Adventures by Disney River Cruises: Your Questions Answered

Table Of Content

• Great for younger kids, too
• What makes AmaWaterways ships “Disney” for an ABD river cruise? What “Disneyfies” the ships?
• Danube River Cruise: Christmas Markets
• Adventures by Disney River Cruise Itineraries Announced
• How many Adventure Guides are on Disney river cruises?
• Review: AmaWaterways' AmaMagna
• What is the best time of year for a European river cruise?

Of course there are no promises, but there does seem to be a bit more wiggle room with the river cruise guidelines, serving to make the guest experience feel more real and personal. Another unexpected privacy factor for me was the physical proximity of people on land and on other river cruise ships. If your room is on the center guest deck (the 200 level), it’s all but certain that you will find your verandah parked inches away from a public sidewalk, with passersby easily able to see into your windows. The ship may also be docked in a double-parked position with another ship, meaning that your bedroom window could be inches away from the bedroom window of a guest on another ship. Adventure by Disney offers a memorable holiday river cruise that takes travelers through the beautiful scenery of the Rhine River Valley.

Great for younger kids, too

Every guest family meets with a guide on embarkation day to choose activities, and they’ll make room for everyone who wants to participate. During my sailing, several guests easily switched from a primarily outdoor activity to an indoor one because of predicted rain. Each river cruise itinerary is different, but all of them offer the opportunity to explore the cities you’re visiting together—either as part of an organized tour or to head out on your own, with just your crew.

What makes AmaWaterways ships “Disney” for an ABD river cruise? What “Disneyfies” the ships?

You can choose from multiple itineraries, each of which offers its unique set of attractions and destinations. Are you looking for a unique vacation experience that will bring you to some of the most beautiful and fascinating destinations in Europe? If so, you should consider taking one of the Adventures by Disney European river cruises.

Danube River Cruise: Christmas Markets

It’s all but inevitable that you’ll be interacting with other guests throughout the day. The AbD guides also work to engage guests in conversation and will attempt to facilitate guest interaction. The Adventures by Disney river cruises are run as a partnership with AmaWaterways.

There are several ways these cruises differ from what other cruise lines offer. A lot of their activities are geared towards family-friendly programming, whereas many cruise lines simply have to accommodate adults. The Disney Cruise Line ships are largely accessible to guests with mobility issues.

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You will also experience an Apple Orchard & Calvados Tasting and enjoy local cuisines, chocolate shops, and cafes. The cruise makes stops at traditional Christmas markets, providing you the opportunity to purchase unique handmade gifts for your loved ones. This unique cruise takes you through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary, with plenty of opportunities to raise a stein and celebrate the spirit of Oktoberfest in true Bavarian style. But our favorite excursion by far — and one that’s exclusive to Adventures by Disney — was a visit to Salzwelten (near Salzburg, Austria), the world’s oldest salt mine. Ships always anticipate the possibility of a wrinkle in the plan and often have alternate options available, but it may not be exactly what you and your crew expected from start to finish if weather woes get in the way. On our cruise this past August on the same river, and with the same cruise line, AmaWaterways, none of that was true.

Let me say that again — there are no dedicated child spaces on the Adventures by Disney river ships. A key factor to the success of this is that there is a minimum age requirement to book these trips. The AbD website states that guests are required to be six years old, with age eight recommended. On my sailing, there were approximately 140 total guests, including about 20 “Junior Adventurers” age 6-12, and about a dozen teens.

Today, Adventures by Disney announced two new river cruise itineraries to Holland and Belgium. Beginning in 2025, families can embark on an enchanting river cruise and become immersed in Dutch culture, history and old-world charm, or join an exclusive spring departure to experience the legendary tulip season. Not only will the sights from aboard the ship or walks through towns and villages take center stage, scenery is also explored up-close through optional bicycle excursions. Pedaling through the provincial towns in France, touring the quaint town of Rudesheim, Germany and surrounding wine country, or biking to the Klosterneuburg Abbey or along the Danube River in Vienna further enhances the travel experience. Adventures by Disney, the company's family travel arm, has just announced its European river cruise itineraries for 2024.

What is the best time of year for a European river cruise?

She's been to WDW, DL, DL Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, Aulani, DVC Vero Beach, and DVC Hilton Head. She's a Platinum DCL cruiser and veteran of 10 Adventures by Disney trips. Erin lives near New York City, where she can often be found indulging in her other obsession - Broadway theater. The television stations included CNN, BBC News, a few general entertainment channels, and some international sports channels. There were movies on demand in English, French, German, and Spanish, but the selection was limited to a few dozen classics and recent releases.

On the Disney Cruise Line ships, there are enough storage nooks and crannies that I’ve never had any trouble finding sufficient space for my husband and I to each have our own drawers for shirts, pants, undergarments, etc. With the current fleet of four large vessels, you have a choice more than 50 different itineraries with sailing opportunities year round. For adult travelers, Adventures by Disney will offer this tour for one adult-exclusive departure. That means it is easy to walk off the ship and explore when the planned excursion isn’t of interest. A local playground, museum, or the option to head back to the ship for some relaxation is also possible.

Overall, I found the river cruise food to be fresher, more flavorful, and more carefully prepared than on any DCL trip I’ve experienced. I’d compare the quality of the main dining room food on the river cruise to be that of the adults-only Palo on DCL. A key feature for many families choosing Disney Cruise Line is the dedicated child care centers and kids clubs. The Small World and Flounders’ Reef Nurseries, and the Oceaneer, Edge, and Vibe kids’ spaces are cherished parts of the cruising experience for many Disney Cruise Line Guests.

And there are no overly formal nights, so packing is made simple, and parents aren’t fussing over kids who really want to play, not dress in clothes they can’t get messy. If you're a family of two children and two adults, for example, an ABD river cruise can easily cost close to $20,000, before airfare. An ABD river cruise cost is all-inclusive of many things, but the price does not include airfare. You won't find an Oceaneer Club for kids onboard ABD river cruises like you would on a DCL ocean ship. Yet there is some special programming geared towards kids, some of which we mentioned above.

The brand-new 280-passenger A-Rosa Sena, which launched in 2022, is leading a new wave in family river cruising. It features family cabins with space for up to five people, a dedicated kids’ pool, and a full kids’ club with slides, mini climbing wall, ample games, reading nooks, and arts and crafts activities. The minimum age is two and kids need to be four to be able to access the kids’ club.

You will find that they accommodated multigenerational itineraries perhaps more than any other cruise line. And some of their cabins can connect with a door between the two like a lot of hotel rooms (or again, like Disney Cruise Line, offers) which is unusual for a river cruise ship. But unlike DCL, Adventures by Disney (ABD) River Cruises are on much smaller ships and they don't have their own fleet. Instead, they partner with AmaWaterways to offer Adventures by Disney on river cruises in Europe. Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has their own line of cruise ships that thousands of passengers can enjoy, per sailing.