Are river cruises just for older travelers? The answer might surprise you

River cruising is one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry. In a little over a decade, a river cruise has gone from being a niche experience to a mainstream one, with voyages offered on rivers like Europe's Danube, the Mississippi in the U.S. and Southeast Asia's Mekong.

But river cruising has a stereotype it just can't seem to shake: The average demographic veers toward retirees.

In many ways, this isn't surprising. River cruises tend to be longer than their oceangoing counterparts, and some come with extensive precruise and postcruise stays in major cities. It's not uncommon, with flights and hotels, for a weeklong river cruise to balloon to 12 or more days.

Spending more days cruising also means spending more money, which limits the average age of travelers who could potentially get into the river cruise market.

But that's not to say that river cruises are strictly for older, retired travelers. Here are our favorite exceptions to the rule.

Bring the kids — we're not kidding

Most river cruises are decidedly adult experiences, but several companies actually offer kid-friendly river cruises designed specifically for multigenerational families looking to cruise together.

Adventures by Disney, Tauck and Uniworld all offer special multigenerational cruises during the summer and winter holiday months. These range from explorations of the Rhine in summer to voyages down the Danube in winter, just in time for the festive Christmas markets that typically run between Nov. 25 and Dec. 24 each year.

Adventures by Disney is particularly noteworthy, thanks to its partnership with AmaWaterways. Rather than being a true Disney cruise (Adventures by Disney is a separate company altogether), the focus here is on relevant family activities both off and on the ship.

The same can be said of Tauck's Bridges program, which offers select family-friendly voyages throughout the year. This program applies to the line's river and small-ship voyages, too, making it easy to take the little ones on an unforgettable experience.

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Uniworld's Generations program operates in a similar fashion, allowing kids as young as 4 to set sail. Uniworld typically includes youth and activity programs on these sailings, with dedicated family hosts on board to cater to junior cruisers (4 to 12) and teen cruisers (ages 13 to 17).

Active river cruises are all the rage

River cruises that attract young (and young-at-heart) travelers often have designated "active" components.

Avalon Waterways is a leader in this area. Its "Active and Discovery" river cruises combine more active, physically demanding shore excursions, such as hikes, cycling tours or even more "out there" adventures like archery classes and cave explorations.

And while you can still kick back and relax at your own pace, these active river cruises offer the ability to do more while ashore in the company of like-minded individuals. It might not take the average age of your fellow guests down any, but those seeking a bit more adventure as opposed to the standard "Panoramic City Tour" (that's code for a motorcoach tour) will find plenty to love about these active river voyages.

Try a themed river cruise

If you're looking to sail with younger passengers, themed river cruises are usually a safe bet. Many river cruise lines offer special themed cruises, but AmaWaterways is particularly noteworthy in this arena. The line offers special cruises that focus on wine appreciation, beer, music and wellness; golf-focused voyages; and even journeys curated in conjunction with the Smithsonian.

AmaWaterways is also doing a superb job of appealing to a less-traditional cruise passenger, with immensely popular "Soulful Journeys" river cruises that cater to Black history and heritage on the waterways of Europe. These fantastic voyages skew younger, and they often attract solo travelers, couples and even multigenerational families eager to experience the often-hidden Black history and culture that's present along Europe's most famed waterways.

Set out on an adventure

Another way to roll back the average age on your next river journey is to pick a remote destination. As a rule of thumb, river cruises that are harder to reach draw slightly younger guests who are active enough to keep up with the rigorous pacing, multiple flights and complex overland journeys necessary to reach these special destinations.

Rivers like the Ganges in India, the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam, and the Amazon in Brazil, Peru and Colombia are all excellent examples of off-the-beaten-path river cruise adventures. Due to the large amounts of travel involved with the itineraries, they are likely to skew a bit younger on the age scale.

Sail with a less expensive line

If you're looking to sail with a younger river cruise crowd, choosing a less expensive line is sometimes a good way to roll the median age down — though, let's be honest, your fellow passengers are still likely going to be well traveled and older than 55.

Some leaders in terms of value for money are Emerald Waterways and French river cruising juggernaut CroisiEurope. The former caters to North American, Australian and U.K. passengers by offering familiar comforts and nearly all the inclusions of other river cruise lines; the latter is a bare-bones offering that is decidedly French but welcoming to English-speaking guests as well. Think of Emerald Waterways as a Courtyard by Marriott, and CroisiEurope as an Ibis Styles.

Less expensive lines also appeal to first-time cruisers looking to dip their collective toes into the waterways of Europe. But that doesn't mean they offer a lesser product: The standard of service, cuisine and accommodations on board are still superior to what most land-based hotels would offer, especially at this price point in Europe.

And because these lines don't concentrate as much on "luxury" offerings, they are priced at such a point that many 40-somethings can afford to splash out on a European river cruise.

Bottom line

River cruising in Europe tends to skew toward an older crowd. Longer voyages and higher price points than many ocean cruises mean the folks traveling on these voyages are often retirees looking to explore the world in comfort.

But don't let that put you off. River cruising is an amazing experience that offers the ability to visit some of the world's most historic places with like-minded people, regardless of age. You never know what new friends you'll make on your next river cruise, so go in with a sense of adventure, and remember: Age is just a number.