River cruising continued to go from strength to strength once again in 2025, so much so that it attracted the attention of some of the world’s biggest ocean operators. At the turn of the year, Celebrity Cruises confirmed plans to expand onto the world’s waterways with 10 new ships in Europe in 2027. This was soon followed by

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and Trafalgar, signalling the soaring demand for holidays along the banks of the world’s most enticing rivers.

Solo river cruising, meanwhile, continues to flourish. Riviera Travel cemented this trend in September with the launch of the first-ever solos-only river cruise vessel, MS George Eliot.

Towards the upper end of the market, the likes of Tauck and Uniworld continue to turn the heads of land-based holidaymakers.