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Five facts you didn’t know about river cruises

Shapeshifting ships and more – here are five things you need to know about river cruises.

Double-docking, collapsing top decks, wheelhouse hydraulics and more – how much do you know about what goes on behind the scenes of a TUI River Cruises sailing? We’ve put this list of five fun facts together to help you get a better understanding of how a typical TUI River Cruise works and what you can expect when you cast off with us. It’s time to get technical…


When you spot something you’d like to see for yourself, head over to our TUI River Cruises homepage to book your sailing.

1. Sometimes our ships have to double-dock

Feel like you’ve accidently walked on to the wrong ship? Maybe you have - but it’s nothing to worry about. It simply means we’ve double-docked. In some ports, we might need to berth next to another ship, due to space. So, to get on and off our ship, you might have to walk across the top deck of the ship we’re berthed next to, or even through it. Just make sure you keep going until you’re back on your ship.
Couple boarding TUI River Cruise

2. Where we dock can sometimes feel like a roll of the dice

As you can imagine, during the high seasons Europe’s waterways can get pretty lively, with ships of all shapes and sizes carrying sightseers to the region’s must-see spots. With all this activity, securing berthing spaces is a bit more random than what you’d experience with a traditional ocean cruise. On the high seas, there’s typically one port authority that manages everything at each destination, but with a river cruise there can be several operating at the same time. They each have their own ways of working, too – some might designate berthing spots well in advance, while others might take care of it a few weeks before you’re set to arrive. All this means is where you dock can change from day to day. So, don’t be surprised if you end up parked next to another ship, dropping anchor on the outskirts of town, or turn up to your own vacant berth – all of these are commonplace on river cruises.
he Captain standing in front of the ship

3. Our cruises take on a lot of locks

Europe’s waterways are home to lots of locks that are used for raising and lowering ships between stretches of different-level water – so you might sail through a few of these during your sailing. In fact, there are 16 locks on the Rhine-Main-Danube canal. Each one is 190 metres long, 12 metres wide and up to 30 metres deep.
Bingen am Rhein and Rhine river, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

4. We have to adapt to the tide's timetable

Since ocean cruises take advantage of deep-water harbours, they very rarely have to worry about low and high tides. River cruises do have to take that into account. For the most part, we plan our itineraries accordingly so they don’t affect your sailing. However, sometimes the tides are unavoidable, and might prevent us from being able to dock in the port we’re scheduled to visit. If that does happen, we’ve got it covered. We’ll drop the anchor where we can and will arrange transportation for you to reach your scheduled port another way.
Guests exploring down cobbled path

5. Our ships are shapeshifters

To get under low bridges, the top deck of our ships can collapse all the way down to deck level. The wheelhouse – where the captain sits to sail the ship – is on hydraulics, which can lower the whole lot down to allow the captain to continue steering the ship. During this time, the top deck is out of use, for safety reasons. But don’t worry, you can still make the most of the riverside panoramas from inside the ship or from the terrace in Observatory, one of the onboard bars.
TUI Maya Reception

Looking to find out more about our river cruises?


For inspiration, check out the best river cruises in Europe. Or, read our review of a Rhine River cruise.


Pssst. Head to the Discover homepage for our latest articles.

 

Author: Rachel Tysoe-Bailey and Ben Staff


Last updated: 25.09.2023

Holiday Type

Destination

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