Forbes to Debut River Cruise Ratings in 2027
Forbes Travel Guide plans to publish the world's first professional river cruise ratings in 2027, applying the anonymous Star-Rating inspections it already uses for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas, and ocean ships. The inaugural evaluations will cover vessels on the Danube, Rhine, Nile, and Mekong, with well-known river cruise lines such as AmaWaterways and Viking likely to be in the mix. The move reflects the segment's surge in upscale demand and brings new transparency to service standards.
Key Points
- Why it matters: Brings an independent, trusted yardstick to a fast-growing sector.
- Travel impact: Advisors can compare river products on uniform service criteria.
- What's next: First Star-Rated river ships will be revealed with FTG's 2027 list.
- Incognito inspections will mirror hotel and ocean-cruise protocols.
- Candidate rivers are the Danube, Rhine, Nile, and Mekong.
Snapshot
Atlanta-based Forbes Travel Guide (FTG) awards more than 2,000 Five-Star, Four-Star, and Recommended properties each year. After adding ocean cruises in 2023 and shipboard restaurant ratings in 2025, FTG's next frontier is the river sector, which it calls "one of the most sought-after ways to explore the world in comfort and style." Evaluations are based on hundreds of objective standards, weighted heavily toward service, and conducted by inspectors traveling incognito. No company can pay for inclusion or influence results.
Background
River cruising has shifted from niche sightseeing to premium holiday option over the past decade. Longer, amenity-rich vessels, spa suites, and Michelin-inspired dining now attract passengers who once chose ocean liners or luxury land tours. Consultancy River Cruise Europe estimates passenger numbers reached 1.6 million in 2024, up 14 percent from pre-pandemic highs, while shipyard order books remain full. Yet the sector lacks a globally recognized rating system, forcing travelers to rely on marketing claims or crowd-sourced reviews. FTG's entry aims to fill that credibility gap, much as its hotel ratings did when they began in 1958.
Latest Developments
Inspectors Already Charting the Rivers
Amanda Frasier, FTG's president of Ratings, confirmed that inspector training is under way for river-specific standards that address cabin design, shore-excursion quality, and seasonal water-level contingencies. Each inspection will last at least four days and evaluate both onboard service and land programs. Brands such as AmaWaterways, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon Waterways, Riverside Luxury Cruises, Scenic/Emerald, Uniworld, and Viking are "under consideration," although FTG declined to name the first ships. The 2027 debut list will coincide with the wider Star-Rating release covering more than 100 countries.
Travel advisors eager to see how their preferred lines measure up can monitor FTG's Star Ratings hub. Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings
Analysis
FTG's decision underscores how river cruising has matured into a luxury-adjacent product demanding rigorous appraisal. Independent ratings should reward operators that invest in service culture-think butler teams, locally sourced menus, and smaller excursion groups-while nudging laggards to up their game. For advisors, the Star badging will lend authority when matching clients to itineraries. It could also pressure river lines to adopt clearer sustainability metrics, an area where FTG has hinted future standards may evolve. Competitive guidebooks, such as Berlitz's now-defunct cruise guide, never covered rivers in depth, leaving FTG an uncontested runway. Investors may view inclusion as marketing gold, but the real winners are travelers who gain an apples-to-apples read on comfort and consistency across four iconic waterways.
Final Thoughts
By extending its Star Ratings to Europe's and Asia-Africa's signature rivers, Forbes Travel Guide is signalling that floating boutique hotels deserve the same scrutiny as their land-based cousins. Expect heightened competition, elevated experiences, and sharper product differentiation once the first scores surface in 2027, permanently raising the bar for river cruise ratings.