VIVA Cruises is flying the flag for 2026 World Pride in Amsterdam with a dedicated LGBTQ+ & Friends sailing.
The seven-night round-trip sailing aboard Viva One departs on July 29,2026 and includes calls in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Nijmegen, along with a three-day stay in Amsterdam for the Pride festivities.
A public transport ticket for Amsterdam is included in the package, giving guests freedom to explore the city and enjoy the World Pride schedule, including the iconic the Canal Pride Parade on Saturday, August 1.
The sailing will feature a themed entertainment package designed to celebrate diversity and create a welcoming atmosphere for all. Highlights already announced include DJ sets, sunset parties and other LGBTQ+ community activities.
As well as the Pride stay, the sailing will include three guided city tours in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Nijmegen.
Pure Amazon sets sail
Pure Amazon – the new luxury riverboat operation of A&K Sanctuary – has begun sailings through Peru’s vast Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
The 22-guest vessel is operating three-, four- and seven-night itineraries, giving guests rare access to flooded-forest wildlife in the country’s Loreto region.
Dusk and dawn skiff outings with expert naturalists and kayaking trips are included in the upscale packages, along with daily five-course tasting menus that focus on regional cuisine.
Tours are designed to offer “intimate wildlife encounters across 21,000 square kilometres of protected Amazonian wilderness,” in a vessel that takes its design inspiration from indigenous people. Sailing through the reserve, guests have the chance to see rare pink river dolphins, three-toed sloths, scarlet macaws and giant river otters.
Pure Amazon guests also get to visit guests visit FORMABIAP, a local teacher training programme aiming to strengthen indigenous Amazonian communities through cultural and language preservation. This initiative is training 212 young people from five local communities to become intercultural bilingual teachers.
Three-night sailings lead in at £4,695.
Agent incentives on Trafalgar bookings
Guided tour specialist Trafalgar is offering agents incentives of up to £200 per booking on sales for its 2027 river cruise itineraries.
“With 2027 river cruise sailings now available, we’re giving agents an even stronger head start to plan their clients’ journeys,” explained Kelly Jackson, Trafalgar managing director EMEA.
“This release allows them to capture bookings sooner and take advantage of seasonal incentives while offering guests Trafalgar’s signature land experiences.”
Trafalgar Verity and Trafalgar Reverie are available for individual, group and charter bookings and will offer a variety of European itineraries during the season, with new land extensions in Lucerne, Prague and Budapest available.
The operator’s Best of the Danube now includes a stay in Prague, while its Best of the Rhine & Amsterdam cruise adds the mountain city of Lucerne. Christmas market sailings are also featured again for 2027.
The £200 agent incentive applies to couples’ bookings, with a 15% Black Friday offer available on selected cruises.
Art for arts sake on Oceania
Oceania Cruises is showcasing digital artwork from 14 international artists aboard its newest ship, Oceania Allura.
The 30 pieces will be available to guests via a custom-designed website, which they can access via their mobile devices. QR codes situated across decks 5 and 6 of the ship will open up the films.
Featured artists include Roberto Matta, famed for his abstract expressionism, and award-winning Judy Pfaff, celebrated for spatial paintings and abstract installations. Meanwhile, Bobbie Burgers and Eduardo Arranz-Bravo diverse artworks in various mediums, from refined fine art to expressive sculpture.
“The Art Experience is a testament to our commitment to create beauty and wonder in every dimension of our travel experience,” said Jason Montague, Chief Luxury Officer of Oceania Cruises.
“This experience transforms Oceania Allura’s spaces into a journey of discovery and reflection, allowing our guests to not only explore the wonders at sea, but also within the ship itself.”
Godmother for Uniworld’s S.S. Emilie announced
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises has appointed its Sustainability Officer, Julie Higgins, as Godmother of the line’s newest Super Ship, the S.S. Emilie, set to debut in spring 2026.
The new vessel, inspired by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt and named after his muse and partner Emilie Flöge, will introduce Uniworld’s most advanced sustainability innovations to date.
“Julie’s unwavering dedication to advancing our sustainability goals makes her the perfect Godmother for the S.S. Emilie,” said Uniworld President and CEO Ellen Bettridge. “This ship represents the next era of river cruising at Uniworld, where conscious design and exceptional luxury seamlessly coexist.”
The S.S. Emilie marks Uniworld’s first new build since 2020 and will showcase a host of environmentally focused technologies including an optimised hull for improved fuel efficiency, advanced data systems for semi-autonomous sailing, catalytic converters, heat recovery systems, battery packs for peak shaving and low-energy fitness equipment.
Guests will also enjoy a suite of MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experiences along the Rhine and Danube, from refugee-led canal cruises in Amsterdam to visits to sustainable farms and conservation-focused attractions.
Higgins, a 20-year Uniworld veteran with an MBA in Sustainability Leadership, will officially christen the ship on March 21, 2026 ahead of its inaugural Rhine sailing. The launch precedes two further sustainably designed Super Ships, the S.S. Audrey and S.S. Marlene, arriving in 2027.
