It's not just you — everybody really is talking about river cruising right now.
With new and established cruise lines making their way into the market, river cruising might just be the hottest trend in travel in 2025. Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, knows exactly why. Colleen joins joins this episode of the podcast to unpack the popularity of river cruising and help you understand how you can make it work for your group.
Colleen explains the core value propositions that make river cruises popular with travelers. She explains how river cruising differs from ocean cruises and land tours, breaks down the economics of cruise pricing and gives tips for booking the river cruise that's right for you. Plus, we have news about rising tourism taxes in Hawaii; a Road Tip about sleeping well in hotel rooms; and a Hot Minute about taxation as a solution to climate issues.
Insights from Colleen McDaniel
Colleen had lots of insights about who is taking river cruises and why the segment seems to be growing faster than any other. Here's one thing she had to say about the demographics of river cruising in 2025:
“I think the demographics are changing. It does tend to be an older crowd, in part because some of the cruises are longer, and younger people might not have the time to get away. But more and more, we are seeing younger cruises on board all the ships that are sailing in Europe. Part of that is that the pandemic changed how people thought about travel. Another reason is because the internet has gotten a lot better. For younger people where getting away from work is really tough, all the sudden working on a cruise ship is doable. And I think that makes a difference."
Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:
* Why river cruises can be more attractive than land tours
* Whether Europe's rivers can sustain the growth in cruise popularity
* Why groups should consider river cruising in the U.S., Asia and beyond
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Visit Cruise Critic online at
cruisecritic.com.
Follow Cruise Critic on
Facebook and
Instagram.
Email Colleen McDaniel at
editor@cruisecritic.com.
Sign up to receive our newsletter The Group Travel Minute at
grouptravelleader.com/subscribe.
Key Moments From This Episode
1:53 — Travel News: Hawaii is increasing tourism tax because of climate change
3:14 — Road Tip: Eliminating annoying lights in hotel rooms
8:48 — The travel newsletter you can’t afford to miss
14:05 — Why river cruising is booming in popularity
15:17 — How much does river cruising actually cost?
18:54 — How river cruise demographics are changing
21:45 — Are river cruises better than land tours?
22:54 — Can river cruise demand keep up with supply?
