What started as wildlife photography tours in Kenya is now a global brand that includes group tours on private yachts, planes, and everything else. The Abercrombie & Kent brand has built more than 50 years of in-depth, personalized, small-group tours catering to wealthy and very-wealthy vacationers.

In February, A&K founder and CEO Geoffrey J.W. Kent partnered with Silversea Cruises founder Manfredi Lefebvre, chairman of Heritage group, to jointly acquire 100 percent of the Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies from troubled Chinese real estate developer Zhonghong Holdings, according to the 2020 European River Cruise Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

 Heritage group took 85 percent of Abercrombie & Kent and Geoffrey Kent 15 percent. Kent continued as chairman and CEO of the operating company, while Lefebvre became chairman of Abercrombie & Kent Holding, according to a company press release. The two previously bought the expedition ship Explorer in 1992.

The riverboat offering includes exclusive shore excursions for A&K guests alone, with a guarantee of 24 people or less in each group. Guides are true locals able to present neighborhoods and cultural phenomena with knowledge and savvy. They serve as personal concierges onboard, overseeing the entire journey, every day. A&K also provides dedicated shoreside vehicles, private dining both onboard and ashore with exclusive menus and wine lists, and  booking at select pre- and post-cruise hotels.

Currently offering riverboat cruises on the Dutch and Belgian waterways, the Danube, the Rhine, the Saone, and the Rhone, A&K puts its boutique-style travel at 4.5 stars. Most passengers are sourced from North America.

“For 2020, we offer five distinct itineraries, featuring six separate ships,” said Joanne Benes, senior product specialist for Europe rivers and barges. “We do not operate the cruises. We sell in to them, offering only the cabins and suites most preferred by our guests, including those with full, walk-out balconies or French balconies with unrestricted views through wide, glass panoramas.”

Two popular cruises are Paris, Burgundy and the south of France; and Prague and the Danube.

In France, passengers cruise the Saone and Rhone rivers for 11 days of exclusive sightseeing in a private small-group vehicle, escorted by the resident tour director. There are seven meals ashore that highlight authentic local cuisine, including lunch at a Provençal farmhouse and dinner in Avignon. Shore excursions include a day trip to the Abbey of Sénanque and Arles, and a food walk in the colorful Montmartre district of Paris.

Along the Danube, guests get premier seating during a Sound of Vienna concert in the Kursalon, sit down to eight meals ashore, and attend a strudel-making lesson at Schönbrunn Palace. Highlights include Salzburg, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest retreat, and a private tour of a World War II art bunker in Nuremberg.

About the 2020 European Cruise River Market Report 

The new European Cruise Market Report provides a comprehensive look at the river cruise business with capacity metrics by river and brand, company profiles and much more. 100+ pages of insights. Learn more.