Riviera River Cruise Lines

[Got2Cruise]

Hi. I received an email mailing about Riviera River Cruise Line. This is the first I’m hearing about them. According to the mailing it’s popular with pax from England. 
 

Anyone have any insight or experience on this brand?

[jo-b]

Hi, English person here😀 We have travelled with Riviera a few times and rate them highly. We tried  Scenic first and didn’t like their cabins, they had the electric window on the balcony that came down to railing level but was very noisy if you were at all worried about waking fellow passengers, and was also accessed from a door in a window in your cabin. On the Riviera ships the whole window slides open across the hill between you and the next cabin leaving you with an open wall so you can watch the world pass by. 
The food on Scenic was marginally better, but drink prices were higher. Tours were very similar. Prices were a lot lower on Riviera. 

We have met a few Americans onboard but not many, getting more the last time we sailed with was Pre Covid 

 

There are photos of one of their ships here https://www.flickr.com/gp/jobloor/Bq438h7AN5

[Canal archive]

Are you sure you were on Scenic as they are all inclusive and unless your drinking really really high end you shouldn’t have paid a penny for any drinks unless you traveled with them about 15 years ago.

[pontac]

17 hours ago, Got2Cruise said:

Riviera River Cruise Line. This is the first I’m hearing about them. According to the mailing it’s popular with pax from England. 

 

Riviera Travel is a family-owned and run British tour company, running holidays of many sorts for 25 odd years and river cruising is their latest venture. As they already have a large base of British customers and started selling river cruise to a British audience that's why their boats have - up to now -  mostly British customers.

 

It seems they are now advertising in the USA.

 

I haven't been with them but my friends, who are frequent Viking cruisers, went just before Covid on one of their Christmas market cruises and they are looking at going again with them. They gave a good report.

 

All the river cruise companies appear to have different offerings in the UK and USA so you'll have to see whether price and inclusions are competitive, but I  you need have no fear that they are newbies or offer a sub-standard cruise.

[notamermaid]

3 hours ago, pontac said:

you need have no fear that they are newbies or offer a sub-standard cruise.

I would agree. I have not been on a ship but they look good and are mostly Scylla (the owner - long term lease to Riviera) ships of a very high standard and modern. I really like the designs, I see them on the Rhine frequently.

 

We have been talking about Riviera Travel a little here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2904120-viking-river-cruises-v-riviera-river-cruises/#comment-64720707

and I started a thread shortly after they came onto the North American market: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2507713-all-things-riviera-travel-uk/

 

 

I would love to sail with them, but so far have not got further than initial planning stages. When I spoke to the office on the phone they were very friendly and confirmed that I could book without air or other travel arrangements, just the cruise and book from Germany.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

9 hours ago, jo-b said:

Hi, English person here😀 We have travelled with Riviera a few times and rate them highly.

Good to hear from you again. Any river cruises planned?

 

Miss coming to your neck of the woods and travelling up the M6.

 

notamermaid

 

[jo-b]

3 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Good to hear from you again. Any river cruises planned?

 

Miss coming to your neck of the woods and travelling up the M6.

 

notamermaid

 

Good to hear from you, I see you are still working hard on our behalf! Yes we have a Riviera cruise rebooked from 2020 in May this year on the Main Nuremberg to Mainz and a few days in Frankfurt at the end. 
 

I really can’t believe ANYONE misses driving on the M6 😀😀😀🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

[jo-b]

7 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Are you sure you were on Scenic as they are all inclusive and unless your drinking really really high end you shouldn’t have paid a penny for any drinks unless you traveled with them about 15 years ago.

Yes it was Scenic, must have misremembered about the drinks, I just “took agin them” 😁😀

[notamermaid]

41 minutes ago, jo-b said:

Good to hear from you, I see you are still working hard on our behalf! Yes we have a Riviera cruise rebooked from 2020 in May this year on the Main Nuremberg to Mainz and a few days in Frankfurt at the end. 
 

I really can’t believe ANYONE misses driving on the M6 😀😀😀🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

Keeping myself busy. Nuremberg to Mainz sounds good. Nice food in Franconia and good wine and beer of course. Frankfurt is an interesting city, check out the Palmengarten if you have time.

 

M6 - mainly to get away from the South quickly.  Only from the junction with the M65 to Carlisle if I can help it. I love the hills and enjoy Penrith and Cumbria. From the Limes to Hadrian's Wall I travel, from one Roman border to another. I was last up there in 2019.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

[Queen of my Heart]

I have done river cruises in France (Seine and Rhone) as well as the Danube and Rhine with Riviera (about six in all). Their ships are comfortable and well maintained without being at the luxury end of the market. The food is pretty good, especially the buffets, and drinks not too highly priced.  They are generally well-organised and cope well with unexpected changes to itinerary, passenger mishaps, lost property etc. Prices appear to have risen quite substantially post-Covid, but they're not alone in that. Their range of cruises isn't as extensive as other cruise lines and they don't generally offer multiple options for excursions at each stopping-off point. So you either accept what's on offer or do your own thing (if that's feasible, depending on the mooring location).

The cruises are aimed squarely at the British market, (hence the kettles in the cabins!), and passengers mainly 60plus but active. Riviera do offer shoulder season "solo traveller" cruises where everyone gets a double cabin for no-supplement price, which is a good deal if you don't mind travelling in early spring or mid/late autumn. Be aware though that a fairly high percentage of the "solo travellers" seem to be two friends, sisters, mother & daughter, brothers etc travelling together, rather than people who are completely on their own. So the vibe isn't that different from a standard cruise, just fewer people on it.

[pontac]

21 hours ago, pontac said:

Riviera Travel is a family-owned and run British tour company, running holidays of many sorts for 25 odd years

Update: Actually 39 years. They were started in 1984.

 

What could be a plus or minus depending on individual choice, and it may be different in the USA marketing, but as standard Riviera do not include alcoholic drinks (house wines/beer) with lunch/dinner.

 

This may be changing as they are throwing in their drinks package with 2023 summer bookings, but it's one of the factors you may like to look at when comparing prices.

[albertb]

Riviera Travel is no longer "family owned". Since 2017 it has been owned by Silverfleet Capital, a private equity company.