One of the advantages of a river cruise is that you are always close to land, which is fine for the squeamish. because you can enjoy all the advantages of sailing "up close" and another advantage that I find is that they are smaller than sea cruise ships, which makes them more accessible and, I would say, human.
A river cruise is a good way to see landscapes, be away from the road and enjoy what is called slow-travel. But do not think that these trips through the inland waters are boring or outdated, for nothing, in all of them they prepare excursions, and there are destinations as remote and amazing as a descent through the Amazon, Nile, Rhine, Seine, Volga, Mississippi, Yangtse, and many more ... then I'll tell you a little more.
In general, in addition to the guided tours that these river cruises usually prepare for you, they have a lot of activities organized for the late night, with the good thing, that being almost always very close to the city center, especially in Europe, these include shows, theaters and traditional dinners.
As in any cruise if you decide to stay on the ship and enjoy "solitude" while everyone goes on shore excursions there are organized activities, the most common are yoga or tai-chi, games and books available to passengers, craft workshops, lunches and themed dinners with recipes and clothing for each place visited.
If I have to recommend a river cruise, leaving a bit of the traditional circuits of central Europe I really like the route between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, or vice versa, following the course of the Volga, Svir and Nev rivers, canals and the largest European lakes, Onega and Ladoga.
And completely changing the chip, traveling by boat is a perfect way to discover the Amazon, leaving from Iquitos. The itinerary begins with an expedition to Quebrada de Tamishiyacu, and it will be the first encounter with the fauna and flora of this ecosystem. you dare?