How to Become a River Cruise Travel Agent

We've created a detailed guide below on how to become a travel agent that specializes in river cruises. But if you prefer quick answers, simply click vacationlab.io/join to chat live with our team and learn firsthand how to become a travel agent for cruise lines like A-Rosa, Viking and Celebrity Cruises - plus gain access to all our other travel partners. Best of all, joining is completely free, no dues or fees from us, ever!

Breaking News: River cruising is about to get huge in the next few years. We’re already seeing top-notch cruise lines like A-Rosa and Viking selling river cruises, and even Celebrity Cruises has announced it will begin sailing European rivers in 2027. It’s safe to say that after exploring the major oceans of our planet, cruise lines are increasingly turning their attention to rivers like the Seine, the Douro, and the Rhine.

Now is the best time to research river cruises and help people book their next vacation. Celebrity Cruises, for example, is opening bookings this year for its first-ever river cruises launching in 2027, so why not help sell these trips? Even better, you can do it all from the comfort of your home, the banks of the Seine, or even while cruising down the Amazon River.

Being a River Cruise Travel Agent is all about working with multiple travel suppliers, understanding what makes river cruising unique, and exploring this fascinating and fast-growing market. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a River Cruise travel agent. We’ll cover:

• Benefits of Becoming a River Cruise Travel Agent
• Skills Required to Become a River Cruise Travel Agent
• Finding a River Cruise Host Agency
• The Best Host Agency for a River Cruise Travel Agent
• Tips for Those Starting Out
• Training Courses for River Cruise Travel Agents
• Getting Paid
• Free Stock Library
• River Cruise Travel Agent FAQ

Now let’s get started!

River Cruise is going to be BIG

River cruising is becoming more popular with each passing year. In fact, bookings for 2026 are already 30 to 40% higher compared to 2025. More cruise lines are entering the river cruise market, with the latest being Celebrity Cruises, which has just ordered 10 ships set to sail rivers starting in 2027, 2028, and 2029. This market is only going to keep growing, and this is your chance to get a head start.

River Cruising is pretty niche

Sure, you often hear people say they're going to visit the Caribbean with Royal Caribbean or sail to Castaway Cay with Disney Cruise Line. But you're also starting to hear more interest from people who want to cruise the Seine, the Douro, the Nile, and other incredible rivers around the world. That’s where you come in. More and more people are researching river cruising, and tons of questions come up. It’s still a relatively niche market that needs your help, so let’s get started!

Lots of different travel suppliers

Specializing in river cruising doesn’t mean sticking to just one travel supplier - it means becoming an expert in several. How about starting with A-Rosa or Viking? Hm, maybe even focus on Celebrity Cruises to get a head start on the competition? I bet more and more travel suppliers will jump into the river cruise market over the next few years, and if you’re already selling some of them, you’ll definitely have an easier time working with the new ones that decide to join the industry.

Communication Skills

You need strong communication skills when working with any travel supplier, but it’s even more important when selling river cruises. Remember, river cruises operate very differently from ocean cruises. The itineraries are unique, many river cruises include extra perks in the base fare, and the ships are much smaller, with fewer restaurants and activities compared to the mega-resorts that sail the Caribbean. It's important to communicate all of this clearly so guests truly understand the vibe of a river cruise.

Stay Up to Date with Everything related to River Cruises

River Cruises are evolving, and will change even more in the coming years. While it’s impossible to keep track of every river cruise out there, you need to understand the main river cruise lines, their itineraries and what sets river cruises apart from ocean cruises. Always stay informed about the latest developments so you can truly showcase your expertise.

You need to research things like:

• What is different in a river cruise?
• Are river cruises fun for children?
• The main Itineraries
• Prices
• Restaurants 
• Main Ports of Call
• Main Cruise Lines that offer river cruises

Hey, you’re already browsing one of the best host agencies around! We have a lot of information about River Cruises on our sister website, Famvia, and plenty of travel agents from North America who can help you with this. We have specialized guides about A-Rosa, Viking, Celebrity Cruises and dozens of other cruise lines. We’d love to have you here, of course, but here are some tips for choosing a host agency:

Look for host agencies that:

• Have a good track record
• Offer an interview process
• Share commissions with you fairly (typically starting at 70% for the travel agent)
• Know about river cruises and show genuine interest

VacationLab is the best host agency if you want to focus on River Cruises… and, well, on Ocean Cruises as well, theme parks and beach resorts. Here’s why!

• It doesn’t matter if you don’t have previous experience as a travel agent, we are here to lend you a hand and watch you grow!
• We have a fun (promise) interview process!
• We offer SORS - our very own Travel Dashboard to help you manage bookings and travel rewards.
• We provide exclusive courses, like Mastering Travel Social Media, to support travel advisors of all backgrounds.
• We offer a commission split starting at 70%, going all the way up to 80%.
• We have hundreds of guides and reviews on our sister site, Famvia, covering major cruise lines, theme parks, and beach resorts. This includes cruise lines like Viking and A-Rosa, where we have multiple guides talking about the ships, dining & stateroom options, itineraries, activities and more.
• We’re just as interested in river cruises as you are and believe this will become a major, blockbuster market in the next few years.
• We’re always ready to listen, chat, and lend a helping hand!

Become a River Cruise Expert

If you’re planning to become a River Cruise travel agent, then you need to understand river cruises first, right? It’s okay if you’re still a little lost when it comes to river cruising — we all have to start somewhere. 

The good news is that VacationLab’s sister site, Famvia, offers free guides about river cruises, providing detailed information in a fun and easy-to-understand way. Not only that, you can also find specialized travel agent guides right here on VacationLab, where we cover training courses and share tips about cruise lines like Viking Cruises.

Here’s some stuff you can find both on Famvia and VacationLab:

• River Cruising with Celebrity Cruise Line
• Planning a Cruise on A-ROSA Cruises
• Planning a Cruise on Viking Cruise Line
• How to Become a Viking Cruises Travel Agent

Just like you, friendly neighborhood travel agent, we’re always evolving and bringing new reviews and guides each week.

Prepare for your Interview

When applying to a host agency, it’s always a good idea to prepare for your interview. Start by understanding what river cruising is all about. Learn about Celebrity Cruises’ entry into this new market, research what’s typically included in a river cruise fare, the number of restaurants, prices, and more. You don’t need to know every detail — after all, the host agency is there to support and guide you — but you should know the basics. It’s also smart to have a few questions ready about the host agency and river cruising in general to show your interest.

Commission Payout

Your commission payment will depend on the travel supplier you’re working with. Most of the time, commission payment happens after your client has finished their cruise.

River Cruise Travel Agent Rates

While specific commission percentages are protected by NDA (“Non Disclosure Agreement”) between all travel partners/travel suppliers and the host agency, you can assume that commission percentages range from 10% up to 20% (depending on the type of booking).

Viking Cruises is a premium travel supplier, with cruises that can cost thousands of dollars, making it great news for you as a travel agent. Even better, Viking does not include noncommissionable fees (NCFs) in its commission structure.

Let’s run a quick simulation using the river cruise example from our Viking Cruise Travel Agent guide.

Let’s take into consideration a 15-Day River Cruise with Viking Cruises:

• Total cruise fare: $12,000
• Base commission (10%): $1,200
• YOUR share at 80% split: $960

Not too shabby, considering you can specialize in multiple travel suppliers and river cruising is usually more expensive than ocean cruising.

River Cruise Travel Agent Salary

It’s extremely difficult to pinpoint how much a river cruise travel agent makes per year. Many variables come into play, such as the number of travel suppliers you work with, your client base, the number of booked vacations, and more. 

Some websites say that agents who specialize in river cruises typically earn around $50,000 a year. It’s safe to say that if you focus solely on river cruises, you can expect to make between $30,000 and $70,000 annually. That number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

River Cruise Training Programs

Unfortunately, there isn’t a single supplier called “River Cruise” (uhh I think), so the training course in question will depend on the travel supplier you are working with.

For example, for Viking Cruises, the Viking Cruises Travel Advisor Academy is Viking’s official training program for travel agents. This four-module course helps advisors become Viking Certified Experts, equipping them with sales and marketing strategies to sell Viking’s river, ocean, and expedition voyages.

For Celebrity Cruises, you need to complete the Celebrity Cruises Five Star Academy Training program. It’s a comprehensive training course designed to help agents with everything related to Celebrity Cruises. To access it, simply click this link, register an account, and follow the steps.

For A-Rosa there is A-Rosa Extranet, their dedicated booking and resource hub.

VacationLab gives you access to thousands of images and videos from major cruise lines like Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean, theme parks like Disney World and Disneyland, and beach resorts like Beaches Resorts.

By joining us, you'll also gain access to our exclusive database, making it easy to showcase images and videos to your clients based on what they’re looking for.