River Voyages

The river lines, in their own words

Aqua Expeditions: Aqua Expeditions was founded in 2007 in the Peruvian Amazon by Francesco Galli Zugaro and has grown into a fleet of six small ships, each with one crew member for every guest. In Peru, Aria Amazon and Aqua Nera, for 32 and 40 guests, explore the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, home of the pink river dolphin, with naturalist-led excursions twice a day and around 70 per cent of ingredients sourced locally. Aqua Mekong, launched in 2014, sails between Cambodia and Vietnam with 20 suites of 322 square feet, a plunge pool and four private tenders. Aqua Blu, a 60-metre former British naval vessel, cruises the islands of Indonesia; Aqua Mare, a 50-metre CRN yacht for 16, sails the Galápagos; and the newest, Aqua Lares, a 77-metre former icebreaker launched in February 2026, divides its year between the Seychelles and Tanzania and the Arctic.

Heritage Line: Heritage Line was founded in Saigon in August 2008 by John Tue Nguyen, and its first ship, Jayavarman, began sailing the Mekong in November 2009, with French-colonial and Khmer interiors, an Apsara Spa and the Club 1930 bar. The Jahan followed in 2011, themed on British India, with 26 staterooms for 52 guests. In 2012 the company bought Cruise Halong and with it ships for Ha Long Bay: Violet, whose six suites each have a balcony and Jacuzzi, and Ginger, redesigned in 2018 around food, with a restaurant glazed almost all the way round. Ylang adds a wellness theme, with spa, sauna and yoga studio.