First Time River Cruise Guide | TUI River Cruises

Who are TUI River Cruises?

We’re part of TUI, the UK’s leading travel company, so you’re in good hands. In fact, we’re award-winning, as we picked up the Best for First Time River Cruisers at the Cruise Critic Awards. We’ve applied our expertise to our river cruising recipe, combining standout service and culture-packed experiences with nightly entertainment and adults-only ships. And, to top it off, your flights, transfers, three meals with drinks per day, your tips, and your luggage allowance all come as standard.

Is a river cruise right for me?

Couple enjoying the view from the top deck of a TUI River Cruise.

Small and intimate

All our river cruise ships have one crew member to every four guests, so you’ll be on first-name terms in no time. There’s a dedicated Cruise Director on every sailing, too, who’ll be happy to help with information on things like shore experiences.

A couple exploring the Amsterdam windmills.

Multiple destinations

All our itineraries tick off multiple destinations, so you can unpack once and visit several places in one trip. Loads of them cross borders, too, so you could find yourself strolling around Amsterdam’s art museums one day and admiring Cologne’s enormous cathedral the next.

A couple exploring Luxor Temple in Egypt.

Easy exploring

On our river cruises, you’re free to come and go as you please. So, you can step off the ship and wander around the destinations at your own pace or book one of our shore experiences and let an expert guide take the lead. Most of our ports are in the heart of the destination, too.

A couple enjoying their dining experience and clinking their glass of wine onboard a TUI River Cruise.

So much included

All our river cruises are Full Board Plus as a minimum, so all your meals and a selection of drinks at mealtimes come as standard. You can also upgrade to an All Inclusive drinks package before you go or onboard. Or, if you’re sailing on our Nile cruises, they’re All Inclusive as standard.

What’s included on a TUI River Cruise?

Customers enjoying a top deck dining experience on board the TUI Al Horeya.

Food

Full Board Plus as a minimum – breakfast, lunch and dinner
Gala dinner once per cruise on sailings of five nights or longer
Al fresco dining, weather permitting

Friends being served a glass of prosecco onboard a TUI River cruise.

Drinks

Tea, coffee and juices with breakfast
Wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner
Complimentary tea and coffee station

Customers arriving and being welcomed onboard a TUI River Cruise.

Travel and luggage

Direct return flights
Up to 23kg luggage allowance
Airport transfers – to and from your ship

A douple enjoying the whirling dervishes entertainment onboard the Al Horeya.

Service and entertainment

All onboard tips and service charges
Day to night entertainment
Dedicated Cruise Director for help and advice

Which ship is right for me?

TUI Aria. Like all our river cruise ships, the modern and spacious TUI Aria is just for adults. It sails along the Rhine, and it’s our first river cruise ship to feature an indoor pool (complete with retractable roof). There are a couple of dining options, too.Find out more about TUI Aria.

TUI Aria

Like all our river cruise ships, the modern and spacious TUI Aria is just for adults. It sails along the Rhine, and it’s our first river cruise ship to feature an indoor pool (complete with retractable roof). There are a couple of dining options, too.

Find out more about TUI Aria.

TUI Skyla. TUI Skyla is one of our original river cruise ships, and it sails along the Rhine and the Danube. It serves up a pair of restaurants – one for sophisticated dining and another for relaxed meals, plus two bars for drinks, as well as a wellness area and a top deck for activities.Find out more about TUI Skyla.

TUI Skyla

TUI Skyla is one of our original river cruise ships, and it sails along the Rhine and the Danube. It serves up a pair of restaurants – one for sophisticated dining and another for relaxed meals, plus two bars for drinks, as well as a wellness area and a top deck for activities.

Find out more about TUI Skyla.

TUI Maya. Like its sisters – TUI Isla and TUI Skyla – this ship (which sails along the Danube) features two restaurants and two bars. You can relax in the wellness area or on the top deck, which lines up sunbeds and a space for activities.Find out more about TUI Maya.

TUI Maya

Like its sisters – TUI Isla and TUI Skyla – this ship (which sails along the Danube) features two restaurants and two bars. You can relax in the wellness area or on the top deck, which lines up sunbeds and a space for activities.

Find out more about TUI Maya.

TUI Isla. Just like all of our ships, TUI Isla’s reserved for adults. It sails along the Danube, and onboard you can dine in two restaurants and drink in two bars – one of which hosts entertainment. Plus, the top deck’s got relaxation and activity zones.Find out more about TUI Isla.

TUI Isla

Just like all of our ships, TUI Isla’s reserved for adults. It sails along the Danube, and onboard you can dine in two restaurants and drink in two bars – one of which hosts entertainment. Plus, the top deck’s got relaxation and activity zones.

Find out more about TUI Isla.

TUI Al Horeya. TUI Al Horeya was our first ship on the River Nile when it set sail in 2024, and it features a restaurant and two bars. You can relax in the wellness area or on the top deck, which lines up a pool, a pair of hot tubs and a dining area for al fresco dinners.Find out more about TUI Al Horeya.

TUI Al Horeya

TUI Al Horeya was our first ship on the River Nile when it set sail in 2024, and it features a restaurant and two bars. You can relax in the wellness area or on the top deck, which lines up a pool, a pair of hot tubs and a dining area for al fresco dinners.

Find out more about TUI Al Horeya.

TUI Bahareya. Like TUI Al Horeya, TUI Bahareya sails solely along the world-famous River Nile. Onboard you’ll get the full Egyptian experience, with a more than a few nods to local culture, including Arabic-inspired decor, local guest acts and regional dishes in the restaurant.Find out more about TUI Bahareya.

TUI Bahareya

Like TUI Al Horeya, TUI Bahareya sails solely along the world-famous River Nile. Onboard you’ll get the full Egyptian experience, with a more than a few nods to local culture, including Arabic-inspired decor, local guest acts and regional dishes in the restaurant.

Find out more about TUI Bahareya.

TUI Luzia. TUI Luzia is our first ever new-build river cruise ship, which launches in 2027. Onboard, there’s a main restaurant with waiter service, an al fresco dining area that’s inspired by the Douro Valley, and a shallow pool on the top deck. There are three bars, too.Find out more about TUI Luzia.

TUI Luzia

TUI Luzia is our first ever new-build river cruise ship, which launches in 2027. Onboard, there’s a main restaurant with waiter service, an al fresco dining area that’s inspired by the Douro Valley, and a shallow pool on the top deck. There are three bars, too.

Find out more about TUI Luzia.

Which river is right for me?

The Douro. Great for: Cities, History, Sightseeing. Wine’s the word along the Douro River, which stretches all the way across northern Portugal, through its famous wine country and into Spain. Most of the nation’s famous port wine comes from the terraced vineyards that line the river.Find out more about our Douro river cruises.

The Douro

Great for: Cities, History, Sightseeing

Wine’s the word along the Douro River, which stretches all the way across northern Portugal, through its famous wine country and into Spain. Most of the nation’s famous port wine comes from the terraced vineyards that line the river.

Find out more about our Douro river cruises.

The Danube. Great for: Christmas, Wine Lovers, History. There's plenty of variety along the Danube River, which slices through the very heart of Europe, flowing from the Black Forest in the west to the Black Sea in the east. In fact, the river passes through 10 countries – including Austria, Hungary and Serbia.Find out more about our Danube river cruises.

The Danube

Great for: Christmas, Wine Lovers, History

There's plenty of variety along the Danube River, which slices through the very heart of Europe, flowing from the Black Forest in the west to the Black Sea in the east. In fact, the river passes through 10 countries – including Austria, Hungary and Serbia.

Find out more about our Danube river cruises.

The Rhine. Storybook castles and centuries-old wineries line up along the Rhine, which starts its 765-mile-long journey in the Swiss Alps, before winding its way through Germany, France and the Netherlands. – where it splits and heads towards the North Sea.Find out more about our Rhine river cruises.

The Rhine

Storybook castles and centuries-old wineries line up along the Rhine, which starts its 765-mile-long journey in the Swiss Alps, before winding its way through Germany, France and the Netherlands. – where it splits and heads towards the North Sea.

Find out more about our Rhine river cruises.

The Nile. The Nile lays claim to being the world’s longest river, with this leggy waterway meandering its way through 11 African countries. Egypt grabs the lion’s share of it though, and that’s where you'll stay on our Nile river cruises.Find out more about our Nile river cruises.

Al Horeya sailing along the sandy banks of the River Nile.

The Nile

The Nile lays claim to being the world’s longest river, with this leggy waterway meandering its way through 11 African countries. Egypt grabs the lion’s share of it though, and that’s where you'll stay on our Nile river cruises.

Find out more about our Nile river cruises.

The Moselle. Picturesque scenery and wine go hand-in-hand along the Moselle. Think slopes covered with vineyards, plus charming villages, hilltop castles and hairpin bends. City-wise, meanwhile, things are on a much smaller scale than the neighbouring Rhine.Find out more about our Moselle river cruises.

Colourful Bavarian style buildings at The Burgstrasse in Bernkastel-Kues, Germany.

The Moselle

Picturesque scenery and wine go hand-in-hand along the Moselle. Think slopes covered with vineyards, plus charming villages, hilltop castles and hairpin bends. City-wise, meanwhile, things are on a much smaller scale than the neighbouring Rhine.

Find out more about our Moselle river cruises.

The Main. The Main River meanders its way through the centre of Germany. Half-timbered houses, grand palaces and castles sit side-by-side with beer-swilling Bavarian villages and bustling, big cities like Frankfurt along its banks.Find out more about our Main river cruises.

Overhead view of the Medieval German town of Miltenberg on the River Main.

The Main

The Main River meanders its way through the centre of Germany. Half-timbered houses, grand palaces and castles sit side-by-side with beer-swilling Bavarian villages and bustling, big cities like Frankfurt along its banks.

Find out more about our Main river cruises.

Dutch and Belgian Waterways. This vast network of canals and rivers laces its way across the north of the Netherlands and Belgium, flowing past historic cities like Amsterdam, colourful tulip fields and pancake-flat countryside.Find out more about our Dutch and Belgian Waterways river cruises.

Dutch and Belgian Waterways

This vast network of canals and rivers laces its way across the north of the Netherlands and Belgium, flowing past historic cities like Amsterdam, colourful tulip fields and pancake-flat countryside.

Find out more about our Dutch and Belgian Waterways river cruises.