Cruise Planners Trains 153 Advisors at River Cruise Academy

Cruise Planners has wrapped its annual River Cruise Academy in Amsterdam, bringing travel advisors onboard an AmaWaterways ship for immersive training as client interest in European river itineraries continues to rise. The weeklong program ran alongside the fifth annual ASTA River Cruise Expo, held March 7-14, which drew more than 1,600 travel professionals to the Dutch capital.

Onboard training targets a fast-growing but still unfamiliar niche

The River Cruise Academy was hosted by Cruise Planners in partnership with AmaWaterways and began March 7 aboard AmaVenita. The 2025 session included 153 Cruise Planners advisors and guests, combining an onboard stay with education focused on how river cruising operates and how to sell it effectively.

“River cruising continues to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry, but there’s still a lot of mystery,” said Scott Koepf, chief strategy officer of Cruise Planners. Koepf said the program is designed to give advisors practical product familiarity so they can better match ships and itineraries to client needs.

Curriculum emphasized operations, selling, and communicating value

Organizers positioned the curriculum as a step beyond broad destination training, focusing instead on how the river cruise experience works day to day and how advisors can explain the product clearly to clients who are more familiar with ocean cruising.

AmaWaterways co-founder and chief brand ambassador Kristin Karst and Florida regional business development manager Herlan Ruiz led sessions highlighting the line’s fleet and destinations. Training topics included:

• How river cruise operations differ from ocean cruising, including ship flow and the onboard guest experience.
• Sales strategies and positioning for river products, particularly for clients new to inland waterways.
• Ways to communicate river cruising’s value in advisor-client conversations, including inclusions and itinerary pacing.

By keeping the program onboard, Cruise Planners and AmaWaterways emphasized firsthand exposure to the environment advisors are expected to sell, including observing ship routines and experiencing common spaces as guests do.

ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam drew a large advisor turnout

The River Cruise Academy took place within the larger schedule of the ASTA River Cruise Expo, which included masterclasses, networking, peer-to-peer exchange, and ship tours. Organizers reported that 900 of the 1,600 attendees were participating for the first time.

The week in Amsterdam also included the christening of AmaSofia at the ASTA River Cruise Expo.

Across the event, advisors toured ships from multiple lines and reviewed updated onboard amenities, along with new advances in sustainability and onboard luxury that operators say are shaping the next phase of river cruising.

Expansion plans and new entrants add momentum, and scrutiny

Discussions in Amsterdam also reflected a broader industry theme: more capacity is planned for Europe’s rivers, and operators are weighing how to grow without straining the destinations at the heart of most itineraries.

Among the expansion plans discussed, Celebrity Cruises outlined an intention to introduce 20 river ships in Europe over the next five years. Other new and expanding entrants cited in industry updates include Trafalgar’s river cruise lineup and Scenic’s development pipeline, with five river ships under development across its Scenic and Emerald brands.

National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions is entering river cruising with a 120-passenger ship, Connect, sailing in Holland and Belgium and on the Rhine, with a second ship, Evolve, planned for 2027. Windstar has also announced plans for itineraries designed to connect river and ocean segments in single trips. Established brands are expanding as well, with AmaWaterways saying it is adding 10 ships to its European fleet by 2030.

Capacity and access: congestion concerns vary by port and waterway

Industry executives at the expo emphasized that river ships carry far fewer passengers than ocean vessels, even as overall ship counts rise. Marcus Leskovar, president of Amadeus River Cruises, argued that commercial traffic provides important context when assessing congestion concerns. “If you look at the vast amount of cargo vessels that are operating on these rivers, you know, the hotel ships are still a small part of [the overall volume of ships on the rivers],” Leskovar said.

Leskovar also said ports such as Amsterdam, Vienna, and Budapest still have capacity, while acknowledging that some heavily trafficked regions are scaling back calls to prevent overcrowding.

In Amsterdam, access is becoming a more practical planning variable. The city is phasing in cuts that would reduce river cruise port calls at city docks near Amsterdam Centraal by nearly half from the almost 2,000 calls seen in recent years, a shift that can add transfers and reduce the ability to walk directly into central neighborhoods from the ship.

Itineraries and product design evolve as competition intensifies

Operators and newer entrants are also differentiating through ship design and itinerary variety. Scenic and Celebrity Cruises have pointed to elevated onboard experiences, including updated designs and a wider range of dining and activity options. Viva Cruises, meanwhile, is expanding beyond the Rhine and Danube by developing routes such as itineraries along the Venetian Lagoon in Italy, alongside continued sailings on the Elbe in Germany.

Even as brands introduce new concepts, some executives cautioned against changing the product so much that it loses what makes river cruising distinct. Leskovar said, “The true message and purpose of river cruising risks being overshadowed by marketing narratives that want to reinvent the experience when reinvention isn’t necessary.”

Local relationships and alternative ports highlighted as a pressure valve

Speakers also framed growth as a relationship-driven challenge in places where visitors are concentrated. Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways, described a need to expand thoughtfully and maintain community buy-in. “There’s a risk of overloving some of these destinations,” Hoffee said.

Hoffee said Avalon has worked with towns to broaden options for guests by developing alternative ports, including Ybbs an der Donau in Austria, to give itineraries more flexibility beyond the most frequently used stops.

New co-branded marketing tool aims to keep advisors at the center

Alongside in-person training, AmaWaterways is rolling out a new digital tool intended to make it easier for advisors to promote river cruises and capture leads. The company has partnered with Approach Guides to provide a platform where travel advisors can create co-branded marketing pages for AmaWaterways products.

Alex Pinelo, chief of sales at AmaWaterways, said the goal is to simplify promotion while keeping the advisor-client relationship intact. “Supporting our travel advisor partners remains a top priority for AmaWaterways,” Pinelo said, adding that the partnership is intended to give advisors an easy way to share the company’s offerings and connect with clients.

AmaWaterways said the pages can be personalized with an advisor’s branding and contact details and are designed to work without logins or technical setup. The service is available free of charge to all travel advisors.

With major brands planning additional ships for Europe’s rivers while some ports tighten access, operators and sellers are placing increased emphasis on advisor readiness, from onboard product training to marketing tools meant to speed up client outreach as itineraries and docking logistics evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Cruise Planners’ River Cruise Academy?

The River Cruise Academy is a weeklong training initiative hosted by Cruise Planners with AmaWaterways that gives travel advisors hands-on learning onboard a river ship, with sessions on operations, sales strategies, and how to position river cruising for clients.

How many travel professionals attended the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam?

Organizers reported more than 1,600 travel professionals attended, including 900 first-time participants.

What is the AmaWaterways partnership with Approach Guides designed to do?

The partnership provides a co-branded marketing platform that lets advisors build personalized AmaWaterways pages featuring their own branding and contact details to help share cruise options and capture leads, without logins or technical setup. AmaWaterways said the service is free to travel advisors.

Why are river cruise lines paying attention to port access in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam is phasing in changes that would reduce river cruise port calls at docks near Amsterdam Centraal by nearly half from the almost 2,000 calls seen in recent years, which can shift docking patterns and add transfers for guests.