Dear River Cruise Partners,

As the river cruise season is now well underway, I hope everything is going smoothly for you, your crews and your passengers.

While the current season is in full swing, it is also the perfect time to prepare for the future. Over the past few months, I have been working on several new projects designed to support river cruise companies, destinations and local stakeholders in delivering an even better guest experience.

In this newsletter, I am pleased to introduce Fluvial Connect, a new platform currently under development, invite you to discover the latest news about the Constant & Clément children’s book collection, and share how AF Fluvial Conseil continues to support destinations in improving the quality of their river cruise welcome and services.

Your feedback and ideas are invaluable. They will help shape these projects to better meet the needs of river cruise professionals.

I wish you an excellent season and hope you enjoy reading this newsletter.

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Fluvial Connect: Join the Pilot Program

For the past several months, I have been developing Fluvial Connect, a platform designed to strengthen the connection between river cruise companies and local tourism stakeholders.

Its objective is simple: to help you easily identify trusted local partners, prepare your port calls, discover new experiences for your guests, and access a single network of professionals dedicated to river cruise tourism.

The platform is continuously expanding with new partners and will keep evolving over the coming months thanks to feedback from its users.

Rather than developing this tool on my own, I have chosen to involve river cruise companies in this pilot phase, ensuring that Fluvial Connect truly meets your operational needs.

I would therefore like to invite you to join the Fluvial Connect Pilot Program and enjoy complimentary access until March 1, 2027.

To get started, we will create your company profile together so that your workspace can be tailored to your needs. You will then be able to explore the partners already featured on the platform, test its functionalities, and share your comments, suggestions and ideas for improvement.

Your feedback will play a key role in making Fluvial Connect a platform designed by and for river cruise professionals.

🎥 Watch the Fluvial Connect presentation video
🤝 Discover the experiences and services already available on Fluvial Connect

If you would like to join the Pilot Program, simply reply to this email before September 1, 2026.

I will then get in touch with you to create your company profile and introduce you to the platform in more detail.

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The Adventures of Constant & Clément: Inspiring Children to Discover France’s Rivers

Alongside my consulting activities, I wanted to share my passion for river cruising and inland waterways with younger generations.

This is how The Adventures of Constant & Clément was born, a children’s book collection whose heroes are inspired by my two sons.

Through their adventures, they discover France’s rivers, the regions they flow through, their heritage, the world of inland navigation, and all those little moments that make life along the waterways so special.

Each story is inspired by real-life anecdotes experienced by Constant and Clément during their childhood, much of which was spent on river cruise quays and aboard river cruise ships.

One of my favourite memories still makes me smile today. The first time they saw the Seine pilot boarding a ship, one of them looked at me very seriously and asked:

« Mum… doesn’t the captain know how to sail anymore? »

It is exactly this sense of wonder, curiosity and spontaneity that I wanted to capture throughout this collection.

The second book, Cap sur la Seine en bateau (Setting Course on the Seine), is currently being launched in its French edition. It invites children to discover the Seine through an adventure combining heritage, navigation, local culture and memorable encounters.

My ambition is to gradually expand the collection to cover France’s main rivers, offering young readers a fun and engaging way to discover the country’s rich river heritage.

I am also considering publishing an English edition of Cap sur la Seine en bateau so that international families travelling aboard river cruise ships can enjoy the story as well.

I would love to hear your opinion: Do you think an English edition would appeal to your guests or find its place in your onboard gift shop?

The book is available at a recommended retail price of €8.90 (incl. VAT). Preferential trade pricing is available for professionals, with volume discounts depending on the quantity ordered.

If you would like to receive our trade price list, discuss the English edition or simply share your thoughts, I would be grateful if you could reply before September 1, 2026.

I would be delighted to discuss this project with you, whose ambition is to introduce children to France’s rivers and inspire, from an early age, a love of inland navigation and the remarkable destinations shaped by their waterways.

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🧭 AF Fluvial Conseil: Supporting Destinations for Better River Cruise Calls

Behind every successful river cruise call lies a well-organised destination, strong local cooperation and efficient communication.

With this in mind, AF Fluvial Conseil supports local authorities, destination management organisations (DMOs), port and landing stage managers, and river destinations in improving the welcome and experience offered to river cruise ships and their guests.

Through the 360° River Cruise Call Assessment, I analyse the entire guest journey, from arrival at the landing stage to boarding the ship again. The objective is to identify strengths, highlight opportunities for improvement and define practical actions that enhance the destination’s attractiveness and operational efficiency.

In addition, thematic webinars are organised throughout the year to share best practices and help destinations better understand the expectations of cruise companies, crews and passengers.

Tailor-made support is also available for destinations wishing to strengthen their river tourism offer, improve coordination between local stakeholders or develop a comprehensive river cruise hospitality strategy.

Every assignment has the same goal: helping cruise companies enjoy smoother operations, enabling crews to work under the best possible conditions, and ensuring passengers benefit from an outstanding experience ashore.

Because destinations that truly understand the needs of river cruise companies are the ones that inspire them to return.

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Thank you

Thank you for taking the time to read this special edition of our Logbook.

Whether through Fluvial Connect, The Adventures of Constant & Clément, or the support provided to river destinations, every project I develop shares the same ambition: strengthening collaboration between destinations and river cruise companies to create ever more rewarding experiences for crews, guests and local communities.

Your feedback, ideas and experience are invaluable. They help shape projects that truly reflect the realities of our industry.

If you would like to join the Fluvial Connect Pilot Program, receive trade information about the Constant & Clément collection, or simply share your thoughts, I would be delighted to hear from you.

I wish you a wonderful cruising season and look forward to working with you in the near future.

Warm regards,

Aurélie Feray
Founder – AF Fluvial Conseil

« Navigating together towards your success. »