Posted Tuesday, April 14, 2015 9:35 AM | Contributed by Jeff
Disney tonight will announce it's partnering with river line AmaWaterways to offer family-focused river cruises on the Danube starting in 2016. The seven-night trips between Budapest, Hungary and Vilshofen, Germany will take place on a new AmaWaterways vessel that is being custom built for the family market.
Read more from USA Today.
We've been looking into river cruises, without the boy. Viking has some really compelling itineraries all over Europe. I'm surprised though that Disney is looking at this in a partner fashion. My understanding is that they did this with the big cruise lines before starting their own, unhappy with the resulting quality of the experience.
Our local NBC affiliate's 11 am news just went with this: "Coming up next, how Disney is re-inventing the cruise industry! Stay tuned!"
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
-- Groucho Marx
There is pretty much always hyperbole in news media. But I have always understood river cruising to be for the older crowd. So looking towards families would be a big change.
Of course, of course. It just made me laugh.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
-- Groucho Marx
Jeff - the Viking cruises are great, I'd recommend. Also, there is an option with them to do a two night stop over in London, if that appeals.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
It's hard to narrow down from the existing itineraries, though we're probably not seriously considering it for another year or two.
I think you can credit Disney with reinventing the big cruise business. Before they set sail, it was very much a Vegas-at-sea affair.
That's part of what made me laugh. Disney did, arguably, re-invent the big cruise industry. A partnership with an existing river cruise business, not so much a re-invention.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
-- Groucho Marx
I cruised before Disney supposedly reinvented the big cruise business and not all cruises were "Vegas at sea" affairs. I think its as much hyperbole to say Disney reinvented the big cruise industry as it is to say they are reinventing river cruising. And I think its more likely that the "reinventing river cruising" line was originated with Disney marketing folks than a local NBC affiliate.
This wasn't the first time a local news show breathlessly regurgitating press releases as news has made me laugh.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
-- Groucho Marx
You must be logged in to post
