THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO RIVER CRUISING

Welcome to River Boat Ratings, the internet's leading site for those who are seriously considering sailing on one of the world's great waterways. It is good to have you here and we'd like to begin by making a few promises to you:

We will never talk down to you or insult your intelligence. This is a site for adults who do not need advertising hype, phony "user reviews" or PR double-speak.

This is the only river cruise review site that does not accept paid advertising from the companies we are reviewing. We do not accept promotional fees from any river boat company. You will never see an ad of any kind on riverboatratings.com

We use only the industry's most respected professional sources for information. Unknown "users" will never be quoted. The bulk of our material is sourced from leading industry reports and from the most respected travel journalists. Our evaluations are never based on popularity polls or self-appointed “critics”.

WHY TRUST US?

Actually, we're not sure you should "trust" anyone you meet on the internet. We urge you to check our background and credentials. Make certain you feel comfortable entrusting some of the best moments of your life to our consultants. Here are a few things about us we hope will be of interest:

We have been named "The World's Top River Boat Specialists" by the Editors of Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Ours is the only firm in the nation to achieve this recognition, regarded as the equivalent of a restaurant receiving three Michelin stars. In fact, it is statistically harder to make the Conde Nast "World's Best Travel Specialists" list than it is to gain admission to Harvard University. We have also been named the “Nation’s Top European River Boat Specialists” by Wendy Perrin, the country’s most authoritative consumer travel voice.

Our Managing Editor, Richard Bruce Turen, is the Senior Contributing Editor at Travel Weekly, the most respected travel industry publication in the nation. He writes a regular column on industry affairs.

Our firm, Churchill & Turen Ltd., has been named "World's Best Small Luxury Cruise Specialists" by Conde Nast Traveler for the past eleven years. Collectively, our firm has won more "World's Best" accolades than any other travel firm in the United States.

We have been named one of the nation's Top Ten Personal Vacation Planners by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

We have been featured in articles in the New York Times, USA Today, Consumer Reports, and The Wall Street Journal. Our staff has appeared on CNN, ABC, and NBC News and on National Public Radio.

Members of our staff have lived in Europe, traveled her waterways, and worked for Europe's leading cruise lines and small ship operators.

We are celebrating our 30^th year in business. We are proud members of the $21.3 billion Virtuoso Network, the top producing agency group for the world's leading River Boat companies.

In 2015 and, again in 2017, we were named the Top Producing Consultants in the entire worldwide Virtuoso Group.

Look around our site. Do you notice anything unusual?

We do not accept advertising or payment from any river boat company reviewed on our site.

We are a not-for-profit, ad-free, consumer-oriented site and we will never try to sell you or hype you. Every river boat product is different. They are not all excellent.

We assume that visitors to our site are intelligent consumers and that you will know what to do if you are in agreement with our approach, find our knowledge of river boating of value, and wish to work with us on a zero-cost basis. We charge no fees of any kind in conjunction with the booking of river cruises. If you book with a river cruise company directly, you will still be charged our fee, as it is built into every fare.

THE 2025 RIVERBOAT ANNUAL AWARDS

The Best Riverboat Experiences in Europe in Specific Categories

Rankings By Churchill & Turen Ltd.- Named The Top Riverboat Travel Specialists in the Nation Seven Times By Conde Nast Traveler

Professionally Evaluated By Leading Riverboat Advisors and Journalists, Ad-Free – Hype Free – Free-Trip Free

SIMPLY PUT – THE WORLD’S CURRENT BEST AT SEA ON EUROPE’S RIVERS OVERALL

# 1 – Scenic Riverboats
# 2 – Tauck Riverboats

THE LINE WITH THE BEST CUISINE ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

# 1 – Scenic Riverboats
# 2 – AMA Waterways

THE RIVERBOAT LINE WITH THE BEST OVERALL SHORE EXCURSIONS

# 1 – Tauck
# 2 – AMA Waterways

THE MOST ELEGANT LINE – THE MOST CLASSIC OF THE RIVERBOATS

# 1 – Uniworld
# 2 – Amadeus

THE BEST TOP SUITES ON A RIVERBOAT IN EUROPE

# 1 – Scenic
# 2 – Riverside

THE RIVERBOATS WITH THE BEST VIEW FROM YOUR BED IN A DELUXE STATEROOM

# 1 – Avalon
# 2 – Scenic

THE FRIENDLIEST CREWS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

# 1 – AMA Waterways
# 2 – Scenic

THE BEST CHOICE OF ITINERARIES ON EUROPE’S WATERWAYS

# 1 – Viking
# 2 – AMA Waterways

THE BEST ONBOARD LECTURE PROGRAMS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

# 1 – Viking
# 2 – AMA Waterways

THE BEST OVERALL BOAT DESIGN AND CREW/PASSENGER SPACE RATIOS

# 1 – Riverside Cruises
# 2 – Scenic Cruises

THE BEST PRE AND POST RIVER CRUISE HOTEL AND LAND PROGRAMS

# 1 – Tauck
# 2 – AMA Waterways

THE BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE FOR ACTIVE TRAVELERS WHO ENJOY HIKING AND BIKING

# 1 – AMA Waterways
# 2 – Avalon Rivercruises

MOST RESPONSIVE RIVER CRUISE LINE IN EUROPE WHEN THERE ARE LOW AND HIGH-WATER LEVEL ISSUES

# 1 – Tauck
# 2 – AMA Waterways

A PEEK AT OUR CREDENTIALS

Our firm has been in business for thirty-nine years. We have specialized in European Riverboat vacations since they began.
We have been named the top-producing advisers in the $34 billion Virtuoso Worldwide Group four times.
Our Managing Editor is the Senior Contributing Editor at the industry’s most respected publication.
The Editors of Conde Nast Traveler have named us the Nation’s Top Riverboat Specialists nine times.
Our inspections are always done undercover. Our Inspectors pay full fare. We do not accept advertising or promotional funding nor do we accept free trips in conjunction with our “Not-For-Profit” Traveltruth Consumer Media Sites.

Is Bigger Better on Europe’s Rivers?

Which River takes you past the most vineyards?

Which River Boat Line offers the best Walking Tours?

Which line lets you cruise during the day for maximum river views?

How do you become Europe’s Top-Rated River Cruise Line in six months?

THE LATEST RIVER BOAT RATINGS

THE 2025 RIVERBOAT ANNUAL AWARDS

The Best Riverboat Experiences in Europe in Specific Categories

SIMPLY PUT – THE WORLD’S CURRENT BEST AT SEA ON EUROPE’S RIVERS OVERALL

THE LINE WITH THE BEST CUISINE ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE RIVERBOAT LINE WITH THE BEST OVERALL SHORE EXCURSIONS

THE MOST ELEGANT LINE – THE MOST CLASSIC OF THE RIVERBOATS

THE BEST TOP SUITES ON A RIVERBOAT IN EUROPE

THE RIVERBOATS WITH THE BEST VIEW FROM YOUR BED IN A DELUXE STATEROOM

THE FRIENDLIEST CREWS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE BEST CHOICE OF ITINERARIES ON EUROPE’S WATERWAYS

THE BEST ONBOARD LECTURE PROGRAMS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE BEST OVERALL BOAT DESIGN AND CREW/PASSENGER SPACE RATIOS

THE BEST PRE AND POST RIVER CRUISE HOTEL AND LAND PROGRAMS

THE BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE FOR ACTIVE TRAVELERS WHO ENJOY HIKING AND BIKING

MOST RESPONSIVE RIVER CRUISE LINE IN EUROPE WHEN THERE ARE LOW AND HIGH-WATER LEVEL ISSUES

A PEEK AT OUR CREDENTIALS

Our firm has been in business for thirty-nine years. We have specialized in European Riverboat vacations since they began.

We have been named the top-producing advisers in the $34 billion Virtuoso Worldwide Group four times.

Our Managing Editor is the Senior Contributing Editor at the industry’s most respected publication.

The Editors of Conde Nast Traveler have named us the Nation’s Top Riverboat Specialists nine times.

Our inspections are always done undercover. Our Inspectors pay full fare. We do not accept advertising or promotional funding nor do we accept free trips in conjunction with our “Not-For-Profit” Traveltruth Consumer Media Sites.

TRAVELTRUTH MEDIA GROUP
A SUBSIDIARY OF CHURCHILL & TUREN LTD.
MEDIA INQUIRIES 630-717-7777
CONSUMER INQUIRIES 800-445-7979
rturen@travelweekly.com

THE 2025 RIVERBOAT ANNUAL AWARDS

The Best Riverboat Experiences in Europe in Specific Categories

SIMPLY PUT – THE WORLD’S CURRENT BEST AT SEA ON EUROPE’S RIVERS OVERALL

THE LINE WITH THE BEST CUISINE ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE RIVERBOAT LINE WITH THE BEST OVERALL SHORE EXCURSIONS

THE MOST ELEGANT LINE – THE MOST CLASSIC OF THE RIVERBOATS

THE BEST TOP SUITES ON A RIVERBOAT IN EUROPE

THE RIVERBOATS WITH THE BEST VIEW FROM YOUR BED IN A DELUXE STATEROOM

THE FRIENDLIEST CREWS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE BEST CHOICE OF ITINERARIES ON EUROPE’S WATERWAYS

THE BEST ONBOARD LECTURE PROGRAMS ON EUROPE’S RIVERS

THE BEST OVERALL BOAT DESIGN AND CREW/PASSENGER SPACE RATIOS

THE BEST PRE AND POST RIVER CRUISE HOTEL AND LAND PROGRAMS

THE BEST RIVER CRUISE LINE FOR ACTIVE TRAVELERS WHO ENJOY HIKING AND BIKING

MOST RESPONSIVE RIVER CRUISE LINE IN EUROPE WHEN THERE ARE LOW AND HIGH-WATER LEVEL ISSUES

A PEEK AT OUR CREDENTIALS

Our firm has been in business for thirty-nine years. We have specialized in European Riverboat vacations since they began.

We have been named the top-producing advisers in the $34 billion Virtuoso Worldwide Group four times.

Our Managing Editor is the Senior Contributing Editor at the industry’s most respected publication.

The Editors of Conde Nast Traveler have named us the Nation’s Top Riverboat Specialists nine times.

Our inspections are always done undercover. Our Inspectors pay full fare. We do not accept advertising or promotional funding nor do we accept free trips in conjunction with our “Not-For-Profit” Traveltruth Consumer Media Sites.

TRAVELTRUTH MEDIA GROUP A SUBSIDIARY OF CHURCHILL & TUREN LTD. MEDIA INQUIRIES 630-717-7777 CONSUMER INQUIRIES 800-445-7979 rturen@travelweekly.com

TRAVELTRUTH MEDIA GROUP
A SUBSIDIARY OF CHURCHILL & TUREN LTD.
MEDIA INQUIRIES 630-717-7777
CONSUMER INQUIRIES 800-445-7979
rturen@travelweekly.com