Over the years people have asked me if there is any value in booking a river cruise early. Well, it

Over the years people have asked me if there is any value in booking a river cruise early. my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas Well, it is very sinmple. River cruise shops unlike ocean cruise ships have a limit on how big they can be. It's a simple thing really and obvious when you think about it. Ocean cruise ships range from 100 passengers (small ships like Seadream and Orion as well as Expedition my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas style ships and up to 4500 passengers for the mass market operators like Carnival, my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas Princess, NCL, HAL and Royal Caribbean. Their size is governed by the cost of building them and the market they sell to. In between there are the luxury brands such as SilverSeas, Seabourn and such who market a more refined and exclusive product to a smaller market base. They all have a lot of space to sell and they operate year round.
River cruises are a different kettle of fish altogether. Their size is governed by the locks and bridges that they have to pass through and under. Therefore you will find that the majority are of very similar dimensions and the differences between them are basically the style and appointments of the lounges, dining facilities and of course the cabins. There is essentially little difference between the cabin on an Ocean cruise ship and a cabin on a river ship except that there are larger my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas cabins on an ocean cruise my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas ship. However the cabin appointments are the same. The more deluxe river cruise companies highlight their cuisine and service and rightly so. You will eat better my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas on a river cruise ship than you will in a restaurant ashore. The capacity is now around 150 passengers my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas per sailing. Any more and their is overcrowding and if larger there will also be restrictions on where the ship can operate. The Mozart for instance, long rated until recently, the best river cruise ship, was restricted by her size to the Danube only. She couldn't get through the Rhine-Danube Canal and the dozens of locks and bridges that were involved.
This restriction means that on a 14 night cruise between Budapest and Amsterdam or vice versa there is only space for 300 passengers per month and they can only operate between May and October. You see, river cruising my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas is about scenery and that is everchanging as you slowly, 6-8km per hour, cruise past villages, towns and pastoral scences from the pages of a history book. In November to March it is too cold, too little daylight and generally too wet for value in cruising. Therfore there is a limit to how many berths are available for these cruises and if you don't get in early you will miss out or be forced into a date that is not the most suitable for you, indeed if anything is available at all!!
I don't agree with star ratings for river cruises. There are no 5 star ships as Dr. Wolfgang Lueftner, tghe urbane my cruise on royal caribbean grandeur of seas owner of luxury Lueftner River Cruises told me recently.'star rating work for hotels but as river ships do not have 24 hour room service, I can't in all honesty say we are 5 star, if the same parameters are applied"
My advice is to get in early, take advantage of early bird payment offers and do not wait for a deal. It woll not happen. Over the period 25th December 2010 to 7th January 2011, the 14 night 'Across Europe" sailing have filled up alarmingly so be quick.