At Travel Village Group, we are proud to celebrate the graduation of our second River Cruise Academy cohort, marking the culmination of six months of dedicated learning and first-hand river cruise experience.
The graduation took place during CLIA RiverView 26 in Amsterdam, one of the river cruise industry’s most important events, with a special ceremony held aboard Riviera Travel’s MS Geoffrey Chaucer.
Following the success of our inaugural academy, running the programme again was a natural next step. Our aim has always been to help our Holiday Village business owners develop a deeper understanding of river cruising so they can confidently share genuine expertise with their clients.
Six Months of River Cruise Learning
Over the past six months, our business owners have taken part in a structured programme designed to build in-depth knowledge of the river cruise sector.
The academy combined online training sessions, in-person learning and industry insights, allowing participants to explore everything from river cruise itineraries and ships to the unique experiences each river and destination can offer.
Throughout the programme, our focus has been on developing practical knowledge that enables our network of travel professionals to confidently guide their clients when choosing the right river cruise.
Richard Cross, Travel Village Group Commercial Manager commented:
“Following the success of our inaugural River Cruise Academy, we had no hesitation in launching the programme again for 2025/26. The feedback and the bookings from our first cohort speak for themselves. The Academy has helped our agents immerse themselves in the world of river cruising.”
Experiencing River Cruising First Hand
A key part of the River Cruise Academy is ensuring our participants can experience river cruising in real life.
Seeing the ships, walking through the cabins, exploring the public spaces and understanding how life on board works provides a completely different level of insight compared to learning from a brochure or presentation.
By experiencing these ships first hand, our graduates are able to offer clients genuine, informed advice based on what river cruising is truly like.
“All of this training and experience means I’m better equipped than ever to help clients find the perfect river cruise. River cruising is such a special way to travel – unpacking once while visiting multiple destinations, enjoying beautiful scenery along the way, and experiencing cultures in a more relaxed and intimate way.”
Stacey Lawrence, JetSet in Style with Stacey
“I found the cruise academy a great learning experience. I learnt so much from the online training sessions and the webinars. The trip we went on and the ship visits at CLIA provided wonderful insight into the different ships and what it is like to sail on a river. This brought the whole thing to life so I can now truly engage with my clients when selling river cruises. Without these experiences and training I would have struggled to do this.”
Claire Blackmore, Wendy Haines Travel
Celebrating the Graduation at RiverView 26
The programme concluded with a graduation ceremony held during CLIA RiverView 26 in Amsterdam, providing a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the dedication and achievements of everyone who completed the programme.
Hosting the ceremony aboard Riviera Geoffrey Chaucer made the occasion even more special, and also gave our business owners further opportunity to experience life on board a river cruise ship.
Graduating from the academy represents not only months of learning, but also a deeper appreciation of the unique experiences that river cruising offers travellers.
“To take all the online training, take the River Cruise on the Douro and attend the Clia Conference where I got to visit at least seven ships has made me feel the ‘Expert ‘ I am now happy to call myself. To do all this also with a group of Holiday Village colleagues was so great too.”
Jo Collett, Jo – The Holiday Village
Looking Ahead to the Next River Cruise Academy
With the continued success of the programme, we are already looking ahead to launching our third River Cruise Academy.
The academy has proven to be a valuable way for our Holiday Village business owners to strengthen their knowledge and build first-hand experience within the world of river cruising.
“I just wanted to share how much completing the River Academy has helped me. I feel so much more confident selling river cruises now than I did before. Since finishing the Academy, I’ve delivered nine educational river cruise talks at retirement villages — something I would never have had the confidence to do previously. The knowledge and insight I’ve gained have made a huge difference.”
Sarah Robson, Sarah Robson Travel
We look forward to welcoming the next group of participants and continuing to grow our expertise in this exciting and fast-growing area of travel.
