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The Blue Danube with Budapest Extension

Free Superior Drinks Package on 2024 European River Cruises
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The Blue Danube with Budapest extension

From £2,268 pp

Explore this magnificent imperial city, its iconic Gothic Parliament Building and the superb National Gallery with its impressive collection of Hungarian masterpieces plus medieval Visegrad and the delightful Royal Palace at Godollo, before venturing out into the desolate beauty of Hungary’s Great Plain. Stepping aboard you will appreciate the superb surroundings of your floating luxury hotel for the next seven nights with spacious and well-appointed cabins or suites, private bathrooms and meticulously prepared fine cuisine.

What’s Included:

  • Return flights from the UK & overseas transfers
  • Full-board from dinner on your day of arrival until breakfast on your final day
  • Complimentary drinks with meals and from 6pm to midnight from the bar
  • Guided tour of Vienna, city of Strauss and home of the Habsburgs
  • Live classical quartet recital on board
  • Tour of baroque Bratislava, capital of Slovakia
  • Cruise through the scenic Wachau, Austria’s premier wine region
  • Visit to Melk Abbey, central Europe’s most spectacular baroque monastery, and one of its premier academic institutions
  • Visit to medieval Dürnstein where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned whilst returning from the Crusades
  • Tour of Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and one of Austria’s most beautiful cities
  • Explore the amazing basilica at Esztergom, Hungary’s oldest cathedral
  • Tour of Budapest, Pearl of the Danube
  • A further three nights in an excellent hotel with breakfast
  • Visit the historic medieval town of Visegrád, followed by a Hungarian lunch
  • Visit to picturesque Szentendre, baroque gem and ‘Montmarte of the Danube’
  • Guided visit of Budapest’s iconic Parliament Building with its magnificent cathedral-like interior
  • Visit the famous National Gallery with its world-class collection of Hungarian masterpieces and antiquities
  • Tour of the Royal Palace and stunning gardens at Gödöllo, former summer residence of the Hapsburgs
  • Experience the dramatic ‘Puszta’ on our scenic tour into Hungary’s Great Plain, after lunch, watch a performance by some of the most famous horsemen of the region
  • Services of a cruise director and tour manager
  • Return flights

Riviera Plus 

Customers in all deluxe and superior suites and all upper-deck cabins will benefit from a wealth of unique, new benefits:

  • A bathroom stocked with luxury toiletries upon arrival
  • A bottle of champagne awaiting you when you arrive
  • Locally inspired gifts for you to take home
  • Enjoy a massage, spa treatment or hairdresser with a 10% discount
  • Receive 10% off our convenient onboard laundry services
Danube - Budapest-panorama-city-skyline,-Budapest,-HungaryLowRes
Day 1 - Budapest

You fly to Budapest, where a coach takes you to your cruise ship. The dedicated crew are there to welcome you on board, ensuring you settle into your extremely comfortable, well-equipped cabin and familiarise yourself with this first-class floating hotel. There’s always a sense of expectancy and excitement on the eve of a cruise and, after an excellent dinner in the stylish restaurant, conversation is sure to revolve around the delights ahead.

Dinner

Day 2 - Esztergom

Experience one of the great joys of cruising as you awake in a completely different location. Overnight we slipped upstream to Esztergom, one of Hungary’s oldest towns, a royal capital during medieval times and today the seat of the country’s archbishop. Esztergom is famous for its enormous neoclassical basilica, Hungary’s largest church, standing sentinel over the Danube on the border with Slovakia, and boasting one of the world’s largest altarpieces and a wealth of priceless religious artefacts. The castle is also worth exploring; it was the seat of government until the Ottomans invaded in the 16th century. Nestling below are myriad atmospheric churches resonating with the enchanting sounds of choirs, adding to the unmistakable Central European atmosphere. This is the best of provincial Hungary and is little changed since Habsburg times. As you enjoy your first lunch on board we gently leave Esztergom in our wake, affording a fascinating opportunity to compare the different landscapes, towns and villages of Hungary on one river bank and of Slovakia on the other.

Day 2 - Esztergom

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 - Bratislava

This morning we explore Slovakia’s fast-emerging capital city, Bratislava, on a guided tour. Until recently swathed in the drab uniformity of Communism, the city has rekindled the splendour of its imperial past in its beautifully restored Old Town. Equally impressive is the imposing 17th-century castle commanding expansive views across the Danube. This afternoon we cruise into Lower Austria, a peaceful, bucolic region and home to some of the country’s best wines. By now the stresses of everyday life seem distant as you absorb the ever-changing scenes we pass: children playing on the river banks, young couples strolling arm in arm like generations before them, vignerons carefully pruning their vines, and cobbled quaysides lined by half-timbered buildings, teeming with life. You’ll marvel as the Captain skilfully navigates the ship along the serene river and through locks whose mechanisms never cease to fascinate, as we cruise towards Dürnstein while enjoying another superb dinner.

Day 3 - Bratislava

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 - Dürnstein & Melk

As well as being a delightfully picturesque town in a landscape of forested hills and vineyards, Dürnstein is known principally for two things: first, for the ice-blue tower of its abbey, which dominates the view, and second, for the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 after being shipwrecked on his return from the crusades then captured by his enemy, Leopold V, Duke of Austria. Set on a rocky outcrop high above the river, the castle is now ruined, but it’s easy to imagine England’s legendary monarch seething with frustration far from home, while waiting for his family to raise funds to pay his ransom. After lunch you visit the remarkable Melk Abbey. Nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of this enormous honey-coloured building, standing resplendent above the surrounding countryside.

Day 4 - Dürnstein & Melk

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 - Salzburg

Reaching Linz, we then drive to Salzburg, once an independent state whose archbishops turned it into one of the most sophisticated cities north of the Alps. Dominating the skyline is one of Europe’s largest stone fortresses, the Hohensalzburg, while beneath its walls church domes and spires rise from the delightful Altstadt, or Old Town. With superb architecture dating from medieval times to the 18th century, the heart of Salzburg is a maze of tiny streets lined with a mix of traditional shops and modern designer boutiques that make window-shopping so satisfying. Then there’s the wonderful Hellbrunn Palace with its ingenious trick fountains, and the splendid formal gardens of the Mirabell Palace – a must for horticulture fans.

Day 5 - Salzburg

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 Vienna

For many, today’s visit to Vienna will be one of the highlights of the cruise. The city’s very name provokes images of elegance, fine music, wide boulevards, Baroque architecture and a rich tapestry of peoples who were drawn here from all corners of Europe. For 200 years until the First World War, Vienna was the cultural centre of Europe and many of the showpiece buildings, galleries, aristocratic palaces and magnificent churches you see today were built to reflect its imperial status. The city’s most iconic monument is the breathtaking Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, whose striking multicoloured roof and huge Gothic South Tower dominate the skyline.

Day 6 Vienna

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 - Budapest

Enjoy a leisurely morning as we cruise majestically through Hungary’s peaceful pastoral landscape towards Budapest. After lunch we enjoy a sightseeing tour of this captivating city, which truly lives up to its reputation as the ‘Pearl of the Danube’. The twin cities of Buda, built around the hilltop fortress, and Pest, with its wide boulevards, were fought over through the centuries. The Ottomans ruled here for 150 years before being ousted in the late 17th century, but their legacy lives on in the many thermal baths fed by hot springs, giving rise to Budapest’s other sobriquet  – the ‘City of Spas’. After the end of Ottoman rule, Budapest became an imperial city of the Habsburg Empire, attracting great cultural and commercial wealth.

Day 7 - Budapest

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 Visegrad & Szentendre

We leave the ship and return to the dramatic Danube Bend to explore some of the region’s hidden gems. First we visit the medieval town of Visegrad, renowned for its historic Royal Palace and fantastically preserved citadel. The palace, now beautifully restored, was originally built by King Charles Robert in the 14th century when he decided to move the royal court to Visegrad from Budapest. It was abandoned after the Ottoman conquest and lay buried for centuries under mud washed down from the surrounding hills until a chance discovery by an archaeologist in 1934 helped identify the building’s location. You may wish to visit the palace, gardens and remarkable royal chapel featuring a stunning gilded wooden ceiling before enjoying a tasty lunch. There’s also a chance to visit Solomon’s Tower, a 13th-century hexagonal keep housing a museum with fascinating Gothic and Renaissance discoveries excavated from the town.

Day 8 Visegrad & Szentendre

Breakfast

Day 9 - Budapest

Budapest is truly a magnificent city – an alluring collage of palatial buildings and grand churches with dramatic spires and magnificent domes straddling the vast waters of the Danube. Numerous foreign powers have ruled here and this is reflected in the city’s eclectic architectural mix, including Roman ruins and Turkish baths recalling the days of the Ottoman Empire, but the greatest influence on its architecture was Hungary’s union with Austria in 1867, which initiated a period of huge growth continuing up to the First World War. This resulted in some sensational buildings in a range of styles, including the elegant Art Nouveau Gellert Hotel and its sumptuous thermal baths, resplendent with gleaming majolica tiles and colourful mosaics.

Day 9 - Budapest

Breakfast

Day 10 - Godollo & Puszta

Today we leave the bustling city behind for something different. The landscape gradually begins to change as the thickly forested hills of the uplands to the north come into view, while isolated sleepy villages and remote ruined castles are all that interrupt the swathes of lush vineyards of this world-class wine-producing region. Our first port of call is the attractive Baroque town of Godollo, where we have a tour of the impressive Royal Palace. Known as ‘Hungary’s Versailles’, it was used by Queen Elisabeth of Hungary as a residence during the spring and autumn hunting seasons and is surrounded by a large park and gorgeous manicured gardens. Inside we see the stately private apartments, lavishly decorated with exquisite furniture and antiques, and the Queen’s secret staircase linking her bedroom to the library.

Day 10 - Godollo & Puszta

Breakfast

Day 11 - Return Home

Today we transfer to the airport for our flight home.

Breakfast

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Exterior

Thomas Hardy is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera Thomas Hardy Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additionl fllor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Oscar Wilde Exterior

Oscar Wilde is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2017 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Deluxe-Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Robert Burns Exterior

Robert Burns is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2018 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Atrium

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel Charles Dickens Exterior

The 5 star MS Charles Dickens (2015) MS William Shakespeare (2014) have been specially commissioned and designed to Riviera’s specification by Dutch ship builders Veka Group. Carrying just 140 passengers each, the crew ratio of 4:1 ensures excellent service throughout your cruise. Finished with the highest quality materials with luxurious carpets, rich hardwoods and plenty of steel and glass the ships have an elegant and sleek style throughout.

Riviera Travel William Shakespeare Rear Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 74 comfortable outside cabins and suites, most with French Balconies
  • Deluxe Suites have full outside balconies
  • Sundeck with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool on deck
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating
  • Main Globe lounge with bar & piano
  • Stern Midsummer Bar & Chef’s Restaurant for 24 diners
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Lift to Hamlet & Othello decks
  • Sauna, steam room and hairdresser* on board
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*
  • * Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

These lovely 5 star river cruise vessels, feature beautifully furnished cabins and suites, the majority featuring floor to ceiling sliding glass doors opening to a French Balcony. 74 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 151 – 245 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 4 Deluxe suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

245 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling opening glass doors leading to an outside balcony with table & chairs
  • Enhanced sitting area with table, sofa and armchair
  • Private tiled bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with quality bath products
  • Hotel style beds with fine cotton bed linen
  • Bathrobes & slippers
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Charles Dickens - Deluxe Suite
Riviera Travel Charles Dickens - French Balcony Cabin

French Balcony Cabin

161 ft² – Middle & Upper Decks

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors open all the way to create a full width French Balcony.
  • Private tiled bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with quality bath products
  • Hotel style beds with fine cotton bed linen
  • Bathrobes & slippers
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Lower Deck Cabin

151 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private tiled bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with quality bath products
  • Hotel style beds with fine cotton bed linen
  • Bathrobes & slippers
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Table & armchair
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Available for single occupancy without supplement – subject to availability

Riviera Travel Charles Dickens - Lower Deck Cabin
Riviera Travel Charles Dickens
Riviera Travel - MS William Wordsworth

MS William Wordsworth is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2019 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows. 6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. This superb vessel carries 44 in-house trained crew members serving just 176 guests (similar size vessels may carry well over 190 passengers) giving the ratio which our experience proves is concurrent with our first class service levels. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level. A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above. The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Atrium

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.      

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Deluxe Balcony Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

 

Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan
Riviera Travel - MS Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is one of Riviera Travel’s new ‘all suite’ ships.  Launched in 2020 she offers excellent standards of accommodation consistent with Scylla’s (the ship operator) other 5 star ships. Standard Suites are large at 183 ft² with floor to ceiling windows opening to a rail on the middle and upper decks. Suites on the lower deck are slightly smaller at 172 ft² and feature high level windows.

6 Superior Suites and 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites are available on each ship at 247 ft² and 269 ft² respectively. Deluxe Balcony Suites, located on the upper deck, also feature a small private balcony. An outstanding ship it would be very easy to just say ‘luxurious’ but it’s much more than that, a unique yet exquisite blend of understated taste, style and elegance at the highest level.

A spacious new vessel as you enter a gleaming, richly coloured marble-floored lobby flooded with natural light from a stunning atrium above.

The ship is beautifully illuminated throughout, including the exterior and imaginatively furnished with harmonious colour schemes, all designed to create the serene atmosphere reflective of the golden age of cruising.

Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Lounge

Onboard Features & Facilities

  • 88 comfortable outside suites, most with French balconies, some with private balcony
  • For and aft sundecks with sun-shades, deck chairs & loungers
  • ‘Whirlpool’ splash pool
  • Stylish restaurant with open seating with tables of 4 and 6
  • Main lounge with bar & piano
  • Bistro bar & restaurant
  • Complimentary coffee and tea throughout the day with speciality patisseries in the afternoon
  • Elevator to Diamond, Ruby and Emerald decks
  • Wellness area, massage, nail salon and hairdresser
  • Onboard souvenir shop*
  • Laundry service*

* Payable locally.

Accommodation & Amenities

88 spacious, elegantly appointed staterooms and suites range in size from 172 – 269 ft² or indulge even more in one of the 6 Superior suites or 4 Deluxe Balcony Suites. Most accommodations featuring floor to ceiling glass sliding doors opening to a French Balcony, so you can enjoy the ever-changing scenery however you wish.

Deluxe Balcony Suite

269 ft² – Diamond (Upper) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a private balcony with table and chairs and additional floor to ceiling windows
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Larger private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products, Bathrobes and slippers
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera-Travel-OscarWilde-Deluxe-Suite
Riviera Travel Emily Bronte Stern Suite

Superior & Superior Stern Suite

247 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to French balcony
  • Enhanced sitting area
  • Marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning

Diamond Deck & Ruby Deck Suite

183 ft² – Diamond & Ruby (Upper & Middle) Deck

  • Floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a French balcony
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel Thomas Hardy Stern Suite
Riviera Thomas Hardy Lower Deck Cabin

Emerald Deck Suite

172 ft² –  Emerald (Lower) Deck

  • Smaller Fixed Window
  • Private marble bathroom with WC, wash basin & glass shower enclosure with Crabtree and Evelyn bath products
  • Hotel style beds, the best mattresses and fine cotton bed linen
  • A bed turn down service operates during dinner
  • Seating area with 2 chairs and a table
  • In room safe, mini-bar, hair dryer, full-length mirror, plenty of storage space & telephone
  • Tea & Coffee making facilities
  • Flat-screen televisions with satellite TV channels, GPS and for & aft camera views.
  • Individually controlled air-conditioning
Riviera Travel - Suite Ship Deck Plan

For our latest prices & availability please call 0800 471 4754




Why Choose This Cruise?

Riviera Travel’s river cruises have caused a bit of a revolution in the UK market and sell more river cruises in the UK than any other river cruise line.  A range of brand new ships, styled classically have impressed with their high standards for the price.  Riviera’s 30 years of land-touring experience are carried into their river cruise excursions, providing good value off ship experiences.  Whilst some may require higher levels of inclusions and finer dining, Riviera’s river cruises deliver consistently high standards for their loyal UK customers.

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