Earlier this year, Travel + Leisure called river cruising the “smartest way to vacation in 2024” and Good Housekeeping UK recognized it as a “luxury, adult alternative to backpacking.”
In fact, today's river cruising landscape is dramatically different than it was five, 10, or even 20 years ago. New routes are emerging with state-of-the-art vessels, the segment is expanding to new locations, and a whole new group of travelers are packing up their bags and heading to the river.
This surge in interest has also allowed travel advisors to excel in this area. In fact, the allure of earning a “comma commission” drew about 1,300 attendees to the American Association of Travel Advisors (ASTA)’s 3rd Annual River Cruise Expo. The event brought together his 12 ships from his nine river cruise companies in Amsterdam earlier this year (the 2025 event will be held in Vienna and is currently sold out).
Here's what travel advisors need to know about this evolving segment.
Credit: 2024 ASTA
New and updated ships on the river
Several ships are expected to settle on the waterway in the coming years. In 2025, AmaWaterways plans to launch two vessels (AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia) on Colombia's Magdalena River, and AmaLilia will debut on the Nile this year. Meanwhile, Amasintra is scheduled to set sail on Portugal's Douro River in 2025, joining Avalon Waterways' new Avalon Alegria and Riviera River Cruises' Porto Mirante, which were christened in late March.
Related: Review: Avalon Alegria on the Douro River in Portugal
Other new ships include Amadeus River Cruises' Amadeus Nova, which is equipped with a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises SS Elizabeth (2025) and SS Emily (2026). This year also saw the debut of the SS Victoria. and Riverside Debussy from newcomer Riverside Luxury Cruises, which launched during last year's ASTA expo. In addition to new ships on the Mekong and Nile, Viking plans to add 10 new longships in 2025 and 2026, while Riviera plans to launch the Riviera Radiance and Riviera Rose next year.
And while they may not be releasing a new ship, sister brands Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Emerald Cruises aren't resting on their laurels. 18 of the 22 existing vessels are being updated.
RELATED: Exclusive: Viking Chairman and CEO Thorstein Hagen talks about Viking's IPO completion
Credit: 2024 Avalon Waterways
Extending your itinerary and moving to off-season travel
Rising airfares to Europe are encouraging travelers to book longer cruises or skip the shoulder season to make the most of their vacation, according to several river cruise executives at ASTA's River Cruise Expo. He has also switched to traveling. AmaWaterways aims to ease the burden of high costs with his AirPlus program, which packages airfare with cruise fares for a flat fee (applies to all European sailings). We also offer free pre- or post-cruise land packages until June 2024 (combinable with AirPlus).
“One of the things we keep hearing is the uncertainty around air and air costs,” said Alex Pinelo, senior vice president of sales at AmaWaterways. “And it's hard to plan and budget. Therefore, we continue to listen and take action, so our answer to that is his Airplus promotion.
Pinero said he is also interested in combination cruises.
“We are introducing longer voyages [with] Do more 14-day cruises,” he said. “We also have consecutive cruises, or ‘combination cruises,’ where we offer a 10% discount. ”
Avalon Waterways, a member of the Globes family of brands, sees similar trends in its annual Wish List Survey, which asks past guests how they want to travel, where they want to go and who they want to go with. Did.
Avalon President Pam Hoffey said the company will use this data to inform choices about future itineraries and destinations.
For 2024 and 2025, Avalon will add more itineraries in France and Portugal, starting with the inaugural voyage of the Avalon Alegria, built exclusively for the Douro River. Next year will see the addition of her two new rivers in France (the Garonne and the Dordogne, for a total of five rivers) and six new cruises, increasing her carrying capacity by 33%.
Extended itineraries will also be introduced. His new week-long Bordeaux cruise can be combined with other cruises on the Seine, Saone, Rhône and Rhine.
A series of nine-night cruises on the Danube and Rhine rivers (including an itinerary in the Netherlands/Belgium) are also planned, with a further increase in capacity for 14-night cruises from Amsterdam and Budapest in 2025.
Riviera River Cruises is also focusing on longer departures, with new itineraries of up to 29 days planned for 2025.
Credit: 2024 Riviera River Cruise
Appeal to families, solo travelers and new cruisers
According to Avalon's research, most travelers prefer to travel as a couple, but there is also demand in the solo traveler market (which allows Avalon to offer a single add-on to some staterooms on almost all voyages. fee is waived).
Riviera River Cruises is also noticing this trend, offering “more than 40 cruises at no additional charge,” according to Marilyn Conroy, Riviera River Cruises' vice president of sales and marketing for North America. This is a market she calls “the second fastest growing segment after families.”
“People are saying they want to take their next trip on their own,” Avalon's Hoffey said, referring to the wishlist survey. “But it doesn't necessarily mean they're single…in some cases, they're people who were previously booked as a couple.”
On the family travel front, AmaWaterways continues its partnership with Adventures by Disney to attract more multigenerational groups, while Tauck will feature exclusive Bridges itineraries on five different rivers throughout the summer are doing.
“The great thing about river cruising with your family is that no matter which river you're on, you not only enjoy the relaxing nature of the boat, but you also get to see amazing places outside the boat,” said Vice President Steve Spivak. President of Global Sales and Reservations for Tauck. “So how can we make the Louvre more fun for kids? Turn it into a treasure hunt. How do we tell the story?” [Vincent] Van Gogh's Last Days in Arles? You painted Van Gogh's masterpiece in chocolate. ”
The great thing about river cruising with the family, no matter which river you choose to go on, is that you not only get to enjoy the relaxing nature onboard, but you also get to see some amazing places off-board.
River cruises are for retirees, Riverside Luxury Cruises CEO Jennifer Halbos said at the ASTA River Cruise Expo, saying there are opportunities for customers new to the river. He said he wanted to break down that misconception.
Who will she target instead? It's easy. This is because many travelers are interested in rivers.
at home front
Earlier this year, the domestic river cruise company American Queen Voyage closed its doors. But that's not to say river rafting in the United States is lackluster. During this year's surf season, American Cruise Line reported record sales across its small ships and riverboats sailing U.S. waterways and coastal itineraries. Viking Mississippi has also released several new itineraries, including the Mississippi Delta Explorer, Upper Mississippi Explorer, Mississippi River Odyssey, and Big His Easy to the Gateway Cities.
