Growing Up Younger

Oct 30, 2009

River cruising is growing up, and its trends are following those of its ocean-going counterparts, with a few unique touches of its own. With the river vessels’ alternative dining, balconies, all-suite vessels, elevators, gyms, spas, sliding-glass doors, complimentary Wi-Fi, clients are in for a pleasant surprise if they haven’t looked at this form of travel recently. And according to river cruise company executives, the level of sophistication and the expansion of the market will continue.

Onboard service is becoming
more sophisticated

As a highly inclusive product, river cruises offer generous commissions to agents and a clear price tag to guests for their vacations, including shore excursions and wines at dinner. And with river cruise lines building new ships every year, the market is continually broadening to include more types of travelers, including the younger generation, who have somewhat different tastes.

“Along with the 55-plus market, we’re seeing an increasing number of active 40- to 55-year-old guests,” said Guy Young, president and CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.

In addition to the new features of river vessels, this expanded client base is responding to offerings of shorter cruises, as well as themed and family-oriented itineraries, according to Patrick Clark, managing director of Avalon Waterways.

River cruise line executives mentioned multigenerational cruising as one of the most noticeable new trends in the industry, with a tremendous growth potential, and companies are designing special cruises or offering particular itineraries targeting these groups, many of which are centered around the Rhine castles or the beaches of World War II. Christmas market cruises, which utilize river boats as floating hotels for part of the trip in cities like Paris, draw mothers and daughters, sisters and other family groups.

Michele Saegesser, vice president of North American and South Pacific sales for Viking River Cruises, sees more diverse groups coming to the ships: family groups, neighbors and friends, groups united by friendships among their children and groups of colleagues.

Dan Mahar, CEO of Tauck World Discovery, agreed that recommendations among friends and colleagues are powerful.

“We launched the refer-a-friend program this year and it was almost too successful,” he said.

In addition to families, small incentive and special interest groups are among the major trends for the future, according to Century Cruises vice president Alex Ye.

With this growth comes increasing demand from passengers. Jerry Pi, a director of Victoria Cruises, says Americans are asking for more amenities and dozens of additional features, such as suites, balconies, complimentary wines, exercise facilities and spas, and these are going to become more and more sophisticated. Some companies are sacrificing onboard numbers for much larger staterooms, bistro dining, central atriums, outdoor viewing areas, grills, fitness rooms and spas. Executives are also seeing more luxurious bathrooms, luxury linens, complimentary Wi-Fi and room service at breakfast. Hybrid technology and environmentally conscious ship design and operation have also taken center stage among different river lines.

In addition, itineraries cater to guests’ special interest and to their desire for more time in major cities. With a wider range of ages onboard, some lines are offering more than one option for daily shore excursions, with differing levels of physical exertion and varied amounts of independent time. Concierge services for planning individualized shore trips have also been added.

“River cruising can expand in double digits for many years to come without doing more than scratch the surface,” said Clark. “River cruising is so convenient and hassle-free for any age group, and it allows individuals to travel much later in life.

According to CLIA, there are 13-15 million ocean-going cruisers,” Clark added. “The river cruise industry draws 280,000-300,000 guests from North America, and the majority of them are big-ship cruisers. They want the small-ship experience, and we’re doing the things that are going to attract them.”