TUI River Cruises Unveils Its Biggest-Ever 2028 Summer Season

TUI River Cruises has announced the launch of its 2028 summer season, the largest in its history, which will introduce the new vessels TUI Zora and TUI Velara on the Rhine, Moselle and Danube, and will see TUI Elara sail the Seine for the first time. The programme will span the company's full fleet of 10 ships, with 43 itineraries and departures ranging from 3 to 14 nights between March and October 2028, available to book from 15 October 2026.

TUI Zora and TUI Velara were purpose-built for TUI River Cruises and designed with the British market in mind. Each will feature 94 staterooms with capacity for 188 passengers, operating on a Full Board Plus basis as standard, with the option to upgrade to All Inclusive. TUI Zora will debut on the Rhine on 7 May 2028, while TUI Velara will launch on the Danube on 14 August of the same year. Both ships have been designed with the groundwork for future alternative fuel use, particularly methanol, and their design concept, called 'Cultural Mosaic', draws inspiration from the cuisine, architecture and folklore of the rivers they will sail.

TUI Elara, a 110-metre vessel joining the fleet in March 2027, will begin operating on the Seine from 20 March 2028 with four-, seven- and ten-night itineraries. According to the company, the ship's size, smaller than the 135 metres typical of most of the fleet, is well suited to that river. The cruises will take in Paris, with views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Musée d'Orsay, as well as Vernon, Rouen and Le Havre, with the option to add an excursion to the D-Day beaches of Normandy through 'TUI River Cruise Collections'. The adults-only ship will carry 138 passengers in 70 staterooms, including the brand's first junior suites with French balconies, measuring 19.5 square metres, and will feature the main restaurant Verdastro and The Observatory bar-lounge.

Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruising at TUI River Cruises, said the 2028 summer season represents the company's biggest-ever launch and a major milestone for the brand, with a 26% increase in capacity compared with the previous season. TUI Luzia will continue operating on the Douro in 2028 with seven-night departures taking in Porto, the Douro Valley and Peso da Régua, while the programme will also include solo-traveller-exclusive departures on TUI Maya, on the Danube, and TUI Skyla, on the Rhine. TUI Aria, the largest ship in the fleet, will be repositioned to the Danube for the season.

For the first time, TUI River Cruises passengers will be able to fly into Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport with Air France from Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, or with easyJet from London Gatwick, Bristol, Glasgow and Newcastle. Prices for the season start from £1,749 per person for the seven-night 'Danube Treasures' departure on TUI Velara, based on two adults sharing a standard stateroom on a Full Board Plus basis with flights from London Gatwick on TUI Airways.