Murray River cruising all the rage as renovation planned for beloved ship

Made famous in the 1980s TV series All the Rivers Run, Emmylou was going to be retired from multi-day trips, but with high demand, she will return in August with a four-night round-trip itinerary.

Meanwhile, the company's new five-star, $6.75 million PS Australian Star will come on board in June, offering three-, four-and seven-night sailings for 38 people at a time.

Both ships will be chartered by APT Travel Group for 2025 to 2026 - the Australian Star under the APT brand and the Emmylou under Travelmart.

"This means that, for the first time, we will have two, deluxe, overnight riverboats operating year-round on the Murray River from Echuca in Victoria from mid-2025, which is very exciting for us and the evolution of river cruising in Australia," said Murray River Paddlesteamers Director, Craig Burgess.

He said there was huge demand for premium, overnight river cruises in Australia.

"It's clear Australians are nostalgic and love Emmylou and want her to continue offering overnight journeys on the Murray," Mr Burgess said.

"But from August, 2025, and thanks to APT, there'll be a choice of two vessels - the old and the new - with different itineraries, size of vessel and onboard ambience, creating a diversity in product that meets market demand and augurs well for the future of river cruising in Australia."

Book by October 31 for your last chance to sail on pre-facelift Emmylou, with 10 per cent off trips from January to May 2025. Twin-share fares come down to $1800 per person for three nights, $2400 for four nights and $4200 for seven nights. mrps.com.au