The River Cruise Line presentation at River Cruise Expo 2012

2. THE RIVER CRUISE CALENDAR

3. The World of
River Cruising

4. •Demand for River Cruising is
growing YOY.
•Stock sells out fast.
•River cruising attracts a
diverse blend of passengers
who will try different
itineraries.
•River cruise operators
continue to grow despite
market the current economic
conditions.

9. The one thing we
all have in common
is the rivers that we
sail on and when
we sail on them.

10. •Unlike Ocean Cruising,
River Cruise Operators are
dictated by tidal
conditions.
•High water levels prevent
us from sailing under
bridges on particular rivers.
•Low water conditions
prevent us from sailing up
the rivers.

11. Where and when
do river cruises
sail?

13. •February – March: The Nile,
Yangtze & Mekong
•March – April: Paris Cruises,
Dutch Waterways & Rhine
Singles Cruises
•May – September: Rhine,
Moselle, Neckar & Main River,
Douro
•July – October: Scottish
Highlands
•August: Seine: Saone, Rhone &
Russian Waterways
•September: Danube & Yangtze
•November - December- Rhine
& Christmas Cruises, Douro

14. As a rule of thumb, UK clients will
generally book their river cruise with
their travel agent
6 months (if not more) in advance of the
day of departure.
This ensures:
•The client gets the cruise and cabin
they want.
•The Travel Agent protects their
commission.
•The River Cruise Industry does not
become a discounting battlefield.

15. AVERAGE BOOKING TIMES
•February – March: The Nile,
AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER Yangtze & Mekong
•March – April: Paris Cruises,
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER Dutch Waterways & Rhine
Singles Cruises
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER/JANUARY •May – September: Rhine,
FEBRUARY/MARCH/APRIL/MAY Moselle, Neckar & Main River,
Douro
JANUARY/FEBRUARY •July – October: Scottish
Highlands
FEBRUARY/ MARCH •August: Seine: Saone, Rhone &
Russian Waterways
MARCH/APRIL •September: Danube & Yangtze
•November - December- Rhine
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER & Christmas Cruises, Douro

16. The Clientele

17. River Cruise Holidays (pax 000s), 2009 - 2011
•In 2010, the UK river cruise marker grew by 8% to reach over 142,000 passengers.

18. •The clientele used to be 70-plus but
the age band is dropping and many
cruisers are now 50-70.
•River cruises appeal to the kind of
people who like to have something to
do all the time.
•The majority of passengers on board
river cruise ships are empty nesters.
•River cruises are a popular choice for
customers who like escorted tours.

19. Small cruise ship City Breaks Rail Holidays
experience
Coaching/Escorted
Holidays Large cruise ship
Group
passengers
Travellers

20. In Summary...

21. •Understand the river cruise calendar.
•Work your marketing and advertising around booking patterns.
•Make adverts informative and editorial.
•Understand that there is sense of urgency when selling a river
cruise due to capacity and let your clients know this.
• Protect the healthy levels of commission on offer.
•Learn about the ports of call and each river cruise line’s USP’s
•Understand the fundamental differences between Ocean and
River Cruising.
•Review your database of clients – river cruise passengers already
exist within it.