Last week, AmaWaterways announced its order book of eight new river ships for Europe, due for delivery by 2030, while APT has recently confirmed new slots for newbuilds.
Then last month, Uniworld revealed plans to become a “power brand” in the future, as it increases its ship capacity by 30% over the next five years, backed by deep investment into its marketing, technology and systems.
It’s no surprise that demand for river cruising has gone up in recent years, spurring a flurry of innovation and new opportunities in the sector. According to CLIA’s State of the Industry report from this year, agents have experienced a 20% growth in demand for river cruising from their clients.
Often described as “floating hotels”, river cruises offer guests the ability to enter local communities inaccessible by giant ocean vessels, immersing themselves in different cultures through unique shore excursions.
It is also an effortless way to explore Europe in particular, pointed out APT Travel Group CEO David Cox, where guests unpack once and explore a new destination each day.
“The demographic is also broadening. At APT Travel Group, we’ve seen strong uptake from both our flagship brand APT, which caters to those seeking fully inclusive luxury experiences, and Travelmarvel, which offers premium travel with excellent value and flexibility,” he told travelBulletin.
“That growth naturally attracts new entrants to the market.”
There is now a much more diverse range of operators in river cruising, each with their own character and style to suit the varied tastes of travellers, observed Joel Katz, Managing Director in Australasia, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
“The levels of investment we’re seeing in river cruising – in both the new ships coming online and the new entrants to the market – are a sign of the wider confidence in this area of cruising. It all means greater choice for the traveller and more opportunities for travel advisors,” he said.
Jumping from the ocean into the river
This year has seen several brands enter the river cruising market, like Celebrity and Trafalgar, capitalising on their loyal customer bases and offering them new experiences.
“We’re expecting to get a lot of Celebrity customers and we think there will be some from the wider Royal Caribbean Group, because we’ve got reciprocal loyalty schemes, so we’ll be talking to their customers about it as well,” Giles Hawke, VP International, Celebrity Cruises, told travelBulletin at Cruise360.
The line plans to launch 10 ships between 2027 and 2029, with Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker confirmed to debut on the Rhine and Danube.
“Celebrity River Cruises’ ships will be the most innovative on the river, with a patent-pending industry-leading design that offers more space to vacation while bringing guests even closer to destinations,” declared President Laura Hodges Bethge.
Hawke revealed that over 50% of the business’ international customers either want to book a river cruise or have already been on one, making the expansion a natural progression for the brand.
“If we think of the number of customers we’re taking every year on the ocean, then we’re going to need to build a lot more river ships,” predicted Hawke.
Similarly, when Trafalgar launched its river cruise product earlier this year, Managing Director Toni Ambler mentioned the opportunity to tap into its existing customer base.
“We see [river cruise] as a real opportunity to introduce a new mode of transportation to get those repeat passengers,” Trafalgar’s MD Toni Ambler explained at the launch of the river cruise product, which will tap into the mid-range family market.
“All of our partners have got those customers on file – you know their travel habits and you know what they’re looking for in their next experience, so hopefully Trafalgar river is the next international trip they choose.”
It’s not all smooth sailing
But swimming into the river category is about more than just leveraging a loyal customer base, especially as competition from existing players is heating up, as Angus Crichton, Emerald Cruises’ Director of Sales & Marketing, pointed out.
“Where have you come from and what is your business heritage and expertise? You’ve got to back up your marketing with the experience, [which] is only gained – [it’s] not about having a brand name,” he said.
APT’s Cox echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the Australian business’ “deep expertise” in the markets that it sails, particularly Europe and Asia.
The secret of creating a successful river cruise offer lies in offering access to hidden gems around the world, combined with inclusive experiences and excellent customer service, he explained.
“River cruising has seen steady growth over the last two decades, and today the landscape is more competitive than ever,” he said.
“At APT and Travelmarvel, we design our ships specifically for Australian travellers, understanding what they value most, whether that’s spacious cabins, flexible dining, or curated excursions ashore. With almost 100 years of experience, we know our guests well and can deliver journeys that feel seamless, comfortable, and thoughtfully tailored from start to finish.”
While more options for guests is a positive step, it also means that for cruise lines, differentiation and consistency of service is essential.
“Importantly, guests at the high-end luxury level can easily distinguish between authentic luxury experiences and those that only claim to be luxury,” Cox warned.
“With travellers well aware of ‘luxe washing’, success in this competitive landscape comes from offering thoughtfully curated itineraries and a brand that consistently delivers on its promise.”
Uncovering new opportunities
According to Katz, despite the recent flurry of newness in the market, river cruising is still a niche segment and there are plenty of untapped opportunities for savvy brands to leverage. For example, first-time cruisers are often attracted to river cruising, as Katz has spoken to many agents who have converted previously anti-cruise clients by introducing them to the segment.
“Younger generations are increasingly cruise-curious, and river cruise lines cater to them well with more active excursions and experience-led itineraries,” Katz explained.
“At the same time, repeat factors are very high in river cruising, which presents great opportunities to suggest new rivers, new destinations and new regions to past cruisers.”
Crichton noted that while different cruise lines may be scoping out different rivers to explore, the real opportunity is offering passengers “the ultimate travel experience”, adding a land journey or even a small ship ocean experience before or after their river cruise.
“For agents this is a win-win – their client comes back totally happy and agents have just maximised their margin. There are not many travel companies that can support this type of travel,” he said.
Interestingly, it is a similar experience to what Uniworld’s Managing Director Alice Ager dreams of for the cruise line, especially as the team partners with luxury rail operators Golden Eagle and now oversees the Luxury Gold hotel business.
In the future, it will be possible for Uniworld guests to embark on a Luxury Gold 10-day itinerary called ‘British Royale’, travelling from London up to Edinburgh, then catch a quick flight to Paris, where they can then sail on a seven-night river cruise into Normandy.
“We’re going to give it a whole new perspective. It’s going to be magic,” Ager said.
Meanwhile, Katz predicts that cultural experiences, immersive activities, themed cruises and creative itineraries will continue to be a focus for river cruise lines in the future. Think food and wine tours, history lectures or active adventures that combine cruising with cycling or hiking.
“River cruising has always had natural attributes that give it a strong appeal, but today river cruise lines are offering so much more in terms of the experiences they offer, both on board and on shore,” he said.
