River cruising has come a long way. New ships. New destinations. But the joys of river cruise life remain the same; no seasick pills to worry about, beautiful scenery all around you and easy access to some of the world’s great destinations.

A recent story in our sister publication in the U.S. pointed out that river cruising sales are up 82% for home-based agents with Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.

Even better, said Penny Martin from The Travel Agent Next Door, is it’s a fast-growing travel segment that’s a lucrative business for agents.

cruising is extremely popular, especially with clients 50-plus in age,” said Martin, VP Travel Agent Experience for TTAND. “ River cruises take you right through the centre of the countryside and towns and cities. It is so easy to get on and off the vessel, and you are right in town. They have many excursions that are included as well as all meals, beer and wine. Clients love that they don’t have to pack and unpack as they do on a coach tour…..agents should take advantage of the many fam opportunities and agent rates so they can experience river cruises themselves in order to sell this product with confidence.

Kathy Wilton of Vision Travel is another river cruise fan. But it requires thought.

“It comes down to qualifying your clients,” she said. “River cruising is intimate due to the number of guests on board and the size of the boats compared to ocean cruises. It’s a very interesting way to cruise, and I feel you get very personalized shore excursions because of the small groups that go on each.”

Some suggest river cruises are mostly for the older crowd, but Wilton doesn’t necessarily agree.

“Do your clients want small boats where you will see your fellow cruisers often, do they want to indulge in the destination, do they want to experience the locks between Budapest and Nuremberg? A lot of cruisers that have done ocean are wanting to experience the river cruises now.

“Another thing is when you go to other countries such as doing Africa or Siem Reap area, I find it better, for me, to do this as a river cruise because you go out and experience the destination and come back to the boat for your meals which is a big one for a lot of people. Meaning, they can feel ‘safe’ to eat because it’s on the boat and not eat locally if that concerns guests.”

Cathy Davis of Zebrano Travel, a Virtuoso member, said river cruises are big sellers.

“I don’t do a ton of it right now but I have toured all the river cruise company ships and know what the differences are between ships.”

Davis said river cruise passengers are getting younger, if the cruises are 10 days or less, that is. “The longer the cruise, the more likely the age group will be older.”

Uniworld, she said, has two ships designed for the younger demographic – U river cruises – designed for 35-50 year olds – with boutique hotel style finishings and communal dining.The ships stay longer in ports, including some overnights ,so that passengers can experience the nightlife.

Davis noted that newer ships have larger rooms than the old models. She cautioned that popular destinations sell out quickly, so booking early is critical.

One of the biggest bits of news for river cruisers is the debut this summer of the new, double-wide AmaWaterways ship, The AmaMagna. Words like “revolutionary” get tossed around far too easily in travel circles, but this ship might deserve some of the hype.

“A lot of your clients have not waded into the river cruise experience because they didn’t feel it had what they are looking for,” said Kristin Karst of AmaWaterways. “Our research says the typical river cruise ship doesn’t have enough space for them.”

The AmaMagna doesn’t have that problem. It’s the same length as many others in the company’s fleet (443 feet) but is 72-feet wide. That compares with 38 feet for many river ships. That means bigger dining areas and more of them, bigger swimming pools and much larger rooms. The average room on the AmaMagna is said to be about 355 square feet, which is massive for a river ship.

In an email exchange with TravelPulse Canada, Kim Clarke of Avalon Waterways explained why river cruises have bolted so far up the booking charts.

“Baby boomers love it, and we are now seeing younger passengers who are discovering the relaxing fun of a river cruise,” said Clarke, director of sales for the Globus family of brands in Canada, parent company of Avalon Waterways.

“Itineraries take passengers to destinations of interest to this demographic – Budapest, Amsterdam, the vineyards and castles of Europe. Plus, every cruise is an opportunity to learn, a goal of many travellers, whether it’s about colourful markets, World War II history or local music across Europe. Themed cruises focussing on wine, golf, history, Christmas markets, gardening, Jewish heritage and golf are all of interest to Avalon passengers.

Clarke said river cruising has many features that agents can sell.

“Of course, the ships are much smaller than ocean-going ones (Avalon’s largest accommodates just 166 guests). So, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people and not have to worry about lengthy embarkation and disembarkation processes.”

“The lengthy list of inclusions demonstrates the excellent value-for-money that an Avalon cruise provides: a choice of shore excursions every day; wine and beer with lunch and dinner; access to bicycles and Nordic walking poles; the services of an Adventure Host who makes recommendations for those who wish to explore ashore independently and who hosts yoga and stretch classes – the list goes on.”

Clarke said the inclusions help make for a “no surprises” bill for clients at the end of the cruise. And agents earn full commission on all of these elements, even the port taxes, she pointed out.

Asked for tips on selling Avalon trips, Clarke suggested that agents explain to clients that they don’t have to pack their day with city tours and lectures and other activities.

“If they choose to spend all day on board, perhaps lounging on the Sky Deck watching the breathtaking landscape, that’s just fine too,” she said.

Clarke said it’s also important to point out that river cruise ships aren’t quite like their seafaring cousins.

“We don’t have rock climbing walls or casinos, and nightly entertainment is perhaps a local trio who have come on board for the evening or an evening of light piano music. For these reasons, our cruises aren’t suited to families with small children – which can actually be another selling point.”

For agents reflecting on their client list and who would be suited to an Avalon cruise, Clarke suggests thinking of upscale ocean cruisers, escorted tour clients, and anyone interested in culture and history. The introduction of the Active and Discovery cruises last year has opened the cruise line to other passengers who wish to incorporate activities such as hiking or biking into their vacations.

“Clients opting for these cruises average a full six years younger than our other itineraries,” she said.

There’s also the opportunity to promote river cruising to clients who have expressed interest in a cruise but who are leery about sea-sickness – which of course is never an issue on the rivers.

Even clients looking for a more exotic vacation to, say, Southeast Asia, the Amazon or India can now choose an Avalon cruise.

“Tour by day and each evening return to your comfy ship to enjoy options of Western or local cuisine in a lovely, intimate setting,” Clarke said. “No wonder our clients love it!”