Take me to the river

With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.

- BERNARD O'SHEA

Grab your diaries and consult your calendars! New river cruising itineraries for 2025 and 2026 have been released, so now’s the time to take advantage of early-bird specials. Have a break from the everyday, secure yourself a top cabin and explore new horizons.

River cruising’s gearing up to hit full speed ahead after the pause and uncertainties caused by COVID. New ships that have been in the planning and construction phase for the past year or two are seeing the light of day and basking in the sunbeams reflected on the easygoing, easy-flowing rivers they’re destined to know so intimately.

That’s the beauty of river cruising: It gently unveils the character and splendour of the vast terrains that rivers traverse. Along the way, all the fleeting moments – the kids waving at you from ashore, the waiter serving you coffee and local specialties at a waterfront cafe, or the tour guide passing on insights in ancient temples or cathedrals that most people in the world will never get to see – form an enlightening, stupendous whole. River cruising lets us float calmly, briefly through other people’s worlds and lives, and then we’re gone – but impressions linger. And if we’re lucky, we can go back for more.

It’s big business, too. Australia is a crucial market for river cruises; in some instances, only second to the United States. You’re important to them! Let’s see what’s on offer.

Try ALSO

* Delfin Amazon Cruises for the Peruvian Amazon.

* Iberostar Grand Amazon for sailings from Manaus in Brazil.

* Pandaw and Uniworld for Ganges River cruises in India.

* Viking for Mississippi river cruises in the US.

* CroisiEuropeCruises for the Guadalquivir and Guadiana Rivers in Andalusia, Spain.

Destination of the moment … Portugal