In the world of river cruising, mini-cruises aren’t widely available. I don’t really understand why. Unless there’s a technical issue which makes them impractical, a mini cruise seems like a fantastic way to escape for a couple of days. It would also let you give this whole market a try. I don’t get the reasoning behind there being so few options.

Mini cruises generally last for five nights or less, and are ideal for a number of different situations. It could be you’ve never tried a river cruise before, and you want to sample it before committing to something longer. It might be that you only have a few days available to you and don’t have the time for a week’s cruise. Perhaps you simply want to give a new destination a go.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some shorter cruises available. However these are not across every major river cruise line, and often they are focused around a particular destination. The tulip gardens of the Netherlands and Belgium are popular, or an event maybe, such as the Christmas markets on the Rhine. And these are great, offering an exciting way to experience a river cruise holiday without the cost or time of an 8- or 9-night cruise.

Mini cruises potential

Yet the potential for more destinations and themes surely could be exploited for mini cruises. I know they’d be something that cruise travellers would be interested in. Maybe you’d like to see Normandy and Paris on the Seine, but aren’t particularly bothered for the full-length return journey? Or a one-way sailing from Vienna to Budapest? It wouldn’t last long but you can enjoy time in both stunning cities. Mini cruises are the ideal solution.

I get that it is quicker and convenient to maybe visit these destinations with flights or trains in between, but that misses the point completely. You would be essentially saying that the river cruise element is irrelevant, and of course that’s not the case. The river cruise itself is the most relaxing part of your whole holiday – with fine dining, comfortable rooms and plenty of features to keep you entertained.

River cruising is still, in some ways, finding its feet. As a type of holiday it’s existed for some time. But it’s a growing market and as such there will be new, innovative ideas. I really wouldn’t be surprised if mini cruises become a much bigger part of the industry in the coming years.

By Ian Lewis
Google