by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:21 AM ET, Thu November 12, 2026
Five representatives from AMADEUS, AmaWaterways, Antara Cruises, VIVA Cruises and the Globus family of brands discussed Europe’s low water levels, the Douro’s new cap on river cruise ships, key differentiators among their brands, and what makes river cruising so unique during a special river cruise panel at the 2026 CruiseWorld Conference, held by TravelPulse’s parent company, Northstar Travel Group, during the first week of November.
Moderated by Ken Shapiro, Group Vice President and Editorial Director, Northstar Travel Group and Teri West, Senior Editor, Cruise for Travel Weekly, the panel welcomed Hannah Westerdoll, Vice President of Sales for AMADEUS River Cruises, Michal Maguire, Senior Vice President of Marketing for AmaWaterways, Arjun Sinsinwar, Chief Inspiration Officer for Antara Cruises, Camille Olivere, Chief Sales Officer for Globus family of brands and Nasim Ghannadian, Vice President of Sales & Marketing North America for VIVA Cruises, together.
Europe’s Low Water Levels Impacting Ships
AmaMagna on the Danube River (Credit: AmaWaterways)
One major subject of interest for travel advisors in the audience was the low water levels in European rivers this year, particularly in the Rhine and the Danube.
While no brands can control low water levels, they’ve all had to become more flexible this past year to offer guests different assurances and try to provide a river cruise experience as close as possible to what they expected when they booked.
“Believe it or not, low or high water levels are fairly rare,” said Olivere from Globus family of brands. “But this year, it’s really bad, and it’s been extreme, quite frankly, and it’s been tough for all of us. So how are we managing through it? We are really trying to be as transparent as possible and communicate. What people need to understand, and it’s important to set guest expectations, rivers change very quickly…”
She went on to explain Globus’s approach to handling low water levels: they take a look at individual departures and itineraries, the current river cruise levels, up until the day before departure, sometimes doing ship swaps, transitioning to land-based experiences, or, in severe cases, even offering guests a full refund with cancellation.
“It’s all about communication…” said Westerdoll of AMADEUS. “We do our best to decide a week in advance what that cruise is going to look like. Once we are decided what the cruise is going to look like, we will communicate that out to the advisors. We don’t go direct to the consumer to communicate the options out, whether we’re giving a credit to move or giving a refund.”
Westerdoll informed advisors that AMADEUS’s itinerary strategy also helps: they don’t sail past Passau to Nuremberg, the region of the Danube where low water levels are more likely than in other regions of the river.
Portugal’s Douro River Capping River Cruise Ships
Wineries in the Douro River Valley (Credit: Janeen Christoff)
In August, TravelPulse reported on a major topic in the river cruise industry: the Douro River had reached capacity for river cruise ships, and the authority is considering capping the number of ships that can sail along the scenic river in the future.
“River cruising is definitely maturing, and what it means for us is looking at additional destinations, other stops, adjusting where we’re docking. We’ve been here before. We have adjusted when Amsterdam put in more restrictions, and now we dock in Zaandam,” said Maguire, with AmaWaterways. “It’s the same experience for our guests…and we’re able to provide relief to the port in Amsterdam. We’re working very closely with communities where we’re visiting, making sure we’re being respectful of what they need and we are trying to provide to our guests…”
Westerdoll also applauded the river cruise capacity limit on the Douro, saying she could “see it happen in other destinations,” and stressing that quality will always be better for travelers and residents alike than quantity. “To ensure the future success of river cruising, I think it is important to protect the economies that we’re in, the villages that we’re in, and make sure we’re offering a sustainable practice,” she said.
Key Brand Differentiators
VIVA One, a VIVA Cruises river cruise ship. (Credit: VIVA Cruises)
During the river cruise panel, each representative had a moment to explain what makes their river cruise brand unique. Below is a key summary of what they said.
Olivere with Globus family of brands highlighted the company’s history as the world’s largest guided tour operator. Able to offer flexible travel changes during low-water-level situations, its breadth of products also makes it a “one-stop shop” for travel advisors. At the same time, those loyal to Globus through its tours will find something new to love in its river cruise category.
Ghannadian with VIVA Cruises explained that the European cruise line, which offers both river and ocean cruises, is relatively new, having launched in 2018. It’s a European-style, upscale brand with a truly all-inclusive format, so much so that guests don’t even need to register their credit card when they step onboard—a major attraction for travelers who don’t enjoy additional charges.
Sinsinwar with Antara Cruises introduced the locally owned luxury Indian river cruise line, highlighting its 25-year history of leadership in the country and encouraging advisors to book their clients on a river cruise experience unlike any other, where they’ll sail past biodiverse nature parks, temples and more while being immersed in India’s many traditions, from tea and coffee demonstrations to yoga activities and more.
Westerdoll with AMADEUS explained that the German-owned river cruise line has been family-owned since its founding, and that the owners prioritize fair pricing with the same quality as other river cruise brands to make river cruises more accessible.
Maguire from AmaWaterways highlighted the river cruise line’s current and upcoming offerings, including launching two new ships in Africa and the Mekong, adding a third ship in Egypt next year, and being the only river cruise line to sail in Colombia.
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