The only British premium river cruise operator now offers 14 river cruise itineraries in Europe aboard its fleet of 13 five-star ships, including brand new ‘all suite’ ships, ensuring travellers cruise in style enjoying first class on-board dining and facilities.
This year, Riviera Travel will carry 40,000 passengers on river cruises and with its transparent pricing policy, the price is the same whether customers book via an agent or direct through the website, whether a month or a year in advance, so those who book early will benefit from the best choice of routes, ships, departure dates and cabins.
Sailing eight of Europe’s most picturesque rivers and waterways, Riviera Travel’s itineraries focus on delivering authentic local experiences, exquisite river views and delving into the local history at each stop from wine tasting in the vineyards of Burgundy, to visiting Mozart’s birthplace of Salzburg, to enjoying dinner with Douro views in Portugal’s Quinta da Pacheca. Each cruise includes return flights or rail connections and transfers, tours and excursions with expert guides and tour managers, accommodation in luxurious cabins or suites, all with river views, on a full board basis with afternoon tea, water, tea and coffee included and the option to add on a drinks package if desired.
FOUR NEW ITINERARIES AND A NEW DESTINATION ADDED FOR 2018/19
This year Riviera Travel has launched four new itineraries, including two dedicated solo cruises, and introduced a brand new destination to a popular itinerary.
- New exclusive river cruises for solo travellers: The Blue Danube River Cruise for Solo Travellers starts from £1,299pp departing 1st November 2018 and includes a guided tour of Vienna, live classical quartet recital on board, a tour of baroque Bratislava, a cruise through Austria’s scenic Wachau region, a visit to Melk Abbey – central Europe’s most resplendent baroque monastery – and a tour of Budapest. The 8-day full board Burgundy River Rhone & Provence River Cruise for Solo Travellers starts from £1,899pp departing 6th November 2018 and sails through the beautiful Rhone Valley with visits to charming Vienne, the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard and the breathtaking Ardeche Gorges as well as guided tours of Lyon, Arles and Avignon and wine tasting in Beaune in the Burgundy wine region. Prices include return flights or rail tickets from selected UK departure points as well as transfers in the destination.
- New Christmas markets cruise: Riviera has introduced a new 6-day Christmas markets river cruise on the Danube for winter 2018. The Danube’s Imperial Cities & Yuletide Markets River Cruise takes in the magnificent scenery of the famous Danube Bend exploring the Yuletide markets of Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava; perfect for those looking for a festive escape! The cruise costs from £879pp including tours, transfers, accommodation in a luxury cabin or suite, all meals and return scheduled flights from eight regional airports.
- New Budapest to the Black Sea cruise: Culture vultures will relish this 15-day Budapest to the Black Sea river cruise in the Danube Delta through Europe’s largest area of wetlands. This itinerary delves into the fascinating cities of Eastern Europe from Bucharest to Budapest and Pecs to Novi Sad, set to be the European Capital of Culture in 2021. Highlights include a drive into the ‘Puszta’ grassland in Hungary to watch a performance by the region’s most skilled horsemen, the ancient Romanian port of Constanta with a history spanning over 2,000 years, the spectacular natural rock formations at Belogradchik, the Iron Gates Gorge at the heart of the Djerdap National Park and Lepenski Vir, a series of Mesolithic villages overlooking the Danube which date back to 9,500BC. This cruise has already sold out for 2018, departures for 2019 start from £2,299pp and include return flights from a selection of regional airports with transfers to and from the ship, full board accommodation in a luxury cabin and tours as detailed in the itinerary.
- New destination, Kinderdijk, added to Amsterdam and Dutch Bulbfields cruise: For 2018, the rustic village of Kinderdijk in the Netherlands has been added to the 5-day Amsterdam and Bulbfields river cruise to create the Amsterdam, Kinderdijk & the Dutch Bulbfields river cruise itinerary. A visit to Kinderdijk’s 18th century windmills is combined with the picturesque port of Enkhuizen, historic Rotterdam and the vibrant bulbfields of Keukenhof, the world’s largest flower garden, on this itinerary before exploring the iconic city of Amsterdam aboard a glass-topped canal cruiser. This cruise is also sold out for 2018, departures for 2019 start from £699pp and include return scheduled flights from 15 regional airports or seats on Eurostar/Thalys from London St Pancras International, four nights’ full-board accommodation in a luxury cabin or suite and transfers.
FOUR NEW SHIPS FOR 2018/19
2018 will see the launch of MS Douro Splendour and MS Robert Burns, while Riviera Travel’s 2019 European river cruise programme features two new ships; the MS Dylan Thomas and the MS George Eliot.
