Riverside Cruises is set to grow its fleet from three to five ships in 2028, with the return of the Mahler and the debut of the Mozart.

“We’re never going to be huge, but three ships is a little small,” CEO Jennifer Halbroth told Cruise Industry News in an interview for the 2027 European River Market Report.

Riverside now owns all five of the former Crystal river ships and has been sailing three of them: the Bach, the Ravel and the Debussy. The Mozart will sail the Rhine, Main, Moselle and Danube, while the Mahler will allow Riverside to swap ships and carry more inventory.

“The Mozart stands on its own, but all the other sister ships are the same. The Mahler is not unique in that sense, but being able to follow the Debussy gives us more variety,” Halbroth said.

The company is also adding special-interest cruises, including a beer sommelier cruise this year, a golf cruise next year and a planned bike cruise.

“These special-interest cruises give a reason to look at river cruises,” she said.

Halbroth said the culinary program was where Riverside stood out.

“We have fewer people onboard, larger galleys and more chefs. We make all our food on demand, and we budget more per meal, per guest, to procure the best ingredients. We also give our chefs the bandwidth to be creative,” she explained.

Flexibility is the other pillar, with four pricing packages, shorter modular cruises and the option to change excursions onboard.

“A lot of times, people won’t look at a river cruise because they just think it’s too rigid. And these kinds of elements allow us to open it up to new markets,” Halbroth said.

The line has seen an uptick in multigenerational travelers on shorter cruises and more affluent families traveling together. Seventy-five percent of its guests come from the Americas, including strong business from Canada and South America, and it is starting to make headway in Australia.

Expansion beyond Europe would be “way down the path,” Halbroth said, adding that growing too fast risked losing charm and uniqueness.

“People are seeing that we are delivering what we say. We also really listen to feedback, whether it’s from the advisor or the guest,” she said.

She also welcomed new entrants to the river market.

“I think someone like Celebrity coming in is going to cast even more light on river cruises, which is good for everybody,” Halbroth said.