Gate 1 Travel
After years of privately chartering ships to sail on the world’s rivers, ubiquitous vacation packager Gate 1 Travel has gone a big step further — building and owning its own ship. The Monarch Empress debuted in 2016 when it joined its three chartered sister ships — the Monarch Queen, the Monarch Princess, and the Monarch Baroness — in the company’s fleet. Now, with these four ships sailing in Europe and plans to add a fifth in 2019, Gate 1 Travel is making a strong case for affordable, unpretentious river cruising. The company also sails a number of chartered ships in Asia.
What We Love
It’s Affordable: Coming in at about two-thirds the cost of its major competitors, Gate 1 Travel’s river cruises — which take you to all the same ports and offer similar tours — are a bargain. In fact, air-inclusive prices with Gate 1 Travel tend to cost less than just the cruise on other lines.