It’s the hottest segment of travel right now. River cruising has been growing in leaps and bounds over the past 15 years. Indeed, there will be more river cruise ships launched in 2014 than oceangoing vessels. Many travel agents have discovered the benefits of selling river cruises over the past decade. Those benefits include more profits for their travel agencies and more satisfied clients.

So how do you sell more river cruises in this lucrative market? Here are 10 secrets of selling river cruises based on advice from a panel of top river cruise sales executives at The New York Times Travel Show in February, as well as other sources.

1. Explore options in the increasingly larger world river cruise fleet.

PHOTO: A Viking Longship in Passau. Viking and other cruise lines are introducing even more ships this year.

There are now even more options for your customers on the rivers of the world, as companies compete to develop greater numbers of sophisticated ships with more detailed amenities. One company, Viking Cruises, is christening 14 ships in March alone. At the same time, this surge means you need to educate yourself about the differences, sometimes subtle, among river cruise lines.

A certain stratification of river cruise lines is now developing, much as it did with deep-water cruise lines. River ships in Europe hold between 118 and 190 guests, while those in other destinations carry anywhere from 35 to 450 guests.

2. Choose from among a growing number of river cruise lines.

PHOTO: A Tauck river ship suite. Interiors of river cruise ships are more sumptuous and spacious today.

Over the past 20 years, a number of companies have entered the U.S. market for river cruises, including such now-familiar brands as AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Tauck, Victoria Cruises, Viking Cruises and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.

Over the past two years, however, more European brands have begun targeting U.S. customers, including A-Rosa, Amadeus by Luftner (represented by Amras River Cruises here in the U.S.) and CroisiEurope. An Australian company, Scenic Cruises, is now making a major effort to market to North Americans. And don’t forget about the companies selling products just on U.S. rivers: American Cruise Lines and American Steamboat Company.

3. Showcase the ever-growing range of river itineraries.

Europe remains the biggest destination for river cruising, and believe it or not, they aren’t running out of rivers there. While river cruise companies still offer a wide range of sailings on the Rhine, Maine, Danube and Moselle, they are also expanding on the rivers of France (Rhône, Seine and Saône), Portugal (Douro), Italy (Po) and even Russia.

And once guests experience European rivers, they also can book what’s called the “exotics,” namely the Amazon, Mekong, Nile and Yangtze. There are even river cruises in Africa (Choba River) and, what’s quickly becoming a fast-growing destination for river cruising, Myanmar (Irawaddy River).

With so many destinations worldwide, river cruising offers nearly unlimited potential for repeat clients. And don’t forget the growth going on with America’s rivers. River cruise companies in the U.S. now offer sailings on the upper and lower Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Columbia and Snake rivers; Puget Sound; Hudson; and even waterways in Florida.

4. Emphasize the inclusiveness of river cruise products.

Most river cruise companies offer an inclusive product where you pay one price for accommodations, meals, wine and beer with dinner and lunch, and most tours and excursions. There can be some additional charges for specialty tours as well as port charges and fees. Some companies include all drinks, gratuities, tours and even some pre- or post-hotel stays. So make sure you ask what is included and what is not. Regardless, your clients won’t pay much more than the listed price in the brochure, if anything more. In the end, the inclusive nature of the products means more commission for you.

5. Sell the comfortable, spacious accommodations on river ships.

PHOTO: Avalon Waterways’ Panorama Suite. River ships now offer stunning views from every cabin.

Cabins on river ships now range from 150 to 300 square feet or more as river cruise companies have upped the ante on comfort. They offer comfortable hotel-style beds, easy chairs, couches, desks, small refrigerators and more. Accommodations have nearly full-size bathrooms, some with tubs, showers and double sinks, as well as marble décor.

Suite categories on the top two decks of European river ships usually sell out first. And most ships offer cabins with picture or floor-to-ceiling windows, many of which can be fully opened, as well as balconies. Cabins come with large flat-screen TVs offering an increasingly wide range of channels and movies, and most ships feature free Wi-Fi. There’s also lots of storage space. Indeed, accommodations on river ships now rival or even surpass those on deep-water cruises.

6. Promote the dining experience available on river cruises.

Most river cruise ships offer a main restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner that can hold the entire complement of passengers in a single seating. They also feature “dine at any time” during lunch and dinner hours in a casual environment.

Many also have plenty of tables for two, even though half the fun of river ships is their ability to connect like-minded people at meal times. Food served on board is gourmet quality, with regional specialties and wines often featured. Some ships offer smaller alternative restaurants where tables must be reserved. Other companies feature “dine off the boat” options that are included in the price.

7. Sell the experience available on river cruises.

For river cruising, the main focus is on the destination, not the ship, even though vessels offer extremely comfortable accommodations. So make sure you understand the range of tours available in each city or town visited.  Several different levels of tour experiences are often available, including ones designed for more active passengers. Tours are available for small groups in up to one motorcoach (roughly 40 people). Indeed, most river cruise ships use only three motorcoaches for their entire passenger complement.

Guides are professional and knowledgeable and tours usually are given using individual headsets for guests. River cruise companies also offer self-guided tours for those who don’t want to travel in a group all the time, as well as plenty of free time at the destinations visited.

Also make sure you sell the cultural and destination experience available on river ships. These vessels usually feature a full slate of regional entertainment and lectures on the destinations visited. So think “outside the boat” when promoting the value of river cruising.

8. Promote the fact that river cruisers are getting younger.

Most river cruise companies will tell you they are going after the 55-plus demographic and the average age of guests is in the early 60s. True, river cruising has been largely focused on an older, Baby Boomer and senior clientele. But that’s starting to change. An increasing number of companies are offering sailings geared to families and multigenerational groups. These days you are likely to see older teens and young adults on a river cruise accompanying their parents or grandparents. The psychographic of river cruise guests is getting younger, too. There are now highly active people taking river cruises who want to hike, go bike riding and experience destinations at a faster pace. And that’s not so dependent on age as on attitude and physical health.

9. Sell more groups on the value of river cruising.

Selling groups is the key to success for almost any travel product you sell. River cruising is a great product for groups, since it doesn’t require you to form a very large group. Often eight people constitute a group sale. So ask your clients if they have friends or family who want to accompany them on a river cruise. In addition, if some of your clients have already been on a river cruise, ask them if they met anyone else on that cruise whom they may be interested in accompanying on the next cruise.

10. Convert more deep-water cruisers to river cruising.

Clearly much of your market will be customers who have experienced oceangoing cruises and want to try something different. That means you can tout the differences available on river cruises, such as no lines to get off the ship, more immersion in the destination, a more intimate experience with a smaller group of passengers and more. Key in on the differences and you should be able to convince a growing number of people about the benefits of experiencing a river cruise.