Brinley Hineman
As spring weather does its best to supplant the winter chill, river cruise season is beginning in earnest.
This year is shaping up to be a notable one for river cruising with some 20 new ships, an unexplored river and a new player opening bookings. Already, brands are announcing their plans for 2026 and 2027, but let's not forget what's new this year.
Here's a refresher:
Abercrombie & Kent
This summer, the luxury tour operator will launch a river ship in the Peruvian Amazon.
The Pure Amazon will hold 12 cabins - 10 suites and two solo cabins -- and operate three- and four-night itineraries. Onboard spaces include Indoor and outdoor lounges, dining room, gym, massage room and pool
Amadeus River Cruises
The river cruise line will debut a new ship this year: the Amara. The 164-passenger ship will have 70 cabins and 12 suites and an indoor pool.
The Amara will sail the Danube Rhapsody itinerary along the Rhine and Danube, taking passengers on an eight-day journey across Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. The ship will also operate the Magic of Advent on the Danube itinerary, which will sail from Nuremberg, Germany, to Vienna during the holiday season.
AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways, which captures the second-largest share of the river cruise market, plans to make history this year by launching river cruises in Colombia for the first time in decades. Bringing river cruising to a new country is not without challenges: the brand had delayed the launch of the AmaMagdalena until mid-April and the AmaMelodia to September.
Both Colombia ships will be smaller than a typical Europe-based river ship, with the Magdalena holding 60 passengers and the Melodia capable of hosting 64 guests. The ships will cruise the Magdalena River on two itineraries: Wonders of Colombia and Magic of Colombia, which go from Cartagena to Barranquilla and vice versa.
The brand will also debut the AmaSintra on the Douro River in Portugal.
American Cruise Lines
The cruise line that operates on American rivers and coasts will launch two ships this year: the American Patriot and the American Pioneer. Both ships will hold 130 passengers and will mark the introduction of the Patriot class.
The Pioneer will operate Florida coastal cruises beginning in the fall, while the Patriot will cruise New England before sailing to Florida this winter. The Patriot is slated to launch in June.
The river cruise line will also double its capacity in Alaska this year.
Avalon Waterways
Avalon is the newest line to sail the Bordeaux region in France after launching an itinerary there in March.
The Bonjour Bordeaux: Chateaux, Wineries & Charming Villages itinerary brings guests through part of French wine country on the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. Avalon will operate the itinerary on the Avalon Artistry II.
Celebrity River Cruises
Although Celebrity won't sail this year, I think the company's big announcement of a river cruise division is worth a mention.It will open bookings for 2027 river cruises -- which means that hopefully soon we'll get a peek at the itineraries it plans to operate.
Riviera Travel
Riviera is making a splash with the addition of two ships: the Riviera Radiance and Riviera Rose.
The Radiance will have a ship naming ceremony in Budapest at the end of May before it sails the Danube. The ship will have Riviera's biggest cabins yet and can hold 178 passengers. It will operate seven itineraries, including Budapest to the Black Sea River Cruise, a 15-day cruise.
The Rose will hold 114 passengers and cruise Portugal's Douro on the Highlights of the Douro Valley & Salamanca River Cruise itinerary.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
The S.S. Elisabeth will join Uniworld's fleet this year as the sister ship to the S.S. Victoria. The Elisabeth is a former Crystal ship.
The 110-passenger vessel will be used to operate Uniworld's first women-only cruise to Burgundy and Provence. After that, the Elisabeth will sail Christmas market itineraries and a sailing to castles along the Rhine.
Viking
Launching the most ships this year is none other than Viking. The line will debut 10 ships this year, with seven in Europe, two on the Nile and one on the Mekong. The Viking Nerthus has already launched on the Seine and will sail two itineraries: Paris & the Heart of Normandy and Christmastime in Paris & Normandy.