Hot European river cruise:Viking Lines

A trip along the Rhine 'is becoming increasingly popular. The European market for river cruises grew in 2014 by 33.5% to 1.14 million passengers. Especially Americans readily pay money to sail on European inland waterways and to visit cities. Although the Netherlands plays an important role in river cruising, the number of Dutch passengers is negligible and they come in statistics rare.

To be able to keep up many ships built the strong growth. Last March dipped Viking Cruises whopping 12 new cruise ships simultaneously in Amsterdam and the German Rostock. The American organization now has 60 cruise ships in service, including 40 in Western Europe, and the market leader.

Many ships are built and rebuilt by Dutch yards as Bylsma in Lemmer and De Gerlien van Tiem in Druten. The financing of the new building is more difficult in the Netherlands. Banks recognize the cruise industry not as a growth market and are especially familiar with the declining container and tanker shipping. Throughout the inland shipping sector are still many unresolved losses.