The world’s biggest ocean-cruise lines are steering to rivers

Cruise passengers are often fiercely loyal to a particular cruise line, even though they sometimes haven’t given the competitors a try.

You’d think that cruise lines would be keen to capture that brand loyalty by offering both ocean and river cruises. Yet until now, mostly only river-cruise companies have been brave enough to expand their horizons.

Scenic and sister company Emerald moved into expedition cruising with the launch of Scenic Eclipse in 2019 and Emerald Azzurra in 2022. APT too offers both, although its ocean ships are charters.

Launch boats approach the Aqua Mekong (Aqua Expeditions) on Tonle Sap River, Cambodia.

Viking is by far the most successful company to have hulls in both waters. It began as a river-cruise company in Europe before it parlayed its high passenger-approval ratings into ocean and then expedition businesses.

It hasn’t happened the other way around. Ocean companies have shown little enthusiasm for launching river ships or acquiring river companies, which are notable for remaining in private family hands.

Crystal Cruises made a valiant effort from 2016, but its river ships were sold off when it went insolvent in 2022. It now only operates two ocean ships under new owner Abercrombie & Kent.

But as river cruising booms and cruise companies see synergies and heftier profits, that may change.

Ponant Explorations Group has just announced that it has acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions, the small-ship company that operates river and ocean cruises in South America and South-East Asia.

Ponant Explorations Group has acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The move will allow the group to operate in new places. Aqua Expeditions sails in the Galapagos Islands, where only cruise ships of under 100 passengers can operate; Ponant ships carry more.

And Aqua Expeditions operates on the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia and Amazon in Peru, which gives Ponant an anchor-hold on rivers for the first time.

The deep pockets of ultimate parent company Artemis Group (which owns prestigious luxury brands such as Gucci, Saint Laurent, Christie’s and Chateau Latour) will no doubt allow Aqua Expeditions to expand its offerings.

It comes just as Aqua launches new itineraries in the Seychelles and Tanzania from December 2025 on new ship Aqua Mare, its third ocean yacht.

Ponant isn’t the only cruise company looking to splash into rivers. Seriously big companies have begun to take an interest.

At the end of last month, Celebrity Cruises – owned by the Royal Caribbean Group – announced it was creating Celebrity River Cruises and had signed an order for 10 ships.

Jason Liberty, chief executive of Royal Caribbean Group, was frank about why. Half the company’s guests had experienced a river cruise or were intending to do one.

“We will deepen customer engagement and further our ability to keep guests within our ecosystem,” he said, which is corporate speak for keeping the profits in your own pocket.

Details of Celebrity River Cruises remain sketchy. The ships, which will echo Celebrity’s ocean-ship design, will launch in Europe in 2027, with bookings likely to open later this year.