Cruise Frog guide
The best river cruise lines
The best river cruise line, on Cruise Frog's editorial ratings, is AmaWaterways, at 4.1 out of 5. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises (4.0) and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours (3.9) follow. 10 rated lines are classed river, ranked by the fleet's overall score.
Ranking updated
River: riverboats through towns and cities, a port most days.
| # | Line | Style | Overall | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AmaWaterways30 rated ships | River | 4.1 | Couples, History and culture, Food lovers |
| 2 | Uniworld Boutique River Cruises17 rated ships | River | 4.0 | Couples, History and culture, Food lovers |
| 3 | Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours16 rated ships | River | 3.9 | Couples, History and culture, Food lovers |
| 4 | Riviera Travel13 rated ships | River | 3.8 | Couples, Solo travelers, History and culture |
| 5 | Viking River Cruises86 rated ships | River | 3.8 | Couples, History and culture, Adults only |
| 6 | Avalon Waterways19 rated ships | River | 3.7 | Couples, History and culture, Adventure seekers |
| 7 | Emerald Cruises13 rated ships | River | 3.7 | Couples, Value seekers, Adventure seekers |
| 8 | Tauck10 rated ships | River | 3.7 | History and culture, Couples, Solo travelers |
| 9 | American Cruise Lines24 rated ships | River | 3.6 | Couples, History and culture, Solo travelers |
| 10 | A-ROSA River Cruises15 rated ships | River | 3.5 | Couples, Families, Multigenerational groups |
Ranked by the fleet's overall score. Fleet scores average Cruise Frog's editorial ratings of each line's ships in service, 1 to 5; they are not reader reviews. How we rate.
Head to head
Quick answers
What is the best river cruise line?
The best river cruise line, on Cruise Frog's editorial ratings, is AmaWaterways, at 4.1 out of 5.
Which river cruise lines rate highest?
The top three are 1. AmaWaterways (4.1), 2. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises (4.0) and 3. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours (3.9), scored out of 5 on the fleet's overall score.
Which river cruise line is the best value?
Riviera Travel has the best value score of the lines on this list, 5.0 out of 5: what you get for the fare, extras included.
How does Cruise Frog rank cruise lines?
Each ship in service is scored 1 to 5 by Cruise Frog's editors on cabins, dining, entertainment, service, pools and decks, and value. A line's fleet rating is the average over its rated ships. This list ranks the lines classed river by the fleet's overall score. The scores are editorial, not averages of reader reviews.
More rankings
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- Best cruise lines for food lovers
- Best cruise lines for history and culture
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