Here Are the Top Selling River Cruise Line Brands, According to Travel Advisors

River cruising is gaining momentum in the travel advisor community.

According to the latest research from Travel Market Report, its 2022 Outlook on Trends in River Cruise, almost one in five travel advisors are grossing over $4 million in sales concentrating on river cruises, making it a lucrative niche for advisors, particularly those who are targeting high spenders and seasoned travelers.

There’s a lot to go into earning success in the river cruise market, but a good starting point is getting familiar with the players in the market, and the suppliers who offer river cruise itineraries around the world.

To get a sense of what river cruise lines are most often sold by travel advisors, and which ones have yet to make the jump, Travel Market Report asked 764 advisors their takes on which ones they sell, which ones they are top producers for, and which ones have they or haven’t they, heard of.

Here are the river cruise lines that were on top of their list:

1. AmaWaterways
More than any other river cruise line, AmaWaterways is the choice for advisors. According to the Outlook, 38% of the more than 750 advisors surveyed say they sell the company and have been recognized as a producer. Another 41% of advisors surveyed say that they sell the company, but aren’t yet top producers for AmaWaterways. Just 2% of all advisors said they weren’t familiar with AmaWaterways, the lowest out of any of the 17 river cruise lines listed.

2. Viking Cruises
Just below AmaWaterways is Viking Cruises, a company long seen as the torchbearer for the river cruise industry as a whole. According to the Outlook, 37% of advisors said they sell the company and are top producers for Viking, and another 37% said that they sell Viking, but are not producers, meaning 74% total of advisors sell Viking. Going back to Viking’s history as a driver of the segment, not even 1% of the total respondents said that they were not familiar with Viking.

3. Avalon Waterways
Globus’ Avalon Waterways comes in third on the survey—25% of the respondents said they sell and are a top producer for Avalon, and another 36% said they sell it, but aren’t yet top producers. Avalon is also a well-known supplier for advisors as just 3% said they aren’t familiar with Avalon, though 35% said that they are aware of it, but don’t sell Avalon.

4. Uniworld/U by Uniworld
The Travel Corporation’s Uniworld and U by Uniworld brand comes in fourth on the survey—a quarter of all respondents said that they sell the brand and are a top producer for it, the same as Avalon, and another 32% said that they sell the company but aren’t yet a top producer. Just 7% of all advisors said they weren’t familiar with Uniworld.

5. Tauck River Cruises
Tauck River Cruises comes in fifth in the survey when it comes to production and awareness among travel advisors—18% of advisors said they sell the line and are top producers for it, the last of the 17 river cruises to have more than 15% of advisors say so. Another 31% of advisors said they sell the line but aren’t yet top producers for them, and another 43% said they are aware of it, but don’t sell Tauck.