Anyone ever tried a river cruise?

I’ve done several. I loved the Budapest to Amsterdam one, that was particularly good. Another good one was up the Mekong from Vietnam to Cambodia. Once we went through the three gorges dam in China and that was fascinating but I wouldn’t go anywhere near China now. We went with Scenic Tours, APT, and Wendy Wu and all were good. Definitely get a room with an outside balcony ( most have ).

I'd suggest you have a look at the Saga sea cruises. My Dad did a couple as a single person in his late 80s.
They have single cabins. He was collected from and returned to home by taxi, all luggage was handled for him.
He sailed from Tilbury Docks one time on a round Britain itinerary.

Thank you for that link, JackyB, which was most informative.

youtu.be/KUS3LOU5ZqQ

I have never been on any kind of cruise but I imagine that the excursions from river cruises would also involve a lot of walking. Particularly along the Rhine and the Danube you would be visiting all those little medieval towns with narrow, hilly cobbled streets. Awkward enough for able-bodied people, to a great extent impossible with a wheelchair, and very tiring.

Maybe a coach tour would be more suitable as the coach would drop you off in the town centre, distances would be shorter.

There is a YouTube chappie with a channel called 'Tips for Travellers ' who explains exactly what to expect. I will post a link when I've found the video about it.

I have done Nile River Cruises many times. Not what you have in mind I suspect but mobility is extremely important.

I am a big river cruise fan and have been on several Saga cruises, including the Rhine and Danube. In April I went on their Dutch bulb field cruise which was wonderful. They pick you up from home and deliver you back and you never have to carry your own case. I’ve done some of their Solo river cruises also and made lots of friends.

I went on a Saga River cruise on the Elbe some 15 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a stair lift between decks (used by one of the tour guides who was waiting for a hip replacement op). But I would suggest contacting the company and discussing your requirements with them.

And yes, cruises are expensive.

Good luck! I hope you find something that suits

We did. Rhine cruise with Viking, nice enough but not cheap, there were around 150 - 200 passengers so little queueing some excursions included some extra. Viking is a US company and passengers reflect that.

My point, made earlier, was that with double docking it's sometimes necessary to climb up there to cross over the other ship or ships then back down again. I enjoy river cruising too but this thread was about whether it's a good idea for those with mobility problems.

Aveline

What about the narrow outside stairs to the top deck? Doable but only at snails pace. The Viking literature says not suitable for those with mobility problems.
Seriously, sea cruises are ideal. There are lifts and even surfaces throughout. Special cabins are available and they are less expensive than river cruises as they are bigger. Not necessarily huge though. There are a number of VG smaller cruise companies.

I'm quite mobile. Rarely, in 8 VRC, have I been on that top windy deck in the sun. The upper deck is surely not a necessity to my enjoyment.

To each her own.

What about the narrow outside stairs to the top deck? Doable but only at snails pace. The Viking literature says not suitable for those with mobility problems.
Seriously, sea cruises are ideal. There are lifts and even surfaces throughout. Special cabins are available and they are less expensive than river cruises as they are bigger. Not necessarily huge though. There are a number of VG smaller cruise companies.

Norah

We love Viking River Cruises. Lovely views, very informal, no dressy nights. Luggage is carried for the traveler.

However there may be too many steps for you to leave at each stop, many people stay up in the bar areas and look out to the gorgeous river, scenery, and views - have coffees and biscuits.

I'm one who walks 8-10 miles a day as we have an energetic dog.

I've had to stay in a few days on a cruise, with a twisted ankle.

Nothing wrong with a good book, coffee and biscuits after a big breakfast! Well, maybe bad for every day diets.

Additionally, many stops are accessible for people with a stick, the gangplanks have sturdy rails, as they must for any person to be safe.

We love Viking River Cruises. Lovely views, very informal, no dressy nights. Luggage is carried for the traveler.

However there may be too many steps for you to leave at each stop, many people stay up in the bar areas and look out to the gorgeous river, scenery, and views - have coffees and biscuits.

I'm one who walks 8-10 miles a day as we have an energetic dog.

I've had to stay in a few days on a cruise, with a twisted ankle.

Nothing wrong with a good book, coffee and biscuits after a big breakfast! Well, maybe bad for every day diets.

I echo what others have said. You need need enough mobility to negotiate steps, gangplanks etc.on a river cruise. Luggage is moved for you and it is possible to get a cabin on the same level as the dining room, but you'd miss out on a lot that is included in the price.
Sea cruises would be more suitable. You could sail from a UK port thus no flying involved. Saga offer a door to door service. There are lifts and ramps provided and you don't pay for excursions unless you want to go on them.

River cruises are very good. However, the ones I've been on (with Viking and also with Avalon) specifically state that they are not suitable for those with mobility problems. This is because there are steps up and down the various levels and also because there is frequent double docking requiring a degree of climbing steeper narrower steps and walking across uneven deck levels.
I'm not meaning to be off putting as I've had mobility problems myself. On a Douro cruise were was a couple with obvious mobility issues who struggled with the stairs up to the upper level leading to very long queues for everyone else. I'd like to say the rest of us were fine with that but, sadly, I cant! The people involved weren't in the least apologetic but the cruise director spent a lot of time apologising to us about the long delays they led to in starting excursions etc (They couldnt manage the bus steps and had to be carried on.)
Sea cruises would be much easier for you Luckygirl.

Why not look at a cruise organised through a coach company Luckygirl3. We went on a Leger holiday a few years ago, and I was talking to a disabled lady who was on her own, who was going on a Danube cruise. Included in the cost of her holiday she was picked up from home, and didn’t have to handle her baggage at all, the taxi driver moved it onto the coach for her. It took a lot of the strain out of the trip. I think Riviera and Shearings would do similar - you pay a bit more for the door to door service, but it’s worth it I think.

Cruises are expensive that’s for sure and you would need to check about how many stairs etc
I’ve enjoyed st Petersburg to Moscow also Danube cruises but if you don’t want fly maybe a Scandinavian leaving from Uk

Luggage would be carried on board for you