TUI River Cruises reveals first vessel to have a swimming pool & sauna

Experts in river cruising, TUI River Cruises^* has announced that its first ship, TUI Aria^*, will have a swimming pool and sauna by the time it launches in spring 2026.

Latest updates on TUI River Cruises © TUI Group

The adults-only ship, the largest in the fleet, will be home to Reflections^*, a public area where the fleet's first ship with an onboard swimming pool will boast views under a retractable roof, as well as showers and a sauna.

Reflections will host sun loungers by day, but by night, the floor will rise to offer a dining space and area for live music and film screenings.

TUI Aria will set sail in March 2026, offering six-to-nine-night cruises along the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Dutch and Belgian waterways, with new flights offered from Bristol Airport to join cruises in Amsterdam and from Newcastle Airport to Frankfurt.

Head of River Cruises Katy Berzins said: "TUI Aria marks a bold new chapter for TUI River Cruises, reflecting our commitment to innovation and guest experience.

"As our highest capacity ship to date, it's been designed to offer more flexibility for our customers - whether they're seasoned river cruisers or new to river cruise.

"Reflections, our new multi-use innovative venue, transforms from a poolside area by day to a stylish dining venue by night, offering more choice for our customers.

"Alongside new itineraries, additional regional flight options, and thoughtfully designed onboard experiences, TUI Aria opens up even more ways for customers to explore Europe's rivers in style."

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TUI River Cruises to launch biggest European vessel yet in 2026

TUI River Cruises has announced that it is adding a brand new ship to its river cruising fleet, TUI Aria^*. The ship will become the fourth river cruise vessel and offer the highest capacity at 190 passengers across 96 cabins.

As with TUI River Cruise's three other ships, TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla, it will be adults-only and offer Full Board Plus as standard with the option for guests to upgrade to all-inclusive if they wish.

On board, TUI Ria will be the first TUI River Cruises' ship in Europe to include a pool with a retractable roof and panoramic views, a sauna, sun loungers, a putting green and a shuffleboard on the upper deck. Newly refurbished, the ship will be modern with spacious interiors featuring a selection of restaurants and lounges.

Setting sail in 2026, it will cruise both the Rhine and the Moselle rivers over six, seven, eight and nine-night sailings. Two new direct flights from Bristol Airport to Amsterdam and Newcastle Airport to Frankfurt will connect passengers with the following three new itineraries:

North Rhine & Moselle Explorer
Moselle & North Rhine
Dutch Delta Discovery

Katy Berzins, Head of TUI River Cruises, said: "We're thrilled to be expanding our fleet with the addition of the latest ship to sail the European waterways. This marks another significant step in the growth of TUI River Cruises, following our second newly refurbished ship announcement in just one month.

"TUI Ria will provide more customers than ever the opportunity to explore Europe's stunning rivers, offering new routes and alternatives, all with convenient access from UK regional airports.

"Onboard TUI Ria, guests can enjoy a unique all-weather pool with panoramic views and a versatile venue that transitions from a daytime space to an evening dining and entertainment area.

"These innovative features of TUI Ria, combined with enhanced accessibility from UK regional airports, will strengthen TUI River Cruises' position in the market, offering customers more choice and flexibility in how they choose to sail with us."

TUI adds new Nile river cruise to winter 2024 programme

TUI River Cruises has added a brand new cruise along Egypt's magnificent River Nile^* to its winter 2024 schedule, which goes on sale today.

The cruise will sail between Luxor^* and Aswan^* with two excursions included in the price. It will set sail aboard newly-renovated TUI Al Horeya^*, the fourth member of TUI's river fleet, on an adults-only, all-inclusive basis with cabins for solo travellers too.

The cruise will operate from 7 November 2024 until 24 April 2025 with flights departing on Thursdays from both London Gatwick and Manchester.

Chris Hackney, Managing Director of Cruise TUI UK and Ireland said: "TUI River Cruises is going from strength to strength, and we are so excited to introduce this latest offering on the Nile which we are confident our customers will love.

"A cruise along the Nile offers a serene and unforgettable experience with lush landscapes, traditional villages, and other iconic landmarks such as the Luxor and Edfu Temples.

"With year-round sunshine, Egypt is the perfect destination for exploring ancient history and allowing guests to immerse themselves in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"The name TUI Al Horeya was chosen to ensure we kept local connection to Egypt, as it is our only TUI river cruise ship which will stay in the one country. TUI Al Horeya in Arabic means 'freedom', signifying the freedom the water brings to explore which is a great representation of what river cruising is all about."

TUI River Cruises adds seven festive sailings for winter 2023

TUIRiver Cruises has added seven festive sailings for its winter 2023 season.

TUI River Cruises has responded to strong demand with these new sailings that will run over the Christmas period.

There will be five dedicated sailings to Christmas markets with the Christmastime on the Rhine^* itinerary. Each will depart from Mainz and call at Frankfurt, Cologne and Dusseldorf over five nights aboard TUI Skyla^*.

Meanwhile, TUI Skyla will also host A Rhineland Christmas^*, also from Mainz calling at Koblenz, Dusseldorf, Bonn and Cologne. These two extra sailings will run for seven nights each over Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.

Chris Hackney, Managing Director of Cruise TUI UK and Ireland, said: "We are excited to be adding these additional sailings for winter 2023 giving more customers the opportunity to experience our fantastic river cruises."

TUI River Cruises launches summer 2024 programme

TUI has released details of its summer 2024 programme^* for TUI River Cruises, including two new UK departure points connecting with Budapest^*.

Next summer's options will feature new flights from London Gatwick and Manchester to the Hungarian capital.

There will be three new itineraries to choose from including the 11-night European Explorer^*, six-night North Rhine Explorer^* and three-night Rhine Gorge Discovery^*.

What's more, TUI River Cruises^*' collection offers more variety in terms of the duration of cruises available. From 2024 passengers will also be able to select three, four, six, 11 or 15-night cruises in addition to its standard 14-night cruises.

TUI River Cruises' summer 2023 itineraries now on sale

TUI River Cruises has launched its summer 2023 programme^* with two new sailings on the Rhine and one on the Main.

As a taster, Oktoberfest-themed "The Bavarian Discovery^*" itinerary will depart from Frankfurt and call at eight ports in Germany, while a new wine-themed sailing, "Rhine Chateaux and Gateaux 2^*", will also set sail in October 2023, departing from Basel and calling at Breisach, Strasbourg, Mannheim, Rudesheim, Boppard, Koblenz and Frankfurt.

In addition, TUI has added three new itineraries to its summer 2022 sailings^*, bringing the total number available to 21, with a variety of durations from three to 14 nights. What's more, the line's third ship, TUI Isla, will complete the fleet in spring 2022.

"With exclusive direct flying to Asia and North and West Africa, a multitude of beach hotels available from the Balearics to Bali, guided tours and winter breaks to Lapland and Iceland; whatever kind of getaway customers are after they'll find it with TUI."

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