| New river concept

A new cruise line unveiled in Miami last week promises to reimagine the river cruise market, with a business model “uniquely customised for group travel”.

Transcend Cruises will build a new fleet of wellness-focused luxury river ships, targeting corporate meeting and incentive planners, tour operators, lifestyle brands and other dedicated charters.

Two 135m-long, 120-guest vessels are in the first stages of design, with the first to launch in Europe in 2024.

Cofounder Matthew Shollar, who is billed as Transcend’s “chief evangelist,” said the business had been created “because the complex needs of charterers are incompatible with the existing river options”.

“I have long experienced…how existing river cruise lines had not been designed to prioritise the needs of groups.”

He said Transcend would also benefit from “unprecedented new demand for smaller, experiential group travel programs,” with an approach offering flat, clearly defined pricing with no blackout dates or pricing risks.