Everything a River Cruise Director Knows

A word from the author

I spent 22 seasons as a river cruise director.

Most of what I learned isn't secret. It's sitting in the fine print on each cruise line's website and in the booking contract hardly anyone reads. The trouble is that it's scattered, it's different on every line, and nobody puts it side by side for you.

So I did. This book takes the questions first-timers ask, and the ones they wish they'd asked, and answers them from the lines' own pages and from official government sources. Every fact has its source listed in the back.

I won't tell you which line to buy. I don't know your budget, your knees, or how you feel about a 7 a.m. walking tour. I'll give you what you need to choose well yourself, and I'll say it plainly.

Douglas Merriweather

The honest math

A $27 book next to the costs people miss

None of these are hidden. They're on the lines' own websites. They just aren't on the page with the big fare, which is where people compare.

Suggested tips for two, 7 nights, on a line where tips are extraAmaWaterways' published suggestion: €125 crew + €30 Cruise Manager per guest€310

A drinks package both guests must buy, 7 daysViking Silver Spirits at $27 per day, as shown; "both guests in a stateroom must purchase"$378

Changing your mind 100 days before sailingViking terms: 20% of the Cruise Tour Fare at 119 to 90 days out20%

This book, which lays all of it out before you pay a deposit$27

Figures as shown on each line's official pages on September 30, 2026. Lines change them. The book tells you exactly where to check.

A taste of the fine print

Are tips already in your fare?

It depends entirely on the line. Here is one of the book's comparison tables.

Line	Tips included?	What the line's own page says
Viking	No	"Gratuities on board and on land are not included in your Cruise Tour Fare."
AmaWaterways	No	Publishes suggested amounts per guest per 7-night cruise.
Avalon	No	Tips "are not included in the trip price… and are discretionary."
Uniworld	On board, in Europe	Included for ship staff and crew; tips for land-tour drivers and directors are voluntary.
Emerald	Yes	"All gratuities included" (U.S. offers page).
Scenic	Yes	Included "both on board and onshore" (Scenic's Australian site).
Tauck	Yes	Included for ship staff, local guides, drivers and Tauck Directors.

As shown September 30, 2026. The book does the same for drinks, Wi-Fi, excursions, transfers, cabins, deposits, luggage, outlets, dress codes, age rules and mobility policies.

What's inside

21 chapters and 7 printable tools, in five parts

Part One

Deciding

What you're really buying
Choosing your river: 8 routes compared
Choosing your season
What's really included, line by line
The tipping question
Choosing a cabin: four kinds of window
Traveling solo
If walking is hard
Bringing family: age rules

Part Two

Booking

Deposits, final payment and cancellation
The real cost of a river cruise
12 questions to ask before you pay the deposit
Insurance: the facts to know

Part Three

Getting ready

Passports and the new EES and ETIAS rules
Money on board and ashore
Packing: bags, plugs and dress codes
Water levels: what lines do when rivers drop

Part Four

On the river

Your first day, in order
Daily life aboard: locks, low bridges, Wi-Fi
Going ashore
The last night and going home

Part Five

The toolkit

Line comparison at a glance
Before-you-book question list
Real cost worksheet
Countdown timeline
Packing checklist
First-day card
Check-with-your-line card

The launch offer

Get the whole book today

$27~~$47~~ launch price

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The launch price ends Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific. After that it's $47.

76-page PDF, instant download
Read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or print it
7 printable tools: worksheets, checklists, question lists
Every fact sourced, most from official pages, with the date checked
One payment. No subscription.

Get my copy now

30-day money-back guarantee. If the book isn't useful to you, write within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

Questions

Before you buy

Is this a printed book?

No. It's a PDF you download right after you pay. You can read it on a phone, tablet or computer, or print it at home. The worksheets and checklists are made to be printed.

I'm not very good with computers. Will I manage?

After you pay, you'll get an email with a download button. Tap it and the book opens. Keep that email; it's your way back to the download.

Is this a subscription?

No. You pay once and the book is yours.

Isn't all this free online?

Most of it is, scattered across seven cruise lines' websites, contracts and FAQ pages, plus government sites, and all worded differently. The book gathers it, puts the lines side by side, and tells you where each fact came from so you can check it.

Which cruise lines does it cover?

Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Uniworld, Emerald Cruises, Scenic and Tauck, on European rivers. It's independent: no cruise line sponsored or approved it.

Will it tell me which line is best?

No. It shows you how they differ, in their own words, so you can choose the one that fits you.

What if prices or rules change?

They will. Every figure is dated to when it was checked (September 30, 2026), and each chapter ends with a "Check with your line" list so you confirm what matters for your own sailing.

I've already booked. Is it still useful?

Yes. Parts Three and Four cover passports and the new border rules, money, packing, water levels, your first day, life aboard and going ashore.

Is this legal, financial or insurance advice?

No. It's a planning guide. Where it mentions insurance or health coverage, it repeats only what a U.S. government page says, so you know what to ask a licensed professional.

Everything a river cruise director knows, written down at last.