Tui on the River….

Tui have come a long way with their cruises in recent years. Having started with their older ships and some that you’d compare more like a Tugboat next to a proper cruise ship. Tui then purchased some Ex-Royal Caribbean ships and these have done really well, not just for the Tui customer but other cruise passengers who wouldn’t normally cruise with Tui.

Tui now known of course as Marella cruises. Tui also have some more ships due in the next couple of years.

The latest announcement from Tui as that they’ll be doing some River Cruises. This is a first for them.

Tui River Cruises will offer 19 itineraries across the Danube, Rhine, Moselle, Main and Dutch and Belgian waterways, on sale from 25 April.

They are also offering adults-only line will give passengers the ultimate flexibility to create their perfect trip.

Guests will choose their board basis; from full-board with wine, beer and soft drinks included with meals to selecting a premium drinks package.

As onboard Tui’s ocean line Marella Cruises, tips and service charges are included in the cruise fare. This will be the same for the River cruises.

Ships will also feature a handful of private balcony suites as well as “chic and revamped spaces” with á la carte dinner venues, social lounges and entertainment space.

For excursions, guests will be given a £120 credit towards activities – which range from sightseeing tours to cookery classes and biking experiences. This will be interesting to see how far this credit actually goes, depending on costs.

I think this is great news from Tui and another competitor in the market. Perhaps they will do things differently and maybe they want a share of the River market rather than just attract their won customers from the Ocean Cruises. I’m looking forward to seeing some of the ships and finding out more if these are new boats being built or if like some of their ocean ships have been ex-boats elsewhere.

Do check back for updates and look out for emails promoting this as I’m sure this will be heavily promoted.