River cruising as a vaction option has been around for years; the problem is, you might not know much about it. Besides the fact that the great river cruises operate across the pond in Europe, there is a dearth of advertising and marketing of river cruise products here in the States. Commercials touting the big guns such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are in heavy rotation, but nary a word is peeped about the Vikings, Uniworlds, Amadeus' and Avalons of the world.

Travel agents are at the forefront of changing that. Just as travel agencies market their services primarily through word-of-mouth advertising, the river cruise lines are benefiting from the same grassroots method. Most agents will agree that their clients' satisfaction rate of a European river cruise is high. "They rave over it," says Neelie Kruse, owner of Cary Travel Express in Cary, IL, near Chicago.

Gauging travel agent response, it's becoming exceedingly clear why river cruising is receiving such high marks: size of ships and the passing scenery. "Past mainstream clients find the smaller passenger capacity intriguing and the overall experience more relaxed and intimate," says Lew Boehnke, a travel consultant with The Travel Center in Des Moines, IA.

River cruise vessels usually carry only between 100 and 200 passengers, which is a far cry from the more mainstream cruise ships that haul upwards of 3,000 passengers. This is not to disparage the bigger ocean-going ships; it merely shows the vast difference in lifestyle. Plainly put, "It's a different type of experience," notes Harriet Soltoff, of Destinations Travel in Philadelphia. This partly is because riverboats, unlike big-ship cruising, can ease right into a city's port without much hoopla. There is no waiting to disembark the ship, and, on top of that, when you step off the boat you are right smack in the city action.

"There is a cultural feel to the riverboat experience," says Debbie Carpenter, manager and agent of Camarillo Travel in Camarillo, CA. "You dock in these small villages, the bakeries are just opening and the church bells are ringing—it's so different, a great way to travel."

Agents are finding success in presenting river cruising as an option to experienced ocean cruisers. It's boosting revenues for the river cruise operators and padding their own bottom line, too. "Yes, our river cruise bookings are on an upswing," says Lynn Catalina, a cruise specialist with Cruises Inc. in Universal City, TX. "Some have already been out on the ocean and are looking for something interior."

Interior refers to river cruising's operation, which is to say it is done inland as opposed to on the sea. Riverboats cut through the heart of many historical and cosmopolitan cities that just so happen to be landlocked. Venerable cities like Munich, Vienna, Prague and Budapest come to mind with the Danube and Rhine rivers acting as a conveyor belt to the delight of wanderlust vacationers.

Europeans have long known and enjoyed river cruising, but it is only now creeping into the American mindset. Part of the reason why is that many river cruise companies are building boats with American clientele in mind. They are also issuing bans that make most Americans happy like smoking restrictions. "Smoking is a huge issue," says Guy Young, president of Uniworld Cruises ( http://www.uniworld.com/), which caters to the American market and, therefore, only allows smoking on upper decks.

While river cruising has come a long way, so to have the boats. Many boats have been operating for years and travel agents tend to steer their clients away from those because they don't have the amenities the newer ships have. Camarillo Travel's Carpenter says the rule of thumb is six years; any boat older than that is off limits to her clients. "We don't necessarily need luxury," she explains, "but we do need comfort."

Luckily for Carpenter, many of the river cruise lines are constructing or operating ships that are fairly young. Amadeus Waterways ( http://www.amadeuswaterways.com/) is building two new ships, Amacello and Amadante, which will begin plying European waterways in 2008. Amadeus has more ships on order for 2009. "Demand for product keeps moving up," says Rudi Schreiner, owner and president of Amadeus Waterways. Avalon Waterways' ( http://www.avalonwaterways.com/) oldest ship is only three years old, while Tauck World Discovery ( http://www.tauck.com/) is readying to debut its Swiss Sapphire in 2008.

Not only is newer product attracting patronage, so to is river cruising's cost structure. Yes, river cruises may carry higher price points than some ocean-going cruises, but when you factor in that most river cruise companies bundle shore excursions and wine, the prices become more palatable. Instead of having to pay á la carte for a city excursion, they are included in the price. "The benefit is that excursions are included," says Cruises Inc.'s Catalina. "Yes, upfront pricing is higher, but you are getting excursions booked in. There is less nickel and diming." In addition, she says, several lines offer complimentary continental wine with dinner that is often prepared by the chef using provincial fare.

River cruising, however, is not for passengers seeking an active nightlife; you will find neither a nightclub nor a casino onboard. "It's about relaxation and the opportunity to experience the workings of the rivers and the local culture," says The Travel Center's Boehnke. This includes floating by medieval castles and other bastions of the Old World.

Has this upward trend in river cruising resulted in an uptick in agency bookings? While not becoming an agency's main source of revenue or even close to what they bring in for ocean cruises, river cruising is becoming more than just a blip on the radar.

While Destinations Travel's Soltoff says river cruises only make up a small percentage of its bookings, The Travel Center's Boehnke says they account for almost a quarter of all its cruise bookings. Cruises Inc.'s Catalina notes that river cruises are in the top 10 bookings at her agency, but "are moving up." For Cary Travel Express' Kruse, river cruises are now a big part of her European business.

The upswing in bookings is also managing to constrict availability, especially for group space. "River cruises are filling up more quickly now and selling out sooner," says Camarillo Travel's Carpenter. "You can't wait now to book and you have to book a year in advance." Time to build more boats.