River tourism a hit with older generations

A white steamboat with a prominent red paddle wheel docks in Pittsburgh and boards 150 passengers before setting sail on the mighty Ohio River. The 1800s-style cruise ship isn’t headed to Punta Cana or the Bahamas, but to locations off-the-beaten-path such as Moundsville, W.Va., to see the Adena Indian burial mounds and Maysville, Ky., to enjoy bluegrass music.

The American Cruise Lines’ Grand Ohio River-American Heritage tour sails from St. Louis to Pittsburgh — and back — stopping in various small cities along the way.

“These are cities most people wouldn’t go to on a driving vacation, but if you go there, you get to see the real America,” said Cindy Anderson, office manager and cruise and rail expert at USA River Cruises.

In 2022, the U.S. river cruise market was valued at $95.4 million and is anticipated to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (an investment’s annual growth rate over a period of time) of 20.8% from 2023 to 2030.

“The river cruise business has grown every single year,” Anderson said.

She attributes the rise in popularity to many factors, including covid-19. Post-pandemic, many clients prefer the small, intimate offerings of a river cruise as opposed to a 3,000-passenger Princess Cruises ship.

Monika Sundem, chief executive officer of Adventure Life tour agency, also credits the rise in river cruise interest to the pandemic, which prompted vacationers to look at domestic travel options.

“When covid-19 forced people to look inward, they discovered we have some amazing things in our own backyard,” she said.

Due to domestic comfort and an educational focus, river cruises tend to attract an older crowd.

“On the Mississippi River cruises, if you’re mid-50s, you’re definitely the spring chicken,” Sundem said.

River cruises draw a different crowd than ocean cruises.

“It attracts someone who is driven by experiencing new cultures, versus someone who is driven by being entertained,” Sundem said.

George Schexnayder, 83, of Mt. Lebanon, has taken 15 international cruises. He and his wife, historians and world travelers, enjoy international and domestic river cruises. The two have traveled the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest, and the Ohio River from St. Louis to Pittsburgh. While not as exotic as their previous destinations in Southeast Asia or Ukraine, they enjoy exploring unique parts of the U.S.

“I’d never been on the Ohio River, and I wanted to see the river,” he said. “At certain spots, it’s called the Rhine River of America.”

Domestic river cruise options help satiate the couple’s wanderlust with trips more feasible for a couple in their eighties.

“Taking American Cruise Lines as we advance in age makes it a little easier for us,” Schexnayder said. “We’re looking for things that aren’t stressful travel arrangements.”

Thomas Moore, travel agent and owner of Cruise Planners in Pittsburgh, sees the appeal of river cruises. The personal attention these smaller river cruises offer is unmatched.

“It’s small and intimate,” he said. “You get to know the speaker, the tour guide, the chef and mingle with people on the ship more because it’s so small.”

Why so expensive?

According to TravelAge West, price was noted as the top hurdle by 45% of travel agents selling river cruises.

A Royal Caribbean roundtrip Western Mediterranean Cruise advertises $862 for seven nights, while a USA River Cruise advertises $5,960 for an eight-night river cruise from Louisville, Ky., to Pittsburgh.

Anderson attributes the cost to the Jones Act of 1920, which requires goods shipped from one U.S. port to another to be carried by vessels that are U.S. built, owned and crewed.

“If you’re going to cruise on the U.S. rivers, you have to build the boat in the U.S., the certification has to be here, which is expensive, and you have to hire U.S. employees and pay U.S. wages,” she said.

Anderson added that the difference in price can be deceiving. She said oceanic cruises often include extra fees and charges. Anderson has conducted research and visited big ship cruises and then kept all the receipts for extra costs — port charges, drinks, gratuity, extra excursions and on-boat activities.

“When I kept the receipts, the costs were almost exactly the same,” she said. “On large ships, many clients feel nickeled and dimed.”

Most river cruises are all-inclusive. With USA River Cruises, all meals, drinks, gratuities, port charges and extra activities are included. Wine tasting and art classes are also included in the original river cruise price. Clients don’t need to pay for much while on board.

Often, airfare is discounted or free, and complimentary hotels are added before the trip.

“It’s more apples to apples if you compare it that way,” Anderson said.

Macinzie McFarland, senior manager of strategic communications and public affairs at Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the trade association for river and ocean cruises, said every cruise line determines its own pricing.

“As the trade association, CLIA is not privy or involved in the pricing strategies of our cruise line members,” she said.

While Viking could not directly comment, they assured there was no nickel and diming.

Viking Inclusive Value ensures pricing “covers everything guests need — and nothing they do not,” according to the Viking River Cruises website. Port taxes and fees, enrichment lectures and performances and one complimentary shore excursion in every port of call are included.

P&O Cruises/Carnival UK declined to comment.

On-board historian

Agents agree one of the biggest differences between the river and ocean cruises is the on-board historian.

Some of Anderson’s clients select their cruise based on the historian. Clients would call and ask for a specific historian who had a big following on the Colombia and Snake River cruises — Todd Weber.

Weber, a retired guest speaker and on-board historian, believes the role of the historian is critical.

“I’ve been on cruises that didn’t have their act together,” he said. “The food and overall onboard experience was not the quality expected for what people were paying … and I had people come up to me and say, ‘If you and your wife weren’t on this cruise, it would be nothing but a very expensive boat ride.’ ”

Weber worries the old-timey charm of river cruises may be lost to the next generation. In the years before he retired, he saw fewer guests interested in history, and instead focused on gastronomy and winery options.

“I think the history aspect is a big draw for the older generation, and for the newer generation it’s changing,” he said.

River cruises are predicted to grow in popularity — and prices aren’t expected to drop anytime soon. Most advisers, 53%, say first-time cruisers “very often” book another cruise, according to TravelAge West.