Since the departure of Nico Arnts in April 2023, Maurice Eltink and Roderik van Veelen have been at the helm of Feenstra Rijn Lijn together for exactly one year now. At the kick-off of the new summer season, they look back on a busy and eventful year. “We are following the course we had agreed upon, which is towards further growth and modernization of both the fleet and the back office.” The conversation with Eltink and Van Veelen takes place on board the Serenade 1. With 120 passengers on board, the river cruise ship will open the 2024 summer season of Feenstra Rijn Lijn this Sunday. The ship is moored at the Rijnkade, a stone’s throw from Feenstra’s office. Or rather, a few stone’s throw away, because due to long-term work on the quay, the ships cannot moor in front of the door at the start of the season.
Serenade 1
Since this year, the Serenade 1 is the new addition to Feenstra Rijn Lijn. During a short tour, Van Veelen proudly shows the cabins, which he believes make the ship unique. All cabins measure at least 16 square meters and all have a bath and separate shower cubicle. The large lounge on the upper deck is the central meeting place for the passengers, with bar and dance floor. Those seeking peace and quiet can go to the large reading table in the library, for a good conversation or to read a book. However, experience shows that many guests seek out the sundeck to admire the ever-changing views. The deck contains plenty of chairs, both in the sun and shade. Passengers arrive well in advance of the designated time to board. It should be clear that everyone is looking forward to a few days of relaxing on the river where, we mention the cliché again, they see various cities along the way and only have to unpack their suitcase once. We are talking with a view of the river, where the Serenade 1 will move eastwards two hours later among the other ship traffic. The sun is shining. While the first passengers order their coffee at the bar of the restaurant, the first question for Eltink and Van Veelen is: have they had a lot of arguments in their first year as a management duo? 
Setting the course
Eltink laughs: ‘No, no, we set our course a year ago and we are still sticking to it. We spar a lot and good ideas come out of that.’ Van Veelen: ‘We complement each other well. Due to his background at Feenstra, Maurice knows the tour operator side like no other, while I know the charter side well. I don’t want to say that we always agree with each other, but we are both empathetic enough to alternately give or take when it comes to decisions.’ And with a big smile: ‘Actually, as it should be in a good marriage.’ Since the takeover by a new (Swiss) shareholder two years ago, Feenstra Rijn Lijn’s business model has changed. Previously, the ship owners were joint shareholders of Feenstra, which served as an umbrella sales organisation. ‘We have now become a shipping company as well as a tour operator,’ says Eltink. Feenstra now sails with five ships. Three of them are self-published: the Serenade 1, the Johann Strauss and Rembrandt van Rijn. In addition, there are the Horizon and Salvinia, with a captain who also owns the ships.
Innovations
The management duo looks back on a year full of changes and innovations. For example, a new reservation system was rolled out, which was ready just in time for the publication of the 2024 summer brochures, which were ready in September last year. ‘We were able to present the new brochure at the 50PlusBeurs in September instead of the usual week before Christmas. It has brought us more bookings, especially for the first trips in the spring. So this year we will be publishing our brochure again in September.’ The new ships of Feenstra Rijn Lijn have a capacity of up to 144 passengers. That is more than 20 more than the ships with 100 to 120 beds of the past. Out of a total of 30 sailings, that adds up considerably. Eltink and Van Veelen stick to the agreed policy that the fleet will be expanded with a new ship every year. Number six will follow next year. Van Veelen already has one in mind and promises more details soon. ‘You don’t just pull a new ship out of the closet. We are looking for a modern ship, just like our latest ships, with panoramic windows and hotel beds instead of folding beds in the cabins,’ says Eltink, who emphasizes that Feenstra’s traditional ships are also equipped with every comfort and are still immensely popular. “These ships have a loyal number of passengers. They are people who take a cruise on the same ship every year and sometimes meet up with passengers they met on a previous trip.’
Target audience
Which brings the conversation to another cliché: isn’t a river cruise something for seniors and shouldn’t you as a shipping company desperately need to work on rejuvenation? The two directors shook their heads. ‘The Netherlands now has about 7 million people aged 50 years or older. The target group is therefore large enough. What you do see, however, is that today’s seniors have different wishes. They are more active than the older target group of the past,’ says Van Veelen.
‘A river cruise is an easy product to sell’
Eltink adds: ‘Let there be no mistake about it, the reality is that people from our senior target group eventually drop out. That’s why you have to recruit new recruits from the bottom up, especially given the growth plans we have with Feenstra. And to be honest, I would like to shave a few years off the age of the newcomers. That’s why I would like to focus more on the younger, older ones.’
Retail
Feenstra Rijn Lijn is a loyal partner of the retail sector, which still accounts for almost half of its turnover. Both sales channels, both directly and through the agent, are showing growth, says Eltink. ‘A river cruise is an easy product to sell. As an agent, you have to know the product. Last year, we invited a few large chains to our open days on board the ships. A river cruise may not seem like the sexiest product to sell, but there are many options beyond the regular trips. Last autumn, one of our ships was chartered for three days for a company party from Rotterdam for a mini cruise to Antwerp, complete with an opening party with DJ and a closing captain’s dinner with another party evening. There you saw people of all ages.’ 
River or sea cruise
And then there is the chicken-and-egg question: is a river cruise a first step towards a sea cruise or the other way around? Eltink shakes his head. ‘It often happens that people opt for a river cruise after a few years of sea cruises. At least they won’t have to fly all the way to Miami.’ Van Veelen: ‘There is a slight overlap, but otherwise they are two different target groups. In a sea cruise, the ship is often more the destination, while a river cruise is more of a tour of various cities. And we sail partly during the day, so you can enjoy the view on deck, with the panorama changing every five minutes.’ And while we’re at it, we’re trying to clear up misunderstandings: a river cruise is not a group trip in which participants are condemned to each other, says Van Veelen. ‘As a passenger, you can go your own way. If we moor along the way, you can join our excursion, but you can also explore a city individually.’
Regular customers
As mentioned, Feenstra Rijn Lijn has a large number of regular customers. The percentage of repeaters is between 60 and 70 percent, both direct customers and through travel agencies. ‘There is a risk that you will sit back. That is why we continue to actively recruit new recruits and continue to innovate,’ says Van Veelen. Eltink adds: ‘The tricky thing is that you can’t just dig a new river for a new shipping route. But we can renew all the ingredients of our cruises from time to time, such as with new excursions along the way, so that our regular customers also discover something new. And with a longer berth in the ports we visit, we are responding to the wishes of the new generation of passengers who want more time to discover.’
Who are…
Maurice Eltink has been working at Feenstra Rijn Lijn since 2009, including more than a year as co-director. Roderik van Veelen was previously Managing Director at Select Voyages and Cruise Commerce. Together with Eltink, he has been on the board of directors of Feenstra Rijn Lijn for over a year now. Want to read more about river cruises? Read more here…
