‘Two Years of Education in Four Days’ – Fourth Annual ASTA River Cruise Expo Kicks Off in Vienna

Sixteen ships. Ten brands. Just under twelve thousand meal reservations. Ten thousand educational session bookings. More than 100 trade show exhibitors. One thousand, six hundred attendees.

By all metrics, the fourth annual ASTA River Cruise Expo, which kicked off in Vienna on Wednesday night, is the most successful ever – nearly triple what it was when 600-some “hardy souls” gathered in Budapest to see seven ships at the first Expo in 2022.

Since that early Expo, the event has sold out every year and this year was no exception. The surge in interest from advisors, ASTA said, reflects the increasing demand for river cruising, as well as the “crucial” role that advisors play in shaping the market.

“The reality is, is how you do and how your business grows is how we do and how our business grows,” Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon, said during her main stage presentation.

That reality is why the river cruise lines are so supportive of the event.

“The river cruise lines participation here demonstrates their enduring commitment to you,” said Zane Kerby, ASTA president and CEO. “They opened their ships early for the season, handpicked the best crew, and are ready to make these next few days transformative for your business. The first-hand experience you’ll gain here – 16 different ships from 10 leading companies, is invaluable education.”

As Alex Pinelo, AmaWaterways’ newly promoted chief sales officer told Kerby, “If you do this right, you can get two years of education in four days.”

During the three full days of the expo, advisors will have the chance to tour all 16 ships, including staying on a ship, and lunching and dining on several ships, as well as attend up to six educational sessions offered by the cruise lines (product knowledge) or ASTA (business building). On the last day, attendees will be treated to a Vienna-area excursions representative of the cruise line they’re staying on.

As Kerby summed it up, during their four days in Vienna, advisors will build relationships that make them a stronger advisor, gain product knowledge that gives them a competitive advantage, and leave with the confidence that comes from their experiences.

Expo Highlights: the Godfathers of River Cruising

Though this year’s River Cruise Expo kicked off Wednesday night with a cocktail event that included schnitzel and Viennese waltzers (decked out in tuxes and white gowns), the meat of the event started on Thursday morning with a general session highlighted by cruise line presentations, a consumer media panel, and a fun two-on-one interview with AmWaterways’ co-founder, co-owner and president Rudi Schreiner and Viking’s Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen, moderated by Jackie Friedman, chair of the ASTA Board of Directors.

Both Schreiner and Hagen hold “godfather of river cruising” titles, with each having more than 40 years of experience in the cruise industry (ocean and river).

In an amusing interaction, Friedman asked the men what they are doing to encourage new demographics to try out river cruising. Schriener talked about its partnerships with Backroads, the Smithsonian, and Adventures by Disney, emphasizing that AmaWaterways is working encourage families to try river cruising as the multi-generational travel continues to grow.

In response, Hagen was emphatic that Viking doesn’t want those families.

“We’re taking a very different approach,” he said. “Our concept of generational travel is grown-ups and their parents.  We have no ambition whatsoever of dragging young children [on]. You can have them all.”

Participating river cruise brands and ships represented at this year’s River Cruise Expo are:

• AMADEUS (Nova)
• AmaWaterways (AmaBella, AmaLea, AmaSonata)
• Avalon Waterways (Illumination, Passion, Impression)
• Riverside Luxury Cruises (Mozart)
• Riviera Travel (MS William Wordsworth)
• Scenic Group (Scenic Opal, Emerald Luna)
• Tauck (MS Savor)
• Uniworld (S.S. Maria Theresa)
• Viking (Rinda, Ingvi)

The 2026 ASTA River Cruise Expo will be held in Amsterdam.