Getting to Know AMADEUS River Cruises

Though many travel advisors have never heard of AMADEUS River Cruises, it’s possible that they’ve sent a client on one without knowing. The Austrian-based river cruise line has been the partner of choice for tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent and Collette for years. Nine years ago the company decided it was time to make a name for itself in North America, outside of its tour operator partnerships.

With an office in Chicago and a staff of business development managers dedicated to the U.S. and Canada, and four ASTA River Cruise Expos under its belt, the brand is finally starting to make some headway with the North American trade.

“Everything takes a little bit of time and we are finally at the point of critical momentum,” Markus Leskovar, executive vice president of AMADEUS River Cruises, told TMR during a quiet sit-down at this year’s ASTA River Cruise Expo. “We are being recognized and are starting to gain speed.”

Five-Star Ships, Value Pricing

TMR asked Leskovar what travel advisors need to understand about AMADEUS and how its different from some of the other river cruise lines operating in Europe (AMADEUS does not operate outside of Europe.)

First and foremost, he said, is that AMADEUS offers a five-star product for “a great value.” Remember, luxury brands like Abercrombie & Kent choose AMADEUS ships for their European river cruise offerings. That alone signals the quality of the hardware AMADEUS operates.

AMADEUS’ pricing, on the other hand, is not A&K pricing. To keep pricing more moderate, AMADEUS does not include any shore excursions in the cruise fare.

“Why we do that is because we want our passengers to have the freedom of choice,” Leskovar said. “We are trying to get away from this rigid programming where everyone is following the lollipop in the morning.”

This classical style of touring is available to those who want it. “In Vienna, for example, you can book up to three excursions a day if you want. And if you don’t, you’re not going to pay for them.”

Among the North American guests, Leskovar told TMR it’s usually the more senior travelers who want the classic tour experience.

“They like the shore excursions because it’s easy, and they like the group component,” he said.

But it’s not uncommon for AMADEUS guests to go off on their own during the day. This is often true of younger guests, as well as multi-generational families that want to do their own thing. Another option is the onboard bicycles, which guests are free to use for independent touring.  

“Our audience is getting younger. They’re getting more active,” Leskovar said. “We encourage people to look at our cruise ships as floating boutique hotels. Think outside the box and reimagine your river cruise.”

While excursions are not included in the cruise fare, most everything else is. This includes all meals; wine, beer, and soft drinks at lunch and dinner; Wi-Fi, and crew gratuities.

Optional add-ons include shore excursions, airport transfers, and pre- and post-cruise packages.

International Mix but 50% North American

AMADEUS draws an international crowd but passengers from the U.S. and Canada account for about 50% of the company’s overall guests. (This does not mean that every cruise will be 50% North American, only that on an annual basis, half the guests are from North America.)

The rest of the brand’s guests come from the UK, Australia, Japan, Israel, Germany, and other European countries.

“It’s a true international mix,” Leskovar said, adding that that is another of the brand’s unique selling points.

With that said, AMADEUS is committed to growing its North American clientele.

“That’s why we made this investment nine years ago and why we are building it on a daily basis, to gain more market share in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s the world’s largest market for cruising, period. It’s a good market to be in and it always will be.”

Choosing the Right Client

AMADEUS caters to a “large range” of clients,” Leskovar said, including the classic river cruiser, multi-generational families, and younger, more active travelers. In recent years, AMADEUS has even started seeing some honeymooners, though he emphasized that’s not the brand’s “bread and butter” guest.

More experienced travelers are also a great fit for AMADEUS, both because they’re not locked into visiting the same on-the-beaten-path attractions they may have seen before, but also because the guest mix is international, which can make some travelers uncomfortable.

“They don’t need to do the city tour because they’ve already been to Vienna and now are coming back and want to explore on their own,” Leskovar said.

Just as important as who is the right client for AMADEUS is who isn’t.

“If you have a client that likes to travel in a bubble and gets nervous when they hear an accent and that would rather go on vacation with their own neighbors, then maybe we are not the first choice,” he said.

Trade-Focused Tools

Recently, AMADEUS has begun building more infrastructure to support the North American trade, beginning with a trade portal that Leskovar referred to as “a work in progress.”

“Initially, everything was done through one or two people, now we are putting structure behind it,” he explained. On the portal, advisors will find some marketing resources and an online booking platform.

“We are actively growing this and building it out and adding things,” he said.

Up next is a training program that is a direct result of feedback from travel advisors that wanted to learn more about the brand. The program should be ready in May or June of this year.

To use the online portal, advisors need to create a business partner profile online. Advisors who belong to a Host agency can also check to see if their Host already has an account that they can have access to.

Group Business

Among travel advisors that do a lot of group river cruise bookings, AMADEUS is already well-known. (Not to mention the tour operators that take group space.)

We asked Leskovar what makes AMADEUS so popular with advisors for groups.

The answer, he said, is the brand’s 90-day group holding policy, which lets advisors hold group space – on a guaranteed basis – for 90 days with no deposits. A deposit is only required as each cabin is filled.

“If you’re successful and you fill everything, that’s great. If you’re not, and you don’t fill everything, we’ll take the cabins back. No harm done. You’re not liable for anything and you’re not losing any deposits.”