The future of river cruise looks bright, spectacular and even surreal
Daniel Thiriet, Co-Managing Director of Ama Waterways, thinks river cruise will witness major developments in the future. Unveiling his plans for his future fictitious company, Future River Cruise, helicopters and luxury restaurants could become the next big thing.
American and Chinese tourists are eager for river cruise in Europe
Frederik Erdmann, an industry expert of Seatrade Cruise Review says, “North America is becoming an increasingly important market for Europe’s cruise lines.” In fact, in 2016 alone, more than 1.3 million passengers made a river cruise in the old continent, and nearly half of these people were Americans and Canadians. And, with Chinese tourists knocking on the door, they are prepared to welcome even more river cruise passengers.
These ships are offering different concepts to adapt to their clientele.
According to Ben Wirz, owner of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, “We will see ships that have mostly senior citizens on board, we will have ships for families, we will have ships for younger people.” The activities offered on board are varied and targeting a bracket of people from all age ranges. From yoga and cooking classes to free Wi-Fi and surf simulators, river cruise ships will attract more and more tourists. However, the reality is that a large percentage of cruise ship passengers are mostly people above 50 years old.
River cruises have considerably developed in infrastructure
The “Crystal Bach” and “Crystal Mahler” are two river ships put into service in 2017 that offer panoramic balcony windows. As for the French “Elbe Princesse” and “Elbe Princesse II”, they are paddle wheel ships that resemble the ones found along the famous Mississippi. Additionally, Ama Waterways is about to launch the biggest river ship called “AmaMagna” and it’ll be around 22 metres wide.
Thiriet wants more than just the Rhine and the Danube
Indeed, the Rhine and the Danube have been the most popular rivers for cruise ships. They are even more popular than the Seine, Douro or Elbe. However, Daniel Thiriet dreams of something more extravagant and a cruise destination that stretches from Europe to other continents. His fictitious Future River Cruise plans to sail on the Irrawaddy, Ganges and even the Congo. Some cruises are offering more dynamic activities like ballooning, canyoning and photo tours to attract younger passengers, who are bored with the usual city and bus tours.
The river cruise of the future is going to be environmentally friendly
Mario Ferreira of Mystic Invest/Douro Azul is planning on launching the first fully electric river cruise ship in March of 2019. It was announced at Seatrade Europe in Hamburg in September. The vessel will have a capacity of carrying 126 passengers, plus 40 crew members. This initiative is one of the major developments and efforts made by a river cruise company for environmental sustainability. In fact, built for zero-emission, the ship will be in operation on the Douro in Portugal and will make regularly stops for battery recharging along the river’s electrical supply.
