Trafalgar is officially entering the river cruise market, with bookings already opening through 2027.
Trafalgar River Cruises’ first vessels, Trafalgar Reverie and Trafalgar Verity, will begin sailing Europe in 2027, offering itineraries for individual travelers, groups and charter reservations, as well as land extensions in destinations such as Lucerne, Switzerland; Prague, Czech Republic; and Budapest, Hungary.
We caught up with Damien O’Connor, the newly appointed vice president of river cruises, to learn more about the brand’s expansion.
What can you tell us about your background in the cruise industry before your new role at Trafalgar?
I've predominantly been in ocean [cruising]. I started off with Carnival Cruise Line when I was 20, then joined the Disney [Cruise Line] startup team, where I helped deliver [Disney] Wonder and [Disney] Magic. I then spent most of my career with Royal Caribbean Group across its brands — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity [Cruises and] Azamara [Cruises] at that time. When Royal Caribbean acquired Silversea, I served as lead integration for that project.
Throughout my career, I've been involved in shipboard operations, including both hotel and marine technical operations, and have delivered about 14 newbuild vessels of all sizes, from 400 to 4,000 passengers.
I have spent the last three years consulting. I spent a year developing a yacht concept for Aman Resorts — extending a land-based resort experience to the sea —and then [I] did the same for Four Seasons for another year.
I had been dipping my toe into river cruising and looking at synergies between ocean and river for many years. In fact, I was part of a group that proposed river cruising to Celebrity Cruises for six consecutive years, and we were told every year it wasn’t the right fit. Of course, after I left, they announced river ships four years later.
I have been a Trafalgar customer for quite a few years and have always admired the brand’s expertise in land touring. When discussions began about taking two or three existing ships from our sister company, Uniworld [Boutique River Cruises], and putting them onto the river, I couldn't think of a better opportunity.
Damien O’Connor, vice president of river cruises for Trafalgar
Credit: 2025 TrafalgarWhy is now the right time for Trafalgar to launch river cruising?
Many of our guests already travel throughout Europe, especially on the Rhine and Danube, as well as to Amsterdam and Passau, Germany. Beyond Europe, we operate successfully in destinations such as Egypt, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and the Amazon. We have a very successful land and Nile operation in Egypt right now, which we expect to evolve into the river category of the brand. The development happening in Europe makes this the right moment to enter the space.
Where will Trafalgar’s inland waterways product fit in with parent company The Travel Corporation’s existing Uniworld brand and the market at large?
We are not positioning ourselves in the luxury bracket. That said, we are taking three very luxurious vessels from Uniworld. But we are rebranding, refurbishing and refitting the vessels, with the first two 128-guest vessels now becoming Trafalgar Verity and Trafalgar Reverie.
We want to be competitive, and we are looking at brands like Viking, AmaWaterways and Avalon [Waterways] in terms of pricing. We're slightly more boutique, but we also have an aggressive five-year plan.
We have ordered two newbuild vessels to debut mid-2028. [They will be] a little larger [with] 180 passengers onboard, and will feature some unique and innovative things that we'll be sharing more about in the future.
We’re also exploring charter opportunities, including potential itineraries on the Amazon and Mekong, as well as the possibility of operating 10 owned and chartered ships within five years.
What existing Uniworld vessels will become Reverie, Verity and beyond?
We’ve taken delivery of River Queen. We're not doing a complete overhaul, but we are doing a full refresh, including new paint, carpet, beds, equipment onboard [and] soft furnishings. Open decks and guest cabins are also being updated, and all stateroom bathrooms are being refitted.
The [former] Queen and [River] Princess will be in service next year, followed by River Duchess, which will join the fleet at the end of 2026 and begin service in March 2027. Those are our three ships between now and March 2027.
Former Uniworld ships are being converted to sail under Trafalgar’s brand.
Credit: 2025 TrafalgarHow would you say the vessels and overall experience will be different from other European river cruises?
Apart from our unique selling point, which is our land operation, we are focusing on what we're calling our shore experience director, supported by a team of three experienced concierges who will work closely with guests to design personalized, bespoke experiences both onboard and onshore, beyond included and optional excursions.
That will be the gatekeeper of the product, ensuring each port visit will have that intimate and knowledgeable understanding of all those backstreet experiences that aren't public. It’s that 10-seater restaurant in the back alley that we can get you invited to, or that be-my-guest experience that we're very well known for at Trafalgar, where we take our guests to homes and farms.
We want to ensure that we're known as a multigenerational experience that offers something for every part of the family, so entertainment and onboard activities will play a larger role.
We're also taking a multigenerational approach, so we won’t be positioning ourselves as an adults-only brand. While cabin configurations currently limit these options, future builds will expand that capability. We want to ensure that we're known as a multigenerational experience that offers something for every part of the family, so entertainment and onboard activities will play a larger role.
Incorporating the crew experience is another focus. We want to utilize our captain onboard and our chief engineer, something ocean cruising does well but river cruising often overlooks. We're looking for local captains and would love to have the first female river cruise captain in our fleet.
How should travel advisors be positioning the new river product, and what is the ideal client that they should be targeting?
Until we have new hardware, advisors should focus on our land experience. What sets us apart is our people and our culture — how guests interact with our shore experience personnel, bus drivers [and] airport greeters. We see it as a door-to-door experience.
We opened bookings six months ago, before we even had ships, and the demand has been strong. We’re seeing a good mix of current Trafalgar guests, along with travelers who are new to cruising and new to the brand.
