A second ship on the Nile debuts later this year and another riverboat will be added to TUI’s European fleet for 2026, said Katy Berzins, head of TUI River Cruises, in the 2026 European River Cruise Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

The reasons are simple: demand is good, she said, noting that the company’s European supply may be up as much as 41 percent for 2026 and more growth will follow.

As the 2025 summer wrapped up, she said the company had its highest occupancy ever and demand for the TUI product continues to be stronger than ever.

That product is positioned into the British market and generally includes airlift, as 95 percent of guests opt to buy a holiday package from TUI including flights, she said.

“Supply is trying to keep pace with demand,” Berzins said. “The river cruise industry growing is good for us and there is a new consumer that is interested in river cruising.”

Berzins described the company’s strategy as focused on the UK market with a quality, affordable product, underscored by end-to-end TUI service.

Over 50 percent of the guests opt for the company’s all-inclusive offering, and shore excursions are not included, unlike most other brands.

“We never included that and there was a good reason for it,” Berzins said. “We wanted to offer guests a range and they can then choose what experience they like.

“We wanted to give them flexibility and an amazing range of destination experiences instead of just a traditional walking tour,” she added. “It’s something we are going to continue to do to see how we can push that program further and offer authentic, immersive experiences.”

The company has also differentiated a bit onboard, with a three-person entertainment team added to the ships in 2023.

“In traditional river cruising, it’s early to bed, but we wanted to disrupt that,” Berzins explained. “Guests wanted entertainment in the evening so we have production shows, cabaret, interactive quizzes and a whole host of daily activities … we wanted to bridge the gap to ocean cruises.”

The TUI Aria adds 190 more berths to the company’s European fleet in 2026 with deployment on the Rhine, Maine, Moselle, Dutch and Belgian waterways.

The ship, currently being refurbished, includes an indoor pool area with a retractable roof called Reflections. By night, the pool drains and the floor comes up, turning the space into an Italian restaurant with seating for 36 guests.

“That’s a key thing as the river ships are small and we have to be creative to give guests different choices,” Berzins said. “For food and beverage, there are always choices for guests to go to a different restaurant or bar so they have flexibility.”

The Aria’s main restaurant, Verdastro, is open for all three meals and it plays host to each sailing’s gala dinner, a six-course meal.

The top deck features the company’s first putting green. There are also lounge chairs, shuffleboard and various deck games. Guests can look forward to top-deck yoga as well as a barbeque and ice cream party each sailing.

Other growth areas include Christmas and festive cruises, as TUI will have all four ships operating holiday sailings in Europe in 2026.