7 Reasons To Take A CroisiEurope Family Cruise

7 Reasons To Take A CroisiEurope Family Cruise

By Nancy Schretter, Editor

Looking for a wonderful way for your family to experience the world together? Check out the wide variety of sailings on CroisiEurope, an international family-friendly cruise line with over 1,600 employees worldwide. CroisiEurope welcomes families with kids of all ages on their fleet of over 50 ships operating in 38 countries around the world.

Here are seven great reasons to take a CroisiEurope family cruise:

1. Exceptional Family Value. CroisiEurope offers one of the best values in river cruising, delivering a premium river cruise experience at an excellent price. Fares are very reasonable on their regular river cruise sailings and CroisiEurope’s all-inclusive packages include a wide range of amenities including Wi–Fi, shore excursions, all meals on board the ship and an open bar including wine and beer with lunch and dinner. CroisiEurope carries thousands of children on their ships each year. Children under 2 cruise free on all CroisiEurope departures and kids under age 10 receive a 20% discount as well. In addition to regular sailings, CroisiEurope also offers special Family Club cruise departures in Europe with outstanding benefits for families. “All the itineraries chosen for the Family Club program have historically been popular with families and use departure dates that fall over the summer school holidays,” said John McGlade, CroisiEurope’s General Manager for North America. Perks on Family Club sailings include free cruises for kids under 16 years of age, a free cabin supplement so kids can have a complimentary stateroom near their fare–paying parents and/or grandparents, family-friendly stateroom locations, supervised children’s entertainment and activities, adapted kids menus and more. CroisiEurope’s group policies are also superb. It takes just 12 people to qualify for group rates, making it a great choice for family reunions and multigenerational trips.

2. Well–Appointed Ships. CroisiEurope was founded over 40 years ago by the Schmitter family and the cruise line is still family–owned and operated today. The company’s aim is to make river cruising affordable and accessible for all travelers including families with kids of all ages – and it succeeds beautifully. There’s no constant packing and unpacking required on CroisiEurope cruises, making these vacations a convenient and stress–free way for families to explore the world. CroisiEurope’s ships vary in size and offer comfortable accommodations. Room configurations on board can provide added savings as well. On all CroisiEurope cruises with triple and quadruple staterooms, third and fourth passengers in the room receive a 30% discount. For children under age 10 sharing a triple occupancy stateroom with two adults, the 20% discount mentioned earlier can be combined with this 30% discount to yield an even larger savings on their cruise fare. CroisiEurope’s ships also have a number of single cabins, allowing odd–numbered families to easily accommodate the extra family member without paying a single supplement. CroisiEurope also operates French canal barges accommodating just 22 guests, which provide an intimate and unique way for families to vacation together. These barges are available for full boat charters and offer an outstanding opportunity for cultural immersion as well.

3. Great Itineraries. Families can choose from 170 exciting and innovative CroisiEurope itineraries, including the largest number of cruising options within Europe. While CroisiEurope sails along Europe’s most popular river cruising waterways, such as the Danube and the Rhine, the company also offers river cruises on the Seine, the Rhone, the Douro in Portugal, the Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers in Asia, and along many other waterways as well. CroisiEurope is the only cruise company to successfully sail on France’s Loire River, which is made possible by their ship’s revolutionary design. In addition to river cruising options, CroisiEurope also offers French canal barge cruises in Alsace, Burgundy, Champagne, Provence and Paris and ocean–going coastal cruises as well. Families often choose to sail on CroisiEurope’s Family Club cruises during the summer months as well as on shorter cruises and barge cruises where multigenerational families may charter the entire ship.

4. Awesome Shore Excursions. CroisiEurope’s packages include shore excursions, making it easy for families to explore and learn together. Days in ports of call also offer plenty of time for families to venture off on their own as well. Excursions included in CroisiEurope’s Classic package typically focus on providing insights into the history, architecture and culture of the area, while Discovery package excursions are more active and often include hiking, biking or culinary tasting options. These active Discovery excursions can be particularly good choices for families with teens or young adult children. Some cruises offer extra added excursions that are not typically included in the Classic or Discovery packages, such as CroisiEurope’s popular Concert Evening in Vienna. On Family Club sailings, older children and adults can choose the Classic or Discovery excursions while younger children can opt to have fun doing on board activities with the ship’s cruise directors instead. Shore excursions are run by language grouping, providing English–speaking guests with an informative guide who is an expert in the specific area.

5. Fabulous Food. Families and multigenerational groups are in for a treat on a CroisiEurope cruise. The overall vacation experience is very French and the meals are outstanding. CroisiEurope has worked in partnership with world–renowned Michelin–starred French chefs including Paul Bocuse and Marc Haeberlin to create exceptional menus, multi–course French meals, and an outstanding dining experience. On CroisiEurope cruises, vacationers travel with their own French haute cuisine restaurant on board. Guests can look forward to enjoying fresh local cuisines, seasonal specialties, impressive desserts and excellent wine pairings throughout their cruise. On our Douro River cruise, menus were adapted to include Portuguese, French and Spanish fare and featured local cuisines like paella, “Caldo Verde” Portuguese soup, Portuguese–style crab cocktail and Pastel de Nata delicacies as well as beautifully presented French dishes such as foie gras, duck leg with fig and port wine, pork filet mignon with roasted pineapple and ratatouille, delectable crepes and more. While there are no choices available on printed menus, CroisiEurope staff members go out of their way to please. Guests simply need to communicate their dietary and culinary requirements and preferences to the cruise line and mention them to the staff for delectable options to magically appear. Food allergies and special diet restrictions are accommodated and children’s menus are available as well.

6. Excellent Cultural Immersion Opportunities. Families with an interest in learning and cultural enrichment will truly enjoy the CroisiEurope cruise experience. CroisiEurope’s cruises have an appealing French flair, offering families the chance to fully experience Europe while sailing and on land. CroisiEurope vacations provide a multi–cultural and multi–lingual guest experience. There are many European and international guests on board, so it’s easy for adults and children to make new friends from around the world and learn more about their countries and cultures. The majority of guests on CroisiEurope cruises are often French-speaking, so it’s a great way for families to practice their foreign language skills as well. While many guests come from France or French–speaking countries, guests on our Douro River cruise hailed from all over Europe as well as North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. CroisiEurope’s bilingual (and even multi–lingual) crew comes from throughout Europe. Staff members speak English fluently, so there was never a problem communicating on our Douro River cruise. We found the delightful European ambiance and rich cultural immersion opportunities to be some of our favorite aspects of our CroisiEurope river cruise experience.

7. Superb Staff. CroisiEurope’s dedicated employees strive to deliver the best possible guest experience in their locations around the world. Each ship’s caring staff and crew works together to create a relaxing, family–style environment on board, helping guests to quickly feel right at home. Because CroisiEurope’s ships are more intimate, service on board becomes more personalized as well. CroisiEurope’s knowledgeable staff quickly gets to know guests by name and caters to their needs. Service comes from the heart on these ships, making the experience unique and memorable for every member of the family.

For more information on CroisiEurope cruises and their Family Club cruise departures, visit their website at croisieuroperivercruises.com.