Years ago, cruising had a bit of a reputation as being ‘just for old people’. But boy, how times have changed! Virtual reality trampoline anyone? (You’ll find those on Royal Caribbean’s ships).
But what about river cruising? Are river cruises good for families? The answer is a resounding YES! But, with some caveats. As with any cruise holiday, you need to pick your river cruise carefully to find one that suits your family.
First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page when it comes to knowing what to expect from family river cruises in Europe.
What is a Family River Cruise Like?
River cruise ships are pretty small, at least compared to ocean ships, anyway! Whilst an ocean ship might have anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 passengers on board, river cruise ships tend to accommodate about 150 to 200 people.
The relatively small size of river cruise ships means that there’s obviously no room for things like water slides, rock climbing walls or any of the activities your kids would go crazy for on an ocean cruise.
However, there are some things they’ll like, such as small swimming pools, Jacuzzis, cinemas, games consoles and giant chess or noughts and crosses. Onboard A-ROSA SENA, each cabin will have a toy chest filled with toys that are tailored to the ages of your kids.
Each day, you’ll stop at a different port of call. Your ship will often dock right in the heart of the city, so you can get off and explore on foot, on a coach or maybe on bikes if your ship has those to borrow.
Suggested read: 27 Most Thoughtful Little Touches on River Cruise Ships
Which River Cruise Ships Are Child-Friendly?
There are about 20 river cruise lines, but only five of them are really kid-friendly so these are the ones you should consider.
The family-friendly river cruise lines are:
- A-ROSA
- AmaWaterways
- CroisiEurope
- Tauck
- Uniworld
Each option for a river cruise with kids has its own merits, and which to choose depends very much on what kind of family you are.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the river cruise lines so you can decide which is the best for your family…
1. A-ROSA
German-owned river cruise line A-ROSA is my number one choice for families looking to take a river cruise in Europe. The ships are highly recognisable, with a smiling mouth on the front.
Youngsters can enjoy activities like treasure hunts, a pirate day and arts and crafts workshops. The whole crew get involved in entertaining children – they can make pizzas in the ship’s kitchen or visit the captain on the bridge.
There’s a specially-designed children’s menu so you can be sure that even the pickiest of eaters are well catered for. Family shore excursions are available too, visiting local theme parks and animal attractions.
Here’s my video review, showing why I think it’s possibly the best river cruise for families:
While most A-ROSA ships are great for families, one of the best is the A-ROSA SENA. The first river cruise ship designed with families in mind, A-ROSA SENA has cabins that sleep up to five, a dedicated kids’ club and a children’s pool.
A-ROSA is also one of the cheapest river cruise lines, making it a great option for those on a budget.
Minimum age to cruise with A-ROSA: Children must be two years old or over to sail and four years old or over to use the kids’ club. Cabins with French balconies are not recommended for children under seven years old.
Accommodation: Family cabins sleep up to five. Connecting cabins are also available.
Child fares: Children under 15 travel free of charge, except on the Douro where they receive a discount of 25%.
Read more: 10 reasons to love A-ROSA family cruises
2. CroisiEurope
CroisiEurope is a French-owned, family-run river cruise line. These child-friendly river cruises are popular with families all year round, but particularly in the summer holidays.
Summer cruises with CroisiEurope have a kids’ club on board so that children can have fun with new friends and parents can enjoy some quality time on their own. As well as the activities, sports and pool games, the children put on a show at the end of the cruise for parents to watch.
Whilst river cruises, on the whole, tend to be quite expensive, CroisiEurope’s prices are very reasonable, so this river cruise line would make a great choice for families on a budget.
Minimum age to cruise with CroisiEurope: CroisiEurope has no minimum age to sail in Europe. For cruises in Russia, Asia and South Africa, the minimum age is seven years old.
Accommodation: One child can share with two adults. Or children can have the cabin next door from age five.
Child fares: In an odd twist to the norm, kids sail free during the school holidays in July and August on a selection of cruises in Spain, Portugal and France. At other times they receive a discount of 20%. For single parents, the single supplement is waived when travelling with children.
Read more: Kids Sail Free with CroisiEurope River Cruises
3. Uniworld
Uniworld offers a boutique river cruising experience. Travel + Leisure magazine has named Uniworld as the ‘World’s Best River Cruise Line’ year after year. But this luxury river cruise line isn’t just for adults.
Onboard Uniworld’s opulent river ships, families can enjoy activities together, such as local language classes, craft workshops or making desserts with the help of the ship’s pastry chef. There’s even a Soda Sommelier serving soft drinks from local regions.
Parents can enjoy romantic meals together as children are entertained at the Young Travellers Table along with their newfound friends and Uniworld’s dedicated Family Hosts.
There are lots of organised activities for children on-board, so parents get a break too. A lovely touch is that young travellers receive a surprise gift on their pillow each night of the cruise.
Minimum age to cruise with Uniworld: Children must be four years old or over.
Accommodation: Interconnecting rooms are available.
Child fares: Children aged 4 to 17 get a 25% discount when travelling with an adult (except in suites).
4. AmaWaterways
Another luxury option for families is AmaWaterways’ ship AmaMagna which launched in May 2019.
This double-width ship, which sails on the Danube, has a whole host of facilities that kids will love. When the theatre isn’t in use, it becomes a cinema showing the latest kids’ movies. There are also Playstations and Nintendo Switches as well as board games and, importantly, a decent-sized swimming pool.
Whilst most of AmaWaterways’ river ships have bicycles that guests can use ashore, AmaMagna also has child-sized bikes so that the whole family can explore together.
The cruise line has a partnership with Disney, offering ‘Adventures by Disney cruises’. Here, you can visit the French villages that inspired the tale Beauty and the Beast, enjoy a magical carriage ride in Budapest and eat breakfast doughnuts shaped like Mickey ears.
You can read more about AmaMagna from Cruise Lifestyle here.
Minimum age to cruise with AmaWaterways: Children must be four years old or over to cruise, but this river cruise line isn’t recommended for children under eight years old.
Accommodation: Adjoining cabins provide accommodation for up to five people. Cabins with sofa beds are available for families of four. If you prefer, children under 11 are allowed to share a bed with two adults.
Child fares: Children pay the full adult fare.
5. Tauck
Luxury river cruise line Tauck was one of the first river cruise lines to offer family-friendly cruises and has done so since 2010.
The ‘Tauck Bridges’ range is available during the summer holidays in July and August each year. These river cruises include a variety of shore excursions that the whole family will love, such as walking in the footsteps of gladiators at the Colosseum, riding an ancient Ferris wheel in Vienna or learning how to make marzipan in Germany.
Tauck is an all-inclusive river cruise line. Holidays with this company include everything, from flights, hotels and airport transfers, to unlimited food and drinks, as well as gratuities. Shore excursions are also included, which makes deciding what to do in each port really easy.
Minimum age to cruise with Tauck: Children must be three years old or over to cruise. Shore excursions also have minimum ages assigned to them.
Accommodation: Cabins with sofa beds accommodate families of up to four people.
Child fares: Children pay the full adult fare.
The best way to book a river cruise
Want expert help to plan your perfect cruise?
The Best European River Cruises For Families
Europe is the ideal destination for family-friendly river cruises. Whilst you may be tempted by exotic river cruises on the Amazon in South America, or a Nile cruise with kids, the waterways of Europe offer a much more child-friendly experience.
Those living in the United States might also want to consider US river cruises on the Mississippi.
If you’re looking for the best river cruises in Europe for families, the most important thing to think about is the river cruise line you choose.
My recommendation is A-ROSA river cruises, particularly the A-ROSA SENA, which has been designed with families in mind. A-ROSA has a fantastic family offering and, best of all, kids aged 15 and under cruise for free all-year round!
You can choose a family cabin that sleeps up to five or have two interconnecting rooms and pay for just one. That’s amazing value!
It’s undoubtedly one of the best river cruises Europe has to offer for families.
What to Know Before Booking a River Cruise with Children
On most river cruises, there will be much more for children to do during the school holidays – they’ll find other children to play with and organised activities.
However, the school holiday periods are often different in other European countries, so check with your chosen river cruise line to find out when’s the best time to travel.
River cruise cabins can be quite compact, especially if you have children in with you. Packing light can be a good idea to save space. Plan ahead with a river cruise packing list to ensure you only bring the essentials.
Whilst some river cruises allow young children on board, a river cruise probably isn’t the best holiday for babies or toddlers. For one, babies come with a lot of stuff, and there isn’t much room for things like pushchairs on board. Also, it’s much easier to climb railings on a river cruise ship, so you would need to watch toddlers like a hawk at all times.
Suggested read: What is a French Balcony on a Ship?
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Looking for a week cruise with my two youngest daughters in October 2023. Daughters ages at that time will be ages 6 and 3.
Prefer a European cruise.
We haven’t yet though it’s on our radar! Do you think you see more on river versus ocean liner?
I think you can see lots with both. Granted you’ll stop every day on a river cruise, whereas on an ocean cruise you might have sea days, but I think both offer ample opportunity to explore.