What are the oldest river cruise lines?

23 river cruise lines give a year on their own websites, read 10 November 2026. It is the year the company began, or where it gives only that, the year of its first river voyage; it is not always the year it began river cruising. The three earliest years are Tauck (1925), APT (1927) and Grand Circle Cruise Line (1958), all as travel or tour businesses before river cruising: APT launched European river cruising in 2005; Tauck and Grand Circle do not give a first river year.

What are the oldest river cruise lines?

23 river cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table give a year they began on their own websites; the three earliest years are Tauck (1925), APT (1927) and Grand Circle Cruise Line (1958).

Which of these show a dated price on this page?

3 of the 23 cards show a price for a sailing, with its currency and a date or season. Tauck, American Cruise Lines, CroisiEurope, Gate 1 Travel, Victoria Cruises, Pandaw, Mekong Cruises (Luang Say), Assam Bengal Navigation, Riviera Travel and Emerald Cruises publish fares on their own websites without a sailing date, a per-person basis or a currency on the pages read, so no figure is shown for them. Ask every line for a written quote with the departure date and what it includes.

• Scenic
• Thurgau Travel
• A-ROSA

Which of these lines name a scheme that protects your money?

6 of the 23 lines name a scheme, bond, licence or account that protects payments for some or all bookings; check the number with the scheme before you pay.

• APT: ABTA member; air-inclusive packages bonded under the CAA's ATOL scheme; Client Fund Protection in a separate bank account (UK bookings)
• Abercrombie & Kent: ATOL number 2881, issued by the CAA, for flight-inclusive packages (UK bookings)
• Thurgau Travel: Garantiefonds der Schweizer Reisebranche (Swiss travel industry guarantee fund)
• A-ROSA: Risk coverage certificate (Sicherungsschein) under Section 651r BGB, issued before the 25% down payment is due
• Riviera Travel: Says it is fully bonded with the CAA and ABTA, which are UK bodies, so your money is safe in any eventuality; its US booking conditions carry Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST40993
• VIVA Cruises: Guarantee certificate handed over before the 20% down payment is due

Who to contact first

Start with the 2 lines on this page that publish both a sailing price and their cancellation terms on their own websites, then add any other card that fits your dates and the sailing you want.

• Scenic
• A-ROSA

What to ask each one to set out in writing:

• What the fare includes, line by line: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights before and after.
• The ship: how many guests it carries, the cabin size and whether it has a French balcony, a full balcony or a window.
• The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what the line does if low or high water changes the route.
• Which scheme or licence protects your money and what you need to walk on the excursions if mobility matters to you.

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 10 November 2026 · updated 10 November 2026