River cruising is on a roll with 2023 promising to be the best year ever as the market’s recovery from the Covid pandemic gathers pace.

At least 10 new river ships are launching this year and there’s a wider choice of sailings as more destinations open up and new ones come on stream.

River cruises are also proving to be increasingly good value in the face of escalating hotel prices, especially in European hotspots such as Amsterdam, Budapest and Vienna where rates have rocketed.

It is claimed that cruising to these cities can be up to a third cheaper when you consider that river ships also boast a city centre location and include meals, shore excursions, drinks and entertainment in the overall price.

So it’s not surprising that river cruises are proving so popular, especially among families with more multi-generational groups as grandparents opt to take their children and grandchildren away.

Guests are also splashing out more money on their holidays and opting for longer sailings, with rising demand for exotic experiences prompting a strong comeback for voyages along the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia and India’s holy Ganges River.

Such was the demand for last winter’s Christmas market cruises that some river cruise companies have added more departures for this year’s festive season.

Cruise companies at a river cruise conference in Vienna earlier this month (March) reported that “phenomenal” demand for Egypt’s ancient wonders along the Nile was spurring them to add more capacity in 2024.

With 2023 expected to surpass the previous highs of the pre-pandemic year 2019, it’s not surprising that the river cruise market is riding high.

Here are some of the main developments coming up:

AmaWaterways

AmaWaterways is breaking new boundaries with the announcement of the first river cruises along the Magdalena River in Colombia. It hopes to commence sailings next year with two new riverboats, the 60-guest AmaMagdalena, which is due to start cruising on March 30, 2024, and the 64-passenger AmaMelodia which will follow on June 19. They will cruise the river between the historic fortified city of Cartagena and the vibrant metropolis of Barranquilla, where guests will be treated to an exclusive Carnaval celebration. Other activities include walking trips, birdwatching excursions and a musical tour through the historic village of Palenque, known as the first free city of the Americas after it was founded by freed slaves in the 17^th century.

Scenic

Scenic is wooing more single travellers by cutting single supplements across a number of departures. The upmarket line is also travelling deeper into Asia than ever before in its 2023/24 programme which now includes the city of Vang Vieng in Laos, and the country’s capital Vientiane. Guests can also enjoy an increased selection of activities, ranging from bicycle tours and lantern-making classes to a Vietnamese cookery class and relishing the glamour of High Tea at the Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.

APT

APT has unveiled its new 88-passenger riverboat Mekong Serenity on the Mekong River this year sailing between Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia. The upmarket Australian company says the vessel has some of the largest entry-level suites on the Mekong. APT’s four-star sister brand, Travelmarvel, also has a new riverboat this year, the RV Apsara, which takes 108 passengers and will also sail the Mekong. In Europe, APT has responded to customer demand with additional departures on its 15-day Magnificent Europe itinerary between Amsterdam and Budapest that sails the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers through the heart of the Continent.

Emerald Cruises

Emerald Cruises has expanded sailings this year in response to customer demand, adding extra departures to three of its most popular options. It is bringing extra Christmas cheer with two more Christmas market cruises: a Danube voyage on November 21 visiting Budapest, Vienna and Regensburg and also including a short stay in Prague; and an additional Rhine sailing on December 16 between Amsterdam and Basel, which also visits Cologne, Koblenz and Strasbourg. A new one-week Douro cruise has also been added on December 2 following “unprecedented demand”.

Riviera Travel

Riviera Travel has enhanced this year’s cruises with two added-value offers. Guests booking premium accommodation on 14 of its Rhine or Danube departures in October qualify for a free three-night tour extension or city-break stay after their sailing. It has also introduced a travel concierge service for all its European river cruises, giving guests optional extras including a choice of more regional airports and alternative airlines, door-to-door UK drop-off and pre or post-cruise hotel stays of up to two nights.

Uniworld

Uniworld is adding two new 10-day mystery cruises in Europe in June and July and this year also marks its first Rivers of the World cruise – a 46-night trip departing in May that takes guests to nine countries on five of its luxury Super Ships with sailings including the Nile, the Venice Lagoon and Italy’s Po River, the Danube and the Seine. There are also child-friendly Egypt cruises along the Nile for the first time as part of Uniworld’s family-focused Generations sailings, with departures in December that have been designed to fit in with the school holidays. Also making its debut this year is a 16-day cruise and rail journey combining a one-week cruise along India’s Ganges River from Kolkata with a lavish private train journey on the Maharajas’ Express through the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan to Mumbai.

Avalon Waterways

Avalon Waterways will make its debut along Portugal’s Douro River in 2024 with the new suite-ship Avalon Alegria offering one-week round-trip sailings from Porto. Guests can visit nearby farms and villages for food and wine tastings. They can even learn to bake traditional Portuguese pastries, called Florinhas, during one optional excursion, while other activities include bike rides, painting typical azulejos tiles for which this region is renowned, and visiting the historic Spanish university city of Salamanca.

With so much to look forward to in 2023, our expert concierge are on-hand to help you plan your perfect river cruise holiday. Discover your itinerary or speak to our dedicated concierge to find out more on 0808 233 0631.