River cruise lines are introducing itineraries that add a full land component, meeting a robust demand from travelers who would like to take a two-week European vacation.
Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises have all announced such land-river pairings, which are in addition to the pre- and post-cruise land extensions they offer.
For Riviera Travel, the river-land combo is not a new thing, as the company operates river cruises while crafting and operating its own tours. Because of increased demand for these combined itineraries, however, Riviera has grown its inventory of this product.
Avalon and Uniworld, river lines that are part of multibrand corporations, are relying on sister companies to deliver the guided tour component.
Uniworld has teamed up with Luxury Gold to offer river-land itineraries, while Avalon announced a slate of offerings with sister brand Globus.
AmaWaterways, which has no closely related company that operates tours, has partnered with Mandarin Oriental to create river-land packages.
Avalon Waterways president Pam Hoffee said the river-land itineraries "reflect a strong demand for longer, more immersive vacations that combine multiple countries, cultures and experiences into one trip."
She said the Globus family of brands is "uniquely positioned to meet that demand" with established companies Globus and Avalon.
Many travelers want to extend their time in Europe. Hoffee said an Avalon survey of nearly 10,000 customers showed that 51% are interested in taking a two-week vacation.
The desire to make the most of a single holiday is what Uniworld and Luxury Gold are observing from customers who have already booked the combined itineraries, which are debuting next year. Those companies are under the TTC Tour Brands umbrella.
Uniworld and Luxury Gold president and CEO Ellen Bettridge said booking a combined itinerary removes the complexity of juggling the logistics of multiple travel styles and gives travel advisors a compelling way to sell a Europe trip.
"At both Uniworld and Luxury Gold, we spend a great deal of time listening to our guests and travel advisor partners," she said. "What we heard is that many travelers were already combining river cruises with independent land stays before or after their trip. Bringing together the strengths of our two brands allowed us to create a more seamless, elevated experience that removes tricky logistics, while enhancing the overall journey."
An Avalon-Globus itinerary pairs a Seine cruise with a visit to London. Photo Credit: Avalon Waterways
Pre- and post-cruise land extensions were already a common offering among river cruise lines, with companies typically offering two or three days before or after a cruise in a destination near the river. The longer tours open up more options.
For example, one of the Globus-Avalon land-cruise itineraries enables travelers to combine a Europe river cruise with Britain and Ireland or Italy -- popular destinations not reachable on most river cruise itineraries.
Travel advisor Rick Ardis of Ardis Travel in East Rutherford, N.J., said the pairings present a good opportunity for advisors who have clients who want an extended itinerary. Rather than piecing it together with multiple suppliers, the packages enable advisors to present a more efficient option to clients.
"If you're doing it as a package, the customer only has one number to call if there's a hiccup in the trip," Ardis said.
Not to be overlooked is making the most of your airfare, said Andre Leavitt, founder and president of Time Travels Inc. in St. Paul, Minn. She already had been encouraging clients to prolong their vacations with pre- and post-cruise land extensions to maximize their transatlantic trip.
Bettridge elaborated on the trend of travelers seeking longer European vacations.
"We're seeing growing interest from working professionals, honeymooners, multigenerational families and travelers celebrating milestone occasions," Bettridge said. "Many of these guests are prioritizing meaningful experiences over material purchases and are willing to invest in longer, more immersive journeys."