From April, A-Rosa Alea and A-Rosa Clea will operate north to Amsterdam and Rotterdam and south to Basel and Strasbourg, while also sailing the line’s Moselle itinerary to Trier.

Built in 2009 and capable of accommodating 138 guests, agents will be able to make bookings for the two ships from October 2023.

At the start of the 2025 season one ship will be transferred to the Seine in northern France with the company’s current Seine-based vessel, A-Rosa Viva, returning to the Rhine.

In 2026, the second ship will be moved to the Gironde and Garonne in France’s Bordeaux region - both new rivers for A-Rosa.

Jörg Eichler, A-Rosa chief executive, said the line was hopeful of achieving record revenue and new guest numbers by the end of the year, with revenue increased by more than 40% year-on-year.

“We are seeing the greatest demand for bookings on the Rhine, so to initially start the ships on this river next season makes total sense,” he said.

Lucia Rowe, managing director of A-Rosa River Cruises UK & Ireland, added: “These two ships will be a great addition to our fleet. Demand in the UK for cruises on the Rhine is very strong at the moment so we are delighted to be able to offer more capacity for next year.

“Looking ahead, we couldn’t be more excited to offer the new cruise region in the Bordeaux area – our guests asked for more variety, and we have responded.”