Last-minute bookings and heightened demand for Rhine and Douro sailings have largely shaped this summer's trends in Europe river cruising.
And while France sailings, typically strong at this time of year, softened in July and August as a result of the Summer Olympics in Paris, a number of operators also said there's high demand for France for later this year and next.
River cruise lines said demand was already strong heading into the summer. Avalon Waterways and Amadeus River Cruises were prepared for a busy season after increasing capacity last year on their most popular rivers, such as the Rhine, which proved beneficial: Avalon said it had less than 1% capacity available on the Rhine as of July 5.
Tauck has also seen a surge, saying European river sales were 13% ahead of 2023 year to date in late July.
"We are thrilled to see such high demand for our European river cruises -- all river regions are seeing robust bookings," said Julia O'Brien, Tauck's vice president of marketing.
Ongoing demand has driven an uptick in close-in bookings, sometimes within one to six weeks before departure.
Space, however, is hard to find. Avalon and Tauck said most cruises at this point are already well sold, while Amadeus said an atypically high number of travelers have joined its waitlists for sailings.
"We have a solid waitlist business; I think we've done a good job accommodating people and really actively working on the waitlist. But that's unusual," said Marcus Leskovar, executive vice president at Amadeus River Cruises.
Suppliers are also seeing strong bookings further out. Christmas market cruises continue to be robust across the board. And that strength goes beyond Europe. Uniworld River Cruises CEO Ellen Bettridge said the line has seen a sharp increase in demand for shoulder-season bookings in India and Southeast Asia this year and into 2025.
Uniworld and several other river cruise lines identified the Rhine as their top destination this summer. Photo Credit: Uniworld
The Rhine is tops
The Rhine has, by far, been the favorite among river cruise passengers this summer, with AmaWaterways, Amadeus, Avalon, Riverside Luxury Cruises and Uniworld all identifying the river as the summer's top seller.
They say the Rhine's popularity is driven by the number of countries it touches -- including the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland -- and the high concentration of castles that dot the hillsides of the Rhine gorge.
"The Rhine River is the most popular choice, and Avalon's Romantic Rhine itinerary sells out year over year," said Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon.
The Danube is also a top seller this summer and continues to rebound from the nosedive that demand took in early 2022 when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. Bookings picked up in Q2 last year, and this year suppliers say bookings have more evenly returned to both the Upper and Lower Danube.
"Danube itineraries are seeing a strong return in demand after some softness in recent years contributed by the lower Danube's proximity to Ukraine," O'Brien said.
The Douro River continues to be popular for Tauck and AmaWaterways, whose president and co-founder, Rudi Schreiner, said Douro sales have been "out of control."
"Portugal is so popular right now," said Schreiner, adding that the line's third Douro-based ship, the AmaSintra, is being built and is due to come out next year.
The Amadeus Diamond on the Seine. Photo Credit: Amadeus River Cruises
Travelers thinking about France
The Olympics, which kicked off in Paris on July 26, have fueled greater demand for river cruises in France before and after the Games, suppliers say.
Avalon said a guest survey showed France to be the top destination on travelers' lists in 2025. To meet that demand, Avalon is adding 33% more capacity on the five rivers it sails in France, which include two new waterways for the line -- the Garonne and Dordogne -- and six new cruises in 2025.
The Rhone is getting a post-Olympics boost, said Riverside Luxury Cruises CEO of the Americas Jennifer Halboth.
"We are seeing less demand for the Rhone this year due to the Olympics in Paris, yet really strong early demand for the Rhone for 2025," she said.