Your Budget. Your River Cruise.
Tell us what you want to spend — we find the river cruise that fits, and explain exactly what you get.
Name Your Budget — Get Options FreeMost river cruise websites start with a ship and a price, and leave you to work out whether you can afford it. We do it the other way round. You tell us what you want to spend, roughly when you can travel, which river (or “surprise me”) and what kind of cabin you would be happy with. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise then come back with real river cruises that fit — and explain what you get, and what you give up, at that number.
River cruising has a reputation for being expensive, and some of it is. But the range is far wider than most people expect. The same week on the Danube can be booked on a relaxed, pay-as-you-go ship, on a mid-range line with wine at dinner and a tour in every port, or on an all-inclusive boutique ship where even the tips are covered. The cabin, the month you sail, the length of the trip and the river itself all move the total too. A budget is not a limit — it is the most useful piece of information you can give a cruise advisor.
Why Start With the Budget?
Because it saves you from two common mistakes. The first is falling in love with a brochure ship and then discovering the fare, flights and extras add up to far more than you planned. The second is assuming river cruising is out of reach, when a different month, a lower deck or a shorter itinerary would have put a lovely trip well within budget.
When the number comes first, every option we send is one you can actually book. You compare like with like, you see clearly what an extra step up would buy you, and you never have to sit through a sales pitch for something you cannot afford.
What We Need From You
Your budget
Per person or for the whole party, and whether it should include flights, hotel nights before or after, and spending money. A range is fine.
Your dates
A month or season is enough. If you are flexible by a few weeks either way, say so — flexibility is one of the biggest money-savers in river cruising.
Your river
Danube, Rhine, Douro, Seine, Mississippi or anywhere else — or tell us what you want to see (castles, vineyards, Christmas markets) and let us suggest the river.
Your cabin
Window cabin, French balcony, full balcony or suite. If you only need somewhere comfortable to sleep, a lower-deck cabin can free up a lot of budget.
Add anything else that matters: a solo traveler, a milestone birthday, mobility needs, a preference for smaller ships, or a line you have sailed before. Then use the form — it takes a couple of minutes.
What You Get Back
- A short list of river cruises that fit your number — not a hundred search results.
- A plain-English note on what each fare includes: drinks, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, gratuities, airport transfers.
- The trade-offs at your budget: a lower cabin on a nicer line, or a higher cabin on a simpler one; a shoulder-season date versus peak summer.
- Any current promotions that apply, and whether combining them makes a better line affordable.
- A real person to talk to. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise handle the booking, payments and changes for you.
Four Things That Move a River Cruise Price
Cabin category
On most river ships the lowest deck has fixed windows near the waterline; upper decks add French or full balconies, and suites are a big step up.
How cabins affect price →Line style
All-inclusive lines fold drinks, tips and tours into the fare. Value-focused lines keep the base fare lower and let you pay for extras.
What’s in the fare →
Season and river
Peak summer and Christmas market dates book up first. Early spring and late autumn sailings on the same river often cost noticeably less.
Ways to stretch your budget →Who This Is For
First-time river cruisers who want to know what a sensible budget looks like. Couples comparing a river cruise with a land tour of Europe. Families and friends planning a group trip who need everyone’s share to work. Experienced cruisers who know what they like and want the best version of it for a set amount. And anyone who has looked at river cruise brochures, felt overwhelmed by the choice, and would simply like someone to say: “at your budget, these are the three best choices — here is why.”
Quick Answers
Do I have to give an exact budget?
No. A range works fine — “around this much per person, including flights” or “no more than this for the two of us”. The more honest the number, the better the options we can send back.
Is there a charge for the options?
No. Asking costs nothing and there is no obligation. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise are paid by the cruise lines when you book, the same way a traditional travel agency works.
Will you only show me the cheapest cruise?
No. We show you the best fit for the money — sometimes that is the lowest fare, and sometimes it is a more inclusive line that costs less once drinks, tips and tours are counted.
Which rivers can you quote?
All of the main ones: the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main, Seine, Rhône, Douro and Dutch and Belgian waterways in Europe, plus U.S. rivers such as the Mississippi, Columbia and Snake, and farther-flung rivers like the Nile and Mekong.
Name Your Budget — We’ll Do the Searching
Tell us what you want to spend, when you can go and the river you have in mind. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will send river cruise options that fit — free and with no obligation.
Name Your Budget — Get Options FreeYour Price River Cruises is part of the Smart Traveler network, led by Mister Cruise. He has sold travel since 1972 and worked full-time in the industry since 1977. He has sold or originated more than $500 million in cruises and has trained more than 500 travel agents.
Share your budget and our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise shop it personally — across the river lines, promotions and sailing dates — and book everything for you. Meet Mister Cruise →