Operators

River cruise lines

RiverCruiseGuide profiles the world's major river cruise operators — from the long-established European specialists to the boutique luxury brands. Each line page lists every ship in the fleet, the rivers it sails, and the inclusions that define the brand.

Founded 1997 · Basel, Switzerland

Viking River Cruises

Scandinavian-styled Longships exploring Europe's great waterways.

41 ships profiled
Founded 2002 · Calabasas, California

AmaWaterways

Boutique river ships with twin balconies and onboard bicycles.

24 ships profiled
Founded 2004 · Littleton, Colorado

Avalon Waterways

Suite Ships with beds that face the river.

17 ships profiled
Founded 2008 · Newcastle, Australia

Scenic Luxury Cruises

All-inclusive Space-Ships with butler-served suites.

12 ships profiled
Founded 2014 · Sydney, Australia

Emerald Cruises

Star-Ships with an indoor pool that converts to a cinema.

10 ships profiled
Founded 1976 · Encino, California

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises

Floating boutique hotels with hand-curated antiques.

15 ships profiled
Founded 1976 · Strasbourg, France

CroisiEurope

Family-owned French line covering Europe's lesser-known rivers.

22 ships profiled
Founded 1925 · Wilton, Connecticut

Tauck

Family-owned American operator with multi-generational departures.

8 ships profiled
Founded 2000 · Rostock, Germany

A-ROSA River Cruises

Lifestyle river cruising for a German-speaking market.

13 ships profiled
Founded 1984 · Burton-on-Trent, England

Riviera Travel

British operator with single-supplement cabins on every ship.

13 ships profiled
Founded 1979 · Innsbruck, Austria

Amadeus River Cruises

Family-owned Austrian line with classic European itineraries.

14 ships profiled
Founded 1958 · Boston, Massachusetts

Grand Circle Cruise Line

Small-ship river cruises for active North American travellers.

7 ships profiled
Founded 1995 · Edinburgh / Yangon

Pandaw

Colonial-era teak ships on Asia's less-trafficked rivers.

12 ships profiled
Founded 2007 · Singapore

Aqua Expeditions

Luxury small-ship river cruising in the Mekong, Amazon and beyond.

3 ships profiled
Founded 2008 · Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Heritage Line

Boutique themed ships across Indochina's rivers.

4 ships profiled
Founded 1995 · London, United Kingdom

Sanctuary Retreats

Boutique river cruising on the Nile, Yangtze and Irrawaddy.

4 ships profiled
Founded 1991 · Guilford, Connecticut

American Cruise Lines

US-built coastal and river ships across America's waterways.

18 ships profiled
Founded 2012 · Fort Lauderdale, Florida

American Queen Voyages

Heritage paddle-wheelers on the Mississippi River system.

4 ships profiled
Founded 2023 · Munich, Germany

Riverside Luxury Cruises

New ultra-luxury entrant with all-suite ships.

4 ships profiled
Founded 2003 · Moscow, Russia

Vodohod

Russia's largest operator on the Volga and waterways of the north.

7 ships profiled