river cruise difference

[Chica1581]

I am planning on doing the Rhine River cruise for December 2025. I checked the ABD price and compared it with the pricing directly with the river cruise line and there is a significant price difference. It seems like they both include excursions, so I was wonder what is the difference, or benefit, of booking with ABD?

 

[sayhello]

With ABD, the main difference is the services of the Adventure Guides. They are magnificent, and really a cut above. You will also get the services of local guides on the excursions. The included excursions are generally more family oriented and have more active options than what you'd normally get through AmaWaterways, as well as some that might be all day and include lunch (I don't know this for sure with the Rhine cruise, as I've only done the Danube, which did include multiple excursions and lunch for some days). If you're traveling with kids, the Adventure Guides will normally run a separate dinner with the kids (but it's optional). All tips are included with ABD (both on the ship and off the ship (if you are on an ABD excursion).

Sayhello

 

[jimmymc]

The two big differences are in the excursions and adventure guides. ABD will usually go on longer, more expensive excursions that sometimes include unique meals. And the guides will be there as your single point of contact for both ship and excursion issues or requests.

 

[Eastridge]

The cruise you are planning is not an adults only trip, so it likely will have kids and families and a much younger overall composition of guests than an AmaWaterways trip. I took an ABD Rhine cruise that occurred in the summer. The next cruise was an AmaWaterways trip and I saw some of the new passengers for the next trip. The difference was stark.

Ama appears to allow children, but their website emphasizes that they make no special accommodations for kids. Whereas the ABD cruises have the guides to help with the kids, and excursions that appeal to them.

 

[Mathmagicland]

You might want to also check out the excursions offered by each. I picked up a 2025 AMA brochure at a travel show. Looking at one of their Rhine itineraries that most closely matches Disney’s, look at the number of excursions offered each day. Disney offers a lot more excursion options, and sometimes repeats one in both morning and afternoons so you would not miss a more popular option. Disney also offers some not offered by AMA, as noted by @jimmymc . Maybe that is due to the age difference noted by @Eastridge

Along with all of the differences noted above by others, also look at pricing & what is included when. If you are a single traveler, the Disney single supplement is 40%; AMA is either 50% or 100% depending on cabin category. AMA only includes transfers to ship if you get a land and cruise package through them, and airport transfers only if you get air through AMA. The AMA land packages are several days and sometimes in different cities or countries. With Disney, you can book single prenights and still get the benefit of their arrival airport transfers. Disney offers departure airport transfers to all.

 

[ljhayes]

We are booked on an ABD adult only Rhine cruise in October 2025, but we spent a while going back and forth about whether to use ABD or book direct with Ama. I ended up making a spreadsheet comparing the excursions as that and the ABD guides were the biggest differing factors for us. ABD had more excursions (sometimes two in a day vs one) and better ones (although there were a few with Ama direct that I would've preferred). I forget exactly what our price difference was but I think it was around $1000pp. Keeping in mind tipping and transfers, it would actually be slightly less. Also, as mentioned above, Ama direct typically has a much older clientele. We're not spring chickens, but we're still quite active. As said, in the end we decided to go with ABD, but I'm sure you would still have a great trip direct with Ama (in fact we had Disney friends who went direct with Ama who were trying to steer us that direction).

 

[calypso726]

We did the first ABD river cruise to the Danube and it was amazing. We did have additional excursions that were not available to AmaWaterways non ABD cruises. I have spoken with people who have experienced both ways as well. I was toying with booking one at some point down the line. Port charges and gratuities are not included on the non ABD cruises and some excursions have an extra charge. All in all, after having learned this, I am more inclined to book with ABD for a similar river cruise.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

If you're booking the cruise to visit the Christmas markets then the excursions may not be of interest to you. I did the ABD Rhine cruise with dd and ds and would probably book it over AMA direct because I really enjoyed the excursions (zip lining in the black forest followed by black forest cake was very cool!). My ds really loved the visit to the BMW (or was it Mercedes?) museum and still talks about it. Not sure if that's something that AMA would offer -- I remember that he was gone from early morning to around dinner time and since they were late coming back the Adventure Guides gave everyone on the excursion a little car from the museum.

 

[Donalyn]

The car museum excursions haven’t been in the ABD Rhine itinerary for a number of years. That is unfortunate, but the day in Heidelberg was nice nonetheless.

I think that some of the stops/ports are also different - AMA v ABD. At least with the summer cruises.