[By: TUI River Cruises]
TUI River Cruises will debut new sailings on the River Danube for winter 2026 with new Serbian and Croatian ports of call. The winter itineraries will go on sale from 3 July 2025, offering 33 sailings across the entire fleet from November 2026 – April 2027.
For TUI Aria’s first winter season, the largest capacity ship amongst the fleet, will be sailing the Rhine offering customers a glimpse of different Germanic festive markets on the ‘Mistletoe and Rhine’ itinerary featuring Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Koblenz and Cologne as well as the ‘North Rhine Noel’ itinerary which stops in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. In addition, TUI River Cruises is also introducing new Danube sailings on TUI Isla, ‘New Year on the Danube’ so guests can celebrate the New Year in style and also visit the spectacular Belgrade festive markets.
There will be a second TUI flight from London Gatwick to Vienna for both TUI Isla and TUI Maya including an incredible 16 itineraries for customers to sail on. In addition to this, there will be alternative flight options with TUI partner airlines to a range of destinations including Basel and Amsterdam on the newest ship, TUI Aria itineraries including: ‘Rhine Explorer’, ‘Rhine Explorer 2’ and ‘Southern Rhine Delights.’
Furthermore, the river cruise line will introduce new four to seven-night river cruise options, to continue to offer more flexibility and choice for customers. These include ‘Yuletide Getaway’, a four-night on TUI Isla sailing visiting Vienna, Linz, Bratislava and the seven-night ‘East Danube Explorer’.
Festive sailings on The Danube and The Rhine will return with 11 sailings for the season with Christmas market-filled itineraries and even more New Year’s celebrations across four different ships, TUI Aria, TUI Isla, TUI Maya and TUI Skyla. These include ‘East Danube Christmas Charm’ on TUI Isla, a five-night sailing through Vienna, Esztergom, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna and ‘Rhine Festive Flavours’ on TUI Skyla sailing through Cologne, Boppard, Rüdesheim, Frankfurt, Koblenz, and Dusseldorf.
The Nile will see two ships, TUI Al Horeya and TUI Bahareya, return for winter 2026 with direct flights from London Gatwick and Manchester Airport to Luxor, Egypt. Customers seeking the sun can sail on alternating itineraries: ‘Legends of the Nile’ and ‘Ancient Gods and Famous Pharaohs’ for seven-night sailings. The sailings will begin and end in Luxor and will visit Egyptian hotspots of Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan.
“We’re excited to launch our largest winter programme providing our customers with more choice and flexibility than ever before” said Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises at TUI River Cruises. “With the introduction of new Serbian and Croatian ports on the Danube, the debut winter season for TUI Aria, and enhanced flight options, we’re making it easier for our guests to explore Europe’s most enchanting riverscapes. Whether it’s celebrating New Year in Belgrade, discovering the charm of German Christmas markets, or soaking up the sun along the Nile, there’s a winter cruise for every traveller.”
Prices start from £799 per person for the ‘Gluhwein on the Rhine’ winter 2026 itineraries which are available to book from Thursday 3rd July 2025.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.