Is River Cruising for Kids?

Jennifer Halboth, CEO of Riverside Luxury Cruises, recently brought her 16-year-old son, Hank, on his first-ever river sailing. It was November, and winter was upon Europe. Her favorite itinerary moment? Ice skating with Hank while on shore in Cologne, Germany.

From where Halboth sits, the river cruise industry is poised for enormous growth — a claim TravelAge West research supports — and perhaps especially so when it comes to traveling families. For so long, river cruising has been thought of as a niche for retirees. But as more travelers come to understand the breadth of family-friendly itineraries already offered on the world’s rivers, demand is likely to grow as quickly as children themselves.

“People know what a Viking river cruise is,” Halboth said of the adult-only line. “They pioneered the niche, and they’ve grown it. Now all of the other lines at the premium and luxury levels have to buck that trend and prove that it’s for everyone.”

Halboth knows that building brand and niche awareness is key to tipping a trend. And who better to help shift the market than travel advisors serving the luxury and family markets?

She says that affluent families travel all the time with their kids — especially since the pandemic.

“And they're savvy,” she said. “They know they can have a Disney experience, they know they can have an all-inclusive experience, they know they can rent a gorgeous house on the Jersey Shore for a week. River cruising is just a different style of travel to put in front of them. And there's no easier way to show your kid the interior of Europe than on a river cruise.”

Halboth tells every advisor she meets to sell river cruises as early in their career as possible — it’s a great product (with plenty of lines and itineraries to delve into) that sells at a higher price point, rewarding advisors with good commission. 

How often are clients with kids inquiring about river cruises? And what’s it like to sail with kids on a river cruise? We spoke with Halboth further, as well as a few travel advisors who have their eye on the segment.

Demand for Family River Cruises

In 2016, Adventures by Disney partnered with AmaWaterways to offer family friendly river cruises — and with Disney in the name, family travelers surely took notice. But that collaboration isn’t the only river cruise option out there for families today. Tauck Bridges has river cruises that welcome kids as young as 4 years old, as does Uniworld Boutique River Cruises (on its Generations Collection itineraries). Riverside Luxury Cruises welcomes any and all youngsters.

“We don’t have an age minimum,” Halboth said. “If it's Christmas market time, and Grandma wants to pay for her three kids and six grandkids to go on a river cruise, we don't want to say ‘No’ to that booking. And that will be a magical experience for them.”

Susie Flores, owner of Countdown Travels and an ocean cruise aficionado, only recently dipped her toe into the world of river cruising — and she was impressed.

“Sailing with Scenic on the Seine River is in the top five trips of my life, and I just got off ocean cruise No. 60, so for me to say that is huge,” Flores said.

RELATED: Do Younger Generations Want to River Cruise?

The guest count (120 passengers) on her riverboat allowed for a sense of intimacy she loved. There were no cruise pass cards, and when she went to the bar, the crew knew her name. One day, when the staff was out of baguettes, they made her a fresh one — it was delivered in a basket to her room in a matter of minutes, still warm.

River cruises are a new market for Flores. She hasn’t booked many as an advisor, and she’s not fielding inquiries for family river cruises — yet. She wonders if clients assume river cruises are too expensive and that riverboats aren’t great for kids. But even on her one sailing, she gathered enough intel to hopefully sway a family client. (Notably, Scenic’s website states that “Luxury expedition style cruising is not recommended for children under 12.”)

River cruising is a great option if you have children who are a little more mature, and who don't need the water slides and the kids' programming.

“I think river cruising is a great option if you have children who are a little more mature, and who don't need the water slides and the kids' programming,” she said. “It's more about immersing yourself in the destination. And a river cruise gets you from one place to another easily, without the buses, shuttles or the mass crowds. That’s what people need to think about.”

Christina Viera, owner of Showcase the World Travel, has been a river cruise fan for years. She has sailed with Viking and AmaWaterways already and has plans to experience additional lines in the very near future — educating herself means she can better educate her clients next. She’s even gone so far as to create YouTube content and a LinkedIn story that highlight how great the niche is for families. 

“I don’t receive frequent inquiries about family river cruising,” she said. “Most parents don’t realize any river cruise lines are family friendly. When I present river cruising as a potential solution to my clients, they’re intrigued, but many aren’t quite ready to take the leap just yet.”

What Makes River Cruising Good for Families?

That piqued interest is precisely what Halboth of Riverside Luxury Cruises hopes agents will capitalize on — the more traveling families are presented with river cruising as a vacation option, the sooner it will stick.

What makes a river cruise family friendly? So many details, according to Halboth.

“We have connecting rooms, we’ve got ice cream on every ship, we’re making bubble waffles, there’s homemade pretzels available all day and insane desserts,” she said. “Guests get onboard to the smell of the popcorn before happy hour. We have bikes, a fitness room, a pool with a current machine. And then there’s the room service — that’s key for us.”

If the kids pick at their dinner, then say they’re hungry an hour later, they can order something delicious right to their room. Halboth says her son, who’s a rugby player, took full advantage of Riverside’s incredible dining on his November sailing.

Onshore perks abound, too. Guests can go on guided excursions or be intrepid and fly solo, on foot or by bike. Better yet, they can try both options as their ship moves from port to port — river cruise guests can spend a considerable amount of time on land if they choose.

“A river cruise is more like a land tour than an ocean cruise — and I think people don't get that,” Halboth said. “We have 110 people onboard, and it's a lot of fun to see Europe via these small towns. You can walk right off the boat as a family and explore. Or, take four bikes off board and go out on your own. Then, while you're sailing to the next town, you're dancing with your kids, or dining with them or sitting up on the sky deck enjoying the view. There’s something magical in that.”

Leah Ferguson, travel advisor and educational development director with Key to the World Travel, recently traveled roundtrip from Paris to Normandy with Adventures by Disney and AmaWaterways with her daughter Aria, who turned 8 while on the sailing. Looking back, Aria says some of her favorite cruise memories include roaming the ship and sitting at the action-packed chef's table. Learning about local culture also topped her list. 

As a parent, Ferguson was pleasantly surprised by the entire experience.

“I was shocked by how engaged my daughter was with the sights,” she said. “I loved watching her eyes light up as we sailed past castles, dined on local French cuisine and learned about the rich history of France.”

They toured Monet’s gardens, rode horses in the French countryside, visited World War II sites and cruised the Seine while the Eiffel Tower sparkled at night, right alongside new friends they’d made on the sailing. Ferguson is certain they’ll reminisce about all of the above for years to come. 

We don't give our kids enough credit, and I think that river cruising is perfect for the right family — a family who already likes to travel, enjoys eating new foods and loves learning about history and other cultures.

The river cruise impacted her thinking as an advisor, too. She saw how many younger adults were on the cruise, sailing with their children — they were not Gen X travelers who had waited to retire to book a river cruise. She has bookings for European and African river cruises in the works now, and she doesn’t plan to ever stop promoting the travel type. 

“We don't give our kids enough credit, and I think that river cruising is perfect for the right family — a family who already likes to travel, enjoys eating new foods and loves learning about history and other cultures,” she said.

And as mom, she’s got her sights set on river cruising with Aria onboard Riverside and Uniworld.

Converting More Clients

Trends don’t form overnight, and Viera of Showcase the World Travel is okay with that.

“For my business, I’m playing the long game — I want to become the go-to travel advisor for family river cruises,” she said. 

She plans to learn the market deeply (she has high hopes of taking her own daughter on a river cruise soon) and collaborating with river cruise brands to help show clients how seamless the travel type is.

“I know my efforts will eventually pay off,” she said. “I am building sustainable business growth, and I am passionate about inspiring parents to look beyond beaches and theme parks. River cruising is a huge part of the future of family travel; I don't just want to be a part of it, I want to lead and champion it.”