Riviera Travel has been offering European river cruises for almost 40 years. There are several things that are included on Riviera Travel river cruises, so let’s take a closer look.
We were invited to take a Rhine river cruise to find out what it’s like to cruise with Riviera Travel.
What is included on Riviera Travel river cruises?
Watch our video guide to find out what is included with Riviera Travel.
Riviera Travel river cruises offers direct Flights from the U.K.
When you book a Riviera Travel river cruise, your flights are included. This removes the hassle of finding separate flights for your river cruise. Some other river cruise companies do this (e.g. Tui River Cruises) or may only be included in special deals.
Regional flights may be available, depending on where your cruise starts and ends.
All flight-inclusive river cruise holidays with Riviera Travel are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate.
No Fly Options are included on Riviera Travel river cruises
If you don’t like flying, Riviera Travel offers a no-fly option for many of its river cruises. You can opt to travel by Eurostar from St Pancras and then arrive at your starting destination by coach.
There’s an impressive amount of Riviera Travel river cruises that offer a no-fly option:
- Rhine
- Danube
- Main
- Rhone
- Main
- Moselle
- Seine
It’s worth knowing that you can even arrange your travel to start and end at a regional train station but this is an additional fee. See regional rail supplements.
Your luggage allowance is included
Whether you decide to fly or travel by train to your Riviera Travel river cruise, your luggage is included in the price.
This may vary according to your flight operator so check your luggage allowance in advance.
There are no specific weight or size limits on rail services but you can take two pieces of luggage per person. Make sure you can carry them on and off the train yourself.
Packing for summer river cruises is easier as clothing is likely to be more lightweight. Christmas Market cruises will be more challenging when it’s colder.
Not sure what to pack for a river cruise? Take a look at my guide to what to wear on a river cruise in Europe.
Transfers are included on Riviera Travel river cruises
When you arrive at your starting destination, a Riviera Travel representative will be there to greet you at the airport or train station and take you to the river cruise ship by coach.
Having transfers included in your cruise package can give you peace of mind and prevents extra costs pilling up.
Full Board is included
River cruises with Riviera Travel offer passengers full board as standard. This means that breakfast, lunch and dinner are included for the duration of the cruise.
You don’t have to eat all of your meals onboard but it’s great to have this included in your river cruise.
On some days, you may choose to eat in the destination you’re visiting to try the local cuisine. On days when you might be sailing to your next destination during the day, there’s nothing better than having lunch and watching the scenery pass by.
It’s worth knowing that meals are served at set times on a river cruise and there’s very little you’ll find outside of these times.
Breakfast and lunch is buffet-style. Dinner is a four-course meal in the dining room.
Unlimited Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate
A 24-hour hot drinks station is available for you to use at no additional cost. There’s also a tea and coffee making facility in your cabin that is replenished daily.
Complimentary Water Bottle
When you get onboard your river cruise, you will receive a Riviera Travel water bottle and this will come in handy throughout your cruise.
Still and sparkling filtered water is available at the drinks station onboard, which means you can take it with you when are exploring the destinations.
Wi-Fi
The beauty of river cruising is that you’re never far from land and so onboard Wi-Fi is far easier to provide.
Complimentary Wi-Fi is included on Riviera Travel river cruises.
If your phone or sim contract includes roaming in Europe, it’s likely you’ll be able to use your own allowance even when on the ship because you are close enough to land. Exceptions to this may be in remote areas or when cruising through valleys.
Excursions are included on Riviera Travel river cruises
Excursions and guided tours are complimentary with Riviera Travel so you always have the option of an organised activity in the ports you visit.
Many excursions take the form of walking tours but on some river cruises there are also panoramic coach tours, visits to museums, wine tasting and train journeys through scenic landscapes.
On most excursions, there’s free time built in so you have the chance to explore on your own.
In your cabin, you’ll find Vox devices, which you take with you on walking tours so that you can listen to your tour guide easily.
Entertainment
River cruise entertainment is different to ocean cruises, mainly due to the size of the ships but you can still expect daily entertainment onboard.
There are quizzes, singers, musicians, wine-tasting events, cooking demonstrations and educational guest speakers. The cruise director will be responsible for the majority of the entertainment on the river cruise.
Look out for a daily programme that’s delivered to your cabin each evening, detailing the following day’s activities.
Port charges
Local taxes and port charges are included in the cruise fare so it’s one less thing to think about when budgeting for your cruise.
Farewell Drinks
You can toast the end of your cruise with Riviera Travel at the Captain’s Dinner with some farewell drinks. These are complimentary and are available on the evening of the Captain’s Dinner.
Riviera Travel Price Promise
One thing to know is that Riviera’s price promise means that should the price of your cruise drop after you’ve booked, you’ll receive the value of the difference back. This is in the form of a future travel voucher or another added value benefit, which may include a cabin upgrade or onboard credit.
What is included on Riviera Travel river cruises? Final Thoughts
There is plenty included on a Riviera river cruise to take the hassle out of organising extra add-ons and travel. The whole river cruise experience has a more all-inclusive feel so once the cruise is paid, there’s very little more than needs to be done.
You may wish to purchase a drinks package, which includes beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner onboard. Prices vary according to the length of your cruise but to give you an idea it’s around £129 per person on an 8-day cruise.
The good news is that if you book a river cruise with Riviera Travel for 2024, all guests receive the Superior Drinks Package.
The Superior Drinks Package includes your drinks with lunch and dinner, plus cocktails and spirits from the bar.
We’d recommend taking a look at our guide to drinks and drinks packages on Riviera Travel.
Laura is a UK cruise blogger based in Cornwall, UK. She founded Cruise Lifestyle in 2016 to share useful advice about cruising, destinations and food.
Last port visited: Bridgetown, Barbados
Next port of call: unknown, but she can’t wait for cruising to resume safely!
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