Over the next five years, upscale ocean cruise line Celebrity Cruises plans to launch 20 sleek river cruise ships in Europe. Expedition operator National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions this year is entering the river cruise market with a 120-passenger ship, Connect, that will sail in Holland and Belgium and on the Rhine River, followed by a second ship in 2027, Evolve—both with expedition-ship–influenced design. Global tour operator Trafalgar has unveiled a new river cruise lineup this year as well.
AmaWaterways, a well-established luxury player on rivers around the world, is adding 10 ships to its European fleet by 2030. Scenic has five new river ships under development for its Scenic and Emerald brands. And small-ship ocean cruise company Windstar just announced plans for hybrid cruises that will take passengers seamlessly from river to sea. Meanwhile, lesser-known companies such as the British line Riviera Travel, Austrian-based Amadeus, and the German Viva Cruises are dramatically increasing their efforts to attract more American travelers.
More than a decade after river cruise operators began courting a client base beyond the retirees that propelled Viking—which now operates more than 100 river cruise ships—to dominance, the European market is undergoing a fresh wave of expansion and reinvention.
In response, longtime players are ramping up efforts to differentiate themselves through everything from new ship designs and itineraries to pickleball courts (which AmaWaterway’s AmaMagna has), swimming pools, outdoor grills, themed sailings, elevated food and wine offerings, more options for solo travelers, and a wider range of excursions for guests of all ages and activity levels.
While that all spells great news for small-ship lovers, ocean cruisers interested in sailing inland waterways, and even the traditionally cruise-averse travelers looking for new ways to explore Europe, it also raises questions about how many more ships Europe’s rivers can realistically handle and how long before the heavily visited ports say enough is enough.
Expedition company National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions is among the new players getting in on the European river cruise action, with its forthcoming ship, Connect.
Courtesy of National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions
Can Europe’s towns handle more river cruise ships?
During a recent river cruise expo in Amsterdam hosted by the American Society of Travel Advisors, representatives from various river cruise lines told Afar that they welcome the entrance of new and high-profile cruise companies and the wider visibility they will bring to the fast-growing sector.
Although hundreds of cruise ships already ply the rivers of Europe, the representatives pointed out that passenger counts are small (generally around 100 to 150 per ship), so they don’t overwhelm destinations as do the ocean liners that come into ports carrying thousands of guests. River cruise lines also insist there are still plenty of docking spots, particularly in large ports.
“If you look at the vast amount of cargo vessels that are operating on these rivers, you know, the hotel ships are still a small part of [the overall volume of ships on the rivers],” said Marcus Leskovar, president of Amadeus River Cruises, a line with Austrian roots that dates back 40 years. “So I’m not worried about that, particularly in the larger ports like Amsterdam, Vienna, and Budapest.”
Still, Amsterdam, which is the beginning and end point for some of Europe’s most popular river cruise itineraries—through the castle-lined Upper Rhine Valley, Austria, France, and Switzerland—is phasing in cuts that will almost halve the nearly 2,000 port calls river cruise ships have been making in recent years at the city’s docks near the main train station, Amsterdam Centraal.
That means many passengers will have to take buses or ferries to get to the heart of the city, reducing opportunities for what is many cruisers’ favorite feature of river cruising: the ability to walk off the ship and straight into the heart of town.
Smaller towns also may start feeling overwhelmed, according to Leskovar. Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways, echoed that concern.
“There’s a risk of overloving some of these destinations,” Hoffee said.
Melk Abbey is a very popular port call on Danube River sailings, so some river cruise lines, like Avalon Waterways, are rethinking how and whether to visit this popular attraction.
Clouodybell0604/Shutterstock
She continued, “That’s why two years ago, we started inviting the communities that we work with at the end of the season to come on board [to see] our ships, to celebrate the experience we had throughout the season, but also to ask for their feedback. What could be done differently? What could we do better?”
Avalon, which Hoffee said plans to continue growing at a more measured pace of about one new ship a year, is committed to finding and developing new ports to visit along Europe’s well-traveled inland waterways.
“And we’ve done that very successfully,” she said. For example, in Austria, instead of docking in the popular Danube River port towns of Melk, known for its striking Melk Abbey along the waterfront, and Dürnstein, Avalon Waterways helped develop a port in the nearby medieval trade hub of Ybbs an der Donau, about 15 miles west of Melk, because the town “actually wanted ships to come there,” said Hoffee.
“Guests can still choose to go to Melk Abbey if they want. They also can go and visit a beekeeper and [participate in] a baking class. They can go to a nearby castle and meet with the owner of the castle. There are so many choices, so many things that we haven’t explored yet as a river industry, and that’s what’s really exciting, is that there is room to grow,” said Hoffee, emphasizing the need for responsible and sustainable expansion.
Additionally, one of the newer players on Europe’s river, German-based upscale line Viva Cruises, is expanding beyond Europe’s highly traveled Rhine, Danube, Seine, and Rhône rivers and is launching new itineraries along the Venetian Lagoon in Italy, where currently only the luxury line Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and the more budget-friendly French company CroisiEurope sail. Viva also sails the Elbe River in Germany, where only two other lines targeting English speakers, Viking and CroisiEurope, currently operate.
Celebrity is looking to shake things up on Europe’s rivers with ship designs that take their cue from the ocean-cruising world.
Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises
Evolving experiences
One of the biggest challenges for river cruise companies has been attracting ocean cruisers and younger clients, in part because the locks on European rivers limit how big the ships can be. While most are the same length and width to fit within those restrictions, passenger counts vary between slightly more than 100 guests to not quite 200.
Given the size limitations, it’s hard to squeeze in lots of amenities. Traditional river cruise ships have one large lounge area and one large main dining room. More luxurious ships—often with lower passenger counts and more room for public spaces—might also include some smaller dining rooms or venues off the main restaurant, in the rear, and/or in a front area of the lounge that can host private groups or a specialty restaurant like a chef’s table-tasting affair, something AmaWaterways’ ships offer. Rather than coffee or snack bars, river cruise ships generally have one or two stations with touch-of-the-button specialty coffee machines and cookie and snack jars.
Celebrity is upending that model to appeal to ocean cruisers who are used to more onboard variety.
The ships will be easy to spot on the rivers. Unlike most river ships, which generally have all of their outdoor space and pool or hot tub on a long, open sundeck, Celebrity’s bright-blue ships will have an outdoor infinity pool and bar at the rear of the ship with large orange oval shades and steps leading to the sundeck, which will be dotted by orange, flower-shaped umbrellas for shade. Below the pool will be another open lounge and dining area.
The ships will also have the first river suites with skylights as well as dining pods that can be extended from the sides of the ship for overwater dining—a concept borrowed from Celebrity’s ocean cruise ships, which feature a “Magic Carpet” lounge over the sides of the ships.
The biggest differentiator is the increased choice in dining venues. The ships will have eight restaurants and bars, including Celebrity signature brands such as Martini Bar (exactly what it sounds like, a bar that serves martinis), the outdoor Sunset Bar for a drink at the golden hour, Café al Bacio for coffee and pastries, and 24/7 room service—offerings the cruise line’s ocean-cruising clientele has come to expect.
Windstar’s smaller ocean ships can, in fact, sail on some rivers, such as the Thames in England.
Photo by Nathan Bartlett/Unsplash
Both Celebrity and voyage line National Geographic–Lindblad Expeditions are promising deeper and more exclusive dives into Europe’s culture and food. Windstar has the most unique new offering, which will combine rivers in France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland with ocean sailings aboard the 224-passenger yacht Star Seeker in single itineraries. Those itineraries will include the 10-day “Impressionist France” trip that sails along the Seine and Thames rivers with time in Paris, Bordeaux, and Normandy, and the 10-day “Circumnavigating Ireland” that includes sailing the River Lee in addition to a cruise along the craggy coastline.
While the newest river players are all promising to raise the game on immersive, local, and exclusive land experiences, how different they will be from the ever-evolving excursions offered by existing lines remains to be seen.
What we do know is that these companies will be introducing new products and clientele that are sure to reshape the future of European river cruising—for better or worse.
Leskovar said there is certainly enough demand to support the new ships, and the marketing power of high-profile companies like Celebrity helps raise the visibility of all river cruise operators. But will what has always been so great about river cruising—the small towns, the intimate ships, the slow travel—get lost in all the noise?
Said Leskovar, “As ship owners, what we are very worried about, with all the new product coming online, is that sometimes the true message of river cruising, and the purpose of river cruising, is lost in new marketing messages of companies that want to reinvent river cruising when it’s not necessary.”
