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On River Cruising … Past and Present
Foreword:
Detailed information on river cruises contained herein can be found at our website: www.clarksontours.ca and select "Rivers and Land". In this newsletter we review river cruising in general, excluding rivers in the Americas. We draw conclusions at the end of the newsletter employing the market stratification model adopted by the travel industry for ocean cruising -- specifically, "luxury", "premium", and "mass" markets. We trust you will find this information useful and welcome your queries as to availability and / or advice on the many voyages we identify herein.
Canals; an enabler for our inland
waterways
Let’s turn the clock back a few thousand years to
the days of Nero – an Emperor of Rome. Nero engaged
Egyptian engineers to design the Corinth Canal to join
the Ionian and Aegean Seas. Nero was assassinated before
work could be completed. Going back just one thousand
years takes us to China’s Grand Canal that connects
Beijing and Hangzhou – a distance close to 1,800
kilometres. The idea of cutting across land to reduce
travel time has been with us for some time; however it
was not until 1992, when the Rhine and Danube rivers
were interconnected, that river cruising, as a segment
of the cruise industry, took hold.
River cruising; the
concept
Driven by the needs of trade, the connection of
rivers in Europe saw a concept come to full life – that
of a floating hotel on rivers (i.e. river boats);
tourists could visit far distant, historical and major
cities from a vessel literally docked downtown; all from
the comfort of their “hotel room” – their cabin or
stateroom on board their river boat.
Since 2007, river cruising has grown at the rate
of 15% annually (see chart). At this rate, capacity
doubles every five years.
Rivers,
the main inland thoroughfares of the past, afford us an
upfront and close look at major cities; the fact is that
most were built on the banks of rivers or at seaports.
Europe, and river
cruising in general
Passenger capacity on river boats ranges
from a low 92 to over 200 passengers and the size of
staterooms from 140 to over well over 350 square feet.
River cruise lines include excellent tours at virtually
each port of call, where knowledgeable tour guides are
capable of making your head spin – they can provide such
detail.
The
European Waterways in particular served as natural land
boundaries that helped define and develop countries. And
they facilitated trade – the main driver for
interconnecting these rivers through a system of locks.
It does boggle the mind that one can sail from Amsterdam
to the Black Sea (link takes you to a voyages
ending in Budapest) by way of the Rhine, Main and Danube
rivers. This voyage traverses nine countries (see map),
the Continental Divide, and an elevated waterway.
Let’s
have a brief look at some of the rivers and the
itineraries they afford.
The
Rhine
As one
travels the Rhine from Basel,
Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands, we have the
ever-present reminders of a toll-collecting practice,
evidenced today by enormous mountaintop castles (or
ruins thereof), some still functioning as converted
restaurants. The story goes that in some places, logs
were placed in the river, thereby impeding travel and
enabling toll collection.
Seasonal
cruises on the Rhine include “Tulip Time”, and theme
cruises such as wine with attending renowned sommeliers
with starting points in Zurich, Paris, Basel, and
Amsterdam.
The
Danube
A
popular and satisfying voyage is that of Budapest
to Nuremberg then on to Prague – a jewel of a city,
not taking anything away from Budapest – with its many
points of interest and iconic Parliament Buildings – a
photographer’s delight particularly when viewed from
Fisherman’s Bastion at the opposite side of the river.
The
voyage from the Black Sea, starting in Istanbul with
its bazaar and Blue Mosque past the Iron Gates ending in
Vienna is another historic delight and visits places
mentioned in the Bible.
The
Rhone
Start in
Paris, travel by high-speed train (the TGV) to Lyon.
Sail from there to the Beaujolais area up the Soane
River then down the Rhone past medieval towns – the
Provence area. Enjoy a flamenco show in Barcelona. Wine
theme cruises are a real treat. Or travel the Seine and
the Rhone on the Grand
France.
The
Duoro
Love
port wine, or just good
wine? Enjoy a country with rugged and inviting
coastlines? A country with rich history and excellent
foods? Visit Portugal and Spain. Start in Lisbon, end in
Madrid. Join our President’s
cruise in October 2013.
Other European
Rivers
Still
more river cruises are offered on the Elbe
which flows from the Czech Republic through Germany
into the North Sea, the
Dnieper
River which flows through Belarus and the
Ukraine into the Black Sea, and the Po River which
features Venice, Italy.
Russia: the Volga
River
Each
June, at the time of the “White
Nights”, we at Cruise Holidays of Clarkson offer
this voyage between Moscow and St. Petersburg; opulence
is the byword here, when one visits Hermitage and
Catherine the Great’s Palace in St. Petersburg. But
travelers also experience the simpler things of Russian
life, like sharing a meal with a Russian family.
China: the Yangtze
River
In
China, the Yangtze River cruise travels between the
cities of Chongqing and Yichang. Chongqing has a
population of 33 million people and was once the capital
of China. This tour visits Beijing, where the Forbidden
City, the Summer Palace, the Great Wall of China can be
visited, then Nanjing, home of the Terra Cotta warriors,
Shanghai – its Financial Centre, other mainland China
locations and Hong Kong. To avoid crowds, travel late in
the year.
Egypt: the
Nile
Start in
Cairo, where the pyramids and the famed Sphinx are
located near the city; at the Cairo Museum, see the
mummy of the Pharaoh Ramses II, over 3,200 years old
still with recognizable features. The tour continues to
the Valley of the Kings, where multiple tombs were
discovered on the west side of the Nile, then on to
Luxor and Abu Simbel, at the south end of Lake Nasser.
Travel in
the spring or in the fall to avoid extremely high
temperatures.
South Africa: Chobe
River
This
tour includes visits to game reserves, Cape Town, and a
cruise
ending at Victoria Falls. A once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
Vietnam and Cambodia:
The Mekong
The tour
commences in Hanoi, with its French influence, then on
to the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, Ha Long Bay, before
flying to Siem Reap in Cambodia. See UNESCO sites such
as Angkor Wat, before boarding for a cruise along the Mekong
to Ho Chi Minh City. This tour is mind-altering … one
has much opportunity to mingle with the locals; to us
westerners, their lifestyle is extraordinary. See
floating villages and more. Best time to travel:
February / March.
Cruise Lines, market segmentation and coverage
Let's have a look at market segmentation within river cruise products; and let's use ocean-cruising's segmentation model: specifically, "luxury", "premium" and "mass" markets. In ocean cruising, we have a mature product wherein the players differentiate their products by how the products and services are delivered and the level of service. Examples of points of differentiation are the quality of linen, butler service, suites, quality and choice of shore excursions, etc.
Carnival Cruise Lines for example, own eleven brands and operate in all three segments. Seabourn operates in luxury, Holland America Line operates in premium and Carnival (the brand) operates in mass.
Until recently, river cruise line companies all claimed "luxury" level services and indeed the cruise experience was, and still is, reasonably uniform. We do see, however, the emergence of two luxury companies -- Scenic Tours and Tauck (see chart). Each of these companies has tour beginnings, and operates worldwide. They have proven to be game changers.
Carnival Cruise Lines for example, own eleven brands and operate in all three segments. Seabourn operates in luxury, Holland America Line operates in premium and Carnival (the brand) operates in mass.
Until recently, river cruise line companies all claimed "luxury" level services and indeed the cruise experience was, and still is, reasonably uniform. We do see, however, the emergence of two luxury companies -- Scenic Tours and Tauck (see chart). Each of these companies has tour beginnings, and operates worldwide. They have proven to be game changers.
About Cruise Holidays
of Clarkson
We are a full-service
travel agency and provide expert advice and services in
land and cruise vacations.
We have
been a member of the Cruise Holidays President Circle
(awarded to the top 20 stores in North America) for the
last three years running and won Best Group
Promotion Awards in 2008 and 2011. We are dedicated to
deliver travel experiences that match our clients'
individual lifestyles and pride ourselves in managing
lasting relationships earned through the integrity of
our service. We thank you for your business and we stand
ready to review, discuss, and help you maximize value
from your travel investment.
Call us
at 905 855 1700 or email info@clarksontravel.ca for more
information.
Our address is 1739 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga ON L5J 1J4 and there is ample free parking at the rear of our store. Drop in!
Our address is 1739 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga ON L5J 1J4 and there is ample free parking at the rear of our store. Drop in!
Zaneta Rochemont
President,
Cruise Holidays of Clarkson
1739 Lakeshore Road West
Mississauga ON L5J 1J4
T: 905 855 1700 | F: 905 855 1701 e: info@clarksontravel.ca| w: www.clarksontours.ca
