Best Themed River Cruises
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Travellers looking to combine a leisurely river cruise with a special interest have a range of exciting options to choose between in 2016. Themed river cruises focusing on gardening, gourmet food, wine and music are among the most popular with experts on board to host tours and give lectures in their specialist fields.
Here, we take a look at some upcoming themed river cruises – and don’t forget there are many more available from the major river cruise companies designed to suit an array of interests, from history and politics to art appreciation, golf and wellness.
Botanica, in association with APT, specialises in river cruises for garden-lovers in Europe, North America and Asia. European itineraries in 2016 include spring cruises that take in Holland’s magnificent parks and gardens when the tulips are in full bloom. Floralies of Ghent (Belgium) only occurs once every five years and in 2016, Botanica has two departures in April that feature the famous festival. Botanica also runs cruises on the Yangtze River that visit ancient gardens in China and cruises along the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Canadian Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway to see the autumn colours in September.
Many European river cruises include visits to vineyards, but APT is taking it up a notch next year with its new series of Wine Ambassadors cruises. Leading Australian winemakers will escort cruises on the waterways of Bordeaux and the Rhône and Saône in France, Portugal’s Douro river, and on the Danube, Rhine and Main rivers between Budapest and Amsterdam. On the way, they’ll conduct wine-tastings, lead excursions to wineries and present classes on Europe’s winemaking heritage.
Perhaps beer is your preferred tipple? Avalon Waterways is running three themed beer river cruises in 2016. An expert known as the “beer pope” will join the cruises to share his extensive knowledge on the topic. Also on the menu are a special food-and-beer pairing dinner and visits to well-known local breweries, such as Heineken in Amsterdam.
Uniworld’s Connoisseur Collection focuses on France’s culinary traditions and the line is offering a selection of specialist cruises in Bordeaux and on the Seine, Rhône and Saône rivers in 2016. Highlights of the eight-day Avignon to Lyon itinerary include visits to a truffle farm, a cooking demonstration and tea party at the renowned Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, onboard lectures on the history of French cuisine and Valrhona chocolate tastings and wine pairings.
Aficionados of classical music can join an APT 15-day Magnificent Europe river cruise and enjoy live performances by musicians from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. These cruises (in March 2016), will feature a quartet of musicians − Lerida Delbridge, Claire Herrick, Justin Williams and Timothy Nankervis – who will play well-known pieces as well as works by new artists on the classical music scene. The music-themed itineraries include a visit to the Hungarian Opera House for a private opera recital, a visit to Salzburg – Mozart’s birthplace; and a private musical soiree at Vienna’s newly refurbished City Palace, featuring members of the Mozart Boys’ Choir.
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