Celebrity Cruises’ announcement earlier this year that it had ordered 10 ships to operate river cruises from 2027 proves that the market is tipped for exponential growth over the next few years.
Its Vice President of International Giles Hawke is so confident of the demand for river cruises from existing clientele that he said: “We’re pretty convinced we are going to sell out overnight.”
No details of the ships have been revealed, but Celebrity said they will mirror the quality of its Edge Class ocean-going ships, so this is definitely one to watch.
Several cruise lines are adding new ships this year and next, ahead of Celebrity’s launch. These include APT, AmaWaterways, Amadeus, Riviera Travel, Saga and Uniworld, giving agents lots of new products to sell right now.
For those clients looking for an ultra-luxury experience, APT added a new ship, MS Estrela, on Portugal’s river Douro last year and this year it will have two new vessels, Solara (pictured above), which launched this week, and Ostara, which will set sail in June.
The APT sister ships, carrying 154 passengers each, will sail on the Danube and the Rhine. Each boasts six dining venues, a rooftop BBQ and lounge area, three suite categories, and a spa and wine cellar.
AmaWaterways launched a third ship, AmaSintra, on the Douro in April. The premium 102-passenger vessel, which has a pool on the sun deck, is sailing a seven-night round-trip cruise from Porto. Guests can add on a three-night pre-cruise stay in Lisbon.
Also catering to upscale guests, Uniworld River Cruises launched the 110-passenger Elisabeth on the Rhine in March this year. The ship was previously owned by Crystal and boasts two Royal Suites (pictured above), at a spacious 47sqm each.
It will also launch Emile on the Danube in 2026. Sleeping 154 passengers, the ship will feature ‘Art Nouveau elements and pops of gold’, says Uniworld. A further three new ships will join the European waterways in 2027.
Back to this summer, Amadeus Amara will have a luxury 164-passenger ship on the Danube and Rhine. The Amadeus Amara has a heated indoor pool and yacht-style club area. One important feature of the new ship is a hull designed to navigate shallower waters to avoid getting stuck in a drought.
The line will launch another ship, the Aurea, on the Rhine next May. It will sleep 158 guests in 67 cabins and 12 suites.
Riviera Travel is also expanding, with two new ships this year. The Riviera Radiance and the Riviera Rose have the line’s biggest suites, at 32 sqm, and a brand-new design featuring a split-level combined lounge and dining area.
Riviera Radiance will sail on the Danube and Riviera Rose on the Douro.
Saga’s third river ship, Spirit of the Moselle, will set sail in July on the Main and Rhine. Similar in design to sister ships Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube, it will accommodate 172 passengers.
German line VIVA Cruises has also launched a ship, Porto Mirante, on the Douro for the first time, and in 2026 is debuting a new, all-inclusive boutique line, VIVA Boutique, starting with sailings on the Seine on VIVA BEYOND.
Luxury cruise line Emerald will also have a new ship on the Seine, the Emerald Lumi, but not until 2027. It says the ship will ‘bring a modern take on French river cruising, seamlessly blending luxury, cultural immersion and boutique charm’.
New European itineraries
Avalon Waterways has introduced new one-, two- and three-week cruises through Bordeaux to discover the famed wine region. The refreshed 128-passenger Avalon Artistry II has been repositioned this spring for guests looking to explore the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.
CroisiEurope has introduced a new cruise between Belgium and the Netherlands for this summer. on the 82-guest Lafayette. Highlights include a riverboat tour of Amsterdam, guided city tours of Brussels and The Hague, plus visits to smaller ports of Volendam and Zaanse Schans.
Long-haul additions
Panache Cruises CEO James Cole said customers are travelling for longer and further afield, combing river cruises with a land-based holiday.
“Instead of just flying to the likes of India or Vietnam and Cambodia to only do a river cruise, there has been an increase in demand to combine with extended land-based tours or stays in pre- and post-cruise hotels,” said James.
New for this year, Viking’s Scandi-designed 80-guest Viking Tonle will offer Vietnam and Cambodia sailings on the Mekong from October, featuring an open-air sky bar.
Riviera Travel is expanding its Mekong offering with 14- and 15-night cruises on the already-established vessel, Victoria Mekong, in 2026.
Later this year, Asian river cruise specialist Pandaw is meeting the demand for India river cruises with the arrival of Kochi Pandaw. Its fourth ship in the country, Kochi Pandaw will sail Kerala’s Backwaters from October. The intimate 10-cabin boat will operate a seven-night round-trip itinerary from Kochi, visiting Thanneermukkom Bund, Nattakam, Kavalam, Allapuzha, Thottapalli and Perumpalam.
Over in South America, AmaWaterways officially launched cruises on the Magdalena River in Colombia in April, making it the first major river cruise line to enter the country.
Carrying 60 passengers AmaMagdalena, it offers two seven-night itineraries between Cartagena and Barranquilla. The ship features a heated outdoor pool.
Abercrombie & Kent is introducing a new 22-passenger ship, Pure Amazon, this summer, with three, four and seven-night itineraries exploring the Peruvian Amazon.
CroisiEurope is building a 32-passenger luxury vessel due to set sail in the Amazon in 2027.
In Egypt, Nile river cruises are making a comeback. TUI launched its first Nile vessel, TUI Al Horeya (pictured above), in late 2024 and it will add TUI Bahareya in November this year. With space for up to 136 passengers, the Arabic-inspired ship will feature two restaurants, two bars and a pool on the top deck.
Viking launched its most recent purpose-built Nile ships in late 2024, with another two – Viking Amun andViking Thoth — set to follow later this year. The identical 82-passenger vessels include an al fresco eatery, an infinity pool and a sun deck.
AmaWaterways has two ships on the Nile, AmaDahlia and AmaLilia, the latter of which launched in 2024. Sales Director UK and Ireland Andrea Stafford said: “Egypt is making a return for us. We offer a seven-night fly cruise too which is great for people who are limited on time. You can’t beat seeing all the history as you sail past temples. Agents need to really think of it as the destination first.”
