Am I Too Young for a River Cruise?
It’s a comment I hear surprisingly often:
“I wouldn’t go on a river cruise. I’m not old enough.”
After more than 40 years working in travel and around 20 years of river cruising myself, I think we’ve got this question of age and river cruising a little bit wrong.
Can you be too young for a river cruise?
Not necessarily.
River cruising can suit younger travellers, families and multiple generations, but the right choice depends on the itinerary, onboard atmosphere and how active you like your holidays to be.
Some river cruises offer hiking and cycling, while others are better suited to travellers who enjoy a more relaxed pace.
The question isn’t really:
“Am I too young for a river cruise?”
A much better question is:
“Does river cruising suit the way you like to travel?”
What do you actually do on a river cruise?
One of the things I love about river cruising is the ease of it.
You unpack once, settle into your cabin and travel through the heart of a destination, often arriving somewhere new each day.
There are towns and cities to explore, local history and culture to discover, organised excursions and plenty of opportunities to simply wander off and explore on your own.
And then there are times when the ship is sailing and you can simply watch the world go by.
Read a book. Have a coffee or a glass of wine. Chat with fellow travellers. Sit on deck and enjoy the scenery.
For many people, that slower pace for part of the day is one of the great pleasures of river cruising.
What about younger travellers?
Our daughter Hayley was just 12 years old when she joined us on a river cruise on the Mekong River.
She was already used to travelling, comfortable mixing with adults and happy joining excursions, sitting through dinner and discovering places and cultures very different from home.
And she certainly wasn't sitting around being bored!
Hayley was just 12 on her first river cruise on the Mekong. Some of the experiences ashore were certainly memorable!
River cruising isn't necessarily about sitting quietly on a ship watching the scenery all day. Much of the experience is about where the river takes you and what you discover when you get off the ship.
But I also wouldn't suggest that every 12-year-old would enjoy a river cruise.
It depends on the child, the destination, the itinerary and the style of cruise.
Age alone doesn't tell us very much.
What about multigenerational travel?
River cruising can also be a wonderful way for different generations of a family to travel together.
Grandparents might travel with grandchildren, or you might have three generations sharing the same holiday.
You're experiencing destinations together without continually packing and unpacking or moving everyone between hotels, airports and railway stations.
River ships are also very different from the huge ocean ships carrying thousands of passengers. They're generally much smaller, often carrying somewhere around 100 to 150 guests.
For some families, that smaller and more relaxed environment is exactly what they're looking for.
But river cruising isn't for everybody
And this is an important part of the conversation.
We love river cruising, but would never suggest it's the right holiday for everyone.
If your perfect holiday involves hiking for five days, cycling serious distances every day and being constantly active from morning until night, you might find the pace of a river cruise too slow.
And if the thought of occasionally spending an afternoon sailing along the river, reading a book, enjoying the scenery or chatting with other guests sounds like your idea of hell, that's worth knowing before you book.
That doesn't mean your river cruise has to be inactive.
Depending on the cruise line and itinerary, there can be longer walking tours, hiking options, bikes or e-bikes, more active excursions and plenty of opportunities to explore independently.
Many ships also have a gym, although usually a fairly modest one, and some have a small pool.
So you can certainly be active on a river cruise. But if you need constant activity, it may simply not be your style of holiday.
And that has nothing to do with your age.
So, how young is too young for a river cruise?
I don't think there's a number.
I've seen younger travellers embrace river cruising and older travellers decide that it simply isn't for them.
It comes down to your personality, your interests and how you like to travel.
So next time someone says:
“I’m not old enough for a river cruise.”
Perhaps the better question is:
“Does river cruising suit the way I like to travel?”
Because that's much more likely to tell you whether you'll enjoy it than the number on your birth certificate.
Thinking about a river cruise?
There are many different river cruise lines, destinations, ships and styles of itinerary, and choosing the right one can make an enormous difference to your experience.
At Holiday World, we can help you compare the options and find the style of river cruising that suits the way you want to travel.
Get in touch with the Holiday World team to start planning your river cruise.
Experience River Cruising with Holiday World
If you're considering a river cruise, why not join us on one of our early 2028 escorted group departures?
We have two very different river cruising experiences planned, each offering a wonderful opportunity to explore Europe with the added benefit of travelling with familiar faces from Holiday World.
Battlefields, Netherlands & Belgium
HERE
Escorted by Doug and Narelle
Join Doug and Narelle on a special journey through the Netherlands and Belgium, combining river cruising with an opportunity to explore the history and significance of the region's battlefields.
Active Discovery in France
Escorted by Hayley and Zac
DETAILS COMING SOON
For those who enjoy a more active style of travel, our Active Discovery river cruise in France offers a different way to experience the destinations along the river, with opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Two different river cruises, two different travel styles. A perfect example of why choosing the right river cruise is about much more than your age.
Interested in joining us?
Contact Holiday World for departure details, itineraries and availability.
