Arena River Cruises MD Steve Goodenough outlines the operator’s plans to boost trade partnerships and explains how it intends to attract more clients to river cruising.

It was March 2020 and final arrangements were being made for over 100 guests to travel to Amsterdam to celebrate the launch of our new flagship, MS Arena.

Having undergone a full refit and rebrand, the ship was contracted for four years and we were eagerly anticipating a packed schedule of cruises on the Dutch Waterways, Rhine and Danube. Then the pandemic struck and the world stopped.

Fast forward two years though and we are finally back on the waterways of Europe.

MS Arena has completed its first spring sailing season, soon to be moving down to the Danube for the summer, and we are fortunate to have had many industry colleagues on board the inaugural sailings.

The ship is a four-star river cruise ship, targeted fully at the UK market with all elements of the on-board experience designed to appeal to British travellers, from the menus and bar offering to the evening entertainment.

The product is designed to be accessible and affordable, ideal for those trying river cruising for the first time or looking for a more budget-conscious experience.

Reaching a wider river cruise audience

In recent years, awareness of river cruising has increased but it is still seen by many as a luxury option and our aim is to provide an entry-level product that appeals to a wider audience.

We also offer a flexible product, with a choice of joining options available on all cruises. Recognising that many people now have an eye on their carbon footprint, the most popular choice is to join by rail or coach from the UK, but cruise only packages are also available.

Many of our first-time cruisers come to us via the escorted touring market and one of our top tips for agents is to look at opportunities to switch sell. There are plenty of similarities between river cruising and coach touring, including the progressive nature of the itinerary, with many stops along the route.

As well as getting cruises on MS Arena well underway, we plan to expand our offering of celebrity-led and special interest cruises.

So far this year we have hosted gardening themed cruises with guests including Charlie Dimmock and Helen Yemm, and other guests including wine guru Oz Clarke and antiques expert Paul Martin.

We also cater for special interest groups, including crafting cruises and bridge players, and in the future we hope to add activities including walking and cycling for more active guests keen to see destinations from a different perspective.

Alongside launching a new ship and adding to our cruise portfolio, a major development for this year comes in our approach to working with agents, with the launch of a new online portal for agents, allowing 24/7 access to availability and bookings.

In addition, we have also boosted our sales team and welcome approaches from new agents, as well as offering offer dedicated training, marketing support and resources for existing agents.

We hope that together with our partners in the trade, 2022 will continue as planned without any further challenges and that 2023 will be a positive year.