River cruises represent a more recently developed segment of the cruise industry. Unlike oceanic cruises, they have to deal with the unique characteristics and constraints of a linear setting of the itinerary:
- Upstream and downstream cruises. They are common in river cruises as the port of first embarkment will be different from the port where the cruise is completed. The cruiser is exposed to a constantly changing riverscape. This implies that travel arrangements involve an inbound flight for the port of embarkment and an outbound flight for the port of disembarkment. For the cruise line, an upstream cruise must be accompanied by a downstream cruise, which could imply a different sequence of ports of call. This allows for full utilization of the ship asset instead of an empty return voyage to the initial turn port.
- Return cruises. They are less common but offer the convenience of a single turn port for the cruise line and a single point of embarkation for the cruisers (and the additional option of a drive to cruise). They are usually organized so that the upstream sequence of ports of call is different than the downstream sequence.
The main river markets include the Rhine/Danube system in Europe, the Mississippi and its tributaries in North America, and the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers in China. Due to navigation limitations such as shallow draft and bridge clearance, river cruise ships are smaller, commonly with 200 guests or less. Because of the scale issue, they have less onboard entertainment and amenities. Still, unlike sea cruises, they have the opportunity to resupply along the route with local catering, products, and entertainers.