• In 2024, the active European river cruise fleet remained stable at 408 vessels, providing 60,702 beds. Although seven new vessels entered the market, an equal number was withdrawn. Newbuilding activity, which had been slow since the Covid-19 pandemic, showed signs of recovery in 2024 and is expected to accelerate in 2025 and 2026. Viking River Cruises alone has ordered 19 new vessels for delivery between 2025 and 2028.
• Demand for river cruises continued to grow strongly, with 1.39 million passengers recorded in the 2024 season – up 14% from 2023 – and €3.54 billion in ticket sales. Most passengers cruised on the Rhine and Danube, with North American, German, Austrian and Swiss guests accounting for the majority. The French rivers and the Douro followed, but at a considerable distance.
• Growth in terms of cruise traffic was observed on the Rhine, on the Moselle and on the Danube, however at a lower rate for the Danube. Capacity utilisation on the Danube, a key indicator in assessing the recovery of the river cruise sector, surpassed in 2024 the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
FLEET FOR RIVER CRUISES58
- The active river cruise fleet in Europe,59 which represents more than 40% of the world active river cruise fleet, is mainly concentrated on central European waterways,60 accounting for nearly 75% of the total river cruise fleet in Europe. As in 2023, the number of active river cruise vessels in Europe in 2024 amounted to 408,61 representing 60,702 beds in total (compared to 60,402 beds in 2023). Indeed, despite seven new river cruise vessels entering the market in 2024, seven were also withdrawn.
- Since Covid-19, the new building activity for river cruises remained rather slow between 2022 and 2024. However, it is expected to pick up again in 2025. Newbuilding figures for 2024 were indeed higher than in 2023 and are expected to almost triple in 2025. The order book for 2026 is also promising. As a sign of this positive development, Viking River Cruises, alone contracted 11 new vessels for 2025 and 2026 and eight more were ordered for 2027 and 2028. Recently more vessels than ever were ordered for the Rhône, Seine or the Douro.
- The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has spurred an increase in the demand for hotel capacity for war refugees from Ukraine, adding to an already rising number of people asking for asylum in Europe. As a result, some vessels, in parallel to their cruising activities outside the main touristic seasons, are being used as floating hotels. This remained true in 2024. Some vessels, particularly those that are more than 50 years old, have even been permanently converted to floating hotels; this was the case for six vessels in 2022 and 16 in 2023. In early 2024, 18 such vessels were declared and it is unknown whether they will return to the cruise market. Due to the ongoing war, no cruises are currently possible on the Dnepr in Ukraine and four cruise vessels that used to navigate on the Dnepr are now operating on the Danube.
- During the 2024 season, seven new vessels were built (compared to four in 2023), as planned in the order books. 19 are foreseen to enter the market in 2025, pointing to a recovery of the newbuilding activity. 14 vessels have already been ordered for the 2026 season, confirming this positive trend.
- In 2024, the seven new vessels brought an additional capacity of 1,056 beds (compared to 720 beds in 2023) to the river cruise market in Europe. An additional capacity of 3,079 beds is expected for the year 2025.
- After a decrease between 2014 and 2018, the average number of beds in new cruise vessels followed an increasing trend until 2022. In 2022, the important increase in terms of average number of beds per vessel, which can be observed in figure 4, is explained by the entry into the market of the A-ROSA SENA which has a capacity of 280 beds. No such large vessel entered the market in 2023, leading to a decrease in the average number of beds in new river cruise vessels in 2023 compared to 2022. In 2024 the average number of beds per new river cruise vessel further decreased.
FIGURE 1: NUMBER OF RIVER CRUISE VESSELS IN THE EU BY REGION OF OPERATION (2004 – 2025) *
Source: A. Hader., The River Cruise Fleet Handbook (May 2025)
* 2025: based on order books as of May 2025, of which 14 are temporarily being used as floating hotels.
FIGURE 2: NEW RIVER CRUISE VESSELS FOR THE EUROPEAN MARKET 2004-2026 *
Source: A. Hader, The River Cruise Fleet Handbook (May 2025)
* 2025 and 2026: based on order books as of May 2025
FIGURE 3: NEW CRUISE CAPACITIES FROM 2020 TO 2025 PER REGION OF OPERATION (NUMBER OF BEDS) *
Source: A. Hader, The River Cruise Fleet Handbook (May 2025)
* R-M-D= Rhine/Main/Main-Danube Canal/Danube. 2025: based on order books as of May 2025.
FIGURE 4: AVERAGE NUMBER OF BEDS IN NEW RIVER CRUISE VESSELS IN EUROPE BY YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION *
Source: A. Hader, The River Cruise Fleet Handbook (May 2025)
* Figure for 2025: based on order books as of May 2025.
DEMAND FOR PASSENGER TRANSPORT ON EUROPEAN WATERWAYS626364
- The river cruise industry in Europe experienced significant growth between 2023 and 2024, where both passenger numbers and sales have been rising. Indeed, during the 2024 season, 1.39 million passengers (an increase of +14.0% compared to the 2023 season) from all over the world travelled on European rivers and generated 3.54 billion euro of gross ticket sales (an increase of +14.0% compared to the 2023 season). Although only 46% of passengers came from overseas, they generated 71% of the total revenue and had a longer length of stay on river cruises than European guests.
- Most river cruise passengers travelled on the Rhine (including tributaries) and Danube in the 2024 season, and way ahead of the number of passengers on the French rivers and the Douro. The number of river cruise passengers increased in most source markets in 2024, the majority of them coming from the USA/Canada (571,682 persons, representing a share of 41% of the total number of passengers) and the DACH region65 (506,003 persons, representing a share of 37% of the total number of passengers). With regard to the age of passengers, the 56-65 and 66-75 age groups largely dominate the European river cruise market.
- In France, the economic recovery observed in 2023 for the entire river tourism sector66 did not continue in 2024 when the number of passengers totalled 9.7 million (a reduction of -20% compared to 2023). The reasons for this decline are mainly the economic situation during the year and the organisation of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris which had a negative impact in the short term.67 The inclement weather also played a role in the decline in the number of visitors.
- Regarding sustainability measures, in the current context greener vessels can be used as a marketing tool to attract more passengers. In fact, it appears that customers might be willing to pay more for a low/zero emission vessel trip but only if the price difference is not too high. The higher demand for low and zero emission vessels from customers can be a considerable push factor for vessel owners to invest in greening technologies and sustainable alternative fuels.
- For example, results from a survey undertaken in France show that a majority of companies in the river tourism sector ranked the greening of their fleet as their top investment priority for the next 12 months.68 Furthermore, 37% of respondents canvassed in Paris own at least one electric or hybrid vessel, either in active use or at an advanced stage of development, further highlighting the growing interest of passenger river companies in environmental issues. The conversion of the Paris Trocadéro cruise vessel to all-electric is a telling example of this new trend.69
- With 3,214 cruise vessels passing the lock of Iffezheim on the Rhine, the result was 9.1% higher than in 2023. Cruise traffic increased also on the Moselle river at the lock of Koblenz. In 2024, 1,538 cruise vessels passed this lock, compared to 1,518 in 2023 (+1.3%). The traffic of river cruise vessels at other locks of the Moselle was slightly lower than the previous year.70 Finally, the Danube also saw an increase of river cruise traffic in 2024. In 2024, 3,597 cruise vessels passed the lock of Jochenstein at the Upper Danube which is located on the border between Germany and Austria. The comparison with the value from 2023 (3,432) results in an increase of +4.8%. At the second measurement point on the Upper Danube, the lock of Gabčíkovo (border between Slovakia and Hungary), 4,344 vessels were registered, compared to 4,030 in 2023 (+7.8%).
- The utilisation rate of the river cruise vessels passing the locks is also a key indicator in assessing the recovery of the river cruise sector. Despite the impact of the war in the Danube region since 2022, the year 2024 confirmed the positive evolution already observed in 2022 and 2023, as suggested by the data obtained for the Danube region (see following box – focus on capacity utilisation in the river cruise sector).
For three geographical points along the Danube (two on the Upper Danube and one on the Middle Danube), data regarding vessel movements and the number of passengers is available from 2015 onwards. This geographical distinction makes it possible to observe differences in cruising intensity on the different stretches of the Danube. The analysis shows that activity is at its highest on the Upper Danube. River cruises registered on the Upper Danube are short trips lasting five, seven or eight days on the Passau-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest routes. Cruising activity on the Middle Danube south of Budapest is lower than on the Danube stretches upstream of Budapest. The cruise vessels registered at the measurement point south of Budapest carry out long trips to the Danube delta with a duration of 14 days.
- For the two measurement points along the Upper Danube, the data indicate an increase in the number of vessel movements and in the number of passengers in 2024. For the measurement point at the Middle Danube in the south of Budapest, a decrease in vessel movements and passengers could be observed. The vessels that are registered at the Middle Danube operate cruises with a duration of 14 days with the Lower Danube as a destination. Due to the war in Ukraine and the related threats for the Lower Danube region, the number of cruises and passengers for these long cruises dropped. Indeed, this can be explained by the fact that some companies have adapted their services by rerouting some of their journeys to avoid this dangerous area.
- The analysis of the capacity utilisation of a fleet enables a thorough overview to be carried out of how the supply/demand relationship evolves throughout the years.
- The degree of capacity utilisation of river cruise vessels on the Upper Danube can be calculated on the basis of data provided by the German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) on river cruise vessels passing the lock of Jochenstein (German-Austrian border) on the Danube.
- This figure brings to light the recovery of the river cruise sector on the Danube.71 In 2024, capacity utilisation was as high as it was in 2019. As 2019 was the last pre-pandemic year, this result points to a sound recovery of the river cruise sector on the Danube. The average degree of capacity utilisation in 2024 was 76.6%, compared to 61.2% in 2023, 65.7% in 2022 and 74.8% in 2019.
- Most of the passenger traffic in the Sava and Kupa river ports is recorded at the Port of Belgrade in Serbia. Since 2015, the number of river cruise passengers recorded by the Port of Belgrade (passenger terminal) has increased constantly, from 60,000 passengers in 2015 to 104,000 in 2019. This reflected the positive evolution of cruising activity observed on the Danube. Indeed, most of the cruise vessels that stop in Belgrade are generally for cruises that take place along the Danube and stop in important eastern European capitals.
- As is the case in other regions, passenger traffic suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic. In Belgrade, only 561 passengers were recorded by the port in 2020. After 2020, passenger traffic has been recovering to reach 78,496 passengers in 2024, a figure which remains below the pre-pandemic levels (104,000). Yet figures show a positive sign towards a return to normality. In 2023, Serbia opened a new passenger terminal in Sremska Mitrovica and Šabac. This should certainly support the development of passenger transport in the region. Navigability conditions on the waterways also remain an obstacle for the further development of passenger transport in this region.72
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY FIGURES IN THE EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE SECTOR
– 61% of the vessels can run on synthetic fuels, 70% can run on biogenic fuels and 2% are equipped with an electric drive.
– 96% of the vessels are equipped with shore power connections.
– 29% of the vessels have a selective catalytic reduction system.
– 34% of the vessels are able to comply with CCNR II NOx limits.
– 87% of the vessels have an advanced water treatment system on board.
Source: IG river cruise survey; answers representing 222 vessels out of the 408 that compose the active river cruise fleet in Europe.
FIGURES 5, 6 AND 7: YEARLY NUMBER OF CRUISE VESSEL TRANSITS ON DANUBE, RHINE AND MOSELLE *
Sources: German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) and Moselle Commission
* Danube = Upper Danube, Austrian-German border (lock of Jochenstein). Rhine = Upper Rhine (lock of Iffezheim). Moselle = lock of Koblenz.
FIGURES 8, 9 AND 10: EVOLUTION OF VESSEL MOVEMENTS AND PASSENGER NUMBERS PER STRETCHES OF THE DANUBE AND AVERAGE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS PER VESSEL *
Source: Danube Commission
* Upper Danube DE-AT = Austrian-German border (lock of Jochenstein). Upper Danube SK-HU = Slovakian-Hungarian border (lock of Gabčíkovo). Middle Danube HU-HR-RS = Hungarian-Croatian-Serbian border (border point of Mohács in southern Hungary).
FOCUS ON CAPACITY UTILISATION IN THE RIVER CRUISE SECTOR
FIGURE 11: DEGREE OF CAPACITY UTILISATION OF RIVER CRUISE VESSELS ON THE DANUBE (IN %) *
Source: German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV)
* At the lock of Jochenstein (German-Austrian border)
Capacity utilisation = ratio of number of passengers divided by passenger capacity
AGE STRUCTURE OF THE RHINE PASSENGER FLEET
- Concerning the passenger fleet, it is divided into passenger ferries, river cruise vessels, and passenger day-trip vessels. The figure below depicts the current fleet and its evolution over time. However, it is worth noting that inactive vessels may be included in these figures, and some of the newest vessels may not be accounted for. Most passenger ferries and day-trip vessels (which represent 76% of all passenger vessels) were constructed in the 20th century, but there has nevertheless been significant newbuilding activity in the 21st century. The river cruise new build activity remains lower in 2024 compared to the pre-Covid crisis.
FIGURE 12: COMMISSIONING YEARS FOR THE RHINE PASSENGER FLEET OVER TIME (NUMBER OF INLAND VESSELS)
Sources: IVR and CCNR analysis
Note that one river cruise vessel and six day-trip vessels have an unknown year of construction. The database of IVR accounts for active vessels but also includes some inactive vessels, in particular those commissioned in earlier years.