe await you! In the wonderful world of cruising, bigger does not equate to better and the vessels cruising the great rivers of Europe prove that in a grand way. On your last cruise, you were probably with 1,500 (or more) fellow passengers. On your future riverboat cruise, you will probably be with no more than 150 happy cruisers. Imagine ... getting on a ship, meeting some people, and then actually seeing them again before the cruise is over. What a joy! This is just one of the many advantages riverboat cruises have to offer people who want to have a leisurely, luxury cruise vacation.

Riverboats and barges come in all shapes and sizes (literally) and are configured to carry anywhere from 20 to 200 passengers. Most of the newer vessels being built (and there are many) will have an average capacity of 100 to 150 passengers. Riverboats of this capacity seem to be the perfect size for maneuvering the rivers while still offering spacious cabins, a great dining room, lounges and public areas.

Please Note: This article is not just about riverboats cruising the great rivers of Europe but also about the many hotel / barges cruising Europe's wonderful canals and waterways. The main difference between the two cruise categories is that riverboats carry more passengers (50 to 200) and cruise the major rivers while the hotel / barges accommodate a lesser number of passengers (6 to 50) and specialize in cruising the canals and smaller rivers. In this article, when I just refer to riverboats, I mean both riverboats and hotel / barge companies.

Is that King Arthur?  
Sometimes your imagination can get away from you while you are slowly cruising past historic fairytale castles, picturesque medieval villages and rolling hills of vineyards ... and it's not necessarily that second glass of wine causing it. The beauty and history that abound along the rivers of Europe can be staggering. To give your imagination a reality check, your riverboat will stop for a leisurely visit at many of these wonderful places and will usually dock and overnight at a place of historical significance like Avignon, Vienna, Budapest or St. Petersburg. When you overnight at one of these magical cities, you usually have several options of how to spend your evening. Many times the cruise line will bring local musicians and entertainers on board for your pleasure or they may have a planned event in the city itself. Regardless of the social events, there will usually be time for you to roam and explore the city on your own before departing on the next day's adventure.

A room with a view please. 
No problem! First of all, a majority of the vessels have only outside cabins, so everyone will have a view. No one wants to miss the splendid scenery that your river cruise is providing, but you can't be on the open deck 24 hours a day. Most of the outside cabins have large windows (some floor to ceiling) that give you a panoramic view of the river and shoreline. In fact, many of the newer ships have windows that actually open (a novelty for most ships) and a few riverboats are starting to have cabins with sliding doors and small balconies. A typical riverboat cabin is spacious and a majority of the cabins have beds that convert into sofas during the day giving you more space to lounge. Many of the newer ships boast larger cabins with hotel-style beds and amenities similar to big ocean-going cruise ships. Speaking of rooms with a view, the dining rooms and lounge areas have wonderful panoramic windows (if not glass walls). This allows you to take in the beauty of the idyllic countryside while you are dining or enjoying that second glass of wine that I was talking about earlier.

American group travel leaders, rejoice! One of the great realizations that the riverboat companies have had recently is that the potential market for American clientele is massive. Because of this, many of the riverboat companies are starting to cater to the English speaking (American) market. On many riverboats now, English is the only language spoken on board the ship and on the shore excursions. What a pleasure this is! This eliminates having to listen to announcements in several different languages, which after a short while can be confusing. If you have ever been on a sightseeing tour where the guide translated the points of interest in three or four languages, you know what I mean.

Another plus for many Americans on riverboat cruises is that many of these ships are adopting a non-smoking policy. In order to accommodate smokers, most ships will have a designated smoking area in the public rooms (usually located around the bar) and, of course, smoking is allowed on any of the outside decks. So now, your group participants can have non-smoking outside cabins with great views, plus the announcements that they hear in their cabins about dinner being served will be in English! Speaking of dinner...

Pass the fois gras, s'il vous plait.
A word about dining on a riverboat. Dining on almost any cruise ship, no matter what its size, can be a special experience with regards to the food quality and presentation, but the dining experience on a riverboat is exceptional. Don't get me wrong, the executive chefs and their staff on the large cruise ships do a fantastic job feeding the large numbers of people they are required to serve. The fact that the riverboat chef and his or her staff are only preparing food for 150 people (or less), not 2,500 people, is one of the main reasons that the dining on a riverboat excels. Also, if you are a wine connoisseur (or if you just like wine), you can add another PLUS for riverboats because most include quality wine with dinner. Since many of these cruises will take you to some of the most famous wine growing regions of the world, the dinners are usually served with local regional wines to accompany entrees of regional specialties. Of course, as with the larger cruise ships, on riverboats you get more food than you really need but hey, that's why we drink diet soft drinks!

Rolling on the river(s).  
If you like diversity, you're in luck! Riverboats are cruising from Moscow to Marseilles and everywhere in between. Plying the rivers of the Rhine, Rhone, Danube, Moselle, Douro, Elbe, Po, Saone and Seine allows visits to more historic cities, medieval castles, quaint riverside villages, churches, and museums than you could ever imagine. On a river cruise, you are always in view of land and the majestic scenery along the way will provide more photo opportunities than you would ever have on other types of vessels. Each of the rivers offer its own unique ports of call along the way: Amsterdam, Basel, Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin, Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon and on and on. With each stop you are transported back in time, standing on the same cobblestone streets that the great leaders of bygone days used to lead their legions of armies to victory in some far away place. Wherever your historical interest lies, you can be sure there is a cruise on one of these beautiful rivers that will be of special interest to you.

Riverboat - Hotel / Barge cruises are tailor made for group travel leaders who operate small, personalized travel clubs. Many group travel leaders don't leave town with 150 people every time they put together a trip. In fact, many group travel leaders don't want 150 people on their trips! What they do want is a quality tour or cruise for 15, 20, 30, maybe 50 people. Riverboat companies love these groups and they are especially receptive to working with group travel leaders. You represent the market they are looking for - one person they can work with who has the potential to book several cabins. On the other hand, these specialized cruise lines do an extraordinary job accommodating passengers. When you have a group on a river or canal cruise (and that can be as few as six passengers on a canal cruise), your people will love you because of the wonderful trip you have put together for them. It's a win-win program! Many people today are looking for unique, out of the ordinary trips that are a good value for their money. The riverboat and hotel / barge experience fits that bill. So make some Big Waves with your club members by booking a river or hotel / barge cruise soon. Not only will you have a great trip, but you will also impress your group with a top quality tour that they will long remember.

To help you get started, the following is a list of reputable riverboat and hotel / barge companies and wholesalers that I can highly recommend. Contact them for information on their various products. Many of these companies represent several river / canal cruise lines while others may only sell their own ships exclusively. So call or fax the toll free numbers, request their brochures, and start a file on riverboat and hotel / barge cruises. Even better, look up their websites if possible. This gives you instant, detailed information on what each company has to offer, how they operate, and how booking with them can benefit you. Along with this article, we've included some connections to help you get started.

Carl Meadows is the author of How to Organize Group Travel for Fun and Profit, a 368-page book, power-packed with valuable information on starting and running a successful group travel club. Order your copy by calling 800-247-6553.

 Guide to River Cruise Companies and Wholesalers
EuroCruises
33 Little West 12th Street, Suite 106
New York, NY 10014
Tel: 800-688-3876
Fax: 212-366-4747
E-mail: info@eurocruises.com
Website: www.eurocruises.com
Sea and river cruises in Europe and beyond including the Danube, Rhine, Rhone, Saone, Volga, Po, Elba rivers, Mediterranean, Black, Baltic, Red, Adriatic and Norwegian seas, Africa and South America.

E Waterways
140 E 56th Street, Suite 4C
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 800-217-4447
Fax: 212-688-3778
E-mail: sales@ewaterways.com
Website: www.ewaterways.com
A comprehensive internet portal for canal barges and riverboats. Products for individuals, small groups, special interest and incentive programs.

FAR & WIDE
80 SW 8th Street, Suite 2601
Miami, FL 33130-3047
Tel: 800-FARWIDE 
Fax: 305-908-7535
Website: www.farandwide.com
Featuring cruise/tour itineraries aboard sailing ships, ocean liners, river liners, barges and yachts sailing throughout European waterways. New 32-page Europe Cruising brochure.

Grand Circle Travel
347 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
Tel: 800-221-2610
Website: www.gct.com
Provides a wide-range of river and ocean cruises, escorted, extended and all-inclusive vacations to Americans over age 50. More than two million travelers served since 1958.

Intrav
7711 Bonhomme Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63105
Tel: 800-456-8100
Fax: 314-727-9354
info@intrav.com
Website: www.intrav.com
For discerning travelers who are looking for an unhurried, relaxing way to explore Europe. International airfare from New York and all sightseeing is included.

JFO Cruise Service Corp.
2500 Westchester Avenue
Purchase, New York 10577
Tel: 800-346-6525
Fax: 914-696-0833
jfocruise@aol.com
Website: www.rivercruises.com
Affordably priced European river cruises with complete air-land-cruise packages for groups.

Peter Deilmann Cruises
1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 170
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel: 800-348-8287
Fax: 703-549-7924
E-mail: pdcmail@deilmann-cruises.com
Website: www.deilmann-cruises.com
Offering deluxe 7-, 10-, 11- and 14-night cruises on Europe's most magical rivers. Pack and unpack once as you discover cities such as Vienna, Budapest, Venice, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and much more.

Premier Selections 
342 Madison Avenue, Suite 916
New York, NY 10173
Tel: 800-234-4000
Fax: 646-658-0343
ps@premierselections.com
Website: www.premierselections.com
Arranges trips on luxury hotel barges and river cruises on the rivers and canals of Europe. Also books tours on the great "named trains" throughout the world.

The Barge Broker
2321 30th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
Tel: 800-275-9794
Fax: 303-447-2487
info@bargebroker.com
www.bargebroker.com
Represents over 60 luxury hotel barges and river cruisers in France, Ireland and the UK. In business over 28 years, and personally inspects vessels at least twice per year.

Uniworld
17323 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
Tel: 800-733-7820
Fax: 818-382-7829
info@cruiseuniworld.com
Website: www.uniworldcruises.com
The largest operator of river cruises to Europe, Russia and China from North America. Also offers South America, Egypt, Asia, Burma, India and Nepal.

Value World Tours
17220 Newhope St., Suite 203
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Tel: 800-795-1633
Fax: 714-556-6125
E-mail: mail@vwtours.com 
Website: www.rivercruises.net
A premier operator of river cruises in China (Yangtze), Europe (Danube), Russia (Volga), and the Ukraine (Dnieper).

Viking River Cruises
21820 Burbank Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Tel: 800-632-0245
Fax: 818-227-0245
info@vikingrivers.com
Website: www.vikingrivercruises.com 
Provides one-unpacking, all-inclusive European River cruise vacation featuring air, daily sightseeing excursions, cultural presentations and more. Increased commissions and free berths offered for group bookings of 20 or more.