The Rivers Just Keep on Rollin'
What's new to sell in 2015 from the world’s top river cruise lines

PHOTO: The 56-passenger Ganges Voyager will explore India starting this month.
The river cruise segment continues to be hot. Indeed, there are even more ships planned for the world’s rivers in 2015, which means more for you to sell. And selling river cruises remains one of the most lucrative things you can do to boost your bottom line along with your clients’ satisfaction levels since pricing is largely inclusive and commissionable. Here’s a rundown of what each major river cruise line has planned this year.
AmaWaterways: This luxury river line will introduce two new ships in Europe this spring, the 164-passenger AmaSerena and the 164-passenger AmaVista. They will join their sister ships in the fleet—the AmaReina, AmaPrima, AmaCerto and AmaSonata—sailing on the Danube, Main and Rhine beginning spring 2015.
What’s new about the AmaSerena and AmaVista is that they’ll have connecting staterooms, something that appeals to families and groups traveling together. Most staterooms will also feature the line’s signature Twin Balconies. In addition, AmaSerena and AmaVista will have salon and massage services, fitness rooms, sun decks and heated swimming pools with swim-up bars.
In August, AmaWaterways will introduce the 124-passenger AmaDara on the Mekong River. The vessel will operate 16-day land-and-river vacations that include two nights in Hanoi, an overnight in Ha Long Bay, three nights in Siem Reap, a seven-night Mekong river cruise, and a two-night stay in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). www.amawaterways.com
American Cruise Lines: This Connecticut-based small-ship specialist will introduce the 150-passenger American Eagle paddlewheeler in the spring on the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The vessel is similar to the Queen of the Mississippi, which was introduced in 2012. The American Eagle will operate mostly seven-night voyages round-trip from New Orleans and between New Orleans and Memphis. Of note are the 14- and 21-night cruises that will sail between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minn., in August and September.
The American Eagle will feature extremely large staterooms that will be 300 to 600 square feet in size. All have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors to private balconies, as well as wireless Internet service, satellite TV, breakfast room service and coffee brewers. www.americancruiselines.com
Amras Cruises: This Boston-based company, which represents the ships of Lüftner Cruises, will introduce a new ship this spring called the Amadeus Silver II. A sister vessel to the Amadeus Silver, introduced in 2013, the new ship will sail through Holland and Belgium and down the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. It will have 72 staterooms that measure 188 square feet and 12 larger suites of up to 284 square feet.
All staterooms include a seating area, flat-screen TV, Wi-Fi access and a safe. Staterooms on the Mozart and Strauss Decks include a French balcony with windows that open at the touch of a button. The suites also have private walk-out balconies, a mini-bar, a bathtub and separate shower. www.amrascruises.com.
A-ROSA Cruises: Represented in North America by David Morris International, A-ROSA will operate more than 200 departures in 2015 on the Rhône/Saône, Rhine, Danube, Moselle and Main rivers in Europe. What’s new is that the company is expanding its level of inclusiveness for 2015. River cruises will feature an open bar all the time, not just wine and beer during lunch and dinner hours. Also included are sodas, coffee, tea, juices and bottled water.
In addition, passengers can choose their own shore excursions with a 200 euro credit (roughly $250). Dinner is available as a four-course, plated service or a more casual buffet with cooking stations. A-ROSA river cruise fares will again include pre-paid gratuities, port taxes and fees, as well as complimentary Wi-Fi access. www.arosacruises.com
Avalon Waterways: This river cruise company, part of the Globus Family of Brands, will introduce two new Suite Ships on the rivers of France this year. The new Avalon Tranquility II will sail the Rhine and Rhône rivers, while the Avalon Tapestry II will enter service on the Seine River.
PHOTO: The 36-passenger Avalon Myanmar is being built by local craftsman and will operate on the Irrawaddy River.
In Asia, Avalon will introduce a new vessel on the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia and another on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. The Avalon Siem Reap and Avalon Myanmar will each accommodate 36 passengers on the Mekong and Irrawaddy rivers. Built by local craftsman, the ships reflect the character of the regions as well as modern features that travelers expect today. www.avalonwaterways.com
CroisiEurope: This company in April will introduce the 96-passenger Loire Princesse on the Loire River in France. The ship will operate six- and eight-day cruises in the Pays de la Loire region, visiting places such as Nantes, Saint-Nazaire, Ancenis, Angers, the Castles of the Loire, Saumur and Bouchemaine. It will be the first vessel to operate overnight passenger cruises on the Loire, thanks to some updated paddlewheels that take up less space underwater.
Also to be christened this spring is the 132-passenger Gil Eanes on the Douro River in Portugal and the newly renovated Camargue on the Rhône and Saône.
CroisiEurope also has expanded its operations on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia with the purchase last year of Compagnie Fluviale du Mékong, or CFM. In addition to free Wi-Fi access, CroisiEurope’s pricing includes beer and wine at lunch and dinner, as well as open bar throughout the voyage, onboard entertainment and port taxes. www.croisieuroperivercruises.com
Emerald Waterways: This river cruise line, which began sailing last year as a sister company to Scenic Cruises, will launch two new ships this year — the Emerald Sun and Emerald Dawn. The 182-passenger vessels will operate an 11-day sailing between Lyon and Arles, France; a 10-day Eastern Europe itinerary that includes Bucharest; and an eight-day cruise through the Netherlands and Belgium.
The ships will have two dining venues, the Horizon Bar and Lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, a heated swimming pool under a retractable roof that can turn into a cinema in the evenings, a spa, a mini-golf putting green and a walking track. www.emeraldwaterways.com
Haimark: This fast-growing company, which builds ships that often are booked and chartered by tour operators, plans to launch the 56-passenger Ganges Voyager in India in January. It will operate seven-night round-trips from Kolkata, India, and it features optional land extensions. A second vessel, the Ganges Voyager II, is scheduled to enter service on Jan. 6, 2016, for Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection
In September, Haimark will launch a 24-guest, all-suite “spa concept” ship named Mekong Princess. The company says it will have the most extensive spa menu of any ship on the Mekong River, with massages, facials, scrubs, and body wraps. The company also is planning a 44-passenger vessel to operate six-night voyages on the Peruvian Amazon. www.haimarktravel.com.
Scenic Cruises: This year, the line is introducing two new Space Ships, the 169-passenger Scenic Opal and Scenic Jasper. Each will have a “split pool” on the sun deck. One side will feature a typical area for cooling down while the other side has a stream for swimming laps while staying in place. Each ship will feature the Portobello Restaurant, equipped with a moveable glass wall that can be opened for al fresco dining.
Scenic says 85 percent of cabins and suites will have private walk-out balconies with push-button operation. River cruise fares include complimentary beverages, wines and spirits, butler service in all cabins, Wi-Fi access, airport transfers and gratuities. www.scenictours.com
Tauck: In April, Tauck plans to launch the Esprit, the fifth ship in its 118-guest Jewel class. It will operate on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, offering 14-night cruises between Amsterdam and Budapest, and seven- and 12-night voyages between Basel and Amsterdam. Tauck river cruises include all shore excursions, gratuities, airport transfers, onboard beer, wine and premium spirits.
Accommodations on Esprit include 14 suites that measure 300 square feet, seven 183-square-foot staterooms and standard 150-square-foot cabins. Eighty-five percent of the accommodations have floor-to-ceiling windows with French balconies. www.tauck.com
Un-Cruise Adventures: This small-ship company’s 88-guest S.S. Legacy will operate four departures of a new wine-centric river cruise itinerary in the Pacific Northwest in 2015. Departing round-trip from Portland, the itinerary includes visits to nine wineries.
The weeklong “Ameritage! Four Rivers of Wine & History” itinerary will depart Aug. 15, Aug. 22, Aug. 29 and Sept. 5. The inclusive cruise will sail on four rivers—Columbia, Snake, Willamette and Palouse—and highlights the burgeoning wine regions in Washington and Oregon. A local wine expert will join the cruise to make presentations and lead wine tastings. www.un-cruise.com
Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection: Uniworld will introduce another Super Ship in the spring, the S.S. Maria Theresa, named after the Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. The new vessel will sail the “European Jewels” itinerary from Budapest to Amsterdam, as well as a springtime tulips cruise and holiday cruises.
Similar to the S.S. Catherine and Antoinette, the new vessel will accommodate 155 passengers. The lavishly furnished staterooms and suites will have handcrafted Savoir of England beds, Egyptian cotton linens, flat-screen TV with infotainment center, bottled mineral water, a safe and a marble bathroom. www.uniworld.com
Victoria Cruises: Victoria is reinstating Shibaozhai, a 12-story wooden pagoda often referred to as “The Pearl of the Yangtze,” as a regular shore excursion. The move will come with the completion of an extension of the docking facilities at Shibaozhai, expected by year’s end. Shibaozhai will replace the Fengdu excursion, though passengers can still visit Fengdu as an optional excursion, weather permitting. www.victoriacruises.com
Viking River Cruises: Showing no signs of slowing its amazing growth, this company plans to introduce 12 new river vessels this year—10 are 190-passenger Viking Longships and two are 98-guest vessels for the Elbe River. These additions will bring the Viking River fleet to 64 vessels.
PHOTO: Viking River Cruises plans to introduce 10 new Longships in 2015 with veranda staterooms.
The two smaller ships, the Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla, will double the company’s capacity on the Elbe River in 2015. Though smaller and specially designed to navigate the Elbe, these ships have many of the same features found on the Longships, including the indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace, a variety of staterooms and suites, hotel-style beds, onboard solar panels and an organic herb garden. They will operate the 10-day “Elegant Elbe” cruise-tour with hotel stays in Berlin and Prague. www.vikingcruises.com.
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