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A river cruise is widely considered to be the
most civilized way to see the best of Europe. Brochures invite passengers to
relax in comfort as they glide through picturesque towns and soak up the
scenery.
However, until now there has not been any official star rating system for
riverships and it has been impossible to differentiate between them, making the
choice a daunting one.
Any star rating quoted in marketing material hitherto has been based purely on
the opinion of the company selling the holiday. That’s all to change with
Douglas Ward’s remarkable brand new work, Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe
(£14.99, pub June 2014) that divulges the highest and the lowest scoring
riverships.
Of the 280 vessels rated, the new guide crowns AmaPrima queen of the riverships.
A must-have for those who are considering a river cruise, as well as for travel
agents selling cruises, the guide independently rates the experience, whether
budget or deluxe, so that holidaymakers can make an informed decision and avoid
expensive pitfalls.
Ward has based the system on the tried and tested structure that he uses when
evaluating and rating ocean-going ships for his annual bible Berlitz: Cruising &
Cruise Ships which, in September 2014, celebrates its 30th year of publication.
For the new river cruising guide, the evaluations and ratings cover five
principal areas, such as accommodation and cuisine, with a maximum possible
score of 100 for each area. Points are then converted into star ratings ranging
from 1-star to 5-stars.
THE SCORES
Cuisine, Accommodation and Service … and Overall
In the river cruise equivalent of the Oscars, the crown goes to AmaPrima.
Operated by AmaWaterways, with an overall score of 422 out of 500, the 4-star
Plus AmaPrima also scores tops for cuisine and service.
Ward describes the vessel which entered service in 2013: “Outstanding cuisine
and high standards characterize this comfortable rivership. AmaWaterways knows
how to do it right, and it shows.” With three decks, 82 cabins including French
balcony cabins, she sails a variety of Europe’s rivers.
Indeed, AmaWaterways clears the decks with outstanding scores across the board,
owning the top 11 ranking 4-star Plus vessels. For cuisine, top marks go to
AmaPrima, AmaVerde and AmaVida all scoring 86%, and for service the finest are
AmaPrima and AmaVerde, both with 82%. Praising AmaWaterways, Ward considers that
they have helped to redefine European river cruising.
Some 82% of its vessels have French balconies and the company spends more on its
food and wine and on food service training than almost any other river cruise
company.
Closely following AmaWaterways in overall scores are 18 4-star Viking River
Cruises (395 – 398 points), with Riviera Travel’s Lord Byron (4-star Plus) and
Amadeus Elegant (4-star) also scoring highly (405 and 397 respectively).
When it comes to the accommodation, whether suites or cabins, the award goes to
TUI Queen from TUI Travel, a stunning 4-star rivership that provides the
ultimate in creature comforts. With a score of 85%, TUI Queen has the edge, just
ahead of a host of Viking River Cruises and Lord Byron.
Considered the world’s foremost authority of cruising, having spent more than 45
years working in the cruise industry, Douglas Ward travels up to 200 days each
year aboard the world’s ocean-going cruise ships and riverships.
Commenting on the results, Douglas Ward, said,
“In the past, booking a river cruise has been a bit hit and miss".
This book is a culmination of many years of
work, following a constant round of sailings and observation. I hope that it
helps those who want to book a cruise to cut through the brochure hype, whether
they are looking to enjoy fabulous food or great comfort. As yet, we
haven’t found a 5-star rivership; that accolade is still to come.”
Top Scoring Riverships in each of the Star Categories
4-star Plus: AmaPrima
4-star: Jointly Viking Freya, Viking Njord and Viking Skadi
3-star Plus: Avalon Felicity
3-star: CroisiEurope’s Beethoven
2-star Plus: Jointly Dnepr, Der Kleine Prinz and My Story
2-star: Amsterdam
Bumping Along on the Bottom
Even the three lowest-scoring ships have something to offer: two of them are
operated by the Netherlands-based Fietsvaarvakantie and used specifically for
low cost bicycle tours.
The other lowest scoring vessel is 2-star Salvinia, with just 192 points,
described as “an old lady with plenty of character”, which for some travelers
will more than make up for the poor soundproofing of the cabins and the limited
cuisine in the cramped restaurant.
The first edition of Berlitz: River Cruising in Europe (published June 2014, 256
pages, £14.99) is available from all good bookshops.
(www.insightguides.com/berlitz) |
