Sail and Sightsee On a River Cruise in Retirement
Biking, hiking and fishing expeditions when you get off the boat. Yoga and cardio classes on deck. Shopping at local food markets. Mingling with artists at galleries. Experiences like these are what's new aboard today's riverboat cruises.
Riverboats that sail in the U.S. and abroad, and dock in major cities and small towns, are one of the biggest growth markets in the travel industry. Most passengers are 50 and older, and they are often seasoned travelers, who value cultural interactions and learning about history and art over lavish entertainment and casino nights.
A case in point: Susie Seiler, 65, and her husband, Mitchell Yonkler, 66, of Ossining, N.Y., took their first river cruise in the South of France in the summer of 2017, after landing a last-minute deal. "The educational content, the lectures about the French Resistance or the Roman ruins we were going to see, given by knowledgeable historians onboard,
