Can you take children on river cruises and is it worth it?

Do you want to travel with your children but minimise the difficulty and the stress? I was trying to think of how to do this when I thought about cruises, specifically river cruises. Often considered to be geared towards seniors, and overlooked by young families, river cruises are a gentle and easy way to explore a few destinations, all from the convenience of one boat. I found a short one with an itinerary that interested us and we set sail!

Planning your river cruise

Before embarking, it is important to think about how familiar your family is with boats. We had been on several boats but my child had never slept on one. This is why I choose a short cruise of three nights. Perhaps I needn’t have worried as it turns out that we felt almost zero movement while onboard our incredibly stable river boat. However, the likelihood of motion sickness should definitely be considered.

How to sell the trip to your child

I was keen to visit some places I had not been to before but also mindful that there had to be something of interest for my child. I explained we’d be living on a boat for a few days and, to help my child get excited about what was essentially an extended city break visiting Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava, I shared information about Emperess Sisi and the Hapsburgs, emphasising the ‘princess’ and ‘castle’ themes.

The advantages of river cruises with children

Simple travel between destinations

Visiting a few cities in one trip appealed to me but packing and unpacking every few days, and moving luggage around, did not. Avoiding the need to research and identify the best means of travel between destinations was also a bonus. Taking a cruise eliminated the need to think about any of this.

Organised tours

At each stop coaches were organised to take us on tours in groups (usually divided by language). These were part city walking tour going at a gentle pace, and part coach tour. There was no need to pre book or do anything other than get on the bus. There was also no obligation. Anyone wanting to visit independently or stay onboard could do so. This was so easy.

What do you eat on a river cruise?

All meals were provided onboard which avoided the need to research or book restaurants and I loved not needing to think about meals. Breakfast was a buffet and it was easy to take a bread roll / apple / banana to have in my bag for the often ill-timed cry of “Mummy, I’m hungry.” Lunch and dinner were served as three-course plated meals, which sometimes took a while, but I packed some Lego to play with at the table while we waited. Our boat asked us to sit at the same table each meal which provided a bit of routine which makes things easier for children.

Cruises give you more time to relax

As a parent who works full-time, being able to maximise the holiday time with my child was amazing. Ditching the usual daily mental load of logistics and meal planning was wonderful and we both benefitted.

The disadvantages of cruise travel with children

How flexible is the cruise itinerary?

It may seem obvious that you go where the boat goes and when it departs but, as an experienced traveller, it can be frustrating when you want to explore a destination more thoroughly. I chose to see it as a quick introductory visit to each city and an opportunity to plan a longer repeat visit to the favourite locations.

What if you don’t like the food on a cruise?

With plated dining, there’s a chance some of the meals are not to your liking or your child’s tastes. However, unless your child is a seriously picky eater, with three courses, they’re unlikely to go hungry.  The tours included a snack stop and / or free time, in which you could pick something up too. (The chimney cakes in Budapest were especially popular).

Onboard announcements

Cruise ships use public announcements to let passengers know when onboard events and meals are taking place. Our boat had English, French and Spanish speaking passengers, which meant announcements were made in each of the three languages consecutively, resulting in some pretty long announcements. I turned the speakers in our cabin off entirely. and was still able to hear when dinner was ready. This didn’t cause us any problems but could be annoying if your child naps.

Sleeping in cabins

Check sleeping arrangements before booking. Our provider did not offer the option of two adults sharing a cabin with a child. We could have all slept in the double bed so presumably this limitation was because of onboard capacity limits. This meant we had to book two cabins to travel as a family of three, or one cabin for one adult and child, so I ended up taking our child alone.

Are river cruises expensive?

In the same way that all-inclusive holidays cost more than hotel-only options, river cruising is a more expensive choice. However, with our cruise the accommodation, all meals, drinks and tours were included.

Are river cruises a good holiday choice with children?

River cruises are often marketed to seniors and don’t necessarily spring to mind as child-friendly options. It is true they are not tailored to children but there are lots of ways in which they work for young families. While you shouldn’t expect play equipment, children’s meals and entertainment, the pace of life onboard was slower which works when travelling with children. Tours were designed with accessibility in mind and there were short portions on foot and other parts spent being driven around. We had some ‘free time’ each day and, while other passengers spent it enjoying cafes or souvenir shopping, I sought out playgrounds for my child to enjoy. The top deck of our boat had sun chairs and lots of open space, which turned out to be a great place to practice cartwheels as we sailed past the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest (my child, not me!)

Of course, the suitability of this type of trip depends a lot on the child or children. My child was six and a half years-old when we sailed, has a calm and curious nature, and is used to eating in restaurants. A favourite highlight, apparently, was going through a lock and watching through our cabin window as our boat appeared to ‘sink’ down the wall when inside the lock! If your children are very active, it might be better to wait until they are older.

Personally, I found being able to concentrate solely on enjoying time with my child, and leave all the logistics to someone else, was worth it. Have you taken your children on a river cruise? Would you recommend it?