Now trending in River Cruise

From themed itineraries to brand new routes, there’s plenty to welcome passengers back on board.

BY LIZ FLEMING

Ready to start exploring the world again? A luxury river cruise could be the ideal choice. Set sail and find fabulous dining, elegant accommodations and unique guided shore excursions in a small group setting. Relax and inhale a big breath of the freedom we’ve all been missing.

Enjoy the passing scenery from your balcony © AmaWaterways

River cruise lines are confidently sailing the waters of Europe, the U.S. and South America with some companies even expanding their fleets to meet demand. Viking River Cruises not only resumed sailing in France in August 2021 but also launched four Longships – each specifically designed to sail the Seine River. Tauck River Cruises also launched a new ship, the elegant ms Andorinha, now sailing Portugal’s Douro River.

Viking Longship sailing the Rhine River © Viking Cruises

“We’re witnessing a new wave of cruisers for 2022,” says Pam Hoffee, chief operating officer for the Globus family of brands and managing director for Avalon Waterways. “Travellers recognize that river cruising offers them a cruise without question marks. No crowds, sailing with just 150 or fewer fellow cruisers, no lines, no concerns about fellow traveller vaccinations, stringent health and safety protocols and an unparalleled opportunity to experience a wide range of shore excursions while also enjoying limitless access to incredible ports of call.”

Tauck’s new ship, the ms Andorinha © Tauck

Meanwhile, Uniworld River Cruises has tours including a pre- or post-cruise train travel component and has also introduced a series of Nights Out experiences on their European itineraries. For 2022, the line has created five exclusive excursions for Uniworld guests in favourite European cities. They include an after-hours, art-historian-guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, an evening spent sipping fine wines and enjoying a concert at the stately Cochem Castle near the Moselle River, a touring and tasting introduction to 145 years of brewing history at Feldschlosschen Brewery near Basel and more.

After-hours guided visit to St. Mark’s Basilica

Not to be outdone, AmaWaterways has announced that the third version of the company’s longest-ever river cruise itinerary, Seven River Journey Through Europe, will begin in Paris on August 24, 2023 and return to Giurgiu, Romania on October 9. It includes adventures in 14 countries during the wine harvest and beautiful fall foliage season. Guests will sail the Seine River on the AmaLyra, or the Scheldt, Maas, Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers on the AmaCerto and the full length of the Danube on the AmaVerde. For those keen to experience river cruising beyond the European continent, AmaWaterways is now custombuilding the first luxury, eco-friendly river cruise ship to sail the Magdalena River in Colombia with trips scheduled to begin in December 2023.

AmaWaterways’ new eco-friendly ship will be sailing the Magdalena River in Colombia

Although the vast majority of river cruises today are concentrated on the European waterways, cruising along the mighty North American rivers is a centuriesold tradition, made famous by Mark Twain’s classic tale The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In the book we follow in the footsteps of Huck and Tom Sawyer as they embark on a voyage along the Mississippi River. Today, Viking Cruises and American Queen Voyages offer various itineraries that help guests rekindle the sense of adventure along the shores of the mighty Mississippi.

American Queen, the largest steamboat ever built © American Queen Voyages

From 43-day mega-voyages to quick five-day escapes, river cruising seems to have avoided the downturn experienced by other tourism sectors. It’s well-poised to provide guests the adventure and captivating new experiences they’ve been craving.