There are a several different options for the path of cruise liners. You can go up and down the coast of Alaska, across the Atlantic Ocean, or around the Cape of Good Hope. However, people frequently overlook the possibility of a barge, river & canal cruise, which offers a unique way to experience cruising with all of the standard luxuries but an alternative to the wide open ocean. Cruising on the Panama Canal, for example, offers up an entirely different horizon than does the bare Atlantic Ocean, and with all the wildlife, flora, and local civilization you will likely see, the experience is bound to be that much richer. Here, we will take a look at some of the features commonly offered by river and canal cruise liners.

You can find a river & canal cruise virtually anywhere in the world, with cruises offered throughout the countries of Austria, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland. There are even river cruises that travel through large cities such as Budapest, Prague, Paris, and Munich. Popular rivers for these cruises include the Danube, the Rhine, and the waterways of Holland and Belgium. These cruises offer a unique way to experience many cultures whose civilizations are based around rivers, and you’ll be able to interact with these cultures on a much more intimate level.

Cruising along the African coast might seem like a good way to experience Africa, but the most you are going to see are a few port towns and, for the most part, beaches. However, a river cruise offers you an experience that makes these cultures close enough to touch. Taking a river & canal cruise in any part of the world is likely to be an experience you will not forget, because of the profound impact such a close proximity to the different areas of the world tends to have on people. You will see wildlife you have never seen in person before, and coming up on the lights of Paris aboard the luxury of a cruise ship makes for quite the view out the window of a private table at a restaurant.

If you want a new way to experience cruising, or if you are looking for an experience that will not take you too far from the wonder of foreign civilizations, then try a river & canal cruise. Cruise lines that frequently offer this option include Viking River Cruises, Uniworld, and River Cruise Tours.