- River cruising continues to increase in popularity, and as demand climbs, so do prices.
- Some cruise lines are seeing increases of 20 per cent in river cruise fares over just a two-year period.
- With some lines reporting strong forward bookings, the only way to beat the rises is to buy today.
River cruising, particularly in Europe, is seeing such growth that lines like Viking have sold 92% of capacity for passenger cruise days for the 2025 season and 37% of its capacity for the 2026.
That means many lines can hold or even increase their prices for the coming seasons. Even shoulder or off-season cruises – some lines are sailing almost year-round – are under increasing pressure from demand.
The price of a European river cruise has reportedly risen by $150 a day over 2019 prices, and averages for some lines are now over $900 a day.
One insider told River Cruise Passenger: “With fuel, staff and other rises, it’s hardly surprising. And the fact that demand is so high means lines are looking to get a proper return on the investment in new ships and refitting.”
The result is a big incentive for cruisers to book early, as the more cabins that fill up, the more cruisers will need to pay for what’s left.
An analysis of the price jumps of just two years for some cruise lines shows what kind of price rises can now be expected.
For example, for 2025, Viking’s 15-day Grand European Tour initially started from USD$4995, however, for 2027, it will start from USD$5999, marking a 20% increase in just two years. In Australian dollars, this would mean a cruise would cost almost $3000 more for two people for the exact same itinerary, just two years apart.
While these exact jumps will vary according to the itinerary and when one wishes to sail, the rise is definitely noticeable.
This can also be seen in other leading river cruise lines, for example, Avalon Waterways.
For 2024, a Rhine and Moselle 11-day itinerary was starting from USD$3649 (AU$5630). Looking forward to 2026, that same itinerary is starting from USD$5129 AU$7914). Similarly, a Rhine and Rhone 15-day itinerary was starting from USD$5098 in 2024, and has jumped to $6860 for 2026.
A poll by a US travel platform maintained that only 34 per cent of cruisers would pay $1,500 a day. The remaining cruisers polled said they would need to reconsider cruising.
That said, hotel and land tour prices are rising by similar or even bigger amounts, making river cruising a good deal.
Janene Ferguson, the owner and manager of Helloworld in South Melbourne, who specialises in luxury holidays and cruise, said while prices have increased since pre-pandemic, river cruising is still great value for money.
“The demand for river cruising is huge, and we have to take into account that hotel prices in regions like Europe are skyrocketing. Consider this: a night in a hotel typically includes breakfast at most. While a river cruise includes some alcoholic beverages, all meals, shore excursions, transport, and your accommodation,” she said.
“Europe is still our number one destination to sell, and we are seeing our clients look for different areas to river cruise. The Douro River has been such a hot ticket item this year, with most river lines selling out for 2025. But there are other itineraries like Arles to Lyon and the Lower Danube that are gaining popularity.”
Are prices going up due to demand?
TravelAgeWest reported that 60% of their travel advisors had been seeing a spike in river cruise interest and bookings from clients.
It’s possible that prices are being pushed up as more and more new travellers enter the river cruise market. In comparison to larger ocean ships with 1000s of passengers, river cruise makes for an easier transition from land-based holidays, with daily excursions, small groups on the boat, and a more tranquil overall experience.
Lines could be pushing up their prices simply because demand is on the rise, as what was once a niche form of travel continues to grow in popularity.
While pricing in the river cruise industry can be tricky to track due to dynamic and changing prices, promotions, different ways of packaging inclusions and flights, and more, increasing demand and strong forward bookings are always a sure indicator that prices will likely be on their way up as well.
Another key factor is that river cruisers very often don’t just leave it at one cruise, with 53% of travel advisors saying that first-time river cruisers “very often” book another river cruise. Therefore, the industry builds a loyal base of repeat cruisers looking to book in their yearly holiday, meaning the more people that decide to make the leap and sail their first river cruise, the more cabins that will already be booking out for future seasons.
Furthermore, a mixture of overcrowding, rapid tourism growth across Europe, and protests against overtourism have made many want to turn away from visiting classic European destinations such as Barcelona or Rome. River cruise is known for whisking passengers off to smaller and less-trodden areas of Europe, meaning this could also serve as an attraction and drive up demand across the river cruise market.
