Shearings Holidays has launched its new river cruise brochure five months earlier than in previous years.
The operator’s 2021 programme features 67 itineraries across 34 ships with new products including A-Rosa River Cruises’ E-Motion ship, new sailings with CroisiEurope and two additional worldwide cruises.
Shearings managing director Jane Atkins said it is releasing the brochure early to give partners "more selling time than ever before and the opportunity to capture early demand for next year".
To assist consultants, the operator’s agent toolkit (located on its website) will be updated with new collateral including Jpegs for use on social media and images.
An early booking offer is also in place with savings of up to £300 per couple on any 2021 river cruise booked by 29 February.
"A unique and key benefit for agents when booking with us is that our cruises are escorted by a dedicated Shearings cruise manager, meaning customers are looked after from start to finish, plus we include excursions and our Home Connect service on many itineraries," added Atkins.
For 2021, Shearings’ partnership with A-Rosa sees 23 itineraries on offer – including four on the new E-Motion ship that launches in spring next year.
The vessel will have four decks and feature a hybrid propulsion system, switching to battery power to arrive and depart cities emission-free.
Prices for a six-day Rhine & Dutch Delights cruise is priced from £1,449pp.
Atkins said Shearings’ partnership with A-Rosa had gone from "from strength to strength over the past few years".
"There is a lot of buzz about A-Rosa’s E-Motion ship’s focus on sustainability and the multigenerational market. We are delighted to have four itineraries on sales already for agents to promote."
Shearings will also feature 11 itineraries with CroisiEurope.
The operator has added two new ships to its programme for next year – Vivaldi (on the Danube) and Botticelli (on the Seine) with prices beginning from £1,745pp for an eight-day Spectacular Danube & the Iron Gate Gorge sailing travelling through Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Romania onboard Vivaldi.
Two other ships will once again be chartered for the entire 2021 season – Virginia offers cruising on the Rhine and Moselle, while Esmeralda sails the Danube. An eight-day Holland’s Hidden Gems cruise by coach is priced from £839pp onboard Virginia.
For customers looking to discover more far-flung rivers, there are six worldwide cruise and tour itineraries and two new for 2021.
New options include a 14-day Mysteries of Myanmar and the Irrawaddy tour, combining time exploring Myanmar with a two-night cruise on the Irrawaddy, and a 15-day Magic of the Mekong tour which includes a four-night cruise along the Mekong Delta from Vietnam to Cambodia, priced from £2,819pp.