River cruises are expensive, it is a fact of life. When Tui moved into the river cruise market in 2021 it opened up river cruising to a new group of travellers who may not have previously afforded them.
I have cruised with TUI on the river twice. This post is based on my experiences with them.
Who Are Tui River Cruises
Tui River Cruises are the river cruise division of Marella cruises, a British ocean cruise line.
Marella and Tui River Cruises are owned by the parent company, Tui Group.
You can check out Tui itineraries on the link below, I recommend opening this tab in a new page so you can have a look after reading this post if it sounds like something that would suit you.
Tui are the world’s number one travel group. They have expanded into river cruising in recent years, making these traditionally expensive holidays more affordable for many.
Marella and Tui River Cruises parent company is TUI UK and Ireland and TUI Group. Tui Group are the largest travel and leisure company in the world.
Tui launched its first river ships, TUI Isla, TUI Maya, and TUI Skyla, in 2021. It recently announced a brand-new River Nile cruise set to commence in Winter 2024 on TUI Al Horeya.
The exciting expansion means that the river cruise line will add a fully refurbished five-star ship, to be named TUI Al Horeya, which means ‘freedom’, to operate seven-night, all-inclusive round-trip sailings from Luxor. TUI Al Horeya can accommodate 145 passengers and offers 74 cabins including singles, standard cabins and suites.
Tui River Cruises
They will be launching their first new, purpose-built 123-passenger ship that will begin sailings from Porto in Spring 2025, offering cruises along the Douro River.
I took a Tui River cruise with my family. It was the season’s first cruise, and despite a few teething issues, we had a wonderful time. Find out about that river cruise here:
All Tui River Ships are adult-only and provide a relaxing but unforgettable experience
Why Are River Cruises Traditionally Expensive?
River cruises often appear expensive because they include much more compared to land-based holidays or mainstream ocean cruises.
Fewer passengers will be onboard, but lots of staff are needed, meaning companies can not make the same “economies of scale” as larger ocean-going ships. Food and drinks can not be ordered in the same vast quantities, which make huge cost savings for the ocean cruise lines.
River cruises include food and drinks, and many also include excursions as standard. They are a luxurious way to travel, and the price reflects this.
There is a lot of variety within the river cruise industry regarding what is included in the fare.
River Cruise Lines Have High Crew Costs Due to High Standards of Service
River cruise ships typically only have around 100-150 passengers.
The same crew members may have multiple jobs on a river cruise. They are kept very busy!
The waiters in the main bar may also work as waiters in the dining rooms during dinner. This is one of the reasons why you really do get to know the crew on board, you see them all day every day!
River Cruise Lines Have High Food Costs Because The Food Quality Is High
On almost all river cruises you’ll find that all food onboard is included.
There are some exceptions to this, of course, some budget lines have additional cost options, but generally speaking, river cruise lines include all food.
Traditional River Cruises Don’t Charge for Basic Excursions
On many river cruises you’ll find that at least some excursions are included.
This isn’t the case on Tui river cruises. Excursions are chargeable, but the advantage of river cruises is that the ships usually dock centrally in the towns and cities they visit. It is usually fine to get off and explore by yourself.
When I took my first river cruise, Tui gave us all a certain amount of free credit to use on excursions. This was perfect. In some ports, we took an organised excursion or walking tour, while in others, we did our own thing. We had the best of both worlds.
On River Cruises Drinks Are Usually Included With Meals
Almost all river cruise lines do include some drinks with the cruise fare.
What Drinks Are Included on Tui River Cruises?
The most common option for included drinks is that beer, wine, and soft drinks will be included with meals.
This means that the free drinks are available in the main dining room when meals are being served and also in the main lounge at the same time. On Tui River Cruises, they refer to this as “Full board”.
Because of this, you will probably spend very little extra on drinks when you are on a river cruise. Dinner can often last a long time, and with the drinks flowing, guests are rarely in a rush to leave the dining room.
Top Tip: Make sure that you have a full glass before you leave the main dining room. You can take it with you to your cabin or into the lounge to continue your evening.
Tui often offers two fare options when you book a river cruise:
- Full board – all meals are included, along with drinks at meal times.
- All-inclusive – all meals and drinks are included, as are the drinks in the bars onboard.
I usually choose the cheaper full-board option when I cruise. Tea and coffee are always free of charge, and I don’t drink much alcohol anyway.
Why Is A Tui River Cruise A Budget Option?
Tui river cruises are a more budget option. They make savings by:
- Not including excursions
- Excursions are available but at an extra cost.
- Only Including drinks with meals.
- This is known as the full board option, and it is included as standard.
- You can pay extra to upgrade to “All-inclusive”
- Small portions at meal times
- Although the food is of good quality, I found the portions to be small.
- If you have a large appetite, you might find yourself hungry!
- Less onboard facilities
- Many river ships do have swimming pools, either on the top or inside the ship but TUI river ships don’t have any.
- Swimming pools take up a lot of space and need a lot of upkeep, so as a budget river cruise, they wouldn’t want to spend this additional money.
River Sailings Available
Tui River Cruise ships have itineraries sailing on many rivers:
- Danube
- Rhine
- Maine
- Moselle
- Belgium and Dutch Waterways
- Nile
- Douro – starting in 2025
Tui River cruises includes all flights, transfers and gratuities within their cruise fares.
How Much Does It Cost to Go On a Tui River Cruise
Obviously, prices vary depending on the length of the cruise, and the time of year. Fares include all flights, transfers and gratuities as standard.
Seven-night river cruises along the Danube for 2025 start at around £1200 for a sailing in March.
This is at the start of the river cruise season, and prices climb to around £2000 per person for a seven-night sailing in June along the Rhine.
These are starting prices, remember. If you want to upgrade your cabin from a standard cabin on the lowest deck to a suite on a higher deck with a Juliet balcony, the price will be hundreds of pounds more.
All cabins on the Tui River Cruises I have taken have been very comfortable. The standard cabin on the lower deck had slightly more engine noise and noise when you went through locks, etc., but I enjoyed the view from the portholes. You could see ducks swimming by right at your eye level!
Tui is very good at offering discount codes, and it is always worth using these if possible.
When I took a Christmas markets cruise, there was a discount code you could use when booking suites. This made the suite price similar to a standard balcony cabin.
That river cruise didn’t go according to plan, the water levels were very high, and we had many changes to the planned itinerary.
We really enjoyed the whole “Christmas Market” experience though, and would love to take another Christmas sailing.
Watch the video below to find out all about our experiences:
Shorter and Longer Itineraries are Available
If you are new to river cruising, you could try a cheaper, more affordable short cruise to see whether it suits you.
Three night cruises visiting Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia and Budapest in Hungary, start at around £800 per person. This is for a summer 2024 sailing.
At the other end of the scale, fifteen-night cruises exploring Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary start at £3600 per person.
Before You Go.
I like to get any discounts available when I book a cruise. Find out more about using codes when you book your holiday here:
Save Money When Booking Your Cruise – Using Discount Codes, Cashback Sites and More…
Find out whether it is best to use a travel agent or book directly with the cruise line here:
Free Insiders Cruise Line Guide
Ever wondered how the mainstream cruise lines compare? Cruise lines won’t tell you this, but I will.
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Whenever I take a cruise I order a print of my trip. It uses the real satellite data from the cruise and is always a great conversation starter!
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