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River cruise entertainment and activities
Day or night, there’s heaps to do onboard our ships. So, when you’re not exploring our destinations and making the most of our shore experiences, there’s still plenty to get your teeth into. And we’ve given our entertainment and activities offering on our European river cruises a massive revamp for 2024, so there’s now more choice and flexibility than ever.
You’ve got your pick of all sorts of daytime activities. In the creative category, your sailing features the likes of arts and crafts classes, while there are loads of wellness-themed activities, too, like our brand-new Walk a Mile fitness classes and Motown Moves sessions. Or why not hire an e-bike for either half a day or a full day and pedal your way around the port? If games are more your thing, there’s our old favourite, minigolf, plus new activities like giant Connect Four and giant Jenga. Also brand-new for 2024 are our destination-focused activities, which scratch beneath the surface of the places you visit. These include things like mobile photography workshops, documentaries and a landmark locator app, so you know exactly where to head for the local must-sees. And of course, if you’d rather just kick back and take it easy onboard, you can enjoy our daytime movies, too.
Our evening entertainment programme’s jam-packed as well – most of it takes place in the main bar. Our vocal production shows are new for 2024, where our entertainment team perform a whole variety of musical numbers from West End hits to rock-and-roll anthems. Local guest acts will be on the bill, too, while interactive quizzes and silent discos are on the cards, not to mention another favourite of ours – stargazing.
And the best thing about our entertainment and activities? They’re all included as standard in your TUI River Cruise, with the exception of the e-bikes.
Just so you know, not all of the entertainment and activities mentioned on this page will be included on every river cruise itinerary.
Daytime activities
Our daytime activities range from creative classes and top-deck games to wellness sessions.
Wellness activities
We’ve got a whole load of new wellbeing activities for 2024, including ‘Motown Moves’, where you can get the blood pumping to some soulful classics, and ‘Walk a Mile’, where you’ll be given a pedometer to track your distance as you walk around the top deck and soak up the views. Plus, there’s our Wellness Centre onboard TUI Isla, TUI May and TUI Skyla, which includes a sauna and a whirlpool.
Games on the top deck
Minigolf, shuffleboard and quoits – where you throw a ring onto a stick – all take place on the top deck of your ship. You can play by yourself or take part in a tournament. Then there’s our new-for-2024 activities, like giant chess and virtual reality golf.
Culture, crafts and talks
Craft classes and language lessons are some of our creative masterclasses onboard. We also have daily talks that cover everything from destination information to local traditions in some of our ports. And, new for 2024, we’ve added the likes of documentaries on the areas you’re visiting and mobile photography workshops, so you can up your picture-taking game while you’re away.
Night-time entertainment
Quizzes, live music, and even silent discos feature on our night-time entertainment programme.
Guest acts and special events
Our guest acts are local to the destination we’re in, so as well as top talent, you can expect a small insight into the surrounding area. Dancers, singers, and guest speakers are all on the cards, while other special events include stargazing and film screenings on the top deck.
Live music and discos
Our evening entertainment’s been given a bit of a makeover for 2024, and there’s a variety of live music on the cards from our entertainment team. Theatre land showcases some of the biggest hits from the West End, Il Classico is a mix of timeless melodies from the past and modern hits with a unique twist, while Stadium Rockers is a high-energy playlist of iconic anthems from some of the biggest rock-and-roll bands of all time. We also host silent discos where you can choose your own music through wireless headphones.
Game shows and quizzes
Our game shows and quizzes are fully interactive and use the latest technology. You can use our digital handsets to test your knowledge on everything from history to geography.
Entertainment host Q&A
We caught up with our entertainment host to get the lowdown on our entertainment programme…
Tell us a bit about how the entertainment and activities programme is planned for TUI River Cruise sailings.
We try and create a good balance throughout the sailing, building up from relaxing wellness classes each morning to up-tempo entertainment by night. During the day, we’ll also have guest speakers or a cookery demonstration from our head chef.
What’s new for 2024?
Where do I start? In the daytime, we’ve got loads of new activities, like the Motown Moves fitness class and virtual reality golf. And come evening, there’s our exciting new vocal production shows, where the entertainment team will perform West End hits, rock-and-roll anthems and pop classics.
What are you most excited about for 2024?
It has to be our new destination-focused activities. Some of the feedback we’ve had from customers was that they wanted to discover more about the places we visit when they’re onboard, so our new activities and entertainment reflect that. There are things like dance classes, a landmark locator app, and we have more local guest acts onboard, although I should point out that the specific entertainment and activities can vary between itineraries.
What’s the most popular activity with our cruise guests?
Our interactive quiz – Quizstorm – is always a hit. Everyone’s given an interactive handset to answer general knowledge questions, ranging from TV sitcoms and geography through to 80s pop music. It’s based on the fastest finger first, which always brings out the competitive side in people.
How can our guests make the most of the entertainment and activity programme?
Make sure to check out our onboard app, Navigate. In the Cruise News section, you’ll find the daily timetable for the week – it includes all activities and entertainment, including our guest acts and speakers.
What are your favourite activities to host for day and night-time, and why?
The silent discos are great – everyone always comments on how much fun they are. And our top deck daytime yoga’s really special, thanks to the beautiful river scenery you can enjoy throughout the sessions. I’m really looking forward to all our new activities, too, especially the new night-time shows.
FAQs
Should I bring swimwear?
Our Wellness Area includes a whirlpool bath, so you’ll need swimwear if you want to take a dip.
Do I need to book the Wellness Area?
The wellness area is open for everyone to use. However, if you would like to book the area for private use, we have several slots available which can be booked onboard via reception for a small fee.
Do I need to book wellness classes?
There’s no need to book, simply turn up to the session.
What entertainment and activities are onboard the River Nile cruises?
There’s a very similar line-up on our Nile cruises, although some of the specific activities and entertainment may differ slightly from our European cruises. Live music, local guest acts and activities on the top deck all come as standard, and familiar favourites like our silent disco and interactive quizzes are on the cards, too. They also have a couple of extras that you won’t find on our European river cruises – a shallow pool on the top deck and a certified Egyptologist onboard.
Are bikes available to hire onboard?
Yes, we have four bikes onboard our European ships that you can hire for either a half-day or a full day, depending on how long you’re in port for.
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