River cruising has been touted as the only way for travellers to experience Europe as the locals do, with diverse itineraries taking in smaller ports of call rising in popularity.
“The guys coming off a river ship see the destination like a local and do the things they wouldn’t do on a land-based holiday,” Birgit Eisbrenner, Regional Director AU/NZ, A-ROSA River Cruises.
Speaking on a panel at the Rivercruise Showcase of Cruise360 with Alice Ager, Managing Director, Uniworld Boutique Cruises, Steve Richard, Managing Director, AmaWaterways and Steven Taylor, International Sales Manager, Riviera Travel River Cruises, Eisbrenner said their itineraries ensured that overnight stays in Capital cities were incorporated, but that smaller, unique ports were also discovered along the way.
Front row: Steven Taylor (Riviera Travel River Cruises), Brett Simon (Avalon Waterways), Alice Ager (Uniworld Boutique River Cruises), David Clark (Tauck)
“We were the first to sail the Douro and Moiselle, and appeal to travellers who come back to Europe and want more time to immerse themselves in the destination,” Eisbrenner said.
Continuing on the European front, Riviera Travel River Cruises’ Steven Taylor said their line specialises in the region highlighting the benefit of river cruising was to remove the complexity travellers face abroad.
“(River cruising) removes some of the complexity and nervousness from some travellers about doing a land-based holiday throughout Europe. It removes the challenges about food, about dining, language; it’s just an effortless way to travel,” Richards said.
“The vantage point of river cruising very few people get to see the most beautiful vistas as you sail on. It has something for everyone.”
Beyond Europe?
The trend does not only encapsulate European itineraries, with Ager adding the amount of choice in recent years has provided travellers with more diversity than ever before.
“Outside of Europe there’s amazing options. You can’t go to Egypt and not cruise the Nile. In India, you have to go on the Ganges to add that extra component to go deeper,” Ager said.
AmaWaterways are on the cusp to break into a new frontier as the first ever cruise line to traverse the Magdalena river in Colombia.
“5 years in the planning, this is expedition cruising off the beaten track. It’s for people who have been everywhere and want bragging rights,” Steve Richards, MD, AmaWaterways said.
Two state-of-the-art ships of just 60 and 64 passengers will set sail with AmaMagdalena first in January, followed by its sister ship, AmaMelodia slated to set sail a few months later.
