AmaWaterways reports record-breaking off-peak sales
AmaWaterways has reported triple-digit growth to its March and April departures, as well as a 30 per cent increase in Christmas river cruise bookings
Bookings for March and April itineraries saw significant growth compared to last year after the river cruise line made the decision to bolster its February departures on the Rhine and Danube, a move that it will repeat in 2025.
As a result of its strong performance in off-peak sailings, AmaWaterways has opened pre-orders for its 2025 brochure where agents will be able to book spring and autumn departures across Europe’s waterways for next year, in addition to Asia, South America and Africa sailings.
“While river cruising during the peak months of May to October remains as popular as ever, more and more guests appreciate the benefits of travelling at quieter times of year,” said Jamie Loizou, managing director of AmaWaterways UK.
“We’ve seen record-breaking sales across the board in recent months, in part due to the additional demand we are seeing for travelling during the off-peak periods.”
Festive bookings on the rise
AmaWaterways also revealed that it has seen a 30 per cent jump in Christmas cruise bookings for 2024 compared to last year, with the season for festive themed cruises extending from mid-November until the New Year.
The jump in Christmas bookings is on trend for the line, having reported an increase in bookings of nearly 260 per cent for November 2023. Passenger growth is also accompanied by a higher than average spend as guests are upgrading to higher categories of staterooms and suites.
“Traditionally, the Christmas Markets season only lasted a few weeks however with growing popularity, many iconic Christmas Markets have announced earlier opening dates starting mid-November,” said Loizou.
“This move led to a 258 per cent rise in bookings for November 2023 (compared to November 2022) and forward bookings for November 2024 are following the same trend.”
AmaWaterways also recently announced that it will be offering flight-inclusive river packages as standard in response to agent feedback.
