Editor's Note: This story was last updated on Jan. 11, 2024.
As many ocean cruise lines debut itineraries available for booking into 2026, several river cruise lines are also looking ahead as far as 2026.
Here’s what travel advisors need to know about upcoming regional and international river cruise options available through the next couple years.
AmaWaterways
In 2024, AmaWaterways will add an additional date for its popular Latin Touch sailings dedicated to Spanish-speaking travelers, as well as debut AmaMagdalena, its first ship on the Magdalena River. There will also be more family-friendly charters available from partner Adventures by Disney along three European rivers next year.
And starting in 2025, Adventures by Disney will introduce two options for river cruising in Holland and Belgium, each eight days and seven nights in length roundtrip from Amsterdam. A Holland and Belgium itinerary will highlight the musical Museum Speelklok in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for instance, while a tulip tour will showcase the famed flower fields of Keukenhof, also in the Netherlands.
The line has additionally begun releasing its 2025 inventory for sale, including onboard the next new ships, AmaMelodia and AmaSintra. Plus, AmaWaterways will launch a fresh weeklong Imperial Danube itinerary that sails roundtrip from Budapest, Hungary. The line will also combine popular routes into extended Grand itineraries for sailings up to 14 nights along French rivers and Dutch and Belgian waterways.
Ama also has limited availability for its Black culture-focused Soulful Experience voyages covering either Egypt or France in November 2024.
American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines is preparing for 2024 with a series of special U.S. National Parks Cruising river voyages. The 12-day Great Smoky Mountains National Park traverses the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and includes two days in the featured national park. The 16-day National Parks & Legendary Rivers, meanwhile, showcases the Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as spends seven days in three national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
Next year, the company is also offering an extended 16-day Grand Ohio River Cruise, as well as the 35-day Civil War Battlefields Cruise and the 60-day The Great United States sailing.
American Queen Voyages
American Queen Voyages is scheduling its new five- and six-day abbreviated itineraries into 2024. American Countess, for one, will navigate the Lower Mississippi River during Roundtrip New Orleans, visiting St. Francisville and Nottoway in Louisiana.
Avalon Waterways
Citing increased demand, Avalon Waterways is adding departures in 2024. The line is expanding its season on the Seine and Rhone rivers next year into November, and it’s also adding departures on the Rhine and Danube rivers, including more Festive holiday voyages.
Avalon Alegria
Credit: 2023 Avalon Waterways
Plus, 2024 will mark the launch of the brand’s new Avalon Alegria along the Douro River in Portugal for the first time.
Emerald Cruises
A new 2024 itinerary from Emerald Cruises will showcase Budapest for an extended period of time. During the season running from April to October 2024, the 10-day Danube Explorer & Highlights of Budapest will include three days in the Hungarian port and visit five countries, including Germany and Austria. There will be Six EmeraldActive hiking and biking tours available along the way. Further into 2024 and 2025, the line is also offering a new Southeast Asia river cruise collection, and its European sailings into 2025 are already open, as well.
An EmeraldActive group
Credit: 2023 Emerald Waterways
European Waterways
Serving clients looking for intimate barge cruising, European Waterways will introduce its new eight-guest Kir Royale in May 2024 in the Champagne region of France along the Marne River.
“For its maiden voyage with us, Kir Royale has been upgraded to meet the highest standards of luxury and comfort that are the hallmarks of all European Waterways vessels,” said Derek Banks, managing director of European Waterways.
Features of the ship will include three sundecks, a spa pool, an upper panoramic observation deck and four staterooms with en suite bathrooms and air-conditioning.
In celebration of its 50-year anniversary, the line also just released its 2024/2025 brochure.
Riviera River Cruises
Next year, travel advisors can book three new extended 11-day itineraries from Riviera River Cruises: Paris, Normandy & Historic Treasures of the Seine River Cruise (from Paris to Le Havre, France, and back); Cologne, the Rhine Gorge & Medieval Germany River Cruise (from Cologne, Germany, to Nuremberg, Germany, and back); and The Moselle, Luxembourg & the Majestic Rhine River Cruise (from Cologne to Trier, Germany, and Luxembourg, to Mannheim, Germany, and back).
“They’re the ideal fit between our eight-day cruises — which some might think aren’t quite long enough — and our 15-day cruises, which might leave others wanting to get home,” said Marilyn Conroy, executive vice president of sales and marketing for North America at Riviera River Cruises.
Plus, Riviera is now preparing to open its 2025 sales on Nov. 15.
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours
For 2024, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is breaking down its itinerary list by category. There are Epicurean Delights, which feature regional culinary immersion; Nature’s Wonders, showcasing European gardens, valleys, gorges and more; and Seasonal Delights, which are unique timed events, such as Christmas markets or springtime tulip season in the Netherlands.
Next year, Scenic will also tout offer more than 50 new Scenic Freechoice excursions and two fresh routes: The 10-day Danube in Depth (from Budapest to Nuremberg) and the eight-day Iconic Danube (available with a three-night Prague extension).
Additionally, the June 18, 2024, Bordeaux Affair sailing will feature chef Bryan Voltaggio of “Top Chef” fame. Guests can meet and spend time with him while enjoying meals that he will customize exclusively for this departure.
Like its corporate cousin Emerald, Scenic is also already releasing its bookings into 2025. New for the season, the Gems of the Danube itinerary will sail between Regensburg, Germany, and Budapest, Hungary. The 16-day Danube Delta Discovery itinerary will travel between Budapest and Bucharest, Romania.
Tauck
Tauck will launch six new European itineraries in 2024, each showcasing a special shoreside dinner in either a historic castle or private palace. Pre- or post-cruise hotel stays will be available in cities new to the company, including Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, and Montreux and Geneva, Switzerland.
Tauck is adding to its European portfolio of river cruises.
Credit: 2023 Tauck
"We’re absolutely thrilled to be expanding our river cruise offerings in such an unprecedented way, with exciting new itineraries that will appeal to our loyal past guests and new travelers alike,” said Dan Mahar, CEO of Tauck.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
In our world cruise showcase earlier this year, we previewed Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ unique 55-day journey onboard four of its Super Ships that will visit three continents and 10 countries starting next October.
Also for 2024, the line will offer several 10-day Mystery Cruise sailings, where only the embarkation and disembarkation airports are revealed ahead of time. Uniworld will additionally launch cycling-themed voyages and multiple Out! On the Rivers departures dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. Uniworld will also charter two former Crystal River Cruises vessels from new owner Riverside Luxury Cruises as S.S. Victoria and S.S. Elisabeth in Europe in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Viking
Viking is preparing itineraries out into 2026, launching another 10 European riverboats by then, as well. Currently under construction are five signature Viking Longships for 2025 delivery, and five more for 2026. (That’s not even mentioning its upcoming second ship on the Mekong River for 2025, with its own regional routes open through 2026.)
Also rapidly growing is Viking’s presence along the Nile River, with two more riverboats planned along the waterway in 2024 and 2025, respectively, in addition to Egyptian itineraries now open through 2026. The 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary includes a weeklong river cruise bookended by pre- and post-sailing hotel stays in Cairo.
Earlier in 2024 will be the launch of Viking Hathor, plus a special “Paris & D-Day 80th Anniversary” itinerary and an extended “Lyon, Provence & the Rhineland” voyage, combining a cruise on the Rhine River and in southern France. And beginning in 2025 will be the “London, Paris & D-Day" voyage.
