Tui Elara will accommodate 138 passengers, making it one of the smallest ships in the brand’s European fleet.
The vessel will offer 15 itineraries in total, including five new routes, and will become the first Tui River Cruises ship to call in Belgium's capital Brussels.
It will join Rui River Cruises' largest-capacity vessel, the 190-passenger Tui Aria, on the Rhine and the Moselle. Aria will begin operating in the spring.
Elara will feature a lounge, bar, restaurant and entertainment venue, while its top deck will include sun loungers, a putting green and space for activities such as yoga, deck games and barbecues.
Accommodation will consist of 70 cabins, including eight French balcony junior suites, a first for the brand.
The launch comes as the river line approaches its fifth year of operations, with Tui claiming sales for 2026 are so far running 50% ahead of last year.
Programmes include the Rhine and Moselle, a renowned German wine region (Credit: Tui)
Head of Tui River Cruises Katy Berzins said the brand was "thrilled" with its latest expansion, which she described as a show of "strength".
"Demand for more immersive, experience-rich travel continues to grow, and Tui River Cruises is all about giving customers the freedom and flexibility to explore multiple rivers and destinations in their own way," she added.
Like the rest of the line’s European fleet, Tui Elara will operate on a "full board plus" basis with the option for guests to upgrade to all-inclusive, alongside a programme of day- and night-time entertainment.
New itineraries include Grand Rhine Delights, Rhine Delights and Dutch & Belgian Gems from Amsterdam, Rhine Delights 2 from Basel, and Splendours of the Rhine & Moselle from Frankfurt.
Tui will support the launch with a range of third‑party flight routes to Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Basel from seven UK airports.
