The hottest river cruise ships launching this year

Following our list of the best ocean cruise ships hitting the waves in 2025, we're turning our attention to the world of river cruising.

In 15 years, river cruising has gone from a niche to mainstream. And with a raft of stunning new ships entering the market in 2025, we can't see this forward momentum slowing down.

Next year will see APT’s forthcoming Solara and Ostarajoin the ranks of swanky boutique vessels to have their own onboard wine cellars. And Viking’s upcoming river ship Viking Tonle will offer rooftop dining in its open-air Sky Bar when it launches in October.

Meanwhile, TUI River Cruises will end the year on a high by doubling its presence on the Egyptian Nile, with the addition of TUI Bahareya in December.

Here, we’ve rounded up eight new river ships to have on your radar in 2025.

Riviera Radiance & Riviera Rose

Launching: March & April

Riviera Travel’s 178-guest Riviera Radiance and 114-guest Riviera Rose will launch in March and April respectively. They will have a host of never-before-seen features for the line, including its largest-ever suites. Radiance will have three decks and a trio of dining options, while its premium accommodation, The Grand Suites, will be the operator’s largest at 32sqm.

Each will include a separate lounge and a balcony with seats. Rose will offer 57 cabins across three decks, including four Balcony Suites with outside seating.

The standard cabins will also feature French balconies with sliding doors and an indoor seating area. On both vessels, guests will find a restaurant, a bar and a lounge, as well as a fitness room and sun deck with a swimming pool. Radiance will sail six voyages on the Danube while Rose will operate on the Douro.

Solara & Ostara

Launching: March & June

APT’s forthcoming Solara and Ostara (main image) will be deployed on the line’s most popular European itineraries from spring, transporting guests along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers.

Each will feature six all-inclusive dining options. As well as a main restaurant, there will be a venue at the back and in a conservatory, a wine cellar and a casual option, plus rooftop dining. Guests will also be able to dine in their suites. The sun deck will feature a heated pool and a lounge area.

Three suite options are available: Twin Window Suites, Balcony Suites and Owner’s Suites.

American Patriot & American Pioneer

Launching: June & October

Two new small ships – American Patriot and American Pioneer – are set to join American Cruise Lines’ fleet in June and November respectively. The 125-guest sister ships are the fifth and sixth of the company’s Project Blue vessels, all featuring a hybrid catamaran design.

Both will offer 100 per cent private balcony accommodation across five decks and 56 staterooms, as well as a main lounge and a restaurant, a fitness area complete with a 360-degree walking track, and a café. The ships will operate a range of US itineraries up and down the east coast.

Patriot will launch with a return sailing from Boston on 21 June and Pioneer will sail from Amelia Island to St Petersburg, Florida, on 31 October.

Amadeus Amara

Launching: July

Thanks to its advanced construction, Amadeus River Cruises’ Amadeus Amara will remain reliably operational, even with seasonally fluctuating water levels.

The design boasts a fuel-saving autopilot and solar panels on the sun deck. The ship will carry 164 guests and sail the Danube for the first time in July.

Spirit of the Moselle

Launching: July

Similar to sister ships Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube, Saga’s new ship, Spirit of the Moselle, will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, a lounge area and bar, a panoramic restaurant serving buffet breakfasts and à la carte lunches, as well as a sun deck with relaxed seating.

Cruising predominantly along the River Main, port calls include Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Bamberg and the Unesco-protected Rhine Gorge. The vessel’s inaugural sailing from Amsterdam to Mainz departs on 1 July.

Viking Amun & Viking Tonle

Launching: September & October

Intimate cruising is a key theme for Viking in 2025. The line will launch two new vessels: the 82-guest Viking Amun on the Egyptian Nile in September and the 80-guest Viking Tonle on the Mekong the following month.

The former will feature 41 staterooms, a pool and a sun deck, while the latter will offer an open-air sky bar and a restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows. Amun’s inaugural cruise – a roundtrip cruise from Cairo – departs on 1 September, while Tonle departs on 1 October from Ho Chi Minh City for Kampong Cham.

Kochi Pandaw

Launching: October

In response to increased demand for river cruising in India, the Asian river cruise specialist Pandaw will deploy its new ship, Kochi Pandaw, in Kerala’s backwaters in October.

The 10-cabin vessel will be the line’s fourth ship in India and feature wrap-round promenade decks. It will operate a seven-night return itinerary from Kochi visiting Thanneermukkom, Nattakam, Kavalam, Allapuzha, Thottapalli and Perumpalam.

TUI Bahareya

Launching: November

Soaring demand for river cruising along the Egyptian Nile has inspired TUI River Cruises to double its presence on the North African river. TUI Bahareya will become the line’s sixth ship and operate seven-night all-inclusive return sailings from Luxor.

It will accommodate 136 passengers across 68 cabins, including standard French balcony cabins and superior cabins. The vessel’s inaugural cruise is from Luxor on 4 November.