There’s two types of first-time river-cruisers out there: Those that have been on an ocean cruise before and those that are new to cruising altogether. The former group will have a certain set of expectations, as will the latter group – albeit (probably) different ones.
For those that have never been on a cruise of any kind before, booking a river cruise is a good first step – well done! You have at least got past the stigma attached to cruising that is often a barrier to entry for many (I won’t go into them here but we’re talking about the usual arguments against cruising: ‘stuck on a ship’, ‘organised fun, ‘nothing to do’ and several others). A river cruise is a good place to begin cruising because it’s less remote. You aren’t on a ship stuck in the middle of the ocean, it doesn’t seem like a stereotypical cruise at all, in fact. There’s a reason to sit out on deck other than to sunbathe – you are travelling past (hopefully) amazing scenery; there’s pictures to take, “ooh’s” and “ah’s” to utter, and pointing at stuff to be done.
How Does A River Cruise Differ From An Ocean Cruise?
Apart from the obvious, river cruises have a distinctly different feel to them to an ocean cruise. Due to the size of the ports they must enter, and the waterways themselves, river cruise ships are considerably smaller (usually 90-240 passengers) than their ocean-going counterparts (by comparison, ocean cruise ships can hold around 3000 passengers or more). River cruise ships tend to be long, rather than high,  to ensure they can fit under Europe’s old bridges (see Viking Cruise Ships here for an idea of their size) This gives a level of intimacy on a river cruise that cannot be matched. Think of the difference between a massive luxury hotel compared to a boutique hotel – it’s still luxury, but the boutique hotel is more personal and homely.
This was touched on in the second paragraph, but should be mentioned again – there’s a continually changing view on a river cruise. When you cruise in the ocean, yes the land changes from time to time, but it can look a bit same-y – it’s not a trip for hardcore sightseeing. On a river cruise, you are seeing new sights up close, changing continually. You might go from huge mountains, to quaint villages, to a medieval town in a single morning.
Because of the smaller size of the vessels, river cruising does tend to offer less on-ship activities compare to ocean cruising. There won’t be an ice rink, water slides or rock climbing walls, for example. However, there will still be live entertainment in the evenings; food tastings of local delicacies; various demonstrations and learning classes like shoe carving, cooking or glassblowing. You will also get saunas, spas and gyms to work off the food and drink from the onboard bars and restaurants.
You can see that river cruising can be considered a more ‘serious’ cruise, appealing to a different demographic. However, for the more adventurous traveller, river cruising can offer a better onshore experience than an ocean cruise – more frequent stops mean you can generally explore a country more. Further to this, since you are already ‘in’ the country (rather than at a port on the coast) you are much closer to more places to visit when you do stop.
What If I’m New To Cruising Altogether?
If a river cruise is to be your first ever cruise, then your expectations should not be that of a stereotypical ocean cruiser. You won’t have to dress for dinner (usually ships are ‘resort casual’ unless specified), you can get as involved with as many activities as you like, and you’ll get regular stops to explore the country at your own pace.
If you go into your holiday with no expectations (that is not to say ‘low expectations’ – expect to enjoy it, just don’t have preconceived ideas of what it will be like) you will have a lot of fun on a river cruise. Yes, it’s a relaxed, slow pace of life. No, it’s not like an ocean cruise.
