Expanding the river cruise market to keep the fire alive

River cruising is an example of one of those happening new travel trends that just never cooled off. But one really does have to wonder how long river cruising can stay hot for.

While the industry has Viking River Cruises to thank for a huge influx in product and visibility, more recent efforts like AmaWaterways partnering with Adventures by Disney to create family-friendly cruises, Tauck’s news that it will double its family capacity in 2017 and even Crystal Cruises’ decision to enter the river cruise market with two yacht-style river cruise vessels in 2017, are the kinds of moves that will likely keep the river cruise flame burning even longer by opening up the river cruise industry to a wider audience.

The truth is that while inventory heavyweights like Viking and Grand Circle Cruise Line remain committed to the large baby boomer and matures market, if river cruising is going to survive and thrive for the long term, it needs to cast a wider net to capture a larger demographic.

So one has to applaud efforts to do just that. By rolling out the welcome mat for families, companies like Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, AmaWaterways and Tauck are arguably introducing the next generation of river cruisers to the travel style and giving it a bit more longevity.

By inviting families onboard, they are also helping to break down the stigma that river cruising is predominantly for older travelers. If travelers in their 60s, 50s, 40s and younger feel more comfortable booking river cruises because they know they won’t be the only ones in their age group onboard, that will open up the market to a larger swath of potential passengers.

While younger travelers generally don’t have as much time to spend sailing the world’s rivers as the retirees do, meaning they usually opt for shorter itineraries and often represent less revenue opportunity per passenger than an older traveler rife with time and money, they shouldn’t be overlooked in terms of the important role they play in filling a swelling number of river cruise ships throughout the world.

And Crystal Cruises’ entrance into the river cruise market will help to increase awareness of river cruising among ocean cruisers, a large segment of the cruising public that while likely becoming more aware of river cruising, may have been waiting for an ocean brand they are more familiar with to take the leap to inland waterways.

Whichever subsegment of the market a river cruise line goes after — whether it’s the high-end traveler (eyeing up Tauck and Uniworld) or a more budget-oriented cruiser (thinking the four-star alternative Emerald Waterways) or even themed cruises that attempt to introduce river cruising to enthusiasts such as oenophiles, beer lovers and, yes, even knitters (Avalon Waterways and AmaWaterways are all about themed sailings) — all of these attempts to broaden river cruising’s appeal will help keep the river cruise flame burning.