Prepping for Our First European River Cruise
We’re officially counting down the days until we embark on our very first European river cruise—and the excitement is real!
This trip has been on our travel wish list for a while, and we’re finally making it happen. We’ll be sailing with AmaWaterways on their beautiful Rivers & Castles itinerary, winding through fairytale towns, castle-dotted hillsides, and some of Europe’s most charming regions.
As first-time river cruisers, we’ve been doing a mix of planning, packing, and getting travel-ready—and we thought we’d share what that looks like for us. Whether you’re thinking about your own first cruise or you’re just curious about the process, here’s what’s on our radar.
✔️ Pre-Trip Must-Dos
Even though river cruising is known for being seamless and low-stress, there’s still some prep work before you step onboard:
- Passports: We made sure ours are valid for at least six months beyond our return date—a key detail for international travel.
- Travel docs in order: We’ve printed cruise confirmations, flights, and hotel reservations and saved them digitally too. Better safe than scrambling.
- App downloads: AmaWaterways has a handy app with our itinerary, daily excursions, and even local guides for stops along the way. We've also downloaded the app for Norse Airlines to keep track of any flight changes and Omio to keep track of all our train travel pre- and post-cruise.
- Notifying banks: We’ve let our credit card companies know about our travel dates so we don’t run into issues using them abroad.
🧳 What We’re Packing for Our First River Cruise
Packing for a river cruise feels different from a traditional land trip or big-ship cruise. With less formalwear and more walking, here’s what we’re focusing on:
- Comfortable walking shoes: We’re expecting lots of sightseeing on cobblestone streets, so good shoes are a must.
- Layer-friendly outfits: European summer weather can change quickly, so we’re bringing light layers, a rain jacket, and a compact umbrella.
- Dinner-ready outfits: While river cruises are generally casual, we’re packing a few elevated outfits for onboard dinners.
- Day bag & water bottles: Essential for excursions and exploring ports.
- Adapters for Europe: Just in case we need them at hotels or during time onshore.
📸 Tech & Travel Extras
Being our first time, we’re bringing a few thoughtful extras to make the experience smoother and more memorable:
- Travel insurance: A no-brainer for peace of mind. We have an annual policy due to the amount of travel we do, but we wouldn't dream of traveling without and always encourage clients to get the coverage because you never know.
- Portable phone charger and power bank: For all those photos and navigation apps during excursions.
- Our DJI camera: We can’t wait to improve our video skills and capture smooth, high-quality video to share with you—from castles to quiet riverside villages.
- Travel journal: To jot down places we loved, meals we enjoyed, and stories from the journey.
- Sunscreen & bug spray: Easy to forget, but we’re glad to have them.
🛳 What We’re Most Looking Forward To
Everything! Since this is our first river cruise, there’s a lot we’re excited to experience:
- Stepping off the ship and right into charming towns and villages.
- Watching the scenery drift by from the lounge or our stateroom.
- Enjoying locally inspired cuisine onboard.
- Wine tastings, castle tours, and getting a true feel for the heart of Europe.
It’s the perfect blend of comfort, culture, and discovery—and we can’t wait to share more once we’re onboard.
If you’ve ever thought about trying a river cruise, this is your sign! We’re learning a lot as we go and would love to help guide you through the planning process—especially now that we’ll have firsthand experience to share.
Let the journey begin!
