By
Alice Chambers |
River cruise brands are using mobile applications to offer daily schedules, live route tracking and onboard reservations, finds OnDeck by Sourcetoad.
The software company compared six onboard passenger-facing apps – MyAmaCruise by AmaWaterways, A-ROSA by A-Rosa Cruises, AvalonGO by Avalon Waterways, Phoenix Reisen, Viking Voyager by Viking, and Vodohod – for its 2025 River Cruise Mobile Apps Report, which explores how technology is contributing to river cruise guest experiences.
Most apps had daily scheduling including activities, excursions and meal times, personal itinerary, ship tracking, and reservations. However, only a few featured the option for digital check-in, health questionnaires, photo albums and surveys for guest feedback.
Stand-out app features include an art guide on the Viking Voyager app to provide audio commentary of onboard artwork, a mobile drink ordering system on A-ROSA, a guest services chat on Vodohod and an offline GPS navigation on AvalonGO.
The report also highlights significant challenges around app stability, debugging and guest communication systems.
“This year’s report confirms that river cruise apps are starting to align more closely with their ocean counterparts,” said Greg Ross-Munro, CEO of Sourcetoad. “We’re seeing more consistency in feature sets, improved guest tools and a clear shift toward mobile maturity in this space.”
Looking ahead, OnDeck by Sourcetoad predicts that more chatbots will appear on river cruise apps as well as personalised recommendations like customised menus based on dietary preferences.