River Cruising Is Adding About 20 Ships in 2027, Without Counting Viking

Cruise Lines International Association says around 20 new river cruise ships will enter service in 2027, with its headline figure at 21. Andy Harmer, CLIA’s UK and Ireland managing director, gave the numbers on October 13 at a UK river cruise event, saying river cruising continues to offer “an enormous amount of choice.”

The list spans well-known brands. AmaWaterways is adding AmaRudi, AmaFiora and AmaMaya, Uniworld has Audrey, Marlene and São Rafael, Celebrity Cruises plans Celebrity Compass and Celebrity Seeker, and Scenic, TUI River Cruises, Viva Cruises, Riviera Travel, Saga, Emerald and CroisiEurope all have new vessels. American Cruise Lines is also adding ships.

Geography is widening. New ships are headed to the Rhine, Danube, Douro and Seine, but also the Mekong, the Amazon and North America. Viking is the notable absence from the tally because it is not a CLIA member; the line plans 18 additional river ships by 2028, so the real market growth is larger than the headline.

CLIA pointed to trends behind the building boom: longer-haul destinations in Asia and South America, shorter three-to-five-night sailings, immersive local experiences, off-season travel and more solo river cruisers. For travelers, that means more choice of ships and itineraries, though the source did not address water levels or pricing.

Sources: Seatrade Cruise News, Travel Extra