Brinley Hineman
VIENNA -- One point that was repeated at the ASTA River Cruise Expo here last week: Travelers crave immersive experiences.
During my time at the conference, I connected with executives to gain a deeper understanding of how they develop their itineraries to ensure a trip down the Danube or Rhine is immersive for new clients -- and doesn't become stale for repeaters.
While enjoying the sun on the top deck of Tauck's Savor, Steve Spivak, its vice president of global sales and reservations, explained to me what inspires today's river cruisers: "the story of the destination, not just sightseeing."
"They see that there's a different way to experience Europe, and they want to go deeper, and they want to connect more with the local cultures. Then, they fall in love with that style of travel."
One way to do that is through themed cruises. Music, golf, cycling, gastronomy, history, gardening, books, art -- the themes are endless, and more departures are coming as lines expand their itineraries and extend their operating seasons.
As Jackie Friedman, president of Nexion Travel Group, put it while moderating a talk between river titans Torstein Hagen and Rudi Schreiner: "That's the beautiful thing about river cruising: There's something for everyone."
Niche and theme river cruise sailings
Tapping into niche interests has proved to be successful; executives said how meaningful, immersive experiences deepen a passenger's connection to a place. It's not just river cruise lines finding a desire for experience-based travel; Travel research firm Arival named "experiences first" travel as one of its top five trends for 2025. Viator, too, found an increasing demand for immersive activities.
"We've jumped on the bandwagon," Marilyn Conroy, newly appointed as executive vice president of business development at Riviera Travel, told me while we chatted on the William Wordsworth.
Riviera has developed at least a dozen themed cruises catering to those with niche interests. One such cruise, the "Gardens and the Natural Beauty of the Rhone," has a devoted focus on the historical gardens and parks in the cities it visits. "Gastronomy of the Danube" takes travelers to popular cities along the river (Budapest and Vienna) but infuses the tried-and-true site tours with food and wine. For instance, instead of a standard tour of Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, travelers will visit the palace's confectioner to get a taste of treats made by master bakers.
Avalon Waterways brings the experiences onboard the ships, as well as off, which gives passengers another way to connect while sailing.
One way the brand deepens its on-board experience is through its celebrity storyteller-focused collection, which has featured the likes of Cheryl Strayed ("Wild" is one of my favorite memoirs), "Gone Girl" author Gillian Flynn, and Candace Bushnell, who wrote the "Sex and the City" column that inspired the iconic TV show.
For travelers who want to let the winds of fate guide them, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is relaunching mystery cruises next year. When the brand began offering these cruises, it didn't even tell clients where they were flying to or from, keeping them totally in the dark about their vacation. That proved too difficult to manage flights, said Michelle Palma, the executive vice president of sales, so in the current iteration, Uniworld is at least telling passengers where they will start and finish their cruise. But they won't learn itinerary until the night before.
The focus on immersion is not only found on European rivers. American Cruise Lines here in the United States has also launched a couple of themed cruises, including one for history buffs who want to learn more about the American Revolution, where they will visit the sites of the war and interact with the preserved history.