International tour company now offers river cruising in Europe

The Star

3 days ago

River cruises have always been in demand in Western countries, particularly in Europe. This isn't surprising, as Europe has plenty of long rivers (like the Volga, Danube, Rhine and Loire) that usually takes a few days to sail through.
While river cruise tourism is not common in Asia – except perhaps in China where the Yangtze River and Yellow River stretch for much, much further than those in Europe – Asian travellers do appreciate a good sail. The Asia Pacific market for cruise tourism is expected to soar, especially when it comes to luxury cruises.
With that in mind, tour operator Trafalgar, more known for its guided land tours and experiences, recently launched its own river cruise product with two sail routes in Europe: Rhine and Danube. The river cruises will begin sailing in April 2026 with two ships, Trafalgar Verity and Trafalgar Reverie .
At a recent launch event in Singapore, Nick Lim, chief executive officer (Asia) of The Travel Corporation, said that it made sense for Trafalgar to start offering river cruises as the trend has seen an uptick in recent years.
'That's the trajectory that we have seen. River cruise as a travelling style has caught on, especially in this part of the world. I think Asia Pacific is one of the fastest regions to catch on to this market, so we need to pluck into the demand, especially in Malaysia,' Lim said.
He added that river cruising is still quite a novel idea in Malaysia, and that he hopes it will eventually appeal to the wider public. 'Trafalgar is a brand that has always come with a value proposition, and with our price points, we are hoping to get more Malaysians to try our river cruise experience.'
Verity will set sail on the Rhine for 10 days, while Reverie runs on the Danube for eight days. The ships are pretty similar in size and capacity – each one is fitted with 64 staterooms (128 passengers on double occupancy), which includes river-view and balcony suites.
Both ships will carry 39 crew members, boasting a ratio of about one staff per three guests.
The ships were last refurbished in 2010 and are currently undergoing another round of refurbishment, to prepare for the April 2026 sailings.
'You can expect something new and fresh, yet at the same time the decorations and style will largely remain the same,' Lim shared.
He revealed that the ships were formerly owned and utilised by Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, which is under the same parent company as Trafalgar, The Travel Corporation (TTC).
'Uniworld always puts in a lot of effort into making their ships look great. In fact, Beatrice Tollman and her daughter (Vicki) hand-picked the paintings, chandeliers and most of the furnishings in the Uniworld ships.
'So that means there isn't a cookie-cutter ship under the brand; there's a bit of a personalised feel to it. And since Trafalgar took over the ships from Uniworld, we decided to keep the general style and design,' Lim said.
(The Tollman family started TTC in the 1920s and has held ownership of the company until last year, when it was sold to US-based asset management firm, Apollo Private Equity Funds.)
A preview of a stateroom on the Trafalgar Reverie.
The cruises will include numerous ground excursions in the itineraries. Highlights for the 'best of the Rhine and Amsterdam' cruise on the Verity include landmarks like the Airborne Museum and Bridge Too Far in Arnhem, the Netherlands, as well as the Deutsches Eck or German Corner in Koblenz, and Rheinstein Castle in Trechtingshausen, Germany.
Meanwhile, the 'best of the Danube' cruise on the Reverie features walking tours in Germany's historic city of Passau where the Inn, Danube and Ilz rivers meet, the Medieval Old Town of Bratislavia in Slovakia, and other exciting cultural experiences.
'We've always been about making it easy for travellers to connect with the heart and soul of every destination. Now, we're bringing that same philosophy and unmatched experience to Europe's iconic rivers,' said Lim in an earlier statement.
Guests will also be able to immerse themselves in local culture when they participate in Trafalgar's popular 'Be Our Guest' and 'Make Travel Matter' experiences.
Onboard entertainment will include regional performances and in-house demonstrations like baking. There are also wellness programmes to look forward to like spa and yoga sessions, as well as complimentary bicycles for off-shore excursions.
As for meals, guests will be treated to local and regional favourites and specialties during each meal, with lots of other international varieties at hand. You can rest assured that everyone will be well fed onboard!
Trafalgar's river cruise journeys are now open for bookings for sailings beginning April 11, 2026. Rates start from US$2,799 (RM11,931) per person, based on double occupancy. For more information visit www.trafalgar.com/en-sg.