Boutique river line Riverside Cruises will grow from three ships to five in 2028, bringing two familiar hulls back into service: the Mahler and the Mozart. Both are former Crystal river ships — Riverside now owns all five of that ill-fated line's river fleet — joining the Bach, Ravel and Debussy, which the company already sails.

The two additions play different roles. The Mozart, a distinctive ship rather than a sister to the others, will run itineraries on the Rhine, Main, Moselle and Danube. The Mahler, which mirrors the Debussy design, gives the line operational flexibility: it can swap ships between routes and put more cabins on sale in peak demand.

CEO Jennifer Halbroth was blunt about the maths: three ships felt a touch small, but the company has no intention of becoming a giant. Growing too quickly, she warned, risks losing the charm and personal feel that set the brand apart.

So what is that brand? Food, mostly. Riverside carries fewer passengers than many river ships, with larger galleys and more chefs, cooking everything to order and spending more per guest on ingredients. Chefs are given room to improvise rather than work off a fixed script. The other selling point is flexibility — four pricing tiers, shorter modular itineraries, and the ability to change excursions after you've boarded. That matters because rigidity is one of the main reasons travellers write off river cruising altogether.

The line is also experimenting with themed sailings: a beer sommelier cruise this year, a golf cruise next year, and a bike cruise in the works. It's seeing growing demand from multigenerational groups and affluent families, especially on shorter sailings. Roughly three-quarters of guests come from the Americas, with Canada and South America performing strongly, and Australia starting to gain traction. Expansion beyond Europe remains a distant prospect.

One more note worth watching: Halbroth welcomed Celebrity's entry into river cruising, arguing that big-brand competition shines a brighter spotlight on the whole category. More awareness, she figures, is good for everyone — including a small line that prides itself on listening to guests and travel advisors alike.

For anyone who has dismissed river cruising as stiff and formulaic, Riverside's pitch — casual flexibility, serious dining, shorter modular routes — is increasingly easy to test, with more cabins available from 2028.