From the very moment you step aboard one of there spectacular ships, the world you want to enjoy and explore becomes closer. Watch the stunning scenery pass by from the comfort of your luxuriously large cabin or suite. Or simply step out onto your private balcony and soak up the views with the breeze on your face.
If you’re new to river cruising – or new to Riviera Travel – you might be feeling unsure about making your first booking. Below Riviera Travel have prepared a guide of what to expect on-board one of there cruises and helpful in preparing you for what might be your first, but is unlikely to be your last, river cruise.
Atmosphere
At Riviera Travel they are passionate about quality, which means that all there guests are able to relax with the expectation that every aspect of their river cruise has been carefully considered to uphold the highest standards. There’s a definite focus on destinations on there river cruises, and they love helping there guests experience the very heart of a place, through expertly guided tours and itineraries that include everything of importance along the way.
Ships
Expect luxury all the way on a Riviera Travel ship, as they pay careful attention to detail across there entire fleet of four and five star ships, ensuring that the elegant design is both luxurious and comfortable.
For example, they have designed there corridors wide enough to allow people to pass one another – a seemingly small detail that can actually make a big difference to your experience on-board. They also don’t go for stark minimalism or trendy fads on Riviera Travel ships. Instead they focus on maximizing light and using the finest materials – polished marble, sparkling glass, sumptuous soft furnishings and warm wood to create a classy but cozy boutique hotel feel.
Cabins
The cabins all have that luxury hotel feel, while also boasting all the comforts of home – including tea and coffee facilities from well-loved brands. Whether you want to enjoy a coffee from the Nespresso machine as you look out over the river, or you’d like to kick back on your full-sized bed to watch the flat screen TV, there cabins have been designed to make the time you spend in them as pleasurable and comfortable as possible.
The cabin sizes are generous, for example, suites on our new all-suite ships start at 17 square meters, placing them amongst the largest on any European river cruiser. Add gleaming marble bathrooms with fluffy towels and luxury toiletries, crisp cotton bed linen with your choice of pillows, and beautifully designed décor, and you’ve got cabins that you’ll almost hate to leave!
Facilities
Although there focus is on you spending as much time as possible exploring the beautiful places they sail to, they also ensure that there ships have all the facilities you need to enjoy your time on-board. The Sun Decks are the perfect place to watch the scenery pass by from a comfy chair or lounger, and some ships boast splash pools and putting greens too. On-board hairdressing salons and wellness areas offer the opportunity to relax and be pampered, and a giant chess set will pass the time with some friendly competition. All ships also have air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a small library, and a tea and coffee station for you to help yourself whenever you fancy.
Food And Drink
You can expect five-star dining, but without any stuffiness. Guests can choose where they sit and with whom – unlike other ships there are no enforced seating policies, although the helpful Maître D’ will assist you with seating if you wish. Early risers on- board can start their day with tea or coffee and freshly baked pastries on the Sun Deck, with a full breakfast buffet, including more than 60 hot and cold options, served a little later.
Or you can choose to take a continental breakfast in the comfort of your cabin at no extra cost. The lunch buffet, afternoon tea and chef’s special patisserie ensure you’re kept fully sustained until the culinary highlight of the day – the delicious four course dinner served in there elegant dining room. Please note drinks are not included on a Riviera Travel cruise.
Entertainment
Entertainment is kept low-key on cruises, as many guests are happy with good conversation in the comfortable lounge and bar areas, or like to retire early to rest for the sightseeing adventures ahead. However, the welcome reception and dinner at the start of every cruise, and the six course Captain’s gala dinner towards the end, are always thoroughly enjoyed. The ships also have a musician providing subtle entertainment, and they will often invite local musicians on-board to entertain you with performances traditional to the place we’re sailing through.
Tours And Trips
At Riviera Travel they take an all-inclusive approach to tours and trips, ensuring that everything that makes up the essence of your destination is included in the up-front cost of your river cruise. That usually means tours expertly led by a local guide, admission to the main sights, landmarks and attractions, and transfers to any out of the way attractions that we wouldn’t want you to miss. We also carefully plan our itineraries so that there’s plenty of time built in for you to explore under your own steam. And, of course, there’s absolutely no pressure to join any of the planned tours or trips on the itinerary. It’s your holiday, so you choose exactly how you wish to spend your time!
So hopefully this taste of what to expect has inspired you to book a Riviera Travel river cruise – Browse the collection of European River Cruises for the 2019 dates HERE with prices starting from £699.00 p/p.
