River Cruise News 2022
Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert
There seems to be a lot going in in the river cruise world.
The pandemic has changed river cruising in a few ways making better in most cases but also has hurt some operations.
So, let’s explore together and learn about news in the river cruise world in January 2022.
Crystal
Perhaps the most shocking news of all is that Crystal has suspended river cruise operations until the end of May due to the bankruptcy of their parent company, Genting Hong Kong.
They are the first river cruise company that may become a casualty as a result of the pandemic.
No one is quite sure how all this will play out. Genting rapidly expanded and there are several media reports they over paid for their four 135 meter ships. Will they be able to restart operations at the end of May?—probably not in our judgement.
For over a year, we have been advising people that Genting was on shaky ground financially.
However, don’t think for a moment that competitors are glad—when a giant falls, all of us are very sad that a great option for some clients has an uncertain future.
The best guess from industry observers is that some other company will buy these four ships and put them back into service. Will they retain the Crystal name?—no one knows for sure.
Crystal has always represented luxury to their guests and it is sad to see such a great company face some hardships.
Scenic
Scenic has made an offer to those who can’t sail on Crystal due to their stoppage of operations, a $750 dollars discount for river cruises and $1,000 off for ocean cruises.
According to Ann Chamberlain, Scenic Group USA Vice President of Sales, “Our hearts go out to all the employees and crew members of Crystal Cruises as they have been a long-standing member of the cruise industry family, and although they are competitors, we have always been impressed with their outstanding brand and professionalism.” Well said, Ann.
Some agents who were faced with rebooking their clients, report Scenic has made the process easy and clients are grateful.
This offer was put out in a press release and it is clear it is an attempt to mitigate the cancellations that booked Crystal guests are facing and not to take advantage of a bad situation.
Avalon
There seems to be some interesting developments in Avalon—especially their new tour offerings.
Avalon has enhanced their Active and Discovery itinerates. Tours named “tourapalooza”—how about a wine tasting in a cave, or a medieval ghost tour in Viviers or cycling past French flamingos in the Camargue—all are offered on their Rhône River cruise sailings.
There may be a charge for some of the tours. For example, 23 of the 31 tours were included at no extra charge on the Rhône River route I used as an example in this section.
This is a great new idea!
Uniworld
Uniworld has announced a new stateroom upgrade program. It is called Category+ and allows booked guests the opportunity to bid on a potential upgrade before their scheduled sailing date.
By using their Plusgrade program, guests will be offered the chance look at possible upgrades and then place a bid for the upgrade. They will be able to make multiple bids.
According to the President and CEO of Uniworld, Ellen Bettrifge, “Our new Category+ stateroom program will give our guests an opportunity to add even more luxury to their vacation at a price point of their choosing, risk free.”
The guests should be notified if their offer is accepted or declined within 3 days. If accepted, the guest’s credit card will be immediately charged.
Since this program was just announced on 21 January 2022, it is a little soon to evaluate the results and popularity of this idea.
Tauck
After a 17 month delay, Tauck has begun sailing on the Douro River in Portugal. This is the first time Tauck has begun sailing on the Douro.
The Andorinha, an 84 passenger ship will continue Tauck’s signature 4 person operational staff of a cruise director and 3 Tauck Director Guides. The ship is named for a native Portuguese migratory swallows who return each spring to Portugal.
The ship is currently sailing 2 routes. The first is a 7 day sailing on the Douro. The second route is a 12 day itinerary that included the 7 day sailing cruise and two-night stays in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital and Madrid, Spain’s capital.
Viking
Most of the current energy and buzz in Viking is on the ocean cruise and explorer cruises, with new ships being built, but there is an exciting development for 2022—Viking will start sailing on the Mississippi River.
The Viking Mississippi is scheduled to sail in October 2022 and sold out at present for much of 2022. The Mississippi has staterooms for 386 guests. There are 7 categories of staterooms and all have king-size beds, large showers, the Viking signature heated bathroom floors. All are outside staterooms.
Unlike the river ships in Europe, the Mississippi has an aft infinity plunge pool.
The cruise fare will include some shore excursions and they will also offer curated optional tours which cost extra.
They will start on two routes for 2022—a round trip from New Orleans and a Heart of the Delta route from Memphis to New Orleans.
AmaWaterways
In the latter half of 2021, AmaWaterways started sailing in Egypt on their new ship, the AmaDahlia. If you read this blog regularly, you know Anne and I sailed on this new 10 day Egypt route in December of 2021.
Along with this great new route, I got a chance to talk to our long-time friend Alex Pinelo, who will be the new Senior Vice President of Sales in a couple of months to get his thoughts about the most important news from AmaWaterways for this blog. Here are his thoughts:
“AmaWaterways will continue to emphasize the guest experience and develop new and exciting routes and experiences for all. The 7 Rivers Journeys in 2023 and new route planned in South America in 2024 are great examples. More details to come. We are financially strong and committed to excellence and supporting our valued travel partners and their clients and our guests. I am proud and humbled to help lead the sales team for this great company.”
With Gary Murphy retiring on 1 April 2022 after 30 years in the travel business, Alex has the experience and drive to continue the great success of AmaWaterways and help lead them into the future.
My Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this report. We will try to keep you updated as the year goes on about river cruising.
We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.
When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.
Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!
HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:
AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent
