Did you know that sailing with the Disney Cruise Line is not the only way to take a Disney cruise vacation?
Adventures by Disney today announced a new European river cruise itinerary. Bookings will open next week for the five Rhône River cruises in 2026. Four of the departures will be open to families, while one will be adults only.
The cruises will depart from Lyon, France and sail on AmaWaterways' AmaKristina for seven nights through the Provence region, calling at Lyon, Tournon, Viviers, Avignon, and Arles.
Disney's trained Adventure Guides will lead each sailing, which will include options for several excursions, such as biking, kayaking, wine tastings, food tours, and painting classes, as well as historical tours.
If you are interested in learning more about this or other Adventures by Disney itineraries, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.
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This is interesting, and I wonder how much control Disney will have on these vacations since they are subcontracting the boats, operators, and excursions. It reminds me a bit of how Disney initially got into the ocean cruise business when they partnered with The Big Red Boat by offering family activities and entertainment on boats operated by Premier Cruise Lines and pairing 3/4-day itineraries with WDW vacations. I wouldn't be surprised to see itineraries include admissions and/or stays at the Disneyland Paris Resort.
Is this the first step towards Disney entering the river cruise market, or just an extension of their Adventures By Disney offerings that are typically grounded in resorts partnered with (or part of) DVC? Given that Disney already owns National Geographic (and it's popular vacation division, which an adult version of this experience would seem to fall under), I wonder if this may represent an eventual consolidation of the entire overseas experiences market under the Adventures By Disney brand.
I also have wondered why Disney maintains a brand distinction between National Geographic Expeditions and Adventures by Disney. I get the subtle differences between these tours, but I also wonder if Disney could not get a promotional benefit by placing them within a common brand umbrella, since I think the market for both current brands is pretty similar.
Of course, there could be contractual branding issues enduring from the Nat Geo purchase, as well. I'll have to ask around about that.
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Brilliant! This serves as a reminder that Disney Experiences are not limited to theme parks and that its business model will continue to expand beyond Orlando's city limits.