![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/p1450007-640x360.jpg\")
Our Backroads\/AmaWaterways group.<\/p><\/div>\n
Touring<\/h2>\n
Tour packages can come in many shapes and sizes. Some companies, like Backroads, offer river cruises, expanding the breadth of their offerings. But did you know that they don\u2019t typically own their ships? Instead, they lease out blocks of staterooms\u2014and sometimes the entire ship\u2014for their tour package. So if you\u2019re choosing a cruise vacation based upon the ship, you may very well discover that you\u2019re comparing one and the same vessel. Not to say that the experiences don\u2019t warrant separate branding; the itineraries are greatly influenced by a tour company\u2019s unique style and approach. It\u2019s just that some operators call attention to their elite partnerships, such as Adventures By Disney does with AmaWaterways, while others let the mode of transportation play more of a cameo to the limelight.<\/p>\n
Does knowing this matter? Not really. I just thought I\u2019d explain how these partnerships work for those observant travel shoppers who want to know how a \u201ctouring\u201d experience might differ from a cruise purchased directly from the affiliate cruise line. Armed with the understanding of how it works, you can decide if it\u2019s worth the value proposition.<\/p>\n
After recognizing a striking resemblance between a tour company and a river cruise itinerary, travelers are often perplexed by differences in price. Often, it can be chalked up to room categories, with a tour company offering a higher level than the base rates advertised by a cruise line, as well as some additional perks, dedicated excursion guides, and things of that nature. Other times, it\u2019s because the tour company is offering something quite specialized.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/20160811-P1430743-640x360.jpg\")
My son Alex on a Backroads river cruise. \u00a9 2016 Ralph Grizzle<\/p><\/div>\n
For instance, I like being active. Ten years ago, river cruising would not have been for me as an active traveler, but today river cruises offer bikes and hikes, with varying degrees of difficulty, from gentle hikes through towns to rigorous hikes up mountains, from easy bike rides along the river to epic rides that take the whole day to complete. So there are certainly plenty of ways to increase your heart rate while taking in sights when traveling with river cruise lines. But for die-hard bike lovers like me, there are some added perks when taking a cruise with Backroads, heralded for adventure travel across the globe. From sag wagons carting calorie-rich snacks and energy drinks to the bike-enthusiast guides, tricked-out bikes, and personalized jerseys, the details ratchet up your river-cruise-bike adventure a gear or two.<\/p>\n