FORT LAUDERDALE — During a panel discussion Thursday at CruiseWorld, river cruise line representatives pointed out new and exotic destinations from Colombia to Italy to India.
Travel Weekly river cruise editor and presenter Brinley Hineman said: “River cruises are no longer just for Europe.”
Kristin Karst, Chief Brand Officer at AmaWaterways, was the first to speak on the panel. She and President Rudi Schreiner have been candid about the line’s quest for new river destinations, which just launched its second vessel, the AmaMelodia, on Colombia’s Magdalena River.
“It’s always nice to be first somewhere,” Karst said.
“The beauty of a river cruise is the discovery,” she said. “Colombia and Rio Magdalena are just the latest examples.” She name-checked other non-European rivers on AmaWaterways, such as the Chobe River in southern Africa, the Nile in Egypt, and the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia.
Meanwhile, Riviera Travel is just beginning to expand its operations. A new itinerary begins on the Mekong River in 2027. This is the first voyage outside of European waterways. “We’re already seeing a very positive response from our travel partners,” said Marilyn Conroy, Riviera’s vice president of business development.
The discussion moved to China as Northstar editor-in-chief and co-host Ken Shapiro spotlighted Yangtze River specialist Century Cruises. China has reopened travel after a long pause due to COVID-19, and Century is “reintroducing” China to trade, said David Fredericks, president and general manager, Americas. “It’s more about promoting the destination as a whole and showcasing the beauty of China,” he said of Century’s marketing strategy.
Antara’s Chief Inspiration Officer Arjun Sinsinwar, with growing enthusiasm for Indian cruises, moved to the front of the stage to describe the cultural, natural and spiritual touchpoints travelers can experience while sailing there.
He said India would probably “not be anyone’s first choice as a river cruise destination. Maybe someone who is well-traveled, maybe someone who has never fully traveled to India before. Maybe someone who has traveled other rivers and is now looking for the next frontier, the next destination.”
What’s new in Europe?
But as the discussion continued, it became clear that there were still European rivers to be discovered. Viva Cruises plans to begin cruises on the Po River in Italy in 2027, based in Venice. John Dennis, Viva’s vice president of sales for the U.S., Canada and Latin America, described it as “uniquely different.”
And it’s not just any new river. New products were also on the table. For example, some lines are experimenting with season extensions. Richard Hickey, senior director of key accounts at Avalon Waterways, described the line’s new Cozy Collection, which offers sailings in October and November, months before Christmas market cruises begin. He said demand was so strong that all ships on the Rhine, Main and Danube would operate during the cozy season.
