Brinley Hineman
River cruise passengers have an appetite for longer river cruises these days.
I first heard this sentiment from Cory McGillivray, the senior director of sales operations and channel marketing for the Globus family of brands, when he and I sat down for an On the Record Q&A. He said the thirst for longer trips is a departure from pre-pandemic trends, when four- to five-day itineraries were the sweet spot for travelers.
What he shared came straight from the traveler's mouth: nearly 50% of the 10,000 Avalon Waterways passengers surveyed by the brand said the ideal length for a river cruise is 10 to 12 days. This discovery prompted the river line to unveil 16 itineraries that stretch longer than a week, from 10 to 15 days.
And Avalon president Pam Hoffee said that the pent-up desire for long-haul travel; an increased interest in garnering more mileage out of air costs; and rise in remote work were all contributing factors.
"Today's cruisers have a stronger interest - and broader abilities - to make the most of their time away," she said.
Other lines are reporting similar interests among their passengers. And I can see why, as it aligns with another uptick in travel style I hear from the brands I cover: immersion. Travelers want to dive deeper into the regions they visit.
Riviera Travel said its travelers, especially retirees, solo passengers and repeat guests, are opting for longer itineraries, ranging from 10 to 29 days. This desire to get away for longer is fueled by the rise in airfare costs, making short European getaways less feasible. The lengthy itineraries prove to be a better investment for the traveler, a spokesperson said.
The line has observed growing demand for combination cruises, which is two itineraries back-to-back. These sailings range from 15 to 29 days.
River cruises that spill over onto land
Riviera unveiled "Grand Tours" itineraries, which pairs river cruises with land excursions. These itineraries feature an additional week of travel. For example: A tour that spends six days in Provence, followed by a river cruise on the Seine, disembarking in Paris.
AmaWaterways unveiled a similar cruise style this year called "Grand Itineraries," most of which are 14 nights. One example is a two-week tour of the Rhine River and the Dutch canals, with an option to extend the trip even further by tacking on a pre-cruise trip to Amsterdam and Lake Lucerne and a post-cruise extension in Zurich.
The brand also enables passengers to build their own combination cruises, giving them a 10% discount on each consecutive sailing.
Amadeus River Cruises is also observing this trend, with passengers combining their cruises with a pre- or post-sailing excursion to lengthen their trips.
Scenic Group, which includes Scenic Luxury Cruises and Emerald Cruises, offers most of its cruises as eight days. The company has noticed demand for pre- and post-cruise extensions and has launched new options in Portugal and Bavaria.
Extra-long river cruises
But maybe even two - or three - weeks isn't long enough.
Scenic launched six new "Ultimate Journeys" for its passengers, which combines river, ocean and land experiences. These marathon itineraries range from 54 to 85 nights.
American Cruise Lines also saw demand for lengthy getaways and launched the longest river cruise available in the U.S. The itinerary was introduced last year as a 61-day cruise. The line will operate a 51-day cruise in 2026, from Charleston, S.C., to Juneau, Ala.
American Cruise Lines also operates the longest Mississippi River cruise on the market, a 23-day sailing.