With
Europe’s 2014 river cruising season well underway, and a record number of river
cruise ships traversing the historic waterways, Cruise Holidays International
is sharing data indicating Amsterdam and Budapest are now the most popular
river cruise destinations its agencies have booked across Europe this year. In
addition, Southeast Asia has the most booked river cruise destinations outside
of Europe. The information shared by Cruise Holidays is based on actual bookings by its network of cruise
travel agencies for river cruises departing in 2014.
“Amsterdam
is Cruise Holidays’ top river cruise destination for 2014, thanks to its role
as the hub for most ‘Tulip Time’ cruises, along with many Rhine river cruises,”
stated Kevin Weisner, Senior Vice
President, Cruise Holidays International. “In culling the data on our river
cruise bookings for 2014, Budapest, Hungary, follows closely behind. Its
prime position straddling the Danube makes it a top choice for travelers who
want to visit treasured European destinations throughout Germany, Austria and
Hungary.”
Here are the Top 10 destinations for 2014 river
cruises, according to Cruise Holidays International, along with the itineraries
and rivers most commonly associated with these cities:
|
Rank
|
Destination
|
|
1
|
Amsterdam, Netherlands
“Windmills & Tulips”
|
|
Rhine (7-day), Dutch waterways (if roundtrip), some
Mosel, Rhine/Main/Danube (14-day)
|
|
|
2
|
Budapest, Hungary “Grand Tour”*
|
|
Danube (7-day), Rhine/Main/Danube (14-day)
|
|
|
3
|
Paris, France
|
|
Seine (7-day), Rhone (8-10 day), Seine/Rhone (14-day)
|
|
|
4
|
Basel, Switzerland “Rhine River Valley”
|
|
Rhine
|
|
|
5
|
Nuremberg, Germany
|
|
Main/Danube
|
|
|
6
|
Prague, Czech Republic
|
|
Main/Danube, some Elbe
|
|
|
7
|
Avignon, France “Provence”
|
|
Rhone (7-day), Seine/Rhone (14-day)
|
|
|
8
|
Vienna, Austria
|
|
Danube (7-day or 14-day)
|
|
|
9
|
Chalon sur Saone, France
|
|
Saone/Rhone
|
|
|
10
|
Bucharest, Romania
|
|
Danube (10-day or 14-day, including Black Sea)
|
*A “Grand Tour” is
typically a 14-day cruise of the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers.
“The growth in popularity of European river cruising
is astounding and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it should be noted that availability
for 2014 European river cruises is extremely
limited and September is virtually sold out, especially in the more
desirable suite categories,” added Weisner. “We strongly advise travelers who
intend to go to Europe this year, and have yet to book their river cruise, to
be as flexible as possible. But we also advise consulting with one of our
Cruise Holidays agents, who can closely monitor if a cancellation arises on a
particular itinerary and act quickly to secure a reservation. On the other
hand, availability for non-European destinations in 2014 is still fairly
abundant.”
Destinations Outside of Europe
While the vast majority of river cruisers choose
European destinations, river cruise lines are increasingly adding itineraries
around the globe. “This will become even more important as travelers who get a
taste of river cruising in Europe find the lifestyle so appealing that they
decide to visit more exotic destinations, also via a river cruise. Our Cruise
Holidays river cruise experts are shoring up their knowledge of ports around
the world, including in Southeast Asia, by experiencing them firsthand so they
can counsel their clients on the river cruise lines that are best suited to
explore these fascinating destinations,” said Weisner.
Here are the Top Five river cruise destinations in Southeast
Asia, according to Cruise Holidays International:
|
Rank
|
Destination
|
|
1
|
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
|
|
2
|
Beijing, China
|
|
3
|
Shanghai, China
|
|
4
|
Hanoi, Vietnam
|
|
5
|
Siem Reap, Cambodia
|
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