WHY RIVER CRUISING?
That more agents are focusing
on river cruising is the icing on the cake as they are in a prime position to spread the gospel and switch-sell clients from other types of holidays, even ocean cruisers. Viking River Cruises Head of Sales,
UK Neil Barclay, said half of Viking’s calls are from clients who have done an ocean cruise and are prepared to try the rivers now they can travel on modern vessels with suites and cabins with balconies.
A different experience Why? The vessels are small, holding an average 150 passengers, they moor in the heart of cities, towns and villages, and there are great views all the time. The average age is higher, at 60-plus, but long-term this should fall as things move on. APT regional manager Melissa Hackney attributed growing trade awareness to the Association of Cruise Experts, which holds an annual two-day river cruise expo and a chance to tour several river cruise boats. ACE also features three river cruise modules in its new training programme that agents must take, along with 27 modules on ocean cruising, to get ACE accreditation. There is also more in-depth training for agents who want to attain Ambassador status.
Added Hackney: “Momentum is building thanks to ACE, but it’s a slow burn. We are still educating agents; it’s still new to clients.” Of the 20 new river cruise vessels
entering service this year it is astounding that half of the new builds are from Viking. The company launched six of its
new-generation Longships last year and they have been so well received it is racing to bring in 10 more this year and another eight in 2014. Viking’s Barclay said: “Since launching the Longships we are attracting a different audience – people who wouldn’t have entertained us before; a lot of new-
to-cruise passengers. We’re seeing record call volumes but there is plenty of growth to come.”
What’s new Avalon Waterways is launching two more Panorama-class river cruise boats this year – the ones with the so-called inside cabins – on top of two that debuted in 2012, while sister companies AmaWaterways and
Rivers vs. Oceans...
DID YOU KNOW you could get all the passengers from 28 Viking River Cruises’ Longships on to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and still have room to spare? That amazing fact gives you the first clue about what makes river cruising different from sailing the high seas. River cruise boats carry an average of
just 150 people compared with hundreds or even thousands on the ocean. They have to be small, not only to fit on the rivers but also to get through locks and under low bridges (the wheelhouse can be lowered on most river cruise boats in Europe – for just that eventuality).
There are many other differences
between cruising the rivers and oceans: • RIVER CRUISE passengers have a view whenever the boat is sailing, whether of the countryside, cities, towns or villages, with commentary when going through picturesque gorges.
• RIVER CRUISE cabins and suites are more like a large room than the super suites on the ocean-going ships. Many have a small fitness centre and massage room and a few of the newer vessels have top-deck pools or hot tubs and alternative dining venues. Room service is the exception rather than the rule.
• RIVER CRUISE – Seasickness isn’t an issue. Great for passengers keen to cruise but worried they will feel unwell.
• OCEAN CRUISE ships mostly spend a day in each port whereas river cruise lines will normally often visit places for a morning or afternoon, other than in iconic cities such as Vienna or Budapest.
• OCEAN CRUISE ships are able to offer a huge array of facilities on board to keep their passengers busy from morning ‘til night. By the very nature of ocean-going cruising, passengers expect a wide choice of restaurants, entertainment and sporting facilities.
The Association of River Cruise Experts holds an annual two-day River Cruise expo with a chance to tour several river cruise boats
APT also have two newbies – the AmaVida, sailing on the Douro, and the AmaPrima, with so-called twin balconies (half inside, half outside) on the Rhine in Holland in spring and the Danube the rest of the year. There are also new vessels
from Amadeus by Lüftner Cruises (Amadeus Silver will be the fi rst in the company’s fl eet with full-size balconies and a coffee shop), Century Cruises and Sanctuary Cruises which both sail on the Yangtze in China, and another Orient Express vessel on the Irrawaddy; while Uniworld River Cruises has two more boats - River Orchid, on the Mekong, and Queen Isabel on the Douro. The Douro, Rhine and Danube will be in big demand in 2013, likewise the waterways that connect St Petersburg and Moscow in Russia and the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam. Uniworld is sailing the Po in Italy while AmaWaterways is adding the Seine. For 2014, Viking and Uniworld are launching new cruises in the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne rivers in Southern France.
Clockwise from top: Inside Lüftner Cruises’ Amadeus; service onboard Hebridean Cruises’ Royal Crown; African scenery with AmaWaterways.
www.sellinglonghaul.com • March 2013 37
HEBRIDEAN
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