The River Cruise Line has been re-named and re-branded as Arena River Cruises, bringing it into line with the rest of parent company Arena Travel's portfolio, ahead of the start of the 2020 cruising season. The move comes almost exactly three years after the river cruising specialist was acquired by Ipswich-based Arena Travel, a company with 47 years’ experience in the travel industry.

The new name and new look come as the company prepares to launch the latest addition to its river cruising fleet, the MS Arena, a four star premium ship on an exclusive long term charter, which has undergone a refurbishment and will be formally launched in Amsterdam on 31st March.

Managing director Steve Goodenough commented: "With the launch of the MS Arena, we felt that the time was right to bring all the Arena Travel brands under one banner. The River Cruise Line has a very loyal following and we have been delighted with progress since it joined the Arena family three years ago, fitting perfectly with the existing offering of special interest and escorted holidays. The river cruising portfolio now offers a wider choice of great value cruises than ever before, with further expansion planned for 2021 and beyond."

Accompanying the re-branding is the launch of a new website linked to the wider portfolio of Arena Travel brands, which include escorted holidays by rail, craft and bridge playing holidays, art history tours and other special interest breaks. The new Arena River Cruises website will be quicker and is designed to offer a more streamlined experience, with much-improved search and booking functionality, as well as being packed with more content and live chat.

Arena Travel now employs 50 staff across three main locations - Ipswich, Market Harborough and Buckingham. Arena River Cruises will continue to be based out of the Market Harborough office, working closely with individual clients, travel agents and group organisers.

Arena Travel’s award-winning dedicated groups team is available to assist groups with all elements of their booking, including further special offers such as free places for group leaders and reduced prices on single occupancy cabins. The team can also provide presentations to groups in advance of travel bespoke travel arrangements and more.

For more information visit www.arenarivercruises.com