Top Rivers & Seas Culture Trips & Packages In 2025/2026

What travelers are saying

"I went on this trip with some misgivings, as my only other experience with this type of tour was a winter Tauck Family Bridges tour of Italy, that was not a good experience. Well, I am SO glad I went, as my daughter and I had a marvelous time. Disney did an amazing job of organizing this trip - I still can't believe how much they managed to fit into essentially 8 days. I also can't believe how much fun it all was! The guides were tremendous. First of all, unlike Tauck (where we traveled with one tour manager), here we had two guides with us the entire time - one a licensed guide in Greece (i.e., a native, very knowledgeable about the country and able to really take us through the historical and archaeological sites) and the other an American who has been guiding in Greece for years. The interaction between the guides was very warm, as was their way of relating to the guests. This was a complete contrast with Tauck. Here people really got to know each other, the young people had a great time with each other, and, of course, Greece itself is just magnificent. I will certainly travel with Disney again!"

What travelers are saying

"I just returned from Aurora’s NW passage trip from Greenland to Nome Alaska. I wish to warn potential passengers that out of 26 sea days, we had 10 landings, out of which we were free to walk on our own once. The director,Ashley, told passengers on day one that if they disobeyed her, they would be confined to their cabin. When we got to Alaska, Aurora had not hired sufficient personnel with US licenses to allow for any landings. So we were 60 miles out at sea for almost a week and could not even see the shoreline. Much of the controlling behavior of Ashley was in the guise of safety from the polar bears, but her behavior was over the top. Also the head bear rifle guy, Nils, screamed at passengers on shore at the top of his lungs when they were a few feet off a poorly marked trail in a flat landscape with at least a mile visibility in all directions. He also screamed at passengers to rush over uneven ground because of a bear in the distance. This is just plain dangerous for 70 -80 year old passengers. I have traveled extensively, including an Antarctic cruise, and never had such an unpleasant experience. Even considered bailing out from Cambridge Bay partway through the cruise. Customers beware. You have been warned."

What travelers are saying

"Amazing trip of a lifetime from Amsterdam to Budapest. Great food, great drinks, amazing service, beautiful ships, incredible scenery, well planned with great variety. I would definitely recommend APT, only wish we were doing it all again"

What travelers are saying

"Very interesting, the renovated building is architecturely very pleasing to the eye, lovely staff and the people working there seem very friendly, full credit to the groundsperson for doing such a beautiful job"

What travelers are saying

"Very professional and will help orchestrate a wonderful tour designed just for you!"

What travelers are saying

"While China is a very hectic, very overwhelming country, it is also a country filled with incredible natural beauty. For the average tourist, these beautiful sites are largely inaccessible or extremely difficult to access due to a combination of language barriers and lack of public transportation. One of these gorgeous areas is located between Yichang and Chongqing: the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. With this in mind, many cruise companies have begun offering multi-day trips down the Yangtze River, making the relatively inaccessible easily accessible. One such cruise company is Victoria Cruises. They have a range of vessels and itineraries to suit one’s needs. We decided to hop aboard their most prestigious boat, the Victoria Jenna, for a five night/four day cruise luxurious cruise through the gorges. Newly renovated this year, the ship exudes class and comfort. The rooms aboard the Victoria Jenna were clean and quite spacious considering we were on a ship. To compliment the five-star standard within the rooms itself, the Victoria Jenna offered ample facilities for it’s guests. Whether you want to lounge on the rooftop or grab a drink at the lovely Yangtze Club bar, there’s something for everyone. The dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were fantastic; the Victoria Jenna offered an array of food from Asian to Western cuisine. Of course, one of the main reason people cruise is for the excursions. We were lucky enough to go on all of the included and optional tours offered on the Victoria Jenna, and I’m thrilled that we did. They outsource local guides that are truly knowledgable about each and every site. Last but not least, I was astounded by the staff; never have I seen a staff so attentive and friendly. A very special shoutout goes to Dick, our Cruise Director, who made sure that everything we needed was taken care of; Steven, our River Guide, who not only knew the in’s and out’s of the Yangtze, but also taught Mahjong and Chinese 101, on top of playing MC for the week; and Maggie, our fantastic waitress for every meal in the Executive Lounge, who not only knew us by name, but knew all of our food and drink preferences as well. I wouldn't cruise down the river with any company other than Victoria Cruises! It was truly the highlight of my month-long journey in China. Thanks again! Sarah Founder, The Five Foot Traveler"

What travelers are saying

"We joined the RV Mekong Pandaw in Kampong Cham for a 3 night cruise to Phnom Penh. I wish we had booked for 7 nights! Amazing staff, gorgeous staterooms, a welcoming and comfortable sun deck and saloon bar. The ship is beautiful and was the perfect place to relax and watch the world go by. Thank you Pandaw for a truly fantastic holiday experience. Your staff are courteous, hard working and lots of fun to be around. Brilliant."

What travelers are saying

"We booked an Emerald Waterways river cruise a year ago and paid in full to get a discount. A river cruise was on our bucket list and our travel agent raved on and on about Emerald Waterways. Fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic hit the world hard. We fully expected the cruise to be cancelled and just yesterday it was. I knew that per the terms and conditions that if Emerald cancelled the cruise we were to be offered an alternate sailing date or a FULL refund. BUT, the letter I received said they were "suspending" (not cancelling) all sailings and if I didn't want the future cruise credit I could cancel under their standard terms and conditions. If I cancelled then I would lose a $1,000 deposit! This is a bad faith offer in my opinion. I am so upset with the way this was handled. I understand we are all suffering from the pandemic but Emerald Waterways needs to step up and do the right thing. Rest assured I will not be a future customer of Emerald Waterways."