Military Discount on Luxury River Cruises

Why River Cruising Feels Like Luxury

A river ship is small by design, since it has to fit under bridges and through locks. That means a guest count measured in dozens or low hundreds, a dining room where the crew learns your name, and a gangway that often drops you a short walk from the old town square.

Days follow an easy rhythm: a guided walk or bike ride in the morning, lunch on board while the scenery slides by, and an afternoon or evening in the next port. Because almost every day is a port day, river cruising suits travelers who want to see a lot without repacking a suitcase.

Comparing the Leading Luxury River Lines

Inclusions are the biggest difference between river lines, so it pays to read the fine print rather than compare headline fares.

• AmaWaterways: wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, a daily cocktail hour, guided excursions in every port, and bikes plus guided bike and hike tours. No inside cabins; many staterooms have a twin balcony layout. Gratuities are extra in Europe.
• Uniworld: one of the most inclusive lines, with unlimited drinks including spirits, all gratuities, airport transfers and boutique-hotel style ships filled with original art and antiques.
• Avalon Waterways: known for Panorama Suites with wall-to-wall windows that open to create an open-air balcony and beds facing the view. Wine and beer come with lunch and dinner, and excursions offer classic, active and discovery choices.
• Scenic: highly inclusive, with butler service for every guest, premium drinks, gratuities, transfers and a choice of included excursions. Scenic also sails ocean voyages on its Scenic Eclipse discovery yachts.
• Tauck: a fully escorted experience with Tauck Directors on board and ashore, plus included gratuities, drinks, excursions and many taxes and fees. Tauck has run guided travel since 1925.

Where Luxury River Ships Sail

Europe is the heart of river cruising. The Danube links Germany, Austria, Hungary and beyond; the Rhine runs past castles and vineyards; the Seine connects Paris with Normandy; the Rhone and Saone wind through Burgundy and Provence; and Portugal's Douro valley is known for its terraced port vineyards.

Further afield, the Nile pairs cruising with the temples of Luxor and Aswan, and the Mekong carries guests through Vietnam and Cambodia. In the United States, riverboats sail the Mississippi and the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Military History on the River

For many veterans and their families, the most meaningful river cruise follows the path of history. Seine sailings from Paris typically include a day in Normandy, with visits to the D-Day landing beaches such as Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and the Normandy American Cemetery. AmaWaterways, Uniworld and Tauck all run Seine itineraries that stop in Normandy.

Rhine and Danube sailings pass towns and river crossings tied to the final campaigns of World War II, and some departures add WWII-themed lectures or tours. In the U.S., Mississippi itineraries can include Civil War sites. Tell us which history matters most to you, and we will match the itinerary and excursions to it.

How the Military Discount on Luxury River Cruises Works

We take at least 5% off the river line's lowest cruise fare, after its current promotions are applied. When a line runs its own military program, as AmaWaterways and Scenic do, we apply that as well, and on select sailings we can add onboard credit or other amenities. The discount applies to the cruise fare only, not taxes, port fees or air.

We charge no booking, change or cancellation fees, payments go directly to the river line, and we monitor your rate until final payment. If you already booked directly with the line, we can usually take over the booking before final payment with the same cabin and booking number.