All things river cruising - CLIA RiverView 2026
Every spring, the travel industry converges to celebrate all things river cruising at CLIA’s RiverView Conference. Here delegates learn about industry trends, operator innovations, and expand their product knowledge, with ship visits and overnight experiences on board. This year’s conference was in Amsterdam, a key destination on many a European River Cruise itinerary, and Fred. Olsen Travel sent staff members from across the business to expand their knowledge of this buoyant sector of the travel industry.
The conference presentations talked about river cruising’s growth as a sector, not only across its core market of older travellers, but also with younger guests and multi-generational groups. River cruising’s unique blend of comfort, culture and convenience, across multiple destinations in one trip, is an attractive proposition for any traveller. Giles Hawke of Celebrity Cruises revealed their plans for a fleet of 20 river ships by 2031, with the first two launching in 2027, and that they are converting their existing ocean cruise guests to the additional joys of river cruising. This echoes some of the trends we have seen across the ocean cruise industry – as ocean ships grew increasingly bigger, with more and more facilities, hosting thousands of passengers, there also emerged a demand for smaller ships, offering more intimate and authentic experiences, and river cruising fits this bill perfectly.
With global conflicts making some travellers more cautious of making plans too far afield, the European holiday sector has seen an uplift, and this is the heartland of river cruising, along historical waterways such as the Seine, Rhone, Rhine, Douro and Danube. Operators continue to strive for innovation and enhanced experiences in this market, with Emerald launching new ships Astra, Lumi and Nova in 2026 and 2027, and AmaWaterways planning 15 new European ships by 2032. Confidence in river cruising also extends globally though, as Scenic are to launch Spirit of the Mekong II in 2028, and AmaWaterways’ second Colombian ship has just recently set sail on the Magdalena River.
Guest speaker Susan Calman gave some humorous insights into the cruise industry alongside the trade presentations, “It was amazing to hear her firsthand experiences of cruising and river cruising from the range of documentaries she has filmed,” confirms Fleur, from our Bury St Edmunds shop. “Susan is evidence that when you experience a product or service you become an expert! She was able to share so many interesting facts and information regarding her experiences.”
Megan, from our head office marketing team, found all the presentations insightful, “It was all incredibly informative, and we were blessed with an appearance from Susan Calman who had us all laughing. It was interesting to hear from different people within the industry and very entertaining to hear all the banter between the different brands!”
Eight ships were moored for delegates to visit and explore. The Fred Olsen team got to have a look around AmaSerena, Amadeus Riva, Avalon View, Emerald Luna, Riverside Debussy, Geoffrey Chaucer, Tui Maya and Viva Enjoy, so they got a real feel for the different operators’ brands. Fleur confirms this, “There was such a variety of ships, and the distinct personalities each one carried made the experience very insightful. Stepping from one vessel to another felt like moving between entirely different worlds, from ultra-luxury environments with quiet, refined elegance to vibrant, activity-packed ships designed for energy and entertainment. What stood out most was how clearly each operator’s identity came through in their amenities, service style, and overall atmosphere; some emphasized exclusivity and space, while others focused on innovation, or bold and immersive experiences. It was fascinating to see how ‘class’ wasn’t just about price point, but about intention - how each cruise line curates a specific kind of journey for their guests.”
For the two-night conference each delegate enjoyed a hosted dinner and overnight stay on two different ships - here are their highlights:
VIVA ENJOY
Ellie – Travel Consultant Worthing “The cabin was bright and had everything that you needed and the floor to ceiling windows that fully open to give you amazing view of the river - perfect when you are sailing to all the different destinations.”
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Fleur – “Dining was a highlight of the experience. The presentation of each dish was stunning, and the flavours matched the visual appeal. A delicate pasta dish served with fresh asparagus, followed by slow-cooked salmon and finally a decadent chocolate lava cake for dessert.
Megan – VIVA are quite new to the UK market, so it was great to learn all about the company and see all the wonderful features included onboard. The dinner table was beautifully dressed, the staff were so attentive and lovely (I still have my little bowtie from my napkin) and the food was absolutely incredible, the wine was not so bad either! Then it was party time. Admittedly I may be biased here because the way to my heart is good food, wine and an ABBA tribute band – and this ship had all three!”
AVALON VIEW
Olivia - Trainee Travel Consultant, Jarrolds Norwich “The ship was beautifully decorated, and one feature I really loved was how the beds face the French balcony, giving you amazing river views right from your bed.”
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Megan – “Another stunning ship, the Avalon View was very sleek and there were REAL Orchids in the rooms (I was enthralled). The party this evening was a live band in the bar, it was fantastic fun and I danced until my feet told me it was time for bed! It is worth mentioning that Avalon adjust your mattress to suit your preference – amazing!”
Fleur summarises the whole experience, “Attending CLIA Riverview allowed me to learn so much about the range of river cruise operators, and expand my knowledge to help make suitable suggestions to my clients. Having experienced them first hand, you now know the quality and experience your customers will be receiving, which is fantastic.”
