TUI River Cruises has unveiled its new venues onboard its highest capacity ship across the fleet, TUI Aria, which is due to set sail on its maiden voyage in March 2026 on the River Rhine.

The TUI Aria adults only cruise ship will sail along the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Dutch and Belgian waterways from summer 2026 and will be equipped with 96 cabins to accommodate 190 guests per sailing. It offers a range of itineraries from six-to nine-nights and enhanced accessibility from UK regional airports, including two new direct flights from Bristol Airport to Amsterdam and from Newcastle Airport to Frankfurt, offering more choice and flexibility to customers.

The new venues onboard TUI Aria are:

Reflections is the new multi-use venue onboard, featuring the fleet’s first onboard pool with panoramic views. The space includes showers, a sauna, and a retractable roof for year-round use. During the day, Reflections operates as a poolside area with sun loungers offering light breakfast and lunch options such as yoghurt pots, granola, pastries, and smoothies.

In the evening, the pool floor rises to create a dining space for up to 36 guests. Reflections then serves as a secondary à la carte restaurant with Italian-inspired dishes such as arancini, caprese salads, charcuterie and pasta dishes. The venue also hosts live music and film screenings.

The Top Deck will provide relaxation and activity zones for all customers allowing them to unwind whilst sipping on a drink and taking in the scenic sights of the European rivers. It will host the fleet’s first putting green whilst providing customers with a range of activities such as sun-loungers, a shuffleboard and various deck games. The crew onboard will also host complimentary yoga sessions, Top Deck BBQ’s and an ice cream party each sailing.**

The main restaurant, Verdastro, which is a firm favourite across the European fleet, will also feature on TUI Aria. It will sit 190 for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The waiter-service restaurant will be open to all customers and will offer a buffet mix and live cooking prepared by the ship’s chef onboard. It will have a daily changing menu spotlighting on the local flavours, so customers can get a taste for the region they’re sailing through whilst onboard. The gala dinner for each sailing will take place in Verdastro where customers will be served a six course meal which takes them on a European culinary journey with every course.

The Observatory will be the heartbeat of the ship as it will host nightly entertainment from TUI River Cruises’ resident entertainment team who will provide a programme of day to night entertainment such as vocal productions, music, quizzes, film showings and silent disco. The versatile space will host the river cruise’s Afternoon Tea which includes tasty sandwiches, cakes, scones and a selection of teas.

Katy Berzins, Head of River Cruises, TUI River Cruises says: “TUI Aria marks a bold new chapter for TUI River Cruises, reflecting our commitment to innovation and guest experience. As our highest capacity ship to date, it’s been designed to offer more flexibility for our customers– whether they’re seasoned river cruisers or new to river cruise. Reflections, our new multi-use innovative venue, transforms from a poolside area by day to a stylish dining venue by night, offering more choice for our customers. Alongside new itineraries, additional regional flight options, and thoughtfully designed onboard experiences, TUI Aria opens up even more ways for customers to explore Europe’s rivers in style.”

Like the rest of the European fleet, TUI Aria will be Full Board Plus*, as standard with the option for guests to upgrade to all-inclusive. The itineraries include the Moselle & North Rhine itinerary sailing from Frankfurt, and the North Rhine & Moselle Explorer and Dutch Delta Discovery itineraries from Amsterdam sailing with TUI Aria.