Nicko Tours

Princesse de Provence

ABOVE: The Princesse de Provence is cruising on the Danube in 2013. INSET BELOW: We can personally recommend the Casanova, which now cruises in Germany.

Casanova river cruise ship Nicko Tours is a long-established German cruise operator with more than two dozen ships in Western and Eastern Europe, China, and Africa. In 2009, when Peter Deilmann exited the river-cruising business, Nicko Tours acquired many of its highly-regarded ships.

Although announcements, programs, etc. are available in both German and English, the official onboard language is German, so you won't get full value from your cruise unless you're comfortable with Deutsch. (Exception: Nicko will provide English-speaking guides for groups of 25 or more Anglophone passengers.)